Here is the leader-board through the first two rounds of this year’s playoffs:

1) Woodward –> 9-for-12

2) Philp –> 6-for-12

3) Levin –> 2-for-4

4) Muscat –> 6-for-12

5) Cohen –> 5-for-12

Eastern Conference

(6) New Jersey Devils vs. (1) New York Rangers

Cohen– Rangers win in 7 . X-Factor –> Devils’ Record-Breaking Penalty Kill vs. Rangers’ Lifeless Power-Play

Philp– Devils win in 7. X-Factor –> Martin Brodeur

Muscat– Rangers win in 7. X-Factor –> Rangers’ Third Line

Levin– Devils win in 7 . X-Factor –> Adam Henrique

Woodward– Rangers win in 7. X-Factor –> New York’s Power-Play

Western Conference

(8) Los Angeles Kings vs. (3) Phoenix Coyotes

Cohen–  Kings win in 7. X-Factor –> Mike Smith vs. Jonathan Quick: Who Cracks First?

Philp– Coyotes win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Smith

Muscat– Kings win in 5. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

Levin– Kings win in 6. X-Factor –> Drew Doughty

Woodward– Kings win in 6. X-Factor –>Mike Richards/Jeff Carter Line

Stanley Cup Finals

Cohen (Edit #2)– Rangers Over Kings

Philp (Edit #2)– Devils Over Coyotes

Muscat (Edit #2)– Rangers Over Kings

Levin–                    Devils Over Kings

Woodward (Edit #1)– Kings Over Rangers

Conn Smythe Award

Cohen– Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers)

Philp– Zach Parise (New Jersey Devils)

Muscat– Henrik Lundqvist (New York Rangers)

Levin– Ilya Kovalchuk (New Jersey Devils)

Woodward– Jonathan Quick (Los Angeles Kings)

Part I –> Top Six Forwards

Part II –> Bottom Six Forwards

Part III –> Defense Group

Part IV –> Extra Skaters/Call-Ups

Part V –> Goalies

Part VI –> Coaching/Management

Each day over the next week, I will update this blog with the addition of one player (in numerical order). For the bottom six, I will start with Gregory Campbell.

#11 Gregory Campbell

Age: 28

Contract Status: $1.100 MIL Cap Hit/ Unrestricted Free Agent On July 1, 2012

Regular Season Stats: 78 GP, 8 Goals, 8 Assists, 16 Points, -3 Rating

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 0 Goals, 2 Assists, 2 Points, -2 Rating

– Duplicating a career season is a tremendously difficult task and one that players throughout the sports world often fall short of achieving. After falling just a goal or an assist shy of reaching the thirty-point mark (13G/16A) for the second time in his career during the 2010-’11 season, Campbell saw his offensive production sliced nearly in half this year (8G/8A). However, as anyone who has watched even a minute of Bruins’ hockey over the past few seasons would tell you, the true value of the 28-year-old London, Ontario native comes in the form of his unmatched grit and intangibles. Surpassing the century mark in the hit column and blocking over fifty shots whilst eating up valuable minutes on the penalty kill, the second-year Bruin’s contributions can not be overlooked. Slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, along with fellow bottom-six forwards Daniel Paille, Benoit Pouliot and Chris Kelly, Campbell will likely seek a slight raise from his last contract, which paid him $1.1 million dollars each year. In all likelihood, the Bruins will bring back just one of the two centermen with expiring deals (Campbell and Kelly). If that is the case, General Manager Peter Chiarelli will face a tough decision in determining whether Kelly’s ability to produce offense on a more consistent basis is worth the presumably hefty difference in the price tags of the two Canadian pivots.

Final Grade: B

#20 Daniel Paille

Age: 28

Contract Status: $1.075 MIL Cap Hit/ Unrestricted Free Agent On July 1, 2012

Regular Season Stats: 69 GP, 9 Goals, 6 Assists, 15 Points, -5 Rating

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 1 Goal, 0 Assists, 1 Point, -1 Rating

– After struggling to find a spot in the Boston lineup for much of the 2010-’11 regular season — seeing action in only 43 of 82 games –, Paille looked to be the odd man out once again as the 2011-’12 campaign began. With former first round draft choice Jordan Caron — who plays a similar style to Paille — waiting in the wings, it seemed as though the former-Buffalo Sabre would once again become a press box regular. However, the 28-year-old left wing began the season with a strong training camp and earned his spot alongside Gregory Campbell and Shawn Thornton on the Boston fourth line. The Welland, Ontario native went on to enjoy another solid season for the Black and Gold, picking up nine goals and six assists, while seeing time on the B’s top penalty-killing unit. With his contract set to expire on July 1, and a pair of youngsters in Anthony Camara (3rd Round (81st Overall)/2011 Entry Draft) and Lane MacDermid (4th Round (112th Overall)/2008 Entry Draft) ready to take on a bottom-six role with the big club, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Paille pulling on a different sweater come October of 2012.

Final Grade: B-

#22 Shawn Thornton

Age: 34

Contract Status: $1.100 MIL Cap Hit/ Unrestricted Free Agent On July 1, 2014

Regular Season Stats: 81 GP, 5 Goals, 8 Assists, 13 Points, -7 Rating

Playoff Stats: 5 GP, 0 Goals, 0 Assists, 0 Points, EVEN Rating

– Since arriving on the scene in the summer of 2007, Shawn Thornton has met and exceeded everything that was expected of him by fans, coaches and the Boston Bruins organization. Fresh off a Stanley Cup championship with the Anaheim Ducks, the 34-year-old veteran brought with him the type of toughness and attitude that demands respect throughout locker rooms across the league. His personality, style of play and commitment to the city of Boston have made the Oshawa, Ontario native an ice hockey staple in the Hub. The 2011-’12 campaign was nothing out of the ordinary for Thornton, chipping in with a handful of goals — the most remarkable being his back-hand roof-job against Winnipeg’s Ondrej Pavelec on a penalty shot — while collecting over 150 penalty minutes and dropping the gloves whenever the situation called for it. After sealing a brand new two-year pact in March, Thornton will remain in Boston for at least the next two seasons, earning $2.2 million dollars over the life of the contract.

Final Grade: B

#23 Chris Kelly

Age: 31

Contract Status: $2.125 MIL Cap Hit/ Unrestricted Free Agent On July 1, 2012

Regular Season Stats: 82 GP, 20 Goals, 19 Assists, 39 Points, +33 Rating

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 1 Goal, 2 Assists, 3 Points, +1 Rating

– General Manager Peter Chiarelli‘s prized acquisition from the 2011 trading deadline, Chris Kelly went far and above expectations in his first full season with the Black and Gold. Posting career-bests in goals, points and plus/minus during his contract season, Kelly has set himself up to sign a lucrative (and well-deserved) new deal on July 1. The hero of Boston’s game one overtime win against the Capitals in the first round of the postseason, Kelly was also one of the few Bruins’ forwards that fully lived up to his playoff expectations in 2012. While Kelly’s increased offensive production (20G/19A) in 2011-’12 came as a surprise to many, the six-foot Toronto-native once again lived up to his billing as a defensive zone stalwart, winning a number of key draws for the Bruins and posting the league’s third highest plus/minus rating (+33). Unfortunately for B’s fans, Kelly may have just played his way out of Boston. After a career year in 2011-’12, Kelly will undoubtedly be looking for significant raise on the deal that’s paid him $2.125 million dollars over the past two seasons. It will be interesting to see if Chiarelli is willing to offer Kelly the type of deal he signed fellow third-liner Rich Peverley to last fall (3 years/$3.250 MIL per).

Final Grade: A

#49 Rich Peverley

Age: 29

Contract Status: $3.250 MIL Cap Hit/ Unrestricted Free Agent On July 1, 2015

Regular Season Stats: 57 GP, 11 Goals, 31 Assists, 42 Points, +20 Rating

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 3 Goals, 2 Assists, 5 Points, EVEN Rating

– Despite missing nearly the entire second half of the season after suffering a torn MCL, Boston’s most versatile forward was still able to surpass the 40-point mark for the second time in his career. In the absence of the concussed Nathan Horton, Peverley did an admirable job filling in on the Boston top line, and was solid in his role at center — after the Patrice Bergeron injury — during the B’s first round series with the Capitals. Peverley’s five points (3G/2A) in seven playoff games was good for first on the team as number 49 was without doubt the most consistent producer amongst the Boston forward group in the 2012 postseason. Signed to a brand-new three year contract extension (worth a total of $9.75 million dollars) in October, it is evident that the 29-year-old Ontario-native is a major part of GM Peter Chiarelli’s long-term plan for the success of the Bruins.

Final Grade: B+

#67 Benoit Pouliot

Age: 25

Contract Status: $1.100 MIL Cap Hit/ Restricted Free Agent On July 1, 2012

Regular Season Stats: 74 GP, 16 Goals, 16 Assists, 32 Points, +18 Rating

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 1 Goal, 1 Assist, 2 Points, -1 Rating

– In more ways than one, Benoit Pouliot’s first campaign in a Boston Bruins’ uniform produced eerily similar results to what the B’s came to expect from the man no. 67 replaced: Michael Ryder. In two of his three seasons with the Black and Gold, Ryder hovered around the 30-40 point mark — which is right where Pouliot fell in 2011-’12 — while leaving B’s fans frustrated at his streaky tendencies. At times this season, Pouliot showcased the type of top-line skills that made him the fourth overall selection in the 2005 NHL Entry Draft. However, there were also periods in which the Alfred, Ontario native seemed to resort to the type of on-ice behavior that saw him banished to former head coach Jacques Martin‘s doghouse during his time with the Montreal Canadiens. Coming to the Hub by way of a one-year, $1.1 million dollar contract, Pouliot was the epitome of a low risk/high reward-type off-season signing by general manager Peter Chiarelli. Picking up 32-points (16G/16A) in 74 games this season, Pouliot more than earned his salary, but never truly found the type of consistency that Chiarelli and the Bruins had hoped to see from the former Sudbury Wolf.

Final Grade: B-

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Now a week and a half removed from Boston’s game seven loss at the hands of the Washington Capitals at TD Garden last Wednesday, it seems we’ve reached the perfect time to begin my six part series of Bruins’ postseason report cards. The order will look like this:

Part I –> Top Six Forwards

Part II –> Bottom Six Forwards

Part III –> Defense Group

Part IV –> Extra Skaters/Call-Ups

Part V –> Goalies

Part VI –> Coaching/Management

Without further ado, I present to you part one, detailing and grading the 2011-’12 seasons of each of the Bruins’ top six forwards.

#17 Milan Lucic

Age: 23

Contract Status: $4.083 MIL Cap Hit/ Restricted Free Agent On July 1, 2013

Regular Season Stats: 81 GP, 26 Goals, 35 Assists, 61 Points, +7 Rating

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 0 Goals, 3 Assists, 3 Points, +2 Rating

– For the second straight season, Boston’s resident power forward posted a solid sixty-point campaign whilst easily exceeding the century mark (135) in the PIMs category. Lucic’s 2011-’12 regular season was very much on par with what we’ve come to expect from number 17 on a year-in/year-out basis. However, also for the second straight season, his postseason performance left a lot to be desired. In an NHL playoff series, its awfully tough for any team to come out victorious without even a single goal from their top-line left wing. It may all shake down to the fact that even at his best, Lucic isn’t a true first line player in this league. That is by no means a knock on the 6’4″ bruiser but merely a recognition that his playing style is best suited for a second line role, where he isn’t expected to produce 70-point campaigns.

