Ottawa Senators fans weren't smiling Wednesday night after the team surrendered a winnable game to the Montreal Canadiens, a result that stings especially hard given how desperately Ottawa needs every point in the Atlantic Division standings.
The Canadiens, playing the second half of a back-to-back, came into the Canadian Tire Centre and outworked the home side, walking away with a 3-2 regulation victory. The loss comes without star defenceman Jake Sanderson and with Ottawa goaltender Linus Ullmark posting an.870 save percentage, not the performance you need from your starter when two points are on the line.
Ullmark: Two He'd Want Back
The story of Wednesday's game was Ullmark, who allowed goals that, frankly, the Senators need more from him to stop. In a season where Ottawa's stellar defensive structure has propped up goaltenders on nights when individual performances were shaky, this was a night when the team needed Ullmark to be better.
To his credit, Ullmark has been solid through stretches of the season and the defensive system in front of him has made his job considerably easier than it would be on most teams. But the Habs aren't the Oilers, conceding a winnable game to a team fighting for its own playoff life is the kind of result that lingers in the standings for weeks.
The Highs: Batherson and Stutzle
Not everything was bleak. Drake Batherson scored twice, his third two-goal game in his past six contests, and Tim Stutzle continued to impress with his two-way game, picking up two assists while showing the kind of physical engagement and net-front presence that has defined his play in his third NHL season.
Stutzle, 24, is evolving into a legitimate first-line centre who competes hard in the corners and doesn't shy away from board battles. The giveaways he had in the first period were a minor blemish on what was otherwise an impactful night.
Claude Giroux was workmanlike, generating five shots and a secondary assist despite not fully matching the physicality of the game.
What's Next
Ottawa will need to regroup quickly. The Atlantic Division is tight and every game matters. The Sens have shown all season that they can beat anyone on their night, and one bad game doesn't erase a 9-2-2 run since the new year.
But the message from Wednesday is clear: when the team's structure is tight, Ottawa is difficult to beat. When that structure breaks down, particularly in the crease, the margin for error disappears fast.
Source: Ottawa Citizen
