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Line Combinations: Jets vs. Golden Knights

The Winnipeg Jets return home Tuesday, concluding a three-game road trip with a chance to rebound against one of the Western Conference’s toughest opponents, the Vegas Golden Knights. Both teams enter the matchup facing more adversity than expected this season as Winnipeg seeks to end a nine-game losing streak, while Vegas looks to snap a five-game skid of its own.

For the Jets, the stakes are especially high, as they sit at the bottom of the NHL standings and need a win to regain momentum. Meanwhile, the Golden Knights remain firmly in playoff contention with a 17-11-12 record, making this game pivotal as they aim to restore confidence and get back on track in the Pacific Division. With both teams desperate for a reset and returning to home ice, the matchup promises another tight, hard-fought contest between two consistently competitive franchises.

Winnipeg is shaking up its lineup in an effort to jumpstart its season. Head coach Scott Arniel has reunited Kyle Connor, Mark Scheifele, and Alex Iafallo on the top line, hoping their previous chemistry will translate into both offensive output and stronger defensive play. The second line now features breakout winger Gabe Vilardi alongside Cole Perfetti and Jonathan Toews, adding a more reliable two-way presence to balance scoring and defense.

The bottom six also features new combinations, including Morgan Barron skating with Adam Lowry and Nino Niederreiter, and a veteran trio of Tanner Pearson, Gustav Nyquist, and Vladislav Namestnikov aiming to provide secondary scoring. Defensively, the lineup remains mostly intact, with Haydn Fleury a potential return on the bottom pairing.

Vegas will be missing several key players, including Alex Pietrangelo, Shea Theodore, William Karlsson, and starting goalie Adin Hill, though Jack Eichel is back to anchor a potent top six. Goaltending will be critical, with Connor Hellebuyck starting for Winnipeg against Carter Hart, who has been flawless against the Jets in five career starts. Limiting Vegas’s top forwards while generating early pressure on Hart could be the key for Winnipeg to secure a much-needed victory.

Jets Clash With Golden Knights, Both Look to Snap Long SkidsJets Clash With Golden Knights, Both Look to Snap Long SkidsTwo struggling teams, the Jets and Golden Knights, aim to end lengthy losing streaks. One desperately needs a win to escape last place.

The Jets will battle the Golden Knights at 7:00 PM central time from Canada Life Centre on Tuesday. 

Winnipeg Jets Expected Line Combinations for Tuesday, January 6th vs. Vegas:

Connor-Scheifele-Iafallo

Perfetti-Toews-Vilardi

Barron-Lowry-Niederreiter

Pearson-Namestnikov-Nyquist

Morrissey-DeMelo

Samberg-Pionk

Fleury-Schenn

Hellebuyck

Healthy scratches, Koepke, Miller

Suspended: Stanley

Image

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Zegras, Flyers pick up emotion-filled win over Gauthier, Ducks

Zegras, Flyers pick up emotion-filled win over Gauthier, Ducks originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Trevor Zegras had himself a fun night against his old team.

Facing the Ducks for the first time since being traded by them last summer, Zegras buried two goals and led the Flyers to a 5-2 win Tuesday night at an energetic Xfinity Mobile Arena.

“It was a tough ending with my time there,” Zegras said. “I had been thinking about this game for a long time, it was one that meant a lot to me. It was definitely cool to get one and then two, so it was special.”

Zegras was all kinds of fired up after his second goal — this one on the power play — gave the Flyers a 2-1 lead in the first period.

Fans were fired up, too, as they watched the game turn into a pretty dominant win for the Flyers over Cutter Gauthier and Anaheim. The Flyers have outscored the Ducks 11-2 in Gauthier’s two career trips to Philadelphia.

Cam York, Travis Sanheim and Nikita Grebenkin also found the back of the net Tuesday night. Grebenkin’s marker was a game-sealing empty-netter.

The Flyers (22-12-7) opened a four-game homestand in entertaining fashion. Rick Tocchet’s club moved into third place of the Metropolitan Division at the season’s halfway point.

