It's no secret that the Ottawa Senators and Montreal Canadiens will forever be rivals. However, as much as the Senators and Canadiens hate each other, the two teams have had memorable battles.
Both teams are trying to return to the playoffs this season, and both teams are still in the playoff hunt in the Eastern Conference at the moment. The Senators have 45 points and the Canadiens have 44 points this season.
At the 2020 NHL Draft, both teams made a selection for a goaltender in the draft that has not only kept their season alive, but now the two teams are seeing their goaltenders show their potential.
Leevi Merilainen and Jakub Dobes are heating up for their teams
Since Linus Ullmark's injury from Dec. 22, Leevi Merilainen has started four of the eight games since. In the four games, Merilainen is 3-1-0. Merilainen recently started the past two Senators games while on a back-to-back.
Merilainen recorded his first NHL shutout this past Saturday against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Against the Dallas Stars yesterday, Merilainen earned the win by making 24 saves. The win snapped the Stars' seven-game winning streak.
While Anton Forsberg has struggled, Merilainen has come in and showed improvement, maturity and has been confident. After the win yesterday against the Stars, Merilainen embraced the challenge of filling in for Ullmark.
The last 28 hours for @merileevi_:
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) January 13, 2025
Two games.
Two wins.
Only two goals against. pic.twitter.com/UwFzeq5c1u
"It's just work," Merilainen said. "This is my job, I have to do this. I'm just happy to be here."
This season at 22 years old, Merilainen is 4-2-0 with a 2.34 goals against average and .913 save percentage. For the 71st overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Merilainen is starting to show his potential. but now another goaltender from the same draft is showing his potential on the Canadiens.
That is Jakub Dobes. At the 2020 NHL Draft, the Canadiens drafted Dobes with the 136 overall pick in the draft. At 23 years old, Dobes made his NHL debut this season. In his three games played this season, Dobes has stood out for the Canadiens.
Dobes is 3-0-0 with an impressive 0.97 goals against average and .959 save percentage. Dobes started his NHL career with a shutout win on Dec. 28 against the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers in their building. A pretty impressive way to start a career.
Since then, Dobes earned a win against the Colorado Avalanche and Washington Capitals. Two teams that have powerful offenses.
The Senators and Canadiens have two rising goaltenders from the same draft that can cause the rivalry to start heating up. Both Merilainen and Dobes are keeping their teams in the hunt in the standings, and both teams will be eager to defeat one another later on this season.