BOSTON — Tim Thomas faced shot after Washington shot — 25 in the third period alone — when Alex Ovechkin came in on the Boston goalie and tried to sweep a backhand through his legs.
“(The attack) was consistent, consistent, consistent. I didn’t have time to think right until Ovechkin’s pad shot,” Thomas said after stopping the two-time NHL MVP at point-blank range with 11 seconds left to preserve Boston’s 3-2 victory over the Capitals on Saturday night. “Maybe that was good.”
Andrew Ference scored his first goal in 100 games as the Bruins jumped to a 3-0, first-period lead and then held on to send the Capitals to their eighth straight loss. Washington outshot Boston 26-2 in the third period, but Thomas made 39 saves in all to help the Bruins snap a three-game losing streak.
“It certainly saved us. There’s no doubt about that,” Bruins coach Claude Julien said. “We were watching more than reacting.”
Patrice Bergeron and Blake Wheeler scored for Boston, and they also assisted on each others’ goals.
