Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 24

Washington forced a Game 7. And I'm not shocked at all. The good news is we get to see a Game 7, the bad news is we have no hockey until Saturday.

CAPITALS 2, RANGERS 1 - (Series tied 3-3)

I'm finally respecting Braden Holtby. He's withstood the pressure, clung to his confidence, and he's making big saves. He gives the Capitals confidence to play their game. Which isn't the high-flying offensive hockey that we've seen from them in years past. They've become more hardcore. They grind goals. But they also have that skill and talent to take advantage of odd man rushes and Power Plays.

Game 7 should be fantastic. It will be played Saturday night in Madison Square Garden. Winner faces New Jersey.

-The Captain

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 21

LA is already in the Conference Finals, and up in the NHL offices in Toronto, they're sacrificing live animals to get New York to the Stanley Cup Finals to face them.

COYOTES 1, PREDATORS 0 - (Coyotes lead series 3-1)

Mike Smith is the second best goalie in the playoffs so far. The skaters in front of him are doing the little things, executing along the boards, not making mistakes. Nashville can still win, but they need their skaters to all do their job, each and every shift. Phoenix isn't making it easy for them to win.

Game 5 tonight in Arizona.

CAPITALS 3, RANGERS 2 - (Series tied 2-2)

A Mike Green power play goal was the difference in these game. Each team has scored only twice with a man advantage in the series. Whoever can get their power play to score more often could win the series.

Game 5 tonight in New York.

KINGS 3, BLUES 1 - (Kings win series 4-0)

It's not very unusual for an 8 seed to do well in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. But it is unusual for an 8 seed to eliminate a 1 seed, then a 2 seed, and to do so in only 9 games. Dustin Brown has 6 goals in those 9 games. But the main reason LA is waiting for their next victim is the play of UMass alum Jonathan Quick. Only 14 goals allowed in those 9 games, a 1.55 GAA, and a .949 SV%. He's the best goalie in the playoffs right now.

DEVILS 4, FLYERS 2 - (Devils lead series 3-1)

Philly blew a 2-0 lead. The Flyers have a lot of talent, but they're inconsistent. They also depend heavily on Danny Briere scoring. Briere didn't even get a shot on goal in this game. The Flyers only got 20 pucks on Brodeur.

Game 5 Tuesday night in Philly.

Tonight's games:
7:30pm - Capitals @ Rangers - NBC Sports - Series tied 2-2
10:00pm - Predators @ Coyotes - NBC Sports - Coyotes lead 3-1

-The Captain

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 17

The Rangers/Caps game started 90 minutes before the Coyotes/Predators game. And it ended about an hour after the Coyotes/Predators game ended.

PREDATORS 2, COYOTES 0 - (Coyotes lead series 2-1)

Pekka Rinne was huge in this game. It was close to a must-win for Nashville. The Preds were also without Alex Radulov and Andrei Kostitsyn. The team suspended them for a violation of team rules over the weekend. Rumor has it they broke curfew with a night out on the town. The disciplining seemed to work. I wouldn't be stunned if one or both of these guys didn't dress for Game 4.

Game 4 is Friday night in Nashville.

RANGERS 2, CAPITALS 1 (3OT) - (Rangers lead series 2-1)

Rangers' defenseman Ryan McDonagh had 53:17 of ice-time. There were 95 total shots on goal. There were 81 blocked shots. Marc Staal played 63 shifts. This was a grind of a grind. Neither goalie gave an inch. Gaborik scored the game-winner thanks to some excellent play along the boards. Anyone who watched this game understands why the Stanley Cup Playoffs are the best postseason in all of sports. Even Boomer Esiason tweeted: "One of the greatest hockey games I've ever witnessed. #NYR and #Caps show why hockey playoffs are the absolute best."

Game 4 Saturday in D.C.

Tonight's games:
7:30pm - Flyers @ Devils - NBC Sports - Series tied 1-1
10:00pm - Blues @ Kings - NBC Sports - Kings lead series 2-0

-The Captain

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 15

One team tied a series, another team took a commanding 2-0 lead.

