Never Had A Chance: The Isles Blew Out The B's 6-2 In Game 6 To Send Them Home For The Summer

 

    One of the million aspects of hockey that makes it a fantastic sport is that it takes a team to win anything of value, unlike say the NBA where you typically just assemble the most talent and let the victories pile up. Coming into this second round playoff series between the Bruins and Islanders, you figured that it would be close but Boston's playoff experience and better goaltending among other things gave them a slight edge. As it turns out, we could not have been much more wrong as the Bruins led 2-1 in the series then proceeded to fall apart in spectacular fashion by losing the last three game culminating with tonight's pathetic 6-2 defeat at the Nassau Coliseum. The Isles move on to face the Lightning (for the second year in a row) in the NHL semifinals while the Bruins head home wondering what the hell just happened?

    I get that having a rookie goaltender-Jeremy Swayman-make his first NHL playoff start in an elimination game on the road is far from ideal but would he have been worse than an injured Tuukka Rask (23 saves) who admitted after the loss that he'd need surgery soon to repair some unknown issue? Granted, it hardly mattered who was in net for the B's since their defense was in shambles since Brandon Carlo's concussion but Rask definitely did not help matters. New York is not a great team and I'd be shocked if they win the Stanley Cup this postseason but you have to respect their consistency, toughness and ability to share the workload. Islanders head coach Barry Trotz also owned his matchup with Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy all series long as well. It was 1-1 after the first period before defensive miscues and the lack of a bailout save(s) by Rask doomed the black and gold in a nightmare second period where they were outscored 3-0. Boston cut it to 4-2 early in the third period but their offense disappeared with only five total shots on goal in their final frame of the season along with a pedestrian 25 for the entire contest. Woof. 

    Center Travis Zajac gave the home team a 1-0 lead at 8:52 of the first period as he put in a juicy rebound that Rask handed to him while Boston's bumbling defense couldn't locate the puck in time before Zajac smashed it into the net. The veteran's first playoff goal for the Islanders was assisted by defenseman Noah Dobson and center Jean-Gabriel Pageau. Left wing Brad Marchand (who was one of the only Bruins that bothered to show up this evening) tied it with a power play goal at 17:36 of the first period. Right wing David Pastrnak faked Isles goaltender Semyon Varlamov (27 saves) out of his skates before sliding the puck over to Marchand for the one-timer. Center David Krejci had the second assist on Marchand's team-leading seventh goal of the postseason (Brad also produced at least one point in every game this series). 

    Center Brock Nelson had quite a second period for the Islanders as he gave them a 3-1 lead with a pair of goals 7:19 apart. First, he made B's defenseman Matt Grzelcyk look silly by stealing the puck from him and blowing by before finishing a breakaway past Rask. Nelson's fifth goal of the playoffs was assisted by right wing Josh Bailey and defenseman Nick Leddy at 5:20. Rask did himself no favors by playing a puck right to Mike Reilly's skates that Bailey was able to take away and feed to Nelson who this time finished with a backhander at 12:39. If those weren't bad enough, Rask gave up an even worse goal at 16:07 as right wing Kyle Palmieri knocked the puck from Grzelcyk in front of Rask and it went towards the net where somehow Tuukka couldn't stop it. Palmieri's seventh goal of the playoffs was unassisted. 

    Down 4-1 heading into the third period, you wondered if Cassidy would pull Rask for the second game in a row and put in Swayman to I don't know, maybe get a spark or something but nope, he stubbornly kept Rask in until the end of regulation when he needed an extra skater. Marchand bagged another power play goal at 5:38 that was straight out of the Islanders playbook-outworking his opponents and refusing to let up until the puck went into the net. Krejci and defenseman Charlie McAvoy (who took an elbow earlier in the game from Palmieri that was not called) had the helpers on what turned out to be Boston's last goal of the 2021 season. The Islanders added a pair of empty-net goals in garbage time to make the final score feel fittingly even more embarrassing. 

    Where do the Bruins go from here? Good question my friend. It's now been 10 long years and counting since they last won the Stanley Cup. Aside from the one that they choked away two years ago against St. Louis, they have failed to reach the conference finals in seven of the last eight seasons. No matter how much you love Rask (and that percentage of Bruins fans dwindles by the day), I think his biggest supporters have to admit that he'll likely never win a Cup here (or probably anywhere else for that matter). He's a great regular season goalie and generally fine in the playoffs but he doesn't have that other gear or next level to reach in these most important moments. With Swayman waiting in the wings, it feels like the right time to finally move on from Rask-who has been a Bruin his entire NHL career-and pair Swayman with a cheap veteran backup goaltender plus Dan Vladar showed enough this season in a limited capacity to fight for that No. 2 role.

