About a week and a half ago, Linus Ullmark opened up about taking a leave of absence from the Ottawa Senators due to his mental health. He missed almost the entire month of January before returning tonight to face the New Jersey Devils. With the Senators needing to string wins together to push back into the playoff picture, the play of Ullmark is essential over these next few months. Tonight was a great start in the right direction. Ullmark allowed just one goal on 27 shots as the Senators defeated the Devils, 4-1. Let’s dive into the details.
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Ullmark’s Big Night
Right from the player introductions, it was clear that the Senators fan base was in full support of Ullmark. From the signs to the cheers, the fans rallied around Ullmark, the same way that the organization had during Ullmark’s time away. What followed was one of Ullmark’s best games of the season. He made several key saves to keep the Senators ahead in this game. His .963 SV% was his second best all season. If there’s one way for the Sens to work their way back into the playoffs, it’s with Ullmark playing like this.
Sanderson Dominates, Again
This could be a headline in most Senators games these days. Jake Sanderson is truly one of the best defensemen in all of hockey. He played over 26 minutes, registered two assists, blocked three shots, and played over seven minutes while shorthanded as the Senators went a perfect five for five on the penalty kill. He’s now up to 44 points on the season, tying him for seventh most among defensemen.
Strong Games From Tkachuk & Stützle
Brady Tkachuk only played 13 minutes tonight, but managed to score a power play goal, assist on the Dylan Cozens game winner, and then assist on the Stützle goal to put the game away. That gives Tkachuk seven points during the Sens three game winning streak. As for Stützle, he scored the aforementioned goal to put the Sens up 3-1, but he could’ve easily had a few more. He was stopped on a breakaway and was also dangerously close to a highlight reel goal when he almost chipped the puck up and wacked it into the net from in tight. He also assisted on Tkachuk’s goal. With 25 goals, he’s already surpassed last season’s total of 24.
Additional Notes
What a difference a week makes. The Senators were fresh off a 4-1 loss to the Hurricanes at this time last week, their fourth loss in five games. Now, they’ve won three in a row, outscoring their opponents 16-4 in those games. They’ve won those three games with three different goalies, too (Sogaard, Reimer and Ullmark). The bad from this game? Thomas Chabot having to leave part way through the third with an injury. Hopefully it’s nothing serious. The Senators only have three games left before the break, and can’t afford many losses with the East being so competitive. Next up, on the road against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday.
