Game 1 saw plenty of big hits laid out during the Eastern Conference semifinal matchup between the Carolina Hurricanes and Washington Capitals, and the opening period of Game 2 had a similar tone.
Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal was on the delivering end of a brutal hit against Capitals forward Tom Wilson midway through the first period. Staal caught the 31-year-old along the boards and made sure to leave his mark by slamming Wilson over the railing and into the Washington bench.
Take a look:
Jordan Staal sent Tom Wilson into the Caps bench 😳 pic.twitter.com/jUwNyqDlg4
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) May 8, 2025
Moments earlier, Wilson had attempted to crush Carolina's Jordan Martinook with what would have been an enormous hit along the boards. Fortunately for Martinook, he saw it coming and avoided the brunt of the contact.
Tom Wilson went for a BIG hit on Jordan Martinook but Martinook dodged most of it 😳💥 pic.twitter.com/ewi0GUHd1s
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) May 8, 2025
Both teams were finishing their checks early on, combining for 17 hits in the first period, but ultimately, it was Wilson who came away worse for wear after his encounter with Staal by the bench.
More on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Jordan Staal Seats Tom Wilson Back on Capitals Bench With Devastating Hit in Game 2.
