With Thomas, Chara, defending champs are formidable
The waiting is often the hardest part when it comes to the Stanley Cup playoffs.
Both the Capitals and Boston Bruins have had four days off since their last game. That would be an eternity during the long 82-game regular season — save for the All-Star break. But finally their Eastern Conference quarterfinals series begins Thursday evening at TD Garden. Washington, the No. 7 seed, looks to pull the upset over the defending Stanley Cup champions.
– Brian McNally
| TALE OF THE TAPE |
| No. 2 Bruins vs. No. 7 Capitals |
| Season series » Caps 3-1, Bruins 1-2-1 |
| Last meeting » The Caps won 3-2 in a shootout at TD Garden on March 29. |
| Key for the Bruins » It’s a simple game for the Boston Bruins. They play in “hard, straight lines,” according to general manager Peter Chiarelli. They get pucks deep into the offensive zone, get behind the opposing team’s defensemen and create plays off the forecheck. That has been their identity under coach Claude Julien, and that — plus some incredible goaltending from Tim Thomas — is what brought them a Stanley Cup title last season. |
| Key for the Caps » |
| They have to skate to the puck and get it out of the zone — fast. It was something they just couldn’t do against the Tampa Bay Lighting in a second-round sweep last season. Most of their best puck-moving defensemen — Mike Green, Tom Poti, John Carlson and Dennis Wideman — were out injured or playing wounded. Poti has been out all season again with a groin injury. But Green, Wideman and Carlson are all healthy entering this series. Add in the exceptional puck-handling abilities of rookie goalie Braden Holtby and maybe — just maybe — Washington can short-circuit Boston’s relentless forecheck. |
| Analyst’s take » “The question for me with Washington is how much do they have in the bank? Because the Boston Bruins are going to try to break their will,” NHL Network’s Paul Maurice said. “They’re going to grind them, they’re going to put every puck in deep. If Washington can come out of the gate here and score one early — and it may be that simple — we may well see the team that we were all predicting last summer as a contender in the East. And if they get that confidence, away they go. If the Boston Bruins come out and strangle this team early and if they really hem them in and get to their defense, then I think Washington’s going to have a difficult time.” |
The Bruins earned the No. 2 seed during the regular season. But despite three wins in four tries over Boston during the regular season, the Caps aren’t taking anything for granted. The postseason is a completely different game.
“Everybody elevates their play. And certain players match up better against certain teams, and some players don’t match up,” Washington forward Brooks Laich said. “You have to find a way to be effective every night. It’s tighter checking, a little more hitting probably. Now all your little things come into play. It really becomes a game of mistakes.”
The Caps must solve star goalie Tim Thomas, who won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie last season and had one of the most dominant playoff runs of any goalie in history with a .940 save percentage over 25 games. Thomas is a combined 5-3-1 against Washington over the last three seasons with a .927 save percentage. He has an aggressive, unorthodox style, but with a batch of solid two-way forwards, including Selke Trophy candidate Patrice Bergeron, and star defenseman Zdeno Chara in front of him, Thomas can afford to take some risks.
“[Thomas is] a very acrobatic goalie,” Laich said. “He’s very aggressive. He’s going to come out and challenge. The main thing is get as many pucks there to try and get your second and third opportunities.”
The 6-foot-9 Chara, as imposing as any defenseman in the league, will be matched early and often with Washington winger Alex Ovechkin. The two men have often battled over the years. Since Chara arrived in Boston for the 2006-07 season, Ovechkin has played in 21 games against him. He has had plenty of success with 10 goals and 15 assists during that stretch. Ironically, Ovechkin hasn’t recorded a point in the two games Chara missed against the Caps — April 11, 2010, and March 16, 2008.
“It’s a great battle between me and [Chara],” Ovechkin said. “I think he’s top [defenseman] in the league. I love playing against him, especially when it’s going to be playoffs. It’s going to be fun.”
