The Ottawa Senators were on a nice six-game winning streak before coming up against the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. This streak unfortunately ended, but what we remember from the match was the injury to the team's number 1 goalkeeper, Linus Ullmark.
Linus Ullmark was largely responsible for the success of the Ottawa Senators in recent games. During his team's excellent streak, the Swedish goaltender maintained an excellent record in front of the cage. In his last seven starts before the game in Edmonton, Linus Ullmark boasted a 7-0 record, a 0.99 average and a 0.967 efficiency. During this period, he also accumulated two shutouts. Remarkable statistics and a workload increased by the injury of Anton Forsberg.
Thus, we would find ourselves with two injured goalkeepers in the organization. Levi Merilainen was not bad in relief at Ullmark, but the depth remains very fragile. According to information circulating after this Saturday's meeting, Linus Ullmark had something stuck in his back and we preferred to be cautious in his case. He left his post only after the first period. When you look at his time of action, you don't really see a particular moment where he seemed to be in pain. Is this a good sign regarding the severity of his injury? Merilainen entered the fray after getting the start the day before during the 2nd engagement. A good test for the young goalkeeper, who unfortunately was unable to slow down the Oilers' offensive machine.
Currently, the Senators are in a good position for a playoff spot. However, it is still early to conclude that they will be there. Usually, around the holidays, the more experienced teams put the pedal to the metal. And the Sens are not immune to a slump as well. Ottawa doesn't play again until December 28, so that gives Ullmark more than five days of rest to come back strong. It could be that in the end, he won't miss any games. The organization will provide an update in the coming hours regarding the condition of its goalkeeper.