Final Grade: B-

#18 Nathan Horton

Age: 26

Contract Status: $4.000 MIL Cap Hit/ Unrestricted Free Agent On July 1, 2013

Regular Season Stats: 46 GP, 17 Goals, 15 Assists, 32 Points, EVEN Rating

Playoff Stats: Missed Postseason Due To Post-Concussion Syndrome

– Without doubt, Nathan Horton is the toughest to assign a grade of any of the Bruins’ top six forwards simply due to his absence from the lineup for nearly the entire second half of the season. Number eighteen was able to recover from a poor start to the 2011-’12 campaign (five points in twelve games) by picking up 15 goals over the course of the next 34 games he participated in before suffering a concussion in Philadelphia on January 22. It’s tough to gauge where the Bruins will go from here in regards to their 2011 playoff hero. In the same way he declared that Horton would be back before the season ended this year (at the trade deadline), general manager Peter Chiarelli proclaimed last week that he expected the Welland, Ontario native to be ready to go by the start of the 2012-’13 season. However, as anyone with a working knowledge of concussions will most certainly tell you, it is near impossible to predict the return to normalcy for anyone suffering from post-concussion syndrome with complete accuracy.

Final Grade: C+

#19 Tyler Seguin

Age: 20

Contract Status: $3.550 MIL Cap Hit/ Restricted Free Agent On July 1, 2013

Regular Season Stats: 81 GP, 29 Goals, 38 Assists, 67 Points, +34 Rating

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 2 Goals, 1 Assist, 3 Points, +3 Rating

– Boston’s sophomore phenom came out with guns blazing in 2011-’12, leading hockey pundits everywhere to believe that number nineteen had reached the level of the player he’d drawn so many comparisons to during his final season of junior hockey in Plymouth, Michigan: Steven Stamkos. Picking up twenty-four points (12G/12A) over the first two months of the season (23 games), it looked like the Brampton, Ontario native had already reached superstardom. However, things slowed down for Seguin as the season went along and he ran into a few bumps in the road, including the infamous Winnipeg alarm clock situation that made headlines in Boston last December. Over the course of the entire campaign, Seguin emerged as a consistent force on the Boston front line, often flaunting the amazing skill and speed that made him the second overall selection in the 2010 Entry Draft. As the dawn of his third season in the NHL approaches with training camp this coming September, it’s clear that the 20-year-old Seguin is well on his way to becoming a true superstar in this league.

Final Grade: A-

#37 Patrice Bergeron

Age: 26

Contract Status: $5.000 MIL Cap Hit/ Unrestricted Free Agent On July 1, 2014

Regular Season Stats: 81 GP, 22 Goals, 42 Assists, 64 Points, +36 Rating

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 0 Goals, 2 Assists, 2 Points, EVEN Rating

– Twenty goals, sixty points, a league-best plus-36 rating, a 59% success rate in the faceoff dot and a Selke nomination. Sounds like a pretty phenomenal season, right? It would be for a number of players in the NHL. Yet, all of it was simply business as usual for Boston’s incumbent alternate captain who enjoyed the most consistent season of any forward in the Bruins’ top six forward group. The Quebec-native once again proved himself invaluable to the B’s in 2011-’12, leading the team in both assists and plus/minus while facing the task of shutting down an opponent’s top line on a nightly basis. It’s impossible not to feel good for the oft-underrated Bergeron who is finally receiving the recognition that he’s deserved for many years with his first career Selke nomination. After playing through a debilitating oblique injury and posting only two points in seven games during the Bruins’ opening round defeat at the hands of the Capitals, Bergeron made no excuses, taking full responsibility for his uncharacteristic lack of production. Just another likeable trait that makes the 26-year-old pivot one of the classiest players in the game today.

Final Grade: A

#46 David Krejci

Age: 26

Contract Status: $5.250 MIL Cap Hit/ Unrestricted Free Agent On July 1, 2015

Regular Season Stats: 79 GP, 23 Goals, 39 Assists, 63 Points, -5 Rating

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 1 Goal, 2 Assists, 3 Points, EVEN Rating

– While David Krejci’s sixty-two point season in 2011-’12 was nothing to balk at, it sure made me look awfully silly after predicting the Czech-born centerman to surpass the 80-point mark in one of my many pre-season blog entries. This year’s campaign can all be boiled down to one word for No. 46: Inconsistent. During the months of December and March, Krejci looked like the top line pivot that Peter Chiarelli hoped he would eventually become. However, in October, February and April, he was nothing but a passenger, collecting only three goals and three assists in 24 games. After competing for the Conn Smythe – eventually won by Tim Thomas — in 2011, Krejci’s playoff performance fell off a steep cliff in 2012. Following up a 12-11-23 line during last year’s run to the Stanley Cup with a pedestrian 1-2-3 output during this season’s playoffs, questions about Krejci’s reputation as a clutch player have began to come to the surface. Don’t get me wrong, Krejci is a phenomenally skilled player — one that any team would be lucky to have on their roster — but much like Lucic, seems to have reached his ceiling (20G/50-65 Points) when it comes to offensive production.

Final Grade: C

#63 Brad Marchand

Age: 23

Contract Status: $2.500 MIL Cap Hit/ Restricted Free Agent On July 1, 2013

Regular Season Stats: 76 GP, 28 Goals, 27 Assists, 55 Points, +31 Rating

Playoff Stats: 7 GP, 1 Goal, 1 Assist, 2 Points, -1 Rating

– Boston’s favorite agitator did nothing but improve in 2011-’12 after a breakout rookie season last year. Falling just two tallies short of the 30-goal mark, Marchand reached fifty points for the first time in his young career whilst taking on an expanded role with both special teams units. Admittedly, his two-point effort this postseason was nothing to write home about, the Halifax-native’s overall performance this season has cemented his place in the Boston lineup – alongside Patrice Bergeron –  for many years to come, as a sturdy two-way forward that head coach Claude Julien can rely on in any situation.

Final Grade: B+

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After the celebration of the 2011 “break up day” last June, the Boston Bruins were quickly snapped back to the harsh reality of what normally constitutes a locker clean out day for most NHL squads. During which, the B’s brought to light the injuries that hampered them throughout the postseason as well as their reflections on both their first round exit and the 2011-’12 season as a whole.

While the most prominent emotion echoed throughout the locker room on Friday was of shock and disappointment, there also seemed to be a bit of collective “relief” in the fact that they’d now get the chance for some time to recuperate and re-energize after partaking in 196 games over the course of the last eighteen months.

“As players, we need to take full advantage (of the extended off-season), to get our rest and get focused and geared up for next year.” – Milan Lucic

“It’s been a long couple of years and right now I think the best thing to do is just rest.  We have to use it to our advantage.” – Brad Marchand

“If there’s one positive to take out (of the long off-season), it’s that everyone can recover.” – Dennis Seidenberg

After eighty-two regular season games in 2010-’11 followed by twenty-five playoff contests en route to the team’s first Stanley Cup championship in nearly four decades, the Bruins had the benefit of only two-and-a-half months of summer before returning to training camp in early September. Couple that with the eighty-two games that comprised this year’s slate and the seven playoff meetings with the Washington Capitals and the B’s seem to have been playing nonstop hockey for nearly a year and a half. Milan Lucic even compared it to the type of grind baseball players endure on a yearly basis while playing through an extraordinarily long 162-game schedule.

“It almost felt like one long season. It was almost like a baseball season.” — Milan Lucic

Tasting first round defeat for the first time since an April evening at the Bell Centre when they were the eighth seed in 2008, there is little doubt that the Bruins came up far short of what they expected to achieve this season. Workhorse defenseman Dennis Seidenberg described the thought of being eliminated so early as leaving him “with an empty feeling” — an emotion that’s likely uniform around that locker room.

An old adage that’s become commonplace in sports is that “you have to learn how to lose before you can learn how to win”. As any fan of the Black and Gold will attest, the Bruins have certainly been dealt their fair share of heart-wrenching defeats. The most obvious of which being the historic collapse of May 2010 against the Philadelphia Flyers. In a sense, the Bruins had to endure the hardships of losing playoff series’ in the manner they did in order to learn exactly what it would take to bring home the Stanley Cup, as they did in 2011.

Now, after another crushing game seven home-ice defeat — their third in the past four years –, the Black and Gold squad will look to use their early exit this spring as added motivation to fuel their attempt to re-capture Lord Stanley in 2012-’13.

“In the future it definitely gives you that extra drive, that extra motivation to get back to where we were (in 2011). It makes you appreciate more and more what happened here last year. It gets that fire boiling inside.” — Milan Lucic

“Watching those games (the remainder of the playoffs) makes you want to be there next year. It makes you want to be part of it and be playing for the Cup again next year. It definitely helps us to get that hunger back.” – Dennis Seidenberg

Successfully repeating as Stanley Cup champions is arguably the most difficult task in all of sports. Especially with the league’s increasing parity and competitiveness. An astonishing statistic to consider? 29 of the NHL’s 30 teams — sorry, Toronto — have qualified for the postseason at least once since the completion of the 2004-’05 lockout. Couple that with the pure exhaustion — that no hockey player will ever admit to — caused by playing in so many games in such a minimal time frame and it becomes near impossible to even come close to retaining the title.

With nearly their entire roster under contract for at least next season and a full off-season to recover from the wild whirlwind ride that’s encompassed these past two years, there is no reason to suggest that the Boston Bruins won’t be right back in the thick of things next spring, competing to bring Lord Stanley’s Cup back to Causeway Street in 2013.

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Eastern Conference

(7) Washington Capitals vs. (1) New York Rangers

Cohen– Rangers win in 7 . X-Factor –> Marc Staal

Philp– Capitals win in 7. X-Factor –> Capitals’ Penalty-Kill

Muscat– Rangers win in 7. X-Factor –> Rangers’ Third Line

Levin– Rangers win in 7 . X-Factor –> Michael Del Zotto

Woodward– Rangers win in 6. X-Factor –> Dan Girardi

(6) New Jersey Devils vs. (5) Philadelphia Flyers

Cohen– Flyers win in 6. X-Factor –> Ilya Bryzgalov

Philp– Flyers win in 5. X-Factor –> Philadelphia’s Prolific Power-Play

Muscat– Flyers win in 6. X-Factor –> Ilya Bryzgalov

Levin– Devils win in 7. X-Factor –> Patrik Elias

Woodward– Flyers win in 5. X-Factor –> Martin Brodeur’s Ability To Overcome Father Time

Western Conference

(8) Los Angeles Kings vs. (2) St. Louis Blues

Cohen–  Blues win in 7. X-Factor –> David Perron

Philp– Blues win in 6. X-Factor –> The Blues’ Defense

Muscat– Blues win in 7. X-Factor –> T.J. Oshie

Levin– Blues win in 6. X-Factor –> Jamie Langenbrunner

Woodward– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –>Mike Richards

(4) Nashville Predators vs. (3) Phoenix Coyotes

Cohen– Predators win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Fisher

Philp– Coyotes win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Smith

Muscat– Predators win in 5. X-Factor –> Alexander Radulov

Levin– Predators win in 5. X-Factor –>Patric Hornqvist

Woodward– Predators win in 6. X-Factor –> Phoenix’s Secondary Scoring

Stanley Cup Finals

Cohen (Edit)– Rangers Over Predators

Muscat (Edit)– Blues Over Rangers

Philp (Edit)– Capitals Over Coyotes

Woodward (Original)– Rangers Over Predators

Photo: Flickr

It was their 196th game in the past eighteen months. Their power-play was once again unproductive, scoring at only a 14% (3-for-23) clip. They’d lost three out of the four playoff games on home ice. The unproven opposing goaltender posted an otherworldly (for a rookie) 2.00 goals against average. Yet, through all that, the Boston Bruins still came within inches of winning their first round series against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday evening.

Less than thirty seconds into the overtime period of game seven, Boston’s sure-handed alternate captain Patrice Bergeron wound up with the puck on his stick while staring at an open Washington goal and a chance to send the Bruins to round two for the fourth consecutive season. Unfortunately, hampered by an upper body injury, Bergeron just couldn’t settle the puck, sending the rubber disk eight inches wide of the yawning net and into the corner.

Only two minutes later, the Capitals would make the Bruins pay for their missed opportunity when fourth line cog Joel Ward backhanded the puck past Tim Thomas to lift Washington to it’s first road victory in a game seven in franchise history.

