Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Not available for Thursday's game
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Head coach Dean Evason said that Merzlikins (upper body) skated Wednesday but won't be available for Thursday's regular-season finale against the Islanders, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports.
Although the Blue Jackets could be competing in a win-and-in situation during Thursday's matchup, Merzlikins will be unavailable for a fifth consecutive game due to his upper-body injury. Jet Greaves has been dominant in Merzlikins' absence, and he'll likely get the starting nod against the Islanders at home.
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Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Not available Tuesday
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Merzlikins (upper body) will not be an option for Tuesday's divisional matchup in Philadelphia, per Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site.
Merzlikins will miss his fourth consecutive game, and it's unclear if he'll be available for Thursday's regular-season finale against the Islanders. Jet Greaves is getting the starting nod Tuesday against the Flyers, while Daniil Tarasov will continue to serve as the No. 2 netminder due to Merzlikins' absence.
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Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Out Sunday
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Merzlikins (undisclosed) won't play Sunday in Washington, per Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site.
Merzlikins hasn't been in net since Tuesday, when he stopped 33 of 35 shots to beat Ottawa. He has a 26-21-5 record, 3.18 GAA and .892 save percentage in 53 appearances this campaign. Jet Greaves is expected to start against the Capitals, while Daniil Tarasov will serve as the backup netminder.
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Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Won't play Saturday
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Merzlikins (undisclosed) will not be in the lineup against the Capitals on Saturday, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.
Head coach Dean Evason didn't provide a specific timeline for Merzlikins to get back into the crease, but at this point, it seems unlikely he would immediately jump back in for the second of a back-to-back against the Capitals on Sunday. Still, as long as the Jackets have an outside chance of making the postseason, they'll likely want to utilize their No. 1 netminder between the pipes. Jet Greaves got the starting nod in a win over Buffalo on Thursday, so Evason may have to consider going back to the 24-year-old Saturday.
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Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Ruled out Thursday
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Merzlikins will miss Thursday's clash with Buffalo due to an undisclosed injury, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports.
Merzlikins was originally expected to get the starting nod after being the first goalie to leave the ice, but it appears he won't even be available to serve as the backup. While not yet confirmed, Daniil Tarasov figures to be between the pipes instead, while Jet Greaves was promoted from AHL Cleveland on Thursday. While the Jackets haven't provided a more concrete update on Merzlikins, he will have just four more games to get back on the ice this season after Thursday's tilt.
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Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: First goaltender off Thursday
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Merzlikins was the first goalie off the ice during Thursday's morning skate, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports, indicating that he's expected to draw the home start against the Sabres.
Although head coach Dean Evason said after Thursday's morning skate that Merzlikins would "maybe" be the team's starting netminder against Buffalo, the fact that the 30-year-old was the first goaltender off the ice during the team's morning skate indicates that he'll presumably defend the home crease. Over five appearances this month, Merzlikins has gone 2-2-0 with a 4.10 GAA and .865 save percentage.
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Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Strong game in win
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Merzlikins made 32 saves in a 5-2 win over the Senators on Tuesday.
The Jackets played desperate hockey -- they're eight points behind the Canadiens for the second wild-card spot with five games remaining. Merzlikins will be the man in the twine tent for Columbus until they're officially eliminated. He played well Tuesday but had been particularly porous since the end of March. Elvis is 3-2-0 across his past five starts (six appearances), and prior to Tuesday, he had allowed 22 goals over his last four starts. Merzlikins could deliver a few wins for you, as long as you can absorb the high goals allowed.
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Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Get starting nod Tuesday
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Merzlikins will be between the pipes at home versus the Senators on Tuesday, Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers reports.
Merzlikins has managed just one win in his last four appearances while posting a 4.67 GAA and an .840 save percentage. The backstop's recent struggles have no doubt factored into the Jackets' fall from a wild-card spot. Still, as long as Columbus remains in the mix, Merzlikins figures to continue seeing the bulk of the workload.
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Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Strong performance in relief
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Merzlikins made 22 out of 23 saves in Sunday's 4-0 loss to the Senators.
Merzlikins entered the game in relief of Daniil Tarasov after the latter conceded two goals in the first 4:26 of Sunday's contest. With his strong outing in net, Merzlikins did enough to keep the decision off his record. Overall, the 30-year-old netminder has a 25-21-5 record with a 3.20 GAA and a .891 save percentage in 52 games this season. Despite holding inflated numbers this season, Merzlikins has a chance to post his best GAA in a season since the 2021-22 campaign. There are likely better options on the waiver wire in most fantasy formats. Depending on the matchup, however, Merzlikins could be a strong spot starter in deeper leagues.
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Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Receives no help in loss
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Merzlikins allowed five goals on 27 shots in Saturday's 5-0 loss to the Maple Leafs.
Merzlikins looks to be wearing down under a heavy workload late in the season -- he's allowed 30 goals over his last six outings, though he's somehow gone 3-3-0 in that span. He didn't get any help Saturday, which saw him on the wrong side of a shutout loss. For the season, he's now 25-21-5 with a 3.24 GAA and an .890 save percentage over 51 outings. The Blue Jackets visit the Senators on Sunday, so look for Daniil Tarasov to get that start in what's essentially a must-win game for Columbus' fading playoff chances.
