Senators Lose Linus Ullmark to Injured Reserve After Lower-Body Injury in Panthers Win

The Ottawa Senators' hot start just hit a serious snag. The team placed starting goaltender Linus Ullmark on injured reserve Thursday with a lower-body injury, halting the red-hot run of one of the NHL's best early-season netminders.

The injury happened in the third period of Wednesday's 5-1 win over the Florida Panthers — the same game in which Ottawa fans jeered former captain Brady Tkachuk in his first return since the June trade. Ullmark stopped 17 of 18 shots before exiting and was replaced by backup Samuel Ersson. Ullmark, 33, has been brilliant to open the season with a 7-1-0 record, a .945 save percentage and a 1.33 goals-against average.

Ersson is now expected to carry the crease as Ottawa's primary goaltender. The 27-year-old has struggled this season at 0-2 with a .831 save percentage and a 4.70 goals-against average across four games. The Senators recalled Jonas Johansson from AHL Belleville to serve as backup; Johansson was acquired in a September trade with the Tampa Bay Lightning. Ottawa has won seven of ten to open the season and sits among the East's early surprises — but with its top netminder sidelined, the depth behind him gets tested immediately, starting with the second half of a back-to-back Thursday night against San Jose.