Tom Wilson made absolutely sure he finished his check Tuesday night.
The Washington Capitals forward delivered one of this postseason’s biggest hits when he unloaded on New York Islanders defenseman Lubomir Visnovsky in the second period of Game 4 of their Stanley Cup playoffs first-round series.
Visnovsky got caught in a precarious position as he skated behind his own net, which is exactly where Wilson was heading. Wilson caught Visnovsky with a crushing shoulder that sent the blue-liner flying.
Wilson ended up in the penalty box for charging, and Visnovsky left the game with an injury. It’s unclear whether Visnovsky’s injury stems from the original contact or when he was kneed in the face as Wilson fell on him while finishing the hit. Or maybe it’s both.
We’ll have to wait and see if there’s any sort of follow-up from the NHL department of player safety for supplemental discipline.
The Capitals won the game in overtime to even the series at two games apiece.
