Anything the Washington Capitals do, the Boston Bruins are trying to do better.

A back-and-forth period saw five goals scored as the Caps and Bruins are tied at 3-3 after 40 minutes.

After the Bruins scored a fluky goal in the first period, the Caps responded with Cody Eakin's goal at 2:14. Tuukka Rask stopped Eakin's harmless snap shot, but he misplayed it and it rolled into the back of the net. It was Eakin's fourth goal of the season.

Forty-one seconds later, Mathieu Perreault gave Washington its first lead at 2-1. A give-and-go with Alexander Semin left Perreault with an empty net, which he took advantage of for his fifth goal of the season.

The Bruins tied the game at 12:21 when Tyler Seguin stole the puck from John Carlson in the Caps' defensive zone and beat Tomas Vokoun with a high backhand for his 19th goal of the season. Not to be outdone, Perreault took advantage of a turnover himself when he picked the puck off and dashed in for a breakaway of his own, beating Rask with a wrist shot for his second goal of the game at 14:23.

Perreault, however, helped tie the game for Boston by taking a hooking penalty. On the ensuing power play, Brad Marchand corralled a rebound and beat Vokoun for his 17th goal of the season.

Shots are 25-18 in favor of Boston.