Capitals Lose Thrilling Shootout to Bruins, 3-2
On Saturday, March 14th, the Washington Capitals (33-27-8) lost a close game to the Boston Bruins in an overtime shootout, with the Bruins’ Fraser Minten successfully sinking a shot after nine misses. The Bruins saw Charlie McAvoy score twice, while Matt Roy and Rasmus Sandin scored for the Capitals. The (36-23-6) Bruins broke a 7-game losing streak with the victory.
Regular Time
Neither the Capitals nor the Bruins scored during the first period of the game. The Capitals recorded 9 shots on goal, while the Bruins recorded 7. The teams traded off shots, with balanced offense and defense. Goalies Logan Thompson (Capitals) and Jeremy Swayman (Bruins) were either able to block the shots or missed entirely.
Pierre-Luc Dubois of the Capitals and Morgan Geekie of the Bruins were each given 2 minutes in the penalty box for roughing, and McAvoy got two minutes for holding Dubois.
The Second Period Got Interesting
Shortly into the second period, however, the Capitals took a 1-0 lead via a slap shot goal from Roy, 1:15 into the period. The goal was on the first shot of the period and only Roy’s second of the season, with Sandin and Hendrix Lapierre being credited with the assist.
The Capitals were unable to capitalize on 9 shots on goal, while the Bruins recorded 11 in the second period. 11:57 into the second period, McAvoy sank a slap shot past Thompson to tie the game, 1-1. David Pastrnak was credited with the assist.
Lapierre and Mark Kastelic (Bruins) each spent 2 minutes in the penalty box for roughing during the second period. The Capitals’ Trevor van Riemsdyck recorded the final shot of each period, with Swayman saving both.
The Third Period
It took a bit longer for either team to score during the third period. Sandin scored unassisted at 3:12, then McAvoy responded at 10:09 with a tip-in, assisted by Viktor Arvidsson and Pavel Zacha. When regular time ended, the Bruins and the Capitals were tied 2-2. The Capitals had two power plays closer to the end of the period, for nearly 4 minutes straight with back-to-back penalties for the Bruins, but weren’t able to score on either.
Overtime and the Shootout
The Capitals had five shots missed or blocked during overtime, while the Bruins had four shots missed or blocked, forcing the game into a shootout. In the first round, Dubois had his shot blocked by Swayman, then the Bruins’ Micheal Eyssimont’s shot hit the crossbar. In the second round, the Capitals’ Ryan Leonard’s shot was blocked by Swayman, while Pastrnak had his shot blocked by Thompson.
Star Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin had a shot blocked, as did McAvoy. Finally, in the ninth round of the shootout, the Bruins’ Minten was able to get past Thompson and win the game for his team, breaking a 4-loss streak.
Thompson made 32 saves during regular time and overtime, while Swayman made 26. Sandin was the standout out of the goal, with one goal, one assist and two passes.
The Bruins sit fourth in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference, 8 points behind the first-place Buffalo Sabres. The Capitals sit sixth in the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, 16 points behind the leader, the Carolina Hurricanes (who have a 9-point lead in the division). For a fuller game recap, watch the video below.
What’s Ahead for the Bruins and the Capitals
Following a thrilling, overtime, sudden-death shootout, the Capitals will look to better utilize power plays and get Ovechkin back to scoring against the (34-23-9) Ottawa Senators at home on March 18th, 2026. The Bruins will play an away game against the (32-30-2) New Jersey Devils on March 16th, 2026, as part of their several-game road trip, hoping to extend their winning streak.