    Rask, Krejci and left wing Taylor Hall (who went completely missing in the last 3 games with zero combined points) are all unrestricted free agents (along with some less notable players) so those will be the key decisions for B's GM Don Sweeney to make over the next few weeks. I'd say that this group isn't that far away from title contention but I feel like we have overrated them for much of the past decade. Yes, they are usually a playoff team but they do not tend to make much noise once they get here. It took the easiest path imaginable to reach the Stanley Cup Final two years ago and of course, they failed in the most Bruins way possible: losing Game 7 at the TD Garden against yet another inferior opponent. Regardless of what happens with those three guys that are listed above, there are still plenty of quality players (both young and old) remaining on this team; Cassidy is a good coach and Sweeney knows what he's doing so in all likelihood, they will be right back in a similar spot like this next season. The real question is if they can put it all together and get past the second round to be considered a true contender once again or if they are simply cursed to live in this Groundhog's Day like existence year after year. 

The Bruins Wasted A Great Opportunity To Take Control Of The Series As They Fell 4-1 To The Isles

 

    Whenever the Bruins have a frustrating loss, particularly in the playoffs, I like to say "the Bruins never making anything easy on themselves." It's not exactly ground-breaking stuff but I think that it applies all too often for the B's. Tonight was the latest example as they lost 4-1 to the Islanders in Game 4 of their second round playoff series. Another win at the Nassau Coliseum would have given them a commanding 3-1 lead in the series and that might have meant that they wouldn't have to go back to Long Island. Instead, thanks to their uneven effort, the series is now tied 2-2 and it comes down to a best-of-3 series against the Isles who are the definition of gritty and tough to play against.

    The final score is very misleading, especially if you weren't watching the whole game since New York scored two empty-net goals. There were no goals scored in the first period but it was still pretty crazy since there were two fights (Taylor Hall vs. Scott Mayfield and Jarred Tinordi vs. Matt Martin) and B's star David Pastrnak hit the post on the most wide open look that he'll ever see with a goalie in net. Boston actually led 1-0 when center David Krejci put in a rebound for a power play goal at 3:57 of the second period. His first goal of the playoffs was assisted by left wing Brad Marchand and Pasta. Boston's lead lasted for less than three minutes as Islanders left wing Kyle Palmieri put in a close-range one-timer from center Mathew Barzal. Right wing Jordan Eberle had the other assist on Palmieri's team-leading fifth goal of the postseason.

    Barzal is by far New York's best and most talented offensive player so it was surprising that he did not have a goal in their first eight playoff games this year. He is starting to heat up though at just the wrong time for the Bruins as he scored the lone Islanders goal in Game 3 and this evening he had the game-winner as he batted a loose puck out of the air to make it 2-1 at 13:03 of the third period. Mayfield and fellow defenseman Noah Dobson had the assists on Barzal's second goal of the playoffs. Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask made 30 saves so he was one of the few bright spots in the loss for Boston. His counterpart Semyon Varlamov (who improved to 7-2 against the B's this season) had 28 saves but you have to say that the black and gold did not test him nearly enough. Centers Casey Cizikas and Jean-Gabriel Pageau potted the empty-netters for the Isles as the Coliseum exploded at the end of this victory for their beloved home team. 

    Game 5 is on Monday (6:30, NBCSN) at the TD Garden and Game 6 (time TBA) will be back in Uniondale on Wednesday. Needless to say that Monday is the biggest tilt of the season for both clubs. To go up 3-2 thus giving yourself two chances to eliminate the other team is a huge advantage versus being down 3-2 in the series and having to win twice in a row at each venue no less. Don't be surprised if Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy tinkers with his lineup a little bit on Monday. Nick Ritchie has been useless for much of this postseason so why not throw rookie Trent Frederic in there and see if he can provide some type of spark? If nothing else, he would bring energy and fresh legs to a group that looked understandably tired in Game 4 after taking so many tough hits from the Islanders all series long.

Marchand Scores In OT As The Bruins Beat The Islanders 2-1 In Game 3 To Take A 2-1 Series Lead

 

       The Bruins regained their home ice advantage as they won Game 3 tonight 2-1 at the Nassau Coliseum thanks to left wing Brad Marchand's no angle snipe 3:36 into overtime. Boston now leads the series 2-1 and they improved to 3-2 in OT this postseason (1-1 vs. NY). As you can guess from such a low-scoring affair, both goaltenders were fantastic: Isles goalie Semyon Varlamov made 39 saves before he made his only real mistake of the night while B's goalie Tuukka Rask (28 saves) wasn't quite as busy but he still had a bunch of huge stops. The only real lowlight of Game 3 for Boston was that defenseman Brandon Carlo took a huge hit to his head from Islanders hack Cal Clutterbuck in the third period and he never returned. For a guy with a history of concussions, it was horrifying to see him clearly struggling to get off the ice after his head slammed into the glass.

