For the second straight game, Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson finds himself earning some ill will from the Pittsburgh Penguins’ fan base.
After knocking Penguins defenceman Brian Dumoulin out of Game 2 of the two teams’ series, connecting on a hit wherein his shoulder appeared to connect with Dumoulin’s head — the Capitals winger was not handed any supplemental discipline as a result of the play — Wilson came up with another thunderous, questionable check in Game 3.
This time around it was Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese taking the contact, as Wilson lined up the rookie midway through the second period and connected up high once again.
No penalty was handed out on the play. Washington’s Chandler Stephenson scored a minute after the hit in question to temporarily level the score at 2-2.
A slew of penalties were handed out soon after, though, as tensions grew between the two clubs. Wilson was handed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty late in the second period after coming to blows with Pittsburgh’s Jamie Oleksiak, who was handed a simultaneous cross-checking penalty.
Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin waded into the physical back-and-forth as well, the latter earning a cross-checking call against the former amid the melee.
Washington went on to win 4-3 via a late goal from Ovechkin. Head coach Mike Sullivan said after the game that Aston-Reese suffered a broken jaw and a concussion as a result of the hit from Wilson, and will require surgery.
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