Charlie McAvoy’s late equalizer and James Hagens’ shootout finish carry Bruins past Capitals

Washington set the terms, Boston kept chasing

The Capitals landed the first clean blow at 8:48 of the opening period when Jonny Brodzinski scored on a snap shot, with Ivan Miroshnichenko and Josh Dunne collecting the assists. Boston spent the next stretch trying to erase that start and eventually found its reply in the second period. Jake Schmaltz tied it at 15:32 on a wrist shot set up by Riley Duran, restoring the game to even terms after Washington had carried the lead through much of the night’s first half.

Washington went back in front again at 5:34 of the third, this time on Miroshnichenko’s deflected goal. That left Boston with another deficit to solve, and the Bruins did not get their answer until the game was nearly gone. McAvoy’s slap shot at 18:17, assisted by Fraser Minten and Matthew Poitras, forced overtime. The extra period settled nothing, and the finish belonged to Hagens, whose backhand was the only shootout goal recorded and became the difference in a 3-2 Bruins victory.

A one-goal swing hidden inside 13 power plays

Games that reach a shootout often invite readers to fixate on the final move, but this one was shaped long before Hagens stepped in. The larger split sat on special teams. Washington had seven power-play opportunities and came away empty. Boston had six and converted one. In a game that sat at 2-2 through 60 minutes and stayed there through overtime, that single power-play edge was not a side note; it was the margin that kept the Bruins alive long enough to win the skills portion.

The rest of the numbers support that reading. Washington finished with a 32-30 edge in shots and a hefty 36-23 lead in hits, so this was not a night where the Capitals lacked involvement. But Boston was a bit cleaner with the puck, finishing with eight giveaways to Washington’s 15, and the Bruins were slightly better on draws at 52 percent. The blocked-shot totals, 17 for Boston and 16 for Washington, show how narrow the run of play remained even while both clubs spent plenty of time killing penalties.

Our take: Washington can point to one place first if it is searching for the lost point. Seven power plays are too many chances to waste in a game this tight, especially when the Capitals also generated 32 shots overall and got six shots from Miroshnichenko alone. Boston’s area for improvement is almost as clear. The Bruins won, but eight penalties and 16 penalty minutes are a risky way to spend an evening against any NHL opponent. Their penalty killers and goaltender covered for that problem this time; repeating it would ask for trouble.

McAvoy and the goaltenders held the line until the finish

A game with only four regulation goals usually leaves fingerprints on both goalies, and that was true here. Michael DiPietro stopped 30 of 32 shots for Boston, good for a .938 save percentage. Logan Thompson was nearly his equal at the other end, turning aside 28 of 30 for Washington and posting a .933 save percentage. Neither netminder gave much away, which is why the late McAvoy strike loomed so large and why overtime stayed scoreless.

McAvoy’s box score was the one Boston needed most: the tying goal, three shots, and a game-high 28:35 in ice time. He was on the ice enough to affect almost every major phase of the night. The Bruins also got timely support from Minten and Poitras on the equalizer, while Schmaltz supplied the earlier response in the second period. For Washington, Miroshnichenko had the strongest offensive imprint with a goal, an assist and six shots, and Brodzinski’s opener gave the Capitals their first lead. Matt Roy’s nine hits stood out in the physical ledger, a big part of Washington’s overall edge there.

Our take: The Bruins will take the resilience, because twice they trailed and twice they answered, but the timing matters. Boston needed its second equalizer with 1:43 left in regulation, and living that close to the edge is not a habit to celebrate for too long. Washington, meanwhile, has a fair argument that much of its game traveled well. The Capitals led twice, out-hit Boston by 13 and out-shot the Bruins by two. But clean finishes on special teams and cleaner puck management at even strength were the missing pieces, and on a night decided only after overtime, those small misses were everything.

Scoring moments

1. 1st · 8:48

   Jonny Brodzinski Goal (1) Snap Shot, assists: Ivan Miroshnichenko (1), Joshua Dunne (1)

2. 2nd · 15:32

   Jake Schmaltz Goal (1) Wrist Shot, assists: Riley Duran (1)

3. 3rd · 5:34

   Ivan Miroshnichenko Goal (1) Deflected, assists: none

4. 3rd · 18:17

   Charlie McAvoy Goal (1) Slap Shot, assists: Fraser Minten (1), Matthew Poitras (1)

5. SO · 0:00

   James Hagens Goal Backhand