Tom Wilson laid a momentum-shifting bodycheck on Montreal Canadiens defenseman Alexandre Carrier that helped turn the tide of Game 4.
Not only did Wilson’s big hit lead directly to Brandon Duhaime’s game-tying goal 6:39 into the third period, but it spurred the Capitals on to three more tallies in the final stanza to take Game 4, 5-2. Now with a decisive 3-1 lead in the first-round playoff series, the Capitals can eliminate Montreal on Wednesday night at Capital One Arena.
“(Tom’s hit) completely changed the momentum in the game, and that’s a prime example of one of the elements that he brings to the game,” Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said. “And he does so many different things, and everybody in here knows how impactful he is, how unique he is. You saw firsthand how [significantly] he can play a role in a team coming back and winning a hockey game in the most important time of the year.”
The play started innocently enough. As Carrier looked to move the puck up the ice, Wilson caught the defender unaware, driving his shoulder into the Habs defender. The puck eventually made its way to Jakob Chychrun, who flipped the biscuit high into Montreal’s zone. Duhaime tracked down the aerial feed after it clanged off Mike Matheson and beat Dobes with a shot that ricocheted off Cole Caufield. Though Duhaime admitted Tom’s physicality made scoring a challenge.
“Tom just smokes a guy at center ice, so I was kind of admiring that,” he said.
The kabong, as Craig Laughlin would call it, was Wilson’s fifth of six total hits in the game, leading all Capitals players. Per the Monumental broadcast, Wilson hit Carrier skating 15 miles per hour. Christian Dvorak, who was in the penalty box serving a penalty, stood up and looked down to make sure Carrier was okay.
“That was one of the most brutal hits I’ve seen,” former Capitals goalie Brent Johnson said on Monumental Sports Network.
Carrier, who was clipped earlier in the leg by Alex Ovechkin, stayed on the Canadiens’ bench with an ice pack on his neck before eventually departing to the team’s locker room, via NHL.com’s Dan Rosen.
After Duhaime’s first of the night, the Capitals would rattle off three more goals in the remaining 13:21 of the game. Both Duhaime and Wilson notched empty-netters to seal the win. Wilson, who has been loudly jeered by Habs fans during the series, made sure to give his Canadian friends a hello along the glass after scoring his first goal of the 2025 postseason.
Wilson now has three points (1g, 2a) and 16 hits through four playoff games. After getting into a bench brawl with Josh Anderson and serving 12 minutes of penalties in Game 3, Wilson played a completely clean Game 4 in 21:16 of ice time, leading all Caps forwards.
“It’s been a difficult series both ways,” Wilson said. “Getting hit, giving hits. They’ve been really physical. It’s a long series, and you’re trying your best and continuing to play hard every time you’re out there.”
The alternate captain’s contribution to his team’s success earned glowing reviews from his peers in the locker room.
“Well, I don’t even make his head any bigger, but he’s been huge for us,” goaltender Logan Thompson said. “You know, he’s the heart and soul of this organization, right? When he’s making plays, big hits, we feed off that. Especially in our home rink, I think the whole building feeds off it. So, you know, he’s a huge part of this team, and, yeah, no, we love him.”
With Wilson sitting next to him at the podium, Thompson tempered his praise somewhat, miming his head inflating after complimenting Wilson’s work.
“He does it all for us: hits, goals, fights,” Duhaime added. “He just is a true leader for us, and he truly does it all.”
