Senators' Ullmark week-to-week with back injury
Ottawa Senators goalie Linus Ullmark is out week-to-week with a back injury, head coach Travis Green announced Sunday, per The Athletic's Julian McKenzie.
Ullmark has already missed the Senators' past four games with the ailment. Ottawa picked up one victory - a 3-1 decision over the Minnesota Wild - but dropped the other three in regulation.
The 2023 Vezina Trophy winner last played Dec. 22 against the Edmonton Oilers. He was pulled after the first period because of back tightness.
Green later announced that Ullmark likely wouldn't travel with the team on its five-game road trip after the holiday break. Ottawa's trip will conclude with Tuesday's clash against the Detroit Red Wings.
The Senators have relied on three goalies in Ullmark's absence, but Leevi Merilainen is the only one who has produced a quality start:
| Opponent | Goalie | SA | GA | xGA | SV% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jets (Dec. 28) | Mads Sogaard | 23 | 4 | 3.96 | .826 |
| Wild (Dec. 29) | Leevi Merilainen | 31 | 1 | 2.58 | .968 |
| Stars (Jan. 2) | Leevi Merilainen | 25 | 4 | 2.62 | .840 |
| Blues (Jan. 3) | Anton Forsberg | 25 | 4 | 2.75 | .840 |
Ullmark had caught fire before getting hurt, winning his past seven contests while sporting a .967 save percentage and 0.99 goals-against average.
Green also announced Sunday that defenseman Travis Hamonic is going to miss two-to-four weeks with a lower-body injury.
The Senators entered Sunday in fifth place in the Atlantic Division with a 19-17-2 record.