Merzlikins made 34 saves in a 6-2 loss to Tampa Bay on Tuesday. He allowed five goals.
The big guns had Merzlikins in a corner all night. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two assists, while Victor Hedman and Jake Guentzel each had two goals and an assist. Elvis had won three straight (and the Jackets had won four in a row) prior to Tuesday. Merzlikins has the Blue Jackets in the top Wild Card spot; the team last made the postseason in 2020. Despite this rough start, he's a solid activation as Columbus surges.