Merzlikins confident he could handle being No. 1 goalie for Blue Jackets

Elvis Merzlikins said he could handle the responsibility of being the No. 1 goalie for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Stanley Cup Qualifiers if he beats out Joonas Korpisalo for the right to start Game 1 of the best-of-5 series against the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Aug. 2 (8 p.m. ET).

"Even if the pressure is going to be heavy, I know what I have to do to handle it," Merzlikins said Wednesday. "I'm not trying to put any pressure on myself because it's going to be new. It's something that I have to discover and live it and see how it's going to be."

Though neither Merzlikins nor Korpisalo have played in an NHL postseason game, confidence is high after each helped Columbus tie the Arizona Coyotes for third in goals-against per game (2.61).

Korpisalo (19-12-5, 2.60 goals-against average, .911 save percentage, two shutouts) was the starter until a Dec. 29 knee injury kept him out eight weeks. Merzlikins (13-9-8, 2.35 GAA, .923 save percentage, five shutouts) started 21 of the next 24 games, going 12-5-4 before Korpisalo returned Feb. 24 and started four of the final five before the NHL paused the season March 12 due to concerns surrounding the coronavirus.

"We're not one of the 12 teams in the [Eastern Conference] playing now, in the summer, if our goaltending doesn't carry us," coach John Tortorella said. "They were the backbone of our team. Each one of them took a part of the season and really stood in there for us. It's exciting to see and that's why I say I'm not sure who will start this series because they're both deserving of it.

"Right now, to me, it'd be a coin toss."

Merzlikins lost his first eight games (0-4-4) and his season reached a nadir with a 4-3 loss at the Winnipeg Jets on Nov. 23, when Tortorella said the rookie cost the Blue Jackets the game because he tried to do too much.

"[After the loss to the Jets], I thought he really concentrated on, you're not supposed to win the game for us, you're supposed to keep us in the game and let the other guys in front of you win the game," Tortorella said. "It was a great learning experience for him, that Winnipeg game. I think that really propelled him mentally as far as what it is to play in the National Hockey League."

Merzlikins made 36 saves and picked up his first NHL win, 4-1 against the Florida Panthers on Dec. 31, and had five shutouts in an eight-game stretch from Jan. 11-Feb. 7 to help the Blue Jackets climb back into the playoff race. He finished second in GAA and third in save percentage among rookies with at least five starts. His five shutouts were tied for second among all goalies (Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights; Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins), one behind Connor Hellebuyck of the Jets.

Now, he'll have to be better than Korpisalo, who is also out to prove he's just as capable navigating through uncharted territory in the qualifier series, where the winner advances to the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs and the loser will have a chance at the No. 1 pick in the 2020 NHL Draft in the Second Phase of the NHL Draft Lottery on Aug. 10.

"That's a question that's unanswered," Tortorella said. "It's going to be fun to watch because I was worried going into the season, I wasn't sure what it was going to be. If someone else in this organization says they weren't, they're lying to you. I'm not questioning how are they going to handle it. I'm anxious to see who steps up and takes it. I feel better about this situation, new to them, than it was new to them coming to play the regular season, because I think they've grown mentally."