    After missing Game 2 with a lower-body injury, right wing Craig Smith was back in the lineup for the B's and that paid immediate dividends. He took a sweet pass from left wing Taylor Hall and snapped a high shot over Varlamov's glove hand at 5:52 of the first period. BU's Matt Grzelcyk had the second assist on Smith's second goal of the postseason. Just when it looked like the black and gold might escape with a 1-0 road win, Islanders center Mathew Barzal used a quick wraparound move to tie it at one. Right wing Kyle Palmieri and defenseman Ryan Pulock had the assists on Barzal's first goal of the playoffs at 14:34 in the third period. From that point on, New York dominated and it continued into the extra session as they outshot Boston 5-2 in that. No matter though as it only takes one shot to end it and credit to Marchand for taking that chance. Long Island's own Charlie McAvoy and captain Patrice Bergeron assisted on Marchand's fifth goal of the postseason overall and his second overtime tally (joining Game 2 vs. Washington).

    The B's have an optional practice on Friday and then these teams will meet again on Saturday night (7:15, NBC) where the stakes will be pretty high: Boston can take a 3-1 series lead or New York will tie it up at two games apiece. In his postgame press conference this evening, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy noted how Carlo said that he was feeling "pretty good" while he caught up with his teammates in the locker room. With that said, I'd be really surprised if he is cleared to play in Game 4. If Carlo is out, defensemen Jakub Zboril or Jarred Tinordi seem like the most logical replacement for him although they are both left-handed shots meaning that somebody would have to play on their weak side for a whole entire game which is never preferred. It's also a little quicker turnaround after they had an extra day off between Games 2 and 3, so we'll have to see who recovers best from another intense and physical matchup. 

B's Rallied From A 3-1 Deficit In The 3rd Period, Only To Lose In Overtime To Even The Series 1-1

 

    After battling for nearly four full periods at the TD Garden tonight in Game 2 of their second-round playoff series, the Islanders took advantage of a brutal turnover by Bruins defenseman Jeremy Lauzon which led to a breakaway and game-winning goal by their fourth line center Casey Cizikas. New York won the game 4-3 at 14:48 in overtime to even the series at 1-1. It was truly a contest that could have gone either way since Boston scored first, then the Isles tallied three unanswered goals in a disastrous second period for the home team (their worst frame of the postseason) before getting the two goals that they needed in a hectic third period to force the extra session. Now the series shifts to the dump known as the Nassau Coliseum that nevertheless should be rocking for Game 3 on Thursday (7:30, NBCSN) and Game 4 on Saturday night (7:15, NBC). 

    The clutch victory by the Islanders snapped Boston's five-game playoff win streak while it also ended New York's four-game losing streak against the B's dating back to the regular season. It ensures that the Bruins will not sweep the Isles (honestly, who thought that would happen?) and they will get at least one more home game at the Garden next Monday (time TBA) for Game 5. BU's Charlie Coyle staked his club to a very early 1-0 lead as he dangled around an Islander and then did the same thing to New York's goaltender Semyon Varlamov (39 saves) for a beautiful goal at 2:38. Coyle's second goal of the playoffs was assisted by left wing Nick Ritchie and right wing Karson Kuhlman (making his playoff debut in 2021). 

    The second period turned into a complete mess for the black and gold as they allowed a pair of power play goals that bookended a rough 20 minutes. Right wing Josh Bailey tied it at one as his attempted centering pass deflected off Bruins defenseman Jeremy Lauzon and through goaltender Tuukka Rask's (35 saves) five-hole. Right wing Kyle Palmieri and center Brock Nelson recorded the assists on the power play strike, Bailey's fourth goal of the postseason. New York's next goal I'm sure is the one out of the four in Game 2 that Rask allowed which he would want back the most. He couldn't grab a loose puck in his crease next to a post and Palmieri made him pay by knocking it in for a 2-1 Islanders lead at 11:00. Palmieri has been a Bruins killer for years, going back to when he played on the Devils. Defenseman Nick Leddy and center Jean-Gabriel Pageau had the assists on his fourth goal of the playoffs. Boston's defense let Rask and the rest of the team down on the third goal as they fell asleep in coverage which allowed JGP to drive to the net and one-time in a nifty little pass by left wing Anthony Beauvillier at 17:21. Center Mathew Barzal was credited with the second assist on Pageau's second goal of the playoffs. 