“It happened so fast, again, as you said, but I knew he was going to take the puck to the net.I was just trying to follow it up just in case there was a puck loose that squirted or a rebound. I just kind of saw it and then gave it one of the hardest whacks I’ve ever given a puck.” – Joel Ward

Becoming the seventh defending Stanley Cup champion in the last nine years to bow out in the first round, summer has commenced on Causeway street much earlier than the Bruins had hoped.

“We we’re used to going you know, all the way. And to be done now it’s like, it’s kind of hard to even understand. It’s like you can’t even believe it’s over right now.” – Johnny Boychuk

For Boston, was it a disappointment? Yes, of course. But was it a choke? Nope.

Let’s call it for what it was: the Washington Capitals deserved to win the series. Their dedication, commitment and desperation far exceeded that of what looked to be an understandably burnt-out Boston squad. In every facet of the game you could logically give the advantage to Washington over the course of the entire seven game set. In a sense, the Capitals beat the Bruins at their own game: they rolled four lines with success, rode timely goaltending, turned their opposition’s mistakes into goals and collectively bought in to their head coach’s strict defensive system.

From top to bottom, the Capitals outplayed the Bruins. It was evident from puck drop in game one. Washington’s top-six forwards (Ovechkin, Backstrom, Semin, Laich, Johansson, Brouwer) produced ten of the team’s sixteen goals on the series and added eleven assists. Spearheaded by Russian uberstar Alex Ovechkin and underrated pivot Brooks Laich, the Capitals’ top forwards elevated their play in this series in the way all superstar players should.

Boston’s top two lines (Krejci, Lucic, Seguin, Peverley, Bergeron, Marchand) were a shell of their former selves, picking up only seven goals and nine assists. Perhaps more telling was that the two players who produced the most out of the aforementioned six were a 20-year-old in his sophomore season (Seguin) and a player who was only given a top-six spot in the absence of the injured Nathan Horton (Peverley). Combining for only three goals and eight points in seven games, Milan Lucic, Brad Marchand and David Krejci seem to have lost some of the luster that regarded them as “big-time playoff performers”.

Much in the same mold as Boston’s fourth unit in 2011, the Washington grinders proved themselves invaluable in this series, picking up two goals — including Ward’s series winner — and adding four assists whilst continuing to hold their own in the defensive zone as head coach Dale Hunter relied on them to preserve leads late in games. The production and dependability of the Caps’ fourth line (Ward, Keith Aucoin, Mike Knuble) provided Hunter the opportunity to line match and wear down the Bruins over the course of the series — something Claude Julien rode all the way to a Stanley Cup championship just one year ago –.

Boston’s defense corps were strong all series long. The German-born tank that is Dennis Seidenberg once again proved how truly valuable an asset he is for the Black and Gold, holding Ovechkin to only a five point series. The Johnny Boychuk — Andrew Ference pairing did a formidable job while consistently being matched up against the dynamic duo of Alex Semin and Nicklas Backstrom. Even the oft-scratched Mike Mottau impressed in games six and seven while filling in for an injured Joe Corvo. However, what shocked many — including myself — and made the real difference in this series was the strong defensive play of Washington’s blueliners. The surprisingly efficient play of Roman Hamrlik, Mike Green and John Carlson, amongst others, is what allowed the Caps to nearly completely shut down the Boston top-six.

Entering this series, the Bruins were thought to have the greatest advantage in this series between the pipes. It was Capitals’ rookie Braden Holtby — who had only seven games of previous NHL  experience — against the reigning Vezina and Conn Smythe trophy winner Tim Thomas. That’s why they play the games, folks. The 22-year-old Saskatchewan native bested Thomas on the stat sheet in every meaningful category — 2.00 GAA to Thomas’ 2.14; .940 SVG % to Thomas’ .923; and of course wins, 4-3 — and by most accounts was the better goalie in this series.

The players in that Bruins locker room deserve tons of credit for how they handled things after being sent home in the first round for the first time since 2008. They were asked about lingering injuries, a shortened summer, a questionable non-call (for goaltender interference) on the game-winning goal, and  missing important pieces of their roster (Horton, Adam McQuaid). The Bruins were given every opportunity to make excuses. They wanted no part of it. And they deserve an immeasurable amount of credit and respect for that.

At the end of the day — for as cliche as this may sound — it’s time for the city of Boston to “give the Devil his due” and recognize the fact that the Washington Capitals were the better team in this series and deserve to be moving on to round two.

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For the first time in four seasons, the Boston Bruins were unable to advance past the first round of the playoffs, becoming the second straight defending Stanley Cup champion to fall in the first round of their title defense.

It was former-Nashville playoff hero Joel Ward who would strike the dagger into the heart of the 17, 565 Black and Gold clad fans on hand at the TD Garden on Wednesday evening with his first goal of the postseason at the 2:37 mark of overtime. Ironically enough, it was former-Bruin Mike Knuble who would block a Benoit Pouliot dump-in attempt and proceed up the ice to create a scoring chance for Washington. The 31-year-old Ward would make no mistake about it, ending the Bruins’ season with one back-handed flip of the puck into an open Boston goal.

“I went for a change and Knubs (Mike Knuble) made a big block there and I assumed we had a little bit of a break up ice so try to take a chance and I knew he was going to take it to the rack and I just tried to follow it up as best as I could. You know, I just saw the puck laying there and I just took a whack at it and it went in.” – Joel Ward

Things didn’t get off to the start the Bruins had hoped for after a Milan Lucic defensive zone turnover would lead to an open chance from the point for John Carlson. The Natick, MA native fired a wrist shot through a crowd that would be deflected by another former-Bruin, Matt Hendricks, into the Boston net.

In typical Boston fashion, the Black and Gold would not go down without a fight. Late in the second period, it would be game six hero Tyler Seguin who would push home the game-tying goal after diving for a loose puck that had slipped through Washington goaltender Braden Holtby and pushing it into the net.

“I tried going in front of the net and I actually fell and Johnny (Boychuk) shot. I kind of saw the puck laying there so I just dove in and whacked it with my stick.” – Tyler Seguin

After a third period in which the B’s were out-shot 12-6 and the city of Boston held it’s collective breath with each Capitals’ shot, the defending champions were served a gift on a silver platter. With just 2:26 left in regulation, Jason Chimera was banished to the penalty box for holding, and the Bruins had themselves an opportunity to end the series with a power-play goal.

“When you talk about tonight, that’s probably the most frustrating part of our game, was that power play that could have ended the series and the game……. Your power play can win you hockey games, and tonight it didn’t.” — Claude Julien

If there was ever a position in which a struggling power-play could erase all it’s previous woes, it was right then and there. Unfortunately for Boston, the man advantage was once again ineffective, producing zero high quality scoring chances throughout the entire two minutes.

Just one minute into the overtime period, the B’s had yet another chance to end the game – and the series – on their terms, when a loose puck bounced directly onto the stick of Patrice Bergeron who was staring directly at a yawning Washington goal.

“It kind of exploded – just rolled on my stick and the puck was bouncing I just tried to go quick because obviously there wasn’t a lot of time and the puck wouldn’t settle.” – Patrice Bergeron

Uncharacteristically, number 37 sent it wide of the net, allowing the Capitals to convert on a scoring chance of their own just ninety-seven seconds later. The loss marks Boston’s third home-ice defeat in a game seven over the past four seasons as the 2011 Champions have been sent to summertime much earlier than they had envisioned.

“It’s hard to swallow, tough to understand right now. I think obviously it’s going to take us a couple of days to sink that one in, we obviously weren’t ready for being done right now.” – Patrice Bergeron

My Thoughts

– I’ll be back on Thursday and Friday with more fallout from this series and a disappointing end to the Boston season. Locker clean-out day is slated for Friday morning. Be sure to check back then for player reaction and analysis.

Ben’s Three Stars:

1) Joel Ward (1 Goal/Plus-1 Rating)

2) Tyler Seguin (1 Goal/7 Shots)

3) Braden Holtby (31 Saves)

Series:  Washington WINS 4-3

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Just a quick hit to get you all ready for Game 7 tonight at the TD Garden. If you’d like my full write up on tonight’s pivotal match-up, you can read my “Five Predictions For Game 7″ piece.

Series: Tied 3-3

Location: TD Garden

Time: 7:30 P.M. (EST)

TV/Radio Info: NBC  Sports Network (Emrick, Olczyk, McGuire)– 98.5 The Sports Hub (Goucher, Beers)

Tonight’s Lineup (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS:

Marchand–Peverley–Bergeron

Lucic–Krejci–Seguin

Pouliot–Kelly–Rolston

Paille–Campbell–Caron

DEFENSE:

Chara–Seidenberg

Boychuk–Ference

Zanon–Mottau

GOALTENDER:

Thomas

Rask

Scratches– …… Joe Corvo, Shawn Thornton, Andrew Bodnarchuk, Anton Khudobin

Injuries:

Nathan Horton (Concussion) – Boston’s top right winger was officially ruled out of the 2012 Playoffs by General Manager Peter Chiarelli during a press conference last Wednesday morning.

Adam McQuaid (Upper Body) — In what’s become one of the more unpredictable injuries of the season, Boston’s dependable blueliner will again be absent from the lineup on Wednesday.

Opposing Goaltender: Braden Holtby (6 GP/1.60 GAA)

Prediction:  You can find my full Game 7 written prediction here. I hope you all enjoy.

This will be the ultimate test of will for a Boston club that dealt with and survived an extreme amount of adversity throughout last year’s postseason. Today we will see what the 2011-’12 Boston Bruins are all about in a do-or-die, winner-take-all situation.

Capitals 2, Bruins 3

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The two most notorious words in sports: Game Seven. The mere mention of the phrase is enough to kick-start the heart of hockey fans across the globe. It’s the most entertaining event in sports for fans with no vested interest in either team playing. But for people who have pledged their allegiance to either of the two sides, it’s an excruciatingly long sixty-plus minutes of heart-in-your-throat action.

On Wednesday evening the defending champion Boston Bruins will look to prolong their title defense in game seven of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series against the Washington Capitals. Here are my five predictions for what you will all see at the Garden this evening.

1) Jordan Caron WILL Be In The Lineup

– With the upper body injury to Patrice Bergeron one could only assume that the Bruins will once again dress sophomore power forward Jordan Caron, at the expense of one of their other bottom-six skaters. The 21-year-old Caron provides Claude Julien with flexibility in case number 37 becomes more severely injured and cannot fulfill his normal allotment of ice-time. Caron has the ability to play a grinding fourth line role but also possesses the required skill set to skate on one of the B’s first two offensive units. While many believe that it will again be Shawn Thornton who will be relegated to the press box as Caron enters the lineup, I am of the opinion that Benoit Pouliot will be the odd man out on Wednesday. After taking a late penalty in back-to-back games, the Alfred, Ontario native seems to have reverted to the player that was a healthy scratch for the Canadiens during last year’s postseason. Whether it be Pouliot or Thornton to take a seat, expect Jordan Caron to be in the Boston lineup on Wednesday.

2) Alex Ovechkin WILL Be A MAJOR Factor

– Held to just one goal in the first six games of the series, the Russian uberstar has been well contained by Boston’s top defense pair of Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg. However, the Great Eight was buzzing during Sunday’s game six, scoring Washington’s only goal of the third period and creating an abundance of chances for both he and his teammates. I’d expect that to continue tonight with the Capitals’ supremely talented left wing picking up at least one goal for his team on this, the grandest of playoff stages.

3) Braden Holtby Will NOT Crack Under Pressure

– It seems as through Boston sports fans are under the impression that Washington rookie netminder Braden Holtby  is going to “wet the bed” so to speak and come unraveled right before their very eyes on the pressure packed ice of the TD Garden. Those folks could not be more off based in their assumptions. Back in June I remember speaking with a colleague of mine and I told him with confidence that Holtby would have more NHL success than either of Washington’s other 22-year-old goaltenders, Michael Neuvirth and Semyon Varlamov. Varlamov has since been dealt to Colorado and while Neuvirth has enjoyed a solid 2011-’12 campaign, he’s been far from a superstar in net.

