Temporarily say goodbye to your friends and cancel all your plans. For the next two weeks, your participation and good vibes are needed for the Washington Capitals’ first-round series against the Boston Bruins.
The schedule is finally out and here is when you’ll be watching the games along with us.
By Ian Oland 2 days ago
The Washington Capitals wrapped up the regular season finishing with 77 total points and a second-place finish in the East Division. That finish didn’t help them avoid a first-round date with what has been the NHL’s best team for the past month, the Boston Bruins.
That unfortunate result has led the boys from DC to not exactly be favored by statistical models in terms of moving on from the series victorious.
By Chris Cerullo 2 days ago
The Washington Capitals were without four key players for their season finale against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday. TJ Oshie and John Carlson missed the game due to lower-body injuries. Meanwhile, Evgeny Kuznetsov and Ilya Samsonov weren’t at the arena for other reasons.
Last week, Kuznetsov and Samsonov were suspended by the Capitals due to being late to some type of team function. The next day, Evgeny Kuznetsov landed on the COVID-19 Unavailability List while Samsonov was buried on the Capitals taxi squad, where it does not have to be reported if he’s in protocol or not.
On May 7, however, Capitals’ head coach Peter Laviolette let the cat out of the bag. “They’re both on [it],” he said.
Tuesday, Kuznetsov remained in protocol for the ninth straight day. It’s fair to assume Samsonov joined him on the list too. The NHL publishes updates around 5 PM every day.
2018 Stanley Cup-winning defenseman, Christian Djoos, signed a two-year deal with EV Zug of the Swiss National League on Wednesday.
The deal likely ends Djoos’ career in the NHL.
The Washington Capitals eeked out a 2-1 win over the Provide…Boston Bruins on Tuesday night. It took a goal in the final seconds from Michael Raffl to seal the regular season with a victory.
The Caps outshot Boston 32 to 26 and out-attempted them at five-on-five 70 to 43.
By Chris Cerullo 3 days ago
The Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins played what amounted to a meaningless game on Tuesday. Neither team could improve their position in the standings and both teams were already locked into a first-round matchup against each other in the postseason. The Bruins scratched 16 veterans and iced a bunch of players from their AHL team while the Capitals used the game as a tuneup for the playoffs.
The Caps wound up winning 2-1 via a buzzer beater by Michael Raffl, but the most important storyline coming out of the game was Alex Ovechkin’s return from a lower-body injury.
Ovechkin, who had missed seven of the last eight games, skated 19 minutes against Boston. Afterward in the Zoom Room, he dished on where he’s at physically.
Michael Raffl scored his first goal as a Capital on Tuesday and the trade deadline acquisition saved it for literally the final seconds of the regular season.
Tied 1-1 with the Providence Boston Bruins, Raffl skated the puck towards the crease and flicked a no-angle shot towards the net.
…and it went in?!?!?!?!?!?!? How?
The Washington Capitals and a bunch of dudes resembling the Boston Bruins played a game that mattered just as much as a preseason game. All we want from one of these is no further injuries and maybe some good feelings going into the series against these same Bruins.
Nothing in the first. Curtis Lazar against the run of play put the Bruins in the lead. Carl Hagelin tied things up, chipping home a loose puck.
Michael Raffl from an impossible angle with three seconds left in regulation.
Caps beat Bruins 2-1!
By Chris Cerullo 3 days ago
The Washington Capitals are concluding the 2020-21 regular season by playing a meaningless game against the Boston Bruins. The Bruins are intentionally sitting 16 of its regulars.
The Caps, meanwhile, are treating game number 56 as a dress rehearsal for the playoffs. That means Alex Ovechkin, who practiced Monday and took the morning skate earlier in the day, made his grand return to the lineup after missing seven of the last eight games due to a lower-body injury.
It’s the finale. The last dance. The cherry on top. But, only of the regular season because the Capitals are hosting the Boston Bruins this evening and will then move on to playing them in the first round of the playoffs. Game is gonna feel weird. Embrace it.
The puck will drop at 7 PM and Chris will have your recap.
By Elyse Bailey 3 days ago
