The Washington Capitals took down the winless San Jose Sharks on Sunday night. Although the odds were perhaps always in their favor to do so, they left it rather late, scoring all three of their goals in the 3-1 win in the third period.
Veteran winger Tom Wilson was a huge catalyst for that late offensive explosion, setting the screen on the game-tying goal and then scoring the game winner with less than five minutes remaining in regulation.
Wilson’s tally was not only huge in game context but it was also a personal milestone, his 300th career NHL point.
Tom Wilson scores his second goal of the season to give the Capitals a 2-1 lead, marking his 300th career point. Wilson is the 28th player in franchise history to record 300 points with Washington. pic.twitter.com/c74Fs1uFCw
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) October 29, 2023
“Took me long enough,” Wilson joked postgame. “It’s a kudos to all the guys that I’ve played with. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Backy, Ovi, Osh, Kuzy, all those guys that have kinda brought me along. [They’re] leaders in this room that have shown me the way and gave me some empty nets and made some nice plays along the way. It’s what’s great about hockey, guys helping each other out and I feel pretty fortunate to reach a milestone like that.”
Wilson potted the milestone marker past Sharks netminder MacKenzie Blackwood, who is no stranger to big Capitals goals. Alex Ovechkin put Blackwood on highlight reels forever after notching his 700th career goal against the netminder back in 2020.
This time around Ovechkin played assist man on Wilson’s big goal.
Willy for the win! pic.twitter.com/b0yzBcYiJM
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 29, 2023
With just under five minutes remaining in the third period of a tied 1-1 game, John Carlson sent a one-time blast towards the San Jose net that Ovechkin got a stick on and deflected onto Blackwood’s right pad. Wilson picked up the loose rebound and on his second attempt backhanded a fluttering puck off of San Jose defenseman Kyle Burroughs and into the open cage.
Carlson immediately picked up the puck off the ice before joining the ensuing celebration. That puck was then hand delivered to Wilson by head coach Spencer Carbery after the latter’s postgame locker room remarks.
Handin' out postgame pucks like they're candy#ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/JdTM4xe5L9
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 30, 2023
Wilson, outside of his goal, had an overall, individually dominant performance in the victory. The Capitals’ big rig fired a game high eight shots on goal to go along with his game highs in individual shot attempts (12), individual scoring chances (10), and individual high-danger chances (8).
The team’s top line made up of Wilson, Ovechkin, and Dylan Strome were collectively unstoppable. With that trio on the ice at five-on-five, the Capitals out-attempted San Jose 25 to 7, out-scoring chanced them 14 to 3, and out-high danger chanced them 7 to 0.
To go along with Wilson’s goal, Ovechkin extended his point streak to six games and Strome scored his sixth goal in his last five games.
Screenshot via @Capitals/X
