Leevi Meriläinen in high spirits – Two wins in a row

Leevi Meriläinen saved his second consecutive victory when the Ottawa Senators beat the Dallas Stars 3–2.

Leevi Meriläinen is in high spirits. Marc DesRosiers, EPA / AOP

The Ottawa Senators’ Finnish goalkeeper Leevi Meriläinen saved the second win in a row, when the Dallas Stars lost 3–2 in Ottawa. Meriläinen, who made 24 saves, was chosen as the number one star of the match. The goalkeeper’s save percentage was 92.3.

In the opening set of the match, Stars forward Jason Robertson scored the first goal after four and a half minutes. Finnish striker Roope Hintz collected an assist from the goal.

In the second set, the home team’s Josh Norris and Tim Stützle were responsible for scoring. In the third period, Matthew Highmore scored his first goal in a Senators jersey. In the end, Yevgeni Dadonov narrowed the match down to 3–2, but Dallas’ final effort was not enough to level the match.

Meriläinen, who started his season in the AHL, has conceded only two goals in his two consecutive matches. The 22-year-old Kärppäkasvatti saved his first clean sheet in his NHL career the night before.

– It almost felt better than yesterday’s (victory). It was fun to play at home and get a win here, Meriläinen commented after the match.

Meriläinen’s door opened to the bright lights of the NHL when Senators goalie Linus Ullmark was injured last December. Meriläinen has played a total of six games in the NHL this season, four of which have ended in victory. AHL club Belleville Senators has accumulated 13 matches (7-2-4).

Meriläinen was chosen as the number one star of the match. Marc DesRosiers, EPA / AOP

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