Ottawa Senators refreshed and ready to push ahead as road warriors

As far as road trips go, it's gone about as well as it could for the Ottawa Senators, who have three games left on their nine-game away swing.

Published Jan 01, 2025  •  4 minute read

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk embraces goaltender Leevi Merilainen while Shane Pinto and Nick Jensen (3) celebrate after a 3-1 win over Minnesota on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. Tkachuk said the Senators were determined to do whatever it took to win the game. Photo by Ellen Schmidt /The Associated Press

As far as road trips go, it’s gone about as well as it could for the Ottawa Senators, who have three games remaining on their lengthy nine-game away swing.

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It’s too early to call the road trip a success, but it’s sure trending that way.

Is this suddenly a team that’s got the game and mental makeup to be road warriors?

The refreshed Senators, who haven’t played since a 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Dec. 29, were back on the ice for practice Wednesday. They get back into game action Thursday in Dallas, then it’s Friday in St. Louis and Jan. 7 in Detroit.

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It could have been disastrous for the Senators, who have recent experience in disastrous Decembers. But with a 9-3-1 December record, the Senators go into the new year with hope … and, currently, a spot in the playoffs. With a record of 19-15-2, they’re sitting in eighth place in the National Hockey League’s Eastern Conference.

It’s leaps and bounds ahead of where the team was sitting a month ago, when it looked like it would be yet another failure of a season.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Leevi Meriläinen protects the post during a game against the Minnesota Wild on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. The Senators were missing both No. 1 goalie Linus Ullmark and backup Anton Forsberg, but Merliäinen stood tall in the 3-1 win. Photo by Ellen Schmidt /The Associated Press

Probably hoping for a bit better than a .500 record in their roadie — five wins would have been a positive — the Senators have a chance to win seven. That would be a huge momentum builder, especially since the Senators are currently playing without injured starting goalie Linus Ullmark, whose brilliance was a big reason for the December surge.

While a couple of days in Dallas may have been good for team bonding, gaps between games are also helpful for the wounded. While Ullmark continues to heal from a back issue in Ottawa, his backup, Anton Forsberg, practised again Wednesday and is getting closer to a return. Defenceman Artem Zub (broken toe), who hasn’t played since Nov. 23, is also taking steps toward getting back into the lineup and practised Wednesday.

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“Any time you have a day off, you want to come back and be sharp, especially when you have back-to-back games coming up,” Senators coach Travis Green told TSN 1200’s Gord Wilson on Wednesday. “It was a good skate today, it had a bit of everything in it — a lot of puck movement, some compete drills. We’re playing another good team (Thursday), we’re going to have to be sharp.

“We felt like today was a good day to get our compete level back up, but also not push them too hard so they’re tired for (Thursday).”

Ottawa Senators defenceman Jake Sanderson takes a hit from Minnesota Wild centre Devin Shore during a game on Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. Sanderson is eager play again after three days without a game. Photo by Ellen Schmidt /The Associated Press

“Three days with no games during the season is a long time,” defenceman Jake Sanderson said. “We’re always excited to play games, I can’t wait for (Thursday night).”

“We had a couple of days, it was nice,” captain Brady Tkachuk said. “Now, it’s all about getting back to work and starting 2025 on a good note.”

It’s not like they’re scoring often; it’s an area that has to improve. Ottawa had more than three goals just twice during their December success, but there’s been a big improvement in their defensive structure and attention to detail.

Plus, there’s been a big improvement in the goaltending, largely in the hands of Ullmark, who hasn’t played since his back tightened up in a Dec. 22 game against Edmonton.

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He had been rolling up the wins with a goals-against average of 2.38. Over the month leading into his injury, he was practically unbeatable, again with help from the guys playing in front of him.

Sanderson, who regularly partnered with Zub on the Senators’ No. 1 defence pairing, was happy to see the injured defenceman pushing ahead.

“He’s been gone for a while, we’ve missed him,” Sanderson said. “Happy he came on the road trip, happy to see him on the ice.”

Sanderson has been playing alongside veteran Travis Hamonic, an NHLer since 2010.

“He’s been around a long time,” Sanderson said. “He’s got great wisdom. Our chemistry off the ice helps on the ice. I like how we’re playing lately.”

The Senators seem to have figured out how to hang around in games, then find a way to win; it’s a formula that eluded them a year ago, when, if they fell behind in a game, it was curtains, game over. The team lacked confidence, or maybe it was just a lack of maturity.

But that seems to have changed. Case in point — the 3-1 win over Minnesota, the NHL’s fifth-best team (23-11-4), according to the standings. Ottawa fell behind 1-0. But Leevi Meriläinen, a recent callup from Ottawa’s Belleville farm team, stood tall the rest of the way, while his teammates were able to do enough to get the W.

“It was just a good feeling,” Tkachuk said. “I talked to a couple of guys, we were in agreement that first period, individually it didn’t feel like we had the energy. That’s where the mindset kicked in, that we were going to do whatever it took to win.”

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