WASHINGTON – The Bruins were hoping for a different result against the Washington Capitals on Tuesday night after getting shut out all three times the two teams met last season.
Well, they scored a goal at least to break up Washington goalie Braden Holtby’s scoreless streak against the Black and Gold. But they still don’t quite measure up to the Capitals as they found out in an eventual 4-1 loss to the Caps at the Verizon Center.
The Bruins actually scored the first goal when Jimmy Hayes deflected a puck with his body into the net after a Brett Connolly centering pass. It was another power play goal for a B’s team that swelled their offensive numbers with special teams’ productivity, but that was all the offense from the B’s for the rest of the night.
Alex Ovechkin tied things up in the last three minutes of the third period when he beat Zdeno Chara to a loose puck in front of the net, and then the Capitals took over by burying their chances in the second period. A coverage breakdown in the B’s defensive zone left Brooks Laich all alone in front, and he deflected a Dmitry Orlov shot through Tuukka Rask for the go-ahead goal. An ill-advised Brad Marchand roughing penalty gave Washington a 5-on-3 advantage in the second period as well, and they quickly connected on a Backstrom-to-John Carlson power play score for the insurance goal that the Capitals were seeking.
Karl Alzner finished things off with the empty net goal for the Capitals late in the third period, and the Bruins managed only six shots on net while trying to mount a two goal comeback in the final 20 minutes of the game.