Tom Wilson is already in top form, and it's only preseason.
Tom Wilson is already in top form, and it's only preseason.
The Washington Capitals alternate captain put on a show on Tuesday, picking up a goal, assist and fight for the Gordie Howe hat trick en route to a 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, which was a vital game for several players on the bubble.
Connor McMichael opened the scoring in the first period, deflecting David Gucciardi's point shot past Jet Greaves to give D.C. a 1-0 lead. It marked Gucciardi's first point of the preseason, a good reward for the budding defenseman who has had a strong camp so far.
Then, later in the frame, Andrew Cristall scored on the power play to extend the lead to 2-0. It marked his third goal of the preseason (not counting his shootout goal from Sunday) as he continues to impress and go for a spot with training camp ending.
Cristall worked well on a line with Hendrix Lapierre and Sheldon Rempal, who had a statement game with seven shots that ultimately earned him a promotion to the top line by the time the third period rolled around.
After Boone Jenner cut the lead to 2-1 in the second period, Ilya Protas went on a 2-on-1 break with Bogdan Trineyev, and his pass ended up beating Greaves to restore the two-goal advantage. Jenner struck again on another power-play opportunity, but then, Wilson stepped up, working to force a turnover that ultimately sneaked past Greaves for a 4-2 lead.
Wilson then completed the Gordie Howe hat trick when he dropped the gloves to stick up for Ivan Miroshnichenko, who was checked hard into the boards by Erik Gudbranson. Miroshnichenko was fine, but Wilson got two minutes for instigating, five minutes for fighting and a misconduct.
Ultimately, Logan Thompson helped the Capitals hold off Columbus to advance to 4-0 on the preseason, stopping 35 of 38 shots in his first full game of preseason action amid a so-so game on defense for D.C.
Washington has a day off on Wednesday, where the team will likely make more cuts and try to get down to a single group sooner rather than later.
Category: General Sports