Through six games of this series the Boston Bruins have learned exactly why I made those remarks about the Saskatchewan native just nine months ago. He’s shown both skill and composure en route to a 1.60 playoff GAA. If he hasn’t cracked through the first six games of this series — even after the Bruins scored two goals in twenty-eight seconds in game five — there is no evidence to suggest that he will turtle tonight, despite it being his first career game seven appearance.

4) Game Seven WILL Be Decided By ONE Goal

– This Bruins vs. Capitals’ series has been history-making, in the sense that is has been the first series in NHL history to have it’s first six games decided by only one goal. This is a tremendously surprising statistic, being that the NHL has been widely recognized as the league with more parity that it’s professional sports counterparts. I believe that tonight will be no different, as these two squads will set another record, making this the only series in history to have all SEVEN games decided by one goal.

5) The Bruins Will Survive

– If last year’s remarkable run to Lord Stanley taught us anything, it’s that the Black and Gold can never be counted out. Amassing five consecutive wins in games in which they’ve faced the possibility of elimination, the B’s have certainly been in this situation before. Just last summer they became the first team in history to win three game sevens en route to a championship. While it does feel a bit different — and maybe not for the better –  for the city of Boston to have confidence heading into a decisive game seven, I have a hard time picking against the Bruins at home in a do-or-die scenario. My pick would be Boston over Washington 3-2 with the game-winning-goal to come late in the third period.

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The 20-year-old former second overall draft choice had been one of Boston’s best defensive forwards throughout the first six games of this series, but simply hadn’t been able to find the score sheet. After a quiet first two periods, number nineteen was buzzing in the third frame, creating a plethora of offensive chances for both he and his team.

“I think in this series we’ve had a lot of chances and opportunities and I haven’t been bearing down and finishing them off and it’s just really nice to get that feeling off your back.” – Tyler Seguin

Boston had previously allowed three one goal advantages to slip through their grasp before Seguin’s fourth career playoff tally would allow them to escape elimination — at least for the time being –.

The B’s would take a 1-0 lead for the second time of the series at the 5:56 mark of the opening period when Rich Peverley deflected an Andrew Ference shot past Capitals’ netminder Braden Holtby. Washington would quickly erase that deficit as less than four minutes later, defenseman Mike Green would unleash a slapshot from the left point that deflected off Greg Zanon and into the Boston net. It would be the first goal for the former Norris trophy candidate since October 22, 2011. Top line pivot David Krejci would wake from his playoff slumber towards the end of the period when he redirected a Milan Lucic pass into the Caps’ net to give the B’s a 2-1 lead as the two teams went to the locker rooms at the first intermission.

It wasn’t until the 19:18 mark of the middle frame that either team would get on the board again as the Capitals would draw even on power forward Jason Chimera‘s first goal of the postseason. Before Chimera could make it down to score, it looked as if he caught Brad Marchand up high with an elbow to the face, causing the B’s 5’9″ agitator to fall to the ice with blood spewing from his face. Whilst many Boston fans were looking for a penalty call, the replay indicated that number 63 simply hit his own face with his stick and the officials on the ice were correct in their decision to let the goal stand.

Just past the midway point of the third period it was Seguin who would rush up the right wing and fire a perfectly placed wrist shot into the mask of Holtby, allowing defenseman Andrew Ference to capitalize on a rebound in front. NHL uber-star Alexander Ovechkin would blast a one timer past Tim Thomas directly off an offensive zone face-off won by Nicklas Backstrom to once again tie the score with less than five minutes left in regulation.

Game seven is slated for Wednesday evening back in the Hub at 7:30 PM.

“It’s been a great series. Washington’s a great team and we were battling. Game 7 at the Garden it’s what we’ve been working for, home ice advantage so we’re going to seize the opportunity.” – Tyler Seguin

Ben’s Three Stars:

1)  Tyler Seguin (1 Goal/1 Assist)

2) Andrew Ference (1 Goal/1 Assist)

3) Alexander Ovechkin (1 Goal/7 Shots)

Series:  Tied 3-3

Next Game: Wednesday April 25, 2012. 7:30 PM. TD Garden, Boston, MA.

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Facing the possibility of becoming the second consecutive defending Stanley Cup champion to fall in the first round of their title defense, the Boston Bruins will take to the Verizon CEnter ice on Sunday afternoon with their season on the line.

Series: Washington Leads 3-2

Location: Verizon Center, Washington, DC

Time: 3:20 P.M. (EST)

TV/Radio Info: NBC (Emrick, Olczyk, McGuire)– 98.5 The Sports Hub (Goucher, Beers)

Tonight’s Lineup (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS:

Marchand–Bergeron–Peverley

Lucic–Krejci–Rolston

Pouliot–Kelly–Seguin

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE:

Chara–Seidenberg

Boychuk–Ference

Zanon–Corvo

GOALTENDER:

Thomas

Khudobin

Scratches– ….. Mike Mottau, Jordan Caron, Andrew Bodnarchuk

Injuries:

Nathan Horton (Concussion) – Boston’s top right winger was officially ruled out of the 2012 Playoffs by General Manager Peter Chiarelli during a press conference last Wednesday morning.

Tuukka Rask (Groin) — The B’s back up goaltender has been practicing with the team, but is not quite ready to return to action.

Adam McQuaid (Upper Body) — In what’s become one of the more unpredictable injuries of the season, Boston’s dependable blueliner will be forced to sit out again on Sunday after not making the voyage south to DC.

Opposing Goaltender: Braden Holtby (5 GP/2.00 GAA)

Prediction:  Nine times out of ten in the NHL postseason, the more desperate team in each games normally ends up the winner. It’s been no different this spring as you’ve seen in game four in Los Angeles, games four and five between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and game five just last night in Phoenix. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case. While I would not be surprised if the Bruins’ are to force a game seven back at the TD Garden, I also wouldn’t hold my breath for it. Washington very much appears to be the more confident of the two squads and playing in front of a raucous red crowd of 18,000-plus that can only increase.

This will be the ultimate test of will for a Boston club that dealt with and survived an extreme amount of adversity throughout last year’s postseason. Today we will see what the 2011-’12 Boston Bruins are all about in a do or die situation.

Bruins 2 , Capitals 3

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Troy Brouwer’s tie-breaking second tally of the series came at the most inopportune time for the B’s, with just a minute and twenty-seven seconds left on the third period clock. The collective life was completely sucked out of a raucous TD Garden when Benoit Pouliot was banished to the penalty box for what head coach Claude Julien called a “very weak call” of slashing. It wouldn’t be long after that the former-Chicago Blackhawk would streak down the right side wing and beat Tim Thomas with a glove-side wrist shot.

The Bruins had mounted not one but two comebacks prior to Brouwer’s late marker, erasing both a 2-0 and a 3-2 deficit. It began right around the mid-point of the game when Washington would be the first to find the twine.

At the 11:16 mark of the second period the Capitals would take advantage of a befallen Joe Corvo and pin the B’s into their own defensive zone. After a lengthy offensive sequence it would be game four hero Alexander Semin who would push home a rebound to give the Caps a 1-0 lead.

Just over three minutes later, Washington would double their lead after a wrist shot from gritty third line pivot Jay Beagle deflected off the stick of Boston blueliner Johnny Boychuk and past Tim Thomas to make it 2-0 in favor of the visitors.

It was at the end of the period that a two-goal outburst in a matter of only twenty-eight seconds by the Bruins would even the score at two. First it was German defenseman Dennis Seidenberg who would snap a wrist shot past Capitals’ rookie goaltender Braden Holtby to cut the Washington lead in half. On the very next shift Brad Marchand would poke a rebound through Holtby’s five hole to bring the score to a tie.

“I jumped by their forward and Looch (Milan Lucic) made a great pass to the outside and all I was trying to do was get the puck on net and somehow it found the back of the net.” – Dennis Seidenberg

The B’s would face even more adversity after former-Bruin Mike Knuble would corral a Joel Ward rebound and slide it into the Boston net for a 3-2 Washington lead just three minutes into the third period. After a stretch of fourteen consecutive failed power-play attempts, the B’s would finally break through when Johnny Boychuk released a rocket slapshot that blistered right past Holtby and into the Capitals’ net.

Boston would swarm the Washington end for the better part of what was left in the third frame, but it would be the Caps who would come out on top after scoring on a power-play that many felt should not been granted in the first place.

“Tough call.  I will leave it to you guys, but it was a tough call to make at 2:15 in the game.  It is a grind out there.  Sometimes you get the calls and sometimes you don’t. To call that at the end it is disappointing but there is nothing you can do about it.” – Benoit Pouliot

My Thoughts

– The one thing that the B’s have going for them is the simple fact that they’ve been here before. While they didn’t necessarily face an elimination game six on road ice, they did confront (and overcome) numerous occasions in which they were in a must-win situation. Game three in Montreal, game three against Vancouver and game five against the Lighting were all situations in which the Bruins were in desperate need of a victory and were able to come through.

If they’re not prepared, they could become the second consecutive Stanley Cup champion to lose in the first round of their title defense.

“It’s do or die for us, and we have to make sure we leave it all out there and try to force game seven. But we’re in their rink. They’re going to be coming out hard, so we got to be prepared.” – Brad Marchand

“It’s good to know that we’ve been in tough spots before and responded well. Having said that, we got to do that. You got to bring it and do it. It isn’t, it’s not going to be for granted that we’re going to do it. It’s up to us in this room.” — Tim Thomas

It’s certainly an unfavorable situation, but if the 2011 Bruins taught us anything, it’s that you can never count out the Black and Gold.

“We may be in trouble, but we’re not dead.” – Claude Julien

Ben’s Three Stars:

1) Dennis Seidenberg (1 Goal/1 Assist)

2) Troy Brouwer (1 Goal)

3) Mike Knuble (1 Goal)

Series:  Washington Leads 3-2

Next Game: Sunday April 22, 2012. 3:00 PM. Verizon Center, Washington, DC.

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While it’s quite impressive to see that the Boston Bruins have received a bevy of contributions from their bottom-six forward group, the unfortunate fact of the matter is that without consistent production from their top players, they may not make it out of this first round.

In an effort to help his team break out of the offensive slump that’s engulfed them throughout their series with the seventh seeded Washington Capitals, Bruins’ bench boss Claude Julien opted to give his forward units a complete makeover in advance of Saturday’s game five at the TD Garden. Based on lines from Friday’s practice, the new trios look like this:

Daniel Paille—Patrice Bergeron—Rich Peverley

Milan Lucic—David Krejci—Brian Rolston

Tyler Seguin/Jordan Caron—Chris Kelly—Benoit Pouliot

Brad Marchand—Gregory Campbell—Shawn Thornton

The most obvious and surprising change there is Brad Marchand’s demotion back to the Merlot line, where he spent the entire first half of last year’s regular season. After watching Thursday’s 2-1 defeat at the Verizon Center, it was clear as to who was playing well and who had some areas to improve upon, which likely played a large part in Julien’s decision to alter his lines.

A popular question amongst the Twitter-sphere on Friday was as to if Jordan Caron would be making his playoff debut on Saturday. And if so, whose spot in the lineup would he take? Many suggested it to be sophomore sensation Tyler Seguin. While I would agree that the B’s could use the added grittiness and net-front presence that Caron can provide, I wouldn’t agree with the notion that number nineteen should be sat down. Seguin’s absence from the score sheet has been a major detriment to Boston’s postseason success but he did show signs of improvement during game four, creating opportunities for both he and his linemates.

As referenced above, the Boston third line has been unquestionably the team’s most consistent trio of the series, picking up three of the Bruins’ seven playoff goals. However, beyond that, the B’s haven’t received much else in the way of offense from any of their forward corps.

