According to TSN Ottawa, Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (back) will not serve as the backup on Thursday evening when the Senators face the Capitals. The team expressed optimism that Ullmark could return during their current homestand but will need at least another day to recover.

Ullmark's next chance to suit up will be at home against Minnesota on Saturday.

One thing to watch: It’s been an awakening for The Great 8, 39-year-old Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin, who has 22 goals in 34 games (he scored 31 all of last season). With 875 career goals, he’s now just 19 behind the NHL all-time record set by Wayne Gretzky.

Ullmark has been out of Ottawa's lineup since Dec. 22 when he left a game after one period of play in Edmonton with back tightness. It sounded precautionary at the time but turned out to be reasonably serious. This is Ullmark's second stint on the injury list. He missed a couple of weeks of action back in mid-October.

Back ailments are always tricky but Ullmark has been closing in on return for nearly two weeks and accompanied the Senators on their three-game road trip last week to continue working with goalie coach Justin Peters.

In today’s Ottawa Senators News & Rumours report, I’ll take a look at two of the Senators top goalies. One is current, and the other is from the past.

Poised to return soon

Keep updated on all the injury news and roster updates from around the NHL with daily Ice Chips. Goaltender Linus Ullmark was a full participant at this morning's skate and taking first team repetitions as he continues to work his way back from a back injury.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark has been sidelined for over a month with a back injury. He left a game against the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 22 and has been out of action ever since.

After missing almost a month of action with a back injury, goalie Linus Ullmark looks like he'll be ready to return to the lineup soon. At that point, with Anton Forsberg and Leevi Merilainen, the Senators will have three available goalies. This just in: there isn't room on the bench for two backup goalies.

Head coach Travis Green says that Jensen won't play because of an undisclosed injury, while Travis Hamonic will make his return.

The Senators scored in the knick of time to pick up a 5-4 victory over Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals in front of a sellout crowd of 18,792 on Thursday night at the Canadian Tire Centre. Thomas Chabot scored in alone with 3:14 left in overtime to secure a big two points in the Eastern Conference playoff race for the Senators.