"Greatest picture in hockey": NHL fans react to viral image of Washington Capitals squad staring at Elvis Merzlikins after scoring OT goal

The Columbus Blue Jackets’ Elvis Merzlikins, a formidable goalkeeper, found himself at the center of attention during an interesting moment at Nationwide Arena on Thursday night. Despite making 30 fantastic saves in a tough contest against the Washington Capitals, Merzlikins was featured in a viral picture that has taken the hockey world by storm.

Following Alex Ovechkin’s dramatic overtime goal, the Capitals’ players were seen staring collectively at Elvis Merzlikins, who was in the net. Ovechkin’s power-play goal, after a 14-game slump, gave them a 3-2 win and added another twist to the game’s narrative post-script.

This intense look is what has caused social media to explode with responses as people try to take this apart and speculate on what happened then.

Looking at some different emotions displayed by fans, such as amusement and curiosity, which mirror how engaging that snapshot is and how it affects the larger scope of the game,.

The viral image clicked by Ben Jackson of NHL Getty Images stands as an example of how unexpected and dramatic incidents have helped people fall in love with this sport. The incident makes for a most intriguing chapter, as fans look forward to seeing what happens next.

Elvis Merzlikins faces overtime drama in Capitals' 3-2 Victory against Blue Jackets

The Washington Capitals won a hard-fought 3-2 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets in overtime, thanks to a power play goal by the legendary Alex Ovechkin at 4:06 of extra time.

Anthony Mantha played a pivotal role for the Capitals, opening the scoring with a power-play goal at 18:24 of the first period by redirecting a shot from Ovechkin.

Despite the Blue Jackets' efforts, with Cole Sillinger tying the game 1-1 at 15:18 of the second period and Yegor Chinakhov knotting it up again at 2-2 at 12:49 of the third period, the Capitals displayed resilience.

The moment that decided this game took place during overtime, as Ovechkin found himself on the right end of a power-play winner.

The win was their third in successive matches, bringing a series of winning streaks to an end. Mantha’s contribution and Ovechkin’s drought-breaking heroics show that Washington has some good offense.

Meanwhile, goaltender Elvis Merzlikins had a difficult night; he made 30 stops but could not hold off the unrelenting Capitals’ attack. With 7 wins, Merzlikin's current statistics, including a GAA of 3.17 and a save percentage of 0.909, reflect both the team's defensive challenges and his commendable efforts in the net throughout the 21 games played this season.