Ullmark has not played in over three weeks due to personal reasons, but appears to be nearing a return. The 32-year-old goalie has a 2.95 GAA and .881 SV% in 28 games this season (14-8-5), and it is unclear when he might be between the pipes again. Leevi Merilainen has almost exclusively seen all of the action in Ottawa's crease during Ullmark's absence.
Even on the tail-end of a back-to-back, the Sens opt against giving James Reimer his team debut and instead will hand Merilainen his second start in as many nights. Merilainen was sharp in Tuesday's win over the Canucks, stopping 19 of the 20 shots he faced enroute to the 2-1 victory. The 23-year-old netminder has been inconsistent at best when called upon this season, posting a 7-10-0 record and an .870 SV% across 18 appearances. The Senators enter action on Wednesday at -115 on the money line.
With the recent signing of James Reimer, Shepard will return to the Belleville Senators (AHL). The 30-year-old Shepard has gone 5-6-1 with a 3.41 GAA and .897 SV% in 12 AHL games this season.
Ullmark has not played in over two weeks due to personal reasons, but appears to be nearing a return. The 32-year-old goalie has a 2.95 GAA and .881 SV% in 28 games this season (14-8-5), and it is unclear when he might be between the pipes again. The Senators signed goalie James Reimer earlier this week to add some depth in the crease during Ullmark's absence.
With Linus Ullmark (personal) away from the team, Ottawa has needed reinforcements between the pipes in recent weeks, and will give Reimer a chance after signing him to a one-year, $850,000 contract. The 37-year-old Reimer was awarded the contract despite struggling on his PTO in Belleville (AHL), allowing six goals on 28 shots (.786 SV%) in his only game, a 6-5 loss to Rochester. Reimer appeared in 22 games with the Buffalo Sabres last season (10-8-2), posting a 2.90 GAA and .899 SV%.
The Senators are entrenched in an ugly four-game losing streak and will need Merilainen be a difference-maker on Tuesday against the Vancouver Canucks. The 23-year-old Merilainen has an ugly 3.48 GAA and .866 SV% in 17 games this season (6-10-0). He has a 3.04 GAA and .826 SV% in his last four games (0-4-0). That said, the Senators enter Tuesday's contest as -220 home favorites against a struggling Canucks team that lost 6-3 to the Montreal Canadiens yesterday, extending their losing streak to seven games (0-5-2).
With Linus Ullmark (personal) away from the team, Ottawa has needed reinforcements between the pipes in recent weeks, and will give Reimer a chance after signing him to a one-year, $850,000 contract. The 37-year-old Reimer was awarded the contract despite struggling on his PTO in Belleville (AHL), allowing six goals on 28 shots (.786 SV%) in his only game, a 6-5 loss to Rochester. Reimer appeared in 22 games with the Buffalo Sabres last season (10-8-2), posting a 2.90 GAA and .899 SV%.
Shepard takes Mads Sogaard's spot on the Senators' roster and figures to backup Leevi Merilainen on Saturday. Shepard has gone 5-6-1 with a 3.41 GAA and .897 SV% in 12 AHL games this season.
Sogaard played briefly in Colorado on Thursday and it went terribly. After replacing Leevi Merilainen, Sogaard allowed five goals on 16 shots and was replaced by Merilainen. Hunter Shepard was recalled from the AHL to take Sogaard's spot on the the roster.
Halliday was a healthy scratch in Colorado on Thursday with Lars Eller returning to the lineup, so he returns to the AHL so he can play. Halliday has split his season between the AHL and NHL, tallying six assists in 18 games with Ottawa. He'll be one of the first forwards to get recalled when the Senators need a body in the future.
Jensen was a healthy scratch during the Senators' loss in Colorado on Thursday, but he will replace Nikolas Matinpalo in the lineup on Saturday. Jensen will be reunited with Thomas Chabot on the Senators' second-pairing.
Matinpalo re-entered the lineup on Thursday and was a plus-1 in 19:40 TOI in a game where the Senators lost 8-2, but he'll come out of the lineup for Saturday's game vs. the Panthers. Nick Jensen will come back into the lineup to replace him.
Merilainen will somewhat surprisingly get the nod in goal for the second time in as many nights when the Sens travel to Denver on Thursday. Merilainen took the loss last night, giving up three goals on 21 shots in a 3-1 loss in Utah. The 23-year-old netminder has appeared in 15 games for the Senators this season, logging a 6-8-0 record and an .868 SV%. As you might expect, Merilainen and the Senators enter action on Thursday as massive underdogs at +225 on the money line.
Eller has not played in nearly a month, but is nearing his return after being activated from Injured Reserve. The veteran 36-year-old forward has six points (2G / 4A) in 28 games this season, but had been held off the scoresheet in 16 straight games before his injury.
With Linus Ullmark still on a leave of absence due to personal reasons, the Senators will again hand Merilainen the start when they travel to Utah on Wednesday. Merilainen struggled in his last start, allowing three goals on eight shots before being pulled as the Senators lost 5-3 to the Red Wings on Monday. The 23-year-old netminder has appeared in 14 games this season, logging a 6-7-0 record and an .869 SV%. The Sens enter action on Wednesday at +105 on the money line.
Shepard has exclusively served as Leevi Merilainen's backup while Linus Ullmark (personal) has been away from the team, but he will return to Belleville (AHL), with Mads Sogaard coming back in a corresponding move. The 30-year-old Shepard has a 3.16 GAA and .905 SV% in 11 games (5-5-1) with Belleville this season.