Last season, the Flyers were 17-19-5 at the midway mark.

“We don’t want to be satisfied here,” Sean Couturier said. “We’ve got to keep pushing, take it to another level.”

The Flyers were without Matvei Michkov, who missed the game after taking a puck to his left foot last weekend. The Flyers, though, had good news on the 21-year-old winger in the morning.

The Ducks (21-19-3) were coming off a loss Monday night and have now dropped seven straight (0-6-1).

“It’s funny how these two teams have turned into such big games,” Zegras said. “It’s a tough back-to-back for them, but they’ve got a lot of great players. Hopefully many more good games to come.”

The Flyers face Anaheim again March 18 when they visit Honda Center.

• Zegras definitely had some extra giddyap to him.

His goals came on excellent shots. He’s now at 41 points through 41 games with the Flyers.

“That’s what Trev does, man, those are two good one-timers,” Tocchet said. “[Leon] Draisaitl’s the best in the business [at those], it looked a little Draisaitl-ish there, a couple of them.”

After a promising start to his career with the Ducks, Zegras became a change-of-scenery candidate over his final two seasons there.

“I have no hard feelings with any of the guys on the team,” Zegras said Tuesday morning. “I got to know them and play with them for a big part of my life, so it’ll be cool to play against them.”

The Flyers tried to set up Zegras for a hat trick when Anaheim emptied its net.

“Playing against your old team that kind of shoved you out the door, that third one would have been pretty cool,” the 24-year-old said, “but we got the win, so that’s what matters.”

Gauthier was back in town for the second time since being traded just about two years ago when he declined to sign with the Flyers.

It wasn’t quite as raucous as his first visit last season, but the building was juiced and the former Flyers prospect still heard it from Flyers fans. He elicited more boos after he opened the scoring with a first-period power play goal.

But then Zegras got going.

“The crowd was outstanding,” Tocchet said. “I just remembered the days when I played, that’s a loud building tonight, they were awesome.”

• Bobby Brink and Jamie Drysdale exited with injuries and did not return to the game.

Just 2:38 minutes into the action, Brink was hit hard and somewhat high by Jansen Harkins. The Flyers’ winger had the puck when Harkins connected with him.

Noah Cates ate up some penalty minutes by defending his teammate and dropping the gloves with Harkins.

“Give Catesy a lot of credit,” Tocchet said. “Sticking up for his teammates.”

In the second period, Drysdale was nailed by Ross Johnston. The Flyers’ defenseman was nowhere near the puck. He stayed down before eventually skating off with assistance from head athletic trainer Tommy Alva.

Johnston was assessed a game misconduct.

Garnet Hathaway did a good job countering Anaheim’s play with some physicality of his own.

“Garny laying two huge hits,” York said. “That’s playoff hockey and we feel like we’re a playoff team.”

• Dan Vladar did his job again, making 16 saves on 18 shots.

Both of the Ducks’ goals came on the power play. Anaheim trimmed the Flyers’ lead to 4-2 during the third period, but Tocchet’s club was never really in danger.

Ducks netminder Lukas Dostal stopped 34 of the Flyers’ 38 shots.

More: Flyers to have four players at the Olympics in February

• Christian Dvorak had an assist on Zegras’ first goal a day after signing a five-year, $25.75 million contract extension.

“The fans were just electric all night,” Dvorak said. “It was a lot of fun.”

The Flyers have loved the 29-year-old’s smarts and scoring down the middle. He signed a one-year, $5.4 million contract last summer. Given how badly the Flyers have needed center depth, they had no desire to move on from him come the March trade deadline and didn’t want to lose him for nothing in free agency this offseason.

“He’s a good hockey player that makes us a better team,” general manager Danny Briere said before the game. … “You guys know that there are not a lot of unrestricted free agents available this summer, almost no centermen.

“The options are to let him walk, to trade him or to re-sign him. If you let him walk, you’ve got to find something else. There are almost no centers available, you have to look at a trade and it’s going to cost you assets to do that.”

