The Ottawa Senators dropped a heartbreaking 3-2 double-overtime decision to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 2 on Monday, falling into an 0-2 hole in their first-round series. While the result itself stung, an eye-opening performance from Linus Ullmark highlighted just how far Ottawa’s game plan drifted from its usual structure.
Linus Ullmark Trend Shows Ottawa’s Game 2 Mistake
Carolina struck first when Logan Stankoven converted a power-play chance off a pass from Taylor Hall. Sebastian Aho doubled the lead on a 2-on-1 setup from Jordan Staal.
Ottawa responded in the second period as Drake Batherson cut the deficit before Dylan Cozens tied it 2-2. Mark Jankowski appeared to win it in overtime on a delayed penalty, but the goal was overturned for offside. Shortly after, Jordan Martinook was awarded a penalty shot after being hooked by Warren Foegele, but Linus Ullmark made the glove save to keep it tied.
However, Martinook eventually broke through at 13:53 of double overtime to secure the 3-2 Hurricanes win.
Despite the loss, Ullmark delivered a standout performance. He made 43 saves, the most of his playoff career, while facing 46 shots, also a personal postseason high. His previous mark had been 41 saves on 43 shots against the Florida Panthers on April 23, 2023.
While the numbers underscore how well Ullmark played, they also point to Ottawa’s struggles defensively. Facing that volume of shots typically means a team spent extended stretches in its own zone, forcing the goaltender to shoulder an unsustainable workload.
Head coach Travis Green acknowledged the issue after the game, explaining that the Senators took more offensive risks early than usual. “I thought we took a couple of chances that we don’t usually take. Our forwards were diving down. They don’t usually dive down, and we gave up more chances than we normally do. Linus kept us in it there, especially making some big saves in the second period,” Green said.
Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk echoed that sentiment, praising Ullmark. “He’s been amazing these past two games. He kept us in it, just to have a chance,” he said.
Ullmark delivered arguably his strongest performance in this series. Without his efforts, the series could look far worse.
Now the series shifts to Ottawa for Game 3 on Thursday, where the Senators will need to tighten their structure. If Ullmark continues to face that level of pressure, even another stellar outing may not be enough to swing the series.
