Another game, another controversial hit by Tom Wilson.
Whether you thought Wilson deserved to be suspended for his hit from Game 2 on Brian Dumoulin or not, you would be foolish to expect the Washington Capitals agitator to be a wallflower in Game 3. Instead, he’s at the center of another controversy during what’s become a heated, nasty, and entertaining second period between the Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Wilson delivered a hard but unpenalized hit on Zach Aston-Reese this time around, bloodying the Penguins forward. Aston-Reese appeared to throw his glove at the Capitals bench on his way off the ice. (Check out footage of that collision in the video above this post’s headline.)
Update: The Penguins announced that Aston-Reese was diagnosed with a concussion and broken jaw.
Coach Sullivan confirms that as a result of the Tom Wilson hit in the 2nd period, Zach Aston-Reese has a broken jaw that will require surgery as well as a concussion.
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) May 2, 2018
[NBC’s Stanley Cup Playoff Hub]
During the moment of Wilson’s hit, the Penguins shook off John Carlson’s opening goal to rattle off a 2-1 lead. Less than a minute after that big collision, Chandler Stephenson tied the game up 2-2 to a chorus of boos.
The middle frame fireworks continued when Jake Guentzel made a fantastic play to set up Sidney Crosby for a 3-2 goal. You can watch the game live here.
We’re now accepting students for the Jake Guentzel School of Dangles.
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) May 2, 2018
...And the Sidney Crosby School of Scoring. pic.twitter.com/XGZZYj1nSp
In case you want to see it again, here’s that Wilson-Ovechkin hit on Dumoulin.
The Capitals ended up beating the Penguins 4-3 to take a 2-1 series lead. More on that here.
UPDATE: Wilson will have a DoPS hearing on Wednesday.
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.