3 Takeaways From the Blue Jackets’ Frustrating 4-1 Loss to the Avalanche

Elvis Merzlikins was one of the few bright spots for the Blue Jackets, stopping 32 of 35 shots in a game that might have been much more lopsided without him. The night also featured a pregame ceremony for Cam Atkinson, who signed a one-day contract to retire as a Blue Jacket, the team that drafted him and where he spent ten of his 13-year career.

Here are three takeaways from Thursday’s contest.

Merzlikins Continues Strong Start

Merzlikins stopped 32 of 35 shots and made several key saves to keep the game close, especially through the second period. Two goals came off deflections, and one he did not see from way out, but he stayed composed and gave his team a fighting chance.

Through two starts, he has a .920 save percentage (SV%), stopping 80/87 shots. Despite the high shot total, he has a 1-1-0 record, including a 52-save performance in Saturday’s 7-4 road win over the Minnesota Wild. The team, however, has yet to support him and backup goalie Jet Greaves offensively.

“Right from the first shift, they started putting pressure on,” Merzlikins said. “They were coming hard all game, every line and every shift. It was a couple of unfortunate situations for us – two tipped shots, and one where I couldn’t completely see it. That’s hockey sometimes. You just battle through it.”

Merzlikins added that despite the pressure, he felt the team was still in the game.

“They’re a team that comes fast and makes plays, but I still felt like we were in it. I just tried to stay calm and keep us in the game. We’ve got to take the good things and build from there.”

Special Teams Holding Blue Jackets Back

On Thursday, the power play again failed to make much of an impact. The Blue Jackets went 0-for-2 and managed only three shots on goal, winning two of four faceoffs. The unit looked slow, disconnected, and lacked urgency moving the puck. Head coach Dean Evason pointed out that it came down to work ethic and compete level, not just for the power play units, but for the entire team.  

“They have good players and so do we. That’s not how we play. We were passive tonight. We were soft. We’ve got to play hard. If we’re going to win hockey games, we’ve got to play hard, and we didn’t play hard enough tonight to win.”

He also mentioned the team’s inability to make in-game adjustments. 

“We talked about it on the bench, playing more aggressively and getting after it. But it felt like we were sitting back and waiting for them to build speed. That’s not who we are. Our work ethic has to be way higher than it was tonight.”

The Blue Jackets’ special teams have been among the NHL’s worst to start the season. The power play has converted just 9.1% of its chances, ranking 29th in the league, while the penalty kill sits dead last with a 53.3% success rate. Those numbers have hurt them in every close game and must improve for the team to get back on track.

Blue Jackets Show No Urgency

Columbus was outshot 36-23 in the game, registering only seven shots in each of the first two periods and nine in the third. They spent too much time playing passively, relying heavily on the dump-and-chase, instead of generating sustained offensive pressure. Outside of the final 10 minutes of the first period, they struggled to establish any rhythm in the offensive zone.

Evason again emphasized the need for pace and pressure: “We talked about it on the bench, playing more aggressive and getting after it. But it felt like we were sitting back and waiting for them to build speed. That’s not who we are. Our work ethic has to be way higher than it was tonight.”

Provorov echoed those same thoughts after the game, as the team committed 22 giveaways. 

“Overall, I just don’t think we really played our game,” he said. “That made it difficult on ourselves. When we’re not skating or moving the puck the way we can, it’s hard to get to our identity.”

The Blue Jackets’ October gauntlet continues when the Tampa Bay Lightning (1-2-1) come to town for a Saturday night matchup at 7:00 PM EDT.