Senators' Leevi Merilainen: Stuck with third straight loss
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Merilainen stopped 23 of 26 shots in Thursday's 4-2 loss to the Rangers, with New York's final tally getting scored into an empty net.
Merilainen has seen his workload pick up of late, as he's started three of the last six games for the Sens. The results haven't been there -- the 23-year-old has lost all three of those starts, giving up nine goals on 79 shots (3.13 GAA and .886 save percentage) during the skid, but those numbers are actually an improvement on his 3.36 GAA and .876 save percentage for the season. Ottawa seems intent on making sure Linus Ullmark doesn't get overworked, but Merilainen isn't inspiring much confidence when he does find himself in the crease.
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Senators' Leevi Merilainen: Slated to start Thursday
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Merilainen was the first goaltender off the ice at morning practice, per TSN 1200 Ottawa, and is expected to start at home versus the Rangers on Thursday.
Merilainen is 3-3-0 with a 3.40 GAA and an .874 save percentage in six starts this season. The Rangers are 27th in scoring this season, scoring 2.64 goals per game, but they have been much stronger on the road, scoring 54 goals in 16 contests, tied with Dallas for the NHL lead.
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Senators' Leevi Merilainen: Fades late in St. Louis
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Merilainen made 27 saves in Friday's 4-3 loss to the Blues.
Ottawa took a 2-1 lead into the third period, but Merilainen couldn't make it stick as a Jordan Kyrou tally early in the final frame launched the home side toward a victory. Merilainen has lost two straight starts on the heels of a three-start win streak, leveling his record at 3-3-0 on the season with a 3.40 GAA and an .874 save percentage.
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Senators' Leevi Merilainen: In goal versus Kings
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Merilainen will get the starting nod on the road versus Los Angeles on Monday, Senators on-air host Jackson Starr reports.
Merilainen is riding a three-game winning streak, during which he has allowed just seven goals on 80 shots for a .912 save pecentage. While his run of wins is impressive, it has come over the course of about four weeks, which means he still won't provide much fantasy value. The Senators don't have any upcoming back-to-backs, so it could be a while before Merilainen gets the net again.
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Senators' Leevi Merilainen: Beaten three times Thursday
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Merilainen stopped 18 of 21 shots in Thursday's 5-3 win over the Bruins.
Merilainen posted an .857 save percentage, and while that was a step in the wrong direction compared to his recent two outings, it was enough to earn the win thanks to the support provided by the offense. Merilainen has won each of his last three starts, going 3-0-0 with a 2.33 GAA and a .912 save percentage over that span.
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Senators' Leevi Merilainen: Recalled from AHL
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Merilainen was called up from AHL Belleville on Thursday.
Merilainen was sent down Sunday and picked up the start in goal Wednesday, turning aside 26 shots in a 6-2 win over Laval. Merilainen was outstanding last season in limited action for Ottawa, posting an 8-3-1 record with three shutouts, a 1.99 GAA and a .925 save percentage across 12 appearances. Merilainen got off to a horrible start this season, giving up seven goals on 26 shots in his lone start, prompting the Senators to banish him to the minors for one contest. Ottawa sent Mads Sogaard to Belleville in a corresponding move.
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Senators' Leevi Merilainen: Loaned back to AHL
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Merilainen has been loaned back to AHL Belleville, the Senators announced Sunday.
Merilainen has been the number two goaltender this season behind Linus Ullmark, but the one start he got didn't go so well; he allowed seven goals to a previously struggling Sabres offense in an 8-4 loss. As a result, the 23-year-old is being subbed out for Mads Sogaard from the AHL, where Merilainen is headed in order to regain confidence and get more consistent playing time.
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Senators' Leevi Merilainen: Trampled by Buffalo
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Merilainen stopped 19 of 26 shots in Wednesday's 8-4 loss to the Sabres. Buffalo's final goal was scored into an empty net.
The Senators actually held a brief 2-1 lead early in the second period, but Merilainen couldn't hold back the tide as the Sabres finished the night with three power-play goals, plus a shorthanded tally. It was a rough season debut for the 23-year-old netminder, but Ottawa is counting on Merilainen to show that his impressive 2024-25 numbers (1.99 GAA, .925 save percentage in 12 appearances) were no fluke as he handles No. 2 duties behind Linus Ullmark.
Merilainen will defend the road crease during Thursday's preseason game against the Blues, TSN 1200 Ottawa reports.
Merilainen is slated to play the full game in what will likely be his final tune-up ahead of the regular season. Once the 2025-26 campaign begins, Merilainen is expected to serve as Linus Ullmark's backup.
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Senators' Leevi Merilainen: Facing Canadiens
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Merilainen will patrol the home crease against Montreal on Tuesday.
The 23-year-old netminder posted a record of 8-3-1 with three shutouts, a 1.99 GAA and a .925 save percentage in 12 regular-season appearances with Ottawa in 2024-25. Merilainen will enter the 2025-26 campaign as Linus Ullmark's backup.
