The Capitals struck first on a Nicklas Backstrom power play goal, but B’s coach Claude Julien’s decision to move Matt Hunwick from defenseman to forward and place him in injured Milan Lucic’s spot on the top line paid immediate dividends for the Black and Gold. Hunwick took a pass from Marc Savard behind the net and jammed the puck through Jose Theodore’s pads to tie things up.

The B’s and Caps are tied at 1-1 with 6:09 to go in the first period before a packed house at the Garden, where the faithful have decided to boo Alex Ovechkin every time he touches the puck. Good times.