Merzlikins stopped 27 of 28 shots in Saturday's 5-1 win over the Blackhawks.
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 an .897 save percentage. Saturday was his first victory of February after winning nine of his previous 11 performances before that. In fantasy, Merzlikins doesn't distinguish himself, but Columbus has been better than expected in 2024-25, which has led to his record being adequate even if his GAA and save percentage leave plenty to be desired. His next opportunity to defend the net is Tuesday against the Stars.