David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists to lead the visiting Boston Bruins to a 3-1 win over the Washington Capitals in Marco Sturm’s head coaching debut on Wednesday night.
Pastrnak, who is bidding for his fourth straight 100-point season, opened the scoring in the second period before dishing a beautiful pass into the slot to Elias Lindholm for a game-winner on the power play at 7:41 of the third.
Morgan Geekie added an empty-net insurance marker with 57.1 seconds left in regulation and Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves in goal for Boston, which was 5-for-5 on the penalty kill.
Geekie and Lindholm each had multiple points while skating on the top line with Pastrnak.
Washington’s Tom Wilson scored and Logan Thompson stopped 18 shots.
The Capitals had a 36-21 advantage in shots on goal, posting 11 of those on the power play.
Pastrnak broke the scoreless deadlock at 12:07 into the second period, marking his fourth straight season-opening goal. The Bruins’ star winger fluttered a wrist shot from high in the offensive zone through traffic and past Thompson, who had the puck change directions on him just before it hit the net.
Swayman was tested early and often in large part due to the Capitals’ five power plays through two periods. One of the Boston goaltender’s best saves came when he challenged Nic Dowd coming down the right side on a partial breakaway at the 6:21 mark of the second.
Boston’s exceptional kill also included 55 seconds of 5-on-3 time early in the second.
At 7:03 of the second, though, Washington beat Swayman with its 29th shot. Wilson knocked down a bouncing puck off Jakob Chychrun’s assist and slotted it home from the right dot.
A debated holding call against John Carlson just 15 seconds after Wilson’s goal led to a Boston power play and Lindholm scoring the go-ahead goal. Pastrnak made a beautiful pass from the wing to his centerman charging down the slot for a backhand goal.
Swayman blockered aside a Jakob Chychrun shot from the left circle during 6-on-5 play in the final 1:35. The key save set the table for Geekie’s empty-netter, which Pastrnak sprung down the middle.
The Capitals had an 8-4 edge in shots during a scoreless first, but half of those landed on Swayman across three power-play chances.
–Field Level Media
