Merilainen stopped 14 of 16 shots before being pulled in Tuesday's 5-0 loss to the Rangers.

EDGE Analysis

Merilainen allowed two goals on 16 shots before he was replaced by Anton Forsberg at the 4:59 mark of the second period. This was Merilainen's first loss in regulation since Jan. 2, when he gave up four goals in a 4-2 loss to the Stars. The 22-year-old netminder has been relatively effective as the Senators' No. 1 goaltender in recent weeks. He's gone 4-2-1 with a 2.17 GAA and a .920 save percentage across seven appearances in January, although it's worth noting that he owns the starting role since Linus Ullmark remains sidelined with a back injury.

Merilainen will defend the road cage Tuesday versus the Rangers, according to TSN 1200 Ottawa.

EDGE Analysis

Merilainen had his worst outing of the season Saturday, conceding five goals on 28 shots, but he still came out with a win in a high-scoring affair against Boston. The Finnish netminder has only lost twice in regulation through nine outings in 2024-25, turning in two shutouts over those appearances. The Rangers are coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to Montreal on Sunday.

Merilainen turned aside 23 shots in regulation and overtime and all three shootout attempts he faced in Saturday's 6-5 win over the Bruins.

EDGE Analysis

The Senators out-shot the visitors 44-28, but Merilainen allowed a career-high five goals and needed some late heroics from Josh Norris at the end of the third period just to force OT. The 22-year-old netminder redeemed himself in the shootout, denying Charlie Coyle, David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha to secure the victory. Merilainen's time in the NHL could be coming to an end for now with Linus Ullmark (back) close to coming off IR, but the Finn's firmly established as Ottawa's goalie of the future after his recent performances. Through nine NHL appearances this season, Merilainen has gone 6-2-1 with a 2.20 GAA and .917 save percentage. Anton Forsberg is a free agent next offseason, so it's possible the team will ship the veteran out and keep Merilainen around instead.

Merilainen is expected to start at home against Boston on Saturday, according to TSN 1200 Ottawa.

EDGE Analysis

It will be Merilainen's fifth straight start, and it's not hard to see why Ottawa keeps going back to him. He's posted a 3-0-1 record, 0.74 GAA and .971 save percentage over that stretch, which gives him a 5-2-1 record with a 1.84 GAA and a .930 save percentage in eight outings this season. If Merilainen keeps playing like this, he might stick with the NHL squad even after Linus Ullmark (back) returns. The Bruins rank 26th in goals per game with 2.65.

Merilainen turned aside 27 of 28 shots faced during Thursday's 1-0 home loss to the Capitals.

EDGE Analysis

Merilainen stood tall against the vaunted Capitals before surrendering Alex Ovechkin's 874th career goal in overtime. The 22-year-old Finn looks to have edged out Anton Forsberg as the replacement for Linus Ullmark (back) while the latter is on the injured list, so fantasy managers should consider adding Merilainen if he's still available.

Merilainen will tend the twine for Thursday's home matchup with Washington, Graeme Nichols of The Hockey News reports.

EDGE Analysis

Merilainen will make his fourth consecutive start after posting an impressive 3-0-0 record, 0.67 GAA and two shutouts in his previous three tilts. With the 22-year-old backstop going Thursday, the team could decide to give Anton Forsberg the first game of a back-to-back against the Bruins on Saturday while saving Merilainen to face New Jersey on Sunday. Either way, Merilainen should continue to see plenty of starts moving forward given his strong level of play.

Merilainen made 24 saves in Tuesday's 2-0 win over the Islanders.

EDGE Analysis

All of a sudden, the 22-year-old rookie might be the hottest goalie in the NHL. Merilainen has started three straight games and won all three, with two of those outings producing his first two career shutouts. In seven outings since he was called up in mid-December, he's gone 5-2-0 with a 1.98 GAA and .925 save percentage, and the Senators appear willing to give him a shot at taking the No. 1 job away from Anton Forsberg. There's no timeline yet for Linus Ullmark (back) to make his return from IR, but the Sens could have a dilemma on their hands when he does -- or an opportunity to trade one of their veteran netminders -- if Merilainen is still surging.

Merilainen will defend the road cage Tuesday versus the Islanders, according to TSN 1200 Ottawa.

EDGE Analysis

After conceding four goals in a loss to Dallas in his first start in January, Merilainen has won back-to-back games, including a 29-save shutout over Pittsburgh on Saturday. The Islanders are tied for 26th in the league with 2.67 goals per game, but they've played better recently, having gone 3-0-0 on their most recent road trip.

Merilainen stopped 24 of 26 shots in Sunday's 3-2 win over the Stars.

EDGE Analysis

Merilainen started both halves of a back-to-back this weekend and won both games. It's telling that the Senators trusted a 22-year-old goalie, making just his eighth career appearance, more than Anton Forsberg despite the crowded part of the schedule. Merilainen has delivered when called upon this season, going 4-2-0 with a 2.34 GAA and a .913 save percentage while often facing moderately tough opponents. This was also his first home outing in 2024-25. The Senators have not revealed their goaltending plans for Tuesday's road game versus the Islanders at this time.

Merilainen will patrol the home crease versus Dallas on Sunday, per TSN 1200 Ottawa.

EDGE Analysis

Merilainen will play again after posting a 29-save shutout win against Pittsburgh on Saturday. He has a 3-2-0 record with a 2.42 GAA and a .911 save percentage across five NHL outings this season. Dallas ranks 10th in the league with 3.22 goals per game in 2024-25.