Elvis Merzlikins clarifies unusual moment with former teammate Egor Chinakhov

Saturday in Pittsburgh, Merzlikins stopped 29 shots and Columbus grabbed a 4-3 shootout win, their fourth straight and a clean 3-0-0 start under new coach Rick Bowness.

That's the stuff that matters in the standings.

But the clip making the rounds is the little private duel inside the bigger game.

Chinakhov came in on Merzlikins and scored, then gave him a bump that felt more like a grin than a provocation.

Merzlikins explained it perfectly afterward, Chinakhov usually attacks from the other side, so he didn't know what was coming on the move.

Then Elvis, being Elvis, cracked, «You already scored, why are you bumping me?»

I'll be honest, for the Blue Jackets fans out there, that kind of laugh says the room is lighter than it was a month ago.

This team still plays with bite, but it's starting to look like they're enjoying the work again.

The context matters, too.

Chinakhov is only a couple weeks removed from the trade that sent him from Columbus to Pittsburgh, after the Jackets got Danton Heinen plus a 2026 second-rounder and a 2027 third-rounder.

Chinakhov was the 21st pick in 2020, and he's still just 24 with that heavy release.

Merzlikins is 31 now, carries a $5.4 million cap hit, and he needs wins exactly like this to steady his season.

Pittsburgh pushed late, Sidney Crosby tied it with 1:01 left, but Columbus didn't blink in overtime or the shootout.

The funniest part is Merzlikins admitting he's «down 1-0» in their personal series, even though he got the two points.

That's a goalie talking like a teammate, not a guy hiding behind a mask.

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