After Late Penalties, Bruins Box In Capitals

Bruins 2, Capitals 1

BOSTON, March 8 -- For all but seven minutes on Saturday afternoon, the Washington Capitals appeared poised to earn an important win in a building that hasn't been kind to them in recent years.

But then, in what seemed like an instant, they lost their composure and ultimately the game, 2-1, after Zdeno Chara and Marco Sturm scored on five-on-three power plays for the Boston Bruins in the final 5 minutes 1 second at a sold-out TD Banknorth Garden.

It was a bit of redemption for the slumping Bruins, who were humbled, 10-2, in Washington on Monday. For the Capitals, it was a costly collapse considering their tenuous spot in the standings, and because of what awaits them Sunday at Verizon Center: a well-rested Pittsburgh Penguins team challenging for the top spot in the Eastern Conference.

"It was a tight game, it was a playoff-atmosphere game," said Capitals winger Brooks Laich, who scored his seventh goal in nine games in the first period. "For 54 minutes, we felt like we were in charge. Today we lost our composure and it cost us."

With 6:41 remaining, enforcer Donald Brashear was called for high-sticking David Krejci, who was left bleeding from the face. After the whistle, Shane Hnidy confronted Brashear, who promptly dropped the rugged Bruins defenseman with a left jab, drawing a roughing penalty and putting the Capitals down a man for six minutes.

Moments later, defenseman John Erskine was whistled for hooking, though replays appeared to show Hnidy losing his edge before Erskine's stick touched him. The penalty put the Capitals down two players for two minutes.

Chara, the Bruins' all-star defenseman and captain, wasted little time, blasting past a screened Cristobal Huet to tie the score at 14:59 of the third period.

"He fell down before I even got out to him," Erskine said. "It was a horrible call by the refs. I was ready to snap."

It only got worse for Washington, which has won only once in its last 12 visits to Boston.

Defenseman Tom Poti was sent to the penalty box for slashing Hnidy at 17:04, putting the Capitals down two men again, this time for 1:55.

Forty seconds later, Sturm tapped in a cross-crease pass from Krejci to put the Bruins ahead, 2-1.

In all, the Capitals were assessed 11 penalties, including a five-minute kneeing penalty and game misconduct given to Matt Cooke in the second period. Cooke was ejected after an apparent knee-on-knee collision with Bruins defenseman Bobby Allen.