Contrast In Performance From The Top-Six Brings Teams To Equal Footing

Rich Peverley’s two tallies – one in game 3 and one in game 4 – account for the only two goals scored by Boston forwards currently skating on one of the top two lines during their conference quarterfinal series against Washington.

There is no denying the fact that the absence of 2011 playoff hero Nathan Horton is a huge factor in the struggles of the B’s top-six. Number eighteen provides the Bruins with a constant physical presence and one of the deadliest wrist shots on the team as well as the chemistry he creates with both Milan Lucic and David Krejci.

Despite this, there truly is no explanation behind the complete lack of offensive production from Boston’s superstars. The top line (for most of the year) of Patrice Bergeron, Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand accounted for nearly 30% of the Bruins’ goals (79 of 269) during the regular season, the most of any Boston trio by a significant margin. On line two, Peverley (who missed a large portion of the season with an MCL injury) Krejci and Lucic combined for sixty goals and 165 total points. Much to the displeasure of hockey fans in the Hub, only Peverley (2 Goals) and Bergeron (1 Assist) have been able to find the score sheet this series.  The other four? Zero goals, zero assists, a combined -2 rating and 36 shots on goal.

On the other side of the ice, the Washington forwards have perfectly fit to a tee the definition of “top-six forwards”, ranking 1-6 in points scored for the Caps during this postseason. NHL mega-star Alexander Ovechkin and gritty power forward Brooks Laich lead the way with four points (1G/3A each) whilst Marcus Johansson and Nicklas Backstrom have a goal and an assist each in the series. Former-Chicago Blackhawk Troy Brouwer has also picked up a goal and game four hero Alex Semin has tickled the twine twice in four games.

The stark contrast in production levels from the top-six from each of these teams is what’s made this series has tight as it’s been. Boston hasn’t been able to capitalize on their distinct advantage both between the pipes and on the defensive end.

While I still firmly believe that the B’s will be able to bounce back on Saturday and emerge from this offensive malaise, if they’re not, they could be polishing off the golf clubs a lot sooner than they’d hoped.

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Much to the chagrin of Black and Gold supporters hoping for the chance to seal the series on Saturday, the B’s were stopped cold in their tracks during a 2-1 loss to the Caps on Thursday thanks to 44 saves from netminder Braden Holtby.

The 22-year-old Saskatchewan native stopped each and every puck that the B’s threw his way including thirteen in the third period to seal a one-goal home-ice victory for the Capitals.

To say that things didn’t get off to the type of start that the Bruins had envisioned  may qualify as a candidate for the understatement of the year award. After a questionable non-call that saw Alexander Ovechkin jump on the back of Boston defenseman Andrew Ference and remove him from the play, the Capitals proceeded up the ice with a 2-on-1 breakaway. Power forward Brooks Laich would slide the puck through the legs of Brian Rolston and over to Marcus Johansson at the 1:22 mark of the opening frame. The 21-year-old Swede made no mistake, sending it into the top shelf to give Washington an early 1-0 lead.

“It was an odd man rush. They made a good play. The puck rolled and stuck right to Johansson’s stick. He was able to bury it top corner.” — Tim Thomas

In typical Bruins’ fashion, Boston would not go down without a fight, evening the score just past the mid-point of the first period. It was Rich Peverley who would carry the puck down the wing and fire a wrist shot through Holtby’s five hole to pull the Bruins in to a 1-1 tie. Despite Thursday’s contest being without doubt the most wide-open of any of the games thus far, neither team could find the twine again until the tail end of the middle period.

After yet another questionable call went against the Bruins – conspiracy theorists may suggest that it stems from Caps’ owner Ted Leonsis’ most recent comments – Patrice Bergeron would be sent to the penalty box with 2:07 on the clock in the second period. It was on the ensuing power-play that Washington would regain their lead after a wicked wrist shot from Alex Semin blazed right past the glove of Tim Thomas and into the Boston net. Even after the Caps had scored the eventual game winning goal while he was in the box, Boston’s always-humble alternate captain was quick to defend the referee’s decision.

“He made that call. It happens fast for me, for him. I’m obviously not going to complain about it.” – Patrice Bergeron

As the second period came to a close and the third period progressed, it appeared as if the Capitals had taken back most of the game’s momentum, controlling play for the better part of the final twenty-plus minutes.

Boston would amass fifteen total shots after Semin had given the Capitals the lead, but simply couldn’t solve Holtby as they fell 2-1 at the Verizon Center. Thursday’s win by the Caps has also assured that there will indeed be a game six played right back here in Washington, DC at some point on Sunday.

My Thoughts

– While it was evident that Braden Holtby was in top form on Thursday, most of the Bruins’ 45 shots on net wouldn’t exactly be characterized as “high quality scoring chances”. A large portion of Boston’s best opportunities to score came on shots that the Caps’ ‘tender was able to get a clear look at, which of course makes the shot far easier to stop.

“He saw everything tonight, that’s for sure. I can’t say there’s too many shots that he didn’t see. He likes to glove pucks, he likes to hold on to it, so like I said we’ve got to get more bodies in front of him.” – Rich Peverley

– In game three, the Black and Gold did an excellent job in disrupting the crease of the Caps’ rookie goaltender and didn’t allow him to find a rhythm. Thursday’s game four was a completely different story as much like games one and two, the majority of the B’s scoring chances had to come from the outside. The overwhelming theme in the Boston locker room after Thursday’s difficult defeat was that the team needed to do a better job in establishing it’s presence in front of the Washington goalkeeper.

“I think our pressure was good. Now it’s about finding the loose pucks. It’s there, we’re in the area, we just haven’t found the loose pucks for the rebounds. We’ve got to be better.” — Patrice Bergeron

“Obviously there is a lot of loose pucks around the net that they cleared and we didn’t get to.  The net front presence has to be better, not just screening but also finding those loose pucks. They’re finding them better than we are. So, there’s probably not a good enough commitment in that area right now until we get that we are going to be struggling to score goals.” – Claude Julien

Ben’s Three Stars:

1) Braden Holtby (44 Saves)

2) Tyler Seguin (6 Shots)

3) Alex Semin (1 Goal)

Series: Tied 2-2

Next Game: Saturday April 21, 2012, TD Garden, Boston, MA.

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WASHINGTON, DC–On Thursday afternoon, the Boston Bruins will have an opportunity to take a commanding 3-1 series lead over the Washington Capitals with a win in game four of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal Series. After a bit of late-game heroics lead the B’s to a 4-3 victory on Monday evening the team will look to secure a Verizon Center sweep and earn the chance to complete the series on Saturday in Boston.

X-Factor: Through three games this postseason the Bruins’ first two offensive units have produced a grand total of one goal. While the contributions from the bottom-six have been an invaluable asset to the B’s early success in these playoffs, they must see improved production from both the David Krejci line and the Patrice Bergeron line if they are to finish off the Caps in this series. Bergeron was quick to praise the recent play of Boston’s third and fourth lines during an interview following Thursday’s morning skate in Washington.

“They’ve been great all year. They give us some scoring. Depth this time of year is very important and right now it shows. It’s about every line doing their job.” – Patrice Bergeron

Series: Boston Leads 2-1

Location: Verizon Center, Washington, DC

Time: 7:30 P.M. (EST)

TV/Radio Info: NESN (Edwards, Brickley, Funayama) – 98.5 The Sports Hub (Goucher, Beers)

Tonight’s Lineup (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS:

Lucic–Bergeron–Peverley

Marchand–Krejci–Seguin

Pouliot–Kelly–Rolston

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE:

Chara–Seidenberg

Boychuk–Ference

Zanon–Corvo

GOALTENDER:

Thomas

Khudobin/Rask

Scratches– ….. Mike Mottau, Jordan Caron

Injuries:

Nathan Horton (Concussion) – Boston’s top right winger was officially ruled out of the 2012 Playoffs by General Manager Peter Chiarelli during a press conference last Wednesday morning.

Tuukka Rask (Groin) — The B’s back up goaltender has been practicing with the team, but head coach Claude Julien did confirm to us this morning that no. 40 isn’t quite ready to return to action.

Adam McQuaid (Upper Body) — In what’s become one of the more unpredictable injuries of the season, Boston’s dependable blueliner will be forced to sit out again on Thursday after not making the voyage south to DC.

Opposing Goaltender: Braden Holtby (3 GP/2.00 GAA)

Prediction: Despite the suspension to Nicklas Backstrom, I believe that the Capitals will still find a way to pull out a game four victory. In sports it is often times the more desperate team that wins the game, and I think that old adage will hold true once again on Thursday at the Verizon Center. However, if the B’s are able to get off to a hot start and take the crowd out of the game, it’s entirely possible that we could be heading back to Boston with the Bruins holding a commanding 3-1 series lead.

Bruins 4 , Capitals 5

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Now in his fifth season with the Black and Gold – and the fifth consecutive year that he’s brought playoff hockey to Causeway Street – it appears as if Julien will indeed have that same luxury during the 2012 playoffs.

Through three games of their first round series against the seventh seeded Washington Capitals, the Bruins have amassed a grand total of six goals. Before the series began, if I’d of told you that against such an offensively gifted squad like the Caps, the B’s would be up two games to one despite only scoring six goals, you’d have thought I was crazy. Now, if I told you that they would do so with only one tally of contribution from their top six forwards, you’d have thought I’d reached the Tyson Nash level of insane.

Rich Peverley’s wrist shot goal in the opening minute of the second period during Monday’s game three was in fact the only goal of the series recorded by a Bruins’ player currently skating on one of the team’s top two offensive units. In most situations, a team with it’s top two lines engulfed in such struggles would easily fold from a complete lack of offensive production. But as the Bruins proved throughout last spring and early summer, their bottom six is fully capable of off-setting their stars’ struggles even on the grandest of playoff hockey stages.

“It’s huge” said winger Brad Marchand of his team’s incredible depth.  “That’s why we won last year, because our depth guys always stepped up at the right time.” – Brad Marchand

“Any time we can chip in, it’s a bonus” remarked a humble Brian Rolston after a Wednesday afternoon practice at the Kettler Ice Plex just south of Washington. However, the contributions of both his line (featuring Chris Kelly and Benoit Pouliot) and the fourth unit (Daniel Paille—Gregory Campbell—Shawn Thornton) cannot be undervalued. Their commitment to hard work and solid defensive play, along with their ability to find the score sheet during clutch moments allow coach Julien to expand his playoff bench while most opposing coaches tend to shorten theirs.

“If the top two lines aren’t scoring and the bottom two are, it really makes a big difference. That’s why we’re such a tough team to play against, because we have that overall depth and lots of guys stepping up at the right time.” – Brad Marchand

If the Bruins are to advance past the first round for the fourth consecutive campaign and make a legitimate attempt to defend their championship, it’s fairly obvious to assume that they will need significant offensive contributions from the top forwards that they’ve relied on all season long. If the likes of Milan Lucic, David Krejci and Tyler Seguin are to find their stride this postseason, the Bruins will once again possess the deepest and most versatile forward core in the National Hockey League.

–> Here’s a look at Bruins head coach Claude Julien’s press conference from this morning after the Bruins had a full practice at the Capitals’ training center in Arlington, Virginia.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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1) The first things I’ve noticed since arriving in Washington is the city’s overall efficiency and convenience for both residents and visitors. With seemingly every popular attraction accessible from one of the many public Metro stations — for those in Boston, think of it as the DC alternative to the MBTA Subway system, yet a lot cleaner and faster — and a bevy of maps and information booths placed carefully throughout the city, it’s easy for any amateur tourist (like myself) to scope out every nook and cranny of the Capital. Also, another small contraption that I found both interesting and highly valuable is the countdown clock that’s found at each and every Metro stop, letting you know exactly how long you’ll have to wait for your train. This, I’m sure comes in handy on many occasions for commuters traveling to and from the workplace on a daily basis.

