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How the Game Was Won: Tom Wilson Calls Game

Photo courtesy of the Washington Capitals

If we were to hand out awards after the first four games of the season, there’s no question who the MVP of the Capitals would be: Tom Wilson. The hottest hand in DC picked up his fourth – and fifth – goal of the year (putting him ahead of an 82-goal pace), potting the game-winning goal in overtime to lift the Caps to victory over the Devils.

So how did it happen? It was the culmination of an excellent shift by Wilson, Dylan Strome (who is off to a strong start in his own right), and Jakob Chychrun, who continues to be a valuable new asset on the team’s blueline.

After one failed attack following an offensive-zone faceoff win, Strome sends the puck out to center ice where Wilson has to circle back to collect it (definitely not on purpose, but we’ll pretend Strome was just trying to get his linemate a head of steam coming back up ice).

Pressured up ice by the dangerous Nico Hischier, Wilson makes a nice behind-the-back pass to Strome, who had dropped back to support, and takes off up the left side of the ice as the Devils go for an ill-advised line change. Chychrun joins the attack on the right side as Strome finds Wilson with a breakout pass:

On the two-on-one, Wilson keeps his eye on Chychrun as if planning to pass…right up until the last second, when he shifts his gaze to the net just in time to fire a rocket under Jacob Markstrom’s glove.

Game. Over. Baby.

It was a wild finish to an even wilder game that really had a little bit of everything (except maybe defense and goaltending, but c’mon, those are overrated). You had lots of goals, including from the captain and new guy Andrew Mangiapane, you had a scrap, you had overtime, you had Tom Wilson doing Tom Wilson things…perhaps not the cleanest game they’ve played, but certainly a fun one.

A big two points for the good guys – happy celebration hops all around!

Talking Points