WASH DC – Capitals forward Michael Raffl scored with 1.8 seconds remaining as host Washington defeated the shorthanded Boston Bruins, 2-1, Tuesday night in the regular-season finale for both teams.
The NHL clubs will meet in the opening round of the NHL’s East Division Stanley Cup playoffs.
Carl Hagelin also scored for the Capitals (36-15-5, 77 points), who finished second in the division. Goaltender Vitek Vanecek made 24 saves. Curtis Lazar scored for third-place Boston (33-16-7, 73 points), and reserve goalkeeper Jeremy Swayman stopped 30 of 32 shots for the Bruins.
The teams, who were already locked into their playoff positions, took much different lineup approaches in the warmup act before Game 1 on Saturday in Washington. The Capitals played most of their regulars, including forward Alex Ovechkin, who had missed seven of the previous eight games with a lower-body injury and needed some ice time.
The Bruins, locked to the No. 3 playoff slot, employed a lineup that would’ve been more likely to play at their American Hockey League affiliate in Providence. Eight of Boston’s top nine forwards didn’t make the trip, nor did its top six defensemen and starting goaltender Tuukka Rask.
On the winning goal, Raffl took a pass from Justin Schultz and drove to the goal line on the left wing before firing a sharp-angle shot that sailed just behind Swayman’s head and into the top far corner of the net.
The Bruins and Capitals begin their NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series on Saturday night in Washington.