Boston Bruins Vs. Washington Capitals, NHL Playoffs 2012: Complete Series Coverage

The Washington Capitals completed the upset on Wednesday night, defeating the defending champion Boston Bruins with an overtime Game 7 victory, and it was pretty darn fitting when the fourth-line duo of Joel Ward and Mike Knuble broke up the ice just minutes into the extra frame en route to the game-winning goal.

The key for the Caps in this series against the Bruins was simple: They needed to hold them off defensively while winning the matchup battle and taking advantage of their offensive opportunities. Guys like Knuble and Ward were a major part of that on Wednesday night, of course, but it’s obvious that most of the credit for this series win goes to the rookie in the Washington crease.

No. 2 Boston Bruins at No. 7 Washington Capitals

3 p.m. ET -- Game 6, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals | Capitals lead, 3-2

National TV: NBC, CBC, RDS

For complete coverage of the 2012 Stanley Cup Playoffs, stick with SB Nation’s NHL hub. For more on the Capitals, visit Japers’ Rink and SB Nation DC. For more on the Bruins, head to Stanley Cup of Chowder and SB Nation Boston.

Three series in the 2012 Stanley Cup NHL playoffs could end on Sunday. In all three of them, the lower-seeded team has a chance to close out its better-seeded counterpart.

No. 2 Boston Bruins at No. 7 Washington Capitals

3 p.m. ET -- Game 6, Eastern Conference Quarterfinals | Capitals lead, 3-2

National TV: NBC, CBC, RDS

There’s not much that you can really do except place your head in your hands, look like the world as a whole has betrayed you, and play up the hangdog after your team gives up the game-winning goal in the final five minutes of the third period. That’s the sort of thing that hurts a lot.

You can hope for it not to get captured by the TV broadcast, I guess. If this woman did that, well, her prayers were not answered.

In Game 3, the Caps chose to play Boston’s style, using agitation and confrontation to get in their opponent’s heads. It ended up failing miserably, as the Bruins fed off Washington’s attempts en route to the win. It also cost the Caps’ arguably their top offensive player in Backstrom, thanks to a match penalty that the league did not rescind.

While Washington’s failed attempt to play agitator weren’t the only reason the Caps lost Game 3, it was a major factor in feeding the Bruins’ momentum. So the Caps realized they would need to play the physical game with a bit more intelligence in Game 4. It paid off in Washington’s tight-checking 2-1 victory, which evened the series at 2-2.

The Bruins controlled possession for all but a 10-or-so minute stretch in the second period, and the shot totals definitely reflected that. Boston outshot Washington 45-21 in the game, including a 14-3 tally in the first period and a 13-3 mark in the third.

Special teams were also big. The Capitals did a phenomenal job not taking penalties, especially considering how much time they spent pinned in their own zone with the Bruins on the attack. Boston only had one opportunity on the man advantage and they failed to convert -- a theme that continued from the first three games in the series.

Here’s the video:

Holtby had to make one more huge save at the final second -- just one of his 44 total in the game -- but had that puck found its way in the net, there would have been one hell of a controversy on the NHL’s hands.

That’s a goal without the phenomenal effort from No. 90, and if that’s a goal, the Bruins are in control of the game.

Stick with SBNation.com for full Capitals vs. Bruins series coverage. For more on the Bruins, visit Stanley Cup of Chowder and SB Nation Boston. For updates on the Capitals, check out Japers’ Rink and SB Nation DC.

It’s actually an understandable point Alzner makes. He was caught up in the heat of the moment and he did something funny. It’s just particularly funny because of this old tweet Alzner sent out in March:

He explained that one on Wednesday as well, telling the Washington Times:

Bruins head coach Claude Julien understands what Hunter is doing, but vehemently denies that his team is engaging in that behavior.

No. 2 Boston Bruins at No. 7 Washington Capitals

7:30 p.m. ET Thursday-- Game 4, Eastern Quarterfinals | Bruins lead, 2-1

National TV: NBC Sports Network, CBC, RDS | Local TV: NESN, Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic

Via the Caps, the full statement:

Meanwhile, Backstrom himself says that the play was “stupid on my part.” That doesn’t mean he agrees with the suspension either, but it does mean he takes responsibility for being ... well, stupid.

