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Capitals raise banner before blowing out Bruins
LOS ANGELES, Oct 4, 2018 (BSS/AFP) – Evgeny Kuznetsov scored twice and Braden
Holtby posted his first regular season shutout in 18 months as the Washington
Capitals opened their Stanley Cup defence with a 7-0 thrashing of the Boston
Bruins.
A blowout win at home was the perfect start for the Capitals who raised
their first NHL championship banner to the rafters in a festive ceremony
before the opening faceoff.
Washington reached the pinnacle of the sport by beating the expansion
Vegas Golden Knights in five games to claim the Stanley Cup in June.
The clash against the Bruins was one of four Wednesday games marking the
opening night of the 2018-19 regular season.
Superstar Alex Ovechkin was the last player to come out of the tunnel. The
Russian forward did it in style, carrying the Stanley Cup and going for one
last lap around the Capital One arena. The players then gathered at centre
ice to have their team photo taken as the banner was raised overhead.
Washington is going to have to try and repeat without head coach Barry
Trotz, who moved on to the New York Islanders. He has been replaced by
assistant Todd Reirden.
The biggest obstacle standing in the way of a Capitals repeat is Sidney
Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Pittsburgh won consecutive Stanley Cups in 2016 and 2017 and Washington is
hoping to match that feat.
Holtby finished with 25 saves for the 33rd shutout of his career. It was
the Canadian’s first shutout since April 2017 as he went through the entire
regular season last year without one. That was the first time Holtby failed
to get a regular season shutout in a full season since 2006-07 when he played
for the Western Hockey League’s Saskatoon Blades.
Ovechkin finished with a goal and an assist and Niklas Backstrom delivered
three assists in the win.
T.J. Oshie got the rout started with a goal just 24 seconds into the game.
Boston goaltender Tuukka Rask, of Finland, allowed five goals on 19 shots
before being pulled in favour of Czech Jaroslav Halak as the Bruins suffered
their biggest opening night loss in franchise history.
Bruins Brad Marchand and Zdeno Chara were both minus-two on the night.
Marchand had just one shot on goal and took 19 minutes in penalties because
of an unprovoked attack on Washington’s playoff hero Lars Eller.
Capitals forward Tom Wilson was dressed and on the ice for the banner
raising ceremony but did not play.
Earlier in the day Wilson was slapped with a 20-game suspension for a hit
to the head on St. Louis Blues player Oskar Sundqvist during a pre-season
game on Sunday.
It was just the latest in a long line of sanctions for foul play levelled
against Wilson, who was suspended three times last season.
In other games Wednesday, a couple of stars made their debut with their
new teams, including defenceman Erik Karlsson with San Jose Sharks and
forward John Tavares with he Toronto Maple Leafs.
Tavares had a goal and teammate Auston Matthews scored 61 seconds into
overtime as the Leafs beat the Montreal Canadiens 3-2.
BSS/AFP/MR/ 1040 hrs