Off Topic » Nicklas Backstrom is a believer in puck luck

BOSTON (AP) — Florida Panthers Hats Authentic , something the Capitals have had plenty of against the Bruins in recent years.Backstrom and his teammates had luck on their side again Thursday night as he scored the third-period winner to help Washington win its 14th straight over the Boston Bruins with a 4-2 victory.“Sometimes hockey isn’t fair,” Backstrom said after the Capitals won despite being outshot 41-22. “Even if they win the shots, we got the win. It’s weird sometimes.”Backstrom, who sat out Wednesday’s game against Philadelphia with an illness, glided in to the Bruins’ zone and ripped a left-circle wrister past Jaroslav Halak for the go-ahead goal with 14:14 remaining.Alexander Ovechkin netted his NHL-leading 31st and 32nd goals of the season, and also had the highlight hit of the game when he sent Zdeno Chara — the NHL’s tallest player ever at 6-foot-9 — flipping head over heels into the Capitals’ bench on a shove late in the first period.The TD Garden crowd gasped, but play continued and there was no immediate on-ice retaliation. The Bruins captain tumbled back onto the ice quickly and rejoined the play.Ovechkin declined to speak with reporters after the game about the hit.Jakub Vrana also had a goal for the Capitals, whose streak against the Bruins dates to March 29, 2014.“Didn’t happen again against this team. Have to get over that hurdle Custom Florida Panthers Jerseys ,” Boston coach Bruce Cassidy said. “A lot of nights that would be good enough for points, if not two points, but not tonight.”Ryan Donato and David Krejci each had goals for Boston. The Bruins suffered a season-opening 7-0 blowout loss at Washington on Oct. 3 when the Capitals celebrated last season’s Stanley Cup title.“That was a different night, but at the same time you know they’re always coming out hard at home,” Backstrom said. “I feel like they’re way more physical at home than maybe on the road.”Halak had 18 saves for Boston, which had its five-game win streak snapped.“I didn’t make a save on the third goal. That’s the bottom line,” Halak said. “I got outplayed by their goalie, and you know, they got a win www.officialkings.com , so we just need to be better.”Washington led 1-0 after the first period despite being outshot 17-5. T.J. Oshie grabbed a giveaway by the Bruins and flipped the puck from the Capitals’ end to a wide-open Vrana, who beat Halak with 13:22 to play.Tensions boiled over in the second when Washington’s Lars Eller and Boston’s Brad Marchand got tangled up during a play. Eller, whose celebration in front of the Boston bench after scoring the Capitals’ seventh goal in the opener drew postgame criticism from Marchand, was sent to the penalty box for unsportsmanlike conduct.Donato tied it at 1 with 5:49 to play in the second. But, Ovechkin quieted the TD Garden crowd 39 seconds later when he converted after a feed from behind the net to make it 2-1.Krejci ripped the tying power-play goal past Holtby from the right circle with 15:23 remaining in the third.Ovechkin scored into an empty net with 1:35 left to seal the victory.NOTES: Bruins D Charlie McAvoy missed his seventh straight game with a foot infection. He participated fully in Wednesday’s practice and could return for Saturday’s game against Toronto. … Washington D John Carlson, born in nearby Natick, Massachusetts, celebrated his 29th birthday. … Boston announced a partnership with the Boston Pride of the National Women’s Hockey League team on Thursday. The Bruins are the fourth NHL franchise to partner with a NWHL team.UP NEXTCapitals: Host Columbus on Saturday night.Bruins: Visit the Maple Leafs on Saturday night. ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Blues have three players poised to make their season debuts against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night, but the biggest question surrounding the team this week is the uncertainty in goal.Starting goalie Jake Allen left Saturday’s 7-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks late in the second period after a collision with teammate Zach Sanford.Goalie Ville Husso was recalled from the team’s AHL affiliate in San Antonio and skated with backup Chad Johnson in practice Monday and Tuesday Los Angeles Kings T-Shirts Authentic , but Husso was sent back to the Rampage after Allen skated Tuesday and Wednesday.Article continues below ...Allen, who went through concussion protocol, said he’s ready to go against the Golden Knights if head coach Mike Yeo decides to put him in the lineup.“It was a hard play to the net. I just made a save and it was a tough blow to the side of the head,” Allen told NHL.com. “I was really (shaken) up at the time. It was the right decision to take me out. It took a little bit of time to gather myself. But after that, I was OK.”Forwards Robby Fabbri, Nikita Soshnikov and defenseman Carl Gunnarsson could all make their season debuts against Vegas.Fabbri, who just completed a three-game conditioning assignment in San Antonio, has not played in a regular-season game since tearing the ACL in his left knee against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Feb. 4, 2017.“I think what we have to find out here is how close is he to 100 percent Los Angeles Kings Hoodies Authentic ,” Yeo told NHL.com. “His hundred percent for me is pretty high. That’s a pretty high level. That’s going back to a level that I saw him play at two years ago.”Gunnarsson is also returning from an ACL tear and hip surgery. He is coming off a two-game stint with San Antonio.“That was the last kind of speed, get to game speed and all that, so a good test, and two pretty good games,” Gunnarsson told NHL.com. “That was the last test, it held up well, I feel good, so green light. Now it’s just up to the coaches.”The Blues went 1-0-2 against the Golden Knights last season.Vegas is coming off of a 4-1 loss at Nashville on Tuesday. Forward Ryan Hartman scored twice for the Predators as the Golden Knight allowed four straight goals.“For me, we played the perfect road period against a real good team in the first (period) Los Angeles Kings Hats Authentic ,” Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant told the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “And then after that, we made some real bad mistakes and it cost us goals every time.”Forward Reilly Smith scored a power play goal in the first period for the Golden Knights, but after putting 13 shots on net in the first, Vegas was held to 11 shots in the final two periods.“We made a couple mistakes maybe over-forechecking and not covering for each other as well as we should, and they did a good job capitalizing on odd-man rushes,” Smith told the Review-Journal. “I think it was a game tailored to them where they just threw a lot of pucks to the neutral zone and waited for bounces. They were able to capitalize on them.”