The Ottawa Senators are fighting tooth and nail for every point they can get in their push to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs. That was no different on Saturday afternoon in Tampa Bay against the Lightning, which made it all the more surprising when it was revealed that Linus Ullmark wouldn’t be the starting goalie.
James Reimer was instead thrust into the net, and it was later learned that Ullmark had asked to take the afternoon off for some rest. That didn’t sit well with some Senators fans, and especially with others around the hockey world, including former NHLer and current TSN analyst Jeff O’Neill.
“What Linus Ullmark did on Saturday night was completely unacceptable. I know he’s had his difficulties this year. His team stood by him, the organization stood by him. This is about the team chasing the playoffs and everybody contributing, and he said he needed a day off in the biggest game of the year—I’m not buying it. It’s not part of the league. You don’t get to pick and choose when you want to feel good and when you don’t, so he owes his team a performance tonight. I hope he does it, because that stunt that he pulled on Saturday—completely unacceptable, not in the NHL.
That’s not a part of the NHL—picking and choosing when you want to play. You make a lot of money. You’re the number one goaltender, and I do understand that he’s had his difficulties this year. The team stuck with him. The organization did. This is about the team, and Travis Green has done such a great job with that Ottawa team. He’s established himself as a great coach. The team has come together and everybody is pushing, and you can’t have the most important player on your team say, ‘Not really feeling it tonight.’ That can’t happen in the NHL—sorry, not in this league. D*** right it’s hard, when everyone else is busting their n***, they’ve got defencemen out, kids playing back there, and everyone’s trying to get into the playoffs—and a guy just says, ‘Not tonight.’ Unacceptable. Can’t have it in the NHL,”
The 32-year-old Ullmark has gone 23-10-8 this season, posting a 2.75 goals-against average and an .889 save percentage, along with two shutouts across 42 starts.