MARCH 2 • NEWSOBSERVER.COM
ELVIS MERZLIKINS #90 - GOALTENDER - COLUMBUS BLUE JACKETS
3.20 GAA •
1312 SV •
89.10% SV%
3.20 GAA
1312 SV
89.10% SV%
Late goal lifts Jackets over Wings in Stadium Series Justin Danforth scored the go-ahead goal with 2:17 left and Elvis Merzlikins made 43 saves to lead the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Detroi...
Danforth's late goal lifts Blue Jackets over Red Wings 5-3 in Stadium Series
Justin Danforth scored with 2:17 remaining to lift the Columbus Blue Jackets over Detroit 5-3 on Saturday night in the Stadium Series, leapfrogging the Red Wings to take sole posse...MARCH 2 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
SHOWTIME with a BULLET under the bright lights 🍿
MARCH 2 • YOUTUBE
NHL honors Gaudreau brothers in emotional Stadium Series tribute
The Stadium Series game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Detroit Red Wings on Saturday promised to have it all: a crowd of more than 90,000 — making it the second largest...MARCH 1 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Facing Detroit Merzlikins will patrol the home crease against the Red Wings on Saturday, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports.
Impact Merzlikins has won his last two outings, stopping 45 of 50 shots. He has a 21-14-4 record with one shutout, a 2.96 GAA and an .895 save percentage through 39 appearances this season. Detroit is tied for 17th in the league with 2.88 goals per game in 2024-25.
MARCH 1 • ROTOWIRE
Elvis Merzlikins wears goalie cam at Stadium Series practice 🎥🎤
MARCH 1 • YOUTUBE
Earns win in subpar effort Merzlikins stopped 19 of 23 shots in Tuesday's 6-4 win over the Stars.
Impact Merzlikins has won his two starts following the break while stopping 46 of the 51 shots he's faced. However, it's clear the offense bailed him out Tuesday, as he posted a .826 save percentage while facing a mere 19 shots -- it was only the eighth time he faced less than 20 shots in a game this season. Merzlikins will try to extend the winning streak to three games the next time he has to defend Columbus' crease. The team's upcoming two games are against the Red Wings on Thursday and Saturday, respectively.
FEBRUARY 26 • ROTOWIRE
Marchenko scores twice and Blue Jackets beat Stars 6-4 to stay in wild-card hunt
Kirill Marchenko scored twice and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Dallas Stars 6-4 for their second straight win to keep them in the hunt for an Eastern Conference wild-card spo...FEBRUARY 26 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Between pipes against Stars Merzlikins will tend the twine for Tuesday's home tilt versus Dallas, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports.
Impact Merzlikins is coming off a 27-save victory over the Blackhawks on Saturday that ended a four-game losing streak for the backstop. Tuesday's tilt will be the sixth straight appearance for the 30-year-old netminder, a trend of heavy work that figures to continue into the closing weeks of the 2024-25 campaign.
FEBRUARY 25 • ROTOWIRE
Stops 27 shots in win Merzlikins made 27 saves on 28 total attempts in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Blackhawks.
Impact Outside of the Blackhawks' lone goal in the second period, Merzlikins tended a clean game overall. With Saturday's win, the 30-year-old goaltender eclipsed the 20-win mark on the season. Across 38 appearances, Merzlikins has a 20-14-4 record with a 2.94 GAA and a .897 save percentage. Saturday was his first win of February after winning nine of his previous 11 performances before that. In fantasy, Merzlikins holds a bit of value if he can string together more wins. His next opportunity to defend the net is Tuesday against the Stars.
FEBRUARY 23 • ROTOWIRE
Kent Johnson scores 2 goals, the Blue Jackets beat the Blackhawks 5-1 to end a 4-game losing streak
Zach Werenski scored and had two assists and Kent Johnson scored twice for the Columbus Blue Jackets in a 5-1 victory against the Chicago Blackhawks to end a four-game losing strea...FEBRUARY 23 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Elvis Merzlikins has HOPS 🐇
FEBRUARY 23 • YOUTUBE
Expected to start Saturday Merzlikins is slated to patrol the home crease versus Chicago on Saturday, per Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers.
Impact Merzlikins struggled in his last four games before the break, going 0-3-1 while allowing 15 goals on 133 shots (.887 save percentage). Merzlikins is 19-14-4 with one shutout, a 2.99 GAA and an .895 save percentage across 37 starts this season. The Blackhawks are averaging 2.69 goals per game, 28th in the league in 2024-25.
FEBRUARY 22 • ROTOWIRE
Busy in Saturday's loss Merzlikins stopped 36 shots in Saturday's 4-3 loss to the Rangers.
Impact The Blue Jackets were out-shot 40-25 on the night, and Merzlikins was especially hung out to dry in the third period as he tried to protect a 3-2 lead -- Columbus managed only four shots on Jonathan Quick while surrendering 17. Merzlikins will get a much-needed rest as the NHL pauses for the 4 Nations Face-Off, as the 30-year-old netminder has gone 0-3-1 with a 3.79 GAA and .887 save percentage while starts four straight games.
