The Boston Bruins returned home from their three-game road trip Sunday night after winning two of the three games away from the TD Garden. Playing their third game in four nights and devastated on the blue line with injuries, the Washington Capitals took full advantage of the shorthanded Bruins.
Three goals in the first 10 minutes of the game gave the Capitals a 3-0 lead on their way to an 8-1 victory to keep pace in the East Division with the New York Islanders. The silver lining for the Bruins in this one? Well, the two teams chasing them in the standings lost.
Sunday afternoon, the Buffalo Sabres scored three third-period goals to beat the Philadelphia Flyers, 5-3, at the Wells Fargo Center. The New York Rangers lost to the Islanders on the road, 3-2 in overtime Sunday night. Both the Flyers and Rangers are four points behind the Black and Gold in the standings for the final division playoff berth.
First period
Playing with a make-shift defense in front of rookie Dan Vladar, the Caps took full advantage in the first half of the opening period. After the Bruins’ failed to capitalize on their first power play 27 seconds into the game, the Caps took advantage of theirs.
T.J. Oshie scored on the power play 7:33 into the period, before veteran Lars Eller walked around a flat-footed Anton Blidh 16 seconds later to double their lead. Conor Sheary gave the Caps a three-goal lead two minutes later.
The highlight of the first period was a video tribute that the Bruins gave former captain Zdeno Chara. It was Chara’s first game back in Boston with fans in attendance.
If general manager Don Sweeney needs to be reminded of anything, the Bruins reminded him that finding a defenseman prior to Monday’s 3 p.m. deadline is something he needs to look into.
Second period
Things didn’t get any better in the middle period. The Caps scored three more goals, two on the power play to take a 6-0 lead. The Bruins recorded 16 shots on net, but did it really feel like they had 16 shots on net? Certainly, it didn’t feel like it.
The Bruins had one power play in the period without many chances and to add insult to injury, Tom Wilson scored the third goal of the period on a net-front deflection. Game. Set. Match.
Third period
By this point, it was just basically finishing the final 20 minutes and no more injuries to anyone wearing the Spoked-B. Seriously.
The Bruins finally got on the board at the three-minute mark on a Craig Smith power play goal, but two more goals from the Caps closed out the scoring.
As if missing four defensemen wasn’t bad enough, Jakub Zboril went to the locker room in the third period after falling down at the blue line and having the Caps Jakub Vrana fall on him. Fortunately, he returned for his next shift and finished the game.