    Many lesser teams would have been unable to put that previous period behind them so quickly but not our Bruins. Nope, they kept grinding and were handsomely rewarded as two of their top players and trusted leaders-center Patrice Bergeron and left wing Brad Marchand-had the honors of bagging the goal that flipped the momentum and then the tying goal on the power play. The captain went to the bumper position where Marchand was able to connect with his best friend for a sweet one-timer through some traffic. Right wing David Pastrnak picked up the second assist on Bergeron's fourth goal of the postseason at 10:34. Boston's tying goal was all about Marchand who ripped a low, hard shot at 15:06 of the third period. BU's Charlie McAvoy notched the lone assist on Marchand's fourth goal of the playoffs. True to most playoff overtimes, each team had plenty of scoring chances with New York outshooting Boston 9-6. The fatal mistake by Lauzon was trying to shuttle the puck away from the wall and over to his fellow defenseman Connor Clifton. The problem was that the pass went off another Bruin's skate and thus Cizikas was able to swoop in and use his speed to stay away from Lauzon and everybody else. His first goal of the playoffs (his 1st postseason goal in 6 years) is no doubt one that he'll never forget for the rest of his life.

    With an extra day in between Games 2 and 3-NBA style-B's head coach Bruce Cassidy has chosen to not hold a practice tomorrow. Instead, his team will take an extra breath after their latest overtime work. Before this series began, I felt pretty confident that it would be a long set of games either way. The Islanders got a split in Boston so now they are no doubt all thrilled to get back to their home arena which is one of the loudest and craziest atmospheres in the NHL. The Bruins will have to play much more like the team that rolled in Game 1 vs. the plucky one in Game 2 that ultimately lost despite that awesome comeback in the third period.

David Pastrnak Scored His Second Career Playoff Hat Trick As Bruins Beat Islanders 5-2 In Game 1

 

    After nearly a week off after dispatching of the Capitals in five tidy games, the Bruins opened up their second round playoff series with the Islanders tonight at a sold-out TD Garden (!!!). Boston did not look too rusty though in front of their biggest crowd in over a year as they used a strong third period to propel them to a 5-2 victory behind star David Pastrnak's second career playoff hat trick. The B's nearly doubled the Isles in shots on goal (40-22) and that constant pressure finally got to New York's rookie goaltender Ilya Sorokin (35 saves). The black and gold won their fifth straight game overall as they dropped Game 1 to Washington but so far, that's been their only loss in this postseason. 

    The regular season has little to do with this but we have to note that the Islanders won the first five meetings with the Bruins in 2021 before Boston took the final three. This made it four victories in a row for the B's against a very worthy second-round opponent who beat the Penguins in six games in their first-round series. The East Division foes traded leads as New York scored first in the first period before Boston answered; the Bruins took a 2-1 lead in the second period and then the Islanders responded. The third period is what separated them as the home team scored twice and then added an empty-net goal for good measure. 

    Both tallies in the first period came on the power play as Isles left wing Anthony Beauvillier tipped in a shot from the point by defenseman Noah Dobson at 11:48. Right wing Jordan Eberle had the other assist on Beauvillier's team-leading fourth goal of the playoffs. Pastrnak tied it late in the frame as Sorokin kicked a big rebound right to him and he waited for a second before snapping it in. Centers David Krejci and Patrice Bergeron had the assists on Pasta's third goal of the postseason (3-game goal streak) at 19:36. Boston took its first lead midway through the second period as once again Pastrnak was able to corral a rebound and fire it in past a diving Sorokin. Bergeron and left wing Brad Marchand notched the assists at 11:08. It was not 2-1 Bruins for long though as Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech unleashed a bomb from the point that went top shelf past a stunned Tuukka Rask (20 saves) at 12:34. Eberle and left wing Leo Komarov picked up the assists on Pelech's first goal of the postseason.

    Ironically, even though it was Pastrnak's night, Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy scored the game-winning goal at 6:20 of the third period. His low but hard shot from distance found its way through traffic for his first goal of the playoffs, assisted by Krejci. You had a feeling that Pasta was going to get a hat trick and he finished the job with a pretty move using Taylor Hall as a screen to fire in a wrist shot at 15:50 for the 4-2 Bruins lead. Speaking of Hall, he had the last goal-of the empty-net variety-at 18:35. Krejci and defenseman Mike Reilly notched the helpers on Hall's third goal of the playoffs.

