Forsberg was left to carry the Senators the rest of the game with Utah pressing, trying to salvage a lost period. The Swedish netminder shut the door. In a game in which the Senators scored four goals, and at a time when many fans were already worried about their team’s goaltending, Forsberg was their best player.

So naturally, when Leevi Merilainen was recalled from Belleville ahead of yesterday's game, and it was announced Ullmark would be held out of the lineup for an extra few days, it elicited a ton of concern and understandably so. That is what enduring years of misfortune and poor performance will do to a fan base.

It was a team effort as the Ottawa Senators beat the Utah Hockey Club 4-0 in the teams’ first meeting in franchise history.