Linus Ullmark “wasn’t available.” That’s how Travis Green described his starter sitting out in one of the biggest games of the season and it’s got everyone talking.
The Ottawa Senators are in the middle of a playoff fight with little margin for error…so what happened?
We break it all down; the timing, the reaction, and the reality of where things stand.
Jamie McLennan joins the show to give his perspective on the situation from a goalie’s point of view.
Thanks to our Partners:
🚨 bet365: @bet365: Download the App today. Use code “NATION”. http://www.bet365.ca/
🚨 Shoeless Joe’s: https://shoelessjoes.ca/
🚨 BEI: https://bonnechereexcavating.com
🚨 BEI Homes: https://www.bonnecherehomes.com
🚨 Beyond the Pale Brewing Company: https://btpshop.ca/
_____________________________________________________________________
Watch Coming In Hot with Wallace, York & Nichols
📺 Subscribe on YouTube: @Cominginhotsens
🐦 Follow on Twitter:
@ComingInHotSens @localpodcaster @jasonyork33 @GraemeNichols
👕 Want Coming in Hot Merch? Go to: https://cihsens.shop
#GoSensGo #OttawaSenators #Sens #NHL #NHLPodcast #HockeyTalk #StanleyCupPlayoffs #PlayoffRace #EasternConference #HockeyNight #HockeyFans #HockeyNews #NHLNews #LiveStream #YouTubeLive #ComingInHot #SensNation #HockeyYouTube #SportsTalk #GameDay #NHLHockey #HockeySeason #PlayoffPush #LinusUllmark #NHLGoalies
27 Comments
I couldn't believe the team didnt disguise it better. They basically said yeah….we would have liked him to start but he made himself unavailable. I think they could have easily said that this was a scheduled start for James, we have confidence in James and Linus will be back at it Tuesday. But they didnt and now its a story .
Lesson of the day kids, you can't achieve consistency if you're not available, unless you're consistently unavailable.
And when he missed the game in Philadelphia he did not have the flu
Need to try forgele on stuzle, 's line and move Giroux down…
21:00 bang on Wally!!
Ullmark put too much pressure on himself by asking for 8 million….
26:40 YES NOODLES!!!
Graeme may get his chocolate bar that was promised all season from Nashville if Yorkie is there..
My question is when does it just become an excuse?
The more I listen to Green's comments the more I think he meant exactly what he said. I.would like to play my number one goalie every night, but he needed a rest today, period.
Imagine this was the playoffs? "Yeah sorry i'm not playing" this guy needs to go.
Ullmark didn't play because he smoked the weed a bit too much. Telling you, he is a stoner.
He signed his contract quick. That’s all he wanted. He doesn’t care anymore. The pay should be performance based. Then we would see a difference. He isn’t a team player, a bit of a princess if you ask me.
21:06 at the end of the day these guys are human too and they have lives outside of their jobs too, so emotions do matter.
That loss put the team in a really tough spot. Another regulation loss might be the end of the playoff hopes if the out of town scoreboard keeps being unkind to us.
Loved Jamie noticing Kleven and Spence. They've both stepped up since the Olympic break, but it has been HUGE in the last few games in particular. Spence is playing like the top-4 guy we all hoped he could be when Staios went out and got him and Kleven's decision-making and hockey IQ have taken huge strides over the last two months in particular.
I can't remember if it was against Tampa or the Wings where Kleven got 4 clean PK clears from the bottom left corner in a row on back-to-back entries, but it was hugely noticeable how much he's improved on the PK and with his passing and clearing in general.
Just when i was about to admit i was wrong about Ullmark……lol. What a fucking pop tart that guy is
After Ulmark saying boys change to men , then can back up but can’t start ….. think that’s why it rubs the fans the wrong way and 8 million per year for 50 games
Love the show, but ironically you two (and Noodles) spent as much time talking about the Tampa game as the guys did playing it; 5 minutes of effort then 55 minutes of running the clock out with uncharacteristic and unbecoming play. I get that as a podcast you're only as good as your views but it's say one thing and do another, when it comes to mental health, or respecting the players. You both have statements on your support and have made comment on Ullmark and Hannah's interview, as well as your own personal connections to MH, but it's tough watching y'all struggle with your own incongruencies on this. Y'all didn't even make the joke that Yorkie made himself unavailable for today's cast — or bring up how many show's Cody has solo'd because you guys were unavailable; you're not focused on the sport entertainment because this issue is bringing stuff up for you that you still haven't worked through. As much as I feel for ya, it's tough being there, it still sucks.
