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

WASHINGTON, DC – The Braden Holtby show continued in Washington as the young goaltender turned aside 44 shots to lead his club to a 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins. With the win the Capitals evened the series at a pair of games aside.
 
Marcus Johansson took advantage of a non-call against Alex Ovechkin as he finished off a two-on-one with Brooks Laich making a fine cross-ice pass. Perhaps it was too early for the officials to call a penalty, as Ovechkin clearly interfered with Andrew Ference taking the Bruins defender out of the play. Still disaster could have been avoided for Boston had Zdeno Chara handled a loose puck. Instead of Chara, it was Laich who picked up the puck and with just 1:22 expired it was Washington 1-0.
 
Despite trailing, Boston held all the advantage as they outshot Washington by a 24-5 margin by one point in the second period. Eventually they would snap 45 shots on Holtby included the game-tying score by Rich Peverly late in the first period. Peverly used Daniel Paille as a decoy before sliding the puck between Holtby’s legs.
 
The score would remain tied until Alexander Semin snapped a power play shot past Boston goaltender Tim Thomas late in the second frame.
 
Game five of this series is slated for Saturday afternoon in Boston.
 
Contact Tom.Schettino@prohockeynews.com

BOSTON – In a fitting way to end the first of two games in Boston the Washington Capitals evened the series on Nicklas Backstrom’s wrist shot with 2:56 expired in the second overtime.
 
The series has been tightly played with each team scoring only twice over the first two contests. Boston won the first game 1-0 before seeing the Capitals claim Game 2 by a 2-1 count.
 
The two clubs battled scoreless through regulation in the first game and it appeared the second game might turn out the same until Washington went up late in the second frame. Washington’s first goal of the playoff season came when Alexander Ovechkin through the puck towards the Boston crease and Troy Brouwer swept the puck under Boston netminder Tim Thomas and instant before Thomas could freeze the puck.
 
It would take the Bruins over 14 minutes before they would muster the goal to send the game into overtime. The game-tying tally came due to the efforts of Benoit Pouliet. Pouliet took a feed from Game 1 star Chris Kelly and tried to put the puck on Washington goaltender Braden Holtby, but Washington defender Jeff Schultz blocked the shot. Pouliet followed the carom and raced Holtby to the puck knocking it past the netminder before bowling over Holtby. 
 
The teams battled through the first overtime and the end came early in the second frame. The game-winning play started innocently enough. Patrice Bergeron defeated Backstrom on a face-off put the puck bounced over the stick of Boston defenseman Johnny Boychuk and Washington’s Marcus Johansson beat everyone to the puck. Johansson quickly fed it to Backstrom who defeated Thomas five-hole.
 
Game 3 of the series is set for Monday night in Washington.  
 
Contact Tom.Schettino@prohockeynews.com

BOSTON, Mass – Chris Kelly’s blast over the left shoulder of Washington Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby just 1:18 into overtime put a sudden end to a scoreless contest and gave Kelly’s Boston Bruins a 1-0 lead in the series.
 
The blast put a sudden end to Holtby’s fairy tale debut in which the 24-year-old goaltender nearly shutout the defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins. Holtby was especially on top of his game when he helped the Capitals weather what was essentially a six minute power play.
 
Washington’s extended shorthanded period began when Jay Beagle cut Boston’s David Krejci at the 18:27 mark and was assessed a double high-sticking minor. Troy Brouwer extended the Caps disadvantage when he cleared the puck seconds after Beagle’s penalty expired. Despite the extended man advantage the Bruins would never capitalize thanks to Holtby who came up with 29 saves over the course of the evening.
 
Both of the teams took advantage of extended periods of dominance in play. With the exception of brief periods the Bruins owned the play during the majority of the first and second periods. Washington started slowly but appeared to be turning the tide late in the third period. However, whatever attack the Caps put up Boston netminder Tim Thomas turned aside as he came up with 17 saves to post his seventh career playoff shutout.
 
Washington had the first real chance in overtime when Marcus Johansson forced a shot at Thomas. The Bruins netminder made the save with relative ease and directed the puck up ice where four Bruins handled the puck in a space of seconds. Defenseman Joe Corvo corralled the rebound and sent it up ice to Brian Rolston.
 
Rolston subsequently hit Benoit Pouliot with a pass who in turn sprung Kelly loose for the game-winner.
 
Prior to the game the Bruins made a well-known secret public when they announced Nathan Horton would not play during the Stanley Cup playoffs.
 
In addition to Horton, the Bruins also are playing without the services of Marc Savard who missed the entire 2011-12 season.
Game two of the series is set for Saturday afternoon in Boston.
Contact the author at Tom.Schettino@prohockeynews.com

NASHVILLE, Tenn – It was a night of firsts for the Nashville Predators as they opened the 2012 playoffs with a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. The win gave the Predators their first ever lead in three playoff matchups with the Red Wings as the club celebrated their first home ice advantage over Detroit.
 
Nashville’s win was led by 35 saves from Pekka Rinne and a two-goal effort by Gabriel Bourque in his first NHL playoff game. Rinne was outstanding as he made several superb saves to rob Detroit shooters.
In a game filled with solid goaltending it was only fitting the contest’s opening score would come on a fluke goal. With less than seven minutes expired Nashville’s Paul Gaustad swung around from behind the Detroit goal and banked a shot off of Red Wings defender Brad Stuart. The score held up until Henrik Zetterberg picked up an unassisted tally with Nashville’s Roman Josi off the ice for cross-checking.
Bourque would then score his goals consecutively. The first goal came when Bourque deflected a shot by Matt Halischuk. The rookie winger’s final score came when he converted a perfect feed from Nick Spaling.
 
Detroit fought back to within a goal when Tomas Holmstrom scored late in the third period off a rebound, but the Red Wings never could register the final goal.
 
The game ended in controversy as Nashville all-star defenseman Shea Weber was assessed a roughing minor as the game expired. It appeared that Weber took an elbow from Zetterberg during the waning minutes of play, but the young defender responded by driving the Red Wings’ head into the end glass at least twice. At first glance it would appear the Predators will be without Weber due to suspension for at least a game.
 
In other news, Detroit center Darren Helm suffered a serious cut to his arm when he was struck by the skate of Nashville’s Alex Radulov. Helm stayed on the ice for a few seconds before rushing off to seek medical attention. At game’s end it was reported that Helm had undergone surgery to staunch the bleeding and repair the damage.
Contact Tom.Schettino@prohockeynews.com