    Game 2 is on Monday night (7:30, NBCSN) and I think it is almost a given that the Isles will play better. They were very lucky to be tied this evening headed into the third period since the Bruins had outshot them by a wide margin (30-12). The major questions will be if their offense can match Boston's and perhaps most importantly, Sorokin has to be better with his rebound control. Rask was not great but he did not have to be. Late in Game 1, New York clearly tried to target Pastrnak physically to send a message moving forward that it won't be that easy anymore. He has seven points (5 goals, 2 assists) in his last three games going back to Games 4 and 5 vs. Washington so he's on fire right now with multiple points in each of those tilts. Can the Islanders contain the Bruins' top line? We shall see but Game 2 is an important one since being up 2-0 in a series is a much different story than being tied 1-1. The one injury from Game 1 was to Bruins right wing Craig Smith who left in the second period (lower-body) after an awkward collision with Islanders goon Cal Clutterbuck and never returned. If he can't suit up on Monday, Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy will need to find a replacement for his second line.

Bruins Won Their Fourth Straight Game & Eliminated The Overmatched Caps In Five Games

 

    So it turns out that there really was no need to fear the overrated Capitals after all. The Bruins dispatched of them in only five games after taking Game 5 by a score of 3-1 tonight at the Capital One Arena in DC. After losing Game 1 in overtime and winning the next two games in overtime, Boston dominated in the final two contests as they outscored Washington by a combined score of 7-2. The B's head to the second round of the playoffs for the fourth season in a row-where they'll meet the Penguins or Islanders who are currently tied 2-2-while the Caps head home for the third consecutive year after a disappointing first round exit. For the Capitals, it must feel like a decade or more since they won that elusive Stanley Cup in 2018.

    This was a victory where the Bruins were led by many of their best players: goaltender Tuukka Rask (who was fantastic for the entire series) made 40 saves, captain Patrice Bergeron scored twice and right wing David Pastrnak added a highlight reel goal for the black and gold. This being the NHL playoffs, there was also much lesser known guys like defenseman Jarred Tinordi-he played 19:02 with four hits and three blocked shots in his Bruins playoff debut-who was fantastic in his unexpectedly vital role. It was a weird game as the Capitals outshot the Bruins 41-19 but trailed 2-0 in the third period before they tallied the fastest goal to start a playoff period in franchise history. Rask was not fazed by that and Bergy put it away with another clutch goal in a career full of them. 

    After no goals in the first three games of this series, Pasta is starting to heat up as he had a goal and assist in Game 4 and he matched that production this evening. He made Caps center Nic Dowd look silly when he did a sweet curl-and-drag move around him, drove to the net and wrapped a shot around goaltender Ilya Samsonov (16 saves). Defenseman Mike Reilly had the lone assist on the game's opening goal at 2:28 of the second period. Samsonov would probably want Bergeron's first goal back as it was a snap shot from distance. Reilly and Pastrnak had the assists on Bergy's second goal of the playoffs at 14:05 for a 2-0 Bruins lead. 

    UMass' Conor Sheary provided the lone positive note for Washington in Game 5 when he scored off his own rebound 11 seconds into the third period. He roofed a shot from in close that Rask couldn't react to in time to stop. Center T.J. Oshie and defenseman Dmitry Orlov notched the assists on Sheary's first goal of the postseason. Bergeron's second goal happened at 12:25 and while it was unassisted, he owed plenty of credit for it to Pasta who screened Samsonov at just the right time. 

    In the traditional handshake line after the game, Bergeron and former B's captain Zdeno Chara shared some words and a tight embrace which makes you wonder if that was Z's last NHL game. Boston will be one of the last eight clubs left in the playoffs and you have to acknowledge that they can play with anybody. As far as the Pens and Isles go, I think that besides rooting for a seven-game series, they want to see Pittsburgh (since they completely own them) rather than New York who is less talented but would be a major headache to face in a best-of-seven playoff series. Regardless, they get a few extra days to rest now which is very important if you want to make a serious run to the Cup.

B's Power Play (3-for-5) Pushes The Caps To The Brink Of Elimination With 4-1 Victory In Game 4

 

    After three straight overtime games to begin the series (not to mention 12 playoff games in a row decided by one goal), the Bruins and Capitals entered Game 4 of their first round series tonight at the TD Garden long overdue for a one-sided victory. Luckily, Boston was that team as they dominated Washington by a score of 4-1 which gives them a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. Game 5 is on Sunday night (7, NESN) back at the Capital One Arena where the B's will get their first chance at sending the Caps to their third consecutive playoff exit in the first round. Boston has already come a long way from their overtime loss in Game 1 against the Capitals. 

