Tom Wilson powers Capitals with career pace start

The 31 year old winger dropped three points on the Islanders in a 4-1 win, finishing with two goals and one assist at UBS Arena. It was Washington's fourth straight victory and seventh in their last eight games.

Wilson opened the scoring on the power play, parking at the netfront and banging home a loose puck. He later read an Ilya Sorokin rim attempt perfectly, picked off the pass, and buried into an open cage for the eventual winner.

The outburst pushed Wilson to 29 points, with 15 goals and 14 assists through 26 games, the highest total he has ever posted at this stage of a season.

According to Capitals PR, it was already his team leading eighth multi point night of the year.

Remember, Wilson was a 2012 first round pick, 16th overall by Washington, and early on he was more famous for his hits than his hands. Now he is coming off back to back seasons over 30 goals, and his current pace screams new career high.

Against the Islanders, his line again leaned on a straightforward recipe, get pucks deep, win races on the forecheck, and funnel looks from the slot. Both of his goals came from within a few feet of the blue paint, exactly where defenses hate dealing with his size.

The ripple effect is massive for the Capitals. With Wilson finishing chances, Logan Thompson locking things down with another 30 save night, and Alex Ovechkin still chipping in late, Washington suddenly looks like a real problem in the Metropolitan again.