He's watched the tapes. He's spent extra hours fine-tuning his technique. He's rediscovered his confidence. Now, Ottawa Senators goaltender Martin Gerber is ready to play again.  

And what better way to return to game action after a 15-day layoff than to face his former team, the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes. 

Senators goalie Martin Gerber will get the start against his former club Tuesday night.
(Phillip MacCallum/Getty Images)

"I'm looking forward to it, definitely," Gerber told the Senators website after practice Monday. "I'm going to take it day-by day, shot-by shot and keep trying to move forward."

Gerber, who hasn't started since a 6-3 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Nov. 13, will get the nod between the pipes Tuesday night when the Senators travel to Raleigh to play the Hurricanes. 

Senators coach Bryan Murray gave his beleaguered, but improving, goaltender the news after Monday's practice in Tampa Bay. 

"I'm just telling him he's playing and, other than that, get ready to play," Murray told the Ottawa Sun. "I'll let him have a chance to do his thing and get ready. I don't think he needs us to tell him what he has to do, he just has to be given an opportunity to go back in."

Gerber, who signed a three-year, $11.1-million US deal with the Senators in the off-season, was expected to come in and dominate as he did in the 2005-06 regular season with Carolina. 

Instead, the Swiss-born netminder has struggled.  During a disastrous stretch in late October, culminating with the lacklustre effort against the Habs, Gerber posted a 1-5 record and couldn't get through a game without allowing a bad goal.

So far this season, Gerber is a woeful 3-8-1, with a bloated 3.45 goals-against average and .890 save percentage. 

Subsequently, Ray Emery, who shone for the Senators last year in his rookie season, picked up the slack — when a nagging wrist injury wasn't keeping him out of action. Emery is among the league leaders in save percentage at .923 and sports a glowing 8-4 record to go along with a 2.26 GAA.

Despite Gerber's early struggles, Murray and the Senators weren't going to throw in the towel on the puckstopper. Instead, they got Gerber a tutor — goaltending coach Ron Low.

"It's always hard for an athlete when you are off your game and you are not performing the way you want," Gerber told the Sun. "You just have to get back as quick as possible."

Low arrived in Ottawa on Nov. 15 and the pair have been working together ever since — going through video of Gerber's form this season compared to last season, fine-tuning his technique, timing and positioning and mostly rebuilding Gerber's confidence. 

One of Low's main focuses has been to get Gerber off his goal-line and out challenging the shooter. 

'He looks a lot better'

According to Murray, the hard work appears to be paying off.

"Watching [Gerber] practise, he looks a lot better. He looks more poised and confident," Murray told the Sun. "It's time. There's no question. There's two things that have to happen here: Ray gets a day that he can just get some treatment (on a wrist he injured Nov. 7 in Atlanta) and sit on the bench and get refocused. Martin has to get back in." 

Ottawa had its season-high four-game winning streak snapped Sunday with a 3-1 loss to Tampa Bay. Jason Spezza had the only goal for the Senators, who were kept to less than two goals for the first time in 14 games.  Tuesday night's contest is the finale of a four-game road swing for the Senators. 

They return home Thursday to play the Florida Panthers. 

Carolina, meanwhile, ended a two-game slide last Friday. John Grahame stopped 25 shots and five different players scored as the Hurricanes topped Boston, 5-1.

The Hurricanes begin a three-game homestand tonight and will host Montreal on Thursday.

Carolina edged Ottawa 3-2 on Nov. 4, the only meeting between the two teams this season.