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Columbus Blue Jackets goaltending a focus after OT loss to Washington Capitals: takeaways
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- Columbus Blue Jackets goaltending a focus after OT loss to Washington Capitals: takeaways
Jet Greaves didn't have a definitive answer.
After helping the Blue Jackets get a point Thursday at Nationwide Arena with 35 saves in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Washington Capitals , the rookie goalie was stumped when asked if he knew where he'd spend Friday — Columbus or back in Cleveland with the AHL's Monsters?
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"We'll see," he said, smiling. "Hopefully here."
A short while later, Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason provided a slightly more informative answer after watching Greaves make numerous key saves against the Metropolitan Division's leading team.
"He's earned the right to be here," Evason said. "He's earned it ... and he earned it again tonight."
Here are the game's takeaways:
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves (73) makes a save during the second period of the NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Dec. 12, 2024.
Columbus Blue Jackets may give Jet Greaves clearance to take off
Evason's closing comments on Greaves after the game were vague but telling.
Saying he's "earned the right to be here," didn't provide a timeframe on how long Greaves' latest NHL stint might last, address how far he could climb up the depth chart or explain all the circumstances that prompted the rookie's surprising recall Wednesday.
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All that's been said thus far, publicly, is that Greaves' excellence in the AHL was a factor along with something else that happened in Columbus — which neither Evason nor Don Waddell, the Jackets' president of hockey operations/general manager, care to discuss.
Waddell told the Dispatch that No. 1 goalie Elvis Merzlikins had "played a lot and looked tired," in the Jackets' sluggish 5-3 loss Tuesday to the Philadelphia Flyers , and Greaves was a deserving relief option .
Evason, meanwhile, declined to say whether Greaves can turn this opportunity into a stretch as the Blue Jackets ' new No. 1 option. Stay tuned. Friday's practice was called off, so Evason likely won't reveal his starter against the Anaheim Ducks until Saturday at Nationwide Arena.
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves (73) makes a save during the third period of the NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Dec. 12, 2024. The Capitals won 2-1 in overtime.
Columbus Blue Jackets sticking with three goalies ... for now
The main questions about the Blue Jackets' goaltending situation are now about how long they'll carry three NHL goalies and how they'd return to two if needed. Greaves' spot was created by adding Yegor Chinakhov (upper body) to injured reserve, which left them with a forward shortage after Justin Danforth (lower body) also missed the Washington game.
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Will the Jackets eventually return Greaves to Cleveland, since he doesn't require NHL waivers for that move? Will the front office keep him in Columbus and risk losing backup Daniil Tarasov — a healthy scratch Thursday — via waivers? How will Greaves' latest NHL tryout impact Merzlikins, who's making $5.4 million per season and has two additional years left?
Also, could Greaves actually render Merzlikins a well-paid NHL backup?
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (90) saves a shot during the second period of the NHL hockey game against the Philadelphia Flyers at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2024.
Those are all questions the Blue Jackets must answer at some point, but all we currently know is that Greaves is sticking around longer. His start against the Capitals felt like an audition, which the undersized rookie with a quick catching glove crushed.
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"I don't think he cares," Evason said. "He (doesn't) care. He's a perfect example of not caring about who, where or when you play. You just play, and he just goes about his business. There's nothing flashy. It's just simple, sound and effective. So, yeah, that was impressive."
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves (73) stops a shot from Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson (74) during the second period of the NHL hockey game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Dec. 12, 2024.
Care to read between the lines there?
Greaves, meanwhile, is saying all the right things during a potentially awkward situation.
"My attention is where my feet are," he said. "(It's) just kind of 'one day at a time' and control what I can control ... and we'll see what happens (Friday)."
Washington Capitals center Dylan Strome (17) congratulates Washington Capitals center Aliaksei Protas (21) on scoring the game-winning goal during overtime of the NHL hockey game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Dec. 12, 2024. The Capitals won 2-1 in overtime.
Columbus Blue Jackets struggle to 'play north' again
After Evason described his team's approach Tuesday against the Flyers as "south and soft," the Blue Jackets wanted to open strong against the Capitals.
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Instead, they spent much of the first period, and game, chasing the puck around while defending inside their own zone. The Blue Jackets were outshot 11-6 in the first, 37-33 in the game and relied heavily on Greaves to bail them out. He did on all but two occasions against Aliaksei Protas , who won the game in OT, but that's not how Evason wants the Jackets to play. They still didn't get the puck moving north enough, struggled to forecheck and only closed the gap in shots thanks to five power plays.
The good news was drawing those penalties, but they've hit a rut after lighting up the scoreboard with goals galore through the first quarter of the season.
"Yeah, that's fair," Evason said. "We're struggling with that a little bit too, and I guess maybe it happens, right? We're fortunate to get a point. We're going to take that. The negative is we didn't get two, but the positive is we did get one. We know that our game is in there. It's just got to be brought out, and it's our job as coaches to get it out of them."
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves (73) redirects a puck in the air over right wing Mathieu Olivier (24) and Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun (6) during the first period of the NHL hockey game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Dec. 12, 2024. The Capitals won 2-1 in overtime.
Columbus Blue Jackets' penalty-kill finally ended a frustrating streak
Another positive for the Blue Jackets was the end of a dubious streak.
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They didn't allow a power-play goal to the Capitals, which ended a 14-game slide in which they had. Greaves helped end it, but the biggest reason was the Blue Jackets staying disciplined enough to give up just one power play. That's not exactly going 5-for-5 on PKs, but it could spark a turnaround.
Prior to the streak, the Blue Jackets ranked 12thin the NHL in penalty-killing at 82.5% from the season's start through Nov. 10 in Anaheim. The streak began two days later in Seattle and continued for more than a month. During the slide, the Jackets' PK success was just 62.8%, which sent their season percentage hurtling off a statistical cliff at 71.4% (30th in the league).
Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jake Christiansen (2) hits Washington Capitals center Aliaksei Protas (21) during the second period of the NHL hockey game at Nationwide Arena in Columbus on Dec. 12, 2024.
According to Hockey-Reference, the Blue Jackets would've become one of only 15 teams in NHL history to have a streak last 15 games had they allowed another power-play goal. Ending it at 14 made them one of just 26 teams in league history to have one last that long.
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The New Jersey Devils set the record at 22 in 1985-86, while the most recent before the Blue Jackets to have one span at least 14 games were the Edmonton Oilers in 2003-04.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Jet Greaves tops takeaways from Blue Jackets' OT loss to Capitals
