Screenshot: NBC Sports Washington

On the day in which the Washington Capitals lost some snarl with the departures of Garnet Hathaway and Dmitry Orlov via a trade with the Boston Bruins, right wing Tom Wilson and defenseman Dylan McIlrath provided some of their own in the Caps’ game against the Anaheim Ducks.

In the second period of the teams’ tilt in Washington, Wilson and Ducks defenseman Simon Benoit dropped the mitts in a good ol’ heavyweight bout.

Tom Wilson drops the gloves with Simon Benoit. 🥊 pic.twitter.com/JxrLlV8QhI

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 24, 2023

Tonight’s matchup is not the first time the two players have faced off in a round of fisticuffs. The two players previously dropped the gloves on December 6, 2021 at Capital One Arena.

McIlrath, the captain of Washington’s American Hockey League affiliate Hershey Bears, is playing in his third game with the Capitals this season, and with whom he signed a two-year contract in the 2021 offseason and dropped the gloves with Ducks forward Sam Carrick.

#ALLCAPS now McIlrath fights pic.twitter.com/zGG2gCbTdR

— Capitals Replays (@capsreplays) February 24, 2023

The two clubs entered the second intermission tied 2-2 apiece.

By Michael Fleetwood