The Boston Bruins (1-0-0, preseason) knocked off the Washington Capitals (0-0-1) 3-2 in a shootout inside TD Garden Sunday evening.
The Bruins' roster featured every youngster fighting for a spot, and it's safe to say they held up their end of the bargain.
James Hagens' speed, confidence, and strength all seemed to have taken leaps since last spring, and he showed off slick skill with a nasty shootout winner to take down the Capitals:
The game itself was filled with penalties, with Boston taking seven minors, and the Capitals taking six of their own.
Boston's man advantage cashed in on just one opportunity, with Jake Schmaltz wiring in the shot from the slot, thanks to a nifty Riley Duran assist:
Then, trailing with under two minutes left, Bruins' Head Coach Marco Sturm opted to trust the kids.
He sent out Matthew Poitras to take the face off with the net empty, along with Marat Khusnutdinov, James Hagens, Fraser Minten, Alex Steeves, and veteran leader Charlie McAvoy.
Poitras did his job, winning the face off clean. Minten set up McAvoy, who blasted home the equalizer:
Boston then killed off two penalties in overtime, and ultimately prevailed in the shootout.
Michael DiPietro made 30 saves in the win, while Logan Thompson also made 28 saves on the losing side for Washington.
