{"id":394021,"date":"2026-01-06T18:31:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T18:31:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/394021\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T18:31:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T18:31:12","slug":"goaltending-issues-resurface-for-ottawa-senators-in-loss-to-detroit-red-wings","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/394021\/","title":{"rendered":"Goaltending issues resurface for Ottawa Senators in loss to Detroit Red Wings"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Ottawa Senators<\/a> were unable to win a third straight game Monday night, falling 5-3 to the Detroit Red Wings<\/a> at home.<\/p>\n

But they easily could have come out on top, considering how they played.<\/p>\n

The Sens\u2019 38 shots on goal almost doubled the Red Wings\u2019 total of 20. Ottawa won nearly 60 per cent of the faceoffs and out-hit Detroit 20 to 13. But three early goals put the Sens in a hole they couldn\u2019t climb out of and brought Ottawa\u2019s goaltending issues back into the spotlight.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just didn\u2019t like a couple of the goals,\u201d Sens head coach Travis Green told reporters<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Green pulled starter Leevi Merilainen after he allowed three goals on eight shots and turned to Hunter Shepard<\/a>, who was making his season debut at the NHL level. He stopped 10 of 12 shots he faced in relief, but it ultimately wasn\u2019t enough. Brady Tkachuk<\/a>\u2019s wrist shot made it a one-goal deficit in the third period but a shorthanded goal from Michael Rasmussen<\/a> gave the Wings a 5-3 lead that would hold up the rest of the way.<\/p>\n

The Senators have the worst save percentage in the NHL this season at .876. As TSN\u2019s Travis Yost pointed out in a story posted on Monday<\/a>, Ottawa\u2019s expected goal rates are similar to last season, where the Sens were seventh in the NHL in save percentage at .907.<\/p>\n

Green expanded on his goaltenders\u2019 struggles thus far in 2025-26.<\/p>\n

\u201cI mean, the one thing we deal with is, and talk about with our group is, just being honest,\u201d Green said. \u201cWe play that game 10 times, we\u2019d win eight or nine times and that\u2019s just reality. We try to deal in reality. We try not to look for something that\u2019s not there. And the truth is, we played a really good hockey game [Monday].\u201d<\/p>\n

Veteran Claude Giroux<\/a> agreed with his coach\u2019s assessment of the team\u2019s performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel like it was a weird game,\u201d Giroux said. \u201cWe played a pretty good game. If we play like that every night we\u2019re going to win more than we lose, so it\u2019s definitely frustrating.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe battled really hard,\u201d Sens centre Tim St\u00fctzle<\/a> added. \u201cWe had a pretty good game as a whole group. I think we were by far the better team tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Even Detroit head coach Todd McLellan<\/a> agreed the Sens may have been the stronger team Monday night.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know if we made a statement to anybody,\u201d McLellan said. \u201cWe came in here, I still don\u2019t think we played our best game. I thought they played a real good game, but [we] found a way to win.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ottawa\u2019s usual starter, Linus Ullmark<\/a>, has an .881 save percentage in 28 games this season. He is on a personal leave of absence from the team that was announced on Dec. 28.<\/p>\n

According to Postmedia\u2019s Bruce Garrioch, Ullmark was at Canadian Tire Centre Monday night, but the Sens have no idea when he will return.<\/p>\n

Linus Ullmark, who was granted a leave of absence on Dec. 27, was in the rink last night. To be clear: #Sens<\/a> have no idea when he will return.<\/p>\n

\u2014 Bruce Garrioch (@SunGarrioch) January 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

Ottawa called up goaltender Mads Sogaard<\/a> Tuesday morning, sending Shepard down to the AHL\u2019s Belleville Senators. <\/p>\n

Sogaard has yet to play in the NHL this season and has a .887 save percentage and 3.49 goals-against average in 15 AHL games. <\/p>\n

Monday\u2019s loss dropped the Sens to 20-16-5 on the season, tied with the Toronto Maple Leafs<\/a> for an Atlantic Division-low 45 points in 41 games.<\/p>\n