Senators' one "holiday gift" is simpler than it seems

When December arrived, the Ottawa Senators had found themselves in a tough position. Following their 5-2 loss against the Los Angeles Kings on Nov. 30, the Senators had fallen to 10-12-1 on the season.

The fear of having the 2024-25 season spiral out of control seemed to be on the horizon. When the Senators fell to the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 on Dec. 1 in a shootout in Anaheim, the Senators earned a point. Since then, the Senators have turned around their season for the better.

Currently sitting with a 17-13-2 record, the Senators have won seven of their last eight games since the shootout loss to the Ducks. With Christmas approaching in four days, the "one gift" the Senators should be very appreciative of for Christmas is to the player that has saved their season in December.

A hug for Linus Ullmark is the Senators' "one gift" for Christmas

Yesterday, Bleacher Report's Sara Civian wrote an article titled "1 Holiday Gift For Every NHL Team in 2024." For the Senators' one gift, Civian simply put it as "a Goalie Hug for Linus Ullmark."

"Linus Ullmark is having himself a merry little December, folks, and it's made all the difference," Civian said.

Civian isn't wrong at all about Ullmark. After earning the shootout loss to the Ducks, Ullmark has been brilliant ever since.

Ullmark has won all seven of his starts with having an incredible .967 save percentage and 0.99 goals against average since the shootout loss in Anaheim. Ullmark has also recorded two shutouts and even added an assist on Brady Tkachuk's overtime winner in the Senators' last game on Thursday against the Calgary Flames.

Over his past seven starts, Ullmark made at least 30 saves in five of the games. This hot stretch by Ullmark was incredibly needed after he went through a four-game stretch in November where he allowed in 17 goals. In two of those starts, Ullmark allowed in five goals. Concern around Ullmark grew immense in November, but he has silenced critics in December.

If the Senators are going to be force to be reckon with this season and make the 2025 playoffs, the team will have to continue to rely on Ullmark being brilliant. Former 2008 Jack Adams winner and hockey analyst Bruce Boudreau recently said he would leave Ullmark "the heck alone" with how hot he is in between the pipes.

The Senators are in Rogers Arena to take on the Vancouver Canucks tonight at 10 p.m. ET. It offers as another chance for Ullmark and the Senators to silence critics this season. The Senators are also eager to avenge their loss against the Canucks from Nov. 23 when they fell 4-3 in Ottawa.