The Columbus Blue Jackets have undoubtedly had a solid season, considering everything they have endured.
As of this writing (Tuesday night, April 15), the Blue Jackets are 38-33-9 for 85 points. They are four points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, and while there is a good chance that they will miss the Stanley Cup playoffs, their fans should be happy with what they were able to do this season.
With that said, there is a chance they would be in a wild card spot had they decided to give goaltender Jet Greaves more playing time. Greaves, 24, is currently (As of Tuesday night, April 15) 5-2-0-2 with a 2.22 goals-against average, a .927 save percentage, and one shutout.
Greaves has especially been hot as of late. He was named the league’s first star for the week ending on April 13.
Here is what he did for his hockey club last week:
- April 10th versus the Buffalo Sabres: Stopped 39 of 41 shots (.951 save percentage) and got the win.
- April 12th versus the Washington Capitals: 22-save shutout victory.
- April 13th versus the Capitals: Stopped 30 of 31 shots (.968 save percentage) and got the win.
If you are counting at home, Greaves picked up three wins, posted a .968 save percentage, and had one shutout last week. Thanks to the play of Greaves, the Blue Jackets entered this week alive in their fight for a playoff spot.
There is a lot to like when it comes to Greaves. For starters, he plays a very simple game.
Greaves does a good job of controlling his rebounds, coming up with the big save when his team needs one, staying in position to make second and third stops if necessary, and using his 6’0 size to take up a lot of the net. By playing this way between the pipes, he makes things very easy for his teammates.
Another thing to like about Greaves is that he has been consistent this year. Not only is he currently playing well at the NHL level, but he was playing very well in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Cleveland Monsters before he got called up to the Blue Jackets.
With the Monsters this season, Greaves is currently (As of Tuesday night, April 15), 21-11-6 with a 2.62 goals-against average, a .920 save percentage, and three shutouts. When you put these statistics with what he has done in the NHL this season, it shows that Greaves knows how to win hockey games and stop pucks consistently.
Jet Greaves has also shown the franchise that he can thrive under pressure. It may be a long shot for the Blue Jackets to make the playoffs, but Greaves has come in and won must-win games for this hockey club and has done so in convincing fashion.
He stymied the Capitals in back-to-back games by stopping 52 of 53 shots. Before that, he made 39 saves in a big victory over the Sabres.
Yes, both of those teams had no pressure on them as their respective fates were already sealed, one being the top team in the East (Capitals) and one missing the playoffs once again (Sabres). With that said, Greaves came in and did what he had to do to keep his team’s playoff hopes alive.
One has to wonder why Greaves was not called up sooner. The team’s two other goaltenders, Elvis Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov, have not exactly been great this season.
Merzlikins, the team’s starter, is currently (As of Tuesday night, April 15) 26-21-0-5 with a 3.18 goals-against average, a .892 save percentage, and one shutout, while Tarasov is currently 7-10-0-5 with a 3.54 goals-against average, a .881 save percentage, and one shutout.
With the way Jet Greaves has played this season with the Blue Jackets and with the team in general (8-9-0-2 with a 2.85 goals-against average, a .918 save percentage, and one shutout), he should be given every opportunity to be the team’s starting goaltender come next season.
ITR 37: Round Two – Inside The Rink
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