3 key Ottawa Senators takeaways: Ullmark continues to falter, defensive woes pile, and more from 4-3 S/O loss to Anaheim Ducks

The up-and-down season for the Ottawa Senators continued on Sunday night, as they dropped a 4-3 shootout loss to the rebuilding Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center in Anaheim, California.

The Ducks found the scoresheet first in the rematch of the 2007 Stanley Cup Final courtesy of Frank Vatrano's fifth goal of the season. Ottawa responded minutes later on the power play, as captain Brady Tkachuk scored his 12th goal of the campaign.

Anaheim delivered late-period drama as Jackson LaCombe scored with just six seconds remaining in the first, allowing the Ducks to head into the locker room leading by a goal.

Just 37 seconds after the opening faceoff of the second period, Tkachuk notched his second goal of the game, tying the score once again.

Vatrano matched Tkachuk’s feat, scoring his second of the night early in the third period, only to have Nick Cousins tie the score for Ottawa just over a minute later.

Neither team could find the back of the net in overtime, leading to a shootout. Troy Terry and Trevor Zegras scored for the Ducks, while Lukas Dostal turned aside the attempts from Tim Stutzle and Josh Norris to seal the win.

3 Major Takeaways from Ottawa Senators' 4-3 S/O loss to Anaheim Ducks

#1. Tim Stutzle continues to be a bright spot

Selected third in the 2020 NHL draft, Stutzle continues to be a cornerstone of the Ottawa Senators' rebuilding efforts.

While his tenure has yet to result in a playoff appearance, his contributions are undeniable. With an assist on Tkachuk's goal, Stutzle reached 30 points for the season, the highest total of any NHL player aged 23 or younger.

#2. The defense continues to falter

Ottawa's defensive play hasn't been the team's hallmark in recent years, and their lack of attention to detail was on full display during LaCombe's late first-period go-ahead goal:

#3. Linus Ullmark falls short of expectations

The Senators felt strongly enough about Ullmark after they acquired him from the Boston Bruins to sign him to a multi-year contract extension, making him one of the higher-paid goalies in the NHL.

And while over half of the season remains in front of him, Ullmark's numbers have been underwhelming. Following Sunday's loss, he holds a 5-7-1 record with a 3.09 goals-against average and a .886 save percentage.

The Ottawa Senators will need him to improve those numbers to justify his contract.