Columbus Blue Jackets rookie Elvis Merzlikins will make his return in goal Sunday night against the Canucks in Vancouver, British Columbia, coach John Tortorella announced.
Merzlikins, a surprise standout this season for the Blue Jackets who has the most shutouts among rookie goalies, has been out since Feb. 24 with a concussion.
He is 12-9-8 with a 2.39 goals-against average and a .922 save percentage. His five shutouts are one shy of the league lead.
Merzlikins was back with the team on Saturday and dressed as the backup in the Blue Jackets’ 4-1 loss to Edmonton.
Ahead of Columbus’ game Sunday night, the Blue Jackets were in a tie with the Hurricanes and Islanders for the two Eastern Conference wild-card slots (with 79 points).
This article was originally published by Espn.com. Read the original article here.