WASHINGTON

Braden Holtby isn’t the only eyebrow-raiser for the Washington Capitals so far in the playoffs. Get a load of this statement made by Boston Bruins coach Claude Julien: “They play a patient game.”

Patient? The Capitals? When’s the last time anyone said that?

Yes, there is a high-scoring team getting frustrated by tight checking in the Bruins-Capitals first-round series, but the role that has been played by Washington in recent postseasons now belongs to Boston. The defending Stanley Cup champions were second in goals-per-game with 3.17 in the regular season, but it’s taken two games with three overtimes for both teams combined to surpass that total.

After hosting a 1-0 single-overtime win in Game 1 and a 2-1 double-overtime loss in Game 2, the Bruins travel to the nation’s capital for Game 3 tonight and Game 4 on Thursday night. They spent Sunday’s offday comparing the Capitals to — of all teams — the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are notorious for clogging up the neutral zone.

“Their system right now resembles a little bit to one of Tampa,” Julien said. “It’s something that we’re probably not used to seeing from Washington because it was not that same type of hockey that they played before … more of an up-tempo and more of offense going. Right now they’re just sitting back when we have the puck in full control of it, and they’re just waiting for their chances.”

Naturally, goals are going to be scarce only if the goaltenders are playing well. That was expected of Boston’s Tim Thomas, the reigning holder of the Vezina and Conn Smythe trophies, but the 22-year-old Braden Holtby has been every bit of Thomas’ equal.

Making his playoff debut because of injuries to Tomas Vokoun and Michal Neuvirth, Holtby has stopped 72 of 74 shots and hardly shows the demeanor of someone who has played in only 21 regular season games. Even though Neuvirth’s leg left injury is improving, head coach Dale Hunter surprised no one Sunday when he declared: “Holtsy’s our goalie.”