Leevi Merilainen seizes first Canucks start and backstops comeback over Flames

Leevi Merilainen made an immediate impression in his first start for the Vancouver Canucks, stopping 23 shots in a 4-1 road victory over the Calgary Flames on Saturday. The 24-year-old Finnish goaltender, picked up off waivers from the Ottawa Senators late last month, helped Vancouver improve to 2-1-0 while Calgary slipped to 0-2-0.

Momentum-changing save anchors poised debut

Merilainen’s most important moment came late in the second period with Vancouver trailing 1-0. Facing a three-on-one rush, he denied Flames defenceman Zayne Parekh with a key stop that preserved the one-goal deficit and set the stage for a third-period rally. Head coach Manny Malhotra praised his netminder’s composure, saying Merilainen did “a fantastic job” in his first start with the team.

The Flames had opened the scoring on a power play earlier in the game, when Matt Coronato converted to give Calgary the lead. From there, Merilainen shut the door while his teammates searched for offence. In the final frame, the Canucks finally broke through with four unanswered goals to complete the comeback and secure their second win of the young season.

Ohgren’s milestone night fuels third-period surge

Liam Ohgren highlighted his 100th NHL appearance with a multi-point performance. He scored once and later set up the game-winning goal by defenceman Elias Pettersson, who pushed Vancouver ahead for good. Drew O’Connor also found the back of the net, and Aatu Raty added an empty-netter to cap the scoring. Defenceman Tom Willander and centre Linus Karlsson chipped in with two assists apiece.

The game carried a physical edge from the outset. Less than three minutes in, Flames forward Adam Klapa dropped the gloves with Canucks defenceman Luke Schenn. In the third period, a heavy hit by Elias Pettersson on Parekh forced a turnover that led directly to O’Connor’s goal, underlining the way Vancouver combined physical play with opportunistic scoring in front of its new goaltender.

Fresh start after uneven stint with Senators

Drafted 71st overall in the third round by Ottawa in 2020, Merilainen arrives in Vancouver with a mixed NHL resume. In 2024-25 he impressed in limited action, going 8-3-1 with a 1.99 goals-against average, a .925 save percentage and three shutouts in 12 games. Last season was more difficult, as he posted an 8-10-1 record with a 3.51 goals-against average and an .860 save percentage over 20 appearances.

With several other goalies in the Senators’ pipeline, the organization opted to expose Merilainen to waivers, opening the door for the Canucks to claim him and offer a reset. He had already appeared briefly for Vancouver in a wild 9-7 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Thursday, allowing one goal on 11 shots in relief of Kevin Lankinen. That cameo helped ease him into game action before his first start, where he delivered a composed performance and signalled that he intends to take full advantage of his new opportunity on the West Coast.