The Ottawa Senators' 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday night is arguably their gutsiest of the season so far. But there’s something about that win that they haven’t gotten all season: Samuel Ersson delivered one heck of a performance.
One of the narratives surrounding the Senators’ goaltending has been the lack of support behind Linus Ullmark. And with Ullmark on the shelf, the situation has become overly concerning for the organization.
That has seemingly changed. And a good sign of that was Wednesday night’s game.
The Senators hung tough until a late second-period goal by Peyton Krebs seemed to take the wind out of Ottawa. The Senators were visibly frustrated, but not defeated.
That’s where goaltending becomes crucial. Another goal allowed by Ersson would have been the definitive death blow. Instead, Ersson shut the door and gave something the Senators have not gotten from their other goalies: Time.
Yes, Samuel Ersson bought the Sens enough time to get back into the game and eventually tie it. Then, in the final moments of the third period, the Senators could score the go-ahead goal.
And that brings us to another point. Ersson held on as the game wound down, allowing Ottawa to seal the victory.
Again, that’s the sort of thing that high-end goalies provide their teams. On Wednesday night, Ersson was just that.
Senators goaltending quietly turning a corner
The Senators' goaltending situation has quietly turned a corner. It has gone from a devastatingly concerning situation to one of relative calm.
Ottawa is no longer ruing the loss of Linus Ullmark. Rather, Ersson and Jonas Johansson have allowed the Senators a chance to breathe. That breath of fresh air might just be enough to keep the Sens above water.
There’s one other thing to consider: The fact that Ersson and Johansson have held the fort in Ullmark’s absence has allowed the team to forego the need for goaltending depth. If Ersson or Johansson had fallen apart at the seams, the Senators might now be forced to look into a goalie trade.
The fact that there has been an internal solution has given the Senators an opportunity to relax and focus on dealing with the losses they’ve already sustained up front.
If there’s one thing that the Sens have made noticeable, it’s the fact that they’ve been able to rally and play a solid game in front of their goaltenders.
Wednesday night’s game was a playoff-type showdown. That’s fantastic to see in November.
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