Losing Backstrom is huge for the Capitals. He’s been their best forward since returning from a concussion late in the season, and his offensive impact has been seen in this series against the Bruins. There’s no doubt that losing Backstrom makes the Caps an easier team to handle offensively, and Boston will welcome his absence, even if it’s just for a single game.

The NHL will have to decide whether or not the match penalty still stands, and that’s a decision they’ll certainly make in time for Game 4 at Verizon Center on Thursday.

Backstrom is arguably the reason the Capitals qualified for the postseason. His late-season return from concussion was cited by many as a huge boost for the team in the final games of the regular season, and there’s no doubt that his offensive production is a major piece of the Caps’ puzzle.

When a team that’s not used to playing a physical brand of hockey starts to play that way, it can mess with a players’ timing as they try to draw penalties or set the tone with aggression. That can lead to penalties and careless play.

Backstrom, who missed 40 games with concussion symptoms, is one of the major reasons why the Caps were able to sneak into the playoffs when he returned in the last five games of the season. His offensive presence was sorely missed while he was gone, highlighted by his game-winning goal in Game 2 and his pass on Brooks Laich’s third-period goal on Monday night.

I’m not a hockey fan, but I relearn the bare necessities every spring to cheer on the Capitals, because they are the closest thing D.C. has to a contender (RIP 2006 Wizards), and it’s fun to jump on the bandwagon for a few months (or weeks) every spring. That’s how I wound up at Caps-Bruins Monday night.

My roommate Ed is different. He played hockey for more than a decade growing up, watches every Caps game, and has violent mood swings depending on the results. He’s also there to explain anything I don’t understand, which helps. With hockey, I understand what is happening when it happens, but why and how is a whole ‘nother story.

For more on the Bruins, visit Stanley Cup of Chowder and SB Nation Boston. For updates on the Capitals, check out Japers’ Rink and SB Nation DC.

Yeah. It happened again in Game 3.

Seidenberg should really just stop trying at this point.

They have used their freedom to remind Thomas of his controversial political stance. Oh, did they remind him.

More: Tim Thomas skips White House visit, creates distraction he should have seen coming

via @recordsANDradio on Twitter

No. 2 Boston Bruins at No. 7 Washington Capitals

7:30 p.m. ET Monday-- Game 3, Eastern Quarterfinals | Series tied, 1-1

National TV: NBC Sports, CBC, RDS | Local TV: NESN, Comcast Sports Massachusetts

For more on the Bruins, visit Stanley Cup of Chowder and SB Nation Boston. For updates on the Capitals, check out Japers’ Rink and SB Nation DC.

A Washington Capitals victory evened their Eastern Conference Quarterfinal series with the Boston Bruins at one game a piece, and Game 2 was another a tight, defensive match. Nicklas Backstrom’s double-overtime goal proved that just one bounce in either direction -- in this case, a failed Johnny Boychuk clearing attempt -- can swing a game.

That doesn’t mean the Caps have the upper hand, however.

For complete Boston Bruins coverage, check out SB Nation Boston and Bruins blog Stanley Cup of Chowder. For complete Washington Capitals coverage, swing by SB Nation DC and Caps blog Japers’ Rink.

For complete Boston Bruins coverage, check out SB Nation Boston and Bruins blog Stanley Cup of Chowder. For complete Washington Capitals coverage, swing by SB Nation DC and Caps blog Japers’ Rink.

Boston’s attempt at title defense got off to a difficult - if thrilling - start with a 1-0 victory over the Capitals. It was 61 minutes before Chris Kelly finally broke a scoreless deadlock in overtime. The goal spoiled a brilliant performance from relatively unknown goalie Braden Holtby, who was forced into action after injuries to Washington’s top two goalies, Tomas Vokoun and Michal Neuvirth. The Stanley Cup Champions will take the result, but hope Saturday’s matchup will be a little bit smoother.

The rookie goalkeeper will be back in net Saturday - although Neuvirth skated with the team on Friday, there’s no timetable on his return - and the Caps hope he can repeat his effort, although with better results as they try to even up the series. The Bruins will likely have David Krejci back after a giant pane of glass fell on his head in postgame celebrations. (There’s really no good way to put that.)