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Brad Marchand scores overtime winner to tie Bruins-Capitals up at 1-1

Ty Anderson May 17th, 2021
May 17, 2021; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Boston Bruins center Brad Marchand (left) reacts after scoring the winning goal against the Washington Capitals during the first overtime period in game two of the first round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Monday night’s Game 2 between the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena had it all.

But most of all, it had an overtime goal from the Bruins’ Brad Marchand, who scored just 39 seconds into overtime to bring this series back to Boston tied at 1-1.

In a game that began with the Capitals landing 11 of the contest’s first 15 shots on net, it was actually the Bruins who struck first in that wild opening frame with a Jake DeBrusk finish for his second goal of the series. The goal was created out of what was just a bananas decision by Craig Anderson to come a full mile out of his net to challenge Charlie Coyle, who instead took the puck behind the net and then fed DeBrusk in the crease for the game-opening tally.

Washington and their lethal man advantage needed just 12 seconds of power-play time to even things up, however, and did exactly that, as Alex Ovechkin handled a bouncing puck and took advantage of a Boston challenger by feeding a puck to a wide-open TJ Oshie for a deflection through Tuukka Rask for a 1-1 score.

The Bruins saw that and answered in short order, too, with a Patrice Bergeron go-ahead goal just 2:50 after the Oshie tally.

But the Capitals once again answered, this time with a Dmitry Orlov shot that went through six players — including Rask, who failed to squeeze the pads and stop the shot from trickling through him on a stoppable shot — and was credited to Garnet Hathaway for his first career playoff goal.

And after a scoreless middle frame, with Rask turning aside nine shots faced and Anderson countering with 15 stops of his own, it was Hathaway who broke the ice and gave Washington their first lead of the evening off a two-on-one chance following a brutal failed neutral-zone pinch from Kevan Miller.

Hathaway’s goal, which came with the Bruins still looking for their first shot of the third period, looked like it could’ve been a back breaker given the way that the Bruins’ offense had remained punchless against Anderson.

The Bruins finally found daylight on what felt like a 78th-chance effort from Taylor Hall, who tucked a puck through a down-and-out Anderson with just 2:49 remaining in the third period to send the B’s and Caps to overtime.

Marchand didn’t keep us long, either, as his aforementioned goal at the 39-second mark of the overtime made this the fourth-quickest overtime game in Bruins playoff history.

The series now will shift to Boston for two games, beginning with Wednesday’s Game 3 with an unusual 6:30 p.m. start.

Ty Anderson is a writer and columnist for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Yell at him on Twitter: @_TyAnderson.

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