Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins most likely will not be exchanging Christmas playing cards with Tom Wilson this 12 months. On Thursday night time, Merzlikins trapped the Washington Capitals ahead in his internet and bought a well-earned roughing penalty after wailing on him.
The Capitals and Blue Jackets have been tied 2-2 in additional time when Wilson went looking for a rebound in entrance of Merzlikins. Columbus ahead Kent Johnson rode Wilson into the online, and chaos erupted from there.
Merzlikins went to fetch his stick, which was beneath Wilson when the Capitals’ most prolific pest gave him a shove. That despatched Merzlikins right into a rage, and he pummeled Wilson till a linesman was capable of separate the 2.
On the following Capitals energy play, Alex Ovechkin ended his 14-game objective drought when he blew a wrist shot previous Merzlikins for a 3-2 win.
Talking to reporters after the sport, Merzlikins mentioned he felt like Wilson was focusing on him all through the sport. The Blue Jackets netminder mentioned he was merely defending himself.
“It is an emotional sport,” Merzlikins mentioned. “He slew-footed me [on the] very first shift, and he was after me all sport lengthy. I used to be making an attempt to seize my stick. I bought punched within the head. Earlier than that, I am fairly positive he was making an attempt to get me harm. I used to be making an attempt to get my stick. I bought punched. Nicely, I am gonna attempt to defend myself.”
Columbus coach Pascal Vincent did not fairly see it that method. In his postgame press convention, Vincent mentioned Merzlikins’ outburst misplaced the sport for his staff.
“That incident price us, and we’ve got to manage our feelings there,” Vincent mentioned.
Vincent added that Wilson’s job is to get underneath the pores and skin of his opponents, and Merzlikins gave Wilson the precise response he needed.
“Tom Wilson’s job is to get in individuals’s face — within the goalie’s face,” Vincent mentioned. “He is creating plenty of feelings. The feelings have been excessive. He did what he needed to do. We reacted. Price us the sport.”
