LEEVI MERILAINEN NEWS

Steals shootout win Merilainen turned aside 23 shots in regulation and overtime and all three shootout attempts he faced in Saturday's 6-5 win over the Bruins.

Impact The Senators out-shot the visitors 44-28, but Merilainen allowed a career-high five goals and needed some late heroics from Josh Norris at the end of the third period just to force OT. The 22-year-old netminder redeemed himself in extra time however, denying Charlie Coyle, David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha in the shootout to secure the victory. Merilainen's time in the NHL could be coming to an end for now with Linus Ullmark (back) close to coming off IR, but he's firmly established himself as Ottawa's goalie of the future with his recent performances. Through nine NHL appearances this season, Merilainen has gone 6-2-1 with a 2.20 GAA and .917 save percentage, and with Anton Forsberg a free agent next offseason, it's possible the team will ship the veteran out and keep Merilainen around instead.

1 DAY AGO • ROTOWIRE

Slated to face Boston Merilainen is expected to start at home against Boston on Saturday, according to TSN 1200 Ottawa.

Impact 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.

2 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Merilainen quickly making name for himself in Senators net | NHL.com Rookie goalie's 'real calm demeanor' key to 2 shutouts in past 4 starts

3 DAYS AGO • NHL.COM

WSH@OTT: Ovechkin scores goal against Leevi Merilainen | Washington Capitals Alex Ovechkin (WSH) scores goal against Leevi Merilainen (OTT) to make it 0 - 0

3 DAYS AGO • NHL.COM

Saddled with overtime loss Merilainen turned aside 27 of 28 shots faced during Thursday's 1-0 home loss to the Capitals.

Impact 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.

3 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Between pipes against Caps Merilainen will tend the twine for Thursday's home matchup with Washington, Graeme Nichols of The Hockey News reports.

Impact Merilainen will make his fourth consecutive start after posting an impressive 3-0-0 record, 0.67 GAA and two shutouts in his previous three tilts. With the 22-year-old backstop going Thursday, the team could decide to give Anton Forsberg the first game of a back-to-back against the Bruins on Saturday while saving Merilainen to face New Jersey on Sunday. Either way, Merilainen should continue to see plenty of starts moving forward given his strong level of play.

4 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Blanks Isles for second shutout Merilainen made 24 saves in Tuesday's 2-0 win over the Islanders.

Impact All of a sudden, the 22-year-old rookie might be the hottest goalie in the NHL. Merilainen has started three straight games and won all three, with two of those outings producing his first two career shutouts. In seven outings since he was called up in mid-December, he's gone 5-2-0 with a 1.98 GAA and .925 save percentage, and the Senators appear willing to give him a shot at taking the No. 1 job away from Anton Forsberg. There's no timeline yet for Linus Ullmark (back) to make his return from IR, but the Sens could have a dilemma on their hands when he does -- or an opportunity to trade one of their veteran netminders -- if Merilainen is still surging.

5 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Leevi Merilainen, Senators secure shutout win vs. Islanders Leevi Merilainen authored his second shutout in three starts Tuesday night, recording 24 saves to lead the visiting Ottawa Senators to a 2-0...

5 DAYS AGO • KANSASCITY.COM

Merilainen and Gaudette lead Senators to 2-0 win against Islanders

Leevi Merilainen made 24 saves for his second shutout in three games and the Ottawa Senators beat the New York Islanders 2-0

5 DAYS AGO • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Drawing road start Merilainen will defend the road cage Tuesday versus the Islanders, according to TSN 1200 Ottawa.

Impact 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.

6 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE

Wins again Sunday Merilainen stopped 24 of 26 shots in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Stars.

Impact Merilainen started both halves of a back-to-back this weekend and won both games. It's telling that the Senators trusted a 22-year-old goalie, making just his eighth career appearance, more than Anton Forsberg despite the crowded part of the schedule. Merilainen has delivered when called upon this season, going 4-2-0 with a 2.34 GAA and a .913 save percentage while often facing moderately tough opponents. This was also his first home outing in 2024-25. The Senators have not revealed their goaltending plans for Tuesday's road game versus the Islanders at this time.

JANUARY 13 • ROTOWIRE

Merilainen comes up big in Senators' crease, again OTTAWA - At 186 pounds, Leevi Merilainen may not be the most physically imposing goalie, but his recent composure and poise have provided th...

JANUARY 13 • THESTAR.COM

Merilainen impresses in home debut, Senators edge Stars 3-2 OTTAWA - One day after posting his first career shutout, Leevi Merilainen made 24 saves to lead the Ottawa Senators to a 3-2 win over the Da...

JANUARY 13 • THESTAR.COM

Merilainen makes 24 saves, Senators end Stars' winning streak at 7 with 3-2 victory

Leevi Merilainen made 24 saves in his Ottawa home debut and the Senators ended the Dallas Stars’ seven-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory Sunday night

JANUARY 13 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Starting again Sunday Merilainen will patrol the home crease versus Dallas on Sunday, per TSN 1200 Ottawa.

Impact Merilainen will play again after posting a 29-save shutout win against Pittsburgh on Saturday. He has a 3-2-0 record with a 2.42 GAA and a .911 save percentage across five NHL outings this season. Dallas ranks 10th in the league with 3.22 goals per game in 2024-25.

