Bruins Coach Sturm Tastes First Victory In Season Opener Against Capitals
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By Nemanja Petković
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Summary:
- The Boston Bruins defeated the Washington Capitals 3-1 on Wednesday, courtesy of David Pastrnak’s goal and two assists.
- Elias Lindholm brought the 2-1 lead following Tom Wilson’s tier; Morgan Geekie sealed the victory.
- New Bruins coach Marco Sturm scooped up his first win as the team killed off all five Capitals power plays.
David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists, and Jeremy Swayman turned away 35 shots to lead the Boston Bruins to a 3–1 win over Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night in the NHL.
Excellent Debut for Marco Sturm
Pastrnak broke the ice in the second period, and after Tom Wilson tied it for Washington early in the third, Elias Lindholm answered just 38 seconds later to put Boston back in front. Morgan Geekie sealed the win with an empty-netter in the final minute.
The game marked a strong debut for new Bruins coach Marco Sturm, whose team shut down all five of Washington’s power plays, including a nearly one-minute 5-on-3 advantage in the second period.
For Ovechkin, now 40 and entering the final year of his contract, it was a quiet night in what might be his last season opener. He took three shots but couldn’t find the net, leaving him stuck at 897 career goals after surpassing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record late last season. Ovechkin still sits one shy of tying Michel Goulet and Dino Ciccarelli’s mark of 14 goals in season openers.
Swayman stood tall all night, stopping Nic Dowd on a semi-breakaway after a bad Boston line change. Washington goalie Logan Thompson returned the favor with a big save on Viktor Arvidsson, but Pastrnak’s wrist shot through traffic later slipped past him for the first goal.
Wilson’s equalizer briefly lifted the Capitals, but Lindholm’s backhand on the ensuing power play restored the Bruins’ lead for good.
Maple Leafs 5, Canadiens 2
In Toronto, Morgan Rielly broke a 2–2 tie midway through the third period, leading the Maple Leafs to a 5–2 win over Montreal in their season opener. Rielly fired a wrist shot past Sam Montembeault after a feed from Matthew Knies.
Auston Matthews and William Nylander added empty-net goals, with Nylander finishing with three points.
Bobby McMann and Calle Jarnkrok also scored for Toronto, while Anthony Stolarz made 29 saves. Montreal got goals from Oliver Kapanen, his first in the NHL, and Zac Bolduc.
Kings 6, Golden Knights 5 (SO)
In Los Angeles, the Kings outlasted Vegas in a wild 6–5 shootout win. Adrian Kempe and Trevor Moore scored in the tiebreaker after the Kings erased a two-goal deficit in the third period. Pavel Dorofeyev had a hat trick for the Golden Knights, while Mitch Marner made his Vegas debut.
Flames 4, Oilers 3 (SO)
In Edmonton, Nazem Kadri ended an eight-round shootout to give Calgary a 4–3 comeback win over the Oilers, spoiling Leon Draisaitl’s 400th career goal. Rookie Matvei Gridin sparked the Flames’ rally, and goalie Dustin Wolf stopped 32 shots.
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