Brad Marchand scored 39 seconds into overtime to give the visiting Boston Bruins a 4-3 victory over the Washington Capitals in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series Monday night.
The series is tied at one game apiece heading to Boston for Game 3 on Wednesday and Game 4 on Friday. This was the 11th consecutive one-goal playoff game between these two teams, an NHL record. The Capitals earned a 3-2 OT win in Game 1 on Saturday.
The winning goal Monday came when Capitals turned the puck over in their zone. Boston’s Matt Grzelcyk made a quick cross-ice pass to Marchand, who beat goalie Craig Anderson from the right circle.
Anderson, who turns 40 this week, made 44 saves in the loss. Boston goalie Tuukka Rask had 36 stops as both teams kept up the offensive pressure throughout.
Jake DeBrusk gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead 5:05 into the game, scoring from the doorstep after a quick pass from Charlie Coyle. However, Washington needed just 86 seconds to tie, when T.J. Oshie redirected an Alex Ovechkin shot past Rask on a power play.
Boston went ahead 2-1 at the 9:21 mark of the opening period after the Capitals turned it over in their own zone. Patrice Bergeron sent a high shot past Anderson.
The Capitals answered again, though, when a shot from Dmitry Orlov deflected off Garnet Hathaway’s foot and past Rask. That tied the game at 2-2 with 3:18 left in the opening period.
Both teams found plenty of scoring chances in the first period, each finishing with 18 shots. The Bruins created more opportunities in the second period as they used their speed to find open ice as coincidental minors were called three times, but Washington held on and kept the game even after two periods.
Washington then took the lead on Hathaway’s second goal of the game at the end of a two-on-one with Dmitry Orlov with 12:56 left in the third period. Taylor Hall tied it for Boston by banging home a loose puck from in front with 2:49 remaining in regulation.
–Field Level Media