Final, Capitals 4-3: It took the Capitals much of the game to get themselves back into things, but it didn’t take them long to finish it off.
Washington somehow comes away with the two points, as Eric Fehr embarrassed the Boston defense in overtime. The Capitals forward just carried the puck into the zone, split Dougie Hamilton and Dennis Seidenberg and used a beautiful finishing touch to beat the Bruins 4-3 in overtime.
End third, 3-3: The Capitals somehow get out of this with a point, but the game isn’t over yet.
The Bruins weren’t able to capitalize on the power play, and they almost got burned in a big way at the end of it. Alex Ovechkin stepped out of the box and got behind the Bruins’ defense for a final-minute rush. Johnny Boychuk got back just in time to angle Ovechkin off, but the Caps forward went crashing into Tuukka Rask (again) to end the play.
No goal, obviously, and we go to overtime.
Third period, 17:33, 3-3: The Bruins don’t deserve it with the way they’ve given up a three-goal lead, but they’re about to go on the power play.
Alex Ovechkin just got a little bit lazy with his stick, and he gets called for hooking Brad Marchand as the Bruins forward carried the puck over the blue line into the Washington zone.
Now it’s on the Bruins’ power play to get out of Dodge with a regulation win.
Third period, 13:55, 3-3: After 20 minutes, it looked like the Bruins would walk out of the Verizon Center with an easy win. With a few minutes to play in the third period, they’re fighting for a point.
The Capitals have tied it up thanks to more transition offense.
Eric Fehr carried the puck into the Boston zone where he chipped it right at Dougie Hamilton. The puck bounced through the rookie’s legs, and Wojtek Wolski kept skating down the left wing. He moved into the slot, grabbed the loose puck and then beat Tuukka Rask with a backhander.
Third period, 12:46, Bruins 3-2: These teams certainly aren’t sitting back and relaxing.
The Bruins just had another fine chance as the speed of Brad Marchand and Tyler Seguin turned a seemingly normal breakout into a 2-on-1. Marchand was somehow able to get the puck to Seguin who saw Braden Holtby go down as he did a split, but Seguin put the puck over the crossbar, ruining the chance.
That sent the Capitals back the other way where Alex Ovechkin gave the Caps a chance on a weird bounce, but Ovechkin ended up running into Rask and dislodging the net.
Third period, 10:54, Bruins 3-2: The third period has been dominated by the goalies so far, as both Tuukka Rask and Braden Holtby have stepped up their games in the final period.
The Bruins just had arguably their best chance since the first period on a 3-on-1 break keyed by David Krejci, Nathan Horton and Milan Lucic, but the play was broken up and Holtby was able to freeze the puck and stop the play while staying out of danger.
At the other end, Rask has made a couple of big saves including one from an odd angle on Alex Ovechkin and also a blocker save a couple of shifts later.
Third period, 6:00, Bruins 3-2: The Bruins killed off that penalty, but it wasn’t without a couple of frantic moments.
Tuukka Rask held his own in the Boston crease, and the Bruins’ defensemen did a much better job of clearing things up in front. That’s been something of an issue for the B’s in the last few games, so it’s good to see them cleaning things up in their own end, especially on the penalty kill.
Third period, 3:30, Bruins 3-2: The hockey gods have evened things up at this point, haven’t they?
Alex Ovehckin burst into the Bruins’ zone with a head of steam, and he looked to have lost an edge in the process. Zdeno Chara tried to break up the play at the same time as Ovechkin started falling, and Chara ends up getting called for tripping.
That honestly did not look like a trip, but then again, the Ovechkin interference call in the first was equally awful, so it all evens out, I suppose.
Also: referencing hockey gods is stupid.
Third period, 0:01, Bruins 3-2: The third period is under way, with the Bruins leading 3-2.
Second period reaction: The Bruins had to know that the Capitals were going to bring it in the second period, and that’s exactly what Washington did.
The Caps looked much more engaged in the second period, especially after a lackadaisical first period in which they fell behind 3-0. That three-goal deficit may ultimately be too much for them to come back from, but if they play in the third period like they did in the second, they will definitely have a chance to win this game.
The Bruins were able to withstand those rushes with a couple of good shifts late in the period, including a couple from the Patrice Bergeron line, but Boston has nothing to show for it in the second. Once again, the Bruins’ penalty kill has come to play in this one. The Capitals have one of the league’s top power-play units, but the Bruins have shut that down so far, as Washington has yet to register a power-play shot.
Obviously, a quick start to the third period will be imperative for both teams, and I think whoever opens the third with more jump will end up winning this hockey game.
End second period, Bruins 3-2: The Bruins were able to kill off the Brad Marchand penalty, and the Boston forward was fired up upon coming out of the penalty box.
Marchand dropped Mathieu Perreault with a check on the end boards behind the Washington net as the horn sounded, which may set the tone for an edgy third period.
