Ottawa goaltender Linus Ullmark is unlikely to join the team on a five-game road trip due to a tweaked back suffered before the holiday break, head coach Travis Green announced Friday.

The Ottawa Senators's playoff push will face a critical test as they head out on a five-game road trip without their top two goaltenders.

Goaltender Linus Ullmark didn’t make the trip to Winnipeg because of a back injury and Anton Forsberg will miss his fifth straight game with that “minor” ailment that occurred while he was preparing to face the Pittsburgh Penguins two weeks ago.

The Ottawa Senators are dealing with a sudden goaltending crisis after losing star netminder Linus Ullmark to a prolonged back injury. Ullmark, who has been key to the Senators’ recent resurgence, left last Saturday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers after experiencing back tightness in the first period.

After sustaining an off-ice injury in pregame warm-up, Ottawa Senators netminder Anton Forsberg will be out of action Saturday versus the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Senators will now resume game action without the former Vezina Trophy-winning goalie. The team kicks off their end of the year schedule with a five-game road trip that begins