The Ottawa Senators will have Linus Ullmark back in net after a monthlong absence when they conclude a four-game homestand against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday night.
The Senators have been without Ullmark since he went on leave Dec. 28, one day after a difficult road loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He later revealed in an interview with TSN that he experienced an onset of anxiety and panic during that game.
Head coach Travis Green announced Ullmark’s start Saturday morning, telling reporters, “Great to have him back. Obviously, he’s a big part of our team. Nice to see him back in the net tonight.”
When asked whether Ullmark’s voice was missed in the locker room, Green noted his progress off the ice was as important, if not more. “He’s a big part of a group,” Green said. “There’s probably been more concern just for him as a person than the player.”
Right winger Drake Batherson told reporters the team is ready to have Ullmark back in net.
“Yeah, it’s huge. Obviously been a while,” Batherson said. “Good to have him around here the last couple of weeks and if he’s in there tonight, we’ll be fired up and we’re all excited.”
Sixteen-year veteran James Reimer made five starts in Ullmark’s absence. The 37-year-old former Toronto Maple Leafs goalie posted a 2-2-1 record and stopped 103 shots, including 16 saves in a 5-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche, who currently lead the NHL with 79 points, on Wednesday.
A tight, one-goal contest became comfortable with late empty-netters from Tim Stutzle (one goal, one assist) and Brady Tkachuk. The victory gave the Senators a two-game winning streak, along with a 7-1 victory over the Las Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday.
“Yeah, that was a complete game again. Back-to-back games where we played really well … didn’t give up a lot,” Green said. “Not only did we win, but we, you know, we controlled a lot of the game.”
The Devils come in with defenseman Dougie Hamilton on a 10-game points streak, the longest for a blueliner this season, and tied for the longest current streak in the NHL.
He scored in the second period Thursday night against Nashville, but it was Nico Hischier with the most noteworthy tally of the night. He netted his team-high 18th goal on a slap shot 42 seconds into overtime as the Devils stopped a two-game losing streak with a 3-2 victory over the Predators.
Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves for New Jersey, which overcame a one-goal deficit twice in the resilient triumph.
“Down a man, I liked how we stayed with it. We could have packed it in once they scored early in the third, but we didn’t do that,” New Jersey coach Sheldon Keefe told his team in a locker room talk after the game. “Loved our fight; loved how we competed.”
New Jersey’s Jack Hughes is still being evaluated for a lower-body injury sustained against the Predators.
“In the next little bit, he’s going to get some imaging and get a better idea of what’s happening,” Keefe said on Friday, NHL.com reported. “Until we have those results we won’t know his status in terms of travel and the situation going forward.”
New Jersey also has been without center Cody Glass (lower-body injury), who was hit by a shot against the Winnipeg Jets on Tuesday and missed Thursday’s game against Nashville. He will return to play Saturday night.
The Devils, who knocked off the Senators in Ottawa last month, sport a 15-14 road record, but they have four of their past five games away from home. Ottawa is trying to go 3-1 on this homestand.
–Field Level Media
