The Boston Bruins dispensed with the late heroics and opened their game with an early wicked offense as they buried the Washington Capitals with five goals to start the game and went on to win, 7-3 Monday.
“That’s a good team over there. And yeah, we were in desperate need of a win, especially heading into a little break like this, you want to head in with a winning feeling,” the Bruins’ Charlie Coyle said. “And we came right out of the gates and we got right to it, and you get one early on that helps, but we kept at it. And you see what happens when we play the right way.”
Sure, now that we’ve put aside the pleasantries, the Bruins took no quarter in this game.
They scored four times in the first period and tacked on the fifth goal in the early second period.
Tuukka Rask made 39 saves to backstop the win.
Patrice Bergeron struck for two goals in the win.
“I think we had some poor execution on a few plays, and then were forced to take penalties when they were getting great opportunities, and they capitalized,” Capitals coach Todd Reirden said. “So far too many penalties, obviously, and … if I had to point to one negative from 39 games into it, that would be it. They got a good power play and they were able to convert.”
Brad Marchand and David Krejci had three points each on the night with a goal apiece.
“It’s a lot easier to play this team when you have the lead, make them take chances where maybe they wouldn’t if they had the lead, so it was big for us and … then we just rolled from there,” Marchand said.
Anders Bjork, Jake DeBrusk and Coyle (shorthanded) also scored for Boston.
“You’ve seen leads in this building, all over the National Hockey League, not just the Boston Bruins, get away from people. … So that gives you a little more comfort level, for sure,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said.
Alex Ovechkin, Lars Eller and Garnet Hathaway scored for the Caps.
“I think we just shot ourselves in the foot with all our penalties. Makes it hard to come back from four, but we weren’t sharp in executing our passes and we got ourselves in trouble,” Eller said.
[WATCH:Â All Capitals vs. Bruins highlights]
Braden Holtby made seven saves in the first period and was given the hook in the intermission.
“Obviously, we gave [Holtby] no chance. We left him alone out there in the first 10-to-12 minutes, take penalties, make bad plays,” Ovechkin said.
Samsonov made three saves.
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