    After a scoreless first period, the Bruins got on the board first as left wing Brad Marchand tipped in a shot by right wing David Pastrnak and BU's Charlie McAvoy at 8:00 for a 1-0 B's lead. The power play goal was Marchand's third goal already in the postseason. The black and gold had never carried a lead into the third period in the first three games so they gave it a whirl in Game 4. They must have enjoyed it since they scored twice very early in the final frame (34 seconds apart). First, Pasta was given too much time and space so he ripped a low shot into the far corner against Capitals rookie goaltender Ilya Samsonov (33 saves). McAvoy and center David Krejci had the assists on Pastrnak's first goal of the playoffs at 29 seconds. On the next shift, right wing Jake DeBrusk got sent in on a breakaway but he missed the net with his wayward shot. However, he stayed with the puck and threw it back in front where BU's Charlie Coyle was able to flip in a backhander at 1:03.

        The only reason that Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (19 saves) didn't finish with a shutout was because Alexander Ovechkin's power play shot (that caused his stick blade to shatter) went in off defenseman Brandon Carlo's skate at 4:54. Ovi's second goal of the series (and 71st of his postseason career) cut it to 3-1 Bruins with Caps defensemen John Carlson and center Nicklas Backstrom providing the the assists. Getting one more goal was not the main task at hand by that point but I'm sure the Bruins enjoyed one more power play goal just for the hell of it. McAvoy sent a pass to his fellow BU product Matt Grzelcyk and the Charlestown native unloaded on a one-timer that went top shelf by Samsonov. Left wing Taylor Hall added the second assist on Grzelcyk's first goal of the playoffs at 14:50. 

    The only bad news to come from this evening was that a dirty hit by Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov on B's defenseman Kevan Miller left the latter shaken up. Miller went to the hospital for CT scans and further evaluation which means that he might be concussed. Not only was the hit late since Miller had given up the puck seconds earlier but Orlov also leaped at him (both of his skates briefly left the ice) and he caught Miller right under the chin which any boxing fan will tell you is a very vulnerable position. Ironically, former Maple Leafs goon Nazem Kadri was just suspended eight games by the NHL's department of player safety for a similar albeit bigger and worse incident (plus he was a repeat offender) in Game 2 vs. St. Louis that left Blues defenseman Justin Faulk knocked out cold. I'm not predicting anything but we'll have to wait and see if Orlov faces any kind of punishment (fine or suspension) by the league.  

    After winning the last three games in the series, you have to love where the Bruins find themselves at the moment. It's not over yet though against Washington but if the B's get a decent lead on Sunday night, I would not be shocked to see the Capitals sneaky give up. Since they broke through and erased their playoff choker label by winning the Stanley Cup in 2018, the Caps have reverted back to that earlier stinky form the last few postseasons. Ovechkin is an all-time great player and they have plenty of other very talented guys on their current roster but their goaltending situation is a bit of a mess and their defense is nowhere near Boston's level. Then again, this is the NHL where teams routinely come back from the dead in a playoff series so Boston needs to get rid of Washington ASAP while they have the chance.  

For The Third Straight Game, B's & Caps Went To OT But This Time, Craig Smith Won It For Boston

 

    This is getting silly: the last 12 playoff games between the Bruins and Capitals have all been decided by one goal with now eight of those ending in overtime. Tonight at the TD Garden for Game 3 of their first round series, Boston outlasted Washington 3-2 in double overtime with veteran right wing Craig Smith doing the honors with his second career playoff overtime goal which gave the B's a 2-1 series lead. Once again, the Bruins found themselves trailing in the third period before tying it then winning it in the extra session. All three contests in this series have gone to overtime which is crazy. This is a very tough way to live but it is somehow working so far for the black and gold. 

    The big news right before Game 3 started was that Washington's goaltender Ilya Samsonov would start while Pheonix Copley served as the backup and Craig Anderson (who started Game 2) did not even dress. For a guy who had not played since May 1 (due to being in the Covid-19 protocol), Samsonov (40 saves) did not show many signs of rust. Well except for the play that decided the game: he had a chance to the touch the puck behind his net but he hesitated which allowed Smith to swoop in and use a wraparound shot to stuff it in the net at 5:48. Fittingly Smith-who was Bruins GM Don Sweeney's only real notable free agent signed last off-season-was credited with an unassisted tally since nobody on his team helped him per se, that was all thanks to his hustle, speed and determination. 

