Columbus Blue Jackets lose key players as they prepare to play against the Washington Capitals

At this point, there's no timeline for a return for either player and with Columbus on the edge of playoff elimination, a single regulation win by the Canadiens or a Jackets regulation loss would seal their fate.

Therefore, it wouldn't be surprising to see both players shut down for the remainder of the season.

Elvis Merzlikins continues to recover from an undisclosed injury that kept him out of Thursday's 3-2 win over Buffalo.

With a back-to-back game against Washington this weekend, you can expect Daniil Tarasov and Jet Greaves to split the goaltending duties.

It's also been a rocky season for Elvis Merzlikins who posted a 26-21-5 record, a .892 save percentage and a disappointing -2.52 goals saved above expected.

Jake Christiansen on his side exited Thursday's win with an upper-body injury in just his second game back from a previous one ad while it's unclear if it's the same issue, it's another blow for the blueliner, who had started to find his place in his first full NHL season.

This season has been a wild and frustrating ride for Columbus despite if you also add the accident involving Johnny Gaudreau and his brother. It would have been the perfect year to make a playoff appearance after several years of missing it.

The Jackets sit fourth in the Metro at 36-33-9 and they are six points behind Montreal for the final wild card spot.

With four games left and the odds stacked against them, they'll try to keep the dream alive Saturday at 12:30 p.m. EST.