As the Blue Jackets wrap up what's been a disappointing season, there will be a new face in net this weekend.
Today on Hockey and Hounds, head coach John Tortorella confirmed that Matiss Kivlenieks would start one of the games this weekend vs. Detroit. The Blue Jackets will host the Red Wings for a back-to-back on Friday and Saturday night as the clubs battle for last place in the Central Division. Both teams have played 54 games, and the Blue Jackets have the slight edge in points: 46-45.
Kivlenieks hasn't played in an NHL game since March 28th, 2020. That's 404 days. In his brief NHL career, he's 1-1-2 with a .898 save percentage and 2.95 GAA. The Latvian netminder hails from the same hometown as Elvis Merzlikins: Riga. Kivlenieks was undrafted, and he has one more year on his entry-level contract after this one. He'll be a restricted free agent after the 2021-22 NHL season.
Throughout the season, Tortorella has praised the work ethic of Kivlenieks as he's bounced around from the AHL to the practice squad to backing up Merzlikins these past few games. He'll get his opportunity this weekend.
Elsewhere, Andrew Peeke will draw in.
"We'll play Kivi in net," said Tortorella. "We're going to give him a chance in goal. I'm going to probably put a couple of other defensemen in, I'm not sure who. Forward lines will probably stay the same. We're going to look at some other people. Peeke will play on defense in one of the games, I'm not sure if one or two. Like I said the other day, I felt that the lineup we were putting out there was probably the best lineup out of the players that are with us right now. I felt we needed to play our best lineup through games that meant things to the league and the playoff race."
Nashville still hasn't clinched a playoff spot, but the Blue Jackets and Detroit are dwelling in the basement right now, so it makes sense that Tortorella is going to shuffle the deck this weekend and give some other players a chance.
