This Elvis Merzlikins save at worlds has left us all shook up (Video)
Elvis Merzlikins is a 22-year-old goalie from Latvia, representing his team at the IIHF world championships in Russia.
Based on his save against Russia in Monday’s game, he might also be a wizard, a telekinetic mutant or a clone born from a single strand of Dominik Hasek’s hair.
Russia’s Sergei Mozyakin held the puck near the Latvian goal. Luckily for him, two Latvian defenseman were pulled to center ice by a powerful electromagnet – or at least that’s our assumption, given how they flew by him.
So it was on Elvis, a 2014 third-round pick for the Columbus Blue Jackets, to act as the last line of defense, and boy howdy did he: Making a full body lunge to his left, and deflecting the puck down off the post with his blocker after it flew past his glove.
It was Heartbreak Hotel for that shooter. He’s probably All Shook Up. Suspicious Minds might think that save is an optical illusion, but we Can’t Help Falling In Love with it.
Alas, Latvia remains In the Ghetto when it comes to the IIHF world championships, losing 4-0 to Russia despite Merzlikins’s exceptional play in facing 37 shots. Their record dropped to 0-1-2 for the tournament.
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Greg Wyshynski is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at [email protected] or find him on Twitter. His book, TAKE YOUR EYE OFF THE PUCK, is available on Amazon and wherever books are sold.
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