I was truly heartened last night to learn the NHL, in a rare display of prudence and wisdom, chose to suspend Washington winger Tom Wilson three games for his brutal, jaw-breaking hit on Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese. For once, the lords of discipline got it right.
Still, you could almost sense their reluctance to do so. After all, Wilson is an All-Canadian Boy who hails from Toronto…where hockey’s old-school values are defended and trumpeted with a quasi-religious fervor.
Indeed, it was former Maple Leafs owner Conn Smythe who famously stated, “If you can’t beat ‘em in the alley, you can’t beat ‘em on the ice,” perfectly capturing Canada’s attitude toward its national sport.
There’s a thin line between hard, aggressive play and trying to hurt people. Like former Pens forward Matt Cooke, Wilson seems to stray over the line with stunning regularity. He appears to have little regard for the rule book or his fellow player…at least ones wearing opposing colors.
The frustrating thing? Like the lippy kid from my childhood who always made it back to home base in it-tag, he so rarely pays a price for his actions. To set the record straight, Wilson is a genuinely tough guy who can skate, hit and fight. Back in 2015, he administered a whupping to then-Pens forward Zach Sill, a pretty tough customer in his own right.
Yet, like a classic bully, the 6’4” 215-pounder shrinks from the challenges of foes he knows will deliver a comeuppance for his over-the-edge behavior. An example? In the 2016-17 season opener, Pens heavyweight Tom Sestito…seeking to settle a score from the previous spring’s playoffs…had to chase Wilson down and literally force him to engage. Earlier, this season, Wilson avoided then-Pens hammer Ryan Reaves…who he’s lost to twice…like the plague.
Had it been…say…Kris Letang, who gets high marks for calling Wilson out on the bench following the Aston-Reese hit, the Caps’ bad boy would’ve dropped the gloves in a heartbeat. Heck, his choice of targets says it all. Conor Sheary (all 5’8” of him), Brian Dumoulin (a non-fighter who he hit from behind) and Aston-Reese (a tough kid but considerably smaller and in an extremely vulnerable position).
Plain and simple, Wilson’s a predator, not to mention spot-picker extraordinaire.
Aside from the DC marauder’s flagrant disregard for gentlemanly play, there’s another element to this situation that galls me to no end. It’s the Pens’ own (flawed) organizational philosophy when it comes to protecting its players.
Culpable as they are, there’s only so much the officials and league can do when it comes to shielding guys from renegade ruffians like Wilson. Tasteless as it may seem to hockey purists, a team needs to employ at least a couple of guys who are physically capable of sending a message and keeping the Wilson’s of the world in line.
Can you completely neutralize him? No. Wilson’s an aggressive player and he’s going to get his licks in. But you can at least encourage him to tone down the over-the-top stuff.
Not by coincidence, the notable incidents I’ve cited all occurred when we didn’t have a legit heavyweight in the lineup, or at least one who acted the part. Present Pen Jamie Oleksiak is wholly capable from a physical standpoint, but hasn’t asserted himself to the degree he needs to.
How I wish we still had Reaves. In addition to his considerable prowess as a fighter and cooler, he could’ve dished out a little of what the Pens are receiving…especially on the forecheck. Too, ‘Reavo’s’ muscular presence might have had an unsettling effect on Caps defender Brooks Orpik, a borderline hitter who operates a lot like Wilson.
Sadly, that’s water well under the bridge. How does the old saying go? If ifs and buts were candy and nuts? Our boys’ll have to make do with what they’ve got. At least we won’t have to deal with Wilson for the next three games.
Oh, a parting message for the Caps’ bad boy. There is such a thing as karma…not to mention payback. And there’s always someone a little bigger and tougher and meaner, just over the horizon.
What ye reap ye shall surely sow.
Great comments, all!
I’m all in with Phil on his wish. I was hoping against hope someone would cold cock Wilson in the chops before game three ended. I would happily start a Go Fund Me page to pay for anyones’ fines, who leveled Wilson, but good. I wouldn’t even care what team they were on, but, oh what would be the joy if it were a Penguin.
tOR makes an excellent point re: our first defensive pair. Why Letang is still seen as that is beyond me. Sure, he can still pull a rabbit outta his hat now and then, but not with his previous regularity. We don’t need rabbit pullers right now, we need solid D against their top line. Without Wilson, it’s obvious that top line is disadvantaged for the next two games. Shutting it down won’t be as difficult a task in the interim and any efforts to help keep the Caps from getting out of their own way is a big plus. Wilson is out, now you have to rub Ovies’s face in it. We know he’s crushable.
I do, however, give Letang props for standing up to Oshie. Somebody has to do do it, and I guess it’s hunky dory with Sullivan that his top players have to, especially one with Letangs copious medical chart. It must rival the 888 pages of the Warren Report by now.
On the whole, the D was okay last night. The Caps had just 21 shots, but a lot of that was their own doing. Ovechkin seemed to be concentrating on only one thing, hitting someone. They delivered 45 hits. He had seven. The D took advantage of that misjudgement and kept them on the outside enough to make the difference. There were still a few odd man breaks, but not the near record numbers of the previous games.