2) Submerged within the 400 level of the Verizon Center was where I took in Monday’s game three action in one of the oddest locations for a press box that I’ve ever come across. To put it into perspective, if the gentleman immediately in front of me was to stand up (which he did, far more often that I would have liked) it would severely affect my sight-line. Another adverse affect that comes with being so close to the hoards of screaming fans is having to listen to their loud (and often times profane) comments. While I will admit that it’s possible to hear screaming fans from the Boston press box, it’s far easier and more often done in DC. On the other side of the coin, the Capitals do deserve some credit for providing us with a state-of-the-art media lounge and a bevy of in-game snacking options.

3) Throughout Monday’s game, I had to repeatedly glance up at the countless “Division Champions” banners hanging from the Verizon Center rafters just to make sure I was in the right building. Cheering each and every time, without fail, a member of their beloved Capitals fell to the ice and proceeding to rain down with a chorus of boos upon realizing that there would not be a penalty called, the Caps’ fans make the Verizon Center feel a lot like the Centre Bell up in Montreal. Of course things like this happen in arenas across the NHL, it’s a natural part of being a fan and seeing things through bright red-colored glasses (in Washington’s case). However, Capitals’ fans took things to a whole new level of referee trolling on Monday, even breaking into a “Refs, You Suck” chant on multiple occasions. To be completely honest, it was truly an embarrassing display of fan-hood from all that partook in it. The below video is from 2010 but shows, on a small scale, what exactly I am talking about.

Click here to view the embedded video.

4) If you haven’t already heard, Nicklas Backstrom’s cross-check to the face of Rich Peverley has bought  the Caps’ superstar pivot a one-game suspension. The ruling has DC in an uproar and Capitals’ fans demanding answers. While I have not been able to see Brendan Shanahan’s suspension video, the guess here would be that Backstrom’s match-penalty (and automatic suspension) was upheld simply due to the fact that it was his THIRD cross-checking penalty of the game.

5) After an off-day on Tuesday, the Black and Gold will be back on the ice Wednesday at Kettler Capitals Iceplex in Arlington, VA. I’ll be sure to provide you all with some insight from there via Twitter and will be back with more tomorrow.

Note: If you’d like to check out some professional quality (I kid, of course) photos from my many stops in DC, you can do so, here.

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“The more we play each other, the more we hate each other.” – Brad Marchand

The above quote, courtesy of the Bruins’ resident agitator and Boston fan favorite, Brad Marchand just about perfectly sums up Monday’s game three between the B’s and Capitals. The animosity between these two Eastern Conference foes had reached a boiling point, and it was obvious to all that the intensity levels of the series had skyrocketed.

It was a seesaw contest at the Verizon Center on Monday, but in the end, the visiting Bruins were able to down the host Caps 4-3 on a late tally from captain Zdeno Chara.

Boston’s towering Slovakian defenseman let loose one of his patented backscratcher slapshots that found it’s way through Washington goaltender Braden Holtby with only 1:53 to play in the game.

“I just tried to put it on the net and keep it low.  I think it was deflected off of one of their player’s stick and went in.” – Zdeno Chara

Things didn’t begin the way the Black and Gold had hoped for as they found themselves down a goal on two separate occasions during the game’s first twenty-one minutes. Russian enigma Alex Semin would be the first to get on the board – tallying the first opening period goal of the series – after firing a wrist shot through Tim Thomas amidst a late period Washington power-play.

The B’s would respond just thirty-five seconds into the middle frame when a Rich Peverley shot deflected off Holtby’s glove and into the Washington net. However, the Caps would immediately answer back on a slapshot goal from captain Alexander Ovechkin, a mere thirteen seconds after Boston had tied the score at one.

Hard work and grit would wind up championing the night in America’s capital city, as evidenced by Daniel Paille’s mid-second period goal in which he corralled a doorstep rebound and pushed it home to once again even the score at two.

“My goal was just a battle by Soupy (Gregory Campbell) and Thorty (Shawn Thornton) in the corner and then got the puck to Zans (Greg Zanon) and Zans shot it right away and me I had a ton of time in front of the net so I thought I’d make a move and I had a wide open net so it was nice to go in.” – Daniel Paille

Another bit of quick-strike offense would benefit the visiting Bruins when wily veteran Brian Rolston dug the puck out of a net-mouth scrum and shoveled it into the Capitals’ net only sixty-two seconds into the third and final period.

The Caps would certainly not go down without a fight,  especially not in their home building in front of 18,000-plus screaming fans all decked out in red hockey apparel. With exactly six minutes left in regulation, the Capitals evened the score at three after Brooks Laich would take advantage of a rare lapse in coverage from the B’s otherworldly defenseman (Zdeno Chara) and beat Tim Thomas on a breakaway.

Boston’s 6’9” captain would quickly atone for his mistake, picking up the game winning goal just more than four minutes later and lifting the B’s to a 2-1 series lead.

My Thoughts

– The Bruins’ ability to remain composed and keep a high level of confidence through the events of allowing a game-tying tally with just six minutes left on the clock and of being forced to play from behind a mere thirteen seconds after evening the score for the first time is truly impressive. Teams that can withstand the pressure of adverse moments are the ones who will make deeper runs into the postseason. The B’s certainly proved that ability during last year’s Stanley Cup run, and Monday’s win went a long way to helping the 2011-’12 Bruins squad form their own playoff identity.

“It’s very important (To stay composed) . This is a battle tested team that’s been through just about every situation possible. When you get into those situations, cooler heads prevail and you just have to continue on with what you do. That’s what we did and we came back with another big goal.” – Brian Rolston

Ben’s Three Stars:

1)Zdeno Chara (1 Goal/2 Assists)

2) Brooks Laich (1 Goal/2 Assists)

3) Chris Kelly (1 Assist/Plus-2 Rating)

Series:  Boston Leads  2-1

Next Game: Thursday April 19, 2012. 7:30 PM. Verizon Center, Washington, DC.

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WASHINGTON, DC– As I make my way down the Eastern seaboard to our nation’s great Capital, the Boston Bruins are preparing for a pivotal game three clash in enemy territory. After Nicklas Backstrom’s double overtime wrist shot lifted the Washington Capitals to a 2-1 victory at the TD Garden on Saturday afternoon, the series makes it’s way to the Verizon Center all evened up at one game a piece.

X-Factor: In games one and two, the Capitals’ newly implemented defensive strategy truly stymied most of the quality scoring chances that the Bruins would normally account for. Much like Tampa Bay’s infamous 1-3-1 system of a a year ago, the Washington defense has kept any and all Boston offense to the outside. In other words, they are taking away the center of the ice and forcing the B’s to make their attack either down the boards or through the ole “dump and chase” formula. If the Bruins hope to prolong their first Stanley Cup defense since 1973, they’ll need to find a way to crack the Caps’ stingy defense.

Series: Tied 1-1

Location: Verizon Center, Washington, DC.

Time: 7:30 P.M. (EST)

TV/Radio Info: NESN (Edwards, Brickley, Funayama) – 98.5 The Sports Hub (Goucher, Beers)

Tonight’s Lineup (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS:

Lucic–Krejci–Peverley

Marchand–Bergeron–Seguin

Pouliot–Kelly–Rolston

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE:

Chara–Seidenberg

Boychuk–Ference

Zanon–Corvo

GOALTENDER:

Thomas

Khudobin/Rask

Scratches– ….. Mike Mottau, Jordan Caron

Injuries:

Nathan Horton (Concussion) – Boston’s top right winger was officially ruled out of the 2012 Playoffs by General Manager Peter Chiarelli during a press conference Wednesday morning.

Tuukka Rask (Groin) — The B’s back up goaltender is still day-to-day, but has traveled with his teammates to Washington and could be backing up Tim Thomas on Monday.

Adam McQuaid (Upper Body) — In what’s become one of the more unpredictable injuries of the season, Boston’s dependable blueliner will be forced to sit out again on Monday after not making the voyage south to DC.

Opposing Goaltender: Braden Holtby (2 GP/1.00 GAA)

Prediction: After taking a split in the first two games in Boston, the Capitals will likely be re-energized by the fact that they now hold home-ice advantage in the series. Also, the team’s outstanding record from the confines of the Verizon Center should do nothing but increase the Caps’ confidence as they enter Monday night’s showdown. Look for this series to finally see some goal scoring as Alex Ovechkin finally breaks out of his shell, leading the Caps to a 4-2 victory and a 2-1 series lead.

Bruins 2 , Capitals 4

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It was Swedish superstar Nicklas Backstrom who would play the hero role at the 2:56 mark of the second overtime period, capitalizing on a Boston defensive zone turnover and firing a wrist shot past B’s goaltender Tim Thomas to send the Caps to their first victory of this postseason.

Early on, it seemed as if game number two was simply a continuation of game one that took place in Boston on Thursday. Both squads were looking to set the tone through the same type of physical play that defined the series opener.It wasn’t until the 17:57 mark of the second period that the first regulation time goal of the series would find it’s way home.

In one of the most fluky incidents of the season thus far, the Capitals would strike first, attaining their first lead of the series after Troy Brouwer was able to poke a loose puck underneath Tim Thomas and into the Boston goal. Brouwer’s first tally of the postseason would be the first playoff goal surrendered by Thomas since a Max Lapierre marker in the third period of Game 6 during the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals.

The B’s were able to tie the score just past the mid-point of the third period when some hard work and hustle from Benoit Pouliot would result in the Alfred, Ontario native’s first career playoff goal. Pouliot out-raced both Capitals’ defenseman to a loose puck in front of netminder Braden Holtby and managed to flick it into the top shelf of the Washington net.

“I think he (Braden Holtby) tried to poke-check, too, at the same time and I took a whack at it and it ended up in the net. So, like I said, sometimes just put the puck or whack at it – you never know what’s going to happen and it ended up pretty good.” – Benoit Pouliot

For the final minutes of regulation and through an entire twenty-minute overtime period, neither team could find it’s way onto the scoresheet until Backstrom’s wrister in the early going of extra frame number two.

The two squads will depart for Washington on Sunday in preparation for Games 3 and 4, to be played on Monday and Thursday respectively. Returning home with a series split should undoubtedly provide the Capitals with a huge momentum boost, especially considering their incredible home ice record this season (26-11-4).

“It means a lot. Coming home 1-1 instead of 2-0 to the Verizon Center with our own fans and giving ourselves a really good chance at this, it feels really good.” – Marcus Johansson

My Thoughts

– Leading the charge for the B’s through the first two games of this series has been the gritty third line trio of Benoit Pouliot, Chris Kelly and Brian Rolston. Not only has the third unit accounted for both Bruins’ goals in the series and each point accumulated, but it’s also proven it’s collective mettle on the defensive end of the ice. While they were the unfortunate group that were on the ice while the Caps scored their first goal, their collective commitment to defense helped neutralize Washington’s lethal second line (Semin—Backstrom—Johansson) whom they were matched up against for most of the night.

“They’ve been doing a good job for us. They scored our what, only two goals so far? So they’ve been doing a good job for us and we’ve just got to make sure to bear down on chances when we do get them.” – Johnny Boychuk

Ben’s Three Stars:

1) Braden Holtby (43 Saves)

2) Nicklas Backstrom (1 Goal/Plus-1 Rating)

3) Benoit Pouliot (1 Goal)

Series:  Tied 1-1

Next Game: Monday April 16, 2012. 7:30 PM. Verizon Center, Washington, DC.

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Things got off to a hot start for the Black and Gold as they created a bevy of scoring chances for themselves in the opening minutes, crashing the crease of Capitals’ rookie ‘tender Braden Holtby. Though neither team could find a way onto the board in the first frame, the B’s held a distinct advantage in momentum as the two teams went to the rooms for the first intermission.

With two minutes and twenty-seven seconds of carryover power-play time, the B’s hoped to kick off the middle period with their first goal of this year’s postseason. Unfortunately for the 17,565 screaming, towel waving Bruins fans in attendance, the Capitals penalty-kill units once again came up big, stopping the B’s on all four of their power-play chances over the course of the night.

