BOSTON — Tim Thomas had every reason to be confident heading into overtime of Game 7 in Boston’s first-round playoff series against the Washington Capitals.

After all, the Bruins won three seventh games in last year’s run to the Stanley Cup title.

“I’m probably in shock,” Thomas said Wednesday night after Joel Ward beat him at 2:57 of overtime to lead the Capitals to a 2-1 victory over Boston and give Washington a spot in the Eastern Conference semifinals. “I really believed that we were going to win.”

Thomas made 26 saves for Boston, which was hoping to become the first team to repeat as Stanley Cup champions since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997-98. Tyler Seguin scored the Bruins’ goal as rookie Braden Holtby stopped 31 shots for Washington in the seventh one-goal game of the series.

Matt Hendricks also scored for the Capitals.