GAMEDAY: With three straight wins, Ottawa Senators host Minnesota Wild

Published Feb 01, 2025 • Last updated Feb 01, 2025 • 2 minute read

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury acknowledges the crowd following his shutout win against the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadian PressMinnesota (31-17-4) at Ottawa (27-20-4)Saturday, 7 p.m., Canadian Tire Centre

TV: SN1 Radio: TSN 1200

Odds: Ottawa -122 Minnesota -102

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WILD RIDE FOR FLEURYIt was an emotional scene Thursday in Montreal. Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who played what will likely be his final game in Montreal, shut out the Canadiens 4-0.

After the game, Canadiens players waited to congratulate Fleury, who’s from Sorel-Tracy and grew up a Habs fan, for what has been a Hall-of-Fame NHL career.

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Fleury has now recorded at least one shutout in 21 different seasons, passing Terry Sawchuk and tying Martin Brodeur for the highest total in NHL history. Fleury also became the first goaltender in league history to record a shutout as a teenager and at 40 years or older.

It’s highly unlikely the 40-year-old Fleury will get the start against Ottawa on Saturday. The Wild will probably go with former Senator Filip Gustavsson, who has 20 wins with a 2.56 goals-against average this season.

NO RETURN OF ULLMARKIt was the million-dollar question: Will Linus Ullmark return, finally, for Saturday’s game?

The answer: No.

He has been fully practising, but the Senators will go with Leevi Merilainen against the Wild. It seems likely Ullmark will go with the Senators on a road trip which begins Monday in Nashville.

Ullmark has missed 16 games, but was steaming-hot before the injury, with an 8-0-1 record in his previous nine appearances (1.43 goals-against average and a .960 save percentage).

The Senators have now won three straight games and are 7-2-1 in their past 10.

IT’S SHORTIE SEASONArticle content

While the Senators are just 18th-best in the NHL on the penalty kill (78.4% efficiency), they’re moving up the list in shorthanded goals.

With two shorties over a span of 38 seconds in the second period of Thursday’s 5-4 overtime win over Washington (Josh Norris on a penalty shot and Shane Pinto), Ottawa now has seven on the season — fourth-best in the NHL.

The Florida Panthers lead the NHL with 11 shorthanded goals and Sam Reinhart has five of those.

Pinto, Norris and Ridly Greig each have two shorthanded goals for Ottawa.

ROSTERSOTTAWAForwardsTkachuk/Stutzle/Giroux

Perron/Norris/Batherson

Greig/Pinto/Amadio

Highmore/Ostapachuk/Gaudette

DefencemenSanderson/Zub

Chabot/Hamonic

Kleven/Matinpalo

GoaltendersMerilainen/Forsberg

MINNESOTAForwardsBoldy/Eriksson Ek/Zuccarello

Foligno/Rossi/Hartman

Ohgren/Gaudreau/Trenin

Shore/Khusnutdinov/Lauko

DefencemenMiddleton/Faber

Chisholm/Spurgeon

Merrill/Bogosian

GoaltendersGustavsson/Fleury

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Will Linus Ullmark return to the Ottawa Senators lineup on Saturday night?

INJURIESOttawa: F Nick Cousins (knee, out for 6-8 weeks) D Jacob Bernard-Docker (high-ankle sprain, six weeks); F Noah Gregor (lower body, out for a lengthy period); D Nick Jensen (unspecified injury, day to day).

Minnesota: F Kirill Kaprizov (lower body, week to week), F Marcus Johansson (upper body, IR), D Jonas Brodin (lower body, long-term IR).

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