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Senators’ Merilainen Shuts Down Wild in 3-1 Victory

Despite facing a depleted Ottawa Senators roster that featured their fourth-string goaltender, the Minnesota Wild struggled to capitalize on home ice, falling 3-1 on Sunday at Xcel Energy Center. The loss marked Minnesota’s fifth defeat in their last seven games and highlighted their ongoing offensive struggles without star forward Kirill Kaprizov, sidelined by a lingering lower-body injury.

Rookie goaltender Leevi Merilainen, in only his second career start, proved a formidable barrier, stopping 30 shots to secure his second NHL victory. Merilainen received key support from the Senators’ defense, with Jake Sanderson and veteran Claude Giroux contributing critical plays to seal the victory.

“We weren’t the smarter team tonight, and ultimately that’s probably why we lost,” said Wild head coach John Hynes.

The game’s momentum shifted in the second period when Ottawa’s Ridly Greig tied the score 1-1 after capitalizing on a carom off the end boards. Later, Josh Norris broke the deadlock in the third period with a power-play goal, firing a one-timer from a Sanderson feed. Giroux’s empty-net goal in the final minute sealed the victory for the Senators.

Minnesota initially took the lead in the first period when Frederick Gaudreau deflected a Declan Chisholm shot past Merilainen, marking Gaudreau’s 50th career goal. The Wild defense continued to play a prominent role, with Marcus Foligno and Yakov Trenin assisting on the tally. However, Minnesota’s inability to convert on key power-play opportunities proved costly, extending their scoreless streak with the man advantage to 0-for-13 over five games.

“One of those, two of those go in, it’s a different game,” said forward Mats Zuccarello, who hit the post on one power-play attempt. “But at the end of the day, it’s not good enough when you lose.”

The defeat overshadowed the return of Joel Eriksson Ek, who played his first game since sustaining a knee injury on Dec. 3. Despite Eriksson Ek’s presence, the Wild offense failed to find consistency, falling short in a contest inflated by Giroux’s late empty-net goal.

For Ottawa, the victory showcased resilience despite missing their top goaltenders. Merilainen credited his team’s defensive effort, saying, “The guys kept the shots to the outside for the most part, and I feel like we had the game in our hands pretty much the whole time.”

Minnesota will look to regroup as they continue to navigate injuries and offensive challenges, while Ottawa celebrates a morale-boosting win in the face of adversity.