Capitals Downed 3-1 In Season-Opener Against Bruins (10-9-25)
By: Jaden Golding
Headline Photo Credit: Washington Capitals
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The 2025 season opened last night for the defending Metropolitan champion Washington Capitals, who hosted the Boston Bruins for a showdown at Capital One Arena. However, led by one of their star players, David Pastrnak, who finished with three points (one goal and two assists), the Bruins defeated the Caps.
Both teams began the game sloppily. In the first period, many missed shots couldn’t find the mark, puck possession wasn’t up to par, and Boston committed three penalties.
Less than two minutes into the second period, Caps captain Alex Ovechkin drew a tripping penalty from Charlie McAvoy, which turned the man advantage to a two-man advantage for nearly a minute for the Caps’ power play. However, despite a couple of shots on goal, Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman remained strong in the net.
Swayman later in the period made a big low-left save on a breakaway by forward Nic Dowd, who took advantage on a line change.
Washington goalie Logan Thompson returned the favor a few seconds later, on a breakaway by Boston, stopping the snapshot point-blank.
Around the eight-minute mark, Pastrnak had a straightaway shot through traffic that trickled past Thompson’s pads for the 1-0 Bruins lead.
The rest of the period would stay clean for Boston despite another Caps power play and good shots on goal attempts.
In the final period, Tom Wilson tied things up seven minutes in, after receiving a pass inside the crease off his skate, and finding the top left corner of the net.
However, less than a minute later, the Bruins responded on their power play when Pastrnak made a beautiful shot fake past to the middle, finding Elias Lindholm, who backhanded it in, reclaiming a goal advantage for Boston. This turned out to be the game-winning goal, and the Bruins added an empty-netter in the last minute after Washington’s late potential tying attempt.
Five different Caps (Nic Dowd, Ryan Leonard, Connor McMichael, Aliaksei Protas, Ovechkin, and Wilson) each had three shots.
The Caps outshot the Bruins 36-22, outhit them 35-33, and had more power play opportunities 5-2.
