Washington Capitals head coach Adam Oates experienced d?(c)j?* vu last Saturday against the Boston Bruins.

Oates, an All-Star center for Boston from 1992-1997, looked to make a statement at TD Garden, but the Bruins spoiled the homecoming, surging to a 4-1 victory to improve to 19-4-3.
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Bruins coach Claude Julien noted his team excelled because it returned to what they do best: initiate a determined, unrelenting offense.
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"We have to start playing closer to our identity," he said. "We are known for being aggressive and physical in most areas, and today, we played a lot better physically."
Entering Saturday's game, the Bruins did just that. 
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The two squads engaged in a heated defensive battle for much of the first period, unwilling to concede that critical first goal. 
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At the 14 minute, 12 second mark, though, the Capitals defense was the first to fall apart. Left wing Milan Lucic curled a pass to right wing Nathan Horton, who slotted it home for his eighth goal of the season. 
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Three minutes later, Lucic did it again. As he barreled through the Capitals defensive line, center David Krejci surged to the crease for a prime scoring opportunity. Lucic then fired the puck off to Krejci, who ripped a one-timer past the outstretched hands of Washington goalie Michal Neuvirth for a 2-0 lead.
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By the end of the first period, the Bruins held a 2-0 lead and were in cruise control.
Washington struck at the 1:24 mark of the second period, taking advantage of a timely bounce in the crease. Capitals center Marcus Johansson emerged out of a large scramble of players, just managing to sneak the puck past the weak side of Bruins reserve goalkeeper Anton Khudobin.  
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The Capitals suddenly emerged within striking distance, cutting the lead to one goal.
With 11:58 remaining in the period, Krejci fed the puck to Horton, who issued a precise back-hand flick to defenseman Andrew Ference. Ference  then capitalized, firing off a shot from the left circle to score his first goal of the season.
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At the 6:01 mark in the second period, defenseman Adam McQuaid dropped his gloves for a brawl with Capitals center Matt Hendricks. While the referees quickly broke up the fight, the Bruins' physicality continued to manifest itself.
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In the last two minutes of the period, Horton and Lucic both engaged in fights, asserting their dominance on the ice.
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At the 17:28 mark in the third period, the Bruins were beneficiaries of a vital power play. 
In just seven seconds, the Bruins recorded their fourth goal of the game. Lucic shot right at the heart of the goal, leading to a costly deflection. Yet, center Rich Peverley burst through, tipping the puck into an exposed part of the net to put the game out of reach. 
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The sequence marked a milestone for both parties. Lucic tied a career high with three assists, and with the goal, Peverley secured the 300th point of his career.  
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The Bruins also won by an identical 4-1 margin against the Florida Panthers last Thursday, but with an entirely different cast of characters. 
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As the three minute mark in the first period passed, Krejci opened up the scoring spree, curling the puck past Florida goalie Scott Clemmensen. Just 30 seconds later, defenseman Zdeno Chara slammed a one-timer into the net for a 2-0 lead. The Panthers pulled to within one goal early in the second period, but left wing Shawn Thornton and center Patrice Bergeron added onto the scoring in the final period, securing the victory.
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After a 2-1 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday to start a four-game road trip, the Bruins will square off against the Winnipeg Jets tonight at 8:00 p.m.  
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- Adam Rabinowitz