Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Can't stem tide against Penguins

Merzlikins stopped 36 of 40 shots in Tuesday's 5-3 loss to the Penguins.

Pittsburgh's final goal was scored into an empty net. Merzlikins played well and made a number of big saves against the rest of the Pens to keep his team in the game, but he couldn't deny Sidney Crosby -- the future Hall of Famer scored on all three of his shots on the night. Merzlikins has a rough 1-3-3 record over his last eight appearances with a 3.48 GAA and an .893 save percentage, and while his performance has improved significantly since last season, Columbus' defensive play in front of him remains a work in progress.