Bruins 1, Capitals 0 (OT)

Tyler Seguin won the Bruins' 7th Player Award. But that was because of Pink Hat voting. No offense, to Seguin, but Chris Kelly deserved the award. He scored a career high 20 goals, and 39 points this season. He's done all the little things that we've come to expect from the Bruins' 3rd line. And last night, he won the fucking game.

He was put in a position to do so by Tim Thomas. Thomas didn't have to stop many shots (only 17), but he worked hard to stop those shots. His save on Ovechkin in the 3rd was sheer brilliance.

Thomas hasn't allowed a playoff goal since June 13th.

If the Bruins had lost this game, it would have been really, really, really sad. The Bruins outshot the Caps 26-7 at one point, and that wasn't including the 17 shots the Capitals had blocked up to that point.

Brandon Holtby gave up so many soft, juicy, medium-rare served on a sesame seed bun rebounds. And the Bruins lacked a presence in front of the net to capitalize on them.

I missed Mark Recchi. For the first time this season. His front-of-the-net prowess wasn't just due to strength. It was due to his impeccable timing. He knew when to get to the front of the net, when to put the stick on the ice, when to put himself in position to make the play. Holtby's rebounds gave the Bruins numerous tantalizing opportunities, but they didn't move to the front of the net at the right time to capitalize on them.

Timing is everything.

The battle between Ovechkin and Seidenberg was interesting. And I have to give Seidenberg Round 1 on points. But barely. Ovechkin is a new kind of high scoring forward for the Bruins to deal with in the playoffs. He's not Stamkos. He's not a Sedin. He's a 6' 2" 234 pound block of Russian toughness. The kind of toughness that fought and won the grueling Battle of Stalingrad in 1942-43.

The Bruins need to attack Holtby more. Not just token shots from the point. Be patient on the rush, wait to get a body in front of the net, then shoot. Hope for a rebound and it will be there to tap in.

Game 2 Saturday afternoon.

-The Captain

Bruins vs. Capitals Series Preview

I'll be honest. I'd prefer it if the Bruins were playing against the team from the Canadian capital, not the American one. Simply because the B's matched up very well against the Sens. Ironically, the Bruins beating the Senators last Thursday is why they're not facing them this Thursday.

Washington has been one of the most intriguing teams in the NHL all season. Ovechkin scored 38 goals, but as a whole, the Caps didn't score like they have in the past. They were 10th in the Eastern Conference in scoring.

Tomas Vokoun had a good year and beat the Bruins 3 times, but he's out with a groin injury. Michael Neuvirth is also unavailable. So 22 year old Braden Holtby will be in net. He has 18 career starts and 21 games under his belt. And 0 playoff minutes.

The Capitals' offensive production comes from a few key people. Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, and Jason Chimera accounted for 36% of their team's goals. The first line of Ovechkin, Brooks Laich, and Troy Brouwer combines for 32% of their goals. So if Chara and Seidenberg can shut that line down, Washington loses 1/3 of its offense.

Ovechkin scored about a third of his goals on the Power Play. So if that gets slowed down, Washington will struggle. The Bruins won the Cup last year because they were able to shut down opponents' Power Plays.

The Caps shouldn't be overlooked. They have defensemen that can contribute to the offense (3 with 9+ goals). And they'll be playing with nothing to lose. They won 38 games in regulation and OT this season. The Bruins won 40. This is a team that can win.

This is the Bruins' series to lose. Thomas has looked sharp lately, but was sluggish only a few weeks ago. The Krejci line has been inconsistent all year. There are health concerns on the blue line. Boychuk and McQuaid are very physical players, and without their services, the defense isn't as intimidating.

McQuaid is out for Game 1, and Boychuk will be a game-time decision.

If the Bruins don't jump on Holtby early, or if Holtby stands on his head and wins a game in Boston, then the Caps will feel a surge of life and give the Bruins a tough series. But if the Bruins put Washington down early, they won't come back up for air.

Bruins in 5.

Series schedule:
1: Thursday 4/12 - 7:30pm - WSH @ BOS - NESN/NBC Sports
2: Saturday 4/14 - 3:00pm - WSH @ BOS - NBC
3: Monday 4/16 - 7:30pm - BOS @ WSH - NESN/NBC Sports
4: Thursday 4/19 - 7:30pm - BOS @ WSH - NESN/NBC Sports
5: Saturday 4/21 - 3:00pm - WSH @ BOS - NBC
6: Sunday 4/22 - tba - BOS @ WSH - tba
7: Wednesday 4/25 - tba - WSH @ BOS - NESN

-The Captain