**Bruins Open Season with 3-1 Victory Over Capitals**
WASHINGTON – David Pastrnak led the way with a goal and two assists, while Jeremy Swayman made 35 saves to help the Boston Bruins secure a 3-1 victory over Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night.
Pastrnak opened the scoring in the second period with a wrist shot from just inside the blue line that slipped through traffic and past Capitals goalie Logan Thompson. Tom Wilson evened the score for Washington by netting a goal from just to the right of the slot.
However, Elias Lindholm restored Boston’s lead at 7:41 of the third period, scoring a backhand goal just 38 seconds after Wilson’s equalizer. Morgan Geekie sealed the win by scoring into an empty net with 57.1 seconds remaining.
The Bruins also made their new head coach Marco Sturm a winner in his debut, successfully killing off all five of Washington’s power plays— including a challenging two-man advantage that lasted nearly a minute in the second period.
At 40 years old and in the final year of his contract, Ovechkin saw his goal-scoring record remain just out of reach. Despite entering the season with 13 goals in openers—one shy of Michel Goulet and Dino Ciccarelli’s 14—Ovechkin was unable to find the back of the net against Boston. After surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goal record late last season, Ovechkin started the 2025-26 campaign with 897 career goals. He recorded three shots on goal in this game but couldn’t beat Swayman.
Ovechkin, who had dealt with a preseason injury, occasionally came off the ice during Washington’s power plays instead of staying on with both units.
The game saw some tense moments, including Swayman stopping Nic Dowd on a semi-breakaway in the second period following a poor line change by Boston. Thompson returned the favor later with a save on Viktor Arvidsson’s breakaway.
**What’s Next?**
– Boston Bruins will host the Chicago Blackhawks on Thursday night.
– Washington Capitals will visit the New York Islanders on Saturday night.
Boston’s strong start under Coach Sturm sets an optimistic tone for the season as they continue to build on their momentum.
https://www.centralmaine.com/2025/10/08/bruins-open-season-with-win-over-capitals/
