Washington Capitals' forward Tom Wilson could be facing another suspension for a late blindside hit on Jonathan Marchessault in the third period Monday night in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. The hit, which was called interference after Marchessault was sent to the locker-room to undergo concussion protocol, was made after Marchessault made a pass up the ice.
The hit came with around 14:15 left in the third period of the Golden Knights' 6-4 win, with the game tied 4-4 at the time.
Wilson's history of borderline hits won't do him any favors with the NHL's Department of Player Safety, but he insists it was a good hit that may have just been a little late.
"I haven't obviously slowed it down and looked at it but I think he'd probably say he shouldn't have admired his pass and I'm just finishing my check," Wilson said, via The Washington Post. "I've been told it was, you know we're talking tenths here. I don't know. I think it's game speed I felt like I delivered it in good time. I think he let up a little bit because he wasn't aware I was there and I know I finished him through his body. He might have been a little bit surprised by it, but it wasn't an aggressive hit. He looked fine at the end when he was yelling at me from the bench."
The Golden Knights have a different perspective on the legitimacy of the hit.
"I saw the hit. I remember everything," said Marchessault, per ESPN, who returned to the ice after clearing concussion protocol. "It was a late hit. I don't really need to talk more about it. I think the league will take care of it. We know what type of player he is out there. You gotta keep your head up and try to make the play. I didn't make the play, I was a little late, but whatever.
"I have the puck, I'm trying to make the play, I see [Vegas forwards Reilly Smith and William Karlsson] going through, a couple seconds go by, and I just get blindsided. I'm not a guy that makes those decisions, but I'm sure the league is going to take care of it," he added.
The Golden Knights' Ryan Reaves was blunt in his evaluation. "It was a late blindside hit like Wilson always does," he said, via ESPN.
Vegas coach Gerard Gallant commented on Wilson's style as a bruiser, but thought the hit was late nonetheless. He said Wilson is an "old-school player" but "for me, it was a late hit," from ESPN. Gallant went as far as to say it should have been a major penalty, per NBC Sports' Tarik El-Bashir.
Wilson, however, isn't phased by the Golden Knights not liking him. "You always have a reputation," he said, per The Post. "Obviously when you play my physical style you're going to build up a reputation. I trust myself. I try and play, I play the game hard. It's my job to bring that energy and that physicality."
Wilson has been suspended once already this postseason for a hit on the Penguins' Zach Aston-Reese. The hit on Aston-Reese was an upward launch that broke Aston-Reese's jaw and gave him a concussion. The force of the hit catapulted Wilson into the Capitals' bench.
Capitals coach Barry Trotz said he expects the winger to be on the ice in Game 2 after the hit on Marchessault.
Losing Wilson would be tough on the Capitals. Although he's historically not a goal scorer, Wilson has four goals in these playoffs and has often shared a line with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, who are first and second on the team in goals, respectively. The Capitals went 2-1 against the Penguins without Wilson in the East semifinals, but they don't want to find themselves shorthanded against Vegas.
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "NHL Playoffs 2018: Will NHL suspend Tom Wilson for questionable hit on Jonathan Marchessault?"
Post a Comment