Player Discussion Linus Ullmark (G)

[Gil Gunderson]

I wouldn't be against Leevi starting; that kid has ice in his veins. Could turn around the entire series

His AHL playoff career is already better than Ullmark’s.

f*** it, see if we can get Cam Ward/Matt Murray magic right now. Odds are slim but they’re slim wih the status quo too.

 

[LiseL]

Ullmark, believe it or not, is trending up. Made some clutch saves to bring it to OT. He cleaned up as the game wore on. It’s his net, and we need him to lock in early at home.

Well, just like the rest of the team, he started out the 1st period slow not ready to play. Unbelievable how an entire team suffers from the same setback 2 games in a row.

 

[LiseL]

Sorry guys but enough with finding excuses I'm done with believing in this guy. He's not a pressure goalie. Even if Ullmark does have a good game once in a while it's a fools trap that just got him an overinflated salary for what might be a decent regular season backup. He was never really time tested but the GM was under pressure and signed him early. Remember that even Forsberg looks like a world beater, gets a few shutouts and wins close games at times. Would you give Forsberg $8M+ per? Would you give Ullmark $8M+ per today? I think most wouldn't. They' might keep him as a cheaper backup and still be looking for a #1. What a waste! We hoped they had solved their net problem but got fooled too. If this is the best he can do under playoff pressure then find another Andy.

Maybe they already have in Leevi (here's hoping).

 

[LiseL]

Too many bad bounces and screens.

I do have to agree that our own players have acted as screens. They need to clean that shit up.

 

[LiseL]

The major issue right now is that Ottawa's D is getting pushed around in their own end. Not one guy is routinely winning one on one battles and an injured Jensen is a liability. Consequently the Sens need their forwards to really help out but you can't have Batherson mailing it in like he did last night.

It doesn't help when your most physical player (Brady) is playing hurt and Klevin isn't using his size.

 

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

Sorry guys but enough with finding excuses I'm done with believing in this guy. He's not a pressure goalie. Even if Ullmark does have a good game once in a while it's a fools trap that just got him an overinflated salary for what might be a decent regular season backup. He was never really time tested but the GM was under pressure and signed him early. Remember that even Forsberg looks like a world beater, gets a few shutouts and wins close games at times. Would you give Forsberg $8M+ per? Would you give Ullmark $8M+ per today? I think most wouldn't. They' might keep him as a cheaper backup and still be looking for a #1. What a waste! We hoped they had solved their net problem but got fooled too. If this is the best he can do under playoff pressure then find another Andy.

We have the most over reactive fan base

A decent regular season backup? He just finished with a .910SV% which is really good in 2025 (ranks 8th among goalies with 30+ gp). He finally added stability to the net and addressed our biggest weakness, and we made the playoffs for the first time in 8 years in large part due to him.

I’d agree that Ullmark needs to be better for Ottawa to win the series. He’s going to have to go out there and steal us some games. But we’ve also only scored 4 goals in 2 games, our PK is brutal, and Toronto is cooking us with high danger shots. The first goal in the last game was a tap in, the second one went off Jensen in the crease, and the third one was a massive defensive breakdown. I guess it’s easier to pin the blame on the goalie than actually blaming the team and players.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

It doesn't help when your most physical player (Brady) is playing hurt and Klevin isn't using his size.

Whatever the case, the team itself is probably playing how most of us expected them to. Every team playing against a good offensive team ia going to have defensive breakdowns. You can watch the Avs or Panthers play and their defence will have breakdowns and certain pairings will struggle all game. Even these teams need their goalies to stand on their heads and bail them out time-to-time.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

We have the most over reactive fan base

A decent regular season backup? He just finished with a .910SV% which is really good in 2025 (ranks 8th among goalies with 30+ gp). He finally added stability to the net and addressed our biggest weakness, and we made the playoffs for the first time in 8 years in large part due to him.

I’d agree that Ullmark needs to be better for Ottawa to win the series. He’s going to have to go out there and steal us some games. But we’ve also only scored 4 goals in 2 games, our PK is brutal, and Toronto is cooking us with high danger shots. The first goal in the last game was a tap in, the second one went off Jensen in the crease, and the third one was a massive defensive breakdown. I guess it’s easier to pin the blame on the goalie than actually blaming the team and players.

Anyone that expected us to not have defensive breakdowns against the Leafs has never watched hockey before. Of course that’s going to happen, every team struggles against good teams. That’s why you pay a goalie 8 million dollars, to keep you in it and bail you from time to time.

Did every single one of these teams leave him out to dry? The one that set a regular season record and helped him win a Vezina?

He’s the highest paid player on the roster. It’s ok to ask more from him.

 

[Rhaegar Targaryen]

Anyone that expected us to not have defensive breakdowns against the Leafs has never watched hockey before. Of course that’s going to happen, every team struggles against good teams. That’s why you pay a goalie 8 million dollars, to keep you in it and bail you from time to time.

Did every single one of these teams leave him out to dry? The one that set a regular season record and helped him win a Vezina?

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He’s the highest paid player on the roster. It’s ok to ask more from him.

So the argument is we’re playing a good team, we’re going to give up cross ice tap-ins and because we pay our goalie a lot of money he should stop automatic goals? And let’s blame him rather than the player who’s failing to tie up the scoring player?

He allowed 2 goals after 60 minutes, I’d say that keeps us in it? You’re not going to win many games scoring 2 goals in regulation, especially against a high scoring team like Toronto.

His past playoff numbers aren’t great. But two of those series are tiny sample sizes where he started 1 and 2 games respectively. In 2023 he had a .926SV% through Game 4, before Boston historically imploded. Btw, nobody helped him win that Vezina - he had the best GSAA/60 that the leagues seen in a while.

