The Ottawa Senators fell short in a thrilling 5-4 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers, and the primary focus of their disappointment was Linus Ullmark's subpar performance. Ullmark made 14 saves on 19 shots and while that stat line may have been distorted due to multiple odd-man rushes, it is undeniable that Ullmark was not his best self last night.
It seemed like nothing could stop the Senators in the early going. They dominated the ice in the first period with their speed, tenacity, and physicality. Ottawa tallied three goals in the first and the crowd was electric. But in typical Sens fashion, they managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.
Flyers started to make a comeback, they came up with two goals in the second and one in the third. However just when fans might've thought it was going to be one of those 'so near, yet so far' feelings for the Flyers, they managed to tie it up in regulation and took the match to an extra session. The momentum stayed with Philadelphia in the extra period and the decisive goal was the final nail in the Senators' coffin.
Ullmark's lackluster outing calls into question coach Smith's faith and raises doubts for the Senators heading into the next matchup. Looking past a flurry of untimely blunders, Ullmark needs to be consistently better for Ottawa to become a genuine threat to their competition. Disappointed Sens' fans can hope that yesterday was just a minor setback and Ottawa can bounce back next time.