• The Flyers are back in action Thursday when they host Scott Laughton and the Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET/NBCSP).

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Knicks not flustered by results amid latest losing skid: 'The sky isn't falling'

While a midseason losing streak from a championship contender is by no means indicative of how their season will end, the latest vibes surrounding the Knicks are nevertheless unnerving.

Just hours after Knicks owner James Dolan publicly reaffirmed sky-high expectations, his team stumbled in the national spotlight on Monday, dropping its fourth straight game in an ugly blowout road loss to the first-place Pistons.

The Knicks' woes stretch beyond their current four-game lull. Since their NBA Cup title win over the Spurs on Dec. 16, they've produced an uninspiring 5-6 record and lost four times by double-digits. They've also lacked physicality on both ends of the floor, causing their advanced metrics to slide.

But concerns outside the Knicks' locker room aren't bothering the players. Their leading scorer and catalyst, Jalen Brunson, isn't lifting the lid on some panic button.

"The sky isn't falling. We've lost four in a row," the Knicks' captain said following Tuesday's practice. "Obviously, we don't want to be in a position like that. We've got to be better, be positive. We've got to understand, we didn't start the season great and then we played well after that. It's just a stint we need to get out of."

Brunson, the NBA Cup MVP who earned Eastern Conference Player of the Month honors by averaging 30.6 points and 7.1 assists over 14 games in December, hasn't really missed a beat in the new year. He remains the Knicks' reliable go-to option, only now his challenge is receiving ample support from teammates.

In the midst of shooting slumps from three-point range and lingering injuries to key contributors, the Knicks are searching for a rhythm and swagger they once flaunted. When asked if the NBA's in-season tournament win triggered some sort of hangover, Brunson didn't agree with the label.

"I'm not calling it a hangover, I'm not calling it anything," Brunson said. "It's us not being where we need to be, so where do we go from here?... We just have to be better as a team. I could say it the same way a thousand different times. It's that plain and simple."

The Knicks sorely need Karl-Anthony Towns to deliver more consistent scoring, akin to the numbers posted last season as an All-Star alongside Brunson. The veteran center was ineffective against the Pistons, limited to just six points and responsible for a season-worst six turnovers.

What can't be disputed is Towns' far-from-seamless transition to head coach Mike Brown's system. He's already logged four games this season with single-digit points -- last season, he finished below 10 points only once.

"I lean on my experience, I've unfortunately had to adjust to a lot of head coaches and a lot of new teammates and situations," Towns said on Tuesday. "We've got to do what I've got to do to move forward."

Of course, the Knicks must demand more from Towns. But their most glaring issue over the past few weeks has been defensive vulnerability. In their 11-game stretch since the NBA Cup, they've been outscored by a whopping 5.6 points per 100 possessions.

The eventual return of Josh Hart from injury will be an energy boost, and Mitchell Robinson's brief three-game absence made the Knicks' lineup smaller and weaker in the paint. But toughness is a matter of will, and Towns blames the four-game skid on the defensive efforts.

"You've got to play defense to win games," Towns said. "We can't give up the amount of points we do and not score as much as them."

There was never any doubt of the Knicks' bar being set above another Eastern Conference Finals appearance. Perhaps the combination of welcomed reinforcements and on-court adjustments can rejuvenate a team still positioned to reach greater heights.

The Knicks will try to snap their losing streak at home on Wednesday, against the Clippers, before embarking on a four-game road trip out west.

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Where Warriors star Steph Curry stands in second NBA All-Star fan vote returns

Where Warriors star Steph Curry stands in second NBA All-Star fan vote returns originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

The second round of returns for NBA All-Star fan voting has arrived. 

Warriors star Steph Curry remains in third place in the Western Conference behind Los Angeles Lakers star Luka Dončić and Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokić. 

Curry stands with 1,844,903 votes in the second return. He has earned 813,448 votes since the first fan voting returns on Dec. 23. 

