COLUMBUS, Ohio — There’s no waiting your turn in professional sports. Earning a roster spot in the NHL isn’t a matter of biding your time, it’s a result of one player taking another player’s job. The door is never held open for you; you have to blow it off the hinges.
We might be in the nascent stages of such a transformation with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Goaltender Jet Greaves, called up from AHL Cleveland a day earlier to start for the Blue Jackets on Thursday, was the best player on the ice for the home club, making 35 saves in a tight game that ended with a 2-1 overtime loss t0 the NHL-leading Washington Capitals.
Aliaksei Protas scored his second goal of the game at 2:21 of the extra period to end it before 15,982 in Nationwide Arena.
“Fantastic. Yeah, fantastic,” Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason said. “I’d argue he — obviously it’s a team game, but I’d argue that he won a point for us. For us to get a point in that game, we’re fortunate.
“There’s nothing flashy. It’s simple and sound and effective. I was impressed.”
This is not Greaves’ first taste of the NHL. It’s the third straight season he’s played his way out of the AHL and into an NHL sweater, but it’s the first time he’s done so under the watchful eye of a new general manager (Don Waddell) and a new coach (Evason).
Greaves’ biggest cheers on the night came with 6:34 remaining in regulation when he made a flurry of saves to keep the game tied 1-1, and post-game when he was named the game’s third star.
“He was awesome,” said defenseman Zach Werenski. who scored the Blue Jackets’ only goal. “So steady in net, so sound. He made all the big saves. It was fun watching him.
“He obviously has worked hard for this. We would have liked to get the win for him, but he played a hell of a game.”
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Greaves, who looked particularly sharp with his glove, has an underwhelming record at the start of his NHL career: 3-7-1. But many of the games have been similar to Thursday’s, when he deserved a better fate. Greaves’ NHL save percentage (.915) is dramatically better than other Blue Jackets goaltenders.
And it should be noted that the Blue Jackets have scored only 16 goals in his eight losses. On Thursday, Greaves held the Capitals off the board until Protas scored off a one-time from the slot only 31 seconds into the third period.
“There are a lot of positives I’ll take going forward, but also some things that I’ll learn from and get better at,” Greaves said. “We’ll watch it (the film) and learn and go from there.
“I saw (the OT goal) a little bit. I would have liked to have that one for the guys, but it is what it is.”
So where does this go from here?
The Blue Jackets have said that starter Elvis Merzlikins, who served as Greaves’ backup on Thursday, was fatigued and needed a break. That makes sense given Merzlikins’ workload in starting 12 of the 13 games prior to Thursday. But then why not turn to Merzlikins’ backup all season, Daniil Tarasov?
Evason was clear on Wednesday that Greaves had earned this chance with his play in Cleveland, but he also allowed that an opportunity had been “created somehow.”
The Blue Jackets can carry three goaltenders on the roster, sure, but that’s not an ideal situation for any of the three. Greaves is the only one who can be sent to Cleveland without needing to clear waivers, but after Thursday’s performance, it’s hard to see him leaving anytime soon.
Asked if Greaves’ outing will earn him a chance to stay, Evason smiled: “Yup. Sure does.” He declined to elaborate.
Greaves said he has not been told what the Blue Jackets’ plans are for him. He was called up after Tuesday’s 5-3 loss to Philadelphia, and raced to Columbus the next morning for practice. He hasn’t asked any questions, either, he said, just focused on getting ready to play.
“For me, my attention is where my feet are, just kind of one day at a time and control what I control and we’ll see what happens tomorrow,” Greaves said.
Asked if he was even sure where he’d be on Friday, Greaves chuckled. “We’ll see. Hopefully here,”
The Blue Jackets are off on Friday ahead of Saturday’s game vs. Anaheim. It doesn’t sound like Greaves is going anywhere for now.
“He’s earned the right to be here,” Evason said. “He’s earned it. And he earned it again tonight.”
(Photo: Joseph Maiorana / Imagn Images)