'Embarrassed' Sanderson apologized to Merilainen for comments

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson admitted Tuesday that he's "embarrassed" by his postgame comments about teammate Leevi Merilainen, acknowledging his criticism of the goaltender was uncalled for.

"That's a situation where, after a game, you gotta take a few more minutes, take a few deep breaths. I talked to Leevi after and apologized. I still feel really bad," Sanderson said. "Leevi's a great guy, and I think that's not what good teammates do. You don't tear each other down. You build each other up, especially after a game like that."

An irked Sanderson voiced his disappointment after the Senators surrendered a two-goal lead late in Saturday's third period and lost in overtime to the Montreal Canadiens. Merilainen allowed six goals on 19 shots.

"I think Leevi made some good saves," Sanderson told reporters following the contest. "But I think, at the end of the day, you've got to make more than 10 saves to win a game."

Ottawa demoted Merilainen to the AHL's Belleville Senators on Tuesday. He has an .860 save percentage and a 3.51 goals against average in 20 NHL games.

Senators head coach Travis Green downplayed Sanderson's comments Tuesday, calling the situation "overblown" and describing the blue-liner as "one of the best teammates you're ever going to find in the league."

Goaltending has been a season-long issue for the Sens, whose .870 team save percentage ranks last in the league. However, Sanderson stressed that the responsibility falls on all the players.

"It can be frustrating at times, but it's a team sport," Sanderson said. "There's times where the D core isn't playing good. There's times where the forwards aren't doing their job."

The Senators sit last in the Atlantic Division with a 22-19-7 record.