The St. Louis Blues were not happy after their 4-3 loss to the Capitals. Their frustration was less about the result of the game and more about Tom Wilson’s second borderline hit on a Blues player this preseason.
Eight days ago, Wilson received his first career suspension — a two-game ban — after a late hit on Blues first-round pick Robert Thomas. Sunday, Wilson was ejected late in the second period for boarding forward Samuel Blais.
Blues head coach Mike Yeo called the hit “predatory.”
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Yeo comments on Wilson’s hit at the 2:48 mark.
“It’s a predatory hit with a guy that apparently didn’t learn his lesson from the first suspension,” Yeo said, figuratively spitting venom. “Maybe coming down a little bit harder on him will make him think a little bit about about it. It’s tough going after vulnerable people.”
Blais would miss several minutes of the second and third periods as he went through concussion protocol.
Blais said he went to the quiet room and went through concussion protocol. Felt fine coming back. #stlblues
— Lou Korac (@lkorac10) October 1, 2017
“He’s a tough kid,” Yeo said of Blais. “You can see the toughness, for me – not dropping the gloves. His toughness is the way he plays through things, the way he wins puck battles, the way he’s willing to take a hit to make a play.”
After the game, Blais spoke to reporters and revealed that he’s “good right now.”
“I didn’t see it, but I think it was not a good hit,” Blais said. “I didn’t see it coming. For sure, if I would have seen it coming, I would have protected myself. I never saw him coming.
“I wanted to do a play. I didn’t see him coming and then I got hit. I’m good right now.”
According to the Washington Post’s Isabelle Khurshudyan, the Department of Player Safety is already reviewing Wilson’s hit in regards to possible discipline.
Tom Wilson could be facing DoPS discipline again (and more info on what happens when there are limited video angles) https://t.co/fbLSNtaojx
— Isabelle Khurshudyan (@ikhurshudyan) October 1, 2017
