Recap: Bruins 3 @ Capitals 5

"Caps are playing with a lot of purpose, a lot of focus"--Jack Edwards, NESN, during the second period

This game was more exciting than it needed to be.

Boston looks to me like it plays its best hockey in a low tempo, controlled, low-volume game. That was their story last season--last in the league in offense, but one of the best in defense. Few shots for, few shots against. That is how they played through the first half of the first period, until they got into a bit of penalty trouble. While Washington didn't score, they did control the puck better thereafter.

That puck control carried over into the second, which must have been one of the Caps' best periods to date. They were dominant and pretty clinical for stretches. It was dump-in or carry-in, forecheck, generate a chance or chances, and when the puck got cleared, chase it down, change lines, and repeat. Green was very noticeable and looks to be automatic to the top corner again.

To start the third, Claude Julien swapped in Tuukka Rask for Tim Thomas, and the move paid dividends during the next ten minutes of game time, during which Boston scored two power play goals and an even strength goal to tie the game at 3. That being said, I think Boston was getting a bit lucky, as those three goals were on four scoring chances by my count--not exactly a lot. On the third goal, for example, it was a 2-on-2-turned-2-on-0 when David Steckel and John Carlson collided and Alzner tried to rush back but ultimately couldn't get back in time. After Shawn Thornton tied the game on that play, though, the Caps seemed to find their legs, in part helped by Bruce Boudreau moving Alexander Semin back to the second line with Tomas Fleischmann (who had himself some good takeaways and forechecks) and Brooks Laich.

Braden Holtby came on after Thornton's goal and stopped the handful of shots he faced, for his first career win. Way to go.

Man of the match: Mike Green. He was all over the place and really only made one mistake the entire game. He had a shorthanded assist and a beauty of a goal to give himself a 3-game goal scoring streak. How's that stick working out for ya?

Timeonice reports: Shift Charts, H2H Ice time, Zonestarts, Corsi/Fenwick

Some notes:

• Like we'd expect, Chara saw a lot of Ovechkin. Aside from that and Bruce Boudreau keeping Erskine-Sloan away from any good Boston lines, I don't really see any line-matching going on.
• The Caps had 26 ES offensive zone faceoffs and only 14 in the defensive zone (24 in the neutral zone). That's some good puck possession.
• Semin still looks like the catalyst up front. He played most of the night on Ovechkin's line and ended up a +5 Corsi, while Ovechkin was a -6. That top line is still struggling, methinks. Maybe it's time for a change. Alex Ovechkin still doesn't look all that good, and Mike Milbury pointed out in the intermissions how Ovechkin lost his defensive assignments several times, failing to tie up sticks or win puck battles when first in.
• Eric Fehr-Jason Chimera-Boyd Gordon and John Carlson-Karl Alzner had fantastic games. They saw lots of the Krejci-Horton-Lucic line and shut them down completely, giving them a -10 Fenwick. Fehr led the Caps at +11.
• Tim Thomas was a -7 Fenwick in the first forty minutes, Tuukka Rask a -8 through the last twenty. Hmmm.
• Alexander Semin was brilliant not only in driving offense, but little things like lifting sticks to strip the puck (notably, a couple of times on Zdeno Chara, as well as several times on the PK, including one of Patrice Bergeron which directly led to the rush upon which he scored). He's in the zone. 
• What was that celebration??? Banging on the ice like, well...let's say the "bongos" fans are going to have fun with that.
• Brad Marchand-Gregory Campbell-Shawn Thornton may have tallied, but their most frequent matchup of the night was against Fleischmann and Flash beat 'em. Wow.
• Speaking of Flash, kudos on winning the draw on Carlson's game-winning goal.
• Matt Hendricks is making DJ King look redundant. 
• Mark Stuart was the only Bruin with a positive Corsi. Gregory Campbell joined him in the group of Bruins with positive Fenwick. Ouch.
• Jack Edwards, I don't give a **** that you think the linesmen messed up calling icing in this game. I don't think anyone else does, either. Especially the freaking national audience on NHL Network.

All in all, the Caps had a pretty good game. They outshot Boston 38-18 and probably would have won 4-1 or 4-2 if two consecutive penalties hadn't resulted in 2 goals. Anyways, plenty of time to figure out how to stop that Boston power play.
(Maybe the Caps could learn to just shoot, especially on 5-on-3s...)

