Greaves playing unlikely hero for Blue Jackets in playoff push

WASHINGTON -- Jet Greaves won’t mind some rest on Monday after helping the Columbus Blue Jackets stay in contention for the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a heavy workload the past four days.

The 24-year-old goalie is embracing the opportunity he’s been thrust into, though, with the hope there’s more to come.

“It's been fun,” Greaves said after making 29 saves in the Blue Jackets’ 4-1 win against the Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena on Sunday. “Playing a lot of hockey, which is always fun. A lot of meaningful games this time of year, so we've been enjoying it.”

Columbus (38-33-9) has won four in a row, including sweeping a home-and-home series with Washington, to climb within three points of the Montreal Canadiens (39-31-10) for the second and final wild card into the playoffs from the Eastern Conference. Each team has two games remaining.

The Blue Jackets are bidding to become the first team in NHL history to qualify for the playoffs by overcoming a five-point deficit in their final three games. But for that to happen, they will obviously need some help, beginning with a win from the Chicago Blackhawks when they visit the Canadiens on "Prime Monday Night Hockey" (7 p.m. ET; RDS, Prime, CHSN).

The Blue Jackets have done their part to keep the pressure on the Canadiens, though.

“I think we're just playing the right way,” defenseman Zach Werenski said. “Everyone's buying in right now. Obviously, we know it's win or go home. Guys are really playing our system right now. We're getting huge saves from Jet, and it's been a fun couple days here.”

Since being recalled from Cleveland of the American Hockey League on an emergency basis after Elvis Merzlikins left the Blue Jackets' morning skate on Thursday with an undisclosed injury, Greaves has gone 3-0-0, stopping 90 of the 93 shots (.968 save percentage) he's faced against the Buffalo Sabres (a 3-2 win on Thursday) and Capitals. That includes making 22 saves to earn his first NHL shutout in a 7-0 home win against Washington on Saturday.

On Sunday, Greaves stopped the final 29 shots he faced after allowing a goal to Alex Ovechkin, who increased his NHL record total to 896, on Washington’s first shot of the game.

“For him to come in here and do what he's doing right now, at this time, in these important games, it's been unbelievable,” Werenski said. “I think it's given our team a big boost. Hats off to him. He's played incredible and obviously played a lot of hockey the last couple days, so a well-deserved day off for him tomorrow."

It would be understandable if Greaves was a little tired. He’s played four games in five days, including a 19-save performance in a 4-3 win for Cleveland against Grand Rapids on Wednesday.

“I'm just grateful to be in this position and have this opportunity,” Greaves said. “It's fun to be playing these games, and I think the guys are doing a great job. It means a lot to all the guys in here just to compete and try to win hockey games. It's a lot of fun to be a part of.”

If there was any question as to whether Greaves will start again at the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; FDSNOH, NBCSP), Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason quickly dismissed it.

“He wants to play, and he’ll play as much as we can get him in there,” Evason said.

Greaves, who is 5-2-2 with a 2.22 goals-against average, .926 save percentage and one shutout in nine NHL games this season, has been the unlikely hero of Columbus’ playoff push, though he’s had plenty of company.

Werenski began the Blue Jackets' comeback on Sunday by scoring for the second straight game, and center Adam Fantilli recorded his second consecutive two-goal game, scoring the goals that made it 2-1 and 3-1.

Fantilli, who was the No. 3 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, is up to 29 goals and 52 points in 80 games in his second NHL season. His growing confidence has been evident along with the rest of the Blue Jackets.

“Felt good to get a goal,” the 20-year-old said. “You want to have everybody pulling on the same rope, and I think our whole team's been doing a great job of doing that.”

The Blue Jackets, particularly Greaves, appeared unfazed after Ovechkin scored on a one-timer 1:10 into the game. After becoming the 184th goalie to allow a goal to Ovechkin, Greaves faced five more shots from the Capitals captain and stopped them all.

That included a stop with his right pad on Ovechkin from the left side at 9:27 of the second period, and a glove save after the left wing cut to the net alone at 17:26 of the second. Both saves came with the Blue Jackets clinging to a 2-1 lead.

“Obviously, it's cool,” Greave said. “I grew up watching him as a kid, and obviously he's the best goal-scorer of all-time. So, much respect for him, and his shot tonight was a great shot. It's unreal to be able to compete against the best players in the world.”

Greaves and the Blue Jackets understand the odds that are against them. They just hope to play another meaningful game on Tuesday.

“Listen, we’re trying to get into the playoffs,” Evason said. “We know where we’re at. ... I don’t know what you’d have to be to not know where we’re at, so everybody knows we have to win. So, we’re conducting ourselves like that. We’re playing hard every night, trying to get two points every night to get where we want to be, and that’s in the playoffs.”