WASHINGTON — "Leaders lead."

It's an expression Tom Wilson's used a lot over the course of the year, especially with regard to captain Alex Ovechkin. And with his Washington Capitals needing a leader in Game 2 against the Carolina Hurricanes, he stood by his word and did what he does best: be Tom Wilson.

The 31-year-old, along with the rest of the Capitals, didn't like the way the series started, while also noting that the team wasn't playing to its identity. So, with Washington under siege early again on Thursday, he stepped up to try and turn the tide, and did just that.

Wilson was a force to be reckoned with at both ends of the ice, setting the tone and picking up a goal and assist while leading all forwards in ice time en route to a  3-1 win to even the series. For him, though, it was business as usual — the same way it was when he tilted the ice in the previous series against Montreal with one massive hit.

"I don't think I'm really doing anything more than everybody else on our team," Wilson said, downplaying his individual performance. "I think there's a full buy-in to be playing at this time of year, that's the expectation in our group."

At the end of the day, though, his biggest plays were the ones that didn't show up on the scoresheet.

The alternate captain made some key defensive plays, poking the puck out of harm's way, being hard on pucks and utilizing his size and strength. He was physical, finished his checks and sacrificed his body for some timely blocks, to boot.

"He was leading the charge tonight," coach Spencer Carbery said, adding, "He was really engaged."

Beyond his defensive play, he was pivotal in generating offense for Washington. Wilson was moving his feet all night long, finding the open space and making smart plays in front of the net.

He ended up on the scoresheet with a power-play assist, as he found John Carlson wide-open on the backdoor.  The play not only gave Washington a crucial insurance goal at a key time, but also gave the man advantage some much-needed life. Finally, he hustled at 5-on-6 with the net empty at the other end, and sealed the deal with an empty-netter to make it 3-1 and secure the win.

"He's been doing it all year long. It's nothing new with that guy," Connor McMichael said. "When we need a spark, he's there to provide it. You need a big player or a big goal, he's always the one doing it. Can't say enough good things."

"I thought he was leading the charge tonight. Even before the play he makes on the power play and on the empty netter, he was really engaged," Spencer Carbery said.

Wilson was adamantly vocal about not liking his team's performance in Game 1, a 2-1 overtime loss, so in Game 2, he was vocal and eager to kick things into higher gear. For Carbery, it was commendable.

"When we don't perform to our standard, it, for lack of a better term, pisses them off. It doesn't sit well... then they take concrete action to fix it," Carbery said. "That's exactly what you saw in the last 48 hours with Willy."

Still, Wilson downplayed the praise, crediting captain Alex Ovechkin for being the example that he followed.

"It starts with Ovi," Wilson said. "He goes out there and sets the tone every night, and I've been able to learn a lot from him over the years and just willingness to give to the team."

Ovechkin wouldn't let him get off that easy, though.

"He set the tone," Ovechkin said. "He's our leader."

Going into Game 3 in Raleigh, the Capitals will continue to look to Wilson to pave the way as D.C. looks to take control in the series. And ultimately, Wilson believes all it'll take to do that is an all-in mentality.

"We have a lot of guys in the room that are willing to (give their all). It might show up in different ways, but when everyone's playing their role well adn giving their all-out compete, we're going to have a good chance on most nights."