By Ty Anderson, 985TheSportsHub.com
Matched up for the second time in three days, the Bruins once again spotted the Capitals a three-goal lead to begin their head-to-head on Capital One Arena ice.
But unlike Saturday’s point-producing comeback, the Bruins didn’t stop at three, and instead completed their comeback with five unanswered goals for a 5-3 win over the Caps.
Out of the gate with a head of steam, the Bruins hammered six of the game’s first eight shots on Capitals netminder Vitek Vanecek, but had nothing to show for it before the Capitals found their footing with two goals in 11 seconds (including one from ex-Bruins captain Zdeno Chara) and a 13-2 shot advantage to close out the period.
BIG ZEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 2, 2021
that's the tweet. pic.twitter.com/0mqKw8aVRa
Then a second-period power-play tally from John Carlson, complete with the seas parting for Carlson to fire it through Jaroslav Halak, made it a three-goal hole, and it felt like the Bruins’ legs were shot.
But David Pastrnak cut the B’s deficit to two before the end of the second period, and it was No. 88 who completed a wicked turn-and-shoot look for the B’s second score of the evening.
Then came Craig Smith’s game-tying goal off a beautiful feed from defenseman Jeremy Lauzon with 6:53 remaining, and then a Brandon Carlo go-ahead blast with 2:37 left in the third period.
Brandon Carlo gives the Bruins the lead.
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) February 2, 2021
4-3 game. pic.twitter.com/W3YGcpLcD9
“I think we started attacking better,” Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy said of the Black and Gold’s comeback. “We were just turning down too many shots. When you’re down a couple of goals, you gotta press. I thought keeping pucks alive by our D had a lot to do with it.”
The Bruins held on, too, with an empty-net goal from Brad Marchand to make it a 5-3 final, while Halak stopped 23 shots faced for his third win of the season.
A turning point for the Bruins seemed to come in the third, too, with Trent Frederic dropping the gloves with Washington tough guy Tom Wilson. The importance of Frederic’s decision to drop the gloves with one of the toughest men in the NHL was not lost on his teammates or coaching staff, and it left Frederic “jumping like a little kid” in the penalty box when Carlo’s goal pushed the Bruins out in front.
And like the majority of their victories this season, this was a complete team effort from the Bruins, with 11 different players finishing the night with at least one point to their name.
Up next, the Bruins will take their bags to Philadelphia for a two-game set with the Flyers. The Bruins swept their two-game series with the Flyers back in Boston last week.
Matt Dolloff and I talk a lot of hockey every week on the SideLines podcast. Listen below for the newest episode.
