Tom Wilson’s momentum-shifting hit on defenseman Alexandre Carrier in Game 4 led to four unanswered goals by the Washington Capitals in the third period, giving the Eastern Conference’s first seed a come-from-behind 5-2 victory and a 3-1 lead in their first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens.
Not only did Wilson’s bodycheck send the Capitals to victory, but it also sent Carrier off the ice with an undisclosed injury.
“It’s hard to see him go off on a play like that,” Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis said after Sunday’s game.
The hit from Wilson wasn’t the only shot Carrier took, either. Alex Ovechkin also clipped him in the first period, temporarily knocking him out of the game.
Tuesday, Carrier did not practice with the team, and the Canadiens announced the rearguard was out day-to-day. His status is unclear heading into Wednesday’s Game 5 at Capital One Arena, where the Capitals can eliminate the Canadiens with a win.
Jayden Struble, who played in Games 1 and 2 but was replaced in the lineup by Arber Xhekaj, will suit up if Carrier is unable to go.
“We’re confident in Strubes if he needs to come in,” St. Louis said. “He’s a good hockey player. He’s played some really good hockey for us this year. So we’ll see what happens.”
As for the hit on Carrier, St. Louis agreed with Canadiens reporters at CN Sports Complex that the defenseman was caught in no-man’s land. Several factors combined to create the highlight-reel hit.
“He’s close to the red,” St. Louis said. “I don’t think he does the same thing 10 feet from the red to the blue line. He’s just trying to gain territory, and he’s not afraid to put his body on the line to do that. I think there’s a perfect circumstance for where Wilson was on the ice, where the puck was, the type of player [Carrier] is.”
When asked about his feelings on the bodycheck in general, St. Louis pivoted away from going any deeper into the play, responding, “I mean, I think I just talked about it.”
Wilson’s had a significant impact on the series. Not only has he notched three points (1g, 2a) in four games, but he’s created havoc with his physicality (16 hits) and got the Habs off their game (five minor penalties drawn). St. Louis was asked how to limit his effectiveness moving forward.
“Well, try to get in his way a little bit, to help our D’s,” St. Louis said. “Having the puck more, especially in the O-zone where he can’t play to his strength when that happens, so you’ve got to be calculated there. I think if you’re more in possession and space, I feel like you kind of eliminate the forecheck. That takes some high execution. That’s the plan, you can do it. You saw it in Game 3. I don’t think you’re going to eliminate Wilson. He’s gonna have pockets in the game where he’s gonna be Wilson, you know? Try to minimize those instances.”
Carrier’s teammates praised his toughness and willingness to step up and advance the puck in the neutral zone despite one of the most feared hitters in the league closing in on him.
“Yeah, he plays the game the right way,” Kaiden Guhle said. “He knows sometimes you have to take hits to make plays. It’s playoff hockey. You’ve gotta do that. You can’t shy away from that stuff. Unfortunately, he took a pretty big one there. It’s definitely one we’ll remember, and obviously don’t like to see that.”
Russian rookie forward Ivan Demidov, who signed with the Canadiens after his season with the KHL’s SKA Saint Petersburg ended, has found the hitting eye-opening.
Q. What have you learned about NHL playoffs?
Ivan Demidov: Games so physical. I think that’s it.
Q. Is it the most physical games you’ve ever played in?
Ivan Demidov: Yes.
Q. How much do you like the physical game?
Ivan Demidov: It’s good [laughing]. I think maybe in the first game it was probably hard to me. Now it’s good.
Please note that the above questions were edited for clarity.
Heading into Game 5, not only will Carrier be a question mark, but so will forward Patrik Laine, who has missed the last two games due to injury. The Finnish winger (day-to-day) practiced on Tuesday, but appeared limited due to his right hand per RDS. Goaltender Samuel Montembeault did not take the ice.
Brendan Gallagher, Josh Anderson, and David Savard all took maintenance days on Tuesday, but are expected to play on Wednesday night.