Scoring Chances for NHL Game Number 20180

Team	Period	Time	Note	WSH						Opponent
BOS	1	17:30	Seguin 1-on-1 on Alzner	10	26	27	30	39	74	18	19	26	30	44	48	5v5
BOS	1	13:32	Krejci in slot	8	19	27	28	30	74	17	18	30	33	44	46	5v5
BOS	1	13:14	Lucic tries to deke Neuvirth	8	19	27	28	30	74	17	18	30	33	44	46	5v5
WSH	1	11:04	PP Ovechkin one-timer	8	19	22	28	30	52	30	33	37	44			5v3
BOS	1	9:20	SH Wheeler 4-on-3	14	16	21	30	52	74	26	30	33	46	54		5v4
WSH	1	4:55	Backstrom strip, to Ovechkin in front	8	19	28	30	52	55	28	30	37	38	45	54	5v5
WSH	1	3:56	Alzner wrister on loose puck	15	16	25	27	30	74	17	18	30	33	44	46	5v5
WSH	1	3:32	Chimera turnaround fadeaway wrister	4	15	16	25	30	89	19	21	26	30	48	73	5v5
WSH	2	19:02	GOAL Sloan wrist shot through traffic	4	14	21	22	30	89	21	28	30	37	38	45	5v5
WSH	2	17:55	Fehr turnaround shot	15	16	26	27	30	52	17	18	30	44	46	48	5v5
WSH	2	17:23	Carlson 4-on-3 slapshot	8	10	27	30	39	74	19	26	30	33	45	73	5v5
BOS	2	17:15	Ryder backhand	8	10	19	27	30	74	19	26	30	33	45	73	5v5
WSH	2	15:37	Knuble alone weak side on rush	14	21	22	27	30	89	11	21	30	54	63	73	5v5
WSH	2	14:26	Chimera shot off wing	4	15	16	25	30	89	21	28	30	33	37	38	5v5
WSH	2	12:26	GOAL Green curl and drag, wrister high glove side	8	19	28	30	52	55	11	21	22	30	33	63	5v5
WSH	2	9:02	Laich wrister on rush	4	14	16	21	30	89	11	22	30	33	44	63	5v5
WSH	2	7:16	Fehr hits the post	4	15	16	25	30	89	19	21	26	30	48	73	5v5
WSH	2	6:34	Hendricks on doorstep	10	26	27	30	39	74	17	18	30	44	46	48	5v5
WSH	2	6:28	Steckel wrister	10	26	27	30	39	74	17	18	30	44	46	48	5v5
BOS	2	5:40	Thornton wrister	14	21	22	30	52	55	11	22	30	45	54	63	5v5
BOS	2	3:34	Ovechkin doesn\'t tie up Horton, who almost taps it in	8	19	27	28	30	74	17	18	30	44	46	48	5v5
WSH	2	2:10	SH GOAL Semin 3-on-2	21	28	30	52	55		19	28	30	33	37	73	4v5
BOS	2	1:08	Lucic on cross-crease pass	4	10	30	39	89		17	18	30	45	46	48	4v5
BOS	3	16:54	PP GOAL Ryder rebound	4	26	30	39	89		19	28	40	44	48	73	4v5
BOS	3	15:59	PP GOAL Horton slapshot	15	19	30	52	55		17	18	33	37	40	46	4v5
BOS	3	14:16	Hunwick throws it through a crowded slot	4	15	16	25	30	89	17	18	40	44	46	48	5v5
WSH	3	11:36	Fehr one-timer	4	15	16	25	30	89	28	33	37	38	40	44	5v5
BOS	3	10:10	GOAL Thornton on 2-on-0; Steckel and Carlson collide, Alzner not back in time	8	27	28	30	39	74	19	22	40	45	54	63	5v5
WSH	3	8:27	Fleischmann fadeaway wrister	14	21	28	52	55	70	28	37	38	40	45	54	5v5
WSH	3	6:36	GOAL Carlson slapshot through traffic	15	16	25	27	70	74	17	18	21	33	40	46	5v5
WSH	3	5:57	3-on-2, Fleischmann shot + rebound	14	21	28	52	55	70	17	18	40	44	46	48	5v5
BOS	3	4:56	Stuart wrister through traffic	8	19	22	52	55	70	11	21	28	40	45	63	5v5
WSH	3	2:31	Chimera lowers shoulder and goes to front	15	16	25	27	70	74	17	18	21	33	40	46	5v5
WSH	3	1:32	Ovechkin wrister on 2-on-1	8	19	27	28	70	74	19	37	40	44	63	73	5v5
WSH	3	0:52	EN GOAL Ovechkin	8	19	22	55	70	74	17	18	28	33	44	46	5v5

#	Player	EV			PP			SH
4	J. ERSKINE	14:08	6	1	0:02	0	0	0:30	0	2
8	A. OVECHKIN	18:30	5	6	3:00	0	0	0:00	0	0
10	M. BRADLEY	10:29	3	2	0:00	0	0	0:26	0	1
14	T. FLEISCHMANN	11:54	5	1	1:40	0	1	0:00	0	0
15	B. GORDON	12:29	8	1	0:00	0	0	1:41	0	1
16	E. FEHR	12:44	9	1	1:25	0	1	0:00	0	0
19	N. BACKSTROM	16:35	4	5	2:19	0	0	0:06	0	1
21	B. LAICH	11:08	5	1	3:14	0	1	1:17	1	0
22	M. KNUBLE	10:54	3	2	0:45	0	0	0:42	0	0
25	J. CHIMERA	12:30	7	1	0:02	0	0	0:36	0	0
26	M. HENDRICKS	8:35	3	1	0:00	0	0	0:51	0	1
27	K. ALZNER	17:55	9	6	0:04	0	0	1:29	0	0
28	A. SEMIN	16:31	5	4	2:34	0	0	1:17	1	0
30	M. NEUVIRTH	40:39	14	8	3:57	0	1	4:15	1	3
39	D. STECKEL	10:00	3	2	0:00	0	0	1:34	0	2
52	M. GREEN	19:10	5	2	3:31	0	1	2:16	1	1
55	J. SCHULTZ	18:51	5	2	0:00	0	0	2:16	1	1
70	B. HOLTBY	10:09	6	1	0:00	0	0	0:00	0	0
74	J. CARLSON	18:36	8	6	1:19	0	1	1:29	0	0
89	T. SLOAN	12:56	7	1	0:02	0	0	0:30	0	2

Period	Totals		EV		PP		5v3 PP		SH		5v3 SH
1	4	4	3	3	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0
2	11	4	10	3	0	0	0	0	1	1	0	0
3	7	5	7	3	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0
4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Totals	22	13	20	9	0	1	1	0	1	3	0	0