Thrilling Game 1 of Stanley Cup Finals blemished by vicious blindside hit
Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals was Monday, and fans looking for an exciting contest were not disappointed.
The Las Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Washington Capitals 6-4, but the game was closer than the final score suggests. The Golden Knights took a 1-0 lead in the first period, only for the Capitals to respond with two quick goals.
Las Vegas scored two more goals of their own to take a 3-2 lead, then the Capitals did the same. However, the Golden Knights were able to hold the Capitals at four goals, while they scored three unanswered, including an empty-netter late that secured the victory.
Despite the exciting back-and-forth game, what people were talking about afterward was a dirty hit early in the third period that came courtesy of Capitals forward Tom Wilson.
With the score tied at four apiece, Wilson threw a late check on Golden Knights star Jonathan Marchessault, approaching from Marchessault’s blindside and colliding hard with him.
Tom Wilson….you can’t do that pic.twitter.com/HF4mORSowc
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 29, 2018
Marchessault hit the ice hard and had to leave the game, though he returned just minutes later. Wilson, meanwhile, was sent to the penalty box for two minutes for interference, per ESPN. However, Las Vegas didn’t even get a power play, as the Golden Knights’ David Perron was also penalized for cross-checking at the same time.
Afterward, the Golden Knights expressed their displeasure with what they saw as a dirty hit.
“I saw the hit. I remember everything,” said Marchessault. “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.”
Jonathan Marchessault on Tom Wilson: “I saw the hit. I remember everything. It was a late hit…..the league is going to take care of it.”
— Emily Kaplan (@emilymkaplan) May 29, 2018
Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant expressed similar sentiments, saying his coaching staff was “upset” about the “big hit.”
It’s not the first time Wilson has been called out for a seemingly late and dirty hit.
During the Capitals’ second-round playoff series against the Penguins, Wilson was suspended three games for a hit that broke Pittsburgh forward Zach Aston-Reese’s jaw. He has also served suspensions in both the preseason and the regular season for other infractions.
But after Monday’s loss, Wilson said he saw nothing wrong with his hit on Marchessault.
“I believe it was a good clean hit,” he said. “It’s playoff hockey, there’s going to be big hits, it’s a contact sport. You always have your reputation. When you play my physical style, you’re going to have that reputation. I trust myself. I play the game hard. It’s my job to bring that energy, that physicality. Right after (Marchessault) got up he said ‘good hit.’”
Tom Wilson on his reputation and the hit: “You always have your reputation. When you play my physical style, you’re going to have that reputation. I trust myself. I play the game hard. It’s my job to bring that energy, that physicality. Right after he got up he said ‘good hit.’"
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) May 29, 2018
It remains to be seen whether or not Wilson will be suspended for this latest hit.
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