Linus Ullmark Shuts Out the Islanders 3-0 and the Senators Are One Win Away From the Playoffs

The Ottawa Senators just punched their ticket to clinch a playoff spot with one more win, and they did it the hard way: by absolutely suffocating the New York Islanders on Saturday afternoon in Elmont. Linus Ullmark stopped all 23 shots he faced. All of them. That's a shutout, and it's the kind of performance that keeps a team's season alive when things get tight.

The Senators Built This One the Old-Fashioned Way

Ridly Greig scored a short-handed goal in the first period, which is exactly the kind of momentum-killer that deflates a home team. Jake Sanderson added a power-play goal in the third to put this thing away, and Michael Amadio salted it down with an empty-netter late in the period. Final: 3-0 Senators. Clean. Decisive. Over.

This was Ottawa's fourth straight win. They're now 43-27-10 with 96 points, tied atop the wild-card standings with the Boston Bruins. Here's the kicker: if the New Jersey Devils beat the Detroit Red Wings later on Saturday, the Senators clinch a playoff berth for the second consecutive season. They're one New Jersey victory away from the job being done.

The Islanders Are Running Out of Time

The Islanders entered Saturday needing to catch the Philadelphia Flyers for the third and final playoff spot in the Metro. New York sits at 43-32-5 with 91 points, one point behind Philly. They're 1-1-0 under Peter DeBoer and have lost five of their last six games overall. That's not a trajectory that gets you into the playoffs.

Saturday was brutal. Ilya Sorokin made 13 saves but got no help from the skaters. The Islanders went 0-for-5 on the power play, including that disaster in the first period when Greig stripped the puck and set up the short-handed goal that started the bleeding. A 5-on-3 power play in the third led to Sanderson's goal after Dylan Cozens' shot glanced off Sorokin and Sanderson buried the rebound. When you can't score on five man-advantage chances, you don't deserve to win.

What's Next

The Senators are one result away from playoff clinch. The Islanders still have a path: outlast Philly for that third Metro spot. But with five losses in six games? Time is running out fast in Elmont.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.