Ullmark Shines in Emotional Return as Senators Roll Past Devils, 4-1
Linus Ullmark’s return to the crease wasn’t just a storyline-it was the heartbeat of the night. After a 35-day absence from the team due to personal reasons, Ullmark stepped back into the net and delivered a performance that was both clinical and cathartic. The veteran goaltender turned aside 26 of 27 shots to backstop the Ottawa Senators to a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils, a victory that extended the Senators’ winning streak to three games.
All love for Linus Ullmark has he picks up the win in his return 🥲❤️ pic.twitter.com/ezkaaO6qQn
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 1, 2026
Before the puck even dropped, the crowd at Canadian Tire Centre made it clear how much Ullmark’s return meant. A pregame video tribute and a standing ovation set the tone, and the fans stayed with him all night, erupting after every key save.
Ullmark rewarded their support with a .963 save percentage-his second-best outing of the season-and a handful of timely stops, including high-danger chances from Nico Hischier and Dougie Hamilton. He looked sharp from the jump, denying Connor Brown and Cody Glass in the early minutes and never looking back.
By the final horn, every Senator on the ice made a point to skate over and embrace their netminder. This wasn’t just a win-it was a moment.
And the team in front of him delivered, too.
Ottawa opened the scoring late in the first period on the man advantage. Drake Batherson set up Brady Tkachuk in the left circle, and the captain didn’t miss-firing home his 14th of the season past Jake Allen.
Tkachuk was in the middle of everything again, finishing the night with a goal and two assists. He’s now racked up seven points during Ottawa’s three-game surge.
New Jersey managed to even the score before the first intermission. Timo Meier struck at 18:16, netting his 14th of the year off a feed from behind the net to make it 1-1. But that was all the Devils would get.
The second period passed without a goal, but it didn’t stay that way for long in the third. Just 37 seconds into the final frame, Dylan Cozens powered his way to a rebound and buried it for a power-play goal-his 18th of the season and the 100th of his NHL career. A milestone moment, and a momentum-shifter.
The Devils thought they had the equalizer on a power play later in the period, but Connor Brown’s goal was waved off for a hand pass. That proved costly.
Tim Stutzle added some breathing room at 17:53, roofing a shot past Allen for his 25th goal of the season-already surpassing his total from last year. Less than a minute later, Shane Pinto sealed it with an empty-netter, his 15th of the year, capping off a dominant third period.
Stutzle wasn’t just a goal-scorer on the night; he also chipped in an assist. Jake Sanderson quietly put together one of the most complete performances on the ice-two assists, over 26 minutes of ice time, three blocked shots, and more than seven minutes logged on the penalty kill. With 44 points on the season, he’s now tied for seventh among NHL defensemen.
Ottawa was flawless on special teams, going 5-for-5 on the penalty kill and outshooting New Jersey 34-27. Jake Allen did what he could with 30 saves, but the Devils, missing Jack Hughes due to a lower-body injury, couldn’t generate enough offense. They’ve now dropped three of their last four and sit at 28-25-2.
The Senators, meanwhile, are heating up at the right time. They’ve outscored opponents 16-4 during their win streak and sit at 26-21-7 with three games left before the Olympic break. Next up: a road-heavy stretch that begins Monday night in Pittsburgh.
For now, though, the night belonged to Ullmark. And the Senators made sure it ended with more than just applause-they gave him a win to remember.