Five reasons the Senators are off to their best start in 12 years

Linus Ullmark and Tim Stützle of the Ottawa Senators celebrate after a 3-2 shootout win against the Nashville Predators at the Canadian Tire Centre on Oct. 10, 2026. Their play has helped propel the Senators to a 4-1-0 start. Photo by Chris Tanouye/Freestyle Photo /Getty Images

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The hill that the Ottawa Senators have chosen to start the season is to battle through adversity.

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The Senators headed straight to the Ottawa International Airport on Sunday to head to New Jersey to prepare to face the Devils on Monday night at the Prudential Center.

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The Senators, who moved their record to 4-1-0 with a remarkable 3-2 comeback victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night at the Canadian Tire Centre, are off to their best start in 12 years.

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And they have achieved this without their top defensive pairing of Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub.

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The former hasn’t suited up since Sanderson left the club’s season opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 3, while the latter is closing in on a return from a knee injury Zub suffered in April.

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The expectation is that Zub will play soon because he has resumed skating with his teammates, but Sanderson remains out indefinitely. He has been skating on his own, but not with the Senators.

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The Senators made another roster move on Sunday by placing defenceman Cam Crotty on injured reserve and recalling Jorian Donovan from their American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville.

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Crotty was a late scratch on Thursday when the Senators played Philadelphia, and coach Travis Green told reporters “he wasn’t feeling well” after the skate.

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So, why the hot start? Here are a few reasons why the Senators are 4-1-0 for the first time since the 2014-15 campaign:

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The Ottawa Senators’ Tim Stützle, who has four goals and eight points in the club’s first five games, played more than 26 minutes against the Nashville Predators on Saturday night. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

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Tim Stützle’s next level

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He has four goals and eight points in the club’s first five games of the year, and if there was any doubt that Stützle would be among the National Hockey League’s elite, that has been erased. He also has a plus-five rating in that stretch.

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Stützle, 24, played more than 26 minutes against the Predators and contributed a goal and an assist. He’s on the ice in all situations, and even Green noted on Saturday, “I’ve got to watch Tim’s minutes because he likes to play a lot.”

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He looks like someone who is determined to take his game to the next level, and he is being followed by the rest of the club. His goal on Nashville’s Matt Murray in the shootout was filthy, and Stützle has been a factor in every game this season.

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Linus Ullmark’s strong play

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Ullmark made 16 stops in the club’s victory over the Predators.

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He wasn’t called on much against Nashville, but he made a huge stop on Roman Josi on a breakaway late in the third and halted Steven Stamkos in the skills contest to secure the victory.

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Ullmark has won his last eight regular-season starts, if you include four straight victories to close out last season. He woke up on Sunday as one of the top-ranked goaltenders with a 1.34 goals-against average and a .942 save percentage. He’s stopped 81 of the 86 shots he’s faced.

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After his struggles on and off the ice last season, it looks and feels like Ullmark is in a better place. He’s playing with confidence, and that has led to success.

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“He’s been great from training camp on,” Green said. “He’s looked sharp. He played great again (Saturday night). He made a couple of big saves when we needed him. It’s great to see.”

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Ottawa Senator Linus Ullmark makes a save against the Philadelphia Flyers during the home opener at the Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday. He’s stopped 81 of the 86 shots he’s faced so far this season. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

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Testing the depth

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The Senators have had their share of injuries to deal with through the first five games of the year.

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The club will likely be without winger William Eklund for at least two months after he suffered a devastating ankle injury in the club’s 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Thursday’s home opener.