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Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Buried by Avs
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Merzlikins gave up seven goals on 28 shots before being replaced by Daniil Tarasov early in the third period of Thursday's 7-3 loss to Colorado.
The Blue Jackets actually took a 3-2 lead when Boone Jenner scored midway through the second period, but the game was all Avs after that, with Merzlikins getting beaten on a number of long-range attempts before he got the hook. The 30-year-old netminder saw his three-start winning streak snapped, but he was hardly playing at an elite level -- Merzlikins has allowed at least three goals in five straight outings, stumbling to a brutal 5.11 GAA and .843 save percentage during that stretch.
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Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Facing Avalanche
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Merzlikins will defend the home crease versus Colorado on Thursday, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.
Merzlikins has won three straight games despite allowing 14 goals on 98 shots (.867 save percentage). Overall, the 30-year-old netminder is 25-15 with one shutout, a 3.11 GAA and an .894 save percentage. The Avalanche are generating 3.30 goals per game, which ranks sixth in the NHL this season.
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Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Third straight win
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Merzlikins made 24 saves Tuesday in an 8-4 win over Nashville.
Merzlikins still plays sieve far too often -- he has allowed four or more goals in five of his last 10 starts (3-5-1). All three of those victories have come on a three-game run over the last week, but at the same time, Merzlikins has also allowed 13 goals in that span and 18 in his last four (3-0-1). The Jackets are pushing for the second wild card, and Elvis could keep winning with the kind of goal support he gets. The team is tied for fourth in the East with 242 goals for, and they're in the top-10 overall.
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Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Gets starting nod against Preds
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Merzlikins will be between the pipes at home versus Nashville on Tuesday, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.
Despite a 2-1-0 record, Merzlikins' numbers haven't been very good over that stretch, as he is sporting a 4.46 GAA and an .864 save percentage in those three outings. With the Jackets still in the playoff hunt, Merzlikins should continue to see a heavy workload down the stretch -- though a back-to-back against Toronto and Ottawa on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, should open the door for Daniil Tarasov to get an opportunity.
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Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Earns win in high-scoring affair
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Merzlikins stopped 31 of 37 shots in Friday's 7-6 shootout win over Vancouver.
The 30-year-old netminder secured his second consecutive win, but while he came out on top in this thrilling offensive showcase, it's not much of a silver lining for fantasy managers on a night in which he conceded six goals. Merzlikins' numbers haven't been impressive of late. In nine starts since the beginning of March, he's gone 3-5-1 with a 3.64 GAA and an .893 save percentage.
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Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Starting Friday
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Merzlikins will be between the home pipes versus Vancouver on Friday, according to Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers.
Merzlikins picked up his first win since March 1 on Monday, turning aside 30 shots in a 4-3 overtime win over the Islanders. He is 23-19-5 with a 3.03 GAA and an .896 save percentage over 47 appearances this season. The Canucks are averaging 2.82 goals per game this season, 22nd in the NHL.
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Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Tending twine Monday
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Merzlikins will defend the road net against the Islanders on Monday, per Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site.
Merzlikins has surrendered 21 goals on 192 shots during his six-game losing skid (0-5-1). He has a 22-19-5 record with one shutout, a 3.04 GAA and an .896 save percentage through 46 appearances this season. The Islanders sit 25th in the league with 2.72 goals per game in 2024-25.
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Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: No match for Penguins
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Merzlikins allowed five goals on 33 shots in Friday's 6-3 loss to the Penguins. The sixth goal was an empty-netter.
Merzlikins started for the second day in a row, and the results weren't pretty. The Blue Jackets outshot the Penguins 47-34, but the defense wasn't sound and the offense had a tough time converting its chances, while Merzlikins wasn't able to keep things close. This was his sixth straight defeat, dropping him to 1-5-1 with 24 goals allowed over seven games in March. Overall, the 30-year-old netminder has a 22-19-5 record with a 3.04 GAA and an .896 save percentage through 46 appearances this season. The Blue Jackets have the rest of the weekend off before visiting the Islanders on Monday, giving Merzlikins enough time to be ready for his next attempt to snap his skid.
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Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Set to start Friday
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Merzlikins is expected to start on the road against Pittsburgh on Friday, per Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers.
Merzlikins has a 22-18-5 record, 3.00 GAA and .897 save percentage in 45 appearances in 2024-25. He'll be starting for the second straight game after stopping 28 of 29 shots en route to a 1-0 overtime loss Thursday. Merzlikins has previously faced the Penguins twice this campaign, winning both of those games while stopping 41 of 46 shots (.891 save percentage).
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Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Heartbreaking OT loss
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Merzlikins made 28 saves in Thursday's 1-0 overtime loss to the Panthers.
With the Blue Jackets' playoff hopes fading, Merzlikins returned to the team after attending to a personal matter and stood on his head in a goaltending duel with former Columbus star Sergei Bobrovsky. There wasn't much Elvis could do on Aleksander Barkov's power-play tally just 29 seconds into OT, however. Merzlikins is 0-4-1 over his last five starts, a stretch in which he's posted a 3.24 GAA and an .899 save percentage, and the erratic netminder will need to deliver more performances like Thursday's if the Jackets are going to close the gap on the Canadiens, and leapfrog the Rangers and Islanders, for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