CAPITALS 3, RANGERS 2 - (Series tied 1-1)

Ovechkin scored the game-winner in the 3rd period. Both teams managed a Power Play goal. This was similar to what the Caps did to Boston: Split on the road then hope to at least extend the series at home. I'll give Washington credit for hanging around and being tough to eliminate. And for being able to win games on the road. This is their 4th road win of the playoffs.

Game 3 Wednesday night in DC.

KINGS 5, BLUES 2 - (Kings lead series 2-0)

I have to give credit to the Kings. They've completely shut down St. Louis' Power Play (0 for 9 in this game) which was a big reason the Blues beat the Sharks. The Kings took a 4-0 lead in the 1st and never looked back. They didn't do much to add to the lead, though. Only 5 shots on goal in the 2nd and 3rd periods combined. The Blues didn't pepper Jonathan Quick with shots like they wanted to. This game got nasty at the end, and maybe that's what St. Louis needs to wake up.

Game 3 Thursday night in LA.

Tonight's game:
7:30pm - Devils @ Flyers - NBC Sports - Flyers lead series 1-0

-The Captain

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 14

The second round is underway. The NHL is probably pleased with the mix of big market teams (New York, New Jersey, Philly, Los Angeles) and southern teams (Nashville, Washington, St. Louis, Phoenix).

RANGERS 3, CAPITALS 1 - (Rangers lead series 1-0)

BC alum Chris Kreider, who hasn't even played in a regular season game, scored a goal and added an assist. Braden Holtby only made 11 saves. And Lundqvist only saw 18 shots. Yup, those numbers are correct. Brad Richards also scored his 3rd of the playoffs. Unlike the Bruins, the Rangers' best forwards are producing goals.

Game 2 tonight at MSG.

KINGS 3, BLUES 1 - (Kings lead series 1-0)

Vezina nominee Jonathan Quick stopped 28 of 29 shots. LA's Matt Greene scored a shorthanded goal that turned out to be the game-winner. The Blues were also 0 for 3 on the Power Play, which was a major weapon for them against San Jose. Now that Power Play is at -1. Jonathan Quick might be able to carry this LA team very far.

Game 2 tonight in St. Louis.

FLYERS 4, DEVILS 3 (OT) - (Flyers lead series 1-0)

Danny Briere might be one of the best postseason performers in Stanley Cup history. He scored twice (has 7 already this postseason) in this game. In his 105 playoff games, he has 49 goals and 57 assists (106 points). He has an absurd 20.2% shooting percentage in the playoffs. Giroux also scored his 7th of the playoffs, on the Power Play. The Devils' relied heavily on their PK in the regular season. They've already allowed 10 PP goals in the postseason.

Game 2 Tuesday night in Philly.

COYOTES 5, PREDATORS 3 - (Coyotes lead series 2-0)

With Mike Smith facing Pekka Rinne, everyone thought this would be a low scoring series. That was 15 goals ago. Mike Smith was solid in this game, but Shane Doan was outstanding. This is his first taste of the 2nd round and he's making the most of it. He had a goal and an assist in this game. The Coyotes are simply making the plays, big and small, and Nashville needs to turn things around at home.

Game 3 Wednesday night in Tennessee.

Tonight's games:
7:30pm - Capitals @ Rangers - NBC Sports - NYR lead series 1-0
9:00pm - Kings @ Blues - CNBC - LAK lead series 1-0

-The Captain

Capitals 2, Bruins 1 (OT)

On the bright side, I get to trim my beard. That's good because it was getting a bit unruly. Some tomato sauce got caught in it and since my beard has a reddish hue, I was never certain that I got all the sauce out.

Anyway, to the game and the series.

The Capitals played to 100% of their potential. The Bruins fluctuated between 80% and 100%, mostly hovering around 90%. Rarely reaching 100%.

