The Ottawa Senators kick off their first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon. The Senators will be looking to start the series on the right foot by picking up a victory against a very good Hurricanes club.
Heading into the playoffs, there is no question that the Senators are big underdogs. It is understandable, as they just got into the playoffs as the Eastern Conference's second wild-card team. Yet, they absolutely should not be ruled out, as they notably heated up as the season rolled on.
Yet, if the Senators hope to go on a real run this postseason, they will undoubtedly need starting goalie Linus Ullmark to be on his A-game. Because of this, he is, without a doubt, Ottawa's biggest X-factor heading into the playoffs.
Senators' hopes of going on a playoff run is dependent on Ullmark's play
Good goaltending is a massive reason behind any NHL team going on a run during the playoffs, so the Senators are certainly going to need Ullmark to thrive this postseason. If he can regain his former Vezina Trophy form, it would be huge for a Senators team that is looking to stun the Hurricanes.
The playoffs also offer Ullmark a great opportunity to prove his doubters wrong. It is no secret that the 32-year-old netminder had a tough year between the pipes for the Senators, as evidenced by his .891 save percentage and 2.73 goals-against average in 49 games. Those numbers are worse than expected from the star goaltender, but the playoffs now offer him a clean slate.
The possibility of Ullmark having a big postseason cannot be ruled out. The 2012 sixth-round pick had a strong finish to the regular season, as he had a .933 save percentage or better in four out of his final six appearances. This included him recording a 23-save shutout against the New York Islanders in his final start of the campaign on April 11.
Now, it will be fascinating to see how Ullmark performs during the playoffs. If he is on his game, the Senators will be a very difficult team to beat.
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