Michael Latta chirps at Tom Wilson during warm-ups Thursday. (Caps Outsider)
It’s no secret that Tom Wilson takes penalties, and sometimes not great ones. And it’s no secret that Wilson draws penalties, too.
In the third period Thursday, Wilson took a boarding minor, another penalty that didn’t sit well with coach Barry Trotz. What happened after that may have saved the Capitals the game.
The Flyers’ leading goal-scorer, Wayne Simmonds, stood up for his teammate and went after Wilson, taking a roughing minor as well as the fighting major.
With less than 7 minutes left in the game and the Caps up 1-0, the Flyers were suddenly missing their leading scorer, and the Caps were missing… their leading penalty minute guy.
Advantage: Capitals.
So, had Wilson taken the penalty and the Flyers didn’t retaliate, they would have had another power play and a chance to tie.
While it’s obvious Trotz would rather Wilson just not take that penalty, retaliation happens, and retaliation penalties are often even more costly.
While this isn’t a gamble that always pays off, this time it did, and Wilson is off the hook, relatively speaking.
From The Post: Capitals want Tom Wilson to be physical, but also smart
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R-7fUE5H81k#t=12
