The Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals know every diverse correctly heading into Game 1 of the Stanley Cup First Spherical at Capital One Arena on Saturday.
Boston and Washington achieved eight video games at some level of the frequent season in the MassMutual East Division, with every crew winning four. Defenseman Zdeno Chara achieved 14 seasons for the Bruins earlier than signing with the Capitals as an unrestricted free agent Dec. 30.
“Clearly, enjoying for this instructing workers for as prolonged as Zdeno has and enjoying with the players that he has for his tenure here in Boston, you completely know some traits,” Bruins president Cam Neely talked about. “Guys are responsive to that. But furthermore, on the flip aspect, guys completely know how Zdeno goes to play and what to look at for from him and per chance exploit that a slight bit as correctly.”
Chara downplayed whatever internal records he may maybe well perchance make a contribution.
“Taking half in them eight instances at some level of the frequent season likely affords ample records to the coaches,” he talked about.
Though Capitals coach Peter Laviolette talked about Chara may maybe well perchance perchance be “a factual helpful resource” he agreed the groups know nearly the entirety about every diverse.
“There may maybe be quite a few records that we already hold on them and they’ve on us,” Laviolette talked about. “I fetch no longer deem there may maybe be quite a few surprises that hotfoot on in regards to that. I continuously deem that the skill it gets determined is on the ice with the execution and the stage of play of the crew.”
Washington (36-15-5) carried out second in the East and Boston (33-16-7) became third. Every crew obtained twice at dwelling and twice on the avenue in the frequent-season series. The Bruins outscored the Capitals 26-24.
Teams that do away with Game 1 are 490-222 (68.8 percent) winning a ideal-of-7 NHL playoff series, including 7-1 in the first round last season.
Here are 3 keys for Game 1:
1. Carlson returns, Oshie sport-time resolution, Kuznetsov remains out
Defenseman John Carlson will play for Washington after lacking the closing two frequent-season video games with a lower-physique hurt, and forward T.J. Oshie can be a sport-time resolution after sitting out the frequent-season finale towards Boston on Tuesday due to a lower-physique hurt.
Center Evgeny Kuznetsov remains in NHL COVID-19 protocol, and goalie Ilya Samsonov became removed Saturday. It be unclear when either can be readily accessible to play. Forwards Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom every returned from a lower-physique hurt Tuesday.
“You gape quite a few guys out on the ice, quite a few guys that were moved out and in of a lineup for a reason down the stretch and they’re support,” Laviolette talked about. “So that’s a real obvious for our community.”
2. Bruins improved scoring depth
Boston’s high line of Brad Marchand (seven targets, six assists), Patrice Bergeron (three targets, six assists) and David Pastrnak (three targets, 5 assists) combined to rating 30 substances (13 targets, 17 assists) in seven video games towards Washington earlier than being rested for his or her closing frequent-season sport.
The Bruins obtained forward Taylor Hall in a commerce with the Buffalo Sabres on April 12 and fashioned a potent second line with David Krejci and Craig Smith. In 16 frequent-season video games since the commerce, Hall (eight targets, six assists), Krejci (six targets, 15 assists) and Smith (5 targets, 5 assists) hold combined to rating 45 substances (19 targets, 26 assists).
“For the opposition, or no longer it is a more sturdy name now on who that you just can very correctly be going to deploy your ideal checkers towards,” Cassidy talked about. “Is it going to Bergeron’s (line) or Krejci’s?”
3. Rask vs. Vanecek
The Bruins hold a clear advantage in goaltending trip with Tuukka Rask being the aged of 93 NHL playoff begins (51-42, 2.20 targets-towards average, .926 put percentage, seven shutouts), including the Stanley Cup Closing in 2013 and 2019. The Capitals’ anticipated starter, Vitek Vanecek, will originate his NHL playoff debut after leading beginners in wins (21-10-4) with a 2.69 GAA, .908 put percentage and two shutouts in 37 video games (36 begins) at some level of the frequent season.
“In the foundation, I became feeling luxuriate in I became a rookie, getting new things, studying the NHL,” Vanecek talked about. “But then, I [started] enjoying more and more video games, I wasn’t feeling luxuriate in a rookie anymore. I became feeling luxuriate in I’ve been here perpetually.”
Vanecek became 4-3-0 with a 2.86 GAA and .905 put percentage towards the Bruins at some level of the frequent season. Though Rask has four wins in 23 video games towards the Capitals (4-11-7, 3.03 GAA, .894 put percentage, two shutouts), he’s 2-0-2 with a 2.70 GAA and .913 put percentage towards them correct by the last two seasons.
Bruins projected lineup
Brad Marchand — Patrice Bergeron — David Pastrnak
Taylor Hall — David Krejci — Craig Smith
Nick Ritchie — Sean Kuraly — Charlie Coyle
Jake DeBrusk — Curtis Lazar — Chris Wagner
Matt Grzelcyk — Charlie McAvoy
Mike Reilly — Brandon Carlo
Jeremy Lauzon — Kevan Miller
Tuukka Rask
Jeremy Swayman
Scratched: Anton Blidh, Trent Frederic, Karson Kuhlman, Jack Achan, Stevan Kampfer, John Moore, Jarred Tinordi, Urho Vaakanainen, Connor Clifton, Callum Booth, Jaroslav Halak, Dan Vladar
Injured: Ondrej Kase (higher physique), Jakub Zboril (higher physique)
Capitals projected lineup
Alex Ovechkin — Nicklas Backstrom — Anthony Mantha
Conor Sheary — Lars Eller — Michael Raffl
Daniel Sprong — T.J. Oshie — Tom Wilson
Carl Hagelin — Nic Dowd — Garnet Hathaway
Dmitry Orlov — John Carlson
Brenden Dillon — Justin Schultz
Nick Jensen — Zdeno Chara
Vitek Vanecek
Craig Anderson
Scratched: Philippe Maillet, Garrett Pilon, Martin Fehervary, Trevor van Riemsdyk , Pheonix Copley, Ilya Samsonov
Injured: None
COVID-19 protocol: Evgeny Kuznetsov
Assign of dwelling file
Coyle, who missed the previous four video games with an higher-physique hurt, and Miller, who missed observe Friday (maintenance), are anticipated to play. … Zboril, a defenseman, left a 2-1 loss to the Capitals on Tuesday. … Samsonov, a goalie, became faraway from COVID-19 protocol Saturday. … Kase, a forward, didn’t play in the third duration of a 3-2 beyond regular time do away with towards the Islanders on Monday and didn’t play Tuesday.
