The Washington Capitals won 3-1 over the Boston Bruins in a New Year’s Eve game on Tuesday. The Capitals scored twice in a span of 5:06 during the first period and held on for the victory.
Aliaksei Protas scored two goals, with Jakob Chychrun adding the game-winning goal for Washington. The Capitals overcame an early one-goal deficit to get their second win in three games, bouncing back from a 4-1 loss to Boston on December 23.
Tom Wilson provided two assists, and Logan Thompson made 11 of his 26 saves in the third period to secure his third consecutive win. Chychrun’s goal was his 11th of the season, tying him for the most goals among defensemen in the NHL.
Justin Brazeau scored the Bruins’ only goal, his third in four games, while Jeremy Swayman made 24 saves for Boston, which finished the month of December with a 9-4-1 record despite losing two of its last three games.
Both teams had 27 shots on goal. Washington went 1-for-2 on the power play and blocked 28 shots, which helped them win the game.
Boston started strong, getting the first five shots of the game, but the Capitals answered back with a lucky bounce leading to the opening goal at 1:21. Parker Wotherspoon’s dump-in bounced off the end wall, right to Brazeau in the low slot, who then scored.
Washington tied the game at 12:05, with Pierre-Luc Dubois passing to Protas, who scored over Swayman’s shoulder. Chychrun gave the Capitals the lead with a power-play goal at 17:11, firing a shot from the top of the circle.
Boston struggled with two power plays in the second period and only managed four shots in the final frame’s first 12 minutes. In the last few minutes, the Bruins tried to push back, but Thompson made key saves on David Pastrnak, and Washington held on after Swayman was pulled for an extra attacker.
Protas sealed the game with an empty-net goal with 8.9 seconds left.
