As the race to the Stanley Cup finals intensifies, teams are leaving no stone unturned to progress through to the next round. The Capitals are no exception, and they are involved in a thrilling tie against the Montreal Canadiens. Although they extended their lead yesterday by winning Game 4, the Capitals were involved in an unwanted controversy during the game. One of their defensemen, Dylan McIlrath, came under scrutiny by the NHL for unsportsmanlike conduct.

The 33-year-old was fined $2,018.23 for unsportsmanlike conduct during the warm-up session leading to Game 4 against the Canadiens. It was the maximum allowable fine under the CBA, and even the Canadiens’ Arber Xhekaj received a fine of $3,385.42 for the same incident. Meanwhile, this wasn’t the first incident in recent times involving the Capitals. A couple of days back, Tom Wilson was handed a $5000 fine for unsportsmanlike conduct during Game 3 when he got involved in a fight with Josh Anderson (who was also fined the same amount).

Additionally, almost a month ago, McIlrath was also involved in a fight with Jeffery Viel of the Bruins. Addressing his aggression, McIlrath revealed, “I mean, the game is pretty fast. I’m a little rusty on the fight. Catching my breath here still after a good bout. But, yeah, I was a little anxious, a little nervous to begin with, but I thought I settled in.” Despite the marathon fight, Capitals coach Spencer Carbery was pleased with the defenseman’s play and lauded him for his phenomenal performance.

However, these controversies have resulted in the Capitals players receiving hefty fines for their actions. Wilson, who was fined yesterday, reached the five-figure mark in NHL fines over the course of his career. Meanwhile, the tensions have been soaring in the tie between the Canadiens and the Capitals. There have been many violent incidents, and Wilson addressed the physical nature of play.

Tom Wilson defends the aggressive play

During the second period of Game 3, Wilson was engaged in a fight with the Canadiens’ Josh Anderson. With the two trading blows with each other, the NHL Player Safety body decided to hand down a fine of the maximum allowable sum under the CBA for Wilson. Later in the game, Wilson also shoved the opposition’s defenseman, Alexandre Carrier, into the sideboard.

Talking about his aggressive play during the game, Wilson explained, “Obviously, playoffs are extremely physical. They’re hitting, we’re hitting, you get hit, you give hits. Last couple of games, I spent a lot of time in the box. Coming into this one, I just wanted to play between the whistles, play hard.”  

Even the Capitals’ coach, Carbery, heaped praise on Wilson for his aggressive play and influencing the game. However, Wilson’s efforts went in vain as the Capitals lost Game 3, 6-3. Nonetheless, they came back strongly and won Game 4 comfortably, 5-2. Wilson scored a stunning goal in the game, as he showed off his goal-scoring abilities. With this, they are just a game away from entering the second round. Can the Capitals lift the Stanley Cup trophy this year? Let us know your views in the comments below.