COLUMBUS, Ohio \u2014 Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson said he apologized to goaltender Leevi Meril\u00e4inen following comments he made toward the goaltender after he allowed six goals in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.<\/p>\n
\u201cFirst off, I\u2019m pretty embarrassed,\u201d Sanderson said. \u201cI think that\u2019s a situation where, after a game, you\u2019ve got to take a few more minutes. Take a few deep breaths. I talked to Leevi after the (game) and apologized. I still feel really bad. Leevi\u2019s a great guy. And I think that\u2019s not what good teammates do. You don\u2019t tear each other down. You build each other up, especially after a game like that. I\u2019m pretty embarrassed.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sanderson was asked to evaluate his team\u2019s goaltending on Saturday, after Meril\u00e4inen\u2019s performance against the Canadiens, where the Senators allowed two goals late in the third period before allowing an overtime-winning goal from Cole Caufield. It was Meril\u00e4inen\u2019s 10th consecutive start for the Senators.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Leevi made some good saves,\u201d Sanderson said. \u201cBut I think, at the end of the day, you\u2019ve got to make more than 10 saves to win a game.\u201d<\/p>\n
Senators head coach Travis Green also said it was \u201chard to give him a pass\u201d when asked about Meril\u00e4inen on Saturday. On Tuesday, he spoke in defense of Sanderson.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it\u2019s been overblown by a lot,\u201d Green said. \u201cJake Sanderson\u2019s one of the best teammates you\u2019re ever going to find in the league. It\u2019s an emotional game. It\u2019s much like my comments after the game as well. I said it\u2019s hard to give him a free pass; I feel bad for him. I\u2019ve said that many times. Maybe a goal or two that you\u2019d like back. I think it was fairly obvious, and I think it was overblown. And it definitely didn\u2019t have an effect on our room.\u201d<\/p>\n
Meril\u00e4inen backed up James Reimer on Sunday, who allowed four goals on 34 shots in a 4-3 overtime loss to Detroit. By Tuesday morning, he was sent back to Belleville of the American League. Hunter Shepard was called up in his place.<\/p>\n