Timing. It’s everything.
Maybe Nic Deslauriers didn’t know who Buffalo’s next opponent would be after he nailed Justin Williams on Monday night, then whooped it up after beating Michael Latta in a fight shortly afterward.
Maybe he did.
Whatever the case, it’s set the stage for what promises to be a pretty compelling rematch tonight at Verizon, where the Caps host the Sabres after beating them 2-0 on Monday in Buffalo.
Latta said Deslauriers "thought he beat me pretty good." Latta said he wouldn't have celebrated quite like that.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) December 30, 2015
.@ZacBoyer asked Latta how he and Wilson decide who takes on Deslauriers on Monday.
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) December 30, 2015
"Whoever gets to him first."
It’s pretty clear Washington didn’t think much of Deslauriers’ celebration. Head coach Barry Trotz said it was “karma” the Caps scored shortly afterward, adding that he thought Deslauriers “play[ed] it up a little bit.”
While Latta would no doubt like a rematch, he’s out of tonight’s game with an arm injury suffered in the fight. Another tough guy, Zach Sill, has been called up from the AHL to fill the void, but the real potential for fireworks could come from Wilson.
Regarded as one of the most dangerous hitters in the game, Wilson has a reputation as someone that takes the body to injure opponents -- like he did during last year’s playoffs, knocking Isles d-man Lubomir Visnovsky out of the series.
Per a Sportsnet report from earlier this year, Wilson was the subject of complaints from rival GMs, who wanted the NHL’s Department of Player Safety to step in and warn him for his transgressions.
MORE: Wilson says ‘I’ve never been a dirty hitter’ after teams voice complaints
As for Deslauriers, he said he’s ready for anything.
“For sure, there could be some things going on out there -- and it could be really quiet,” he said, per the Buffalo News. “We’ll just see. I’m here to play hockey. I’m not here to fight every single game. We’ll try to get a win down there.”