Mathieu Perreault filled the role — and then some.
Perreault got his first career hat trick, including the tie-breaking goal in the third period, to lead the Capitals to a 5-3 victory over the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night.
Perreault’s third goal of the game came 7:18 into the third period when he put in a rebound off Roman Hamrlik’s shot to give Washington the lead. The score broke a 3-all tie and brought hats raining down onto the Verizon Center ice.
Rich Peverley, Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand scored for Boston in the final game for both teams before the All-Star break.
The Capitals were without Ovechkin, who was serving the first game of a three-game suspension for a hit on Pittsburgh defenseman Zbynek Michalek in Washington’s loss Sunday. Ovechkin also announced Tuesday he would skip the NHL All-Star game, saying, “My heart is not there.”
Washington was already missing another key offensive player: center Nicklas Backstrom, who missed his 10th straight game after being elbowed in the head.
Perrault’s first goal came at 2:55 in the second period, 41 seconds after Cody Eakin scored Washington’s first goal by beating Boston netminder Tuukka Rask.
The teams traded scores off turnovers. Seguin picked off a pass from Capitals defenseman John Carlson in Washington’s zone and scored at 12:21 in the second.
Perreault put the Capitals ahead again about two minutes later, stealing a pass in the middle of the ice and converting on a breakaway for his second of the game.
Perreault was also at the center of Boston’s goal late in the second period which tied the game at 3, when he was whistled for a hooking penalty with about three minutes to play in the period. Boston took advantage as Marchand banged in a rebound with 2:18 left.
Perreault’s third goal gave Washington the lead, and Dennis Wideman had an empty net goal in the final minute to secure the victory.
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