First RoundBoston Bruins should dominate Washington Capitals
By Tim Wharnsby
Posted: Sunday, April 8, 2012 | 10:47 AM
Categories: BOS VS WSH, First Round
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Brian Rolston and Tim Thomas of the Boston Bruins are expected to play an important role as the Bruins take on the Capitals. (Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
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No. 2 Boston Bruins (49-29-4--102 pts) vs. No. 7 Washington Capitals (42-32-8--92 pts)
Three storylines
1. It's not easy being a Stanley Cup champion these days. There hasn't been a back-to-back winner since Detroit in 1996-97 and 1997-98, and only scarcely has the titleholder been able to return to the final a year after a Stanley Cup win - Dallas in 1999 and 2000, New Jersey in 2000 and 2001 and Detroit again in 2007-08 and 2008-09.
2. If Capitals goalie Michal Neuvirth is unable to recover from his lower-body injury in time for the series opener, Washington will have to use the youngest and most inexperienced goalie eligible for the 2012 playoffs in 22-year-old Braden Holtby. He has never performed in a Stanley Cup playoff game and only has nine games of AHL post-season experience. At the other end of the rink, Bruins goalie Tim Thomas will turn 38 on Apr. 15. He was used down the stretch more than the Bruins wanted to because of the injury to Tuukka Rask.
3. Bruins sniper Nathan Horton missed the final 36 regular season games with a concussion. He has been skating, but Boston head coach Claude Julien remarked that Horton is not close to a return. How much will Horton's absence hurt the Bruins chance of a repeat? They went a mediocre 18-16-2 after he suffered his concussion on Jan. 22.
Season series - Capitals 3-1-0.
Jan. 24 - Capitals 5-3 at Washington
Feb. 05 - Bruins 4-1 at Washington
March 10 - Capitals 4-3 at Boston
Mar. 29 - Capitals 3-2 (SO) at Boston
Prediction - Bruins in five
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About the Author
Tim Wharnsby
Tim's worked the sports beat at The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Sun, specializing in Canada's one true sporting obsession - hockey. He knows the players, the coaches, the backroom boys and most importantly, the fans. That's what he brings to his stories. Knowledge, fairness and understanding are trademarks of a Wharnsby story. That's what you will get here as he writes for CBCSports.ca.
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