NEW YORK — Craig Anderson is making Tomas Vokoun’s starting job look tenuous.
Anderson got the call for the second straight game over Vokoun and made Florida coach Peter DeBoer’s somewhat surprising decision pay off with a 37-save shutout in the Panthers’ 4-0 victory against the New York Rangers on Sunday.
“I thought he would go back to Vokie,” he said. “I want the ball, I want to be playing. I enjoy playing for these guys. I’ll be ready whenever called upon.”
Anderson was steady in his second shutout this season and sixth in the NHL. He stopped 43 shots in Friday’s shootout loss to the Rangers on the heels of a solid relief appearance for Vokoun in another shootout defeat against New Jersey on Wednesday.
DeBoer announced that Anderson will start again Tuesday at Washington.
“You never know if you’re right or wrong in those situations,” DeBoer said. “We’re at the point now that whoever is winning games and getting us points is going to play.”
Stephen Weiss and Gregory Campbell scored 12 seconds apart in the second period to give Anderson all the offense he needed.
The Panthers were already without injured forwards Richard Zednik, Cory Stillman and Nathan Horton when then they lost David Booth after the second period to a shoulder injury. Booth had scored in four straight games, but is questionable for Tuesday.
With Florida leading 1-0 on a breakaway goal in the second by Ville Peltonen, Weiss and Campbell connected quickly to knock out Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist for the second time in three home games.
The Rangers (17-8-2) were shut out for the first time this season.