He is the 2nd highest paid player on the team, but yes, it’s fine to ask more of him. But he also probably shouldn’t be shouldering all of the blame when the highest paid player has 1 point, 3rd highest has 1 point, 4th highest has 0 points, 5th highest has 1 point and -3, etc. Nobody is really performing well or giving us what we need to win.

 

[Boud]

Well, just like the rest of the team, he started out the 1st period slow not ready to play. Unbelievable how an entire team suffers from the same setback 2 games in a row.

I think they are nervous or whatever you want to call it. Self inflicted wounds for sure in the first 2 games but that’s part of the learning process.

First game they were running everywhere like headless chickens trying to outhit the Leafs. They realized that wasn’t working, talked about playing smart defensive hockey.

Second game it looked like they were playing scared to make mistakes at the start. No conviction on passes, dump-ins, forechecks and then add the fact that Ullmark looked shaky in game 1. They played way better when they were trying to come back in the game because the focus shifted from “let’s not make mistakes” to “we need to push the play here” and ultimately that’s the thought process they need to have from the start of the game. They are slowly improving and I think we will see their best effort in game 3 at home. It’s tough to learn these lessons in such a critical time but that’s the only way to learn.

There’s no pressure on this team. They’re at home and Green will get his matchups. If they lose no one bats an eye. If they win they put a seed of doubt in the series for a team who has struggled in the playoffs. They just need to take what’s given to them and capitalize on opportunities. Create traffic and Stolarz has been giving juicy rebounds. They need to come in with confidence and they can win a game and go from there. I think we win next one.

 

[JD1]

I think we're going to get a great game tonight and wake up right back in it. Toronto's got 9 goals in the series and probably 6 of them you can say that doesn't happen often. Tonight those things stop happening

 

[Alex1234]

WE NEED THE 1ST GOAL
PLAIN AND SIMPLE
BEST TEAM IN THE NHL WHEN SCORING 1ST
THAT TEAM NEEDS THAT CONFIDENCE BOOSTER OF THE 1ST GOAL
NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT TONIGHT

 

[Gil Gunderson]

So the argument is we’re playing a good team, we’re going to give up cross ice tap-ins and because we pay our goalie a lot of money he should stop automatic goals? And let’s blame him rather than the player who’s failing to tie up the scoring player?

He allowed 2 goals after 60 minutes, I’d say that keeps us in it? You’re not going to win many games scoring 2 goals in regulation, especially against a high scoring team like Toronto.

His past playoff numbers aren’t great. But two of those series are tiny sample sizes where he started 1 and 2 games respectively. In 2023 he had a .926SV% through Game 4, before Boston historically imploded. Btw, nobody helped him win that Vezina - he had the best GSAA/60 that the leagues seen in a while.

He is the 2nd highest paid player on the team, but yes, it’s fine to ask more of him. But he also probably shouldn’t be shouldering all of the blame when the highest paid player has 1 point, 3rd highest has 1 point, 4th highest has 0 points, 5th highest has 1 point and -3, etc. Nobody is really performing well or giving us what we need to win.

Low scoring games will happen often in the playoffs. You need your goalie to be your best player sometimes, especially if you don’t have the weapons Toronto does. His body language was terrible on some of those Leafs goals. Yes it hit off a foot but the entire half of the net was empty. Guy sometimes takes time to react.

 

[Neil Patrick Harris]

Big game tonight. I feel it in my bones. Or maybe that was the run I took this afternoon.

 

[BradyTkachucky]

Garbage

 

[Adrianopolous]

I’ll never forgive this clown

 

[Gil Gunderson]

What are his playoff stats now?

The one thing that was true was we needed to have the better goaloe to win the series. The other two fine, the Matthews goal can’t happen.

 

[Wallet Inspector]

Just let him go to Sweden, clearly his mind is there and not on this playoff series.

 

[Beville]

Wow he really upped his game to a whopping .850% today. (He was .857 last game).

Maybe jn 5 years he’ll reach .90%

 

[Puikiou]

Game I - .750 sv%
Game II - .857 sv%
Game III - .850 sv%

Call it bad bounces, bad luck or whatever else you want, but at some point an 8.35M goaltender has to make a save.

Leevi Merilainen should have been in the net tonight.

 

[SensBrawler]

When you sign a contract worth 8.5 million, expectations are going to be high. And he's just falling way short in this series.

He isn't the only reason we're losing, but he's not really doing much to help us win and it's frustrating to watch.

 

[JungleBeat]

The team needs to score more than two goals to win a damn game.

 

[Mr Hat]

It’s too bad we gave him term. He is an above average regular season goalie. He is well below average playoff goalie. Look at the rookie playoff goalies, like Stolarz FFS who come in and make a difference vs be a liability. Ullmark had played better than his stats but still well below the acceptable standard. Similar to how I feel about Stu who should have potted a goal wide open and not let this game get to OT in first place. He is paid to score there. Ullmark is paid to make that last stop. No excuses for either being good enough for their salary.

 

[Mr Hat]

What are his playoff stats now?

The one thing that was true was we needed to have the better goaloe to win the series. The other two fine, the Matthews goal can’t happen.

Mathew’s goal was weak as he didn’t track the puck at all, but that OT goal I swear Stolarz saved 4 times this game.

 

[Gil Gunderson]

Mathew’s goal was weak as he didn’t track the puck at all, but that OT goal I swear Stolarz saved 4 times this game.

Stolarz made that stop on Batherson before regulation ended. Ullmarl let in a savable goal by Max Domi last game.

That’s the difference. If Ullmark was playing as good as Stolarz this could be a series.