And if that feels weird for me to say, to talk about what I think is going on in your head and read into your choices with a bit of an agenda, that's exactly what the show was today — talking about people's motives and speculating with nothing but the most tenuous of connections. There was two games to cover and you ran with "if it bleed it leads." Where's Yorkie laughing at you two saying, "We really going to talk about Travis Green's tone after a loss where his team gave up a two goal lead?" when you need him?
While goaltending has been an easy story piece to plug this season I'm still really frustrated by the lack of goal scoring (finishing) on a team that seemingly dominants all the pretty stats. Jamie was right, had Tkap put the puck in the net, instead of hitting the side of it, I think he ices the game or at least gives his team some breathing room for Tampa's pushback. However, the stats on sens winning games where they only score in one period are shit. They've only won 2 games like that this year, the other 15 they lost. I thought Brady had great backchecking efforts and defensive plays in his previous few games but stayed too high in the defensive zone in Tampa. Bad habits creeping back in. Greig didn't do a handstand twerk again (that would have been a great clip for y'all to pull up) but he also didn't record a shot on goal either. Giroux's goal scoring is non-existent right now and we need him to prove he's still an NHLer, now more than ever. The boys have allowed almost as many shots in their last 3 games (102) as they did in the 6 games prior (114). They didn't play like the defensive team we know and love, and that makes sense as the injuries and extra minutes are catching up, but they are where they are in the standings not just because of goaltending (as other teams in their division have also struggled with bad goaltending this year — Montreal) but because they also don't have a 40 goal scorer on the team. No one is hot right now. Another way to help out your hammered blue line is to give them some goal support and for almost the entire game the forward group didn't do that.
And to round this all off, who the fk cares what Greener thinks about playing guys? He is the LAST person I would talk to about who should be on the ice as he infamously has terrible decision making. This is the guy who thought Highmore should be on the PK. He was giving Hammer more minutes than Sandy during the playoff push last year until he got called out for it. He had Jenny out there on the PK at the beginning of the season with no flipping hip. He was press-boxing an Olympian and if Staios hadn't traded DP he'd send down Halliday and sit Zetty. How are you giving him the time of day — where's the positive finger pointing out that at least Green WANTS to play one of his good players? This is the same guy who said Dermy was good for his lineup… bsffr. He's also the first guy to throw people under the bus, like how many times has he said those defensive deployments I mentioned where all Baumer's decision making instead of being his call as if he wasn't the head coach or something.
Reimer gave up a bad goal but I know my hockey team and the guys didn't give it a full 60 during their playoff push — they have all the pieces but they're not the team of destiny that we think they could be until they start finishing those chances.
I feel for him & whatever struggles he is facing. However, in the end you need a reliable #1 goalie, and he has not been that, time to move on.
Why don't they have glass between the benches. Safer for the press and players.
excellent talk by Noodles
Re. Ullmark taking himself out of a game, the more often this happens the easier for the player to continue with that pattern. At some point, the player needs to face up to their decisions.
Ullmark can be a number one but just not in Ottawa, send him packing please
Biggest issue with Ullmark isn't his performance or his lack of availability.
It's the fact that he's being paid like he's an all-star who plays 60 games a season.
Respectfully,
If you asked to be paid as a #1 goaltender and you're given that contract and you cant live up to it, then terminate his contract.
Take the emotion out of it, this is a job and hes not reliable. Go get the help he needs and I hope he finds peace, but he isnt a starter in the national hockey league.
A starting goaltender has been trade TWICE within the SAME division to THREE DIFFERENT TEAMS…
That has never happened in the history of the NHL, that stat is more reflective of the individual than organizations.