WASHINGTON, D.C. — The 2025-26 Bruins won’t be essentially the most aesthetically pleasing hockey staff we’ve ever seen. But when their model can produce the form of outcomes we noticed within the season opener in at Capital One Enviornment, they’ll little question be forgiven.
The B’s pissed off the Washington Capitals within the impartial zone, bought good goaltending, received the particular groups battle and walked out with the 3-1 victory. David Pastrnak had a purpose and two assists and Jeremy Swayman made 33 saves for the win.
The B’s took a 1-0 lead into the third interval, however Tom Wilson tied the sport 7:03 of the third when he was left alone within the slot and he was capable of lastly beat Swayman.
The B’s, nevertheless, struck proper again. After John Carlson went to the field for holding Morgan Geekie, the B’s cashed in on the facility play. Pastrnak, who had the sooner purpose, hit Elias Lindholm slashing by the slot. Lindholm went to his backhand and beat goalie Logan Thompson for the 2-1 lead.
Pastrnak then fed Morgan Geekie for the empty netter to seal it.
The Bruins regarded very a lot as they have been marketed within the first interval. It was not a scintillating model of hockey as they clogged up the impartial zone with their 1-2-2 defensive alignment, however they did it properly within the scoreless opening 20 minutes.
Considered one of Marco Sturm’s focuses in coaching camp was the penalty kill – and it’s a very good factor. The B’s took three minor penalties within the first interval, the final of which (a Henri Jokiharju crosscheck) bled over into the second interval.
The Caps held an 8-4 shots-on-goal benefit however the B’s, who held a 16-13 whole shot lead, had their probabilities, too. On their lone energy play, Geekie took a cross-ice cross from Pastrnak and sailed it over the crossbar.
Probably the greatest scoring probabilities for the Caps was really when Hampus Lindholm whiffed on the puck on the high of his crease and directed again on the web, however Swayman was locked in sufficient to smother the harmful puck.
The B’s lived far too dangerously in the beginning of the second interval. With 55 seconds nonetheless left on Jokiharju’s penalty, Charlie McAvoy tripped Alex Ovechkin, giving the Caps a large 5-on-3.
The PK not solely remained robust but it surely was additionally lucky because the Caps simply missed connecting on a few backdoor performs.
Each penalties have been efficiently killed off however the Caps carried the momentum to the primary TV timeout. Swayman was sharp, at one level turning away a harmful partial break from Nic Dowd.
Finally, the B’s pushed again. Pavel Zacha sprung Viktor Arvidsson for a clear breakaway however Thompson closed up the five-hole in time.
The sport picked up in motion, and physicality. Wilson seemed to be looking Mason Lohrei a lot of the night time. One time after he blasted the Bruin defenseman, Mark Kastelic made a beeline for Wilson and locked up with him for a short second, however the Capital winger declined the supply.
The ice was lastly damaged by the B’s at 12:07 and, true to the blueprint, it was a greasy purpose. Pastrnak took a Nikita Zadorov feed, circled out excessive within the zone and fired a shot that was deflected by a Cap out excessive. With Elias Lindholm battling on the high of the crease, the puck eluded Thompson and dropped in behind for the 1-0 Bruin lead.
The highest line had one other goo scoring likelihood when Pastrnak fed Geekie for a backdoor play however Geekie heeled his one-time try.
Whereas the B’s received the interval on the scoreboard, the Caps spent an excessive amount of time within the B’s zone, outshooting the B’s 18-6 within the interval.
