Columbus Blue Jackets react to mid-season coaching change
Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner, center Sean Monahan and defenseman Zach Werenski share their thoughts on a surprising coaching switch.
Just when Rick Bowness felt he had seen everything in the NHL, the veteran coach inherited goalie Elvis Merzlikins with the Blue Jackets.
Merzlikins has a unique personality, even when compared to his oft-enigmatic goaltending peers, and an unorthodox decision during an intense 3-on-3 overtime Jan. 17 in Pittsburgh was a first for both Bowness and Blue Jackets president/general manager Don Waddell.
Seconds after calmly making his fifth of six saves in overtime, Merzlikins stood up, saw Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski circling with the puck and reached for his water bottle. As Werenski looped behind his net to start a breakout, Merzlikins squeezed the bottle for refreshment.
“Don pointed that out to me,” Bowness said after practice Jan. 19 at Nationwide Arena. “I said that to the guys today … I said, ‘I’ve been around the league 50 years. I have never seen that.’ So, we took a look at it, and there he is drinking water as Z’s going behind the net with the puck.”
Merzlikins didn’t think it was a big deal. He was calm and confident, not to mention parched, after stopping Penguins forward Brett Kulak on a rush up the right wing with 2:50 left in overtime.
“I saw Z with the puck, going to the back of the net,” he said. “I knew there was going to be a breakout. Yes, I was really thirsty, but I just felt confident. There’s nothing that can happen. They are breaking out. [Kirill Marchenko], I saw he was [gaining] speed, so I had those two or three seconds time of drinking quick two sips and that’s it. No big deal.
“Trust your teammates. I completely trusted my teammates, and all good.”
Merzlikins made 29 saves before stopping three of four Pittsburgh shootout attempts to help the Jackets push their winning streak to four games with a 4-3 shootout victory. Two of the saves he made in overtime came against Penguins star Evgeni Malkin from close range.
He earned a couple of squirts of water.
“Honestly, you can’t make that stuff up, right?” Bowness said. “That’s trust. We’ve talked a lot about trusting each other and being connected? That’s trust. Gotta love it.”
Blue Jackets reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at [email protected] and @BrianHedger.bsky.social
