For a good stretch of the season, it appeared the Sens were destined to miss the playoffs because they couldn\u2019t get a save. Despite having good underlying numbers, Ottawa was tied for last in the Eastern Conference on Jan. 12 thanks to some subpar goaltending. For the season, Ullmark has an .891 save percentage and ranks 89th among 96 goalies in goals saved above expected this season.<\/p>\n
The veteran netminder also had a save percentage below .900 in every month except April, which unsurprisingly coincided with Ottawa\u2019s march up the standings. Ullmark has been stellar this month, posting a .926 save percentage and eight quality starts in his past 13 outings. Thanks to Ullmark\u2019s improved play, the Senators were one of the hottest teams down the stretch, losing just five times in regulation over their past 22 games. That\u2019s going to make them a tough matchup for the Carolina Hurricanes<\/a> in the first round if Ullmark can keep rolling.<\/p>\n When Ullmark has struggled, though, it\u2019s been really bad. Even with his improved play of late, the Sens still rank 31st in the league in save percentage. Only the last-place Vancouver Canucks were worse. And during this hot stretch, Ullmark still proved he\u2019s capable of a bad outing. He gave up five goals in the first period in a late-March game against the Florida Panthers and was promptly pulled. Games like that are magnified come playoff time, and a similar outing against the Canes at the wrong time in Round 1 could be too much for the Sens to come back from.<\/p>\n One thing Ottawa has done well is support Ullmark between the pipes. The Senators have allowed the second-fewest shots per game this season at 24.4, as Ullmark has faced fewer than 25 shots 11 times over the final two months of the season. If Ullmark plays the way he did down the stretch, the Sens are capable of beating anybody. But if he slips back into inconsistency, their stay in the playoffs could be a short one.<\/p>\n Do the Oilers have enough depth to get back to the Cup Final?<\/p>\n Make no mistake, the Edmonton Oilers<\/a> are only going to go as far as Connor McDavid<\/a> and Leon Draisaitl<\/a> take them. But despite incredible performances from both over the past two post-seasons, the Oilers have fallen just short of their ultimate goal. That means they\u2019re going to need more contributions from the rest of the roster.<\/p>\n Evan Bouchard<\/a> has really stepped up this year, finishing with 95 points. Zach Hyman and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also provide good secondary scoring, but what about after that? Corey Perry, Connor Brown and Evander Kane, who combined for 21 goals in last year\u2019s playoffs, have all departed. They\u2019ve been replaced by the likes of Trent Frederic and Curtis Lazar, who have struggled to do anything offensively all season, combining for just eight goals and 13 points. Then there\u2019s Adam Henrique, who has just one goal in his past 57 games. Jack Roslovic was an excellent acquisition, so there\u2019s going to be a lot of pressure on him, as well as on 22-year-old Matt Savoie, to step up and deliver this spring.<\/p>\n Compounding matters is the fact that Draisaitl has missed the past few weeks with an injury and could miss the start of the Oilers’ opening-round series. Even if he is ready, Draisaitl may not be 100 per cent. Not only that, but the goaltending is again a major concern, as the Tristan Jarry trade failed to solve Edmonton\u2019s issues between the pipes. Connor Ingram has taken over and stabilized things a bit of late as the Oilers have allowed two goals or less in eight of their past 11 games.<\/p>\n If Edmonton starts having issues keeping the puck out of its net again, it\u2019s going to be a lot tougher to outscore its problems this time around with a lack of secondary offence.<\/p>\n There\u2019s never a good time for an injury, but it\u2019s especially problematic right before the playoffs.<\/p>\n
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32 Thoughts: The Podcast<\/p>\n