Boston Bruins: 8 Takeaways From a 5-1 Win Over the Capitals

Forty-eight hours after suffering a frustrating 2-1 shootout loss to the Washington Capitals, the Boston Bruins turned in one of their most impressive games of the season with a 5-1 victory over the Caps Friday night.

Here are eight takeaways from a Boston victory that leaves the season series at 2-0-2 with the Capitals.

• Tom Wilson was at it again. This time he hit B’s defensemen, Brandon Carlo, high in the head at the end of the first period and did not receive a penalty. Carlo immediately left the ice and went to the locker room and did not return. The Bruins announced that he would return to the game with an upper-body injury. Newcomer Jarred Tinordi and Trent Frederic squared off with Wilson in the second and third periods respectively to defend their teammate.

• Following the Tinordi/Wilson tussle, the Bruins scored three goals, with Frederic starting the scoring on a beautiful redirection of a Charlie McAvoy pass into an open net. Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand scored before the end of the middle period and the Bruins were in command with a 4-0 lead.
• I wrote about it before and I stand by it. The NHL needs to do more of these two-game series next season and beyond. It brings a different excitement to the second game. Love it.
• The Bruins power play went scoreless in two opportunities and now has not scored in their last five games, going 0-12. Their last man-advantage goal came Feb. 21 at Lake Tahoe when Nick Ritchie scored in the second period of a 7-3 Bruins romp over the Philadelphia Flyers.

• Boston did a good job in frustrating Alex Ovechkin all night. They were physical with him, never gave him many dangerous opportunities, and kept him off the scoresheet for a second consecutive game.
• Speaking of special teams, the Bruins killed off all three Washington power play chances Friday night, after killing off both chances Wednesday night. The Caps came into the two-game series with the fourth-ranked PP, but the league’s fourth-ranked PK going into Friday’s game was flawless.
• Not a bad night for the Bruins’ top three left wings. Marchand finished with two goals, while Frederic and Ritchie each had one.
• The Black and Gold played the final two periods with five defensemen, but the group responded with a solid final 40 minutes. Yes, the Caps had 20 shots in the final two periods, but being down a body didn’t stop the unit from still being aggressive and playing their offensive game, which had a big hand in the three second-period goals.

The Bruins collected their 13th win of the season and it was their biggest statement win of the year as they look at a busy two weeks of games coming up.