The Boston Bruins' first goal Wednesday night at TD Garden was a thing of beauty.
The last one? Not so much. But the B's surely will take it any way they can get it.
The Bruins took a 2-1 lead in their first-round Stanley Cup playoffs series with the Capitals in thrilling fashion. The East Division powerhouses needed a second overtime to decide Game 3, and Craig Smith did the game-winning honors for Boston. The first-year Bruin caught the Caps napping in their own end, stole possession and lit the lamp with a wrap-around.
After the game, Smith broke down the clutch tally.
"I kind of circled back into the zone, they had a goalie set behind the net," Smith told reporters, per NHL.com. "I don't know if there was a miscommunication between the two, it kind of looked like it. But I just tried to jump on it, and it seemed like I created a little bit of a turnover there and that gave me just enough time to get it.
"But it was a great feeling, anytime you can end one like that."
The B's and the Caps will resume their best-of-seven series Friday night in Boston. NESN will have complete coverage of Game 4, with pregame action beginning at 5:30 p.m. ET.