The Ottawa Senators got a scare around Linus Ullmark, and the timing could hardly feel worse for a fan base already watching the situation closely. Ullmark is officially day-to-day after leaving Monday night’s game, and while the update offered some relief, it did little to calm nerves about what comes next in goal.
Green confirmed to reporters in Detroit that Ullmark won’t backup tonight but says he’s “fine”.
Samuel Ersson was the man called on in relief after Ullmark exited in the third period of Monday night’s 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins. He helped the Senators finish the job that night, but the follow-up against the Detroit Red Wings was a different story entirely.
Detroit arrived having lost its first two games and dealing with a pile of injuries, but the Red Wings still found enough to make life difficult. They also got Dylan Larkin back, and the former Detroit captain delivered with a first-period goal.
Ersson finished with 31 saves on 35 shots, but Ottawa’s structure wasn’t nearly as sharp as it had been. The Red Wings outshot the Senators 36-25 in a 5-3 loss, and the game never really settled into the kind of controlled, low-drama night Ottawa wanted.
Back-to-back games didn’t help, but the bigger issue was that the Senators simply didn’t bring the same level of effort. And in that kind of game, Ersson wasn’t able to rescue them.
That’s the concern if Ullmark has to miss any real stretch. Ottawa can lean on its defense to make life easier for its goaltenders, but that only goes so far. The shots that get through still have to be stopped, and Tuesday night raised real questions about whether Ersson is the kind of goalie who can carry the load for long.
Jonas Johansson is also in the mix, but the same standard applies. If the Senators want to keep rolling, they need someone in net who can handle the chances that slip past the skaters in front of him.
That is why Ullmark’s return matters so much. Ottawa won’t want to force the issue, but the clock is already ticking. The Atlantic Division is expected to be brutal again, and a few dropped points here and there can turn into a serious headache later.
Maybe this ends up being a short-term worry. Maybe Ersson and Johansson settle in and give the Senators exactly what they need. For now, though, the unease is real.
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Senators First Loss Exposed The Toll Of This Brutal Opening Stretch
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Alex DeBrincat was the difference for Detroit, piling up two goals and an assist while helping the Red Wings collect their first win of the season. The late skirmish only added to the edge of the night, and for Ottawa the bigger concern is less about one result than the grind of a schedule that has already asked a lot of a team still trying to settle in. [Read more 🡒]