SvoNotes: Tarasov's whirlwind day ends with impressive NHL debut

When Daniil Tarasov woke up and ate breakfast, he probably didn't foresee the series of events that would end with him standing on the ice in Dallas by Thursday evening.
When he went to bed Wednesday night, he was just another young minor league hockey player chasing a dream. One phone call from Blue Jackets director of player personnel Chris Clark changed all that, though, and now Tarasov can call himself an NHL goalie.

Because of sicknesses to regular Blue Jackets goalies Elvis Merzlikins and Joonas Korpisalo, Tarasov had to quickly scramble to get from Cleveland to Dallas for the game. He did just that and was in net as the Blue Jackets posted a 3-2 loss to the Stars.
We'll get to that in a second though. Here's Tarasov's description of his day that allowed him to get to the point he could be on the ice in the traveling whites.
"I just woke up and ate, and Clarky called me and said, 'Hey buddy, you are called up because Korpi is out, so get ready to play if you're needed,' " Tarasov said. "I just packed my suitcase and went to the practice rink, grabbed my gear and went to the airport. A 12:45 flight to here and ready to play the game. Got in around 2, hotel by 3. I had some time to rest a little bit and prepare for the game."
Did he, like all hockey players, get in a pregame nap?
"Short nap, yeah," he said with a smile.
Whether it was simply because he didn't have time to get nervous on such a busy day or because of his makeup, Tarasov didn't seem to let the events of the day get to him. The 6-foot-6 netminder was impressive in the setback, stopping 34 of 37 shots to set a CBJ record for saves in a debut, and he seemed to get better as the game went on.

The 22-year-old from Novokuznetsk, Russia, also didn't let a Dallas goal just 1:08 into the game faze him. He did appear a little nervous in his movements in the opening 20 minutes, perhaps in part because a strong CBJ defense in front of him allowed just six shots on goal in the frame, but Tarasov looked outwardly more comfortable as the Stars' attack gained steam. In all, 29 of his saves came over the final two periods, as he ceded only a pair of goals 49 seconds apart late in the second that turned a 2-1 CBJ lead into the final margin.
He was seemingly at his best in the third period, making a tremendous post-to-post save on Alexander Radulov in the opening minutes and then odd-man rush stops on Miro Heiskanen and Jason Robertson as the frame went on.
"All goalies, I think we say that when you have a lot of shots, it's more easy to play," he said. "You don't think about things, you just keep inside the game and keep playing."
The moxie shown by the youngster, whom the Jackets drafted in the third round of the 2017 draft, was impressive to teammates and coaches alike.
"He's not a goalie that is flopping around, that's for sure," head coach Brad Larsen said. "He's very in control of his game. I said before the game, if he's nervous, he hides it really well. He is just a really calm kid. I'm sure on the inside he had some butterflies. He's not human if he didn't. Your first game in the NHL, you'll never forget that, and he did a heck of a job tonight."
Added captain Boone Jenner: "He looked great. Huge saves down the way there to keep us in it, and he did a tremendous job today for us and stepped in there. I think he's that kind of guy, just calm and goes about it. Him coming in today and jumping right in there, I think he was excited, but he was level-headed. He did a great job."
What's next for Tarasov remains a bit unclear. As an emergency recall, he can be with the team only until Joonas Korpisalo returns to health - Merzlikins did serve as the team's backup, though he was hardly at full strength - so whether Tarasov starts Saturday in Washington or even remains on the roster will depend on factors outside of his control.
In the meantime, he got to experience what he called "a dream come true" on Thursday. The fact the got the call early in the day meant he was able to tell his parents back home that he would play, and at the end of the day the experience included everything he could ask for except the win.
"It was a big day for me, for my family," he said. "I was so excited to play my first NHL game."

