The game between the Capitals and the Blue Jackets on Thursday developed into the battle between Tom Wilson and Elvir Merzlikins.
It’s not the first time Wilson is after a player, trying everything to get under the skin of his opponent, but it’s not every day we see a goalie losing it and eventually going after a player.
But there were several incidents between Merzlikins and Wilson that eventually led to the goalie losing it.
Earlier in the game, Wilson appeared to slash Merzlikins as he tried to get hold of the puck, which led to the goalie slashing Wilson back. Then, in the third period, all hell broke loose, which would lead to a game-deciding goal for the Capitals.
Merzlikins was called for a minor roughing penalty after pushing and shoving Wilson, who had crashed the crease and ended up back in the net.
Wilson ended up there after receiving a shove from Kent Johnson, but Merzlikins explained postgame he felt that Wilson was after him, and that he could’ve been seriously injured because of him.
Several Capitals players reacted to Merzlikins’ shoving of Wilson, and when they eventually decided the game via an Alex Ovechkin goal on the following powerplay, they were sure to let Elvis know who just got the last laugh.
As players swarmed the ice to celebrate Ovi’s goal, they all ended up staring down Merzlikins, and a photographer managed to get the moment captured with one of the greatest NHL photos we’ve ever seen.
“HANG IT IN THE LOUVRE,” the Capitals said on X about the photo.
“File this under ’Hockey Images That Go Hard’,” said Sportsnet.
“All-time photo,” the account Gino Hard, with more than 200,000 followers, said.
When the Capitals celebrated, and everyone turned to Elvis, it appeared that Dylan Strome also yelled, ‘F—k you, Elvis!'”
