Final, Capitals 4-2: The Bruins couldn’t do anything in the final minute-plus, and the Capitals have come into Boston and beat the Bruins.
The B’s have now dropped two in a row coming out of the Olympic break.
Third period, 18:50, Capitals 4-2: The Bruins’ net is empty in favor of the extra attacker, and Boston just used its timeout.
Third period, 18:10, Capitals 4-2: The Bruins have killed off the penalty to Carl Soderberg, but they’ve still got plenty of work to do if they’re going to somehow tie this game with a couple of goals in the final minutes.
Third period, 16:06, Capitals 4-2: The Bruins aren’t making it easy on themselves.
Carl Soderberg was just called for high sticking, and the B’s will attempt to kill that penalty.
Third period, 15:53, Capitals 4-2: The Bruins haven’t done a great job of getting great scoring chances, but when they have, Braden Holtby has been pretty solid.
The Capitals goalie just made a nice pad save on a Johnny Boychuk slap shot from just inside the blue line. There really wasn’t much traffic at all, though, so that’s where the threat ended.
Third period, 10:53, Capitals 4-2: The Bruins’ comeback effort just got a lot more difficult to take on.
Eric Fehr just beat Tuukka Rask five-hole on a breakaway, and the Bruins are facing a two-goal deficit yet again. They’ve had the better of the chances since about midway through the second, but the Caps have made the most of it.
Third period, 7:14, Capitals 3-2: The Bruins have killed off the Brad Marchand penalty, thanks to a huge glove save from Tuukka Rask.
The Bruins goalie robbed Eric Fehr in the slot at point blank to keep the Bruins within one.
Third period, 5:04, Capitals 3-2: Brad Marchand is going back to the penalty box for another offensive zone penalty, and the Bruins face a big penalty kill.
Two of Washington’s three goals have come on the power play today.
Third period, 0:01, Capitals 3-2: The third period is underway.
End second period, Capitals 3-2: The second period is over, and the Bruins are still very much alive. They’ve made some mistakes, but they’re within a goal as the second period comes to a close.
The Bruins are actually outshooting Washington 22-21 now through 40 minutes.
Second period, 18:29, Capitals 3-2: So much for that Washington power play.
Nicklas Backstrom just slashed the stick out of Zdeno Chara’s hands, and the teams will play 4-on-4 for 1:55.
Second period, 18:24, Capitals 3-2: Brad Marchand was just called for tripping, and the B’s will have to kill off another penalty.
Second period, 17:32, Capitals 3-2: The Bruins are right back in this game.
Boston’s fourth line, arguably its best of the game so far, just broke through to get the B’s within one. Shawn Thornton made a beautiful pass into the slot to a charging Gregory Campbell, who somehow redirected it by Braden Holtby from the middle of the slot.
Second period, 16:30, Capitals 3-1: Boston moved the puck well and got its chances on the power play, but the Bruins couldn’t convert.
David Krejci had the best chance just as the power play expired actually. He was in the slot as a puck bounced right to him, but his shot was stopped with a pad save by Braden Holtby, and Washington’s two-goal lead remains intact.
Second period, 14:11, Capitals 3-1: The Bruins are going back on the power play.
Eric Fehr is in the box for high sticking and Boston will look to add another power-play goal.
Second period, 10:54, Capitals 3-1: The Bruins have broken through.
Patrice Bergeron just scored on the power play with a shot from the top of the slot through traffic that beat Braden Holtby.
Carl Soderberg was creating the traffic in front, and the B’s have a little bit of life now.
Second period, 10:13, Capitals 3-0: The Bruins are now being kind of embarrassed.
The B’s won a faceoff at center ice, but Johnny Boychuk turned it over right at his own blue line. Joel Ward was the recipient of that turnover. Ward was able to split Boychuk and Matt Bartkowski, and that allowed Ward to walk in all alone and score.
Second period, 8:14, Capitals 2-0: The Bruins seem to be finally waking up.
The B’s have put three shots on goal in the last couple of minutes, and missed what would have been a great chance in front as a Brad Marchand pass whipped through the slot just missing the stick of Patrice Bergeron.
The Bruins’ first line is also starting to play better as well. They’ve been pretty much invisible in the two games since returning from the break, but they’re showing signs of life as well.
Now the Bruins need to start sustaining that.
Second period, 2:24, Capitals 2-0: The Bruins are not doing a very good job of executing the game plan. Because of that Alex Ovechkin now has two goals on the afternoon.
The Capitals did a good job of moving the puck up the ice, which eventually led to a drop pass for Ovechkin that he hammered by Tuukka Rask for the Russian sniper’s second goal of the afternoon.
Second period, 0:47, Capitals 1-0: The Bruins are going to have to try and kill off yet another power play.
