Things are looking up, but also looking stressful. There are many positives going into tonight’s game but the fact remains that our playoff chances are only at 28% with none of the teams we’re chasing looking like they’re about to slow down.
On the very bright side, Linus Ullmark is officially back after the Sens confirmed and sent emails and celebratory posts that he will be in net tonight. The Devils are a good team for him to start against, but with everyone desperate for points, no team is an “easy” opponent at this stage. The important part is to manage expectations of Ullmark. He may need a game or two to settle in, and even though we can’t afford too many losses, we also cannot afford Linus Ullmark not returning to form (the right way).
As of today, the Sens sit back 10 points out of the final wildcard spot with 2 games in hand. There are also a few key put of town games that we will need to follow including games from the Florida Panthers, Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs. As I mentioned before, scoreboard watching is something we’re going to have to do but at the end of the day, our best chances will come from the points we get.
This is the last home game for the team before the Olympics break and the team is looking to make it 4 in a row before they had to the road for a couple more games. Here is the projected lineup led by Linus Ullmark:
Our projected group tonight against New Jersey 💪#GoSensGo pic.twitter.com/Xg4DdKMEpW
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) January 31, 2026
Game NotesThe Sens played much better just having Linus Ullmark as a backup. I’m hoping that having him in the net results in an inspirational performanceHowever you feel about Brady Tkachuk, he is the core of this team and it seems that he might have been struggling more than we can simply see. The team’s response to him scoring tells a story of either a player frustrated from injury or just in a funk overall. I will continue to harp on this issue until it’s fixed, TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE POWER PLAY.The New Jersey Devils will be without their star centre, Jack Hughes, who was injured in the last game. The team seems to be on a nice roll, beating some powerful teams lately, but out of the 4 remaining games, tonight and the Flyers games seem to be the ones that are most winnable. With the Olympic break coming, many GMs will have some time to ponder their trade market, I wonder if this is affecting any of the Sens players to perform better?
You can catch the game tonight at 7:00PM on Sportsnet or listen on TSN 1200