Bruins have Caps on ropes
David Pastrnak and Charlie Coyle scored 34 seconds apart to break the game open early in the third period, and Tuukka Rask stopped 19 shots to lead Boston to a 4-1 victory over the Washington Capitals on Friday night and give the Bruins a 3-1 lead in their first-round East Division playoff series.
After three straight overtime games in which neither team managed as much as a two-goal lead, the Bruins made it 2-0 on home ice on Pastrnak’s powerplay goal 29 seconds into the third. The 25-per-cent capacity crowd had barely settled down before Jake DeBrusk’s shot bounced high off the glass behind Ilya Samsonov and landed in the crease for Coyle to poke it into the net.
Behind the play, oft-suspended Capitals forward Tom Wilson put a few extra shots on Boston’s Nick Ritchie, and the rest of the Bruins cut short their celebration to go help out — one of many scuffles in the game.
Alex Ovechkin made it 3-1 with 15 minutes left in the game when his shot was deflected into the net by Bruins defenceman Brandon Carlo. It was Ovechkin’s first goal of the 2021 playoffs and the 71st of his postseason career, moving him past Steve Yzerman and into a tie with Bryan Trottier for 16th in NHL history. But Matt Grzelcyk restored the three-goal lead on a power-play goal — Boston’s third of the game — with five minutes left. Brad Marchand also scored for Boston, which could eliminate the Capitals in Game 5 in Washington on Sunday.
The victory was the 54th in the playoffs for Rask, breaking a Bruins record set by Hall of Famer Gerry Cheevers in 1980.
Boston’s Kevan Miller left after a high hit from Dmitry Orlov. Miller appeared to bang his head against the ice when he fell. Orlov was given a double minor for roughing, and the Bruins finally broke through just 33 seconds into the penalty. The Bruins announced Miller was taken to the hospital for “scans and evaluation.” á In Nashville, Matt Duchene scored in double overtime, giving the Predators a 5-4 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes and life in their first-round playoff series. The Canes lead the best-of-seven series two games to one, with Game 4 Sunday.