The moment all hockey fans have awaited, the Stanley Cup playoffs. This should especially be an interesting one as teams that normally play each other before the Stanley Cup Final, have a chance to meet in the Final. Divisions might have split up the league, but it's the playoffs nonetheless. The Washington Capitals continue to prove that they are a force to be reckoned with in the regular season, but now they have to face off against a very good Boston Bruins team in the first round. Let's preview this first round matchup.
Physicality
If you love a bruising and grueling hockey game, you'll love this matchup. These two are very physical and things could get testy on the ice. Capitals forward Tom Wilson embodies this and should use that to his advantage. That could take out an important Bruins player in crucial moments of the game, however, he will have to be careful.
Who Will Be In Front Of The Net?
This will be a wait and see type of thing, but it also depends on whether Ilya Samsonov is available to play as he in Covid protocols. If not, it will surely be Vitek Vanecek who will man the net. Both are young players and with little to no playoff experience, they surely will be tested. Vanecek has been exceptional this season and is the hotter hand, but it remains to be seen what head coach Peter Laviolette does.
Health
Both teams are nicked up, but Washington surely has been hampered by the injury bug. It remains to be seen if Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom are fully healthy despite playing in their last game this week. T.J. Oshie and John Carlson are also dealing with injuries and it remains to be seen if they are ready to go. Also with Samsonov and Evgeny Kuznetsov on the protocol list, it certainly takes a big hit on the Caps. Depth will be valuable here in this situation as players like Daniel Sprong and Anthony Mantha will have to step up. If they are healthy, then thats the best chance of winning this series.
Special Teams
It will feel like this series will come down to what happens on the power play as this could not be any more even. The Capitals have the third best power play at 24.8% while the Bruins are 21.9%. When it comes down to the penalty kill, Washington ranks fifth at 84% and Boston is second at 86%. That should make this extra fun to watch.
Will The Regular Season Form Matter?
This feels like a yes or no answer as teams that are in either great form or not might decide the outcome of the series. Then, on the flip side, there's so much luck that happens in playoff hockey that anything an analyst might say could mean nothing as the postseason is such a crapshoot. The Bruins have been playing well since the trade deadline (the acquisition of Taylor Hall might help) and that right there make them a difficult opponent for the Caps as they have been struggling of late. However, it is the playoffs.
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