The lasting memory of the Montreal Canadiens' Game 4 loss will be Tom Wilson blowing up Alexandre Carrier in front of the penalty boxes. It was a borderline check to the head, but it was as clean a hit of that intensity as you could get. Wilson's reckless abandon can be used for good, and he did that on Sunday night. The Canadiens set their sights on Wilson after the hit and forgot about the forwards who were about to tie the game 2-2.
Impossible to hit someone harder than this https://t.co/nlSJwDqhnE
— Nate Duffett (@NateDuffettHcky) April 28, 2025
Washington would then go on to win 5-2 in the game after a go-ahead goal from Andrew Mangiapane. Two empty netters would seal the deal after the go-ahead goal, including Wilson to cap the night off. It's a tough pill to swallow for the Canadiens, who looked like the better team for most of the game. It's hard to blame Jakub Dobes after he made multiple ten-bell saves to keep his team in the game.
Canadiens coaches and players alike voiced their disgust with the refereeing in the post-game media scrums. It isn't something that will go over well with the league, which Martin St. Louis prefaced before his comments. Dobes also took the opportunity to speak out on the Wilson hit.
"“I will be careful with my words but it’s hard to watch some of these calls.”"Martin St. Louis
""I don't really know the rules; I felt like it should have been a whistle - it was kinda a scary hit but I guess the rules don't apply for everyone in this League - I have no idea.""Jakub Dobes
Was Wilson's hit dirty? Some angles show that it was close to Carrier's head, but it was more the impact that knocked the defenseman out of the game than any direct contact to the head. It was such a vicious hit that there has to be some whiplash involved for Carrier, and it'll be interesting to see if he is available for Game 5. An already beaten defense core could take another hit, which is likely what the Canadiens are most upset about.