We're going to here the theories. It's amazing how small minded people come up with the biggest and most complex explanation of things. They'll blame the so-called "Cup hangover." They'll say the Bruins celebrated too much in the off-season. They might even point to Tim Thomas not visiting the White House.

I'm more simplistic. I see David Krejci not scoring goals and just think that he's not a very consistent player. I see Milan Lucic skating up the ice before he has full possession of the puck, turning it over on his own blue line. That's something the Bruins have done many times, both before and after winning the Cup. I see brad Marchand trying too hard to make plays on his own.

These aren't complicated things. The Bruins didn't execute. It happens. It happened in the 2011 Cup run too. Just not 4 times in a 7 game stretch.

Krejci and Lucic made the right plays at the wrong time. They'd fling the puck in front of the net, but not when the Bruins had any bodies in front. They didn't do much in the offensive zone that had any purpose. Only Seguin did a good job supporting the play. Only Seguin looked dangerous in the offensive zone.

I missed Mark Recchi in this series. His timing to get to the front of the net was something the Bruins were sorely missing all series long. Holtby was giving up rebounds, struggling to smother loose pucks, and frequently made mistakes with his glove. But there were no Bruins hovering around the net, pouncing just as the shot got in, and getting body position to capitalize on rebounds.

Holtby was the story of this series, but not the star. He did a great job, but the Bruins did a poor job of making him work to make saves. No traffic, no second-chance opportunities. Lots of perimeter shots that he was able to see clearly.

Anyone who wants to blame Thomas for this series loss is a fool. He wasn't godlike, as he was in 2011. But how perfect would he have needed to be last night?

Defensively, the Bruins did a good job shutting down the Caps. But most of the top 6 Bruin forwards did nothing on offense. Kelly's line produced at the start of the series. Then the defensemen took over. Seguin and Peverley combined for 5 goals, which is 1/3 of the Bruins' total offensive production. Bruins forwards only scored 11 goals. The top 6 scored 7 goals, and 5 of those were Seguin's and Peverley's

Krejci had 1 goal. Marchand had 1 goal. Lucic had 0 goals. Bergeron had 0 goals.

One of these guys needed to produce. Just one.

The Bruins needed their scorers to score. They were never going to outmuscle the Caps. These aren't the Canadiens, the Lightning, or the Canucks. Alex Ovechkin is 230 pounds. He doesn't shy away from physical contact, he initiates it.

So now comes a long off-season. Will Thomas be back? Will the Bruins get a "scorer?" Will they try to construct a true top line. We have plenty of time to find out.

-The Captain

BMack's Take

The closest series in the history of the NHL came to an end last night, and ever fittingly it happened in overtime. Joel Ward slammed home a rebound at 2:57 of overtime to give Washington a 2-1 victory over Boston in Game 7 of their first-round playoff series. No team has repeated as Stanley Cup Champions since Detroit Red Wings in 1997-98.

You really can't point the finger at any one thing. This series was so close. All games decided by a goal, four of the games went to overtime, and 2 others were decided with less than 2 minutes left in regulation. A puck bounces a different way and this series could've gone different. Give credit to the Capitals though, they really changed their style for this series and it worked.

This is a tough pill to swallow as a Bruins fan, but before we start saying "choke" or anything like that remember that these team were only separated by 4 points in the standings, and like I mentioned before no one seems to ever repeat.

We will get to all the offseason stuff later, but I guess there is one more topic we are going to have to cover, because I am sure there is going to be a ton of press about it in the coming days. After the game last night "Boston fans" took to twitter and let out a bunch of racist comments, and it is not making our city look very good. Boston has always had a stigma of being racist and this is just another check mark next to that.

If you want to actually see what was said and reaction you can read it HERE.

Capitals @ Bruins Preview: Game 7

The Bruins forced game 7 by winning in Washington in game 6, and to be honest I thought they were a little bit lucky. The Bruins have outplayed the Capitals almost the entire series, but near the end of that 3rd peroid I thought the Capitals were playing better, and in particular Ovechkin was starting to take over. It doesn't matter now, but that scared the hell out of me.

