VANCOUVER — Senators goalie Leevi Merilainen was to get his first start of the season and third of his NHL career when Ottawa visited the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.
“I’m actually excited for him. Excited see him in the net,” head coach Travis Green said after morning skate. “He’s gonna give us a great game.”
Merilainen replaces star goalie Linus Ullmark, who had backstopped the Sens (17-13-2) to five straight wins.
Ullmark boasts a 12-7-2 record with a 2.37 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage and three shutouts this season.
“He’s had a heavy workload. Got back-to-back games (last week),” Green said.
Merilainen was recalled Dec. 15 from the American Hockey League’s Bellville Senators a day after Ottawa backup Anton Forsberg was injured during a pre-game skate before facing the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Merilainen, 22, was 7-2-3 with Bellville with a 2.43 goals-against average and .901 save percentage this season.
The six-foot-three, 186-pound Finnish netminder’s last NHL start was April 6, 2023, in a 7-2 loss to the Florida Panthers.
Green said his team won’t change how it plays in front of the young goalie.
“We’ve talked a lot about checking our play away from the puck, playing fast,” the coach said. “But because Leevi (is) in net, that doesn’t change at all.”
