Archive for the ‘Previews’ Category

Game Seven; as good as it gets

Posted on: April 25th, 2012 by Anthony No Comments
Chris Kelly, Boston Bruins, Bruins Blog, Hub of Hockey

(Getty Images) Chris Kelly and the rest of his Bruins teamates hope Game 7 is as friendly to them this year as they were a year ago.

Game sevens are special, there’s no doubt about. Memories and stories of Game sevens live on for years to come. This generation of Bruins fans will go on telling tales of Scott Walker in overtime, Danny Briere and his Flyers 3-0 comeback, Nathan Horton in overtime, Horton again in a 1-0 victory, and of course the Game 7 victory in the Stanley Cup Finals that finally brought Lord Stanley back to Boston after 39 long years.

After six hard fought intense hockey games, another memorable Bruins Game 7 story is certainly a guarantee.

On Sunday afternoon the Bruins went into a rainy Washington and did exactly what they had to do; stay alive. The defending Stanley Cup Champions fought of elimination and forced a decisive Game 7 tonight in Boston after a 4-3 overtime win in Game 6 against the Capitals.

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Bruins and Caps destined to go seven

Posted on: April 23rd, 2012 by Tim Rosenthal No Comments
Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Stanley Cup Playoffs, Game 7, Boston Bruins Blogs

(Getty Images) The Bruins and Capitals will play a seventh and decisive game Wednesday night at the TD Garden

The Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals have had so many close calls through six games. So it’s no surprise that when Tyler Seguin scored the game-winner 3:17 into overtime Sunday in Game 6 at the Verizon Center that this game would be decided by a Game 7 — a feat that the Black and Gold faced three times during last year’s Cup run and won each meeting against the Montreal Canadiens (first round), Tampa Bay Lightning (Eastern Conference Finals) and Vancouver Canucks (Cup Finals), respectively.

For while each game has seen its share of questionable officiating, all six games have been decided by one goal — including three in overtime — marking the first time that feat has occured in postseason history. Couple that with some good goaltending on both ends of the ice from Braden Holtby and Tim Thomas and you have yourself a highly entertaining series.

It’s a perfect reason why this isn’t your typical 2-7 first round matchup.
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Line changes hope to spark Bruins in Game 5

Posted on: April 21st, 2012 by Tim Rosenthal No Comments
Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins blogs, Bruins, NHL, 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs

(S. Babineau/Getty Images) Daniel Paille practiced on a line with Patrice Bergeron and Rich Peverley at practice Friday

BOSTON — In Game 4, coach Claude Julien shuffled his top two lines — shifting Tyler Seguin with Milan Lucic and David Krejci and Rich Peverley with Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand — in hopes of creating more offense for his Boston Bruins. That result did not pay dividends, however, as the Washington Capitals tied the best-of-seven first round series at two games apiece with their 2-1 victory Thursday night.

At practice Friday, Julien took it a step further with his line changes.

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Bruins look to take commanding 3-1 series lead on Caps

Posted on: April 19th, 2012 by Tim Rosenthal 1 Comment
Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Verizon Center, 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Boston Bruins Blogs

(Photo: Steve Babineau) Patrice Bergeron and the rest of the Boston Bruins hope to take a 3-1 series lead over the Washington Capitals Thursday night at the Verizon Center

WASHINGTON DC — The opportunity is there for the defending Stanley Cup champion Boston Bruins Thursday night.

Without Nicklas Backstrom — suspended for Thursday’s game after his cross-check to Rich Peverley at the end of Game 3 — the Black and Gold will look to use their depth to expose the void from the Swedish forward and take a 3-1 series lead before the series shifts back to the TD Garden Saturday afternoon.

Given the physicality between the two teams, the Bruins know they will be in for a fight against a pesky Washington squad looking to regain momentum, despite the loss of Backstrom.

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Bruins, Capitals set to kick off playoff series in Boston

Posted on: April 12th, 2012 by Anthony No Comments
Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, Stanley Cup Playoffs, Alexander Ovechkin, Zdeno Chara

(Getty Images) The Bruins and Capitals will kick off their Eastern Conference Quarterfinals series tonight in Boston.

After 82 regular season games the Bruins are exactly where they expected to be when the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs kicked off, at the TD Garden hosting Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals.

The defending Stanley Cup Champions kick off their postseason version of their title defense tonight when they take on Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals.

Predictions have been documented; strengths and weaknesses have been magnified but all that doesn’t matter once the puck drops tonight.

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