Leevi Merilainen didn’t get much time to settle in before the Vancouver Canucks handed him a real test, and he made the most of it.
The 24-year-old goaltender, claimed off waivers from the Ottawa Senators late last month, earned his first start in a Canucks sweater Saturday and turned aside 23 shots in a 4-1 win over the Calgary Flames. For Merilainen, it was a chance to show why Vancouver brought him in - and for his teammates and coach Manny Malhotra, it was a night that left a strong impression.
“It felt good to get the win,” said Merilainen. “It was sort of weird playing for the first time for a long time.”
His biggest moment came late in the second period, with Vancouver still trailing 1-0. Calgary broke in on a 3-on-1, and Merilainen shut down Flames defenceman Zayne Parekh to keep the game within reach. Malhotra said that stop mattered as much as anything else he did.
“He did a fantastic job,” said Malhotra. “He looked really poised and calm in net. When a goalie plays calm like that, it bleeds into the play of the 5-on-5 in front of him.
“He made some huge stops. That (3-on-1) could change the momentum of the game. He did a fantastic job coming in for his first game and make the stops he needed to make.”
Vancouver did the rest from there, scoring four times in the third period to grab its second win of the season and improve to 2-1-0. Liam Ohgren marked his 100th NHL game with a goal and an assist, setting up Elias Pettersson’s winner.
Drew O’Connor also scored, and Aatu Raty added an empty-netter. Tom Willander and Linus Karlsson each finished with two assists.
Calgary got its lone goal from Matt Coronato on the power play, while Devin Cooley stopped 23 shots in the loss. The Flames fell to 0-2-0.
Merilainen’s path to Vancouver has been a quick one, but not a quiet one. Ottawa selected him in the third round, 71st overall, in 2020, and after four years in that organization, he suddenly found himself on the move across the country.
“When it happened it was a little weird,” Merilainen said about moving across the country. “Being like four years with one organization, and all of a sudden you come over here and have a fresh start. For sure it’s exciting.
“It’s a new opportunity, knowing it’s a team that wants me here.”
His brief appearance in Vancouver’s 9-7 loss to Edmonton on Thursday night gave him a little runway before Saturday’s start. He came on midway through the second period and allowed one goal on 11 shots, enough to get his feet under him and build toward the bigger assignment.
“I was pretty confident,” he said. “The Oilers game went OK, and I had a good summer.”
The Senators had plenty of reason to move on, too, with other goaltenders in the system making Merilainen the odd man out. Ottawa’s loss has become Vancouver’s gain, at least so far.
Saturday’s game also had a bit of bite to it. Calgary forward Adam Klapa fought Canuck defenceman Luke Schenn less than three minutes into the first period, and later Elias Pettersson delivered a heavy hit on Parekh that helped spring O’Connor’s third-period goal.
For Merilainen, that kind of game is exactly the kind he enjoys.
“I love that,” Merilainen said. “I love a physical game. It’s more entertaining for me to watch.”
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Flames Loss In Vancouver Exposed A Familiar Problem Again
Vancouvers win over Calgary had the kind of hard-edged, scrappy feel that tends to reveal a teams habits as much as it rewards them. The Canucks leaned into a physical, patchy game and got important work from Leevi Merilinen in goal, where his calm, effective presence helped steady things when the pace got choppy. Schenn and others brought the sort of straight-ahead physicality that can tilt a matchup like this, especially when both sides are grinding for every loose puck.
Still, the game also looked familiar in one area the Canucks would probably rather not revisit. Even with the result going their way, the power play struggled badly throughout the night, and it remained the one part of the performance that did not match the rest of the effort. For a team trying to build on wins like this, the frustration is that the margin for error gets thinner when a familiar weakness keeps showing up in the same moments. [Read more 🡒]
Elias Pettersson Looked Like A Difference-Maker Again In Canucks Win
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Behind him, the night also brought a milestone in goal, with Leevi Merilinen earning his first win in Vancouver after stopping 23 shots. Luke Schenn added the kind of physical presence and leadership the Canucks often lean on in divisional games, helping set the tone in a matchup that had plenty of edge from the opening shift. [Read more 🡒]
Senators Blue-Line Trouble Just Made This Trade Rumor More Interesting
The early-season picture around the Vancouver Canucks has only made one of the leagues lingering trade ideas feel a little more complicated. Elias Pettersson has gotten off to a strong start and given the organization something to think about at a time when every conversation about the roster seems to come with a bigger strategic question attached, especially with the Canucks trying to sort out where they stand in the longer view.
Ottawas injury situation on the blue line adds another layer to the chatter. With Artem Zub and Jake Sanderson both out, the Senators have a real need on defense and could be pushed toward exploring the market, which is why a name like Simon Edvinsson is suddenly worth watching after reports that contract talks with Detroit have stalled and he would rather be moved than sign a new deal. For Vancouver, it is one more reminder that the trade board around the league is starting to shift in ways that could eventually spill over into their own decisions. [Read more 🡒]