The Ottawa Senators' season looked to be in danger of spiralling, but rookie goalie Leevi Merilainen has given them a new lease on life, says Adam Proteau.

Chychrun returned to Ottawa this week as the top-scoring defenceman on the top team in the NHL and reflected on his time with the Senators.

OTTAWA -- Alex Ovechkin scored his 874th NHL goal at 3:07 of overtime, giving the Washington Capitals a 1-0 win against the Ottawa Senators at Canadian Tire Centre on Thursday.

The 39-year-old winger took a pass from Rasmus Sandin on a 2-on-1 breakaway and fired it past rookie Leevi Merilainen, the record 179th goaltender he's scored on.

This affiliate content is not influenced by our advertising relationships, but AP and Data Skrive might earn commissions from our partners’ links in this content.

Merilainen, who played for Allen of the ECHL and Belleville of the American Hockey League in 2023-24 and began this season as the Senators' fourth-string goaltender, is the second goalie in Ottawa history, joining Andrew Hammond, to record multiple shutout wins in his first 10 NHL games.

Alex Ovechkin scored with 1:53 left in overtime to give the Washington Capitals a 1-0 victory over the Ottawa Senators.

Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin has scored goals against more unique goalies than any player in NHL history, passing Jaromir Jagr.

Will a Canadian NHL team finally win the Stanley Cup this year? The Edmonton Oilers and Toronto Maple Leafs are the best bet.

Kicking off a busy end-of-January stretch for both teams, the Ottawa Senators host the Boston Bruins in a key Saturday afternoon clash of clubs on the Eastern Conference playoff bubble.

Filling in for injured defenseman Thomas Chabot, Donovan Sebrango played more like a veteran instead of a young, nervous rookie making his NHL debut for the Ottawa Senators Thursday.