Two of the NHL’s top-performing teams will meet on Saturday night as the Ottawa Senators face the Winnipeg Jets.
The Senators had their six-game winning streak snapped in their last game, a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. However, the bigger concern following the loss was the health of goalie Linus Ullmark, who left the game with an upper-body injury.
“His back tightened up, so I felt it was best that he came out,” coach Travis Green said after the game.
The Senators confirmed Friday that Ullmark would not join the team on their five-game road trip starting Saturday and ending Jan. 7 in Detroit.
Before Sunday’s game, Ullmark had been outstanding with a 7-0-0 record, a .967 save percentage, and a 0.99 goals-against average over his previous seven starts.
Without Ullmark, the Senators may turn to Leevi Merilainen, who won his third career game by beating the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 in overtime on Dec. 21, before replacing Ullmark in the Edmonton game.
Veteran goalie Anton Forsberg, who has been out since Dec. 8 due to a lower-body injury, will travel with the team.
This game is important for the Senators as it is the fifth game in their season-long nine-game road trip. They are currently in a playoff spot for the first time since 2016-17, following the NHL’s three-day Christmas break.
Winnipeg, on the other hand, has been strong in goal as well. The Jets are 5-1-1 in their last seven games and have not allowed more than three goals in any of those contests.
Goaltender Connor Hellebuyck has been exceptional, earning four shutouts and ranking at the top of the league with a 2.07 goals-against average and a .927 save percentage.
The Jets’ offense has also been productive, scoring four or more goals in six of their last nine games. Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor are tied for the league lead in goals with 21 each.
“When your top guys can do that, it gets the opposition on their heels a little bit,” said Jets coach Scott Arniel about his top line of Scheifele, Connor, and Gabriel Vilardi.
The Jets have a strong 12-3-1 record at home and have won four straight games against the Senators, though Ottawa did beat them 3-2 in Winnipeg on March 30.
Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey ranks third among all defensemen with 30 assists in 36 games, while Senators forward Tim Stutzle is aiming for 40 points, having already earned 39 in his first 34 games.
