Boston Bruins: Taking on the Washington Capitals at the TD Garden.
Oct 8, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Bruins right wing
Reilly Smith(18) celebrates with center
Patrice Bergeron(37) after scoring a goal against the Philadelphia Flyers during the first period at TD Banknorth Garden. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Tonight is the first of three games between the Boston Bruins(1-1-0) and the Washington Capitals(0-0-1). The Bruins will be shaking off their anemic performance against the Detroit Red Wings, where sloppy second period play led the B’s to a 2-1 loss. Likewise, the Caps will be trying to earn their first win of the season after losing to the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 in a shootout.
In the last ten bouts between the teams, the advantage has fallen to Washington. They’ve won six out of the last ten games. The Capitals are also 6-4-0 in their last ten games at the TD Garden. So, how can the Black and Gold get the win tonight over the Caps?
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The Bruins will need to stay out of the box as much as humanly possible. The Washington Capitals were the number one team in the league on the power play last season. The Alexander Oveckin- Nicklas Backstrom combo is especially destructive when they have the man advantage. The Capitals power play was sluggish in their game against the Habs, and they weren’t able to connect on any of their chances on the power play. The Capitals have a streak of fifteen straight successful penalty kills. The B’s power play is just as effective as it was last year, and the Bruins should be able to break that streak tonight if the opportunity presents itself.
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The Bruins will need to press their advantage in the offensive zone. Alex Ovechkin has still not signed on with playing a complete game. Ovechkin is a still a monster on offense but tends to disregard coaches (Ovi is now on his fifth head coach in D. C. )when it comes to playing three-zone, two-way hockey. They also need to keep that pressure up in front of the crease to befuddle the Caps’ starting goalie. While Brayden Holtby is a very good goalie, he can be pressured into giving up rebounds that can give the B’s goals. Holtby has a 4-2 record against the Black and Gold. Against the Bruins, he has a career .930% save percentage and a 2.49 goals against average for Washington.
Tuukka Rask is currently listed as probable for tonight’s game.