RECAP: Capitals smother Bruins, continue their Cup celebration a bit longer

After what we might have thought would be a Capitals hangover, it looked like Boston was sitting in the visiting locker room having a few beers before game time. This is not the start we were looking for.

Period 1

The Caps scored on the first shift of the game, on a seeing-eye pass diagonally across the entire Bruins’ zone to TJ Oshie nearly on the goal line. He hammered a one-timer past Tuukka Rask.

Sean Kuraly, who had an overall dreadful game, drew a penalty. Evgeny Kuznetsov scored right after first PP faceoff to put the Caps up two. Zdeno Chara buried Oshie against the benches to fire up his team, to no avail.

Nearing the halfway point, Boston had a PP chance; their best opportunity comes in the first 20 seconds and they couldn’t muster a controlled zone entry for the rest of the advantage.

The period ended with shots 13-9 in favor of Caps, but clearly more high-quality chances for Washington. Boston, meanwhile, headed to the locker room to brainstorm more ways to get in their own way.

Period 2

Messy doesn’t begin to cover it. The Bruins nearly got scored on ten seconds into the period, then allowed a wide-open Ovechkin to pot a power play goal from the top of the right circle. Nic Dowd had a nifty spinaround backhand shot to net Washington’s fourth.

Kuznetsov scored his second of the game, from a similar spot to Oshie’s tough-angle shot in the first, sneaking it by Tuukka’s short-side post. Five to zero. John Carlson wanted in on the action and told Ovie to abandon his spot at the top of the circle, succeeding on his imitation of the power forward to put the Caps up 6-0. John Moore could probably have scored that goal... oh, wait. Boston couldn’t buy a shot, let alone a goal.

Period 3

Lars Eller added one more, and celebrated while passing the Boston bench; Bradley took exception. Seven. To. Zero. Final. Score.

Game Notes

• Ice time leaders were Charlie McAvoy and Matt Grzelcyk on defense, and David Krejci with Jake DeBrusk and one of either David Backes or Danton Heinen on offense (by a slim margin - David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron were close behind). Interesting choice by Bruce Cassidy. Perhaps some forced growing pains for the youths.
• Weren’t we all expecting that Tuukka would at least play the whole game? I was. Not an auspicious beginning to have to pull your starter in the first game of the season. A couple bad goals and poor defensive play put him on the spot, but I wouldn’t blame him entirely.
• No more notes. Move on. This was atrocious. The end.