Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins probably won’t be exchanging Christmas cards with Tom Wilson this year. On Thursday night, Merzlikins trapped the Washington Capitals forward in his net and got a well-earned roughing penalty after wailing on him.
The Capitals and Blue Jackets were tied 2-2 in overtime when Wilson went hunting for a rebound in front of Merzlikins. Columbus forward Kent Johnson rode Wilson into the net, and chaos erupted from there.
Merzlikins went to fetch his stick, which was underneath Wilson when the Capitals’ most prolific pest gave him a shove. That sent Merzlikins into a rage, and he pummeled Wilson until a linesman was able to separate the two.
On the ensuing Capitals power play, Alex Ovechkin ended his 14-game goal drought when he blew a wrist shot past Merzlikins for a 3-2 win.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Merzlikins said he felt like Wilson was targeting him throughout the game. The Blue Jackets netminder said he was simply defending himself.
“It’s an emotional game,” Merzlikins said. “He slew-footed me [on the] very first shift, and he was after me all game long. I was trying to grab my stick. I got punched in the head. Before that, I’m pretty sure he was trying to get me hurt. I was trying to get my stick. I got punched. Well, I’m gonna try to defend myself.”
Columbus coach Pascal Vincent didn’t quite see it that way. In his postgame press conference, Vincent said Merzlikins’ outburst lost the game for his team.
“That incident cost us, and we have to control our emotions there,” Vincent said.
Vincent added that Wilson’s job is to get under the skin of his opponents, and Merzlikins gave Wilson the exact reaction he wanted.
“Tom Wilson’s job is to get in people’s face — in the goalie’s face,” Vincent said. “He’s creating a lot of emotions. The emotions were high. He did what he had to do. We reacted. Cost us the game.”
KVSP