Ottawa's Goalie Woes Continue

Stop us if you’ve heard this before: the Ottawa Senators are having major goalie issues and don’t have a goaltender with a save percentage above .900. We are now into the second season with former Vezina winner Linus Ullmark and, like many fans, we can’t say we’ve loved what we’ve seen. After slow starts in both seasons, Ullmark’s play this year has not steadied enough to climb above a .900 save percentage, despite the team arguably being better than last season (looking at you, Travis Hamonic). His sophomore partner in crime, Leevi Meriläinen, has also struggled, posting an .869 save percentage in 14 games this season.

At the start of the season, we wrote that this Scandinavian tandem was a recipe for success and would improve upon the results of 2024-25. Unfortunately, as of now, we were very wrong. Ullmark has taken a leave of absence from the team, with no timetable for his return. We wish Ullmark all the best and hope everything is okay. The game against the Detroit Red Wings on Monday night perfectly demonstrated Ottawa’s issues this season. They outshot and outright dominated Detroit and,  despite showing signs of life after falling behind 3–0 in the first period, still fell 6-4 to their division rivals. .

What used to be a major strength of Meriläinen’s game has seemingly vanished, specifically his ability to absorb pucks cleanly into his chest and glove. The second goal against Detroit was a shot directly into his crest that kicked out a rebound. Another issue Ottawa’s goalies have struggled with all season is shots from the point through traffic, and the third goal was scored in exactly that manner. Was it a low or even medium danger shot? No. However, when routine saves aren’t being made, confidence erodes and fans quickly stop giving the benefit of the doubt. This leads to the familiar refrain: “we can’t get a save.”

The team’s depth options in net are, frankly, pretty grim. Hunter Shepard is a journeyman AHL goalie with limited NHL experience. After last night, it is easy to see why. Then there is the 6’8” Dane, Mads Søgaard, who has battled injuries this season and whose numbers (2–8–3, .883 save percentage) leave a lot to be desired.

But perhaps this goes beyond the goalies themselves and has more to do with how they are being coached. Ullmark was very good on some very bad Buffalo teams for many years. Meriläinen has been strong at every level of hockey he has played. Goalie coaches dictate how a goaltender functions on a technical level, from save style to net positioning. It is difficult to evaluate a goalie coach in any way other than a simple question: are the goalies playing well, yes or no? In the case of Senators goalie coach Justin Peters, the answer is largely ‘no.’ Stylistically, the Senators goalies look different than they have in previous seasons, especially Ullmark. His elite ability to read and react was the driving force behind his Vezina win, but now he appears to be playing more of a blocking-style game. That is not to say this approach cannot work, but it is not how Ullmark or Meriläinen have found success throughout their careers.

Ultimately, the only true savior in net will be Ullmark returning and playing at the level he has for most of his career. External help is limited, given the options around the league. Still, the Senators’ crease does need a shakeup, and that should come in the form of a new vision behind the bench, specifically at the goalie coach position. The focus must be on honing the strengths of the goaltenders they have and not hindering them.