Ottawa goalie Linus Ullmark is expected to return when the Senators host the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night.
Ullmark, who has missed the past eight games with a lower-body injury, practiced Monday, and the Senators returned goalie Jonas Johansson to Belleville of the American Hockey League.
With a 7-1-0 record, .945 save percentage, and 1.33 goals-against average, Ullmark was a major contributor to Ottawa’s impressive start to the season. The Senators have gone 4-3-1 without him.
The Senators have been better lately while winning three of their last four games as they continue a three-game homestand following a 4-2 win over the Utah Mammoth on Saturday. The Capitals open a brief two-game road trip after a 4-3 victory Saturday over the Florida Panthers.
Ullmark is 7-6-2 with a 2.74 goals-against average and .900 save percentage in 15 career games against the Capitals.
Ottawa center Ridly Greig, who has missed the past two games with a lower-body injury, is also expected to return.
Against the Mammoth, Nick Cousins broke a 2-2 tie for the Senators with 2:18 remaining. Shane Pinto and Michael Amadio each had a goal and an assist. Fabian Zetterlund also scored, and Samuel Ersson made 30 saves.
“I thought in ways it was our best win of the year,” Senators coach Travis Green said. “What I mean by that … is we found a way to win a game that we didn’t play our best, and that’s always a good sign when you do that.”
Pierre-Luc Dubois and Aliaksei Protas each had a goal and an assist in the Capitals’ victory Saturday. Alex Tuch and Jack St. Ivany also scored, and Logan Thompson made 27 saves.
“A big, good, skilled veteran team,” Green said of the Capitals. “Built to win. Built to win now. It’s going to be a good challenge.”
After playing 11 of their last 13 games at home, the Capitals now embark on a pair of road games. After going 8-5-0 on the just-completed stretch, they follow the visit to Ottawa with another to New Jersey on Thursday.
“Obviously, kind of a weirder schedule with everything at home so far,” Capitals center Dylan Strome said after Monday’s practice. “And you know, road wins are obviously tougher to get than home wins, and they feel a little better too. So, hopefully we can pick up a couple here.”
Perhaps a change in scenery will benefit captain Alex Ovechkin, who has gone 10 games without a goal and needs one assist to tie Nicklas Backstrom (762) for the franchise record. He has three assists on the season.
“The last four or five games he’s been really good,” Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. “I know they haven’t ended up in the back of the net. … He’s been around it and he’s doing some good things with his line.”
The Capitals learned Sunday that forward Tom Wilson will be available. Wilson did not receive supplemental discipline after his game-misconduct penalty Saturday for boarding Florida’s Sandis Vilmanis.
Thompson is 6-1-1 with a 2.36 goals-against average and .929 save percentage in eight games versus the Senators.
The Senators took two of the three meetings last season. Drake Batherson had two goals and an assist and Ottawa won the first meeting 7-1. Zetterlund scored the game-winner for the Senators late in the third period of a 4-3 victory on New Year’s Day and Washington salvaged the finale as Thompson made 34 saves in a 4-1 win on March 18.
