It was time to get back to work for the Ottawa Senators as the 4 Nations Face-Off concluded this past Thursday. In the first game back from the break, the Senators had a crucial showdown against the Montreal Canadiens.
The Senators had not played the Canadiens since they fell 4-1 on Oct. 12 in Montreal. A new form of momentum was needed for the Senators as they headed into the 4 Nations Face-Off break losing their final three games, but momentum continued to not be on the Senators' side.
The Canadiens defeated the Senators 5-2 at Canadian Tire Centre to drop the Senators to 29-24-4 on the season. The loss was the Senators' fourth in a row. To make the loss worse for the Senators, the Canadiens came into tonight's game losing eight of their last nine games.
Captain Brady Tkachuk wasn't in the lineup for the Senators, but the Canadiens and their fans would take over the game in Ottawa.
2. There will be some early rust
When teams don't play for two weeks, there can be some rust for not playing in a long time. The first period showed that there was rust from both teams.
The Canadiens jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead just 4:28 into the game. Then, the Senators scored two goals in a 2:34 span to tie the game. Jake Sanderson and Tim Stutzle recorded the goals for the Senators. With recording two points, Stutzle extended his point streak to nine games.
Pure filth from our German fella 🤯#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/9CglodBhIS
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) February 23, 2025
However, Stutzle's goal was short lived. Nineteen seconds after Stutzle's goal, Patrik Laine scored a powerplay goal to give the Canadiens a 3-2 lead to head into the first intermission. However, rust grew worse in an area that needs major improvement quickly.
1. Rust continued awfully in between the pipes
Linus Ullmark had not played in 19 games after he was injured in the Senators' final game before Christmas. Ullmark earned the loss in the two starts he had before the 4 Nations Face-Off break. Ullmark got the start against the Canadiens. Making a long story short, Ullmark's start went ugly.
After allowing in three goals in the first period, things only grew worse for Ullmark in the second period. Ullmark allowed in two goals in the second period. After allowing in his fifth goal of the game with 8:28 remaining in the period, Ullmark was pulled for Anton Forsberg. In relief, Forsberg stopped all 10 shots on goal he faced by the Canadiens.
Five different Canadiens scored a goal against Ullmark on 15 shots on goal. In two games against the Canadiens, Ullmark has allowed in nine goals. In the three games Ullmark has played in since returning, he's allowed in 12 goals.
If the Senators are going to make the 2025 playoffs, Ullmark has to be better. So far since returning, Ullmark has heavily underperformed in between the pipes. Ullmark didn't play in Sweden's last game in the 4 Nations Face-Off this past Monday. Even with extra time to rest and prepare, it wouldn't matter for Ullmark tonight.
The Senators will get more time to rest before their next game this upcoming Wednesday, they will host the Winnipeg Jets at 7 p.m. ET. On Dec. 28, the Senators fell 4-2 in the first meeting in Winnipeg.