Mads Sogaard Has Chance to Lay Claim to Ottawa's Starting Goalie Job

23-year-old Mads Sogaard was called up last week to replace the injured Anton Forsberg. If Sogaard can get on a roll, Ottawa's net is there for the taking.

When the Ottawa Senators fired head coach D.J. Smith last month, they didn't exactly turn things around with the classic "new coach bump." Perhaps they'll now get more immediate results from a new goalie.

The Sens called up 6-foot-7 goaltender Mads Sogaard last week to replace the injured Anton Forsberg. Both Forsberg and Joonas Korpisalo have struggled this season, and the door is wide open for Sogaard, who makes his season debut tonight at home against Colorado. 

As the Senators continue to figure themselves out defensively, it's safe to assume that head coach Jacques Martin will gladly turn the net over to any goaltender who can provide consistency and help them win. 

At practice on Tuesday, Martin explained why he's going with the 23-year-old and not Korpisalo.

"When I look at the analytics and the (career) stats of Korpisalo against Colorado, I feel that we have a better chance of winning with the kid going in net," Martin said.

That's an interesting explanation, since Korpisalo has only ever played seven games against the Avalanche, and only one as a Senator. What's more, those seven games stretch back over nine seasons. If Korpisalo started tonight, it's highly doubtful that Jarome Iginla, for example, would give him much trouble.

And while his individual stats aren't great, Korpisalo actually has a winning record against the Avalanche (4-3).

No, with two days between games, this is probably Martin's way of softening the blow for Korpisalo, the club's well-paid 29-year-old veteran who's played ten times as many games in the league as Sogaard.

This is a coach who's unhappy with the status quo and trying to catch lightning in a bottle. And who can blame him? Things just haven't clicked yet with Korpisalo or Forsberg back there. Martin hopes Sogaard's impressive AHL stats (.920 save percentage and 2.48 goals against average) will translate to the NHL and help the club string some wins together. 

Indeed, Martin has absolutely nothing to lose by trying.

"(Sogaard) is having a really good season in the AHL," Martin said. "He's played well, he's been a big part of their program. They're happy with his progressions. So, it's a good opportunity for him tonight."

Sens captain Brady Tkachuk says the players have confidence in all of their goalies, but he's excited for Sogaard.

"With all the injuries last year and all the craziness, (Sogaard) stepped up, kept us in it, and gave us a chance," Tkachuk said. "He's a great goalie. He's a calming presence back there. It's going to be great to see him back out there."

The Senators got a slight confidence boost from their win on Saturday. Still, it was anything but convincing, and it came against 32nd-place San Jose.

Just as poor goaltending can annihilate team confidence, a return to solid goaltending can repair it. And that's the hope in Ottawa as the understudy enters the stage.