“It was good (the Caps’ penalty-kill). We know they have a good power-play and they like to move the puck around. It was real important that we were able to focus on that tonight.” — Nicklas Backstrom

The third period almost seemed like a different game altogether. After out-shooting the Caps by a 26-7 margin through the first forty minutes, the B’s seemed to take their foot off the gas pedal in the third frame. Washington would hold Boston to only three shots on goal during the final twenty minutes of regulation, whilst shoveling nine shots of their own towards B’s goaltender Tim Thomas. The reigning Conn Smythe award winner was on top of his game the entire night, keeping the score tied at zero and sending the game into overtime.

Though Braden Holtby played a near-perfect game all night long in his NHL playoff debut – stopping all 29 shots faced in regulation – the 22-year-old Saskatchewan native couldn’t prevent the Bruins’ first shot of the extra frame from tickling the twine behind him. A mere seventy-eight seconds into the overtime, it would be Chris Kelly who would get to play hero after blasting a slapshot past Holtby to send the B’s to a 1-0 home-ice victory and a 1-0 series lead.

“I think I was probably the most surprised in the building. Like I said, I think it might have went off the defenseman’s stick a little bit and changed up. I was pleasantly surprised to see it go in.” – Chris Kelly

Despite allowing the Caps to take control of the game’s momentum in the third period, the Black and Gold were able to remain confident that they could still find a way to win the game. A lot of that comes from the invaluable experience attained during last season’s phenomenal playoff run, one in which the B’s posted an impressive 4-1 overtime record.

“We know what it’s like. We know how to win those games and it showed tonight.” — Brad Marchand

My Thoughts

– As they’ve done so many times in the past, the Bruins came out early and established a physical tone, something that’s become a trademark of the Black and Gold squad since the dawn of the Claude Julien era. High numbers in both the hits column and the blocked shots category have been common in Boston throughout last year’s run to the Stanley Cup, and during this year’s regular season. It was no different on Thursday as the B’s blocked 22 Washington shot attempts and registered a whopping total of forty hits. However, what made things interesting was the fact that the Capitals didn’t seem to be bothered by the Bruins’ imposing physical style of play. In fact, they embraced it.

“They’re not going to let us push them around. They’re going to push back, especially in the first game of the series. That’s where you set the tempo. They did a great job in pushing back and playing physical too. That’s what we can expect all series long.” – Brad Marchand

Blocking 15 Boston shots and accounting for 29 hits — including a bone-crushing center-ice collision between Alex Ovechkin and Dennis Seidenberg — the Capitals almost exactly matched the Bruins’ physicality. The Bruins did a fantastic job in overcoming the Caps’ physicality, but seem to be in for a lot tougher test then many had previously thought.

– How impressive was Tyler Seguin on Thursday? Seriously. He may not have made it onto the score-sheet (along with almost everyone else on the ice), but his play in other facets of the game were a huge factor in Boston’s game one victory. Matched up against the Caps top line, and the great Alexander Ovechkin, the B’s prized youngster proved his mettle on more than one occasion, shutting down the Great Eight with strong back-checks and solid defensive positioning. It doesn’t take a hockey expert to notice the type of otherworldly skills that number nineteen has in his arsenal, but if the former number two overall draft choice can continue rounding out his game, his potential for greatness can only improve.

Ben’s Three Stars:

1) Chris Kelly (1 Goal/Plus-1 Rating)

2) Braden Holtby (29 Saves)

3) Tyler Seguin (5 Shots)

Series:  Boston Leads 1-0

Next Game: Saturday April 14, 2012. 3:00 PM. TD Garden, Boston, MA

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— For the first time in 39 years, the Boston Bruins will open the second season as defending champions. They’ll do so on Thursday night against former Hart-trophy winner Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

Series: Tied 0-0

Location: TD Garden , Boston, Massachusetts

Time: 7:30 P.M. (EST)

TV/Radio Info: NESN (Edwards, Brickley, Funayama) – 98.5 The Sports Hub (Goucher, Beers)

Tonight’s Lineup (Subject To Change):

FORWARDS:

Lucic–Krejci–Peverley

Marchand–Bergeron–Seguin

Pouliot–Kelly–Rolston

Paille–Campbell–Thornton

DEFENSE:

Chara–Seidenberg

Boychuk–Ference

Zanon–Corvo

GOALTENDER:

Thomas

Khudobin

Scratches– ….. Mike Mottau, Jordan Caron

Injuries:

Nathan Horton (Concussion) – Boston’s top right winger was officially ruled out of the 2012 Playoffs by General Manager Peter Chiarelli during a press conference Wednesday morning.

Tuukka Rask (Groin) — The B’s back up goaltender has begun practicing with the team and is expected to be ready to return to action in advance of Saturday’s game two in Boston.

Adam McQuaid (Upper Body) — In what’s become one of the more unpredictable injuries of the season, Boston’s dependable blueliner will be forced to sit out Thursday’s game one with after “not feeling right” according to head coach Claude Julien.

Opposing Goaltender: Braden Holtby (7 GP/2.49 GAA)

Prediction: As the second season begins in Boston tonight, I’d expect the Black and Gold to come out strong in front of their home fans, and grab an early 1-0 series lead. Powered by a strong performance from Milan Lucic, expect Boston to edge out the Caps 3-1 in a game settled during the third period, with the B’s adding a late-game empty netter.

Capitals 1 , Bruins 3

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It’s that time of year again. No more five-minute, four-on-four overtimes. No more shootouts. No more three-point games. No more sleeping. Prepare for long nights of thrilling hockey, folks, as sixteen teams prepare to compete for the most coveted prize in sports: the Stanley Cup. After raising the franchise’s sixth championship banner to the rafters of the TD Garden this past October, the Boston Bruins have quickly gone from a team with a chip on their shoulder to a team with a Texas-sized target pasted right between the numbers on their back. Aiming to become the first National Hockey League team to successfully defend their title in over a decade, the Black and Gold enter this year’s postseason as defending champions for the first time since 1972-’73.

Despite rampant speculation over the past few weeks that suggested the Black and Gold would open their title defense against the Northeast division rival Ottawa Senators, a late swerve in the standings has resulted in the Bruins facing a date with Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals. Despite the fact that the Caps are far from your average, run-of-the-mill number seven seed, I still believe that the Bruins will win this series and advance past the first round for the fourth consecutive season.

Here’s a look at how the two teams stack up, in advance of their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series that is set to begin at the TD Garden on Thursday evening. Note: the number in parenthesis is the team’s overall rank each specified category (i.e. Boston is (3rd) in the NHL in goals per game).

Offense:  WSH–> 222 Goals/2.66 Goals Per Game (14th) — BOS–> 269 Goals/3.17 Goals Per Game (3rd)

Without question, the star power on the Capitals’ front line far exceeds that of the Bruins, and most any other team in the league for that matter. When healthy, Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom provide the Caps with one of the most dangerous and dynamic forward duos in the entire NHL. While Backstrom has yet to return to form since recovering from a concussion suffered in early January — posting only two points in four games — , it wouldn’t be farfetched to suggest that the former 100-point pivot could quickly turn things around in the postseason.

The Boston top-six has proven strong despite the loss of last season’s playoff hero Nathan Horton. Anchored by sure-bet Selke favorite Patrice Bergeron and sensational sophomores Tyler Seguin and Brad Marchand, five of the B’s top-six forwards posted 50-plus point campaigns in 2011-’12. A strong performance from hulking winger Milan Lucic would go a long way towards disrupting Caps’ rookie goaltender Braden Holtby and create space for playmaking linemates David Krejci and Rich Peverley.

Advantage– Washington (Slight)

Defense: WSH–>230 Goals Against/2.76 Goals Against Per Game (21st) — BOS–> 202 Goals Against/2.42 Goals Against Per Game (6th)

The emergence of former-Bruin Dennis Wideman as a powerful offensive force on the Caps blueline has done a lot to off-set the lack of production from the oft-injured Mike Green. This, along with the transformation of the Karl Alzner–John Carlson combo into a true shut-down defense pair have provided Washington with some new-found stability on the back-end.

Despite the seemingly unpredictable injury to Adam McQuaid, the Boston blueline remains one of the deepest and most defensively responsible in the league. Lead by the best defense pair of the 2011 playoffs in Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg, the Bruins possess eight NHL-caliber rearguards. While the B’s may lack a true offensive threat on the back-end, their ability to play with six reliable and defensively responsible defensemen is what sets them apart from every other team in this league.

Advantage– Boston

Depth: WSH–>Eight (8) Forwards With 30-Plus Points – BOS–> Nine (9) Forwards With 30-Plus Points

Anchored by power-forward Brooks Laich and sophomore pivot Marcus Johansson, the Caps secondary scoring has been ever-present during the 2011-’12 campaign and has remained one of the team’s biggest strengths. While many like to think that the Washington offense is completely reliant upon their top line, a simple stats check will tell you that only 33% of the Caps’ goals this season came from their top forward trio.

Boston’s biggest strength during their championship season in 2011 was without doubt their four-line offensive depth. With three lines that posses the ability to score goals and a reliable fourth unit that can be trusted to provide the occasional spark, head coach Claude Julien has a wide variety of options when it comes to line-matching during the postseason.

Advantage– Boston

Special Teams: WSH–>16.7% (18th) Power Play / 81.6% (21st) Penalty Kill — BOS–> 17.2% (15th) Power Play / 83.5% (11th) Penalty Kill

Despite having a plethora of offensive talent at their disposal for use on the man-advantage, the Capitals just haven’t been able to put it together on the power-play this season. While a 16.7 % success rate isn’t exactly terrible, it would be reasonable for one to suggest that a team with the likes of Ovechkin, Backstrom and Semin should be closer to the top of the league when it comes to scoring on the power play.

Perhaps the single biggest “X-Factor” in this series will be the productivity of the Boston power-play units. While the Black and Gold did possess a middle-of-the-pack power-play over the course of the entire 82-game regular season slate, they most certainly didn’t close out the campaign they way they’d hoped. The B’s finished the year with goals on only two of their final twenty-one chances with the man-advantage and have registered only five power-play goals since March 3.

Advantage– Boston (Slight)

Goaltending: WSH–>Braden Holtby (7 GP/2.49 GAA) — BOS–> Tim Thomas (59 GP/2.36 GAA)

After losing both Tomas Vokoun and Michael Neuvirth to lower body injuries, the Capitals have turned to rookie ‘tender Braden Holtby, in the hopes that the 22-year-old Lloydminster, Saskatchewan native can lead them to the promised land. Holtby has posted impressive numbers in his brief NHL career, going 14-4-3 with a 2.02 GAA in 21 appearances. Boston would be wise to employ a “crash the net” type strategy and keep at least one body in Holtby’s crease at all times in order to keep the youngster from establishing any sort of rhythm in goal.

“We have to get pucks on their goalie. If it’s the goalie that’s been playing, Braden Holtby, I think he’s a good, young goalie he’s just inexperienced so we have to get traffic and pucks there.” — Peter Chiarelli

Mr. Conn Smythe, Mr. Vezina, Tim Thomas will be back in goal for the Black and Gold. After making 59 appearances in the regular season — two more than the 2010-2011 regular season — the B’s goaltender will look to duplicate the superhuman (1.98 GAA, .940 Save Percentage) splits that he posted during last year’s playoffs.

Advantage– Boston (Major)

Coaching: WSH–>Dale Hunter (1st Season) — BOS–> Claude Julien (5th Season)

The long-time bench boss of the OHL’s London Knights took over in Washington following the firing the Bruce Boudreau in November of 2011. While his tenure in the NHL may be brief (60 games coached), Dale Hunter’s reputation as a hard line-matcher precedes him wherever he goes.

