Even Boston's coach didn't fault Wilson for the hit on Kuraly originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
Tom Wilson drew the ire of Boston Bruins fans on Sunday after a hit to Sean Kuraly that left Kuraly down on the ice and sparked a scrum. As displeased as Boston fans may have been Sunday, Wilson's "hit" on Kuraly was much ado about nothing.
Kuraly had the puck and was engaged with two other Caps players when Wilson squared him up. Alex Ovechkin stuck his stick out for the puck, but Kuraly skated into it and was tripped up. Instead of skating into a check by Wilson, Kuraly fell backward with his head striking Wilson in the midsection.
We're making it easier for you to find stories that matter with our new newsletter — The 4Front. Sign up here and get news that is important for you to your inbox.
But even Boston coach Bruce Cassidy didn't find much fault with Wilson's actions.
"I think the Wilson [hit] on Kuraly, Kuraly was on his way down and Wilson was actually just prepared to hit him," Cassidy said. "But I thought that one was one of those incidental -- there's not much you can do once a guy starts tumbling down."
Kuraly left the ice momentarily after the hit, but returned soon after.
Kuraly is allowed to be hit on the play as he was the puck-carrier and passed it away just before he was struck. It was not a hit from behind because he was skating towards Wilson and the trip carried him backward into him. It was not a hit to the head because he was falling. Wilson did not launch himself, his legs were taken out by the falling Kuraly.
“Are we serious?" Wilson said when asked about the hit. "I’m not even going to talk about it. It’s a nothing play. He’s fine. That’s it.”
Wilson received a seven-game suspension in March for boarding Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo. Since then, the games between these two teams have been extremely contentious and physical. But when even the opposing coach can't find anything wrong with a hit, it means there's nothing to see here.
