Boston Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy snatched Tom Wilson for the Washington Capitals striker for what he called a “prey blow” on defender Brandon Carlo in Friday night’s game at TD Garden.
Carlo came down after Wilson raised his head in the corner behind the Boston net, knocking the defender’s head into the glass with 90 seconds left in the first period. Carlo absorbed a cross from Jakub Vrana on the way to the ice and stayed there for a few minutes.
Cassidy said Carlo left the arena in an ambulance and went to a hospital, but could not confirm that he suffered a concussion.
“It clearly seemed to me to have caught him in the head. A defenseless player, a predatory blow to a player who has done this before,” Cassidy said of Wilson. “I don’t understand why there wasn’t a penalty on the ice. They got together, but I didn’t get an explanation for why.”
Throughout his eight-year career in the capital, Wilson has been one of the most penalized – and most suspended – NHL players. He is the 10th active player for penalty minutes, following only those who have been in the league five or more years longer than him.
Not available for post-match comments.
The music fell silent on the empty arena after Carlo was injured, and Bruins’ bench could be heard throwing Wilson. When Carlo finally got to his skates, the only noise was his colleagues hitting the sticks against the boards.
No penalty was requested.
When the teams came out for the second period, Bruins center Patrice Bergeron entered Wilson and spoke to him as he stretched. The capital’s star, Alex Ovechkin, skated to monitor the situation, as did an official.
The players began to push each other after the next whistle, and the capital’s defender, Brenden Dillon, was fired for being asked in a transparent make-up call. After about six minutes, Jarred Tinordi and Wilson gave up the gloves.
“Sometimes, when these things happen and there is no appeal, the players put it on the ice in their own way and we felt like we pushed back and did what we could do and we won the hockey game and tried to let that go. the player knows it wasn’t necessary, “Cassidy said.
He added: “I assume the National Hockey League will be watched.”
The Bruins responded to Wilson’s shot with a second three-goal period and attacked another in the third to win 5-1.
“Put the fight aside, the boys came out with four goals [in a row] there, “said Tinordi, who was only playing his second game with the Bruins, since they asked him to give up Nashville.
“How close this group is, I’m not surprised to see how the boys respond in a big way after one of our boys comes down. You can’t have guys taking their liberty with our players.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.