The Ottawa Senators got a lift on three fronts Thursday morning, and the biggest one is the one that matters most in net.
Linus Ullmark is ready to go after being dinged up in Boston on Monday and sitting out entirely in Tuesday’s loss to Detroit. Travis Green confirmed after practice that Ullmark, who is 2-0, will start Thursday night against the Philadelphia Flyers in Ottawa’s home opener.
The Senators also made a small change up front. William Eklund, who scored a goal and added an assist in Detroit, moved into Ridly Greig’s spot and will skate alongside Tim Stützle and Drake Batherson, the club’s top two scorers so far with Stützle at 6 points and Batherson at 3.
Not every injury question got a positive answer. Jake Sanderson still isn’t skating with the team after reinjuring himself in the season opener in Toronto on Saturday. He remains out with a lower body issue, though he is skating on his own.
Ottawa comes into the night at 2-1-0 and looking to put Tuesday’s 5-3 loss to the Red Wings behind it. That game came at the end of a stretch of three road games in four days, and the Senators looked a little out of sync as a result.
The numbers around both teams hint at a game Ottawa could control if it cleans up its own end. Through four games, the Senators are allowing 39.5 shots per game, the highest mark in the league by a wide margin. Philadelphia, meanwhile, is generating just 19.3 shots per game, also the worst figure in the NHL.
Thursday also carries a tribute for Senators fans. The club will honour the late Ray Emery, who helped backstop Ottawa to the 2007 Stanley Cup Final, and Emery’s family will be on hand to ring the ceremonial bell before the game.
In Other News...
Senators Home Opener Will Honor A Beloved Figure Fans Never Forgot
The Senators home opener on Thursday night will carry an emotional weight beyond the usual opening-night buzz, as the club prepares to honor Ray Emery, one of the most memorable figures from a pivotal era in franchise history. Emery was the starting goalie during Ottawas run to the 2006-07 Stanley Cup Final, the teams only modern-era trip that deep into the playoffs, and his presence still resonates with fans who watched that group come within reach of the sports biggest stage.
Before the puck drops against the Philadelphia Flyers, Emerys family will take part in the ceremonial bell ringing, a fitting tribute for a player who died eight years ago but never really left the conversation among Senators supporters. For a building about to welcome back hockey with all the usual pageantry, it is a reminder that some of the strongest connections in Ottawa are built not just on wins and losses, but on the people who helped define a generation of the team. [Read more 🡒]
Former Senators Fan Favorite Showed Ottawa Exactly What It Misses
Mark Stone keeps finding ways to remind people why he was such a fan favorite in Ottawa. The former Senators captain hit the 400-point mark with the Vegas Golden Knights in a 6-2 win over the Seattle Kraken, adding a goal and an assist while continuing to do the little things that have defined his career. For Senators fans, the bigger takeaway is familiar: Stone still plays with the kind of edge and responsibility that once made him such a trusted presence here.
The night also served as a reminder that his value goes well beyond the scoresheet. Stone mixed it up in the game and drew praise from teammates and coach Ryan Craig for the leadership and willingness to stand up for others that remain central to his role in Vegas. It is exactly the sort of presence Ottawa has been searching for at times since his departure, and it is hard not to watch a performance like that and think about what the Senators lost when he left. [Read more 🡒]
Flyers Just Lost A Possible Break In Thursday's Matchup
Linus Ullmarks absence from the Senators net lasted only briefly, with head coach Travis Green saying the goaltender is set to return for Ottawas upcoming game against the Flyers. Its a welcome development for a club that has leaned on Ullmark as part of its early-season stability, especially after he exited a previous game because of injury and sat out just one contest before getting back on the ice.
Ullmark is in his third season with Ottawa and is playing under a four-year contract extension, so any health update draws attention well beyond one matchup. For the Flyers, it removes a potential break in a Thursday night game that could have opened the door to a different look in goal, and it leaves Ottawa with its preferred option back in place when the teams meet. [Read more 🡒]