The Washington Capitals were down by a goal in the third period of their contest against the Montreal Canadiens. It seemed like a game that was full of bad bounces and bad luck for the Caps. Between the Habs scoring two leaky goals and forward Tom Wilson taking a puck to the face in the first period, it was almost a lost cause for Washington.
But then Wilson played hero for the Capitals after his scary incident. With his cheek swollen and looking like a softball was growing out of it, he managed to not only keep playing, but score the game-tying and game-winning goals his team.
Midway through the third period, Wilson went hard towards the net as his teammate shot the puck. He managed to knock the rebound back towards the goalie and the seeing-eye puck wound up in the back of the net.
A few minutes later, Wilson came up even more clutch. After the team forced a turnover, he put himself in an open position between the face-off dots. A quick pass put the puck perfectly on his blade and he rifled a wrist shot past Canadiens’ goaltender Sam Montembeault.
The Capitals would add another to secure a 4-2 victory over the Habs. It was another impressive victory for the Caps as they continue tearing up the Eastern Conference.
The game also continues an impressive season for winger Tom Wilson. The Capitals’ alternate captain is a huge presence on the team, but his offensive production has been even more important this year. Through the first 27 games, he has 11 goals, 11 assists, and 22 points.
In a very surprising turn, Wilson’s also produced this much without taking superfluous penalties. The winger has a career high of 187 penalty minutes in a season, but has just 28 minutes spent in the penalty box through the first 27 games. It’s a huge reduction for one of the most penalized and watched players in the game.