Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks, who made his season debut in Friday's 5-2 loss to Detroit, will get to see the Red Wings again on Saturday. The Latvian netminder couldn't hang on to a 2-0 lead on Friday, allowing three goals on 34 shots. Detroit finished the game with a pair of empty-netters. Kivlenieks has recorded only seven career appearances, so he's a very inexperienced goalie at this level. With the team in awful form as well, his chances of a good bounce-back performance on Saturday seem slim.
Matiss Kivlenieks Makes Season Debut Versus Detroit
Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks will make his first appearance of the season in Friday's home game against the Red Wings. The 24-year-old will head into the encounter with a 1-1-2 career record through four starts. He has registered a 2.95 goals-against average with an .898 save percentage. Kivlenieks has been sharp in the AHL this season, going 6-1-0 with a 2.27 goals-against average and a .926 save percentage for the Cleveland Monsters. Detroit boasts the worst offense in the league with a 2.07 goals-for average, so it's a good spot for Kivlenieks to grab his second career win.