    After a scoreless first period (which Boston dominated, outshooting Washington 10-4), the Caps built a pair of one-goal leads in the second period which they could not protect. Captain Alex Ovechkin made it 1-0 for the visitors with a one-timer from right wing Anthony Mantha at 8:21. It came on the power play and it was Ovi's first goal of the series. It took the Bruins 56 seconds to respond as left wing Taylor Hall scored a beautiful goal. He took a pass down low from Smith (with UVM's Kevan Miller picking up the other helper) and went backhand to forehand then he put the puck in the top shelf. Very few other B's could have pulled that entire sequence off that he made look so easy for his second goal of the series. Center Nick Dowd put Washington back in front 2-1 at 18:15 as he tipped in a shot from Brown's Garnet Hathaway. It was Dowd's second goal of the series as Boston's goaltender Tuukka Rask (35 saves) was victimized by another tip (or deflection) in the early going of this series. 

    The Capitals turned up the heat in the second period (outshooting the Bruins 16-11) and they tripled Boston's shots on goal total (9-3) in the third period but the black and gold probably did not care one bit since they tied it on left wing Brad Marchand's amazing reaction play. BU's Charlie McAvoy (who played a game-high 33:52) started it by shuttling the puck to captain Patrice Bergeron in the bumper position on the power play. Bergy's shot was deflected but Marchand was there to bat it out of mid-air and straight into the net at 11:32. His second goal of the series made the Garden explode with excitement.

    The B's will have an optional practice tomorrow before they hit the Garden ice on Friday (6:30, NESN) for Game 4. Obviously, that's a huge tilt as well since the difference between leading the series 3-1 or being knotted at two games apiece is enormous. I've accepted that most likely every game in this series will be close like this and perhaps more overtime will be needed to help settle things. Center Evgeni Kuznetsov returned as well this evening from his Covid-19 battle (he had also been out since May 1) so there really aren't any other big moves left for Caps head coach Peter Laviolette to make. It would be nice to see the Bruins carry the momentum from these back-to-back overtime triumphs into Game 4 but then again, I won't hold my breath for that.

The B's Even The Series With The Caps 1-1 After Hall's Clutch Goal & Marchand's OT Game-Winner

 

    As you've probably heard, there is nothing in sports quite like playoff hockey and that roller coaster of emotions was on full display tonight at the Capital One Arena. Boston rallied from a late 3-2 deficit in the third period to tie it on left wing Taylor Hall's first postseason goal in black and gold then star Brad Marchand scored the fastest OT goal in franchise playoff history (39 seconds!) as they won Game 2 by a score of 4-3 against Washington. After losing 3-2 in overtime in Game 1, the Bruins evened the series at one game apiece with Game 3 on Wednesday (6:30, NESN) at the TD Garden. The win snapped a five-game playoff losing streak for the B's dating back to last postseason in the bubble vs. Tampa Bay while the Capitals have now dropped three of their last four playoff games that have gone to overtime. 

    Up until their strong finish to Game 2, this felt like it would end on another sour note for Boston with them trailing 0-2 in the series and headed home for the next two contests. Two times in the first period the Bruins took the lead only to see the Caps quickly answer back. They also once again made 39-year-old goaltender Craig Anderson (44 saves) look way better than he should be in 2021. Right wing Jake DeBrusk has definitely put a terrible regular season behind him as he scored for the second straight game. BU's Charlie Coyle started the play by going around the net (while Anderson slid much too far out of the crease) then feeding DeBrusk in front for an easy tap-in. Nick Ritchie had the second assist on the opening tally at 5:05. Boston took a bunch of dumb penalties this evening and it cost them when right wing T.J. Oshie tipped in Alex Ovechkin's weak wrist shot at 6:31. Capitals defenseman John Carlson provided the second assist on Oshie's first goal of the playoffs.

    Boston's top line had been invisible in Game 1 so it was great to see captain Patrice Bergeron snipe a shot past Anderson at 9:21. Right wing David Pastrnak had the lone assist on Bergy's first goal of the postseason. Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (36 saves) was good in Game 2 well except for the goal that Washington scored to make it 2-2. Defenseman Dmitry Orlov put the puck on net (or tried to) but the shot deflected off right wing Garnet Hathaway's skate and through a maze of bodies into the net. It was the first career goal for the Brown alum and Maine native with former Canadien Lars Eller (who later left with a lower-body injury and never returned) adding the second helper at 16:42. 

