Columbus Blue Jackets out 'grind' New York Islanders: 3 takeaways
Late in the first period Wednesday night at Nationwide Arena, Maxim Tysplakov hit the afterburner entering the Blue Jackets’ zone.
More: Replay: Elvis Merzlikins shines to help Columbus Blue Jackets shut out New York Islanders
The New York Islanders forward split two defenders, barreled toward the Columbus net and eyed up how to beat goalie Elvis Merzlikins for the game’s first goal. Merzlikins, meanwhile, glued his full attention on Tysplakov before stonewalling him with a dazzling save in the Jackets' 2-0 shutout victory.
“I just try to delete all pressure that I have,” Merzlikins said. “I just want to go play (and) be relaxed. If you do that well, then by the end of 60 minutes, the result is going to be a good one. That brings us wins, brings us points, brings us (higher) in the standings. It’s just a snowball, right?”
That’s one way to describe the impressive 5-3-1 start to the Blue Jackets’ season. They’ve now got 11 points and wake up Thursday holding one of those “way too-early" wildcard positions in the Eastern Conference. Not bad for a team that analysts universally projected as one of the NHL’s worst before the season.
Here are three takeaways from another eye-opening win:
Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins shares shutout of New York Islanders, still stinging about lost zero
Letting a shutout slip in the Blue Jackets’ 6-1 rout of the Edmonton Oilers on Monday still smarts for Merzlikins, who slammed his stick in disgust after Mattias Ekholm spoiled that effort with 26.8 seconds left.
Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason used the goalie's emotional response as a teachable moment and had a talk with Merzlikins about individual priorities and team accomplishments ― specifically how the latter was more important than the former. Merzlikins followed it up with another brilliant effort to shut out the Islanders, making note of two things afterward: blanking New York was a team accomplishment and, well, you know, it could’ve been a second straight shutout.
Some habits die hard. A postgame question referencing Ekholm’s goal incorrectly began with a statement that it was scored with 28.6 seconds to play, which Merzlikins corrected while smirking.
“Twenty-six,” he said.
All goalies enjoy putting up a zero, but none more than Merzlikins.
That may never change, but he did give full credit to his team for blocking 20 shots, clearing loose pucks from dangerous areas and giving him open lanes to see through. Merzlikins' shutout was the 11th of his NHL career, first of the season and first since blanking the St. Louis Blues, 1-0, on Jan. 30, 2024 at Enterprise Center.
“We just have to keep working as hard as we are working now.” Merzlikins said. “It’s obviously a nice feeling, as well, the shutout. It’s definitely not just me. It’s ‘team.’ They helped me a lot. They really worked hard for this, so this is our shutout ... could be two in a row.”
Columbus Blue Jackets capitalize on scheduling quirk, post impressive Metropolitan Division victory
A lot is now being said about the number of opponents the Blue Jackets have faced as those teams concluded back-to-backs that began 24 hours earlier in different cities.
The Islanders were the sixth team the Jackets faced under those parameters in their first nine games, which is now being used by some to besmirch their solid start. While there is validity to the assertion that back-to-back games tend to weaken legs in the second game, especially after arriving late the night before in a new city, that shouldn’t tarnish the Blue Jackets’ record.
They still had to capitalize by winning games, which happened in four of those six games.
That should be seen as the mark of an improving team, rather than an explanation for why the Blue Jackets are better than projected. Columbus has also struggled against the Metropolitan Division the past three years, its own division, including the Islanders sweeping a three-game series last season.
"I know the schedule has been in our favor recently, but it’s going to get us in the end," defenseman Damon Severson said. "(You) can’t use it as an excuse, because we’re going to be on the back half of back-to-backs, as well, for teams that are waiting for us. But division games are massive. We were able to do a good job and get the win.”
Columbus Blue Jackets learn to win a different way
Until this game, the Blue Jackets had scored six goals in each of their previous four victories.
That wasn’t going to hold for long, especially against a stout defensive team like the Islanders. The Jackets knew what to expect against New York, which is comprised of big, heavy, experienced veterans who make each game a slog. As Merzlikins matched Semyon Varlamov save for save in a goaltending duel, the quickly maturing Blue Jackets turned the Islanders’ two biggest assets, patience and persistence, against them.
“The players were saying (in the locker room), ‘It’s a boring game, just stick with it, we’re not opening anything up,’” Evason said. “We’re not playing defensively, but we’re playing stingy, the same as they were. We just wanted to go about our business, and the exciting part for our coaches is the players were saying that prior to us saying it. That’s a real good sign.”
It’s the sign of a team maturing while still leaning heavily on “young” players up and down the lineup. Look no further for a reason to believe in this team’s ability to surprise the NHL this season than what they pulled off Wednesday.
“You’ve got to find a way to win in different ways, whether it’s a 1-0 game or a 6-4 game, 5-4 game, whatever it is,” defenseman Ivan Provorov said. “You’ve got to adjust your game, as a team, but also play the right way.”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets out 'grind' New York Islanders: 3 takeaways