This series is the closest series of all time. There has never been a series that went 7 games where every game was determined by just 1 goal. Yet, I have come away from basically every game in this series thinking the Bruins were the better team. The better team doesn't always win in playoff hockey, so this is really up in the air.

The Bruins won 2 Game 7's in Boston last year in the playoffs. They are used to this atmostphere. The Capitals have a young goalie that might not be able to handle it, plus the Capitals seem to fizzle out every playoffs early. Is this the year they finally break through? Or is this just what "Bruins hockey" is now where we expect every series to go 7 games?

Thomas has been solid, not great, but not bad either. There are so many storylines heading into this game, but one of the most interesting (and/or upsetting) is the fact that this COULD BE TIM THOMAS' LAST GAME AS A BRUIN. It's really odd to think about, but he has a big salary, the Bruins need to commit money to Rask in the offseason, which makes Thomas very likely to be traded.

That doesn't matter tonight, but it's hard to get off my mind. I think Thomas is going to come up huge tonight. I think the Capitals are going to fall apart, and although I don't see a blowout I think the Bruins do what they did so many times last playoffs. WIN GAME 7.

Bruins win 4-1
Player of the Game: Thomas/Peverley
Game starts at 7:30pm

Bruins 4, Capitals 3 (OT)

The Bruins weren't going to win this series unless some of their key forwards woke up and scored. Krejci scored yesterday. Lucic had two assists. And Seguin scored the game-winner.

Seguin was dangerous all game. It was only a matter of time before he scored. He threatened frequently in the 1st, and he helped set-up Peverley's goal in the 3rd. Finally, the opportunity came for him in OT. He was confident, he was patient, he was Tyler Seguin. He waited for Braden Holtby to commit, then he attacked. And as good as the media has made Holtby out to be, Seguin is ridiculously more talented than him. And don't forget that Seguin has to practice against Tim Thomas. That might be part of the reason why he's becoming such a good player.

I thoroughly enjoy Eddie Olczyk's mis-analysis of Tim Thomas during the playoffs. He spouted the same crap last year. The NBC guys frequently critique the two time Vezina winner for his aggressiveness. I think Mr. Olczyk believes that if he laced up his skates today, he'd be able to score on Thomas with ease. But he has just a good of a chance to score on Thomas as he does of pronouncing a player's name correctly.

Thomas was great. Washington's first goal was a deflection off Zanon's leg. Their second goal came when the referees didn't call interference or high-sticking and the Caps had a de facto Power Play. Ironically, after the play Marchand couldn't return to the ice due to the flowing blood from the non-penalty. He got a stick to the face and Washington scored. Then again, the refs were primarily focused on clamping down the toughest, fiercest player in the NHL: Benoit Pouliot.

How much attention are the referees giving Pouliot's play? Pouliot has 6 penalty minutes this series. Ovechkin has 4. Who do you think has played rougher, pushed the rules further?

Speaking of penalties, the Washington fans properly displayed their ignorance when booing the 4 minute high-sticking call on Ovechkin. Stick to face equals a penalty. And blood makes it a 4 minute penalty. There's little grey area. What the hell were the Caps fans booing?

Then again, the lack of penalties on Ovechkin isn't new. He was 21st in the NHL with 215 hits in the regular season. He only received 26 penalty minutes. That's not a typo. He was only penalized 26 minutes. 21st most hits, 393rd most penalty minutes. It's impossible to be involved in so much physical play and not be penalized more. Clearly the refs have a different rule book for him.

The Bruins' Power Play looked much better than it's been in the first 5 games. The B's scored a PP goal in the 1st. And they were much better at entering the zone and maintaining possession. The next step is to move some bodies away from the puck. That makes it harder on the penalty killers. It opens up passing and shooting lanes, creates 2-on-1 situations, and forces the goalie to move around. And we've seen Holtby struggle when he's forced to move from post-to-post.

