Sanderson OT goal lifts Senators past Canucks for 6th straight win

VANCOUVER -- Jake Sanderson scored 15 seconds into overtime and had two assists for the Ottawa Senators, who recovered from three blown leads to extend their winning streak to six games with a 5-4 overtime win against the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena on Saturday.

Shane Pinto had two goals and an assist, Claude Giroux had a goal and an assist and Leevi Merilainen made 21 saves in his first start of the season for the Senators (18-13-2), who have won six in a row for the first time since March 2-11, 2017.

“We were very resilient. It was going back and forth all game and we just stuck to our guns and got the job done,” Sanderson said. “We've come a long way from the start of the year. Two months ago, I think we might have folded in that game but I think it just shows the maturity of our group right now.”

Brock Boeser scored his second goal for Vancouver with 4:50 left in the third period to tie it 4-4, but Pinto won the opening face-off in overtime and Sanderson was sent in alone in tight by Tim Stutzle, beating Kevin Lankinen five-hole with the game-winner.

“[Pinto] and Timmy being strong, getting us possession and from there, Timmy drawing guys towards him and leaving me open there,” Sanderson said. “It was going too fast for my hands to handle, so I kind of just threw it on net.”

Ottawa has won eight of its past nine games, but it was the first win in the NHL for Merilainen, a 22-year-old rookie. He was playing his third NHL game and first since late in the 2022-23 season after being called up on Dec. 15 following an undisclosed injury to backup goalie Anton Forsberg.

“Can't really describe it,” Merilainen said of the feeling. “It's been a long time since I played and just so happy to get the first win.”

Quinn Hughes had a goal and two assists and Lankinen made 17 saves for the Canucks (16-10-7), who are winless in three games (0-1-2).

“It's a good thing that we battled back to get a point but it's kind of getting annoying,” Boeser said. “We got to find a way to get two points.”

Giroux put Ottawa ahead 1-0 just 1:45 into the first period by deflecting a Thomas Chabot wrist shot from just inside the blue line down past Lankinen.

Pinto made it 2-0 at 16:22 on a 2-on-1 by finishing off a cross-ice pass from Michael Amadio before Lankinen could push across to his left.

“We gave them about five odd-man rushes that, to me, make no sense,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said. “We can't gamble. We're not that type of team. We're hoping the guy's going to win the battle. You lose the battle and they get an odd-man rush. You can't play that way and we're going to have to do some digging on that, because that's just, that's river hockey. We can’t play that way.”

Boeser converted a backdoor pass from Hughes at the bottom of the left circle to make it 2-1 at 18:04, and Hughes tied it 2-2 at 19:42 with a wrist shot past the blocker of a screened Merilainen from the top of the left circle.

“I like the way we battled back in the first period to get it tied up,” Boeser said.

Pinto put Ottawa ahead 3-2 at 4:24 of the second period, taking a pass off the rush from Drake Batherson near the top of the circles, chipping it past Tyler Myers and going backhand to forehand and between Lankinen’s pads in alone.

Pinto has five goals in his past five games after not scoring the previous 19.

“You put pressure on yourself,” Pinto said. “I'm a competitive person, I want to contribute for my team so just to produce for my team is pretty awesome and hopefully keep it going.”

Vancouver tied it 3-3 at 13:36 when Merilainen stopped Hughes' one-timer from the point only to have it bounce in off Jake DeBrusk’s skate atop the crease.

Josh Norris scored short-handed at 15:30 to put Ottawa back ahead 4-3, winning a race up the ice and converting a backdoor pass from Giroux.

“Obviously the key was a short-handed goal,” Tocchet said. “It can’t happen. These are key moments. It’s an egregious play. It’s a two-goal swing. It’s a key moment for them, not a key moment for us.”

Boeser tied it 4-4 at 15:10 of the third period after passing the puck to Pius Suter in the slot from behind the net, then converting a rebound of Suter’s shot from the side of the crease.

After not being busy early, Merilainen saved 10 of 11 in the third period.

“Felt really good,” Merilainen said. “Felt like I was on it from the start, and it's not a lot of shots, so made a little difficult, but felt good overall.”

NOTES: Amadio left at 5:06 of third period and did not return. Coach Travis Green said it was concussion protocol but did not have an update and said he would “talk to the trainers when we get on the plane.” Ottawa plays at the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday. … It was the second straight overtime win for the Senators, who have five this season, behind only the Oilers (7) and Boston Bruins (6). … Hughes tied Markus Naslund (74) for the fifth-most multi-assist games in team history. He has 17 points (three goals, 14 assists) in his last 12 games.