In the first fan voting returns, Curry trailed Jokić by 97,507 votes. The Nuggets star center has slightly extended his lead ahead of Curry to 153,657. 

Curry has extended his lead over Oklahoma City Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the reigning NBA MVP,  to 290,435 votes. 

The 37-year-old Curry, who is averaging 28.7 points in 27 games played this season, seeks his 12th All-Star selection. 

Another Warrior, forward Jimmy Butler, slipped to 19th in the Western Conference in the second returns after receiving the 17th-most votes in the West for the first fan voting returns. 

Fan voting for the 2026 All-Star Game began on Dec. 17 and will conclude on Jan. 14. It will account for 50 percent of the final vote, while current NBA players and a media panel will each account for 25 percent to make up the other half.

This season, All-Stars will be selected without regard to position. The new United States vs. The World format will include 24 players split into three teams, with five players earning honors as starters from the two conferences. 

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Steph Curry lists NBA legends he wants with him at future Hall of Fame induction

Steph Curry lists NBA legends he wants with him at future Hall of Fame induction originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It’s a given that Warriors superstar Steph Curry will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame one day, but who will be on stage with him for the big moment?

During an impromptu interview in Toronto for NBA on NBC, Vince Carter asked Golden State’s prolific point guard which Hall of Fame presenters he wants there for the special occasion. Curry hadn’t thought about it until that moment, he said, but he immediately fired off a short list.

“I mean, you,” Curry told Carter, “Steve Nash, Reggie Miller and Ray [Allen] are the names that I think off the top of my head. …

“Those are my guys, though. It’s crazy to even say out loud.”

Curry, of course, has a special connection and relationship with each of the players he named. He passed Allen for the most career 3-pointers made in NBA history during the 2021-22 season, and he credits Carter, who was Toronto Raptors teammates with his father Dell Curry, for changing the game during the Vinsanity Era.

The Curry-Nash parallels have been prevalent from Day 1, and the Warriors star has credited the former Golden State player development consultant for greatly influencing many parts of his game. Curry has described Miller, another 3-point legend, as his favorite player growing up, and the pair have shared a mutual respect throughout Curry’s iconic career.

It would take ages to dive into each of Curry’s friendships with the four NBA greats, but their impact on him is evident as he nears the halfway point of his 17th season in the league. It isn’t lost on Curry that he’s much closer to where they are, the Hall of Fame, than the start of his career.

“I guess the only thing is being able to embrace the fact that there are less days ahead on the court than there are behind, so I don’t run away from the fact of your mortality in the sense of your basketball mortality,” Curry told Carter. “I know that I don’t have that many years left, but the idea of just honing in on the now, and there’s a sense of urgency at the moment because I still have a lot to prove on the court.

“I don’t want to get too ahead of myself. We’ve got to hold on for as long as we can.”

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Penguins Terminated Defender Signs With New Team

On Jan. 5, the Pittsburgh Penguins placed defenseman Egor Zamula on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination. This was after Zamula was suspended by the team for not reporting to the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins' roster.

Now, after clearing unconditional waivers and becoming an unrestricted free agent (UFA), Zamula has already found his new team. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that they have signed Zamula to a one-year contract for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign. 

Zamula was acquired by the Penguins from the Philadelphia Flyers last week in exchange for forward Philip Tomasino. However, Zamula's time with the Penguins ended before it truly started, and he is now a Blue Jacket with today's news. 

Zamula has the potential to be a nice pickup for the Blue Jackets, as it is clear that they need more experienced defensive depth. Zamula will now give them just that. 

In 168 career NHL games over six seasons, Zamula has posted eight goals, 33 assists, and 41 points. It will now be interesting to see how he builds on these career stats after signing this new one-year deal with the Blue Jackets from here. 

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Former Flyers Defender Signs With Division Rival

Former Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Egor Zamula had his contract terminated by the Pittsburgh Penguins this week. Now, he has already found his new home. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets have announced that they have signed Zamula to a one-year contract for the remainder of the 2025-26 season. 

