December 21, 2024; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Ottawa Senators goaltender Leevi Merilainen (1) and forward Brady Tkachuk (7) and forward Nick Cousins (21) celebrate a win against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena. Mandatory credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images Jake Sanderson scored the winner 15 seconds into overtime as the visiting Ottawa Senators extended their winning streak to six games with a thrilling 5-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday.
Ottawa won the opening faceoff of overtime and Sanderson raced down the left wing and tucked the puck between the legs of Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen.
Senators rookie goaltender Leevi Merilainen, making his first NHL appearance in a year and a half, made 21 saves for his first career win.
Shane Pinto had two goals and an assist and Claude Giroux had a goal and an assist for the Senators, who were playing the third game of a record nine-game road trip. Josh Norris also scored for Ottawa.
Quinn Hughes had a goal and two assists, Brock Boeser scored twice and Jake De Brusk added a goal for the Canucks, who have lost three straight (0-1-2). Phillip Di Giuseppe had two assists and Lankinen finished with 17 saves.
Vancouver rallied three times to tie the score, including 4-4 on Boeser’s second goal of the game with just under five minutes left in the third that set the stage for overtime.
Giroux opened the scoring 90 seconds into the first period, deflecting a long shot from defenseman Thomas Chabot past Lankinen.
Pinto finished a two-on-one at 16:22 of the opening period to make it 2-0.
The Canucks cut the deficit in half just under two minutes later as Boeser, dropping back to the side of the net, took a hard pass from Hughes and beat Merrilainen glove hand.
Hughes tied the game at 2-2 with 38 seconds left in the first. The Norris Trophy winner faked a shot and then made a long wrister through a maze of sneaking players.
Pinto recorded his second multi-goal game of the season, tallying at 4:24 of the middle frame. Pinto shook off defender Tyler Myers and fired the puck over Lankinen’s left sideboard from close range to make it 3-2.
Debrusk tied the score at 3-3 at 13:36 of the second.
Norris scored a breakaway goal to make it 4-3 two minutes later.
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