WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Washington Capitals, playing some of their best hockey of the season, scored two early goals against the Boston Bruins. One defensive lapse turned the tide.

Sergei Gonchar wasn't quite able to control Alexei Tezikov's pass just inside the Capitals blue line. Joe Thornton took the puck off Gonchar's stick and skated in to score on a breakaway to help rally the Bruins to a 2-2 tie Thursday night.

"That's been the tendency of ours this year," Washington goalie Olaf Kolzig said. "We dominate and then we fall asleep for three or four shifts -- and the next thing you know, it's a 2-2 game."

All the game's goals came in the first period. Richard Zednik, benefiting from the breakup of the high-powered Peter Bondra-Adam Oates line, broke out of a scoring slump to score both for the Capitals. Thornton and Anson Carter scored for the Bruins.

But the Bruins simply looked out of it until the vital turnover led to Thornton's goal at the 12:11 mark.

Boston's Byron Dafoe, peppered throughout the game, made 34 saves. Washington's Olaf Kolzig had 25.

Zednik hadn't scored in five games, so coach Ron Wilson took team assists leader Oates off leading scorer Bondra's line and teamed him with Zednik and Steve Konowalchuk.

It paid off right away. Zednik, from the top of the left circle, one-timed Oates' pass between Dafoe's legs to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead 4:56 into the game.

Zednik made it 2-0 at the 11:25 mark when he moved in front of the net to receive Konowalchuk's nicely threaded pass from the right circle. Zednik skated left and had Dafoe sprawling on the ice before sliding the puck home.

Wilson called the line change an experiment, and he wouldn't say how long he'd stick with it.

"The line scored two goals in similar fashion in terms of working it down low and winning some battles," Wilson said. "And knocking the Bruins' 'D' off the puck."

After Thornton's goal, Carter tied the score at 16:49 off a feed from Mikko Eloranta behind the net. Carter got free after Capitals defenseman Brendan Witt had his stick broken.

"They gave us a couple of major mistakes on the two goals," Dafoe said. "We were fortunate to get a point."