Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson has been suspended three games for an illegal check to the head of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese.  The Penguins forward suffered a broken jaw and a concussion following the violent collision.

Aston-Reese was stickhandling near the Washington bench when Wilson slammed into him, sending the 6-foot-4 Aston-Reese to the ice.

Wilson was not penalized on the play, the second time in as many games he was not disciplined for a borderline hit.

Pittsburgh defenceman Brian Dumoulin went into the league's concussion protocol after Wilson blindsided him in Game 2 while Dumoulin was bracing for a collision with Ovechkin. Wilson was not called for a hearing on that hit and Dumoulin was back in the lineup to start Game 3.

"We lose a guy to a broken jaw that's going to require surgery and a concussion because of another high hit to the head," Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan after Tuesday's loss. "At some point, we would hope that the league might do something."

After the hit, Aston-Reese slowly made his way off the ice, flinging one of his gloves at the Washington bench in frustration, his jaw mangled and his status for the rest of the post-season uncertain.

The initial point of contact was hard to discern, even on replay. Was it the shoulders? The head? Either way the tenor changed considerably. Officials conferred for several minutes before deciding to take no action against Wilson.

"They all got together and they said, 'You know what, we've got a good, clean check here,'" NHL on-site supervisor Paul Devorski said through a pool reporter.

Capitals head coach Barry Trotz called it a "hard hockey hit" and did not appreciate being pressed further during his post-game news conference.

"I already said what I'm going to say about the hit. I'm not going to comment any more," Trotz said. "I really don't care what [Sullivan] said. I'm not on their medical team, so I couldn't tell you. All I saw was the hit. Shoulder on shoulder. Both guys braced for it."

Wilson added to the Penguins' fury when he laughed on the bench while Aston-Reese was down on the ice.

"It's disrespectful. Guy's hurt, laying on the ice. Not too good to be laughing at something like that," Penguins defenceman Justin Schultz said.

"I get the physical game. I get the physical play. I've been on the wrong side of it," added veteran Kris Letang said. "At the end of the day, I respect what kind of game he plays. But you don't laugh at somebody getting hurt. You don't do that."