Boston Bruins – Washington Capitals Series Prediction:
Jamie Gatlin
In the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, the Boston Bruins will face off against the Washington Capitals. During the regular season, Boston went 4-2-2 against Washington. While Boston had the advantage, this an evenly matched series. Since the trade deadline, however, Boston has been one of the best teams in hockey and went 12-4-1 in their 17 games.
As the B’s look to advance past Washington, they will need their secondary scoring and penalty kill at their best. The Bruins had the league’s top penalty kill during the regular season, but the Capitals had nine power-play goals against Boston. In what is expected to be a physical series, Boston will need to stay out of the penalty box.
It is the first time these two teams will be meeting in the playoffs since 2012. In that series, Washington beat Boston in seven games. Some key players to watch for Boston are Taylor Hall, Brad Marchand, and Charlie McAvoy. If the Bruins continue to get solid goaltending and continue their post-deadline 5-on-5 production, they should be able to get past Washington.
Prediction: Bruins in 6