Washington Capitals: The Biggest And Best Goals From The Career Of Tom Wilson

Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images)
Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images)
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Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports /

When you think of Tom Wilson you don’t think of goals.

Fans of other teams especially don’t think of goals, they think of hits, and most probably think of the borderline or illegal hits. However, over the past few seasons, Tom Wilson has started to develop some goal scoring abilities with the Washington Capitals.

Goal scoring was not a big part of Wilson’s career early on. In his first four seasons in the NHL, he never scored more than seven goals in a season. In his first 313 games, he scored just 21 goals. In his last 209 games, he has scored 57 goals.

Opportunity plays a big part of his increased goal scoring. Early in his career, he played mostly third and fourth line roles while in the last few seasons he’s played on top lines, mostly with Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov or Nicklas Backstrom. It’s still no given that just because you play top line minutes and with great players that you will score goals. You have to capitalize on the chance, and Wilson has.

He’s now scored 90 career goals, 78 in the regular season and 12 in the postseason. There are some nice goals in there, and we will go over some of those right now.

Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

In Overtime vs Maple Leafs 2017 Playoffs

This isn’t the prettiest goal you’ll see on this list, or any list for that matter. I also shouldn’t speak for Mr. Wilson but it’s scoring these goals that you dream about as a kid. Scoring a game winning overtime goal in the playoffs. This has to be up on Wilson’s favorite goals he’s scored.

Again, the goal itself isn’t the prettiest. It’s a failed clearance attempt by the Leafs D and it’s Wilson who paws the puck down, skates a few feet forward before firing one on net from a bad spot on the ice and ultimately beating Frederik Andersen.

This was a close series against the Maple Leafs in 2017. Who knows what happens if Wilson doesn’t score this goal. Maybe the Leafs win Game 1 and then the Capitals go on to win the series in five games after that. Based on what we know though, Toronto wins games two and three and take a 2-1 series lead. Without this Wilson goal, maybe, just maybe, the Caps are down 0-3 in the first round.

When you think of the best goals a person can score in the game of hockey you think of Ovechkin like goals. Skating through multiple defenders before scoring when you’re on the seat of your pants or even flat on your back.

This Wilson goal is obviously not that. But when you talk about the best goals I think you need to talk about the biggest goals. You dream about scoring overtime winners as a kid, this is a big goal, therefore, it’s one of Tom Wilson’s finest.

Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

Vs Hurricanes In 2019 Playoffs Game 7

Hockey is a team sport. Sometimes it takes more than one player to make a great goal. In this case it’s his teammate Ovechkin that really makes this goal great. However, If Wilson doesn’t score the goal this play by Ovechkin gets lost, it doesn’t get talked about. There’s no video on YouTube, there’s probably less gifs on social media. It’s just another great move by Ovechkin that gets lost in history like countless other great things he’s done that didn’t end up with a goal on the board.

After a long pass up, somehow Ovechkin dekes around a checking defender at the blueline. The puck then goes a little ways from him and he has to go get it while a defender rushes towards it as well. Ovechkin wins the race and pulls the puck around the defender before sliding it over to a wide open Wilson who slaps it in.

Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

I don’t care who did the majority of the work. A nice goal is a nice goal. Wilson scored this goal and thanks to that we have highlights and videos of it. It’s a nice goal, it’s one of Wilson’s goals, it deserves to be mentioned as one of his best.

This goal was also scored in a Game 7. That game did not go the Capitals way, unfortunately, but scoring in Game 7 is a big deal. Scoring a goal like this, or finishing a goal like this is worthy of a list like this.

Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports
Tom Wilson, Washington Capitals Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

At Detroit During 2019-20 Season

This is more what people think of when they hear the term a great goal by an individual. This is a goal scored off of a very nice move by Wilson.

Unfortunately, I could not find a video of this goal on its own. So if you would like to see it, fast forward to 1:50 on this video here.

The play starts on a fortunate bounce for Ovechkin and Wilson. Ovechkin is either trying to send a hard pass Wilson’s way or just shooting the puck into the zone. Either way, it ends up going off the defender and landing in front of and to the side of Wilson. He then picks up the puck, goes to the net and drags it around the goalie and tucks it into the goal.

The first goal we talked about was a big goal, not necessarily a nice goal. The second was a nice goal but mostly the work of a teammate with Wilson finishing. This goal is mostly Wilson. He got a fortunate bounce for sure, but he picks up the puck, takes it to the goal and dangles around the goalkeeper.

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I’m sure Wilson was reliving this goal a bunch after the game. It’s a very nice goal, and it’s the kind of goal you dream of scoring as a little kid hoping to make the National Hockey League.

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