The Ottawa Senators snapped a frustrating four-game losing streak on Tuesday night, thanks in large part to a stellar performance in net and a dominant effort from their depth players. The Senators edged the visiting Vancouver Canucks 2-1 at the Canadian Tire Centre, with goaltender Leevi Merilainen turning aside 18 shots for his best outing of the season.
Goaltending and Grit Seal the Victory
In a game where quality chances were at a premium, the Senators received the clutch goaltending they have been searching for. Merilainen was calm and composed throughout, providing a stable backbone for the team. The victory was sealed by goals from an unlikely source: the defence corps. Jordan Spence and Artem Zub each found the back of the net to provide the necessary offence.
While the score sheet shows defencemen scoring, the engine of the Senators' effort was their fourth forward line. The trio of Nick Cousins, Lars Eller, and David Perron was relentless, controlling play, winning puck battles, and spending significant time in the offensive zone. Their energy and physicality set the tone for the entire team on a night where the top offensive stars were kept relatively quiet.
Player Performance Breakdown
The line of Cousins, Eller, and Perron earned high marks for their complete, two-way game. Nick Cousins, in particular, was a catalyst with his speed and tenacity, driving play northward consistently.
Veteran forward Claude Giroux continued his excellent season, making smart plays with and without the puck. Ridly Greig also impressed with his transitional play, expertly navigating the neutral zone to create offensive entries and chances.
Top-line players like Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk had quieter nights. Stutzle, while assisting on a goal, also had a couple of uncharacteristic turnovers. Captain Brady Tkachuk, still playing through a thumb injury, lacked some of his usual physical "jam," though he generated a few offensive looks.
The game's turning point came in the second period. After Spence opened the scoring, Dylan Cozens was robbed on the goal line by Canucks goalie Kevin Lankinen on a chance that would have made it 3-0. That missed opportunity loomed large when a Cozens giveaway later led directly to Elias Pettersson's third-period goal for Vancouver, cutting the lead to 2-1.
What This Win Means for Ottawa
This victory, secured on Tuesday, January 13, 2026, provides a crucial respite for a Senators team mired in a difficult stretch. More importantly, it showcased a winning formula built on structure, strong goaltending, and contributions from throughout the lineup. The performance of Merilainen will be especially encouraging for the coaching staff, as consistent netminding has been a season-long question mark.
For the last-place Vancouver Canucks, the loss extends their struggles, though Lankinen's 31-save performance kept them in the game. The Senators will look to build on this momentum and string together wins as they aim to climb the Eastern Conference standings.
