Boston Bruins Round Table: Predictions for playoff series against Capitals

The Boston Bruins are set to square up with the East Division’s second-place Washington Capitals in the first round the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs. As usual this will be a best-of-seven series, which means the first team to four wins is the victor in the series and will advance to the next round.

This season, the B’s have faired well against the Caps, going 4-2-2 against them. However, these games have been physical and quite close at times. It’ll be interesting to see if the Black and Gold can hold their emotions in check with Tom Wilson being able to run rampant on the ice after his actions against the New York Rangers and knocking Brandon Carlo out of action for over a month.

In preparation of the series, I got the Causeway Crowd team together to unveil how they think this series will unfold.

Boston Bruins – Washington Capitals Series Prediction:
Matt Hawkins

The B’s handled the Caps quite well this season. As mentioned earlier, they went 4-2-2 against Washington this season.

However, I think the B’s will have a much tougher time in the playoffs against the Caps than in the regular season.

These two teams are built similarly. Boston has two dominating lines at the top and so does Washington. Additionally, both teams have defenses that can produce offensively from the blueline.

However, the key difference between these two teams is the B’s ability to play team defense and shutdown their opposition. To go along with their stout defense, the Black and Gold currently have three very capable goalies to choose from: Tuukka Rask, Jeremy Swayman, and Jaroslav Halak. The choices will be in that order as Rask will the starter.

The Caps just do not have this ability to shutdown their opposition. They can play well defensively, but with their defense and the lackluster goaltending from Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanacek, don’t have the ability that the B’s possess to fully shutdown another team, especially one with the offense that Boston has.

Prediction: Bruins in 6

Boston Bruins – Washington Capitals Series Prediction:
Scott Roche

This has the makings of the best first-round series of the playoffs that the NHL has. Playing eight times this season has brought a lot of dislike between the two teams. After each team won four games, what a way to decide things with a best-of-seven series.

The B’s enter the series playing some of their best hockey of the season. Since the trade deadline, they have been a different team and David Krejci has been a different player. Right now, Boston has two lines producing and if that is able to happen in this series, they can make things difficult for the Capitals.

On the flip side, the Capitals enter the series with questions around injuries and COVID-19 issues. How healthy are the Caps going be come Saturday night? My guess is it will be a big secret until warmups as coach Peter Laviolette would not answer a simple question as to his goalie situation in his Thursday media call with Ilya Samsonov in COVID-19 protocols.

The outcome of the series could very well come down to can the Black and Gold’s young defense play well enough to slow down the high-flying Capitals, as well as how well the Capitals’ young goalies play. There was talk at the trade deadline that Washington was in the market for an experienced goalie. That never happened.

Prediction: Bruins in 6

Boston Bruins – Washington Capitals Series Prediction:
Jack Long

There’s no doubt that this is going to be a fun series to watch and fireworks are almost a guarantee. Looking at the season series between the Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals – it was a dead tie at 4-4.

When you dig a bit further though, you’ll see the Bruins got the better of the Capitals points wise at 4-2-2. Also, many of the Bruins’ losses came extremely shorthanded injury wise, without their trade deadline additions and in their last game – the Bruins rested their 15 most important players (they only lost by one goal I might add).

When it comes to playoff experience, both teams are loaded with ring wearers. Between the pipes though, not so much when it comes to the Washington Capitals. Tuukka Rask is a veteran who has been there before and is the model of consistency in the postseason. When it comes to the Capitals’ two young net minders, there isn’t a ton of experience when it comes to crunch time.

The Boston Bruins have been on a roll since the NHL Trade Deadline and their improved secondary scoring along with a healthy blue line should be a recipe for success for the Bruins. Plus the Vezina Trophy winner between the iron.

Prediction: Boston Bruins in 6 

Boston Bruins – Washington Capitals Series Prediction:
Joe Russo

For the first time since 2012 the Boston Bruins will square off against the Washington Capitals in the playoffs. Ultimately it comes down to special teams, Washington’s power play vs. Boston’s penalty kill both of which are top rank in the league.

In turn the Capitals get the slight edge offensively, and defensively both teams appear even, but it is between the pipes where Boston outshines their opposition.

Unlike in years past, Boston yields home ice advantage to Washington who historically have not defended it well. However, to ensure success the B’s will need to match the Capitals’ intensity out of the gate. This will be no easy feat with the likes of Tom Wilson, Garnet Hathaway, and Anthony Mantha on the forecheck, along with Brenden Dillon and old pal Zdeno Chara guarding the front of the net.

This one will be well worth the price of admission and has seven grueling games written all over it. But I stand firm when the dust settles Boston will emerge victorious.

Prediction: Bruins in 7

Boston Bruins – Washington Capitals Series Prediction:
Bryan Murphy

For years, the Washington Capitals have owned the Boston Bruins. But that’s all changing now. The B’s went 4-2-2 this season against the Caps, and their only two regulation losses have big asterisks next to the games – one game with barely any of the Bruins’ top-6 defensemen, and the season finale which mostly featured AHL players in the Bruins’ lineup.

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The two teams have high-powered offenses, great special teams, and solid defending. The difference in this series? Goaltending.

The Capitals will most likely rely on Vitek Vanacek, whose numbers this season don’t exactly pop – 2.69 goals-against average (GAA) with a .908 save percentage (SV%) and a record of 21-10-4. It’s the biggest weakness of the Capitals, while the Bruins will go with Tuukka Rask and Jeremy Swayman, both who have been better than Vanacek or backup Ilya Samsonov.

It’s going to be a gritty series with the Bruins facing former captain Zdeno Chara and a Capitals team who loves to be physical. However, the Bruins have been one of the hottest teams since the trade deadline and with goaltending a big question mark in the Capitals’ crease, the Bruins should take this series.

Prediction: Bruins win in 7

Boston Bruins – Washington Capitals Series Prediction:
Caylee Allard

Bruins vs Capitals is going to come down to physicality. The last time the B’s played the Capitals in a playoff series (2012), it was so evenly matched that it took a game seven overtime to decide the winner.

Things have changed over the past nine years, including Zdeno Chara wearing a Capitals’ sweater. The Bruins have an edge on the goaltending side, as well as the offensive side. While the Capitals do have Alexander Ovechkin, there aren’t many other players who put up points besides him, T.J. Oshie, and Nicklas Backstrom. Brad Marchand alone has more points (69) than any Washington player.

Tuukka Rask is no stranger to the playoff atmosphere, and being the best goaltender in franchise history, he shouldn’t be too nervous to face off against the opposition. The Capitals’ goaltender situation is iffy. They have not named a playoff starter yet, but all three netminders are average at best.

With Rask’s experience and skill and Jeremy Swayman on a hot streak, it’s going to be tough for the Capitals to get past them. If the Bruins can match the Capitals’ physical play and throw the body, it will be a smooth series for Boston.

Prediction: Bruins in 7

So, as you can see, the entire Causeway Crowd team has a similar mindset going into this series — the B’s are beating the Caps and advancing to the second round. Additionally, the team thinks the series will go quite long, with four members thinking it’ll take six games to best Washington and the other three members thinking it’ll take all seven games to down the Caps.