Yahoo Sports Ottawa Senators Call Up Goalie From Belleville To Replace Anton Forsberg On Upcoming Nine-Game Road Trip
As the Ottawa Senators head out on a nine-game road trip this week, they'll have a new face in the lineup. On Sunday morning, the club called up Leevi Meriläinen from the Belleville Senators, the club's AHL affiliate.
Meriläinen will replace Anton Forsberg, who tweaked something on Saturday night as he warmed up for his start against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Linus Ullmark was supposed to get the night off after starting the night before but was thrust into action at the last second. The Sens had to call in an emergency backup in case something happened to Ullmark.
So why did the Senators choose Meriläinen over Mads Sogaard?
Sogaard is just back from injury, and on Friday night, as he made his first start for the B-Sens in almost two months, he gave up five goals on 21 shots and was replaced in the second period in a 7-4 loss to Rochester.
Last night in the Rochester rematch, an 8-2 loss, Meriläinen put up a carbon copy of Sogaard's start. He, too, was chased from the game after giving up five goals on 22 shots. Sogaard then came in in relief and was thumped again for three goals on 12 shots.
Meriläinen gets the call because he's in mid-season form, and despite last night's glitch (and maybe some nervous energy over the injury news in Ottawa), he's been generally excellent in the past month.
Meriläinen will almost certainly get a start or two while Forsberg is out, especially with three back to back scenarios on this nine game road trip.
Related article at The Hockey News Ottawa
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