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Capitals vs. Bruins Recap: Ullmark Upsets Washington’s Season Debut

Linus Ullmark’s 33 saves lead the Bruins to a 5 to 2 road victory.

By Geoff Thompson
/ new
NHL: Boston Bruins at Washington Capitals Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

In the first game of Washington and Boston’s 2022-2023 regular season the Bruins came to town and upset the Capitals 5 to 2.

Here’s Opening Night’s Plus/Minus:

Plus: Evgeny Kuznetsov skated in his 600th career contest with the franchise (.83 PPG). Cheers!

Minus: Three goal deficits are too difficult for a single Young Gun to overcome.

More notes on the game:

  • Washington was afforded the first power play of the evening but their advantage did not bear fruit. Boston’s man advantage, on the other hand, would not be denied shortly after.
  • With Kuznetsov in the penalty box Patrice Bergeron pushed a David Pastrnak rebound behind Darcy Kuemper for an early lead. The penalty killing effort lasted 46 seconds.
  • Before the first intermission’s arrival Pastrnak extended the Bruins’ lead to two. Spinning off Dylan Strome (twice) the Boston sniper whipped his shot past Kuemper’s best defense.
  • Midway through the contest Taylor Hall put the Bruins up by three. A second primary assist from Pastrnak put the puck on a platter for Hall to hammer home from home plate.
  • Eighty seconds later the Capitals got on the scoreboard. A deft deke in the slot from Strome froze his check and Linus Ullmark, allowing Anthony Mantha to stash Washington’s first goal of the season.
  • Connor Sheary then pulled the Capitals within one. After blocking a shot in the defensive zone Sheary got the puck back on the wing with speed and wired his shot between Ullmark’s pads.
  • With two seconds remaining in the second period Brandon Carlo was bested on his breakaway chance by Kuemper’s goal stick.
  • Washington registered the first five shots of the third frame but subsequent back to back penalties quickly took four minutes off of the game clock.
  • David Krejci added an insurance goal for Boston with less than four minutes to play. Pastrnak picked up his third assist (and fourth point) of the contest.
  • Hampus Lindholm provided the margin of victory with an empty net goal at 58:55.
  • Kuemper’s first game with Washington was the 300th of his NHL career.

Welcome back Rink fam!

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