Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Tim Thomas continued his resurgence between the pipes with 38 saves, helping the Boston Bruins roll to a 4-1 win over the Washington Capitals in their opener at TD Garden.
Bruins Complete Home-And-Home Sweep Over Capitals With 4-1 Win
Thomas, who struggled in 2009-10 after winning the Vezina Trophy the season before, has been in net during Boston’s four-game winning streak, allowing just three goals on 136 shots.
Nathan Horton, Zdeno Chara and Michael Ryder each scored on the power play, while Jordan Caron added another tally for the Bruins, who took the home-and- home series against the reigning Presidents' Trophy winners.
Semyon Varlamov, in his first start of the year, yielded all four goals on 34 shots for Washington, which had won four in a row before losing to Boston, 3-1, on Tuesday. Jason Chimera scored the lone goal in defeat.
Caps forward Matt Hendricks was whistled for tripping late in the opening period, and the Bruins scored with the man-advantage. Patrice Bergeron slid a pass from the point to Ryder on the left doorstep and the forward roofed a wrister with 27.5 seconds left.
Early in the second, Bergeron’s no-look backhand feed from behind the net hit Caron on the stick, resulting in a snap shot that went over Varlamov’s left shoulder 2:22 into the period.
On the power play later in the stanza, Horton let a shot fly between the circles that skidded through the goaltender’s pads with 7:44 remaining.
Thomas, who stopped 13 shots in both the first and second periods, came out of the net midway through the third and it cost him. Chimera intercepted Thomas’ attempted clearing pass and put one into the back of the unoccupied net.
That was all the Capitals got, however, and Boston killed off a late penalty before sealing the win on a one-timer from Chara in the final minute.
Washington had killed off all 25 of its penalties this season before giving up Ryder’s goal in the first...The Caps had won their previous three trips to Boston...Tuukka Rask has not been in net since losing Boston’s season-opener to Phoenix on October 9...Washington went 0-for-4 on the power play, while Boston converted 3-of-4 chances on the man advantage.
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