Ottawa Senators Lean on Elite Goaltending and Grit to Hold 11-6 Atlantic Pace

Seventy-four seconds into overtime at Canadian Tire Centre on Tuesday night, Washington defenseman Cole Hutson converted an Alex Ovechkin setup to hand the Ottawa Senators a stinging 3-2 defeat. Yet grinding out another hard-earned standings point against a Metropolitan contender while No. 1 goaltender Linus Ullmark rested a day-to-day lower-body injury underscored just how calloused Travis Green's dressing room has become across an 18-game autumn test.

Sitting fourth in the Atlantic Division at 11-6 (with just one overtime loss on the ledger across 18 games), Ottawa has finally banished the October and November swoons that derailed prior rebuild seasons in Canada's capital. Combining center Tim Stützle's dynamic pace with top-10 physicality, crisp faceoff execution, and elite goaltending, the Senators prepare to host powerhouse Colorado at home on Thursday night holding genuine divisional traction.

Travis Green Instills Heavy Accountability Across Ottawa's Four Lines

For years in Canada's capital, offseason optimism evaporated before mid-November beneath soft defensive coverage and fragile confidence. Under Travis Green, the 2026-27 Senators have flipped that script completely, banking 11 victories across 18 contests (+8 goal differential, tied for 11th in the NHL) by embracing heavy, shift-to-shift confrontation. Ottawa ranks fifth in the NHL in total shifts (7,220, averaging 401.1 per game), keeping legs fresh to finish 450 hits (ninth league-wide) and step in front of 272 blocked shots (tied for ninth).

Saturday night's gritty 4-2 home victory over the Utah Mammoth — sealed when forward Nick Cousins tipped home a tiebreaking deflection with 2:18 remaining in regulation — exemplified Green's late-game poise. Ottawa yields an average of 3.00 goals per game (tied for 11th in the NHL) and thrives in tight contests, converting 50.0 percent of shootout attempts (tied for first) alongside an .833 shootout save percentage (fifth).

Dylan Cozens, Fabian Zetterlund and Jordan Spence Deepen the Supporting Cast

Superstar center Tim Stützle remains the heartbeat of Ottawa's offense, pacing the club across the board with nine goals, 14 assists, and 23 points. Flanking Stützle with stocky forechecker Fabian Zetterlund on the left side and right-shot center/winger Dylan Cozens on the right has given Ottawa a relentless first line that wins board battles and attacks off turnovers. Two-way center Shane Pinto anchors the second unit alongside slick playmaker Drake Batherson and gritty winger Nick Cousins, while ageless veteran Claude Giroux brings elite hockey IQ to a third line featuring Ridly Greig and Michael Amadio.

Depth additions Philip Tomasino, rookie center Stephen Halliday, and physical winger Sammy Blais round out a fourth trio that keeps opposing defensemen looking over their shoulders. On the blue line, cornerstone defenseman Jake Sanderson and steady right-shot stopper Artem Zub handle elite top-pair matchups ahead of smooth-skating second-pair partners Thomas Chabot and Jordan Spence, while Tyler Kleven and Nikolas Matinpalo — backed by young blueliner Carter Yakemchuk — anchor a heavy third pair.

Vezina-Level Crease Numbers Carrying a 31st-Ranked Power Play and 48.4% Shot Share

Ottawa's 11-6 ledger owes an enormous debt to its goaltending and crisp finishing. Before landing on the injury report with a short-term lower-body issue, starter Linus Ullmark posted a jaw-dropping .945 save percentage, lifting Ottawa's overall team save mark to .901 (eighth in the NHL) alongside a 12.1 percent shooting percentage (11th) and 3.11 goals per game (tied for 14th). Those numbers combine for an elevated 102.2 five-on-five PDO, compensating for a 48.4 percent five-on-five shot share where Ottawa generates a modest 25.7 shots per game against 27.4 allowed (-31 shot differential, 21st in the NHL).

Clean work in the faceoff circle at 53.1 percent (seventh in the NHL, 559 draws won ranked sixth) helps Ottawa dictate defensive-zone starts, yet special teams represent both a current drag and massive hidden upside. Ottawa carries an 87.8 percent Special Teams Net Index: despite drawing 68 power-play opportunities — tied for the third-most in the entire NHL — the Senators have converted an anemic 13.2 percent (31st in the league, just nine power-play goals, offset slightly by two shorthanded tallies). Meanwhile, 85 penalties (sixth-most, including an NHL-high 12 interference minors and 16 roughing calls) have taxed a 74.6 percent penalty kill (22nd).

Samuel Ersson Holds the Crease While Ullmark and Three Wingers Recover

Navigating a crowded November infirmary has tested Ottawa's organizational depth. With No. 1 netminder Linus Ullmark currently Out due to a lower-body injury (estimated return November 12), backup goaltender Samuel Ersson has stepped into temporary starting duties ahead of depth recall Jackson Parsons. Keeping games low-event in front of Ersson until Ullmark reclaims the crease — potentially as soon as Thursday night against Colorado — is Green's immediate priority.

Ottawa's wing group has absorbed far longer-term attrition. Dynamic 24-year-old winger William Eklund sits on injured reserve with an ankle injury (eligible January 5, 2027), sidelining him until at least late December or when the calendar flips to 2027. Veteran wingers Andre Burakovsky (injured reserve, lower body, eligible November 27) and Warren Foegele (injured reserve, knee, eligible November 25 after tallying four points and 18 hits across 13 games) are also shelved for multiple weeks alongside depth forward Hayden Hodgson (Out, undisclosed), while Nick Cousins is listed as Questionable day-to-day with an upper-body knock (estimated return November 12).

Unlocking 68 Power-Play Chances Is Ottawa's Ticket to the 2027 Postseason

Hosting the Colorado Avalanche on Thursday night at Canadian Tire Centre will demand far more than 25.7 shots on goal and a 102.2 PDO. Even when Ullmark returns to stabilize the net, relying on .945 goaltending to survive 63 shorthanded situations and minus-31 shot margins is a tightrope walk inside the Atlantic Division.

Fortunately, Ottawa's clearest fix requires zero schematic reinvention at even strength: Stützle, Sanderson, Chabot, Cozens, Batherson, and Giroux possess far too much skill to convert 13.2 percent on 68 power-play looks. Simply lifting that man advantage to a 20 percent clip — while getting Burakovsky and Foegele back later in November ahead of Eklund's 2027 return — would offset inevitable PDO cooling and keep Ottawa firmly entrenched in the 2027 Stanley Cup Playoffs race.