Leevi Merilainen News: Takes advantage of easy matchup

Merilainen stopped 18 of 22 shots in Wednesday's 8-4 win over the Rangers.

The Senators took care of business early, which made Merilainen's poor third period (three goals against) a non-issue. He's won his last two starts, but he has allowed five goals on 42 shots in that span. The 23-year-old is at an 8-10-0 record with a 3.37 GAA and an .868 save percentage over 19 appearances. Merilainen's time as the Senators' primary starter should be nearing a close, as James Reimer is now with the team and Linus Ullmark (personal) should be approaching his return. It's unclear if the Senators will keep Merilainen on the roster for a weekend back-to-back with games at home versus the Canadiens on Saturday and in Detroit on Sunday.