JANUARY 12 • ROTOWIRE

Collects first career shutout Merilainen made 29 saves in Saturday's 5-0 win over the Penguins.

Impact Ottawa scored three times in the first period, so the only real suspense in the game came from whether Merilainen would be able to secure his first NHL shutout. The 22-year-old has played well overall since making his season debut in late December, going 3-2-0 in five outings with a 2.42 GAA and .911 save percentage, and with Linus Ullmark (back) still lacking a timeline for his return, Merilainen should continue splitting the workload in the crease with Anton Forsberg for the Sens.

JANUARY 12 • ROTOWIRE

Starting in Pittsburgh Merilainen will guard the road goal versus the Penguins on Saturday, according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia.

Impact Merilainen has allowed 11 goals on 95 shots en route to a 2-2-0 record in four NHL appearances this season. He surrendered four goals on 25 shots to Dallas on Jan. 2 in a 4-2 loss during his last outing. Pittsburgh ranks 14th in the league with 3.07 goals per game in 2024-25.

JANUARY 11 • ROTOWIRE

No help from his teammates Merilainen made 21 saves in a 4-2 loss to Dallas on Thursday.

Impact It was a tough night for Merilainen, who had won both of his starts so far this season. But his mates mustered just 13 shots on Jake Oettinger at the other end of the ice, and no goalie can win with that little effort from his teammates. Anton Forsberg, who hadn't dressed for six games due to a lower-body injury, returned as his backup and will likely get the team's next start.

JANUARY 3 • ROTOWIRE

Starting against Dallas Merilainen will tend the twine for Thursday's road game against Dallas, TSN 1200 Ottawa reports.

Impact Merilainen has been inconsistent over his last few appearances, going 2-1-0 with a 2.68 GAA and .900 save percentage across his last three outings. Although he'll draw the start for the third time in the Senators' last five games, head coach Travis Green said that Anton Forsberg (lower body) will dress as the backup for Thursday's matchup, so Merilainen's opportunities will likely decrease soon.

JANUARY 2 • ROTOWIRE

Solid showing vs. Minnesota Merilainen stopped 30 of 31 shots in Sunday's 3-1 win over Minnesota.

Impact The 22-year-old netminder has made three appearances this season and has posted a solid 2-1-0 record while giving up two of fewer goals in two of those outings. His save percentage isn't very high since he posted a figure below the .860 mark in his first two outings, though, so there's not enough evidence to assess what he might bring to the table. However, this was certainly an improved effort compared to his previous two outings.

DECEMBER 30, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Expected to start Sunday Merilainen is set to start on the road against Minnesota on Sunday, per TSN 1200 Ottawa.

Impact Merilainen stopped 12 of 14 shots in 36:39 of ice time last Sunday and was charged for the loss in the 3-1 defeat to Edmonton. He also has turned aside 21 of 25 shots in a 5-4 overtime victory over Vancouver this campaign. The Wild have an impressive 22-10-4 record, though they are middling in terms of goals per game, tying for 20th with 2.94.

DECEMBER 30, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Recalled Friday Merilainen was called up from AHL Belleville on Friday.

Impact Merilainen has started the last two games as Linus Ullmark (back) and Anton Forsberg (undisclosed) have both been out of action. Merilainen is 1-1-0 this season, allowing six goals on 39 shots. He could get another start in Winnipeg on Saturday if Ullmark and Forsberg are both unable to go.

DECEMBER 27, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Sent to AHL Merilainen was loaned to AHL Belleville on Monday.

Impact Merilainen entered Sunday's game against the Oilers at the start of the second period after Linus Ullmark (upper body) exited the matchup. Merilainen took the loss in the relief appearance and will head to the minors ahead of the NHL's Christmas break, which could signal that Ullmark or Anton Forsberg (undisclosed) could return to action following the layoff.

DECEMBER 23, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Takes loss in relief appearance Merilainen stopped 12 of 14 shots in relief of Linus Ullmark (upper body) in Sunday's 3-1 loss to the Oilers.

Impact The Senators tied the game at 1-1 early in the second period, but Merilainen gave up goals to Zach Hyman and Adam Henrique en route to taking the loss in his relief appearance. With due respect to the 22-year-old Merilainen, Ullmark's injury has put the Senators' goaltending depth in a worst-case scenario -- Anton Forsberg (undisclosed) is also out, and the team is on its longest road trip of the season. Merilianen has given up six goals on 39 shots across his two appearances. If both Ullmark and Forsberg are unavailable when the Senators' schedule resumes Saturday in Winnipeg, Merilainen would temporarily take over as the No. 1 goalie, and Mads Sogaard would likely rise to the NHL to fill the backup role.

DECEMBER 23, 2024 • ROTOWIRE

Wins in overtime Merilainen allowed four goals on 25 shots in Saturday's 5-4 overtime win over the Canucks.

Impact Merilainen allowed the Canucks to bounce back from three deficits but still came away with the win when Jake Sanderson scored 13 seconds into the extra session. This was Merilainen's first NHL appearance since the 2022-23 season, and he earned his first career win. The 22-year-old has been backing up the red-hot Linus Ullmark since Anton Forsberg (undisclosed) went down with an injury last weekend. Don't expect Merilainen to get many starts, though he could make an appearance when the Senators resume their schedule and road trip with games in Winnipeg next Saturday and Minnesota next Sunday.

DECEMBER 22, 2024 • ROTOWIRE