Brad Marchand scored 39 seconds into overtime to give the visiting Boston Bruins a 4-3 victory over the Washington Capitals in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series on Monday night.
The series is tied at one game apiece heading to Boston for Game 3 on Wednesday and Game 4 on Friday. This was the 11th consecutive one-goal playoff game between these two teams, an NHL record. The Capitals earned a 3-2 OT win in Game 1 on Saturday.
The winning goal Monday came when the Capitals turned the puck over in their zone. Boston’s Matt Grzelcyk made a quick cross-ice pass to Marchand, who beat goalie Craig Anderson from the right circle.
Anderson, who turns 40 this week, made 44 saves in the loss. Boston goalie Tuukka Rask had 36 stops as both teams kept up the offensive pressure throughout.
Jake DeBrusk gave the Bruins a 1-0 lead 5:05 into the game, scoring from the doorstep after a quick pass from Charlie Coyle. However, Washington needed just 86 seconds to tie, when T J Oshie redirected an Alex Ovechkin shot past Rask on a power play.
Boston went ahead 2-1 at the 9:21 mark of the opening period after the Capitals turned it over in their own zone. Patrice Bergeron sent a high shot past Anderson. The Capitals answered again, though, when a shot from Dmitry Orlov deflected off Garnet Hathaway’s foot and past Rask. That tied the game at 2-2 with 3:18 left in the opening period. Both teams found plenty of scoring chances in the first period, each finishing with 18 shots. The Bruins created more opportunities in the second period as they used their speed to find open ice as coincidental minors were called three times, but Washington held on and kept the game even after two periods.
Washington then took the lead on Hathaway’s second goal of the game at the end of a two-on-one with Orlov with 12:56 left in the third period. Taylor Hall tied it for Boston by banging home a loose puck from in front with 2:49 remaining in regulation.

3-goal third period carries Hurricanes past Predators
Nino Niederreiter broke a third-period tie and Jordan Staal scored twice to pace the host Carolina Hurricanes to a 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators in their Stanley Cup playoffs series opener Monday night in Raleigh, NC.
Teuvo Teravainen and Andrei Svechnikov also scored for the Hurricanes, while goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic made 22 saves as Carolina controlled play for the final two periods. Brett Pesce collected a pair of assists.
Filip Forsberg and Erik Haula replied for the Predators. Goalie Juuse Saros stopped 33 shots.
The Hurricanes will also host Game 2 of the best-of-seven Central Division series on Wednesday.
With the score tied 2-2 after 40 minutes, Niederreiter netted the game-winning goal early in the third period. Seconds after teammate Vincent Trocheck was denied on a golden chance, Niederreiter was set up in the slot and buried a shot set up by Martin Necas just 2:26 into the third.
Staal’s second goal of the game exactly eight minutes into the final frame provided the insurance. During a scramble in the Nashville zone, Staal gained the puck in the slot and whipped a forehand through the maze of players for his 29th career playoff marker.
Carolina, which finished atop the division, also claimed six of eight regular season meetings. The clubs traded goals in each of the first two periods.
Forsberg’s nifty goal opened the scoring. After keeping the play in the offensive zone, Forsberg gained the puck at the top of the right circle, zipped through a couple of defenders and then slipped a five-hole shot home at the 12:14 mark.
However, Teravainen’s deflection tally evened the count 87 seconds later. While checked, Teravainen used one hand to deflect a point shot home to put the hosts on the board.
Then, it was Nashville’s turn to erase a deficit. Staal netted his first of the game when he roofed a sharp-angled shot at 4:19 of the middle frame, but Haula - who spent most of last season with Carolina - tied the game when his effort ricocheted off a defender and over Nedeljkovic’s glove before the midway point. Svechnikov’s empty net goal with 1:47 remaining in regulation rounded out the scoring. Meanwhile, Nathan MacKinnon had two goals and an assist, Gabriel Landeskog added a goal and two assists, and Colorado beat St. Louis in Game 1 of their West Division first-round series in Denver.

Results
Bruins    4-3    Capitals
Hurricanes    5-2    Predators
Avalanche    4-1    Blues