Seeing Zamula quickly find a new home after having his contract terminated by the Penguins is not too surprising. It was reported that the former Flyers blueliner was generating interest, and he has now gotten a fresh start with the Blue Jackets after landing this new contract.

Zamula will now provide the Blue Jackets with another left-shot defenseman to work with as they look to climb up the Eastern Conference standings. Columbus should also offer Zamula the opportunity to get more consistent playing time at the NHL level. 

In 13 games this season with the Flyers before being traded to the Penguins, Zamula had one assist. He never played in a game for the Penguins before having his contract terminated by Pittsburgh.

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Trae Young Trade Rumors: Destinations, packages, ideas including blockbuster deal to Wizards

After more than seven seasons together, Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks are ready to go their separate ways. It's mutual, with Young’s agents working for the Hawks to find the best trade partner and new home for the three-time All-Star.

The challenge is actually finding a trade that works.

There is not much of a market for Young, league sources have told NBC Sports. On the surface, one would think a lot of teams would be interested in a 27-year-old in his prime who averages 25.2 points and 9.8 assists a game for his career. They are not. Part of the hesitation is that the league is deep with good point guards, and not many teams are looking for one (for example, Young used to be linked to the Spurs, but they now have De'Aaron Fox and Dylan Harper). For the teams that need someone at the point, the challenges are Young's well-chronicled defensive shortcomings, his ball-dominant style and how that impacts team chemistry, and how those two items combine to put a ceiling on how good a team can be with Young. Add in the fact he makes a lot of money — $45.9 million this season, a $48.9 million player option for next season, and he is eligible for and wants a contract extension — and teams looking at tax aprons are hesitant. At best.

Which teams are interested? Who should be? Here are three teams to watch.

Washington Wizards

Washington is the clear frontrunner for a Young trade, with NBA insider Marc Stein first reporting their interest. The Wizards have a promising young core: Second-year center Alex Sarr is a defensive force who can shoot 3s and is the kind of big a lot of teams are trying to find; plus there is scoring on the wings with Tre Johnson and Kyshawn George, and the two-way potential of Bilal Coulibaly. Add Young to this group and suddenly the long-moribund Wizards — who have made the playoffs once in the last seven years and that will become eight this season — have an entertaining team with potential.

There are legitimate concerns that a trade could short-circuit the player development underway in Washington, but if owner Ted Leonsis just wants to get back into the postseason quickly, this is a path to it.

The Trade: Washington receives Trae Young; Atlanta receives C.J. McCollum, Corey Kispert and some picks.

McCollum is in this deal to make the money work, he has an expiring $30.6 million contract. That said, he is averaging 18.6 points per game this season, is a veteran leader, and could be a boost for the remainder of the season in Atlanta.

Kispert is a rock-solid rotation wing shooting 39.5% from beyond the arc this season — which is why the Hawks won't want to give him up and instead will push for something like the combination of Malaki Branham and AJ Johnson in the deal. That could be a sticking point.

The draft picks get interesting — there are front offices around the league that feel Atlanta should have to send picks out with Young to get a team to take on that contract. The Hawks do not see it that way. Washington should not give up its own pick this year or anything of real value, but it does control Oklahoma City's 2026 pick (technically, they get the worst of the Thunder, Rockets and Clippers, which will be OKC). That will very likely be the 30th pick, so the Wizards can throw it in and the Hawks can say they got a first-round pick. That's the most valuable pick the Wizards should give up, other than just a second-rounder or two.

Minnesota Timberwolves

And we're already into trades that I don't like and/or don't make much sense.

The argument for Minnesota to trade for Young is that they need shooting and a point guard, since Father Time quickly caught up with Mike Conley. The idea is that the team needs a boost if it is going to take a step forward from making the Western Conference Finals (as it has done the past two seasons), and Young could be that boost. Anthony Edwards, next to Young, has the potential to be explosive offensively, and with Rudy Gobert in the paint, they can cover up Young's defensive shortcomings.

The problem is how much money Young makes and how much Minnesota has to give up in any trade.

