“It should have been a whistle,” Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes expresses DISPLEASURE over no call on Tom Wilson’ hit on Alexandre Carrier in Game 4

Tom Wilson landed a big hit on Alexandre Carrier in the third period of Game 4, which led to a Capitals goal and turned the game in their favor.

“It should have been a whistle,” Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes expresses DISPLEASURE over no call on Tom Wilson’ hit on Alexandre Carrier in Game 4

Tom Wilson, Jakub Dobes and Alexandre Carrier (Image via NoVa Caps/Instagram @habs_fanatics1/Montreal Gazette)

Tom Wilson was the hero for the Washington Capitals in Game 4. The alternate captain of the team landed a massive hit on Alexandre Carrier in the third period, which saw the momentum completely shift in their favor. After the game, Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes expressed his displeasure with the referees over no call on this hit.

With a huge win in Game 3, the Habs were looking good for another win against the Capitals. They entered the final period leading 2-1 and were looking to add another goal to put the game beyond any doubt.

At the 6:24 minute mark, Wilson hit Carrier while trying to recover the puck. Mere 15 seconds later, the Capitals went on to score and level the game. The referees deemed it a clean hit and no penalty was awarded.

The Capitals then went on to score 3 more times in the third period and emerged as 5-2 winners. Looking back at the game, the hit from Wilson turned out to be a game changer.

Canadiens goalie Jakub Dobes, though, was not happy with this hit. While speaking with the reporters after the game, he expressed his displeasure regarding this and sounded off on the officials.

It’s hockey, I guess. I felt like it was going to be a whistle because they were in their defensive zone and far away. Like I said, I don’t really know the rules. I felt like it should have been a whistle. It was kind of a scary hit, but I guess the rules don’t apply to everyone in this league.

Jakub Dobes told the reporters in the post-game conference

The Game 4 between these two teams saw a total of 60 hits, with 34 coming from the Canadiens’ side. In Game 4, the Habs had 45 hits out of the total 71.

Former NHL star defends Tom Wilson’s hit in Game 4

Tom Wilson’s hit on Alexandre Carrier in Game 4 of the Washington Capitals-Montreal Canadiens series will go down in history as one of the most influential ones. The hit from him saw the pendulum swing towards the Capitals as they ran away with the win. There were some, though, who were not impressed with this hit from him. A former NHL star would later come to the defense of Wilson.

Tom Wilson
Tom Wilson (Image via TSN)

Taking to his X account, ex-Pittsburgh Penguins star Paul Bissonnette backed Wilson for his hit. The NHL on TNT analyst urged people to stop watching hockey if they felt that it was a “dirty” hit from him.

If you think the Wilson hit was dirty you’re a fucking clown and stop watching playoff hockey. #StanleyCupPlayoffs

Paul Bissonnette on X

After his hit on Carrier, Wilson rubbed more salt on the wound of the Canadiens fans. He scored an empty-net goal in the dying stages of the game to make it 5-2 for his team. During the celebration of his goal, he would taunt some fans at the Bell Centre by celebrating right in front of them.

Montreal Canadiens on brink of elimination following Game 4 loss

Game 4 was an important one for the Montreal Canadiens. After losing the first two games of the series, the team claimed a huge win in Game 3. However, a loss in Game 4 has not put them up on the brink of elimination.

Montreal Canadiens vs Washington Capitals
A snippet from Montreal Canadiens vs Washington Capitals game (Image via CBC)

The NHL playoffs are a best-of-seven series. This means the team that wins 4 games goes on to the next round. The victory on Sunday was the Capitals’ third win against the Canadiens in this series. They now only need one more win to advance to the next round.

Coming from a 3-1 deficit is not uncommon in the NHL, though. There have been 32 instances where teams have won a series after being 3-1 down with the most recent one taking place in 2023 when the Florida Panthers stunned the Boston Bruins.

The Canadiens are tied with the New York Rangers and the Vancouver Canucks with 3 such comebacks. One of them was against the Capitals in 2010. During the Eastern Conference quarter finals, the Habs came back from 3-1 down to win the series and eliminate the Caps.

Game 5 of this series will take place on April 30. If the Canadiens win that match, the two teams will return to the Bell Centre in Montreal for Game 6.