The Bruins' penalty killing is back to form too.

So we have another Game 7. This is familiar territory for many of the Bruins. If they can continue to grow on the Power Play; if Krejci, Seguin, and Lucic can contribute; and if Benoit Pouliot's rampaging can be harnessed, the Bruins should win.

I can't wait until Wednesday.

-The Captain

Capitals 2, Bruins 1

The series is tied 2-2. And as much as Braden Holtby will get praised for this, it really is the Bruins' fault. They're not playing at the same level as Washington. Just look at the Bruins' top scorers (Seguin, Bergeron, Krejci, Lucic, Marchand). These 5 guys have combined for one assist. The top 5 Bruins scorers have one assist in this series.

Then there's the turnovers, which are frequently erased by Thomas, but not always. Then there's Ference falling down. That resulted in a Washington goal.

Defensively, though, the Bruins have been pretty tight in this series. Even when they've made mistakes, somebody has made a play to minimize those errors.

Offensively, this team is lost. Lucic looked like a fucking fool last night. How many times did he give the puck away, or struggle to gain possession?

Then Krejci. How perfect do passes have to be for Krejci to settle the puck?

The 4th line is doing what the 4th line is supposed to do, the 3rd line is scoring, and at least the Bergeron line is generating chances. The Krejci-Lucic line is playing horribly right now. And I think they're the biggest reason this series is tied.

Strategically, the Bruins need to stop throwing shots high on Holtby. He's good with the glove. He's very cocky with the glove, actually. Low shots, generate rebounds, get inside position and try to score. Make him question himself. He's too secure right now.

And the Power Play needs to be simplified in some areas and made more dynamic in others. Two defensemen on the blue-line. No need to have forwards on the point (unless it's Rolston). Move bodies without the puck.

And in all situations, build traffic in front of Holtby.

How much traffic did Thomas deal with last night? How much did Holtby deal with? Thomas had I-93 at 4:45pm on a Friday. Holtby had Route 24 at 2:00am on a Tuesday. Make Holtby struggle to make these saves.

Game 5 is Saturday afternoon in Boston. It's time for the Bruins to show up and play as well as they can play. We haven't seen that all series.

Bruins @ Capitals: Game 4

Must win game for the Capitals, and they are going to have to do it with Nicklas Backstrom not playing (suspension). All 3 games during this series have been decided by a goal.

The Capitals have done a good job converting themselves into a defensive first team. The Bruins are just better at it, and that's why I think they will win this series, but there is still one thing that kind of scares me.

I am expecting a tightly called game tonight, as the NHL tried to control the chaos. If that's the case and there are a bunch of power plays, I think that benefits the Capitals a lot more than the Bruins.

Still, I just don't pick against Tim Thomas and Chara in the playoffs.

Bruins win 4-2
Player of the Game: Marchand
Game starts at 7:30pm

Backstrom Suspended One Game

The NHL upheld the automatic 1 game suspension handed down to Nicklas Backstrom for his match penalty Monday night. Capitals' coach Dale Hunter tried to claim that Backstrom was acting in self-defense out of fear of receiving another concussion. But cross-checking someone's face is hardly a defensive act.

However, compared to some of the other stuff we've seen the past few days, Backstrom's transgression seems relatively harmless. He got the same discipline as James Neal, who was much more aggressive, much more reckless, much more menacing in his violation.

I'm not saying that Backstrom shouldn't be suspended. Just that the NHL needs to issue more serious penalties for the more serious crimes.

This is a big advantage for the Bruins that they must press. Backstrom has a goal and an assist in the series and was winning 56% of his faceoffs. The Bruins can now reestablish themselves at the faceoff circle.

It's time to put this team away.

-The Captain

Stanley Cup Playoffs: Day 6

Tempers are flaring in just about every series. These games are close, physical, and every inch is being fought for. Best time of the year.

