COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Elvis Merzlikins made 32 saves in his first start since coming off injured reserve, Cam Atkinson scored his team-leading seventh goal and the Columbus Blue Jackets beat the Nashville Predators 3-0 on Thursday night.
Merzlikins, who hadn’t started since Jan. 31 because of an upper-body injury, picked up his first shutout of the season and the sixth of his career.
“I had too many rebounds in front of me, and (the team) took care of me,” he said. “They blocked the shots when I wasn’t there. It’s hard, especially after an injury, after a few practices to catch up (to) that level.”