Ottawa Senators Postgame: Ullmark Earns Shutout in Big Win

Ottawa Senators fans surely agree, there’s nothing quite like beating the Toronto Maple Leafs. Well, how about beating them in Toronto? Even better, this was a shutout victory that kept the Leafs fans quiet right from the start, when Josh Norris scored less than a minute in! With this win, the Senators moved over .500 with an 8-7 record. That’s their first time being over .500 at this point in a season since…last season. That’s right, the Senators started 8-7 one year ago, before completely falling apart. But why dwell in the past? Let’s dive into the positives after an impressive road win!

READ MORE: Solving the Ottawa Senators Consistency Issues

Ullmark Shuts the Door

Remember the save Ullmark made in overtime against Boston? Maybe, just maybe, that was the moment to get Ullmark going. It’s not as if he’s had a miserable start to the season, but the Senators need him to be better than okay. Well, how about a 25 save shutout in his first battle of Ontario? That was Ullmarks first shutout as an Ottawa Senator, with hopefully many more to come. He plays with such a calming presence that some of his great saves don’t even catch your attention right away. The Senators played great defensively around him tonight, but there were still a few moments that were up to Ullmark to shut the door, and he delivered. Going forward, Travis Green needs to let Ullmark take on the lion’s share of the starts.

Stützle’s Fantastic Start

I could’ve used this headline several times already this season. Stützle scored another goal tonight, which puts his season statline at the following: 15 games, 7 goals, 20 points. He’s playing nearly 20 minutes per game, and averaging around two hits per game. The Senators need him to be a star and that’s exactly what he’s been this season. He’s playing with the type of intensity that is impossible to ignore. From the physicality to the skating ability, his best player comparable right now would be Nathan MacKinnon. No, I’m not saying he’s at MacKinnon’s level, but stylistically, they’re similar. Stützle needed to gain that man strength that would allow him to win the battles that he so willingly engages in. It seems he’s found that strength this season. Next up, improving on faceoffs.

Great on the Penalty Kill

If there was a chance for the Maple Leafs to work their way back into this game, it was with a few bad Senators penalties that put the Leafs on the power play. Instead, these kills acted as deflating moments for the Leafs, as they went 0-4 with the man advantage. The key contributors for the Senators: Ullmark of course, but how about Claude Giroux and Josh Norris leading the way with just over four and a half minutes on the penalty kill. Another shoutout needs to go to Thomas Chabot. His game has been so solid lately, and that includes shorthanded. He led all Senators defensemen tonight with just under four minutes while a man down.

A Trusted Fourth Line

One of the pleasant surprises this season has been how solid the fourth line has been. It helped when Gaudette was scoring just about every game, but even as that has dried up, Travis Green continues to trust his depth forwards. Cousins, Gaudette and MacEwan all ate up around eight or so minutes tonight. That might not seem like much, but consider this: MacEwan played under seven minutes (and as low as just over two minutes a few games) in 20 of his 30 games last season. This season, he’s been under seven minutes in just three of his 14 games. More minutes from the depth players can help the top players through a long, grueling season.

Kleven’s Solid Season

Speaking of depth players, Kleven’s been one of the Ottawa Senators best through the first part of the season. There was some concern after a so-so preseason that Kleven wasn’t quite ready for a full-time NHL role. Well, 15 games in, I’m a believer. He fits so well with the likes of Jensen and Zub as defensive minded defensemen who skate well, all the while actually having decent offensive abilities. The Senators desperately needed to build a defense that was tougher to play against. Bringing in Jensen and having Kleven become a full-time player has helped them immensely. Kleven gives them 15 minutes of hard work and physicality. You can’t ask for much more than that.

Additional Notes

It’s nice to see Amadio score again. From no goals all season, to two in the last two games. Sometimes that’s how it goes! With Shane Pinto’s return, the Ottawa Senators had Norris, Stützle and Pinto in the lineup together for just the 48th time. They are now an impressive 30-15-3 in those games. Up next for the Senators, a game at home on Thursday night against the Philadelphia Flyers.