RANGERS 1, SENATORS 0 - (Rangers lead series 2-1)
Henrik Lundqvist was a wall, stopping all 39 shots he faced. With no Alfredsson, the Senators have no offense. And no chance of winning this series. The NHL suspended Carl Hagelin 3 games for the hit that concussed Alfredsson, but Hagelin may have won the series with that hit. Alfredsson is listed as day-to-day but if he doesn't come back, the Senator's won't either.

Game 4 Wednesday night in Ottawa.

BRUINS 4, CAPITALS 3 - (Bruins lead series 2-1)

Speaking of suspensions, it'll be interesting to see if Nicklas Backstrom gets one for cross-checking Rich Peverley's face at the end of last night's game. Backstrom was issued a 10 minute match penalty for "deliberate injury" and given the timing and nature of the penalty, I think at least a 1 game ban is in order.

Game 4 Thursday night in D.C.

BLUES 4, SHARKS 3 - (Blues lead series 2-1)

This game wasn't as close as the score might suggest. St. Louis entered the 3rd period with a 3-1 lead and made it 4-1 in less than a minute. Joe Thornton got 2 of his 3 assists on late goals and was awarded #2 star of the game in a token gesture of homerism. The Blues scored 3 of their 4 goals on the Power Play. They've scored 5 PP goals in the series, and limited the Sharks to just 2.

Game 4 Thursday night in San Jose.

Tonight's games:
7:00pm - Panthers @ Devils - NHL Network - Series tied 1-1
7:30pm - Predators @ Red Wings - NBC Sports - Predators lead 2-1
9:00pm - Coyotes @ Blackhawks - CNBC - Series tied 1-1

-The Captain

Bruins 4, Capitals 3

I didn't truly hate the Capitals until last night. Don't get me wrong, I still respect them. They're good, strong, and most are willing to accept a physical challenge. But some seem more willing to engage in childish antics, not actual hockey.

I'm speaking, of course, of Karl Azner. Who bravely tried putting Milan Lucic in a headlock while Lucic was already tangling with Matt Hendricks.

That same courageous Capital then made a cry-baby gesture to Lucic. The refs didn't give Azner a penalty for being the 3rd man in an altercation. They didn't give him a penalty at all. In fact, Lucic got the extra minor and a Bruins' Power Play became a 4-on-4.

NHL refs rarely make such obvious mistakes. 99.9% of the time they do an excellent job. And when they screw up, like they did last night, the Hockey gods intervene and make things right again. The Hockey gods smiled on the Bruins and they scored.

The Hockey gods also smile on 6' 9" defensemen, and their German partners.

Speaking of which, Dennis Seidenberg had the game of his life last night. He was a huge part of 2 goals, helping to keep plays alive in the offensive zone. He held his own against Ovechkin (who has 24 pounds on Seidenberg), he had 4 hits, and blocked 4 shots.

Somehow Brooks Laich got the #1 star. Not Thomas. Not Chara. Not Seidenberg. Laich had a 3 point night, but so did Chara. And Chara also played 26:29 of excellent defensive hockey.

Whatever.

The Bruins were good in the first two periods. But good doesn't cut it in the playoffs. In the 3rd period, however, they were great. Apart from allowing Laich to stretch the zone, the B's were clearly the superior team in the 3rd.

They have good enough goaltending and defense to keep them in every game. Even as the top two lines struggle to produce anything offensively. The Bruins have not played at their peak capability, and yet they're up 2-1 in this series.

What will happen if they reach that peak?

Game 4 Thursday night in Washington.

-The Captain

Bruins @ Capitals: Game 3 Preview

A lot of people are giving Braden Holtby a lot of credit, and rightfully so to a certain extent, but you you really want to give someone the MOST credit, that would go to the Captials coach Dale Hunter.

The Capitals are known for scoring, not playing defense, and basically choking in the playoffs. Over the first two games the Capitals have played an extremly patient game. They are using a 1-4 attack, which mean only 1 guy forechecking, while the rest shut down the neutral zone. It not the most exciting thing in the world, but it's basically how the Bruins got it done last year.

