Goalie · #90

Elvis Merzlikins

Columbus Blue Jackets

Age: 32
Catches: Left
Height: 191 cm
Weight: 86 kg
Born: Riga, LVA
Draft: 2014, round 3, #76 (CBJ)

Career · 2019–20 to 2025–26

Games: 273
Save %: .900
GAA: 3.22
GSAx: −51.1
Wins: 108
HD save %: .767

Saves by danger

Model-based

Average goalies stop nearly every low-danger shot; the great ones separate themselves on the hard chances.

Save percentage by danger tier

Bars start at .600 so the differences show.

Low danger

3978 of 4129 saved

.963

.969

Medium danger

2704 of 3165 saved

.854

.867

High danger

687 of 896 saved

.767

.755

Rebound control

−0.05

704 rebounds allowed; 700.4 expected for this shot mix

Goals saved above expected

−51.1

769.9 xG faced

Where the goals went in

Model-based

Each red dot is a goal allowed. The shading shows where this goalie faced more (red) or fewer (blue) shots than an average goalie per 60 minutes.

Goal Saved MissedBigger marks were better chances (higher xG).

Fewer than league averageMore than league average(red is bad: more shots against)

Glove side, blocker side

Model-based

Where the shots on goal came from, relative to the goalie’s glove hand, and how the saves compare with the league.

Save percentage by angle and distance

From the shooter’s view, with the net at the top. Elvis Merzlikins catches with the left hand, so the glove is on the right here. Blue zones beat the league save percentage for the same zone; red fall short. Grey: fewer than 10 shots.

Blocker sideGlove side

Hover a zone for the numbers.

By side

Goals saved (+) or allowed (−) compared with a league-average save rate on the same shots.

Glove side.910
3056 shots · 275 goals · league .910−1.2 goals
Straight on.871
2002 shots · 259 goals · league .882−23.0 goals
Blocker side.908
3129 shots · 287 goals · league .912−12.0 goals

The NHL’s public data records where a shot was taken, not where it crossed the goal line, so a true glove-high, blocker-low map isn’t possible. The side the shot came from is the closest honest stand-in: a wide shot from the glove side mostly tests the glove.

By shot type

Model-based

Which shots beat this goalie, against what the shot quality predicted.


Wrist	4,051	353	.913	248.6	−104.4
Snap	1,765	196	.889	151.9	−44.1
Slap	1,002	87	.913	48.9	−38.1
Backhand	626	60	.904	54.0	−6.0
Tip-in	505	96	.810	46.2	−49.8
Deflected	139	19	.863	13.1	−5.9
Wrap-around	66	2	.970	3.1	+1.1
Poke	17	4	.765	2.2	−1.8
Bat	16	3	.813	2.3	−0.7
Between legs	2	1	.500	0.1	−0.9
Cradle	1	0	1.000	0.0	0.0