Bad news:As Capitals most best player departs’the team in tears…..
Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson is no stranger to the NHL’s Department of Player Safety.
Wilson has been suspended five times and fined another two times for crossing the line with his physical play.
Since the start of the 2013-14 season, Wilson has been the most-penalized player in the regular season with 1,096 penalty minutes, through games played on May 3, 2021. (Vancouver Canucks left winger Antoine Roussel is second with 919).
Here’s a look at all of Wilson’s suspensions and fines:
Sept. 22, 2017
Wilson was suspended for two preseason games for interference for a late hit along the boards on St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas during an exhibition game. Wilson was not assessed a penalty for the hit during the game. Besides coming more than a second after Thomas lost control of the puck, the NHL’s Department of Player Safety cited the “predatory nature” of the hit.
“I didn’t go through it; I saw it real briefly just on the monitor,” then Capitals coach Barry Trotz said of the hit. “I didn’t think anything of it, but obviously they did. And they watch that a lot closer than we do. I was a little surprised. But whatever decision that they have, we’ll handle it.”read more: NHL’s suspension explanation
T.J. Oshie and Alex Ovechkin each had a goal and an assist while Charlie Lindgren stopped all 18 shots he faced as the visiting Washington Capitals blanked the Boston Bruins 3-0 on Saturday afternoon.
Oshie’s power-play goal at 1:05 of the second period held up as the game-winner before Dylan Strome and Ovechkin added insurance markers in the third to help the Capitals snap a six-game winless streak (0-5-1) that started on Jan. 20.
Ovechkin scored his 57th career empty-net goal with 27 seconds left, breaking a tie with Wayne Gretzky for the most in NHL history. It was also Ovechkin’s 834th goal, pulling him within 60 of Gretzky on the NHL career goals list.
Lindgren preserved his third shutout of the season with 10 stops in the third period.
Boston recorded just four shots in each of the first two frames and finished the game 0-for-4 on the power play.
Wilson was suspended for four games for boarding Blues forward Samuel Blais in both teams’ final preseason game. Wilson hit Blais from behind and drove him into the boards. Wilson received a five-minute major for boarding and a game misconduct. This infraction, just nine days after his first suspendable hit, earned Wilson the repeat offender tag.
“For the majority of the past four seasons, you watch pretty much every one of my hits in frame by frame, tenth by tenth seconds, and you can’t find one thing that’s wrong with it,” Wilson told the Washington Post. “They’re textbook body checks broken down even slow. You have to trust yourself. It’s such a fast game.
“That being said, you know what, (being out of the lineup) wasn’t a good feeling. Maybe when I’m approaching a hit, think about it a little more and make sure, 100%, that the outcome is going to be clean and make sure the guy’s going to be in a good spot after I hit him and take into account all of those things.”
Jeremy Swayman made 25 saves in his second straight loss for the Bruins.
The first period rolled without a stoppage until Boston’s Hampus Lindholm was called for holding at 7:49. Washington dominated the frame, holding a 15-4 shots advantage while Boston went without one until Anthony Richard’s backhander at 8:40.
Swayman made several strong saves to keep the Capitals off the scoreboard, including flashing the glove to rob Ovechkin on a point-blank chance with 4:27 left.
A five-minute major power play for Washington — after a Matt Grzelcyk spearing call and game misconduct with 1:47 left in the first — led to Oshie drawing first blood early in the middle frame.
Max Pacioretty set up the opening goal, slipping a pass from below the right goal line across to Oshie in the left circle, where he fired a wrist shot that beat Swayman over the glove.
Washington doubled its lead at 3:24 of the third. Strome collected an Ovechkin feed as he slid down the slot and beat Swayman upstairs.
Bruins coach Jim Montgomery opted to pull Swayman in favor of an extra skater during a late power play, but Ovechkin broke out of the penalty box for the last-minute empty-netter.
Richard was making his Bruins debut after being recalled from Providence of the American Hockey League on Thursday.