Second period, 17:42, Bruins 3-2: The Bruins got a scare as Brad Marchand went down the runway just a minute or so ago, after taking an apparent chop from Alex Ovechkin.
Bruins fans can exhale, though, as Marchand returned to the ice.
However, the tables turned when Marchand got a penalty for roughing after a whistle that will put the B’s down a man for two minutes.
Second period, 11:32, Bruins 3-2: This is not what you want to see from the Bruins after jumping out to a 3-0 start, and the Capitals are right back into it.
Tomas Kundratek’s first career NHL goal comes off of a wrist shot from the top of the right point to cut the Bruins’ lead to one midway through the second period. All of a sudden, it’s something of a gut-check time for the Bruins.
Second period, 10:29, Bruins 3-1: The Bruins were able to kill off the Shawn Thornton penalty, with a little help from the rink.
A panel of glass needed to be replaced midway through the power play, which may or may not have helped slow some momentum that the Caps had built after the Mike Ribeiro goal.
Second period, 8:05, Bruins 3-1: The Boston penalty kill has to go back to work, as Shawn Thornton is called for interference.
Second period, 5:46, Bruins 3-1: Alexander Ovechkin came under fire for his performance in a game last week, but he’s having himself a pretty decent night so far. His latest efforts just contributed directly to Washington’s first goal of the game.
Ovechkin had a scoring chance when he flipped a backhanded attempt on net from the left wing. It hit the post, but the Bruins weren’t able to clear it as the puck went to the corner. Zdeno Chara couldn’t clear the zone from there, allowing the the Capitals to retain possession in the Boston end.
Ovechkin then grabbed the puck and passed it across the slot to Mike Ribeiro and the veteran forward slammed home the one-time bid to get Washington on the board early in the second.
Second period, 0:01, Bruins 3-0: The Bruins and Capitals have opened the second period in D.C.
First period reaction: Well, that is how you respond to a disappointing loss.
The Bruins came out and took it to the Capitals in the first period, and it is showing on the scoreboard. This was one of the B’s most dominant periods of the season, which is saying a lot given their record and given how they started the period. They looked a little lethargic to start the game, and that came to a head with Tyler Seguin’s hooking penalty. However, it was Brad Marchand who stepped up and got the B’s going, as he has all year. His penalty-killing efforts led to the chance on the breakaway that led to the penalty shot that led to the goal.
From there, the Bruins really turned it on. Shawn Thornton ended any sort of bid for momentum by dropping John Erskine with a big right hand following the Zdeno Chara goal, and the B’s took full advantage of a poor call on the Alex Ovechckin interference penalty. It was a bad call, there’s no mistaking that. But the Bruins deserve credit for cashing in on it with the power-play goal to make it a 3-0 lead.
They need to come out strong in the second, too, and really put this game away. This has the makings of being a runaway rout, and the Bruins need to step on the Capitals now while they’re down. If the second period is anything like the first, you have to expect that will happen.
End first period, 3-0: This game has been a live-blogger’s nightmare, but it’s been a Bruins fan’s dream.
The B’s are up 3-0 after 20 minutes with a very impressive performance to say the least. I’ll break it all down in a couple of minutes, once I take a breath or two.
First period, 1:30, Bruins 3-0: It didn’t take long for the Bruins to really make that questionable penalty call hurt.
Dougie Hamilton scored his third goal of the season, on the power play, when he ripped a blast from the high slot on a nifty feed from Nathan Horton. That gives the Bruins a commanding 3-0 lead in what has been a terrific first period for Boston.
First period, 1:45, Bruins 2-0: Claude Julien has been lobbying a little bit (to say the least) for the Bruins to get a few more calls.
They just got one in a big way. A horrible call on Alex Ovechkin for interference just gave the Bruins their first power play of the evening.
First period, 17:09, Bruins 2-0: Just one second after the Zdeno Chara goal, Shawn Thornton gets into his first fight since the John Scott mess.
He promptly dropped John Erskine with a big right hand to end the bout.
First period, 17:08, Bruins 2-0: The Bruins have bounced back nicely, and Zdeno Chara just got on the score sheet with his first goal since his dipsy-doo spinaroo goal last weekend in Florida.
The play started with a great back-check in the Boston end by David Krejci. Chara then started the puck the other way and eventually got it back in the Boston end. He took a shot that deflected off of Krejci, and Chara followed his shot, grabbed the deflection and put it by Braden Holtby.
First period, 14:41, Bruins 1-0: So far, this one hasn’t been very pretty, with a couple of teams that are looking to feel each other out. They also appear to have no problems feeling each other out while simultaneously stapling to them board.
There have been a couple of big hits early on with Gregory Campbell’s big body check behind the Washington net leading to the aforementioned Daniel Paille scoring chance. The other member of the Boston fourth line, Shawn Thornton, just got a formal introduction to rookie Steve Olesky, who hammered Thornton with a big check of his own.
