A day after signing to stay in Ottawa for the next five years, Linus Ullmark won his Senator debut on Thursday, a 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers.
Since arriving in Ottawa earlier this year, Senators goalie Linus Ullmark has done a marvellous job of making good first impressions. On Thursday night, in the club's 2024-25 season opener, he made another one in the area that counts most.
In his first game as a Senator, marked by "goosebumps and bombardment," Ullmark made 30 saves as Ottawa defeated the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers 3-1.
For the first two periods, the Senators were strong and very solid defensively. The Panthers had a hard time getting pucks through to Ullmark, and when they did, Ullmark was poised and big in his net, with his defence clearing up rebounds.
However, Florida brought their A-game to the third period, as champions do, pinning the Sens in their own end for long stretches. That’s when Ullmark was at his best.
"We knew it was going to be one of those games," Ullmark said. "There's a reason why Florida has been so successful: they come in waves and keep grinding away. They don't get frustrated even if they're down. So it's definitely a special win, and the boys should be proud."
How often in the past have Senators fans wished for a goalie who can make the big save at the right moment? Ullmark delivered that last night, as he has for several seasons in a tough Atlantic Division. It was also refreshing that he halted the sloppy Ottawa trend of allowing a goal on one of the first two shots of the game.
Ullmark had a blunt description of the Panthers' huge push in the third period and how he stayed focused throughout.
"There was a lot of bombardment from (Florida's) side. It was all about trying to see the puck and have a clear vision at all times. You have to play big at times when you don’t see it. And when they slipped it through, we did a great job. When we didn’t have our guy, we were blocking shots.
"And that's what you need in every game. You can't just take it for granted that I'm going to make a save or someone else is going to make the save. You've got to put your body on the line and really go through bodies and hurdles to win."
Ullmark is well aware that opening night is special, but he could do without all the extracurricular activities accompanying it.
"I'm not a huge fan of these sorts of things," Ullmark said. "You want to do your own thing, and you have so many routines; you just want to get the game started. But it's important to show appreciation to the fans and to the guys who made the team—me, for example. It's always nice to be appreciated, but it's also important to show appreciation."
On that note, after his big commitment on Wednesday to stay in Ottawa for five more years, Ullmark admitted that the thunderous, welcoming ovation from Sens fans got to him a little bit.
"It was awesome. I had not just one or two but a lot of goosebumps."