The Trade: Minnesota receives Trae Young; Atlanta receives Naz Reid, Donte DiVincenzo, Mike Conley and a player on a minimum contract.

What has made Minnesota so dangerous the past few years is its depth and versatility, and this four-for-one trade sacrifices it. Minnesota is a good 23-13 this season, and while that is still sixth in the West the Timberwolves are a game out of the top four and hosting a round in the playoffs, and 2.5 games out of being the No. 2 seed. This is not a team in need of a dramatic shakeup of roster and style, and that's what Young brings to the table.

While this trade can be manipulated to bring in a third team and maybe send out Julius Randle instead, the issue comes back to the reality that it's hard to see how any of these trades would make Minnesota better. This is not a deal they should be involved in.

Milwaukee Bucks

Milwaukee is buying, not selling, heading into the trade deadline — it wants to enhance a team that believes it can still be a threat in a wide-open East and in doing so impress Giannis Antetokounmpo. The Bucks need more talent — more shot creation and shooting around Antetokounmpo — and Young is the biggest name on the board. Sure, the Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard pairing didn't work, but the Bucks can try to convince themselves that this would be different, no matter how much they have to give up.

For Atlanta, they could get help along the front line and maybe a future first-round pick… is that enough?

The Trade: Milwaukee receives Trae Young; Atlanta receives Bobby Portis, Kyle Kuzma, another player (Gary Harris?), Milwaukee's 2031 first-round pick.

That pick becomes a big inflection point: would the Bucks give it up? I'm not sure why Atlanta would want to do this deal and take on the added years of Portis and Kuzma unless that pick was in the mix. If I'm the Bucks is Young really enough to give up the one first-round pick I can still trade?

Portis would help the front line in Atlanta and Kuzma can fit in the rotation. For Milwaukee, already a very thin team, this would hurt its depth even more. Can Young alone fix the issue of the non-Antetokounmpo minutes?

This feels more like a trade born of desperation and is not a great deal for either side, but are both teams desperate enough to do it anyway?

Other Teams mentioned

Here are quick thoughts on other teams that come up in rumors:

• LA Clippers: The idea is that Young would help the team in the non-James Harden minutes, except that Kawhi Leonard is healthy and doing that much better than Young would already. Plus, the Clippers are focused on a 2027 pivot and wouldn't want to extend Young.

• Toronto Raptors: Is Young really a fit with a team that is winning thanks to its defense and depth? The trade likely would require RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley plus a first-round pick or two going to Atlanta, and it's hard to see why Toronto thinks this makes them better (taking the ball out of Brandon Ingram's hands).

• Sacramento Kings: Let's put aside the fact that this trade does not make much sense for either side (when has that stopped Sacramento in the past), instead focusing on the fact that Sam Amick at The Athletic has already reported the Kings have zero interest in such a trade. That's smart by the Kings.

• Dallas Mavericks: Multiple reports out of Dallas say there is no interest in the team trading for Young. There will be no swap of problems with Anthony Davis.

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Blue Jackets Sign Russian Defenseman Egor Zamula

Per Elliotte Friedman, the Blue Jackets have signed defenseman Egor Zamula after he cleared waivers recently. 

The undrafted Zamula has played 168 NHL games and has 41 points for the Philadelphia Flyers. 

“Egor is a mobile defenseman with good size who sees the ice well and can move the puck very efficiently. We are excited to have him join our hockey club,” said Don Waddell in a press release.  

He will sign a one-year deal, per his Agent, Dan Milstein. It will be a prorated 1-million-dollar deal. 

Milstein released the following statement just a few minutes ago, prior to the news of his signing. 

Up Next: The Blue Jackets travel to San Jose to take on the upstart Sharks on Tuesday.   

Stay updated with the most interesting Blue Jackets stories, analysis, breaking news, and more!

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The Ottawa Senators Need A Goalie

Stop me if you've heard this one before… the Ottawa Senators need a goalie.

