Caps can’t overcome 3-0 deficit in opening loss to Bruins originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
WASHINGTON — The Capitals fell behind 3-0 early to the Boston Bruins in their season-opening matchup on Wednesday and staged a comeback attempt that fell short 5-2 in their first regulation loss in an opener since the 2013-14 season.
Offseason additions such as goaltender Darcy Kuemper (25/29, .862 save percentage), center Dylan Strome (one assist) and winger Connor Brown (one shot) made their Capitals debuts.
Though Washington fought its way back into the game after digging an early hole, the power play struggles that plagued them last season resurfaced once again and the Bruins added an insurance goal late in the third to hold on and clinch the victory.
Here are three takeaways from the Capitals’ season-opening loss to the Bruins.
Sluggish power play dooms slow-starting Capitals
It took the Capitals nearly 30 minutes to score their first goal, finally breaking through when Dylan Strome pulled off the toe drag to set up Anthony Mantha for a tap-in. They had several chances to score earlier, though, particularly on the power play.
The Bruins had two penalties in each of the first two periods as defenseman Brandon Carlo and winger Taylor Hall couldn’t stay out of the box. Washington generated a few scoring opportunities each time but lacked the aggressiveness to finish plays. The Capitals registered just six shots on goal on power plays in the contest.
After finishing 23rd in the NHL with an 18.8% power-play percentage last year, the Capitals entered this season hoping top unit Alex Ovechkin, T.J. Oshie, Evgeny Kuznetsov and John Carlson could build enough chemistry with Strome to turn those results around.
For one game, the results weren’t there and that ultimately proved to be the difference as Boston went 1-for-3 on its own power-play opportunities.
Down a few stars, Bruins’ other usual suspects shine early
Like the Capitals, the Bruins entered this season missing several of its best players due to injury. Winger Brad Marchand and defenseman Charlie McAvoy were both absent from the ice Wednesday, though neither was expected to miss enough time to warrant spots on the LTIR.
But while Marchand and McAvoy ranked first and fifth, respectively, in points for Boston last season, the second-, third- and fourth-leading point-getters stepped up in their absence. Center Patrice Bergeron got the Bruins on the board first with a power-play score on a rebound that bounced off the pad of Kuemper and right into Bergeron’s stick.
David Pastrnak logged his first goal of the year on a spinning shot from the right circle, evading two defensemen and sliding a wrister between Kuemper’s legs — a type of goal the Capitals hope to limit this season with the newly acquired Kuemper between the pipes.
Then, early in the second period, Pastrnak served up a pass to a well-positioned Taylor Hall in transition. Boston used those three goals to get its 3-0 advantage before Washington got going.
Sheary shows what he can do on Caps’ fourth line
The Capitals’ fourth line has been an effective group over the last few seasons. However, it will be missing a key piece this year with Carl Hagelin out indefinitely after undergoing arthroscopic hip surgery earlier this week. In his place Wednesday was winger Conor Sheary, who showed right away how he could fit on the line alongside Nic Dowd and Garnet Hathaway.
With the Capitals trailing 3-1, Sheary pulled them back within one by blocking a Pastrnak shot, creating an odd-man rush, kicking the puck out to Dowd, getting it back and burying the goal home himself with a shot from the left circle beneath the outstretched leg of Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark.
Washington’s fourth line is often called upon to take shifts at the same time as opponents’ top scorers. On that play, Boston’s second line of Pastrnak, David Krejci and Pavel Zacha, a group that had been effective to that point of the contest, was on the ice.
Sheary, who last season bounced around between several different lines but didn’t play much with Dowd or Hathaway, showed he could complete his assignment on the defensive end and work off one of his new linemates to create offense.
