Live blog: Boston Bruins defeat Washington Capitals 3-1

Game information/links

Game preview

Now that the NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, the Washington Capitals are back to reality — a season teetering on irrelevancy and likely to end much earlier than hoped.

Saturday afternoon, the Capitals will play their first game — a tilt at TD Garden against the Boston Bruins — since they traded veterans John Carlson and Nic Dowd for future assets. The team will be without their replacements who they added: David Kampf and Timothy Liljegren.

With 19 games remaining, the Capitals have only two routes to the playoffs: through the final wild card spot in the East where they trail the current occupant and today’s opponent, the Bruins, by four points, and third place in the Metropolitan Division, where the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins have a six-point edge.

As for the Capitals, they’ve received only one message from head coach Spencer Carbery.

“Keep fighting,” Alex Ovechkin said. “We’re still there. We’re still able to win games and make the playoffs. So, we just have to fight and play the game.”

Saturday will be a major test as the Bruins have won 11 consecutive home games. They’ve dominated at TD Garden since a loss to the Montreal Canadiens on December 23, 2025.

Goaltending matchup

Lines

Washington Capitals

Boston Bruins

Tunnel shenanigans

1st Period

Dylan Strome is wearing the other “A” with John Carlson gone.

Puck is dropped. McMichael-Sourdif-Leonard and Chychrun-TVR get the start.

Not a great start! Caps immediately go to the PK.

Penalty killed, back to five-on-five.

You’ll be shocked to learn that the Caps’ power play couldn’t get anything going. On TV, ABC is talking about how they are in disbelief Ovi only has 4 PPG this season.

Penalty killed.

Both teams are basically feeling each other out at 5v5. Not much happening.

At intermission: The teams remain tied 0-0. Shots are 9-7 Bruins.

2nd Period

Puck is dropped.

Caps power play looks even worse than usual today somehow.

Sourdif with another tough penalty. This is his second of the game.

The Capitals respond 3:14 later with a five-on-five goal. Jakob Chychrun with a fantastic one-on-one play, walking past Alex Steeves and setting up Aliaksei Protas for the game-tying goal.

Bruins with a set play off the draw – Charlie McAvoy nearly scores after an insane pass across the seam by David Pastrnak trying to set up the defenseman with a layup. Brandon Duhaime takes a penalty to prevent him from scoring. Back to the PK.

Capitals kill the penalty.

Wilson falls down and gives up the puck at the top of the offensive zone, giving the Bruins a 3-on-1. Casey Mittelstadt runs out of room as TVR dives to block the pass somewhat and Logan Thompson sweeps the puck out of danger. Big play there.

So many penalties.

The Bruins will start the third period with a 1:41 power play.

At intermission: The game’s tied 1-1. The Bruins lead in shots 22-16. It’s a special teams game, which does not bode well for the Caps.

3rd Period

Puck is dropped.

Caps kill the rest of Frank’s holding penalty. We are back to five-on-five.

Bad Protas turnover, quick up, Arvidsson scores on the breakaway.

Jakob Chychrun with a huge hit on Elias Lindholm in the defensive zone. Bruins return the favor just outside the Caps offensive blue line on Tom Wilson.

Arvidsson sheds Wilson to the net and gets sprung on another semi-breakaway. Thompson makes a big save.

Justin Sourdif gets caught puck watching on Charlie McAvoy, McAvoy sprints to the net and gets set up on a wide open chance in front of the net, necessitating another huge save by LT.

Bruins are pouring it on in the third period. They now leading in shots on goal 29 to 17 with 10 minutes remaining in the third period.

Capitals pull Logan Thompson for an extra skater with about 2:17 remaining.

12 straight wins for the Boston Bruins at home. 3 straight losses for the Capitals overall.

Capitals lose 3-1. Put a fork in their season. It’s ovah.

Bruins beat Caps 3-1 in post-deadline disappointment

Comment below. Refresh for live updates during the game. The thread will be closed shortly after the game is completed.