Capitals surge past Bruins in overtime, win 3-2
Final Score: Washington Capitals 3, Boston Bruins 2
With the season finale on Sunday, the Bruins are fighting and clawing their way into the No. 2 seed spot in the playoffs. While the Bruins will make the playoffs no matter what, how they rank matters a great deal to them as it will determine how difficult the road ahead will be. Should they be ranked No. 2 they would face the Ottawa Senators, against whom they have a 4-0-0 record on the season. Because of Saturday’s loss, should they lose on Sunday they could potentially face the Pittsburgh Penguins, something they want no part in.
They were in line for a win on Saturday with a 2-0 lead in the third period, but the game got away from them after three straight power plays, resulting in an overtime loss. What should have been an easy win en route to being ranked the No. 2 seed in the playoffs became a hard loss, putting a lot at stake in the game on Sunday.
Highlights:
- Milan Lucic and Andrew Ference both had goals, coming in the first and second period respectively. David Krejci, Rich Peverley, and Lucic all had assists to help the Bruins take a commanding 2-0 lead going into the third period.
- Despite having some difficulty blocking some very tough shots in the third period, goalie Tuukka Rask had a decent game blocking 34 shots to improve to 19-9 on the season.
Player of the Game
- Milan Lucic was a big force in the Bruins offense, scoring a goal in the first period and earning an assist in the second. Lucic has had a stellar season, racking up 19 assists and 26 points, which have been a big factor in the Bruins success this year.
Quote of the Game:
“It’s what we play for all year — to be at the top of the division and give yourself a good chance to have that home-ice advantage in the playoffs,” Milan Lucic said. “Tomorrow, it’s kind of a blessing. You have something to play for. The last thing you want to do is take your foot off the gas pedal. You want to keep going hard and pretend like the playoffs are starting tomorrow. We’ve said it a million times. You can’t just flip the switch on and off. You saw what happened last year when we tried that. There’s definitely a lot to play for.”
Looking Ahead:
The Bruins will face the Ottawa Senators in the season finale on Sunday, and should they walk away with a win they will be named the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. Should they lose they will drop in the rankings, making the road to the Stanley Cup a tough one as they would be slated to face the Penguins in the second round. The Bruins have fared well against the Senators this year though and hope to cruise on to the playoffs after today.
