"It was pretty special to do it in front of family and friends," says Snively, who grew up and played youth hockey in the area before forging an excellent collegiate career at Yale. "Getting it in the first period too was nice."
The Caps kept Boston from registering a shot on net for more than 11 minutes in the first, but the Bruins managed the equalizer when DeBrusk chipped home the rebound of a Connor Clifton drive from the right point, tying the game at 1-1 at 12:56.
Washington was unable to convert on any of its three extra-man chances in the first, but it did manage some good zone time and some strong chances with the extra man. Six of the Capitals' 11 shots in the first frame came on the power play.
Boston pivot Erik Haula staked his team to its first lead early in the second. An offseason addition in free agency, Haula won 17 of 24 draws on the night, and one of those dot wins led to the go-ahead goal. The Finnish center pulled the puck back to the left point on a left dot draw, then went to the net and deflected John Moore's right point drive past Copley, who played the first two periods of the game before yielding to Vitek Vanecek at the start of the third.
The Caps played well in the middle period, getting the better of the possession and the territory, but they weren't able to light the lamp. They entered the final frame down a goal, and ended up in some thick penalty soup early in the third.
Just 35 seconds into the third, Washington defenseman Dylan McIlrath was given a match penalty for an illegal check to the head of Boston forward Steven Fogarty, who left the game and did not return. Facing a five-minute, all-you-can-eat power play, the Caps' penalty killing outfit yielded nothing while managing to draw two penalties against the Bruins in the process, leading to some 4-on-4 time. On the second of those Boston infractions, the Caps evened the score with a pretty 4-on-4 goal off the rush.
Lapierre gained the zone on the left side and dropped it to Fehervary, who quickly fed Garrett Pilon in the high slot. Pilon went to his backhand and beat Troy Grosenick with a beauty of a backhander, high to the stick side. Pilon's goal tied the game at 2-2 at 5:26 of the third.
"It was a great rush," recounts Pilon. "Lappy was skating pretty good there. He made a nice drop play, and Marty found me. I had some space there, and honestly I just tried to make a quick move and get that puck on net."