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You know the situation surrounding Jake Sanderson.
Leevi Meriläinen, a goaltender in the Senators' organization, was thrown into the deep end when the Sens needed a netminder.
And against the Habs last Saturday, he failed.
Jake Sanderson, the club's star defenseman, threw him under the bus after the duel with the Habs. Of course, that's how a quality leader should react in the face of adversity. Everyone knows that…
Was he right to say that a goalie has to make the saves? From a hockey point of view, he was right. The Sens sent their goalie down this morning for a reason…
ROSTER UPDATE: Leevi Meriläinen has been loaned to the @BellevilleSens; Hunter Shepard has been recalled.
UPDATE: Leevi Meriläinen has been loaned to the @BellevilleSens; Hunter Shepard has been recalled.https://t.co/DY97H3O7WS
– Sens Communications (@Media_Sens) January 20, 2026
But is any truth worth telling publicly, on the spur of the moment? Obviously, the answer is no. Everyone knows that.
And Sanderson understands this. When questioned on the subject, he said he had apologized to his keeper and was embarrassed by what he had said.
“…I talked to Leevi after the (game) and apologized. I still feel really bad. Leevi's a great guy. And I think that's not what good teammates do. You don't tear each other down. You build each other up, especially after a game like that. I'm pretty embarrassed.”
– Julian McKenzie (@jkamckenzie) January 20, 2026
Looking back, he says it's the kind of situation where he should have taken a few minutes to decompress before talking to the media.
He's right about that. And apologizing is the first step.
The important thing now is for him to prove that what he just said wasn't just a statement to calm the media. It's through his actions that he'll prove he can (or can't) improve as a leader of men.
So we'll be watching to see if he grows into it.
In the meantime, with all the negative buzz around the Senators' locker room, one wonders if management won't want to go out and find a good veteran to help Brady Tkachuk guide the group.
But that's a question for Steve Staios.
overtime
– Does the coach also have to look in the mirror?
“…I said it's hard to give him a free pass; I feel bad for him. I've said that many times. Maybe a goal or two that you'd like back. I think it was fairly obvious, and I think it was overblown. And it definitely didn't have an effect on our room.”
– Julian McKenzie (@jkamckenzie) January 20, 2026
– Beating the Wild is never easy.
Nick Suzuki telling his teammates about the last time the Habs beat the Wild, on Oct. 17, 2019. pic.twitter.com/AIa0ik30Xx
– /r/Habs (@HabsOnReddit) January 20, 2026
– Good question.
The “Last Call” may have arrived in his case…
https://t.co/YoEZWdvD8h
– TVA Sports (@TVASports) January 20, 2026
– Another good question.
Is Brendan Gallagher's run with the Canadiens coming to an end? pic.twitter.com/OLvSQrdida
– BPM Sports (@BPMSportsRadio) January 20, 2026
– Makes sense.
Especially since the Phillies probably won't be making any more additions this winter. https://t.co/aIiLP5dwxx
– Passion MLB (@passion_mlb) January 20, 2026
– Martin St-Louis has been giving us an idea of his answer to the question since Saturday.
What's Samuel Blais' role in a healthy lineup?
@TonyMarinaro pic.twitter.com/facpHC5Rne
– 98.5 Sports (@985Sports) January 20, 2026
– Seeing him in Colorado again would be interesting.
Frank Seravalli: Re Nazem Kadri/Avalanche: They don't have the cap space to make it work, but I mean I can't really think of a better place to chase a Stanley Cup than that – Big Show (1/16)
– NHL Rumor Report (@NHLRumorReport) January 20, 2026
