T.J. Oshie, Lars Eller and Conor Sheary each scored two goals as the visiting Washington Capitals used three quick first-period goals to take command and roll to an 8-1 victory over the Boston Bruins on Sunday night.

Oshie also added an assist. Goalie Vitek Vanecek turned in another strong performance, making 34 saves as the Capitals remained tied with the Islanders for first place in the East. New York scored an overtime victory against the Rangers.

Boston's defense has been besieged by injuries. Matt Grzelcyk (upper body), Kevan Miller (knee rest), Brandon Carlo (upper body) and Charlie McAvoy (upper body) all were out.

The Bruins were hoping that goalie Tuukka Rask might make it back, but Dan Vladar stepped in. He made 25 saves but was constantly under fire.

This game got off to an interesting start when Washington's Brenden Dillon and Chris Wagner of Boston dropped the gloves just four seconds into the game. Dillon got the better of that battle, and it was all Capitals after that. They finished the game with three power-play goals.

Washington took charge with a three-goal first period, all of them coming in a span of 2:09. Oshie scored an extra-man goal 7:33 into the game, before Eller made it 2-0 just 16 seconds later.

Sheary's goal at 9:42 gave the Capitals a 3-0 lead. He then made it 4-0 in the second period on a power-play goal, before Nic Dowd and Tom Wilson also scored.

The Bruins finally broke through on Craig Smith's extra-man goal early in the third, before Oshie batted a puck out of the air and into the net. Eller added one more later with a deflection.

Goalie Henrik Lundqvist had been hoping to make a late-season return to Washington after open-heart surgery and has been training, but he said Sunday on Twitter that there's still some inflammation around the heart. That will require some more time to recover and likely ends his hopes to play this season.

The Capitals also made a trade Sunday, sending defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler to New Jersey for the third-round pick in the 2021 draft.

--Field Level Media