WASHINGTON, DC 0- And so it goes on to another game seven for the Boston Bruins. The Bruins started last season’s run to the Stanley Cup with a terrific seven game series against the Montreal Canadiens and will duplicate the feat this year against the Washington Capitals. All told Boston played three full series last season before they would raise the Cup.
What more can be said about the Washington Capitals? For a team which looked lost for the two periods of this series they were a few slightly missed chances in Game 6 from going on to the next round. Actually a Bruins observer can see a lot of similarities in the styles of the clubs as the 2012 Capitals play a lot like the 2011 Bruins.
There was a lot of crow to be eaten by naysayers after this game was concluded. Even though he led the series in shots on goals many panned the output of Tyler Seguin, who has been more victimized than unproductive in this series. All Seguin did was score the game-winner and set up Boston’s third goal in Game Six. The Hockey News proclaimed Tim Thomas was at fault that the Bruins were behind this series and then they watched as he pulled out a workmanlike 36 save effort in a game in which his club was outplayed and outhit.
Seguin’s tally with 3:17 expired in overtime was the byproduct of a turnover by Washington’s Nicklas Backstrom. Backstrom attempted to fling the puck from his end up to center, but David Krejci stopped the puck just outside the Bruins attacking zone. Krejci slipped the puck to Milan Lucic who set Seguin free with a cross-ice pass. Seguin faked a shot, pulled Washington netminder Braden Holtby out of position. Seguin patiently held onto the puck and then tucked the game-winner into a wide-open corner of the net.
The two clubs traded goals throughout the contest. Boston’s first two goals, scored by Rich Peverley and David Krejci, came as result of tip-ins as their concentrated effort to make things difficult for Holtby paid off. The Bruins third goal came after Andrew Ference ripped a wrist-shot past Holtby after Washington defenders tied up all of the Bruins forwards who crashed the net in an effort to claim a Seguin rebound.
Although victimized for the last goal, Backstrom was key to the Capitals second and third goals. Backstrom pulled Thomas out of the net for the second goal before sliding the puck over to a wide-open Jason Chimera. Washington’s third goal came when Backstrom cleanly defeated Peverley on a face-off and got the puck to Alexander Ovechkin for a snapshot five-hole goal. The Capitals first goal was scored by a patient Mike Green who waited until he could get a clear shot off. Once he did the puck deflected off of Boston defender Greg Zanon into the goal behind Thomas.
The strange officiating in this series continues. Boston alternate captain Patrice Bergeron was limited in this game after he took a high-hit from Washington’s Alexander Semin in game five, which somehow escaped one of NHL disciplinary pooh-bah Brendan Shanahan’s controversial reviews. One guesses Bergeron isn’t considered a star such as Chicago’s Marian Hossa is.
In this game there was one marginal blown call when Washington was upset on Boston’s second goal when it appeared Bergeron got tangled with Matt Hendricks, at the blueline.
There was also a another doozy of a blown call as for the second time in this series a Capitals player clearly interfered with a Bruins player during a Washington goal. In this instance it was the Caps second goal when Chimera hit Boston’s Brad Marchard high at the Washington blueline not only knocking down, but bloodying the Bruins player to add injury to insult. Chimera continued down the ice and made himself available for Backstrom’s pass.
It is not a badge of honor for the NHL or its officials that fans of both teams believe their respective clubs have been screwed over by the officials at some point in this series.
There is no reason to expect a blow out in game seven as each game has been decided by a goal. Home ice isn’t a lock either as each team has won on the other’s home ice. It has been a grueling series and the fact there is another game to be played can only benefit the next opponent for the club which goes on to the next round.
Contact Tom.Schettino@prohockeynews.com
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