How Linus Ullmark can make Ottawa Senators history against winless Flyers

Ottawa Senator Linus Ullmark makes a save on the New York Islanders during a shoot out at the Canadian Tire Centre in Ottawa Thursday. Photo by Tony Caldwell /Postmedia

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Linus Ullmark and the Ottawa Senators couldn’t have scripted a more perfect start to this season.

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The Senators goaltender is at the top of his game after extending his record to 6-0-0 with 20 stops in the club’s 2-1 shootout victory over the New York Islanders on Thursday night.

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As the Senators, who are first in the Atlantic Division, prepare to face the winless Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena, Ullmark will try to become the first goalie in franchise history to win his first seven starts of a season.

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Ullmark tied the mark set by former Senators goaltender Ray Emery, who went 6-0-0 to start the 2005-06 campaign. Dominik Hasek was 5-0-0 in the same season as Emery.

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The Flyers are off to their worst start in franchise history at 0-6-3 through nine games.

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The Senators have a 6-2-0 record in their first eight games of the season, thanks to Shane Pinto’s shootout winner on Semyon Varlamov, which brought the Canadian Tire Centre crowd to its feet.

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Yes, a lot of the record has to do with timely goal scoring, but Ullmark has been the club’s last line of defence and he’s playing some of the best hockey we’ve witnessed since he arrived in 2024.

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“There have been ups and downs,” Ullmark said when asked to assess the start of his season on Thursday night. “It’s a battle every night. There are good teams and good players. You can’t really relax at any time during the game.”

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Why Ullmark is in a good place

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He took a 35-day leave of absence for mental health reasons last December and returned in late January. Since then, Ullmark has looked focused on the ice, and his play has been strong.

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Dating back to last season, Ullmark has a 10-0-0 record, which is also a franchise best. Asked about the mark, Ullmark had a funny response.

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“That’s a weird one,” he said. “To be honest, I don’t care about that at all.”

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The page was turned on last year when Ullmark showed up for training camp. He has the right people in place to support him on his journey, including goalie coach Justin Peters and close friend/mentor Maciej Szwoch, who is on staff as the coordinator of scouting.

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Ullmark also mentioned his strong relationship with backup Samuel Ersson, who was acquired from the Flyers, and the work he does with athletic therapist Dom Nicoletta.

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Those who have watched his career closely say he’s in the form that won him the Vezina Trophy with the Boston Bruins. That season, Ullmark posted a 40-6-1 record with a 1.89 GAA and a .938 save percentage.

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“Ully is doing his job and that gives us confidence to win games,” defenceman Jordan Spence said before the club left for Philly on Friday. “We’ve just got to stay consistent and keep on working.

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“It’s pretty awesome, to be honest with you. He’s a big piece of our team. For him to be performing like that, and to have a 6-0-0 start, it’s awesome. He’s won a Vezina Trophy and we knew he’s capable of doing those things. When he’s confident, we’re confident with him as well.