In the first game of the season, “Blue Jackets” lost to the Minnesota “Wild” team with a score of 2:3 (0:1, 1:1, 1:1).
Merzlikin managed 23 of 26 opponents’ shots, saving 88.5% of shots.
In the 18th minute of the game, Matt Boldy beat Merzlikin, but Kent Johnson equalized at the beginning of the second period. In the 37th minute of the game, Juel Eriksson Ek restored the home team’s advantage, but in the 50th minute, Mats Zuccarello put “Wild” in the lead with 3:1. Boldy also assisted on both goals scored by his partners.
One goal for the guests was recovered less than three minutes before the end of the regular time by Zek Werenskis, but “Blue Jackets” could not save themselves from the loss, even replacing Merzlikin with the sixth player.
“Wild” goalkeeper Filip Gustafsson caught 31 of 33 pucks.
The next match “Blue Jackets” will play on Saturday, when they will play hockey players of Colorado “Avalanche”.
Balinska’s “Panthers” lost to the Ottawa “Senators” team with a score of 1:3 (0:2, 1:0, 0:1).
Balinskis played 18 minutes and 20 seconds, of which two minutes and 31 seconds were in the majority, and 46 seconds were in the minority. The Latvian defender scored once, used one power play and recorded a negative efficiency coefficient of -1.
In the sixth minute of the game, the home striker Tims Shticle opened the scoring, but in the 11th minute, Shane Pinto made it 2:0. At the end of the second period, Gustavs Forslig recovered one goal for the guests, however, 70 seconds before the end of the regular time, Šticle stood out for the second time, sending the puck into the empty “Panthers” goal.
Home goalkeeper Linus Ullmark, who joined the club from the Boston “Bruins” before the season, saved 30 of 31 shots in his debut game for the “Senators” and was recognized as the best player of the match.
In the opposite goal, Sergej Bobrovskis saved 28 of 30 shots.
Last season’s champion “Panthers” will play their next match on Saturday, when they will meet the Buffalo “Sabres” team.
Overall, the Panthers are in sixth place in the Eastern Conference with two points in two games.