Not Quite There

If there was a consensus in the interview room after this one, it was that the Blue Jackets were certainly better than they had been in the previous two losses, a 6-3 setback at St. Louis on Saturday and a 6-0 blanking at the hands of Nashville on Tuesday.
But it was also that Columbus still needs to be better, as the Jackets were unable to get the victory and now have lost three straight for the first time this year. Jenner answered Robertson's early Stars goal in the first with a fantastic individual effort, and the Jackets had an 11-6 edge in shots on goal in a 1-1 game they largely controlled through 20 minutes.
From there, though, Dallas had a 31-11 edge in shots on goal and carried enough of the play to say the Stars deserved the win, their sixth straight. Alexandre Texier did give Columbus a 2-1 lead early in the second, but the back-to-back goals by Tyler Seguin and Robertson again late in the second proved too much to overcome.
"I'd like to generate a little bit more, but it wasn't a lack of effort," Larsen said after the game. "It's a tight game. It's a shot away. We had a couple of looks at their net. Boone with a nice tip there. We missed the net a few times, unfortunately, when we had some docent looks. But the effort was there, so that's a good start."
If there was a noticeable improvement, it was in the team's zone exits defensively, something that caused major consternation in the loss to the Predators. Many of the passes were quick, decisive and on the tape, which allowed Columbus to get out of the zone and play some offense.
Now, it's just a matter of turning in a full 60 minutes and breaking what is now a losing streak.
"I think it was good, but we just didn't find a way to win the game," Texier said. "We just have to get back against Washington (on Saturday)."

A Memorable Gesture

This wasn't the first time these teams met, as Columbus posted a 4-1 victory over the Stars in Nationwide Arena on Oct. 25. Merzlikins nearly had a shutout in the victory, and he was disappointed he was unable to finish it off at the time.
Of course, any goalie would think that when he gives up a late goal with a goose egg on the board, but more was at play. Merzlikins told reporters afterward that he wanted to get the shutout for karma's sake after a fan in a Dallas jersey shouted an insensitive comment toward him as he took the ice for warmups about the offseason passing of friend and teammate Matiss Kivlenieks.
It was the kind of thing that shocked fans and the hockey world, and a number of Stars fans wanted to make it up to Merzlikins in the CBJ return trip. The fan who runs the Twitter account @StarsCountdown suggested that Dallas fans bring signs honoring Kivlenieks to last night's game, and a number of such signs were on the glass as the Blue Jackets took the ice for warmups.
While that fan was unable to attend the game, Dallas season ticket holder Julie Broderick led the charge, making a number of signs for fans to hold up pregame.
"I just wanted to show that one person doesn't ruin everything," she said pregame. "With everything that has happened, (the comment in Columbus) was very insensitive and a terrible thing to do. I don't want that to define Stars fans or have (CBJ) fans think that we're like that because we are not."

While Merzlikins did not play in the game, he did acknowledge the fans in attendance during warmups who brought the signs in support. It was a gesture that shows again that hockey is one big family, something that one bad apple can't ruin.
"I think that's defining to hockey, that we are like a family," Broderick said. "It's more family over sports, but it's still sports. I'll still be rooting for the Stars tonight, but right now I am rooting for Kivi."

Stats and Facts

• The goal Tarasov allowed on a rebound to Robertson just 68 seconds into the game was more than just a rude welcome to the NHL for the CBJ rookie. It also was the fourth straight game in which Dallas scored in the opening 75 seconds, allowing the Stars to become the first team in NHL history to earn that accomplishment.
• Jenner's goal was his team-best 11th of the year, and he's now three beyond his goal total for the whole of 2021. He has seven goals in the last 14 games.
• Texier isn't off to too shabby of a start either with a career-high seven goals in just 21 games.
• Adam Boqvist and Vladislav Gavrikov had the helpers on the Texier goal, giving Boqvist a 3-3-6 line in the last four games and Gavrikov a 2-8-10 mark in the last 12.
• The previous record for saves in a debut for a CBJ goalie was 33, which Merzlikins had in his first game back in 2019.
• The last CBJ goalie before Tarasov to make his NHL debut was Veini Vehvilainen, who did so last March in this same building in a relief role. The previous goalie to start his NHL debut for the Jackets was Kivlenieks, who earned a 2-1 win when he did so Jan. 19, 2019.
• Only three penalties were called, with Columbus going 0 for 2 on the power pay and the Stars finishing 0 for 1.
• Columbus had a 24-19 edge in shots, with Justin Danforth posting a team-high five.
• When Larsen says the Jackets needed to generate more, here's what he means. At 5-on-5 over the last 40 minutes, Dallas had an edge of 47-17 in shot attempts per Natural Stat Trick, not to mention a 2.30-0.57 advantage in expected goals.