[ Game summary ]

By Nancy Marrapese-Burrell, Globe Staff, 10/31/2002

ASHINGTON - A different goaltender in the net? No problem.

A sputtering power play? No big deal.

Some key missing components? Not to worry.

It doesn't seem to matter what adversity the Bruins face these days. They just thumb their noses at it and keep on going. Last night, they ran roughshod over the struggling Washington Capitals, earning a 7-2 victory at the MCI Center and extending their unbeaten streak to eight games (6-0-2).

The Capitals are winless in their last four (0-3-1).

Contributions came from everywhere. Seven goals, seven goal scorers. A total of 12 players chipped in at least one point, including P.J. Stock, whose two assists marked the first multipoint game of his six-year career.

Tim Thomas, who got his second NHL start and second win by making 33 saves, continues to impress.

After one period, the Bruins were on top, 3-1, on goals by P.J. Axelsson at 1:31, Rob Zamuner at 8:03, and Jozef Stumpel at 17:28.

''The guys certainly gave me enough of a cushion, which makes it a little bit easier,'' said Thomas. ''You can't let them back in the game and that was my goal, being in the net, not to give them a sniff and let those guys get going thinking they had a chance.''

Coach Robbie Ftorek has been imploring his players to shoot. At 1:58 of the second, with the Bruins shorthanded, they saw a great illustration. With Hal Gill off for holding, the Bruins took advantage of a sloppy Capitals power play.

Brian Rolston got the puck and raced through the neutral zone. He teed up a slapper from the right point as he prepared to go to the bench on a change, but the puck blew past former Bruins netminder Craig Billington for the 4-1 lead. It was Rolston's fifth goal and first shorthanded. That goal caused Capitals coach Bruce Cassidy to pull Billington (four goals on 12 shots) in favor of 25-year-old Sebastien Charpentier.

''I actually thought we were going to get a two-on-one, me and [P.J. Axelsson],'' said Rolston. ''The guy backchecked Axy and [defenseman Sergei] Gonchar kind of let me come over the blue line. It was a bit of a screen shot. When he gave me the room, I was just going to try to get a shot on net and get off [the ice]. I just let it go on net and it found its way through.''

At 9:54, the Bruins blew it open. Rolston dished a pass ahead for defenseman Bryan Berard. Berard charged down the left circle and guided a backhander through the pads of Charpentier.

The Capitals pulled to within 5-2 at 11:01 when Steve Konowalchuk beat Thomas at even strength. They had a chance to rally when the Bruins were hit by penalty trouble late in the period that extended into the third. With 40.9 seconds remaining, Jonathan Girard slashed Capitals right wing Peter Bondra. Joe Thornton joined Girard in the box with 11.4 seconds left when he was called for a hook, giving Washington a five-on-three advantage.

However, the Bruins killed both penalties.

''Talk about nerves,'' said Thomas. ''You just want to kill that off so bad because if they score early on the five-on-three, maybe they get a goal five-on-four and then it's 5-4.''

The Capitals wound up 1 for 8 on the power play, the Bruins 1 for 3. Rolston said he didn't think the disparity was at all unfair.

''Most of the calls were pretty good calls,'' he said. ''We got up and we kind of sat back. You get up so many goals and you tend to slack off a little bit. Obviously, Timmy played awesome.''

At 7:41 of the third, Stock found himself one goal shy of a Gordie Howe hat trick (goal, assist, and a fight) when he went toe to toe with the much larger Stephen Peat. Giving up nearly 40 pounds and at least 4 inches, Stock exchanged a good number of punches with Peat despite playing for the first time without a full cage since suffering a severe facial cut Oct. 21 in Toronto from the skate of goalie Ed Belfour. Stock more than impressed his teammates.

''It's awesome,'' said Rolston. ''I can't say enough. What a fight. What a great job. That's why he's a legend in Boston. That's why the fans love him, and they should love him. I would love him. I'll pay for 10 tickets to the game to watch that. He's the toughest guy in the league as far as I'm concerned. He's a guy who brings our team up every night. He goes out there and works his hardest and does that, it's not an easy job. He's unbelievable.''

Thornton made it a rout at 13:12 when, from behind the net, he banked a shot off a wandering Charpentier, and Glen Murray closed the scoring on the power play with 25.4 seconds remaining.

After one game - a brutal 5-1 loss to Minnesota to start the season - it appeared the sky was falling. Now it seems the sky's the limit.

This story ran on page E1 of the Boston Globe on 10/31/2002.
© Copyright 2002 Globe Newspaper Company.