Boston needs to crash the net harder, they are taking way to many shots from the outside. Rob made the point the other day that they miss Recchi, and he is right. They are missing that guy who will just go in front of the net and try to tip shots coming from the point. When I think of players that can fill that void I think of Marchand. He has the skill set, adn he is tough as nails.

I realy have nothing bad to say about the Bruins goaltending or defense. They just need to keep hitting, and I think they can wear down this Caps team. It's starts night..

Bruins win 3-1
Player of the game: Marchand
Gand starts at 7:30pm

Capitals 2, Bruins 1 (2OT)

On the bright side, with just one more goal the Bruins could be up 2-0 in this series. On the not-so-bright, with just one more goal the Capitals could be up 2-0.

As painful as double OT losses are, I'm going to start with a very positive thing I've seen in this series.

Tim Thomas is in Conn Smythe form. Maybe it won't last, but he is fresh and playing at his absolute peak. 2 goals in 144 minutes. He's stopped 96.4% of the shots he's faced. He's averaging less than a goal allowed per game (0.83 GAA).

Statistically, he's been matched by Braden Holtby. In fact, Holtby's save percentage is higher (.977). The 22 year old former Hershey Bear has become one of the biggest stories of the playoffs so far.

But Thomas' saves have been much harder. That's no knock on Holtby, it's a compliment to the Capitals and a criticism of the Bruins' forwards. The Caps are occupying space in front of and around Thomas. The Bruins aren't doing the same to Holtby. Holtby has had the crease to himself.

The B's seem content with peppering Holtby from the perimeter. The Caps seem fine with that too. They're yielding the outside to the Bruins and clogging up the middle. Holtby's given up rebounds that would be juicy if there were anyone in a black sweater to capitalize.

Guys like Marchand, Lucic, Bergeron, and Rolston need to get to the front of the net. Be there for rebounds. And be there to make Holtby's job difficult. Screen him, disrupt him, get him angry. He's already taken a minor for roughing. Push his buttons some more. See if he unravels.

The Bruins have not produced any offense. The Power Play has been crap, and Kelly's line are the only players with points.

Part of the problem might be Bergeron's line being on the ice to face Ovechkin. Seguin, Marchand, and Bergeron were #1, #2, and #5 on the list of Bruins goal scorers. They've been playing in much fewer offensive situations than usual. And lining up against a tough line.

Maybe Seguin can move to the Krejci line. Seguin is a bit out of place when facing Washington's top guys anyway. And his playmaking ability could spark Krejci and/or Lucic. Peverley can move to the Bergeron line which might even make them better defensively.

Lucic and Krejci need to step up. It's the playoffs. Krejci was 1-8 on faceoffs Saturday. He played close to 28 minutes and I can't remember that he was ever on the ice. He's been a ghost.

Considering how well the Bruins have played defensively, and how poorly most of them have played offensively, they deserve to be tied 1-1. The good news is, these are all problems that can be solved internally. Washington has played well, but the B's haven't been making things very tough on them.

Game 3 tonight on NESN and NBC Sports. Not a bad way to end Patriots' Day.

-The Captain

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

Bruins End Season on Positive Notes

The Bruins were literally playing for nothing but pride on Thursday in Ottawa and on Saturday against Buffalo. And they should be proud of how well they did.

Anton Khudobin stood on his head, making 44 saves on 45 shots against Ottawa. The Bruins were without Thomas, without Chara, and without Bergeron, but they still managed to beat a team that was already in playoff mode. The Bruins gave key players a rest and still managed to win. Which made one B's fan in Section 325 very happy.

Saturday was a tune-up game. You don't want to sit players for too long, especially goalies. The lineup looked more normal. The Bruins surged from 3-1 down to tie it, Thomas didn't allow a goal in the shootout, and the Bruins ended the regular season with a win.

Now it's playoff time. Against Washington, not Ottawa.

That series begins Thursday night in Boston and we'll have a full preview of it later in the week.

Cue the beards.

-The Captain