Please view the full post for updates on The Hockey News and upcoming magazinesHockey is almost back, and we have everything you need to be ready with our Playoff Preview! Arena News Fan Zone But was he ready for the NHL, the best league in the world? “I really feel in a five-game series, I think they both will probably play,” Tortorella said They're both capable. As we all know, when you come to the NHL, that really doesn’t mean that much at first. A nearly three-week competition between Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins ended on Sunday with John Tortorella naming the 26-year-old, five-year NHL veteran as the Columbus Blue Jackets’ starting goaltender for the Stanley Cup Qualifiers. A post shared by Elvis Merzlikins (@merzly) on Feb 15, 2020 at 12:56pm PST View this post on Instagram A post shared by Elvis Merzlikins (@merzly) on Jan 26, 2020 at 3:54pm PST View this post on Instagram A post shared by Elvis Merzlikins (@merzly) on Jan 26, 2020 at 9:29am … Having said that, the GM made sure to tamp down the hype at first.“Every player that comes from outside the culture will have adjustments to make,” Kekalainen said. I was in the perfect spot in the perfect moment." “I saw a cloud, or a fog, because I didn’t know what to expect.”It didn’t help that Merzlikins couldn’t buy a win early on. Watch as David Pastrnak gathers the puck just in front of Elvis Merzlikins and scores five-hole to get the Bruins on the board against the Blue Jackets. Now, Columbus appears to be in great shape for the future. “I’m really happy, I like everything here. I like the city, I really love my teammates, I like the organization, especially the fans. News, analysis, opinion, scores, and stats, from the NHL and hockey leagues around the world.The rookie netminder had never played in North America before and there were some major adjustments to make. Share. It was his first game action since March, when he played five games after recovering from a knee injury suffered in an overtime loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Dec. 29.
But thanks to fan support and a great inner circle, he became a shutout machine for the Blue Jackets.When goalie Elvis Merzlikins came over to North America last summer, the affable Latvian netminder brought with him a rock-star aura from his time dominating the Swiss League. I like the city, I really love my teammates, I like the organization, especially the fans. With Sergei Bobrovsky gone to the Florida Panthers, Korpisalo took over as the starting goaltender to open the 2019-20 season and responded to the opportunity as well as anybody could’ve hoped. Elvis Merzlikins | Steven Ellis/The Hockey News. Multimedia At the time of the season’s pause, his five shutouts in 33 games was the best ratio in the NHL among goaltending regulars.The whole roller coaster was a lot to take in for the Latvian national, but with the help of his inner circle, he now understands how to better understand and deal with pressure. “It took me a little bit – how quick it is, the shots from bad angles – and when I practised with Manny and adjusted, I got better. He has been with the publication since 2005 and in that span, Don Cherry, Lil Jon and The Rock have all called his house.
