Wilson maintains composure to help get Capitals on cusp of advancing in Game 5

MONTREAL -- Tom Wilson knew what he had to do in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Bell Centre on Sunday.

"I just have to be a little bit better at maybe turning away and playing hockey," the Washington Capitals forward said before the game.

Easier said than done for Wilson, who has made a career out of toeing the line and occasionally using both skates to jump right over it. And especially easier said than done in the wild environment that is a Montreal Canadiens home game during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, where the noise is deafening and a physical, emotional player like Wilson is public enemy No. 1.

"It's a tough building to do that," Wilson said. "It's one of the best buildings in the NHL for a reason. It's loud and the fans are passionate. It's one of those buildings you love playing in. It's stuff you'll remember when your career is done, but you want to keep your emotions in check."

Wilson checked that box in Game 4. The result was Washington's big No. 43 playing a massive role in a come-from-behind 5-2 win that put the Capitals ahead 3-1 in the best-of-7 series going into Game 5 at Capital One Arena on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; MNMT, ESPN, SNP, SNO, SNE, TVAS, CBC).

"There's a prime example of the fiery competitor he is, but he also can take a step back and go, 'You know, I need to be better in this area. I need to calm down in this situation,'" Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. "I always appreciate that part of him as a competitor and as a leader."

Wilson made arguably the biggest momentum-changing play of Game 4 with his crushing body check on Montreal defenseman Alexandre Carrier at 6:24 of the third period. Fifteen seconds later, after Wilson beelined across the ice to the Capitals bench and Carrier gingerly made his way to Montreal's, Brandon Duhaime scored to make it 2-2.

Andrew Mangiapane's goal at 16:23 turned into the game-winner. Duhaime and Wilson added empty-net goals.

"Big hit and a big momentum shifter for us," Mangiapane said. "That's playoff hockey. That's what he does. He's a big boy (6-foot-4, 225 pounds). We followed it up with a goal right after. Everyone on the ice fed off that."

But as important as the body check on Carrier, and of course the goal from Duhaime, was the fact that Wilson skated right to the bench after that hit, bypassing what appeared to be an invitation from Canadiens forward Josh Anderson for him to answer the hit with a fight.

Had Wilson taken the bait, the play likely would have been blown dead, Duhaime wouldn't have had a chance to score, and maybe the momentum of the game doesn't change in Washington's favor.

"Honestly, I was pretty tired, so I wanted to get to the bench," Wilson said.

Fair, but maybe in Game 3 he doesn't go to the bench. Maybe in Game 3 he sees Anderson and takes the bait. Because in Game 3, Wilson, by his own admission, was on the wrong side of the line at times, even if it wasn't all his doing.

There was his verbal exchange with Montreal defenseman Arber Xhekaj during warmups, when Xhekaj seemingly was patrolling the red line, perhaps trying to stir the pot a bit before puck drop. Wilson bit.

Then there was his tussle with Anderson that spilled through the Capitals' bench door at the end of the second period, after which Wilson was seen mocking Montreal forward Juraj Slafkovsky with a fake crying face that became an almost instant meme on social media.

Wilson and Anderson each received a 10-minute misconduct and roughing minor for the incident, parking them both for the first 12 minutes of the third period. Wilson didn't play in the third until the Capitals were down 5-3 with 6:37 remaining.

All of it prompted Carbery to talk to Wilson in between games about his approach.

"It's happening when he's on the ice and that's when my antennas go up," Carbery said.

Wilson said he also spoke to "a lot of people I trust" in between Games 3 and 4. Clearly whatever was said in those conversations got him back on the right side of the line Sunday.

"It's good for me to be on the ice," Wilson said. "I can't be sitting in the box for 14 minutes, and the (second) game take a coincidental (minor) or whatever and I'm in the box. I just want to be on the ice and control my emotions."

Wilson had five more hits in Game 4 in addition to his gamechanger on Carrier. He had three shots on goal, was plus-2 and played 21:16, the most ice time among Washington's 12 forwards.

He did his job, a big part of which is just being available instead of being in the penalty box or, worse yet, the dressing room.

The Canadiens and their fans may despise Wilson even more for that. And for Wilson and the Capitals, that's the goal.

"He's one of those guys in sports that every opposing team despises him but would take him in a second," Carbery said. "Almost the hatred comes from a, 'I wish we had him.' It really does, and that's a credit to him."