FEBRUARY 9 • ROTOWIRE
Cuylle scores the winning goal late in the 3rd period as Rangers rally to beat Blue Jackets 4-3
Will Cuylle scored the go-ahead goal with 1:39 left and the New York Rangers rallied to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3FEBRUARY 9 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Between pipes Saturday Merzlikins will guard the home cage against the Rangers on Saturday, according to Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers.
Impact Merzlikins hasn't been at his best over the last three games, as the 30-year-old netminder is 0-2-1, allowing 11 goals on 93 shots (.882 save percentage). He is 19-13-4 with a 2.96 GAA and an .895 save percentage across 36 appearances this season. Merzlikins will face the Rangers, who dropped a 3-2 decision to Pittsburgh on Friday. New York is averaging 2.96 goals per game this season, 14th in the NHL.
FEBRUARY 8 • ROTOWIRE
Falls to Utah in OT Merzlikins made 30 saves in Thursday's 3-2 overtime loss to Utah.
Impact There wasn't much Merzlikins could do on the game-winner -- Connor Ingram cleared the puck from his own end off the glass with less than a minute left in OT, and it took a wild bounce off the glass to spring Dylan Guenther for a breakaway. Even the, the netminder denied Guenther's initial shot, but he couldn't get in front of the rebound. Merzlikins has dropped three straight decisions, but he's given up more than three goals only once in his last eight outings, going 4-3-1 over that stretch with a 2.38 GAA and .916 save percentage.
FEBRUARY 7 • ROTOWIRE
Guenther scores late in overtime to lift Utah past Blue Jackets 3-2
Dylan Guenther scored with 33 seconds left in overtime to lift the Utah Hockey Club past the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 for their second straight winFEBRUARY 7 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
In goal Thursday Merzlikins will get the starting nod at home versus Utah on Thursday, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports.
Impact Merzlikins has dropped two straight games in which he posted a combined 4.19 GAA and .867 save percentage. Despite the recent slump, the 30-year-old backstop needs just one more victory to reach the 20-win threshold for the first time since 2021-22 and the second time in his NHL career.
FEBRUARY 6 • ROTOWIRE
Stuck with loss to Sabres Merzlikins made 18 saves in Tuesday's 3-2 loss to Buffalo.
Impact He had little chance on any of the pucks that got past him, including two second-period tip-ins by Alex Tuch, and the final score might have looked a lot worse if not for Merzlikins. Since the beginning of January, the 30-year-old netminder has gone 7-4-0 in 11 outings with a 2.73 GAA and .902 save percentage, and he seems to have a secure hold on the top job in the Columbus crease.
FEBRUARY 5 • ROTOWIRE
Tuch scores 2 and Sabres beat Blue Jackets 3-2 to enjoy 1st 4-game winning streak in 2 years
Alex Tuch had two goals and an assist, and the Buffalo Sabres beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 for their first four-game winning streak in more than two yearsFEBRUARY 5 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Starting in Buffalo Merzlikins will guard the road goal against the Sabres on Tuesday, per Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site.
Impact Merzlikins' three-game winning streak ended in Sunday's 5-3 loss to Dallas. He has a 19-12-3 record with one shutout, a 2.96 GAA and an .895 save percentage through 34 appearances this season. Buffalo ranks 11th in the league with 3.12 goals per game in 2024-25, but leading scorer Tage Thompson (upper body) won't be in the lineup.
FEBRUARY 4 • ROTOWIRE
Stung for five goals in loss Merzlikins allowed five goals on 39 shots in Sunday's 5-3 loss to the Stars.
Impact The Blue Jackets took the lead on three separate occasions, but Merzlikins didn't protect any of those advantages. Evgenii Dadonov then scored twice in the third period to seal the game in favor of the Stars. Merzlikins has had some notable struggles when flipping the calendar -- he is 1-4-0 and has allowed at least three goals in each of his first games of a month this season. He had gone 6-1-0 with just 13 goals allowed over his previous seven starts, and he can be given a pass for Sunday's clunker given the quality of the opponent. Merzlikins is 19-12-3 with a 2.96 GAA and an .895 save percentage through 34 outings this season. The Blue Jackets wrap up their four-game road trip Tuesday in Buffalo.
FEBRUARY 3 • ROTOWIRE
Evgenii Dadonov's 2 third-period goals push Stars past Blue Jackets 5-3
Evgenii Dadonov scored two goals in the final 8:38 as the Dallas Stars beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-3 on SundayFEBRUARY 3 • ASSOCIATED PRESS
Starting in Dallas Merzlikins will guard the road goal against the Stars on Sunday, per Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site.
Impact Merzlikins has won seven of his last eight outings and has stopped 84 of 88 shots during his three-game winning streak. He has a 19-11-3 record with one shutout, a 2.89 GAA and an .896 save percentage through 33 appearances this season. Dallas sits 10th in the league with 3.18 goals per game in 2024-25.
FEBRUARY 2 • ROTOWIRE