First period, 9:37, Bruins 1-0: The Bruins have gotten a bit of a jump from the Brad Marchand goal, and they continue to put pressure on.
The fourth line, back to its normal composition for this one, almost got the B’s their second goal a couple of seconds ago. Daniel Paille had a brilliant chance in front after a sweet pass from behind the net by Gregory Campbell, but Braden Holtby makes the save in front of the net.
First period, 6:29, Bruins 1-0: Brad Marchand keeps finding ways to score. This time, it’s with the penalty shot — a shorthanded penalty shot, no less.
Marchand was able to take a loose puck and break it out of the Boston zone, gaining speed into the neutral zone and all the way into the Washington zone. Alex Ovechkin gave him a couple of slashes, and that was enough for the penalty shot.
Marchand took care of the rest, beating Braden Holtby five-hole with the penalty shot to give the Bruins the lead.
First period, 4:51, 0-0: The Bruins, who look a little lethargic in the early going, will now have to kill the game’s first penalty.
First period, 0:01, 0-0: It’s time to play hockey. The B’s and Caps are under way in Washington.
6:59 p.m.: Chris Bourque will make his return to the lineup, and he’ll get a chance to face off against his former team.
The forward was scratched Sunday night, but he’ll make his return in this one. Jay Pandolfo, who had played the last two games, will be a healthy scratch along with Lane MacDermid and Aaron Johnson.
6:50 p.m.: We’re only a few moments away from the Bruins and Capitals getting under way from Washington.
I could lay out the Capitals’ lines for you, but I’m going to let Jack Edwards handle that. Check out his crazy game card right here, which has been updated with the Caps’ lines. It’s pretty intense.
5:52 p.m.: Cam Neely made his weekly radio appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub this afternoon, and unsurprisingly, he spoke about hockey.
Since I love you all, I transcribed his comments. You can read the bulk of those — the ones surrounding diving in NHL — by clicking here.
Neely spoke about some other things. Here we go.
On Zdeno Chara fighting on Sunday night: “I absolutely have no problem with what Z did. We all hated missing Z for 17 minutes, but it was a reactionary thing and it was the right thing to.”
On whether the Canadiens build their team a certain way: “You look at across the league, and I’m not gonna sit here and talk about how the Montreal Canadiens build their team. That’s their choice and their prerogative. Just like I don’t think they would talk about how we build our team. If you look at various teams throughout the league, go back in years, there are certain teams that build certain ways. … I think that transcends generations.
3:35 p.m.: If you were hoping the Bruins might be bringing in Stephen Weiss at the deadline from the Panthers, you’re out of luck.
The Panthers forward’s season is done after he suffered a wrist injury that will need surgery. That’s a major bummer for the Panthers especially considering Weiss is an unrestricted free agent this offseaon. The veteran forward was expected to be one of the bigger names moved at the deadline, and that would have at least ensured that something would come back to the Panthers. That’s obviously out of the question, though.
One would think the Bruins will look to add some forward depth, especially if the third and fourth lines continue to sputter. They also aren’t likely to blow things up in order to bring in someone. So it makes sense that they would be in the market for players like Weiss who have little left on their contract.
12:50 p.m: It looks like Tuukka Rask and Braden Holtby will be the starting goaltenders for this one. They were the first goalies off at their respective morning skates, so it looks like that will be our goaltending matchup.
Holtby, of course, became a household name in D.C. last spring during the playoffs. He also became a household name in Boston, too, but his name was usually preceded by an expletive. He thrived in Dale Hunter’s system, which certainly sets goalies up for success. He struggled some early on this season — like most of the Capitals — but he has bounced back and experienced some success as of late. So much, in fact, that the Capitals felt comfortable enough to give him a contract extension.
12 p.m. ET: The Bruins had high hopes for the 2011-12 season after winning the Stanley Cup a season prior. Those high hopes were shot down early in last season’s playoffs, however, thanks to the Washington Captials.
The B’s get their first chance to exact a little bit of revenge on Tuesday night when they had to the nation’s capital to take on the Caps.
It’s the first meeting of the two teams since Washington shocked Boston in the first round of last year’s playoffs, thanks to Joel Ward’s overtime goal in Game 7 at the Garden.
The Caps look a little bit different this year, and that’s thanks in large part to the change behind the bench. Gone is the defensive-minded Dale Hunter, and in his place is one of the best playmakers in NHL history, Adam Oates. To say there has been a shift in the hockey ideology in D.C. might be a slight understatement.
Things were ugly early on in Washington, but the Capitals have turned the corner some in the last couple of weeks. They’re 6-4-0 in their last 10, and while they’re sitting in fourth place in the Southeast, they’re still very much alive — because it’s the Southeast.
They’ll likely be welcoming a very unhappy Bruins team to the Verizon Center, though. The B’s are looking to bounce back from a tough 4-3 loss to the Canadiens on Sunday night, and they’ll probably be more than willing to take that out on Washington.
