Senators’ Ullmark Shines in Last-Minute Start Against Penguins #

Goaltender Makes Spectacular Saves in 3-2 Overtime Victory #

Linus Ullmark was thrust into an unexpected start for the Ottawa Senators against the Pittsburgh Penguins after Anton Forsberg suffered a minor injury during pregame stretches. Despite the last-minute change, Ullmark rose to the occasion with a stellar performance.

The highlight of the night came midway through the first period when Ullmark made a save-of-the-year candidate on Erik Karlsson. After a initial shot rebounded off his pad, Ullmark used his stick to deny Karlsson’s attempt at an open net.

“It was insane,” said defenseman Thomas Chabot. “I thanked him actually. I misread the play. Like we always say, he kind of saved my ass.”

Ullmark finished with 25 saves in the 3-2 overtime win, including another impressive blocker save on Sidney Crosby in the second period that brought fans to their feet.

The Swedish netminder has been instrumental in the Senators’ recent resurgence. Ottawa has won seven of their last 10 games and is currently on a three-game win streak. Since late November, Ullmark has posted a 6-0-1 record with a .950 save percentage and 1.55 goals-against average.

“He’s been awesome,” said Brady Tkachuk. “Just so much fun to be able to play in front of him. He’s made those big saves at the right times. Just such a calming presence back there and confident.”

Ullmark’s strong play has helped propel the Senators into a tie for a wild-card playoff spot. The team now faces a crucial nine-game road trip that could define their season.

“I think we always knew we had it in us,” Ullmark said. “It’s nice to have a three-game win streak. You’ve got to keep building off of it. You’ve got to keep winning these games on this road trip as well and not just take for granted that it’s going to come easy.”

As the Senators look to continue their climb up the standings, they’ll rely heavily on Ullmark’s stellar goaltending to carry them through this challenging stretch of the season.