Former Senator Alex DeBrincat scored 36 seconds into overtime as the Detroit Red Wings edged the Ottawa Senators Sunday in Detroit.
Earning two points in a pair of back-to-back weekend OT losses may have been the just result in the end for the Senators after suffering a late letdown Saturday at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens. The Senators led 5-3 with 4:24 remaining, only to settle for a single point. The team trailed 2-0 early, but dominated the Canadiens throughout, outshooting them 34-19 while recording 74 shot attempts to 49 against. The Canadiens were held to a paltry five shots on goal at even strength midway through the period before finishing the night with 12.
Sunday, the Senators started well, leading 2-0 after in the opening 5:05 on goals by Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens. But the Red Wings were in control the majority of the game as to be expected for a rested team in a game with less than a 24-hour turnaround for the opposition Senators. Ottawa was limited 13 shots after the first period with Detroit almost doubling the Senators with 25 of their own.
If the two games showed one thing, they cemented the Senators’ biggest concern this season: goaltending.
Merilainen Conundrum
While the Senators can be criticized for defensive zone lapses in the final four minutes Saturday, Leevi Merilainen needed to make some stops. The netminder allowed six goals on 19 Canadiens shots. His .860 Save Percentage ranks only better than Philadelphia Flyers Samuel Ersson’s .858 for any goalie playing 19 or more games this season.
To the 23-year-old’s defense, making his 11th consecutive appearance in the midst of a condensed schedule, the youngster may have just run out of gas.
Last season with Linus Ullmark out due to injury, Merilainen posted a lofty 8-3-1 record, posting a minuscule 1.99 Goals Against Average, .925 Sv Pct, including three shutouts.
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Fast forward to the 2025-26 campaign, Merilainen was slated to be Ullmark’s backup after Anton Forsberg signed with the Los Angeles Kings via free agency. Fairly or unfairly, after those 12 2023-24 outings, the Finn was provided a virtually unchallenged opportunity to fulfill his fresh role, that is, until the recent addition of veteran backstop James Reimer.
But to this juncture, the decision, combined with Ullmark’s average numbers this season to date, hasn’t gone as planned.
Jake Sanderson, coming off the second four-point game of his career, aired his frustration during his postgame availability after Saturday’s loss.
“I think Leevi made some good saves, but I think at the end of the day, got to make more than 10 saves to win a game.“
A poignant comment from the generally mild-mannered Sanderson, which was followed up by Travis Green.
“It’s hard to give him (Merilainen) a pass, six goals on 18 shots, and I’m sure he’d like to have one or two back. I feel bad for him,” said the Senators head coach.
Brady Tkachuk laid the blame on the team as a whole.
“I think as a group, we need to do a better job in those moments, helping Leevi out, you know, box out, where you can see the puck and you just gotta do a job and this is why it’s a team sport, everybody’s got a part in it…I think he made some great saves at the right times, and it’s easy to criticize, but like I just said, it’s not about an individual in the sport, it’s about the whole team and we had to do a better job helping in front of him. He’s going to have an amazing, long career ahead of him. He’s an unbelievable goalie and unbelievable person. And like I said, the message is, it’s not just one person win or lose a game, it’s a whole team,” explained the Senators captain.
Reimer Responds
Heading into the second game of a back-to-back after a stunning defeat, the Senators needed a solid performance from James Reimer, and they got it.
At 37-years-old, the second-oldest goalie to make his Senators debut, stopped 30 of 34 Red Wings shots in securing a point in a weekend which could’ve been a total loss.
Answer below for the oldest goaltender to make his debut for the Senators.
If it wasn’t for Reimer’s pad save off Elmer Soderblom’s redirect with eight-plus minutes remaining in regulation, Ottawa would’ve likely come up empty.
Making an appearance in his 16th NHL season, the Senators’ former nemesis while playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs may become the steadying influence the club requires in the crease, especially with the prospect of Ullmark expectant return from his leave of absence in the coming days.
Ullmark is traveling and practising with the team.
For Reimer, on Sunday, he was just happy to be awarded another chance to play in the NHL.
“I mean, it’s fun to play. I mean, this is the greatest game on Earth, right? And so it was good to be back in there. I thought I felt good. Felt like I was getting to my reads and seeing the puck pretty well. Obviously, the result isn’t what we want. But yeah, I thought my game was decent today, and it was a good building block.”
The Senators head to Columbus to face the Blue Jackets on Tuesday in the second game of their three-game road trip.
The answer to which goalie was the oldest to make their debut with the Ottawa Senators?
Dominik Hasek, age 40, on October 5, 2005, in a 3-2 shootout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs.
