Tom Wilson will be forced to sit out for the Capitals' next three playoff games thanks to a brutal hit that broke the jaw of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese on Tuesday night.
During the second period of Game 3 in Pittsburgh, Wilson, who has a long history of playing on the line between "hard" and "dirty," crushed Aston-Reese with a body check near the benches. That check left the Penguins forward with a broken jaw and concussion.
Here's a look:
Another hit to the head by Tom Wilson pic.twitter.com/PAiErjxNPF
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 2, 2018
Head or shoulder? Up to you, but it’s borderline pic.twitter.com/V5VW9g4rFK
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 2, 2018
Final look at the Wilson hit pic.twitter.com/s1YRer8VWY
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) May 2, 2018
In a video released by the NHL's Department of Player Safety on Wednesday, the league found that Wilson "[made] the head the main point of contact on a hit where such head contact was avoidable."
Washington’s Tom Wilson suspended three games for an illegal check to the head on Pittsburgh’s Zach Aston-Reese. https://t.co/rrZ8Hp3XkE
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) May 2, 2018
Some angles of the play suggest that the initial point of contact was the shoulder. It seems that's what officials believed as well when no penalty was called on the play.
But even if Wilson did get the shoulder first, that doesn't mean the hit is a good one. The league's Department of Player Safety looks for principal point of contact rather than first point of contact. With Aston-Reese's face taking the damage it did, it's hard to argue against the face being the principal point of contact.
According to the league, Wilson "[made] the head the main point of contact on a hit where such head contact was avoidable."
And while Wilson's skates appeared to be on the ice at the point of contact, he appears to launch up rather than through while delivering it.
As a result, Wilson will sit out for three games, making him eligible to return for Game 7 -- if the series goes that far. While that's an significant pushishment -- especially in the postseason -- it has to be noted that Wilson is classified as a repeat offender by the league. The injury to Aston-Reese certainly doesn't help either.
This punishment comes after Wilson eescaped discipline for a hit to the head of Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin in Game 2 of their second-round series.