Once known more for his physicality than his shooting ability, Tom Wilson is now officially a 30-goal scorer. Wilson hit the milestone for the first time in the Capitals’ 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings Tuesday night as he continued what has become the most productive season of his career.
Over his first 11 seasons in the NHL, Wilson had never scored 25 goals in a season, let alone 30. He told reporters postgame that he’d hardly considered the possibility of hitting 30 goals until recently.
“I never really thought too much about it,” Wilson said of the milestone. “And then when you get close, obviously, it’s something that you really want to do.”
The landmark goal came as an insurance marker in the final five minutes of the game. Wilson struck from the low slot, picking up a pass from Aliaksei Protas for a one-timer past Red Wings goaltender Petr Mrazek.
Per the Capitals, Wilson and Alex Ovechkin are the first pair of Capitals to both earn 30-goal seasons since Ovechkin and TJ Oshie did so in 2016-17. Ovechkin reached 30 goals for the 19th time in his career on February 25 against the Calgary Flames.
Wilson’s talents as a scoring threat have been on full display this season. He’s put up 57 points (30g, 27a) in 68 games so far, beating his career high in goals in February and his career high in points (52) last week against the Anaheim Ducks. And he’s done it all while remaining a formidable physical threat to opponents and growing into a leadership role as the Capitals’ presumed future captain.
“That guy’s the heart and soul of this team, works hard every night and competes for us and sticks up for guys,” Logan Thompson said of Wilson. “Happy for him, he deserves it.”
To Wilson’s teammates, the 30-goal milestone exemplified the talent and ability they see from Wilson on a daily basis.
“He’s one of the premier players in the league,” said Dylan Strome. “I don’t think there’s any doubt about that. I mean, the way he penalty kills, he plays on the power play, physical. Great teammate, great guy to have around the room. So I think he can really do it all. And well-earned.
“He goes to the net. He scores on the power play. He scored a shorty this year. So he’s found ways to kind of do it all. (He’s) a guy that you love to have on your team and you hate to play against. I think that’s the best way to describe him.”
Head coach Spencer Carbery, too, highlighted Wilson’s continued versatility as a player as he added another achievement to his resume.
“I’m really happy for him,” Carbery said of Wilson’s achievement. “I’m proud of him, because that’s a huge accomplishment in this league. And it’s another feather in his cap for the uniqueness of his identity as a player.
“And now to put that on his mantle, being a 30-goal scorer in the NHL and how hard he plays and the style of game that he plays, yeah, that’s a huge accomplishment. Real proud of him. A 30-goal scorer in the NHL, and no one will ever be able to take that away from him.”
Wilson himself, meanwhile, downplayed his own role in the achievement. He instead credited his teammates and the deep relationships that have developed among this year’s roster, creating an environment that fosters success.
“I truly think it’s a testament to some great players that I’ve played with this year,” he said. “It’s just been a really fun year. First week of the year, bringing Dewey, all these characters in, I’m like, ‘Oh, it’s going to be a long year. They’re going to be all over me.’ But it makes it fun coming to the rink. And I think you can see that with our group. Everyone has a lot of fun. It makes you want to come to the rink and keep playing and playing hard for each other.”
Wilson and Ovechkin could soon greet another member of the Caps’ 30-goal club. With 29 goals in 68 games, Aliaksei Protas is just one goal away from hitting the milestone.
