The Senators head into Detroit with a perfect record, but the biggest storyline around their second road game in as many nights is once again health. Ottawa rolled past Boston 4-1 on Monday, and Tim Stützle powered the win with two goals and an assist, yet the celebration came with another injury scare involving one of the club’s key pieces.
This time it was Linus Ullmark.
For most of Tuesday, it seemed possible Ullmark could back up Samuel Ersson against the Red Wings. Then, around 2 p.m., Ottawa announced it had recalled goaltender Jonas Johansson from Belleville and sent defenseman Jorian Donovan back to the AHL. The move does not automatically signal that Ullmark’s issue is worse than first thought, but it does mean the Senators no longer had the option of using him in relief on Tuesday, giving him extra recovery time with Ersson already lined up to start the second game of the back-to-back.
Ersson stepped in for Ullmark in the third period against Boston.
Ottawa also expects Ridly Greig to return after serving a two-game suspension, and Hayden Hodgson is the most likely player to come out of the lineup. The cleanest shuffle would have Greig slide into Warren Foegele’s spot and Foegele move down into Hodgson’s place, though Travis Green will spell out the actual plan before puck drop.
The Senators are still missing two of their top three defensemen in Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub, so the blue line remains shorthanded even as the team tries to keep its early momentum rolling.
Ottawa’s lineup from Monday night featured William Eklund, Dylan Cozens and Fabian Zetterlund on the top line, with Stützle centering Foegele and Drake Batherson, and Michael Amadio, Shane Pinto and Claude Giroux together on the third unit. Nick Cousins, Stephen Halliday and Hodgson rounded out the forwards, while Ersson and Johansson handled the goaltending.
Detroit, meanwhile, is already feeling the heat in a way that’s impossible to miss.
The Red Wings opened the season with two losses and only two goals scored, and the crowd at home has made its frustration loud and clear. The club also carries the NHL’s longest active playoff drought at 10 years, and the tension around the building has only grown.
There is at least a chance Dylan Larkin returns Tuesday. Detroit coach Todd McLellan said, “It looks that way right now,” adding, “He’s got one more hurdle to cross. Still on IR, so the doctor will look at him here, and if he’s clear, he’s playing, and if he isn’t, then he won’t.”
Larkin skated between Lucas Raymond and Viktor Arvidsson at Tuesday’s morning skate and also worked on the first power-play unit. His return would matter on the ice, but it also brings one of Detroit’s most awkward offseason situations back into the spotlight.
Larkin requested a trade during the offseason, and the Red Wings stripped him of the captaincy. During introductions at the home opener, he was met with loud boos from the crowd. The fans also made their feelings known during the game with “Sell the team” chants.
That unease isn’t limited to Larkin, either. Defenseman Simon Edvinsson remains unsigned, won’t play Tuesday, and has returned home to Sweden after requesting a trade. Detroit still wants to sign him to a long-term deal.
If Larkin is cleared, the Red Wings are expected to go with Viktor Arvidsson, Larkin and Raymond up front, with Michael Brandsegg-Nygard, Emmitt Finnie and Alex DeBrincat on the second line. Their lineup also includes Michael Rasmussen, Andrew Copp and Keegan Kolesar, along with Nate Danielson and Carter Mazur, while the defense pairs Albert Johansson with Moritz Seider, Anton Johansson with Justin Faulk, and Ben Chiarot with Axel Sandin-Pellikka. John Gibson is listed first in goal, with Daniil Tarasov behind him.
Detroit’s scratches and injuries include William Wallinder, Jacob Bernard-Docker, Marco Kasper, J.T. Compher and Mason Appleton.
In Other News...
Senators Suddenly Have A Goalie Problem Fans Feared
Linus Ullmarks status has turned a routine stretch of the schedule into an early test for Ottawas depth in net. The Senators starter exited a recent game and is now day-to-day, leaving the crease to Samuel Ersson, who had already been pressed into action in the win over Boston before getting the next assignment against Detroit.
Erssons work has only sharpened the concern around how long Ottawa can lean on its backups if Ullmark needs more time. Even in a losing effort against the Red Wings, the bigger issue for the Senators is less about one off night than the possibility of having to navigate an extended run without their No. 1 goalie, making his return a key piece of the picture. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Just Sent An Early Message About This Teams New Edge
The Senators showed a different kind of edge Friday night in Detroit, where a routine-looking matchup at Little Caesars Arena quickly turned into a test of backbone. What started with Dylan Larkin going after Ridly Greig set off a chain reaction, and Ottawa did not back away from the moment, even as the game veered far from the usual early-season pace.
Thomas Chabot stepped in for Greig, and the response from both benches kept the tension high as other players joined the fray, including Ben Chiarot and Greig in a separate exchange. By the time the dust settled, the message from Ottawa was hard to miss: this is a team willing to stand up for one another, and opponents are going to notice if they try to push them around. [Read more 🡒]
Sarah Nurse And Emerance Maschmeyer Make A Notable Camp Decision
Sarah Nurse and Emerance Maschmeyer have made a notable choice as Hockey Canada opens its world championship training camp in Quebec City, declining their invitations and shifting their focus toward the Vancouver Goldeneyes. For Ottawa fans following the new landscape around the leagues player pool, the decision stands out because both players remain central names in womens hockey and are tied to a franchise building toward its first season, which begins Dec. 5.
Nurse had initially been included on the Hockey Canada camp list before Alexia Aubin took her place, while several other Goldeneyes players are still set to be part of the national team gathering. The bigger picture, though, is timing: this looks less like a detour than a deliberate move to be available when Vancouvers camp opens Nov. 18, leaving the national team picture and the Goldeneyes early roster plans running on parallel tracks. [Read more 🡒]