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Senators' Leevi Merilainen: Tending twine Tuesday
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Merilainen will defend the road cage versus the Leafs in Tuesday's preseason matchup, TSN 1200 Ottawa reports.
Merilainen is expected to face a fairly heavy NHL lineup from Toronto on Tuesday. While Linus Ullmark is cemented as the No. 1 in Ottawa this year, the 23-year-old Merilainen should be able to secure the backup job and play in upward of 30 regular-season games. In his 12 outings last season, the Finn posted an impressive 8-3-1 record to go with a 1.99 GAA and three shutouts.
Merilainen signed a one-year, $1.05 million contract with Ottawa on Monday.
Merilainen posted a record of 8-3-1 with three shutouts, a 1.99 GAA and a .925 save percentage in 12 regular-season appearances with Ottawa in 2024-25. With Anton Forsberg poised to test the open market as an unrestricted free agent, Merilainen could begin the 2025-26 campaign as Linus Ullmark's backup.
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Senators' Leevi Merilainen: Summoned from minors
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Merilainen was recalled from AHL Belleville on Saturday.
Merilainen will be the Senators' third goaltender in the playoffs, behind Linus Ullmark and Anton Forsberg. Merilainen was outstanding when called upon by Ottawa, going 8-3-1 with three shutouts, a 1.99 GAA and a .925 save percentage across 12 NHL appearances during the 2024-25 regular season.
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Senators' Leevi Merilainen: Easy work for third shutout
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Merilainen posted a 16-save shutout in Saturday's 6-0 win over the Wild.
The Senators kept traffic away from Merilainen, outshooting the Wild 52-16 in the contest. This was Merilainen's third career shutout, all of which have come this season. The 22-year-old has won six of his last eight outings, and he's allowed more than two goals in just one of those contests. Overall, the Finn is 8-3-1 with a 1.99 GAA and a .925 save percentage over 12 games. Linus Ullmark (back) is close to a return, but Merilainen has outplayed Anton Forsberg -- it's unclear who the Senators will tab to take on the backup role once Ullmark is healthy.
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Senators' Leevi Merilainen: Facing Wild
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Merilainen will patrol the home crease versus Minnesota on Saturday, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports.
Merilainen was outstanding Sunday, stopping 34 of 35 shots in a 3-1 win over Utah. The victory gave Merilainen a 7-3-1 record to go with a 2.19 GAA and a .921 save percentage. The Wild are averaging 2.94 goals per game, 16th in the NHL.
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Senators' Leevi Merilainen: Strong display in win
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Merilainen stopped 34 of 35 shots in Sunday's 3-1 win over Utah.
Merilainen allowed a second-period goal to Clayton Keller, one of the hottest players in the NHL over the last two weeks, but he was excellent the rest of the way. The 22-year-old has won five of his last seven starts, going 5-1-1 with a 1.69 GAA and a .940 save percentage over that span. He's expected to remain the top option between the pipes for Ottawa as long as Linus Ullmark (back) remains out.
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Senators' Leevi Merilainen: Between pipes Tuesday
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Merilainen will defend the road cage Tuesday versus the Rangers, according to TSN 1200 Ottawa.
Merilainen had his worst outing of the season Saturday, conceding five goals on 28 shots, but he still came out with a win in a high-scoring affair against Boston. The Finnish netminder has only lost twice in regulation through nine outings in 2024-25, turning in two shutouts over those appearances. The Rangers are coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to Montreal on Sunday.
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Senators' Leevi Merilainen: Slated to face Boston
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Merilainen is expected to start at home against Boston on Saturday, according to TSN 1200 Ottawa.
It will be Merilainen's fifth straight start, and it's not hard to see why Ottawa keeps going back to him. He's posted a 3-0-1 record, 0.74 GAA and .971 save percentage over that stretch, which gives him a 5-2-1 record with a 1.84 GAA and a .930 save percentage in eight outings this season. If Merilainen keeps playing like this, he might stick with the NHL squad even after Linus Ullmark (back) returns. The Bruins rank 26th in goals per game with 2.65.
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Senators' Leevi Merilainen: Saddled with overtime loss
Rotowire
Merilainen turned aside 27 of 28 shots faced during Thursday's 1-0 home loss to the Capitals.
Merilainen stood tall against the vaunted Capitals before surrendering Alex Ovechkin's 874th career goal in overtime. The 22-year-old Finn looks to have edged out Anton Forsberg as the replacement for Linus Ullmark (back) while the latter is on the injured list, so fantasy managers should consider adding Merilainen if he's still available.
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Senators' Leevi Merilainen: Drawing road start
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Merilainen will defend the road cage Tuesday versus the Islanders, according to TSN 1200 Ottawa.
After conceding four goals in a loss to Dallas in his first start in January, Merilainen has won back-to-back games, including a 29-save shutout over Pittsburgh on Saturday. The Islanders are tied for 26th in the league with 2.67 goals per game, but they've played better recently, having gone 3-0-0 on their most recent road trip.