That aside, I read somewhere yesterday Yohe wrote that, “It was a tired locker room…” after game three. That may be Yohe’s opinion, but no one on either team was ablaze with unbridled zip last night. The Caps were licking their Wilson-induced wounds, poor babies, but we should have been a lot faster with the lift that the goon’s absence should have given us. At times I felt as though I was watching maple sap drip from the tap. Maybe it was just me, but it didn’t appear to be a game rife with enthusiasm other than a few spits here and there.
I’ve said it in three previous posts, and here it is again, get Kessel off the ice. It’s Sprong time. Phil is not going to spring to life in this series, or the next, if he isn’t given some time off. Period. He’s a skating turnover. No disrespect to Phil. He had a great year, and has been integral to this team’s success, but that’s over. It’s as plain as the nose on a man’s face. If ever there was a time to employ the “what have you done for us lately” rule, this is it. He’s pulling the bottom six down with him, and Sheary isn’t helping much either. That goes for Rust, too, and Brassard, and Sheahan (sometimes), and everyone else. The third and fourth lines have all but disappeared in this series, and that isn’t good, and it isn’t “OK. We’ll work around it.” They aren’t working around it, they’re trying to hold it together with spit and duct tape. Teams with one functioning line do not win cups. It’s time for some truly “shaking” shake ups in the bottom six. Do not depend on the Caps tripping over themselves. They may, indeed, do that, but that will be the gravy on the potatoes. You have to make the potatoes first.
The Caps appear to have missed Wilson last night. They were discombobulated without seeing Pens players sprawled on the ice with stars circling their heads, or blood oozing from their os. I’d like to think the “Wilson Affair” has sealed their fate for this season, but I won’t permit that idea any credence. Not yet, anyway. They were off their game (or on it, as it were, with 45 hits), but I’m beginning to perceive Wilson’s importance as being a bit more than I’ve given him credit for. And, their apparent anger at the gall of the league to suspend a player of such honor and distinction has their panties in a twist. It was funny to hear Trotz say, “There aren’t many Tom Wilsons in this league.” Well, for the next three games there won’t be any. How’s that suit you, Mr. Weeble?
I know they circled the wagons in the third, and it was the right move. Still, it annoys me when they do that. I can’t help myself. I’m a go for broke kinda guy.
It isn’t imperative they win the next two, but it, then again, it actually is. Those who temp fate often get slapped in the face by it. Fate is a fickle babe. The Caps, whether they admit it or not, are smarting from the cruel irony of having a player taken out of the game without being creamed by someone bigger, and badder. And, he won’t be having surgery. Fate, my friends, fickle, and shiny, and seductive, and smarmy, and unrepentant, has seen fit to put the turkey on the table for the Pens in this series. Here’s your silverware, boys. Have at it! And be sure to try the stuffing. It’s oh so satisfying.
Agreed 55,
As much as I like the idea of an iron man, I would have preferred to see Kessel sit a few regular season games and have him clicking on all cylinders right now. Over the last 2 playoffs Kessel has shown his value but right now, his production has been very limited and I am pretty sure that a healthy Sprong is at least close to an injured Kessel. I know conventional wisdom suggests that the Pens keep doing what Sullivan is doing, but teams that follow conventional wisdom tend to end up like the 30 odd teams that watch the Cup finals not participate in it. That is the problem with doing what everyone else is doing, you end up like them.
“I’m all in with Phil on his wish. I was hoping against hope someone would cold cock Wilson in the chops before game three ended. I would happily start a Go Fund Me page to pay for anyones’ fines, who leveled Wilson, but good. I wouldn’t even care what team they were on, but, oh what would be the joy if it were a Penguin.”
Many have tried, and many have failed. Good luck riding on your revenge train.
Rick
I mentioned this in an earlier post but i really hate to beat a dead horse – Oleksiak
who i really like an think was a great pick up by JR is not an enforcer – He’s a
secondary type of guy. He does his job but relies more on picking his spots when
dropping the gloves – this stuff what of never happened with Reavo on the Pen’s bench – And all those un-educated Pen’s fans who cried about his production during the season are kicking themselves in the ass.
I mentioned this before and I will mention it again – the Pen’s even without Reaves could of put a stop to this by going after the Caps top players – Your sending the message that okay you want go after our skilled players we’re going after yours.
Sometimes you have to fight fire w/fire – I’m a little worried about tonights game – the suspension of Wilson may actually work in the Caps favor – now they want to go out and win for Wilson. Hope the Pen’s answer the bell.
Hey Rick,
I was happily surprised by the NHL’s decision to take some action against Wilson too.
I do think you are being a little hard on the Big Rig though Rick. It seems to me that Oleksiak plays it pretty smart. He keeps the game situation in mind. When he has a legitimate shot at drilling offenders, he does. He may not have jumped over the boards to battle the laughing hyena thug, Wilson, so that he could really have cost the team, but when the opportunity presented itself he did go after the craven sack of (expletive deleted) and true to his cowardly colors the not so “tough guy” ran from Oleksiak, like he ran from Sestito and Reaves.