Matt Bartkowski was just called for tripping, and the B’s are down a man less than a minute into the period.
Second period, 0:01, Capitals 1-0: The second period is underway with the Bruins still looking for their first goal of the afternoon.
End first period, Capitals 1-0: The first period is over, and the Bruins trail by a goal after Alex Ovechkin’s goal late in the period.
Washington outshot the B’s 13-7.
First period, 18:39, Capitals 1-0: The Capitals make the Bruins pay, and Washington has the game’s first goal.
Alex Ovechkin just blasted a one-timer by Tuukka Rask, and the Capitals are on the board. That’s Ovechkin’s 42nd goal of the season.
First period, 18:12, 0-0: Chris Kelly is going to the penalty box, and the Bruins will have to kill off another Washington power play.
Kelly bumped Jason Chimera on the way to the bench, and that was apparently enough to draw the penalty.
First period, 18:40, 0-0: Tuukka Rask has been sharp here in the first period.
He just made an impressive pad save on a Mike Green slap shot from the top of the slot that keeps the game scoreless. Rask has made 11 saves in the first.
First period, 14:20, 0-0: This game has kind of taken on a “all over the place” feel to it in the early minutes.
The Bruins, who were outshot 8-2 before the 5-on-3 power play, have found their legs and are starting to pressure the Capitals some. The B’s now have five shots on goal, but they’ve yet to establish any sort of real sustained possession in the Washington zone.
Things are also starting to get kind of chippy. Brad Marchand, to no one’s surprise, has been in the middle of much of it.
First period, 9:00, 0-0: Inexplicably, the Bruins were unable to convert on the 5-on-3 for an entire two minutes.
The Bruins were only able to generate one shot on goal.
First period, 6:57, 0-0: The Bruins now have a great chance to get on the board.
Jay Beagle and Tom Wilson are in the penalty box. Wilson was called for high-sticking, and Beagle for holding. The Bruins will have a 5-on-3 for two minutes.
First period, 6:30, 0-0: The Bruins were able to kill off the Carl Soderberg penalty.
Alex Ovechkin had a good chance from his usual spot on the right wing as he was fed a one-timer from John Carlson, but Tuukka Rask made the save.
First period, 4:13, 0-0: Carl Soderberg is going to the penalty box, and the Capitals will get the first power play.
Soderberg was called for holding the stick, and the second-ranked power play of the Caps will try to get on the board.
First period, 0:01, 0-0: And we’re off. The Bruins and Capitals are underway.
12:50 p.m.: We knew Washington Capitals forward Mikhail Grabovski would be out for this game, but he’ll have some company in the press box. Martin Erat is also out. He’s dealing with a lower-body injury after blocking a shot. He tried to give it a go in warmups, but he was apparently in too much pain and left the ice before warmups ended. He’s been officially listed as a scratch on the playing roster.
12:30 p.m.: Tuukka Rask will start for the Bruins in net, and Braden Holtby will go for the Capitals.
12:05 p.m.: Claude Julien doesn’t usually reveal his starting goaltender in his pregame media availability on days when there’s no morning skate (matinees usually), but he was in a giving mood today apparently.
Julien just revealed that Tuukka Rask will indeed be between the pipes for the B’s, as he looks to beat the Capitals for the first time in his career.
9 a.m.: The Boston Bruins began their post-Olympic stretch in a pretty forgettable way. They’ll look to right the ship on Saturday afternoon with their first game at TD Garden in three weeks.
The B’s will host the Washington Capitals on Saturday afternoon in the first matchup of the two Eastern Conference foes this season. Boston will be attempting to get back on the winning track after a disappointing 5-4 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday.
There appeared to be some rust for the Bruins in their first game back from the league-wide break for the Winter Olympics. The Bruins were uncharacteristically sloppy defensively against the lowly Sabres, and the B’s didn’t get any help from goalie Chad Johnson when those defensive mistakes were made.
The Caps enter their first game with the Bruins on a bit of a roll. Washington won four of its five games in the month of February, and they showed Thursday that they were able to pick up where they left off before the Olympic break. The Caps beat the Florida Panthers 5-4 on Thursday night behind a goal and two assists from Alex Ovechkin and two goals from Troy Brouwer. Washington still finds itself on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoff picture, though. The Capitals begin play on Saturday sitting three points out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Bruins will presumably have Tuukka Rask back in net against the Capitals. Rask hasn’t played in a week with his last start coming in the bronze medal game in Sochi. He didn’t make the trip with the team to Buffalo, so he should be rested and ready to go. Rask stopped 37 of 38 shots as he helped eliminate Ovechkin and Russia in the Olympics as well.
Puck drop from TD Garden is set for 1 p.m. ET.
