It has taken some time for the Blue Jackets to settle in this season, but they have done so and played some really strong hockey over the last month. Since December 19th, they've posted a record of 10-3-2; a would-be 120 point pace over a full 82 games.
There have been several factors in their improved play. Part of that has been the team fully buying in and figuring out Dean Evason's system. We've also talked about how much better they've been defensively since Denton Mateychuk's recall. But, we haven't talked about one of their biggest improvements of late: their goaltending.
It's been seven games since the Jackets surrendered more than three goals, in a 6-4 win at home against St Louis. Since that game (January 4th), they've given up just 13 total; and only conceded three goals twice in those seven games.
Obviously, the coach's system has helped. As has the arrival of Mateychuk, whose absence was really noticeable in last night's loss to the New York Islanders. But, the goaltending has been noticeably better, and I think that's a direct result of how the team has been managing their crease.
Elvis gets a much needed break.
In four games since January 4th, Elvis Merzlikins has given up 9 goals on 98 shots, good enough for a .918% save percentage. He's won three of those four games, and looked very confident in the crease.
Part of the reasoning here certainly seems to be the fact that he's had a few nights off. In that same seven game span, the Jackets have given the crease to their other goaltenders three times: Daniil Tarasov twice, and Jet Greaves once.
Greaves made one start on January 11th, on the road against the same St Louis Blues team who found the net four times just a week prior. He was outstanding, making 31 saves in a 2-1 victory, his only goal against coming with 12 second left. Jet deserved a shutout in that one.
The reason for Greaves getting an NHL start? Daniil Tarasov agreed to a much needed conditioning stint in the AHL. He was sent down that weekend and made two starts, stopping 59 of 66 shots and visibly gaining confidence. By the end of the second game, he looked like a completely different player.
Fortunately, that carried over to the NHL. Since that conditioning stint, Tarasov has two starts for the Blue Jackets, stopping 49 of 51 shots and earning his first career NHL shutout. Unfortunately, the other guy got a shutout on the same night, so it's a loss. Still, it was a crucial point earned on the road, in a tough environment.
This is a vastly different Daniil Tarasov than the one we saw earlier in the year. Through his first 10 games this season, he had only 2 quality starts. Fact of the matter: he was pretty well unplayable. That led to the team leaning more heavily on Merzlikins, for better or worse.
Elvis deserves one last chance to prove that he can be a starting goaltender in this league, worthy of the remainder of his contract. It's unfair for the team to grind him into the ground because his backup wasn't able to get into games.
Now, with better usage, the Blue Jackets are getting better goaltending. I'll be fascinated to see if Merzlikins and Tarasov can backstop this team into a playoff spot this season.