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Blue Jackets second goalkeeper Jonas Korpisalo has not played for three weeks due to injury. During this period, the safety of the goal in nine games in a row was entrusted to Merzlikkin.
There are nine games left for the Blue Jackets team until the end of the season. It is expected that Merzlikins will go on the field in each of these matches, who is determined to help the Latvian national team in the world championship in May.
“It’s not an easy job to play every game. You have to think about your body more than anything else. You have to relax and eat right. You definitely can’t go to McDonald’s every day, otherwise there will be no energy,” NHL.com quotes Merzlikkin as saying.
The promising Russian goalkeeper Daniil Tarasov has also been injured, so Jean François Berube, a Canadian who has spent most of his career in the American Hockey League (AHL), is behind the team in the Blue Jackets reserve.
Starting next season, the five-year salary agreement signed last September for 27 million US dollars will come into force for Latvians. Blue Jackets will count on Merzlik in the long run as the team’s first goalkeeper.
Blue Jackets head coach Brad Larsen wants Merzlin to gain experience playing several games in a row. This experience will be useful in the future, especially if the Columbus team qualifies for the Stanley Cup.
“I think it’s very important to him. He’ll play a lot of matches. And I want him to have these games, because I hope we’ll be much closer to the play-offs next year at this time. So it’s desirable that first [vārtsargs] is ready to play every night, and you have to understand what it feels like to do so, “said Larsen.
“That’s why he’s going to play. I want him to understand in every game how it is – especially against good teams that put pressure. You have to learn to deal with fatigue. Don’t get tired if you’re fighting for the play-offs.” That is why we need to prepare for the situation that we will hopefully have in the future, “said the coach.
For Merzlikin, this is the first season as the first goalkeeper of the NHL team. He has played 51 games this season. He had previously played in a total of 61 matches in the two seasons, mostly with Corpus Christi.
“I’m very grateful to have been given this opportunity to experience it. It’s interesting to go through these nuances, especially to play two nights in a row. It’s not easy, especially in the NHL. There are great teams here. teams in first and last place in the overall standings, “said Merzlikkin.
Merzlikins has helped the team to win 24 games in 51 games this season, repelling 90.4% of opponents and scoring 3.4 goals on average. The statistics this season are slightly worse than the average in the NHL career – 2.93 pips and 91.2%.
“I’m not trying to force my mind to focus too much,” Merzlin said. “I go step by step, puck after puck, throw after throw. I make mistakes, I’m human. Like everyone, I make mistakes, but the most important thing is to deal with them. Even if you make a mistake, you have to keep moving forward. And that’s what I’m doing. “
The Blue Jackets currently rank sixth in the Metropolitan Division with 74 points in 73 matches, while Columbus is ranked 10th overall in the Eastern Conference standings.
