Canadiens Voice Frustrations After Tom Wilson's Controversial Game 4 Hit

The Montreal Canadiens voiced their frustration after Tom Wilson's controversial third-period hit helped the Washington Capitals rally to a 5-2 win in Game 4, pushing Montreal to the brink of elimination.

Early in the third frame, with the Capitals trailing 2-1, Wilson leveled Canadiens defenseman Alexandre Carrier with a massive body check near center ice.

No penalty was called, and Washington quickly tied the game as Brandon Duhaime scored on the ensuing rush.

Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery praised Wilson’s impact, calling him “unique” and saying the hit “completely changed the momentum in the game.”

A few Canadiens echoed those sentiments, only from an entirely different perspective, with goaltender Jakub Dobes questioning the NHL’s officiating after the game.

"I felt like it should’ve been a whistle," Dobes said. "It was kind of a scary hit, but I guess the rules don’t apply for everyone in this league. I have no idea."

Head coach Martin St. Louis, while measured, echoed the frustration about the league's standards.

"I’ll be careful with my words, but it’s hard to watch some of these calls," St. Louis said. "To me tonight, one of the mandates was about embellishing tonight."

St. Louis added that general manager Kent Hughes regularly discusses officiating with the league supervisor but implied those conversations had little effect following Game 4's events.

Montreal Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes (75) kneels on the ice in warm-up before a game at Bell Centre.

David Kirouac-Imagn Images

The aftermath of the hit set the tone for Washington’s comeback. After Duhaime tied it, Andrew Mangiapane scored the go-ahead goal ten minutes later, and both Duhaime and Wilson added back-to-back empty-netters to close out the game.

Wilson, after a chaotic Game 3 in which he racked up 12 penalty minutes, stayed disciplined throughout Game 4, logging over 21 minutes of ice time and leading the Capitals in hits with six.

The Capitals now lead the series 3-1 and will look to eliminate the Canadiens in Game 5 on Wednesday night at Capital One Arena, with Montreal facing a win-or-go-home scenario.