“That is a big distinction between (former coach) Bruce Boudreau and Dale, he’s a real hard matcher…I think that plays to Claude’s strength because he can respond, mix the lines a little bit. I think our depth through the forward position allows us to mix the lines and throw a hard matcher off.” — Peter Chiarelli

On the opposite bench will be former Jack Adams award winner and reigning Stanley Cup champion, Claude Julien. Making his fifth postseason appearance in five tries since taking over at the helm of the Black and Gold, Julien has posted an impressive 6-3 record in playoff series since his arrival in the Hub.

Advantage– Boston (Major)

Home-Ice Advantage: WSH–> 26-11-4 (56 Points) — BOS–> 24-14-3 (51 Points)

The Caps were heavily reliant upon the friendly confines of the Verizon Center in 2011-2012. In fact, over 60% of Washington’s points were accrued on home-ice in the Nation’s Capital.

Boston was far from perfect on home-ice this season, but still managed to do enough to send the fans home happy after more than half of the team’s 41 regular season home games. However, as we learned last year, the B’s have another gear in the postseason when it comes to defending home-ice. During last spring’s run to the Stanley Cup, the Bruins posted a remarkable 10-3 record at the TD Garden.

Advantage– Washington (Slight)

Road Warriors: WSH–> 16-21-4 (36 Points) – BOS–> 25-15-1 (51 Points)

The Caps’ continual road woes very nearly cost them a chance at the postseason. Posting a 16-21-4 mark in 41 games this season, the Capitals are the (not-so) proud owners of the worst road record amongst teams qualifying for the 2012 Eastern Conference playoffs.

Boston’s extraordinary success outside of TD Garden made it possible for them to succeed without being as dominant on home-ice as other Eastern Conference playoff teams. In one of the league’s many statistical oddities, the B’s actually accounted for exactly the same amount of points (51) at home this season, as they did on the road.

Advantage– Boston (Major)

Intangibles: WSH–> Two (2) Players Who’ve Won A Stanley Cup — BOS–> Nineteen (19) Players Who’ve Won A Stanley Cup

After failing to advance past the second round for the fourth consecutive season, General Manager George McPhee went out this summer and acquired Roman Hamrlik, Troy Brouwer and former-Nashville playoff hero Joel Ward in an attempt to create a new culture within his locker room. After relatively quiet regular seasons from all three, it will be interesting to see if they can create a spark during the postseason.

With the exceptions of Mark Recchi, Michael Ryder and Tomas Kaberle, the Bruins will be bringing back an entire roster of players who experienced the feeling of a Stanley Cup championship just one year ago. As team GM Peter Chiarelli remarked during an Easter Sunday conference call, experience is something that can never be underestimated, when it comes to postseason hockey.

“The experience that we’ve gained from winning – I’ve talked about it before, the ability to avoid panic is an attribute that’s carried over also… Plus, the confidence you get from having won will be important. You can never underestimate the value of the experience.” — Peter Chiarelli

Advantage– Boston (Major)

Schedule: Game 1 –> Thursday April 12, 7:30 PM, TD Garden

                  Game 2 –> Saturday April 14, 3:00 PM, TD Garden

                  Game 3 –> Monday April 16, 7:30 PM, Verizon Center

                  Game 4 –> Thursday April 19, 7:30 PM, Verizon Center

                 **Game 5** –> Saturday April 21, 3:00 PM, TD Garden

**Game 6** –> Sunday April 22, TBA, Verizon Center

**Game 7** –> Wednesday April 25, TBA, TD Garden

** If Necessary

Series Prediction: Perhaps this isn’t the ideal match-up for the Bruins in round one. Perhaps the Caps do possess one of the league’s most dynamic forward tandems in the form of Ovechkin and Backstrom. Perhaps the injury to Nathan Horton takes away from the Bruins’ “intimidation factor” and depth amongst the forward ranks. But if there’s one thing we learned during last summer’s thrilling journey that brought the Stanley Cup to Causeway street for the first time in 39 years, it’s that you can never count out the Black and Gold. No matter the circumstances.

Bruins Win In 6

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Eastern Conference

(8) Ottawa Senators vs. (1) New York Rangers

Cohen– Rangers win in 7 . X-Factor –> Brandon Dubinsky

Muscat– Rangers win in 6. X-Factor –> Ryan Callahan

Philp– Rangers win in 5 . X-Factor –> Henrik Lundqvist/Rangers’ Physicality

Woodward– Rangers win in 7. X-Factor –> Chris Phillips/Filip Kuba

(7) Washington Capitals vs. (2) Boston Bruins

Cohen– Bruins win in 6. X-Factor –> Nicklas Backstrom

Muscat– Bruins win in 4. X-Factor –> Brad Marchand

Philp– Capitals win in 7. X-Factor –> Alexander Ovechkin

Woodward– Bruins win in 6. X-Factor –> Boston’s Power-Play

(6) New Jersey Devils vs. (3) Florida Panthers

Cohen– Devils win in 6. X-Factor –> David Clarkson

Muscat– Devils win in 5. X-Factor –> David Clarkson

Philp– Devils win in 6. X-Factor –> A Healthy Martin Brodeur

Woodward– Devils win in 6. X-Factor –> Florida’s Secondary Scoring

(5) Philadelphia Flyers vs. (4) Pittsburgh Penguins

Cohen–  Penguins win in 7. X-Factor –> Ilya Bryzgalov

Muscat– Penguins win in 6. X-Factor –> Marc-Andre Fleury

Philp– Penguins win in 5. X-Factor –> Pittsburgh’s Depth/Matt Cooke

Woodward– Flyers win in 7. X-Factor –> Ilya Bryzgalov

Western Conference

(8) Los Angeles Kings vs. (1) Vancouver Canucks

Cohen–  Canucks win in 6. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

Muscat– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

Philp– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

Woodward– Kings win in 7. X-Factor –> Jonathan Quick

(7) San Jose Sharks vs. (2) St. Louis Blues

Cohen– Blues win in 6. X-Factor –> Andy McDonald

Muscat– Blues win in 5. X-Factor –> Alex Pietrangelo

Philp– Sharks win in 6. X-Factor –> Joe Thornton Exorcising Playoff Demons

Woodward– Blues win in 5. X-Factor –> Antti Niemi

(6) Chicago Blackhawks vs. (3) Phoenix Coyotes

Cohen– Blackhawks win in 6. X-Factor –> Keith Yandle

Muscat– Coyotes win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Smith

Philp– Coyotes win in 6. X-Factor –> Mike Smith/Phoenix Defense

Woodward– Coyotes win in 7. X-Factor –> Corey Crawford

(5) Detroit Red Wings vs. (4) Nashville Predators

Cohen– Predators win in 6. X-Factor –> Alexander Radulov

Muscat– Red Wings win in 7. X-Factor –> Pavel Datsyuk

Philp– Red Wings win in 6. X-Factor –> Detroit’s Special Teams

Woodward– Predators win in 7. X-Factor –> Detroit’s Second Line

Stanley Cup Finals

Cohen– Penguins Over Predators

Muscat– Red Wings Over Penguins

Philp– Red Wings Over Penguins

Woodward– Rangers Over Predators

With Saturday’s conclusion of the regular season and Sunday’s revelation of this year’s postseason match-ups and schedules, now is as good a time as any to make my first round predictions. Today’s blog will feature three of the Eastern Conference’s four series. Being that the Bruins are the team I cover, I’ll have a more detailed preview of their series with the Capitals before it kicks off on Thursday at the TD Garden.

8) Ottawa Senators vs. 1) New York Rangers

Forwards– In years past, the Rangers were thought of as an offensively incapable bunch that could only reach victory through solid defense and world class goaltending. However, that image has been wiped clean this season through the addition of top-line pivot Brad Richards and the finally healthy Marian Gaborik. The Blueshirts have emerged as one of the league’s top offensive squads, posting a 2.71 goals per game average on the season, good for 11th in the NHL. However, an underrated Ottawa forward corps — led by Jason Spezzza and Milan Michalek — have brought the Sens the NHL’s fourth most potent offense this season.

Advantage– Ottawa

Defense– Outside of Norris Trophy favorite Erik Karlsson, the Ottawa d-corps leave a lot to be desired. While Sergei Gonchar is capable of an occasional offensive spark, he’s never been known to handle himself well in his own zone. While Filip Kuba and Chris Phillips do provide the Sens with a solid defensive presence night in and night out, the Ottawa defense group simply can’t compare to the well-rounded Rangers’ blueline. With offensively explosive d-men like Michael Del Zotto and Ryan McDonagh to go along with  shut-down rearguards Dan Girardi and Marc Staal, the Blueshirts back-end is one of the best in the league.

Advantage– New York

Goaltending– Despite Craig Anderson’s success in Ottawa over the past two seasons, I think it’s fairly obvious that the Rangers hold the edge here. Henrik Lundqvist can often steal a series on his own.

Advantage– New York

Intangibles– After besting the East’s number one squad on three of four occasions this season, the Sens may hold a bit of a mental edge on the Rangers heading into their series.

Advantage– Ottawa

Prediction– The Sens will make this one a lot closer than many of the experts suggest, forcing the Blueshirts into a decisive seventh game at Madison Square Garden. However, the Rangers’ depth and collective toughness will simply be too much for the Senators.

RANGERS IN 7

6) New Jersey Devils vs. 3) Florida Panthers

Forwards– Up front, the Devils posses far more offensive dynamic forwards than the Cats, with the likes of Zach Parise, Ilya Kovalchuk and long-time Devil Patrik Elias. The late-season addition of former Cup winner John Madden will undoubtedly help the Panthers in the experience department, but their lack of production from any offensive unit outside the top line will be the Cats’ eventual unraveling.

Advantage– New Jersey

Defense– Powered by two blueliners who are never shy about jumping into an offensive play in the form of Jason Garisson and Brian Campbell, the Cats’ defensive unit is solid all the way around. Both sides seem to be even in this category.

Advantage– Florida

Goaltending– With the age of veteran ‘tender Martin Brodeur, this one’s a bit more of a toss up than many people think. I’d have to give the Devils the slight edge, just based on the fact that they have a capable backup, should anything happen to the 39-year-old Brodeur.

Advantage– New Jersey

Intangibles– The most interesting stat that I’ve come across here is that the Panthers have more players on their current roster (five) with a Stanley Cup ring than do the Devils (three). I don’t think many of us would have guessed that.

Advantage-- Florida

Prediction– Many pundits have New Jersey pulling off the upset here — if you even want to call it that — and rightfully so. After backing into the post-season, I don’t believe the Cats will be able to take down the Devils in round one.

NEW JERSEY IN 6

5) Philadelphia Flyers vs. 4) Pittsburgh Penguins

Forwards– The Philly offense is deep, strong and fast, but the Crosby and Malkin factor — along with the emergence of James Neal –  give the Pens a decisive advantage in this category.

Advantage– Pittsburgh

Defense– If Kris Letang can return to the Norris-favorite form he enjoyed early in the season, the Pens will also hold the advantage on the back-end, but if he can’t, I’d have to give the Flyers the nod, simply because of their amazing defensive depth, in holding eight NHL-capable rearguards.

Advantage– Philadelphia

Goaltending– Without doubt this is the hardest category to predict of them all. Couple Marc-Andre Fluery’s recent struggles with the enigmatic nature of Ilya Bryzgalov and you’ve got a complete and total toss up when it comes to the netminders in this series. Assuming Bryzgalov can return to form, Philadelphia will hold the edge here.

Advantage– Philadelphia

Intangibles– With most of the roster still intact from the 2009 Stanley Cup winning season, the Pens hold a decisive intangible advantage over a rookie-filled Flyers’ lineup.

Advantage– Pittsburgh

Prediction– In what will undoubtedly become one of the greatest postseason series in recent memory, these two cross-state rivals will lay it all on the line. In the end, I believe that the Flyers will outlast the Pens, stealing game seven on the ice of the CONSOL Energy Center.

PHILADELPHIA IN 7

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