Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson has received his first honor of the season as the NHL’s Third Star of the Week, the league announced Monday morning.
Washington’s alternate captain recorded four goals and four assists last week as the Capitals mounted a four-game winning streak. Wilson recorded multiple points in three of the week’s four games, including a three-point showing against the New York Islanders on Sunday.
After a career year last season, the 31-year-old is on pace to set new highs in goals and assists in the current campaign. At his current rate, he’d finish with an impressive 91 points from 47 goals and 41 assists.
Wilson leads the Capitals in goals, points, power-play goals, power-play points and hits. He said he isn’t focused on the stat sheet, even after narrowly missing his second career hat trick on Sunday.
“One hat trick is enough; other than that, you want to get wins,” he told reporters after the game.
The Capitals enter December with a 15-9-2 record, good enough for third in the Metropolitan Division. They trail the Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning by just two points for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.
Washington continues its road trip with a visit to the West Coast this week. The Capitals play the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday before visiting the San Jose Sharks on Wednesday, ending the trip with a matchup against the Anaheim Ducks on Friday night.
• Liam Griffin can be reached at lgriffin@washingtontimes.com.
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