According to sources, the match was tied after two periods before Boston pulled away in the third. The first period was scoreless. Boston took the lead 4:07 into the second period when Pavel Zacha scored on a pass from Charlie McAvoy and David Pastrnak.
Washington equalized after 7:21 in the second period through Aljaksej Protas, assisted by Jakob Chychrun and Ryan Leonard. Viktor Arvidsson then gave Boston the lead 4:28 into the third period, assisted by Casey Mittelstadt and Hampus Lindholm. With 25 seconds left, Elias Lindholm scored into an empty net after a pass from David Pastrnak to seal the 3-1 victory.
The win means Boston has created a nice winning feeling in TD Garden, with the team having won twelve straight matches at home. However, the exact number of consecutive home wins is unclear as sources also mention 13 straight wins in a different context. Viktor Arvidsson's goal was described as the season's most important for the Bruins, deciding a four-point match.
It has been a long time since anyone scored a more important goal in TD Garden. This result helps Boston keep away above the playoff line and temporarily holds a three-point lead over chasing Columbus. Washington, which surprisingly traded defenseman John Carlson to Anaheim, is losing in the race, with six points now separating them from the playoffs.
The impact of this trade on their playoff chances remains uncertain. In their last five matches, Boston has three wins and two losses with a 13-13 goal difference, while Washington has two wins and three losses with an 11-15 goal difference. The teams' previous meeting also ended in a 3-1 Boston win.
Boston's next match is against Pittsburgh away on March 8.