Yahoo Sports Red Wings Reveal Their Starting Goalie
It's game day, baby.
The Detroit Red Wings, with a 15-18-4 record, will travel to Ohio to face the 16-16-6 Columbus Blue Jackets. The Blue Jackets have a 4-3-3 record in their last 10 games. This will be the first game in the season series between the two clubs.
The Blue Jackets are coming off of a 4-3 shootout win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Adam Fantilli scored the game-winner, his eighth goal of the year.
Cam Talbot starts tonight for Red Wings at Columbus
— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) January 2, 2025
Cam Talbot is tasked with protecting the Red Wings net tonight. Unfortunately for the Red Wings, December was not kind to the veteran netminder.
By mainstream metrics, he was the worst goalie on the Red Wings roster for December. He had a record of 0-4-0 to go along with a 3.96 goals against average (GAA) and a .869 save percentage.
He still has respectable numbers when you zoom out and look at the entire season. A 2.98 GAA and a .906 SV% are nothing to be embarrassed about.
According to Moneypuck, Talbot has a Goals Saved Above Expected of 6.0. That has him ranked 17th among all goalies in the NHL. Before this unfortunate stretch, he was ranked in the top 10.
On the other end of the ice, Elvis Merzlikins is the projected starter. He is sporting a record of 12-9-3 in 24 games. Additionally, he has a 3.07 GAA, a .891 SV% and one shutout.
Tonight's game begins at 7 P.M. Eastern Standard Time.
Will tonight be the game that helps Talbot turn his game around? Or will he find himself on the outside looking in?
Find out tonight.
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