Lars Eller scored a game tying third period goal, and Jakub Vrana scored the only marker in a shootout on Wednesday night as the Washington Capitals took the extra point with the 2-1 shootout win over the Boston Bruins at TD Garden in Boston.
In a low scoring and hard hitting affair, the teams remained scoreless after two periods. Boston (12-5-3) broke the deadlock when Brad Marchand forced a Washington turnover at the Bruins blue line and broke out down the left wing, sending a perfect pass to a streaking David Pastrnak at the bottom of the right faceoff circle and Pastrnak slammed it into the net to make it 1-0 at 1:19 of the third. Eller evened it for the Caps at 6:14, his fifth of the season. Both teams each had a chance in the overtime, as Washington had a two on one break only to be stopped by Tuuka Rask. Later in the extra session, Bostons Sean Kuraly sent one out near the front of the net to a wide open Jake Debrusk who couldn’t get control of the puck. Debrusk, Pastrnak, and Marchand were all stopped in the shootout with the Capitals second skater Vrana getting the difference maker to give the visitors the extra point in the standings.
Rask stopped 27 shots in net for Boston. Vitek Vanecek had 18 saves for Washington, who improves their record to 13-5-4. Both teams went 0-2 on the powerplay. The game also featured the return to Beantown for defenseman Zdeno Chara, who signed with the Capitals in the offseason. The two teams meet again in Boston on Friday night.
