The Ottawa Senators are struggling, with only two wins in their last eight games. Now, Jake Sanderson is catching a lot of heat from fans after comments he made about his goaltender.
With Linus Ullmark away from hockey, 23-year-old Leevi Merilainen has been tending the Senators’ net over the last few games. It has, however, not gone as planned. In Saturday’s matchup against the rival Montreal Canadiens, Merilainen allowed six goals on 19 shots, resulting in a .684 save percentage.
Took jab at his own fans
Although the Senators were playing at home in Canadian Tire Centre, the arena was mostly filled with Canadiens fans. Sanderson noticed and took a jab at the Senators fanbase.
“We’re used to it, playing an away game at home. It happens quite often, so it is what it is,” Sanderson said after the game. But it’s what Sanderson said about Merilainen that has fans upset.
Jake Sanderson under fire
Following the overtime loss on Saturday, Sanderson commented:
“Yeah, I think Leevi made some good saves, but at the end of the day you’ve got to make more than 10 saves to win the game.”
Fans were not pleased, and many criticized Sanderson for publicly blaming a younger teammate.
“I love Sanderson, but this is not cool. It is not all on Leevi. He’s been put in a very difficult position with Ullmark being out,” one fan wrote on X.
“Transparent is one way to put it. Throwing your teammate under the bus or shifting blame instead of taking accountability is another,” another fan added.
“Good team leaders do not run their own men down in public,” a third fan wrote.
You can watch the interview below.
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