Hamburglar Run

The **Hamburglar Run** refers to a period of around 20 games played by the Ottawa Senators in between February and April of 2015. The Ottawa Senators were at the bottom of the standings and fourteen points out of a wildcard spot with both of their starting goalie injured, and their back up soon to be injured. Against all odds, the Senators managed to push into a wildcard spot by the end of a season and make the playoffs, largely in part due to the god-like play of their third string goal, Andrew Hammond (known affectionately as the Hamburglar). It is considered by many a Sens fans to be one of, if not the greatest run in modern Ottawa hockey history.

### Season Over?

In late January, 2015, Senators starting goalie Craig Anderson injured his hand,[1] and would be unable to play for the following months. The Senators, who were already having a difficult season to begin with, meaning that backup Robin Lehner would be heavily relied on for the coming months. Lehner would go on to start the next nine straight games, posting largely mediocre numbers, before ultimately seeing his season come to an end after a collision with Senators forward Clarke MacArthur on Feburary the 18th.[2] Both players would suffer concussions. With both of the Ottawa Senators NHL goalies out due to injury, the team had no choice but to start undrafted AHL goalie Andrew Hammond, notable for having pretty terrible numbers with the Senators' farm team. Prior to being called up, Hammond had record of 7-13-2, a GAA of 3.51, and a save percentage of 0.898. He also has the misfortune of recording a goals against average of 300.00 in a single game prior to being yanked after allowing three straight goals in 21 seconds while playing for the Binghamton Senators.[3] With the Senators nine points out of a playoff spot, it looked like the season was as good as over. However, the Senators and Hammond did manage to fend off the Canadians after Lehner's injury, winning 4-2.

### The Run

Things immediately took the turn for the wonderfully wacky when Hammond would lead the Senators to four straight wins following Lehner's injury, allowing only five goals against including back-to-back shutouts against Anaheim and Los Angeles on February 25th and 26th. Hammond and the Sens would suffer their first loss of the run against the Minnesota Wild, albeit a shootout loss, on March 3rd. The Sens would win their next three games, and lose to Boston in the fourth, before going onto win their next consecutive seven games, including a 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricane on March 17th, meaning that Hammond had only become the third goalie ever to give up two or fewer goals in their first twelve NHL starts.

The Senators would lose their next three games against the Rangers and the Maple Leafs, with the loss to the Rangers credited to backup Chris Driedger, but would ultimately take the last six of seven games of the season, securing a possible thirteen points out of fourteen. Andrew Hammond was named the NHL's first star of the month for March 2015, and finished the season with a remarkable 20-1-2 record, with a GAA of 1.79 and a save percentage of 0.941. The Senators finished the season in the first wildcard spot with 99 points, and bumping the Boston Bruins out of a playoff spot for the first time in almost a decade.

### Hamburgers

Due to Andrew Hammond's on-ice nickname being *The Hamburglar* (linguistic similarity, Hammond "stealing" games), Sens fans began to embrace the fast food connection by showering the team with hamburgers after important wins. The most well-known example of this would most likely be on March 19th, after a crucial 6-4 win against the Boston Bruins. Hamburgurs fell to ice after the buzzer signaled the end of the game, and Sens rookie Curtis Lazar decided to celebrate by taking a bite of the greasy goodness. Four days prior, after winning in the shootout against the Minnesota Wild, Hammond would salute the fans by proudly picking up a hamburger from off the ice.[4] Hammond also wore a mask featuring a portrait of Mad Magazine's Alfred E. Neuman dressed as the Hamburglar. It was reported that McDonald's would gift Andrew Hammond free hamburgers for life, however it was actually a *measly* $1000 McDonald's gift card.[5]

### Other Player's Contributions

#### Erik Karlsson

Erik Karlsson enjoyed an MVP-worthy season following the Hamburglar run of 2014-15. The captain and defenseman led the team with 68 points, 21 of which were goals and 45 assists. He also posted a +7. For his efforts, he was awarded the Norris trophy for best defenseman for the second (and final) time. He received 32 votes for the Hart trophy as MVP of the NHL.

Erik Karlsson - All Points - 2014-15 Norris Trophy Season

#### Mark Stone

2014-15 was a breakout season for Mark Stone, finishing second on the team with 66 points, and tied for first among rookies (Johnny Gaudreau). He scored 26 goals and 38 assists, and was second of the team with a +21 rating. Among his goals include an incredibly clutch April 7th OT winner against the Pittsburgh Penguins to keep the Sens' playoff hopes alive, and the astronomically clutch, unassisted Mark Stone-ian takeaway goal against the Philidelphia Flyers on April 11th, to help clinch the Sens playoff berth.[6] Stone would later be voted as the runner-up for the Calder trophy for top rookie of the league.

#### Mike Hoffman

Along with Mark Stone, Mike Hoffman also enjoyed a breakout season with the Ottawa Senators. The forward showed off his speed and quick but accurate release by scoring 27 goals and adding 21 assists, totaling to 48 points. He finished the season +16. Among Hoffman's goals include this beautiful move against the Flyers, and a CLUTCH (sense a theme?) late-game equalizer against the Pittsburgh Penguins (the same game stone would later win it in OT). Hoffman would finish sixth in voting for the Calder trophy.

#### Kyle Turris

The Senators' alternate captain would score career highs in points and assists with 64 and 40 respectively, along with 24 goals playing as the top-line centre. He finished the season +5. Among his season highlights include this incredible through-the-legs move to set up Mark Stone for the OT winner against the Carolina Hurricane.

#### Others

* Marc Methot finished the season with a team-leading +22, and laid the greatest hip-check in Senators history.
* Bobby Ryan capped off his second best season with the Senators, scoring 18 goals and adding 36 assists for a total of 54 points. He scored the team's only hattrick of the season on December 30th, 2014.[7]
* Mika Zibanejad had his second best season with the Senators, scoring 46 points (20 goals, 25 assists).

### Playoffs and Aftermath

Unfortunately, Andrew Hammond and the Ottawa Senators did not have the same success in the playoffs as they did in the regular season. The Senators played Atlantic Division winner the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs would take the first three games of the series, with Hammond starting only the first and second game of the series. In game one, Habs defenseman P.K. Subban slashed Sens forward Mark Stone, fracturing his wrist. Subban got a 5 minute penalty and game misconduct for the two-handed slash. The Sens would lose 4-3, and Mark Stone would be caught on camera drinking from the wrong side of the water bottle. Stone didn't score in the series. The Sens would go onto win games four and five, but could not overcome the Canadiens, who would ultimately take the series in six games.

Andrew Hammond was rewarded by the Senators with a three year contract averaging 1.35 million dollars a year, however Hammond was never able to return to his former hamburgling self. He was relegated full time to the Belleville Senators for the 2017-18 season, and finally traded to Colarado as part of the Matt Duchene deal on November 5th, 2017.