This is a conversation that nobody expected to have at the beginning of the season. Just last year, the Senators ended an 8-year playoff drought on the back of some of the best goaltending in the NHL.

Linus Ullmark, Anton Forsberg and Leevi Meriläinen combined for 10 shutouts, tying the Winnipeg Jets and Hart trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck for the most in the league.

The Senators were also tied for the 7th-best team save percentage (.902) last season. 

Leading up to 2025-26, goaltending was last on the list of concerns, despite a shaky performance from Ullmark in the playoffs against the Toronto Maple Leafs (which probably deserved a bit more attention, in hindsight).

But those days feel like ancient history, because there is, once again, a massive question mark in Ottawa’s crease.

After game number 41, the exact halfway point of the NHL season, the Senators are dead last in the league in team save percentage with a .871. After 41 games in 2024-25, they were 14th.

The issue has been amplified since Ullmark took personal leave on December 29th, leaving Meriläinen with the starter’s job in the middle of an underwhelming second NHL season.

But the Senators’ star netminder is having a terrible year. 

According to NHL.com, 32 goalies have started more than 20 games, and Ullmark’s .881 save percentage (28GP) ranks 31st. Meriläinen has been worse, if you can imagine. He has 44 goals against and a .869 save percentage in 14 GP.

Last season, Ullmark had a .910 save percentage, and Meriläinen had a .925. They were excellent. 

Not only have they taken a step back from last year, but they have each been borderline unplayable. 

Their play is costing the Senators too many points in the standings for management to be complacent and preach patience. Team President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Steve Staios recently held a mid-season media availability and backed the team’s goaltending depth.

But behind the scenes, panic has to be setting in. The Senators are a pretty good team, even elite in several crucial categories, yet their goaltending is making them mediocre, at best.

Ullmark is now away from the team indefinitely on personal leave in the middle of a career-worst season, and Meriläinen is so far removed from the rookie who burst onto the scene last season that the Senators must find a solution in the crease to salvage their playoff hopes.

30-year-old Hunter Shepard did not inspire confidence during his relief appearance for Meriläinen in Monday night’s loss to Detroit.

Maybe it is Mads Søgaard, who was called up on Tuesday for the short road trip to Utah and Colorado. He appeared in just 2 NHL games last season - allowing 8 goals on 40 shots. 

Injury troubles derailed his season last year, and this year’s 2-8-3 record for the Belleville Senators is unflattering (despite a .887 save percentage). Still, the Dane is an intriguing prospect. In 2023-24, he went 18-9-3 with a .916 save percentage for Belleville. 

But if the 25-year-old is just more of the same at the NHL level, Staios needs to do something before the Senators waste a magnificent season from some of their top players.

Here are some meat and potatoes team statistics during Tim Stützle’s active 13-game point streak:

Last 13 Games Played (league rank)

  • 7-5-1 (16th)
  • 25.4 shots against per game (5th)
  • 31.5 shots per game (4th)
  • Team save percentage .873 (27th)

On the back of remarkable play from Stützle and Jake Sanderson, the Senators have been able to stay afloat in the extremely competitive Eastern Conference. They are within striking distance of a wildcard spot, just four points back, but so are six other teams in front of them (including the Leafs and Florida Panthers, two teams that finished above the Senators last season).

To separate themselves from the logjam, the goalies simply have to be better. All they need to do is be a bit closer to league average, and the Senators should have no problem making the playoffs again.

Whether it’s Ullmark, Meriläinen, Søgaard or a new acquisition, the Senators desperately need someone to take the bull by the horns in the second half.

They need a goalie.

Jack Richardson is a writer for The Hockey News covering the Ottawa Senators. He has a background in local news, working as a video journalist for CTV. He also co-hosts the Locked on Senators postgame show. Follow Jack on Twitter and Instagram @jackrichrdson.

Read more Ottawa Senators news and features at The Hockey News:

Senators Outshoot Wings But Fall 5-3 To Red Wings on Monday Night
Sens Leadership Shares Thoughts on Passing of Former OHL Commissioner David Branch
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