It’s not everyday that an entire forward line sits in the penalty box together, but exactly that happened during the Capitals’ 5-2 win over the Ottawa Senators Wednesday night.
Barry Trotz’s new first line consisting of Nicklas Backstrom, Alex Ovechkin, and Tom Wilson all took minors in a 44-second span in the second period and had a penalty party in the Wilson Box.
17:07 into the second period, the chaos began. After taking a hit by Cody Ceci near the benches, Ovechkin swung his stick overtop the Senators’ skater in search of an odd-man break. Ovi’s stick caught Ceci’s mush, forcing play to be whistled dead.
But boys will be boys and as Tom Wilson skated into the zone, Ben Harpur cross-checked him in the face.
Nicklas Backstrom didn’t like that too much so he came to the enforcer’s defense.
Ovechkin tries to stop a murderous Nicklas Backstrom from killing/ being killed by Sens #Capsgiving #Caps #CapsSens pic.twitter.com/heUuhAs11q
— kotik🏒 (@hockeykot) November 23, 2017
Tom, who was not penalized on this play, had some, uh, choice words for Harpur.
During the resulting penalty kill, Wilson would take a penalty 44 seconds later.
Thus reuniting the entire first line together in the box.
Best.
The Capitals entire first line is in the penalty box pic.twitter.com/gVIPZQbBEw
— Ian Oland (@ianoland) November 23, 2017
Used to be a time when every #NHL 4th line would regularity hang out in penalty box like that & talk about what they were drinking postgame https://t.co/X54ugkuQcw
— Alan May (@MayHockeyNBCS) November 23, 2017