The problem here has been that Wilson skates in the Caps top line and Oleksiak is not Sullivan’s first choice to match up with the Caps top line (Although I would suggest that he should be, he and Schultz are the Pens best 2 D-men).
I can’t help but believe that the only reason why The NHL finally chose to do the right thing was to prevent a circus with the resultant black eye. After the dastardly attack on ZAR, so shortly after the same garbage play against Dumoulin, the Pens finally started to go after Wilson. I do believe Wilson was sat down to try and prevent the comeuppance Wilson’s play cries out for. Had the Pens reacted to the hit on ZAR as meekly as they had reacted to the hit on Dumoulin, I can’t help but feel that no suspension would have been forth coming.
In terms of Reaves. I did come to like Reaves and hated to see the league step up and try to do its level best to keep the Pens from 3peating by forcing the Pens give up another player for the now 4th line Center Brassard. (what a price the team is paying right now for a 4th liner!) However, there still is a player that could have been used this series to deter cro magnon Tom. Oddly enough that Pens’ name is also Tom. Although there may be some people out there who do not like Tom Sestito, but since the coward extraordinaire, Tom Wilson runs from Sestito, calling him up as a Black Ace when the team knew they were going to have to play the Thugee from DC would seem to have been a no-brainer. That is just one more example of personnel decisions this year that I find extremely questionable.
With the lack of any real effect coming from the 4th line anyway, maybe the Penguins Wilson – Garrett Wilson should be inserted as well as Andrey Pedan. Wilson may not be fleet of foot but he is big, has decent hands around the net, and is not afraid to mix it up. He may not be able to skate fast enough to jump on a Carlson and lean on him, but he may be fast enough to be able to lean on former Penguin Brooks Orpik and lean on that fossil, lean on him enough to force bad decisions.
Hey tOR & Rick,
I like you guys am happy that Wilson got three games, but that just goes to show how stupid the department of safety is. Wilson has already been suspended twice this season, once for 4 games. The suspensions are supposed to get longer with each infraction. I thought 7 games would have been the right call.
While on that subject, I seriously would have no problem if Aston-Reese went up to and cross checked Wilson in the mouth and knocked all his teeth out next season. If I had what happened to Aston-Reese happen to me, I would do it in a heartbeat and take the one game suspension for first time infraction that the stupid safety committee dishes out. I really hope he does.
Onto another subject, where is the outrage over the slewfoot that lead to the winning goal???? Rick mentioned it and that was about all I saw on the subject.
tOR, Sprong practiced with the main team and along with Jooris are the only two the team is looking at a possibility to join the team as of now. He make get his big chance to prove himself soon!
Hey Phil,
I also thought that there was some sort of multiple offender clause that stated after so many suspensions the minimum suspension was like 10 games. At least I could have sworn that the ex Penguin Matt Cooke got hit with one of those type of mandatory double digit suspension.
However, I am not surprised that the league didn’t give Wilson the suspension he deserved since they would rather decide outcomes of games and series by not calling blatant penalties or handing out mandatory suspension rather than letting teams decide the outcome of games as the rules are written.
Thanks for the update on Sprong, I would love to see the kid out there but I am resigned to the idea that regardless of how well he may play his time in Pgh may be over. The way Ian Cole was treated doesn’t fill me with any confidence that Sprong can get a fair break.
In the end we need the Pens to take this 1 shift at a time. If they focus on each shift the games will take care of themselves. I still think, despite the injuries, the Pens have more talent than the Caps.
I am still willing to 3elieve!!
You wouldn’t do d##k. Who are you kidding?
Hey Other Rick,
Excellent observations about Oleksiak. For the very reasons you stated, the logistics don’t exactly work out for him to be on the ice with Wilson. And, as you duly noted, the ‘Big Rig’ did attempt to engage him, while Wilson played it coy and tried to draw a penalty.
Honestly, that’s where you need a player…preferably a fourth-line forward like Reaves or Sestito…to just go after him. Even if your guy gets an extra minor for instigating, it’d be a ‘good’ penalty in terms of morale…especially if he happened to kick Wilson’s arse.
Hopefully, Wilson gets his somewhere down the road. A shame, in a way, we’re wasting so much time and energy on him.
Who knows…maybe we’ll reacquire Reaves over the summer.
GO PENZ!
Rick
Hey Rick,
Interesting thought, Reaves is a UFA so the Pens could reacquire him for just $$$$. How much would do you think you would be willing to pay him?
Not limiting this question to you Rick, if anyone else wants to weigh in, please feel free (Mike)
I am not so sure Wilson was really trying to play it coy with Oleksiak. I think it was more like the comedic scene where the coward hides behind someone (in this case an official) and talks big, all the while praying that the person in-between stays there. I am pretty sure, if the officials weren’t there, he would have run like a rabbit.
And one last thing about Wilson and then I will forget him, I would find it much, much easier to feel sorry for any player, who fed up with the league’s encouragement of garbage players like Wilson, ended Wilson’s career than I would for Wilson.
I don’t think that Sestito can be all that far out of game shape, I know he isn’t Mike’s favorite but honestly, if there is a game 7, I would love to see Sestito out there to do just as you say, not worry about the extra Penalty but send Wilson running.