    After a scoreless second period, Hathaway handed the Caps their first lead (3-2) at 7:04. That wasn't a fluke although it started with a ill-timed pinch by Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller which led to a 2-on-1. Orlov fed Hathaway who beat Rask top shelf with left wing Carl Hagelin credited with the other assist. Hall's tying goal was not of the sexy variety that he displayed multiple times late in the regular season but nevertheless, it was highly effective and just as memorable. Right wing Craig Smith and defenseman Matt Grzelcyk had the assists but Hall did the most dirty work as Anderson stopped all of them before Taylor finally found an open space to knock the puck into the net. That huge momentum swing at 17:11 carried Boston through the rest of regulation and into the very brief extra session. The game-ending sequence started when Capitals defenseman Brenden Dillon's awful clearing attempt was intercepted by Bruins center David Krejci at Washington's blue line. He shuttled the puck across to Grzelcyk who found Marchand with another cross-ice pass. Brad made no mistake there since he crushed a one-timer that Anderson could not get over fast enough to stop. 

    You cannot emphasize enough how important this victory was to Boston since trailing 0-2 and returning to the pressure of the Garden could have been a tough combination for them to overcome. Luckily, they stepped up at winning time and hopefully cracked the code a bit on the mediocre Anderson. I'd love to say that the B's will win Game 3 in a blowout but the fact remains that the last 11 (!) playoff games between the Bruins and Capitals have all been decided by one goal. Enjoy the beautiful weather tomorrow, watch the goofy Celtics-Wizards Play-In Tournament game (9, TNT) and get ready for what should be a beauty of an event on Causeway Street on Wednesday. 

In True Bruins Style, They Wasted A Great Chance To Win Game 1 Vs. The Capitals, Falling 3-2 In OT

 

    The Bruins and Capitals had the honor of opening the 2021 NHL playoffs this evening at the Capital One Arena and Washington took Game 1 by a score of 3-2 in overtime as something called Nic Dowd tipped in the game-winning goal at 4:41. Boston never led but it still felt like a tilt that they should have found a way to win since Caps rookie goaltender Vitek Vanecek (3 saves, 1 goal allowed) went down with a game-ending lower-body injury only 13:10 into the first period. In his place stepped 39-year-old veteran journeyman (this is his 5th NHL team!) Craig Anderson-who had only played in four games during the regular season-and he proceeded to stop 21 out of 22 shots for the win. It is only one game so I'm not going to freak out yet but I will say that if Boston loses this series, I'm confident that Game 1 will be a result they would dearly wish to have back. 

    Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask (29 saves) was good for much of the night except of course when it counted most which seems to be one of his specialties when it comes to the playoffs. He actually made the initial save on Dowd's tip of right wing T.J. Oshie's shot but the puck bounced off Rask's chest protector directly down to his stick which knocked it into his net. Woof. There are plenty of B's fans who are very tired of Rask these days so I can only imagine how many of them said something along the lines of "I told you so!" in that instance. Washington's chief piece of human garbage Tom Wilson had the secondary assist on what was undoubtedly the biggest goal of Dowd's life. 

    Speaking of Wilson, he also opened the scoring with the first goal of the postseason in the NHL. Ugh, you can't make this stuff up. Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy's stick broke in the offensive zone so the Capitals got a 2-on-1 with Oshie feeding Wilson who picked the top corner over Rask's glove hand. Left wing Daniel Sprong had the second assist at 6:22 of the first period. Boston's fourth line surprisingly provided the timely response for the B's as left wing Jake DeBrusk fired a quick shot after a face-off scrum for the tying goal at 13:10 of the first period. Center Curtis Lazar had the lone assist (his 1st playoff point as a Bruin) as he got the puck back to DeBrusk. That goal is when Vanecek got hurt and Anderson had to come in ice cold and rusty, no pressure.

    Playoff hockey is all about random guys stepping up and the second period was more proof of that as Caps defenseman Brendan Dillon's shot from the point deflected off Bruins defenseman Jeremy Lauzon's stick and past Rask at 8:44. Right wing Anthony Mantha (1st career playoff point) and Capitals icon Alex Ovechkin had the assists on Dillon's first ever playoff goal. Once again, it did not take Boston long to answer though as left wing Nick Ritchie was credited with a power play goal after right wing David Pastrnak's shot went off Ritchie's skate in front of Anderson. McAvoy had the second assist at 16:38 that tied it up at two. 

         Game 2 is set for Monday (7:30, NESN) back at the Capital One Arena and while I would not call it a must-win for the black and gold, it is in that scary neighborhood. Who knows if Vanecek will be able to play then or for the rest of the series but regardless, Boston has to get much more out of their top two lines that were both basically invisible in Game 1. More than anyone, Rask could also use a win since if the Bruins returned to Boston down 0-2 in the series, you wonder if head coach Bruce Cassidy would be tempted to throw rookie goaltender Jeremy Swayman in there to turn things around? There is very little separating these clubs so expect a long and tight series, I don't think that there will be many blowouts or one-sided affairs.