(Photo Credit: Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)

By Mike Cratty | Follow me on Twitter @Mike_Cratty

Boston’s Lineup

Forwards

Marchand – Bergeron – Pastrnak

Hall – Krejci – Smith

Ritchie – Coyle – DeBrusk

Kuraly – Lazar – Wagner

Defense

Grzelcyk – McAvoy

Reilly – Carlo

Clifton – Miller

Goalies

Rask

Swayman

Washington’s Lineup

Forwards

Ovechkin – Backstrom – Mantha

Sheary – Eller – Raffl

Sprong – Oshie – Wilson

Hagelin – Dowd – Hathaway

Defense

Orlov – Carlson

Dillon – Schultz

Chara – Jensen

Goalies

Anderson

Copley

First Period

It was a tough start for the Bruins with a couple of nice scoring chances from the Capitals pretty much right off the bat. Then the physicality picked up in short order and the tone. Speaking of scoring chances, Tuukka Rask went on to stifle a pretty big one and make a massive stop on Nic Dowd.

Jake DeBrusk got things going on the scoresheet with his second goal in as many games in a netfront battle. Charlie Coyle and Nick Ritchie had the helpers, the first of the playoffs for each of them. A smart, heads-up play by Coyle made it all happen at the 14:55 mark.

David Pastrnak went off for holding at the 13:41 mark, giving the Capitals their first power play of the game – and they made no mistake in making it hurt. Alex Ovechkin sent a shot into the slot where T.J. Oshie tipped it past Rask to tie the game at the 13:29 mark.

Patrice Bergeron helped the Bruins regain the lead with his first of the playoffs at the 10:39 mark. A heads up play by Pastrnak to keep the puck in at the offensive blue line got it started, and Bergeron putting the puck in the back of the net shortly after. The assist marked the second in as many games for Pastrnak.

Dowd went off for roughing following a scrum after the whistle in the Capitals’ defensive zone and the Bruins had their first power play of the game at the 7:14 mark. Just past the halfway point of the power play, Brad Marchand took a roughing penalty, creating 52 seconds of 4-on-4 time. Nothing came of the extra space to work with on the ice and even strength play eventually resumed.

Dmitry Orlov sent a bouncing shot through layers of traffic that made its way through and past Rask. Garnet Hathaway was credited with the goal on a deflection and it was 2-2 with 3:18 to go in the period. Fast forward a bit when Mike Reilly and Conor Sheary got tied up in a scrap in close proximity to Rask behind the play. Both went off for roughing with just under ten seconds to go in the period.

Plenty of 4-on-4 time, 1:51 to be exact, bled into the second period. What a wild first period it was. Good news came in the form of Sean Kuraly returning to the ice and Kevan Miller returning to the bench after being shaken up earlier on in the game. Shots on goal through 20 minutes were even at 18 apiece in a very high-tempo period.

Score: 2-2

Second Period

Neither team scored on the 4-on-4, but the fast pace of this game continued for much of the second period early on. John Carlson got his stick tied up in the skates of Taylor Hall and took a tripping penalty as a result at the 13:38 mark. Despite plenty of offensive zone time, the Bruins couldn’t convert on the power and fell to 0/3 to start the game in that regard.

Lars Eller made his way to the dressing room around the halfway point of the period, putting the Capitals at 11 forwards at least temporarily. Connor Clifton and Tom Wilson both went off following a hit from Clifton in front of the Capitals bench. Clifton went off for interference, while Wilson went off for embellishment at the 6:29 mark.

Brad Marchand and Anthony Mantha took penalties of their own 40 seconds into the 4-on-4, Marchand for slashing, and Mantha for high sticking. Since they were matching penalties, the game remained at 4-on-4 for a minute and 20 seconds. That’s not all, as once that 4-on-4 ended, another one followed as Craig Smith and Nick Jensen got mucked in front of Anderson, each earning a roughing penalty at the 3:06 mark.

It wasn’t as wild as the first period in terms of goal scoring, but the great pace this game had was pretty consistent through 40 minutes. After the first period it was more about improving defensive zone breakouts, while after the second it was mainly about converting chances.

There were too many missed opportunities due to one too many passes or missing the net for the Bruins. Shots on goal were 15 to nine in favor of the Bruins, bringing the total to 33 to 27 overall, also in their favor.

Score: 2-2

Third Period

Ritchie inadvertently caught T.J. Oshie up high with his hand and found himself in the box for roughing just over two minutes into the period. Miller had the highlight of the penalty kill for the Bruins, blocking a heavy shot from Ovechkin. The Bruins eventually killed off the penalty.

Unfortunately for the Bruins, the even-strength play didn’t last for long following a tripping call on Hall. They managed to kill off the penalty on Hall, but not too long after the conclusion of it, Hathaway ripped one home to give the Capitals the one-goal lead and his second goal of the game. It was 3-2 with 12:56 to go.

On top of the early penalties, the Bruins didn’t record a single shot on goal until the 12:45 mark of the period. There wasn’t much cohesion especially in the neutral and offensive zones. That was until a scrum out front of Anderson ended with an equalizer for Hall. His first playoff goal as a Bruin was assisted by Craig Smith and Matt Grzelcyk, their first assists of the playoffs.

Hall proved the old saying of “go to the net and good things will happen” right with that late goal. Having a chance to rest in between the third period and overtime was massive in what was a hectic period for the Bruins in large part. Shots on goal in the third period were 14 to 12 in favor of the Bruins, bringing the total to 47 to 39 through regulation.

Score: 3-3

Overtime

Marchand did not wait long to end this crazy game in overtime with his first goal of the series. David Krejci found Grzelcyk wide open, who then put the puck on a platter for Marchand to put a one-timer past Anderson to end it just 39 seconds in. The assist for Krejci was his first point of the series, while Grzelcyk’s assist was his second of the game.

Shots on goal didn’t change much as the shot by Marchand was the only shot in overtime – 48 to 39 was the final tally. Rask made 36 saves in the game two victory. It’s all knotted up at one as the series shifts to TD Garden on Wednesday.

Final Score: 4-3 Boston