Apr 27, 2025; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Washington Capitals proper wing Tom Wilson (43) celebrates along with his teammates on the bench his aim in opposition to the Montreal Canadiens in the course of the third interval in recreation 4 of the primary spherical of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bell Centre. Necessary Credit score: David Kirouac-Imagn Pictures Washington Capitals rugged ahead Tom Wilson has made his mark on the Jap Convention first-round collection in opposition to the Montreal Canadiens, and his head coach would not have it another means.
Wilson, famous person Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals will look to dispatch the upstart Montreal Canadiens and advance to the convention semifinals on Wednesday when the groups play Recreation 5 of their collection in Washington.
The Capitals gained their first two dwelling contests of the best-of-seven collection earlier than salvaging a break up of the subsequent two video games in Montreal, courtesy of a 5-2 resolution on Sunday.
Brandon Duhaime tallied twice within the Capitals’ four-goal third interval and Dylan Strome and Anthony Beauvillier every contributed to increase their respective level streaks to 4 video games. Strome collected a aim and an help to offer him seven factors (two targets, 5 assists) within the collection, whereas Beauvillier notched an help to push his complete to 5 factors (one aim, 4 assists).
Whereas Wilson capped the scoring by changing into the empty internet, it was his hit on Canadiens defenseman Alexandre Provider that arrange Duhaime’s aim to forge a 2-2 tie early within the third. That modified the momentum of the sport, in response to Capitals coach Spencer Carbery.
“They simply do not make them like Tom Wilson anymore,” Carbery mentioned, per the Washington Put up. “Such a rarity of his mixture of physicality — I am even bringing in his management, his competitiveness. There’s simply so many qualities, for all of them to be in a single participant, they only do not make them. They don’t seem to be there. They don’t seem to be within the league.
“(In Recreation 4), it is not a aim. It is not an help. It is not a play. It is his physicality. … Willy’s hit within the impartial zone there’s a good, clear examine, and we counter that. We get that puck, and we’re proper on the assault instantly. It is a momentum-changing play from a participant that — yeah, he is only a huge a part of our group, and people are the issues that he can do.”
Wilson can also do another issues as everyone knows. Sure, he usually walks the road — and a few say he routinely steps over it — in relation to the foundations of the sport. His skirmish with Montreal’s Josh Anderson on the finish of the second interval of Recreation 3 earned him a recreation misconduct and a $5,000 effective from the NHL.
The Canadiens cannot get sidetracked by Wilson’s antics or another points given they’ve zero margin for error.
“We preserve pushing and we consider within the guys we have now within the room,” Montreal ahead Cole Caufield mentioned. “Now there is not any extra losses or the season’s over. We have simply obtained to be prepared for the subsequent one, attempt to preserve it so simple as potential. We have now to remain centered on the subsequent shift and discover a approach to get the job completed.”
Caufield has scored a aim in consecutive video games to spice up his complete to a few within the collection.
Lane Hutson arrange a pair of targets in Recreation 4 to turn out to be the sixth rookie defenseman in NHL historical past to document no less than 5 assists in his first playoff collection.
Sam Montembeault was injured halfway via Recreation 3 and sat out Recreation 4 in favor of rookie Jakub Dobes, who completed with 21 saves. Montembeault stays day-to-day with a lower-body harm.
–Discipline Stage Media
