Message: Try not to be the weakest link
"It was not" Bruins goalie Tim Thomas Kelly after the goal on a long strike on goal 1:18 into overtime gave the Stanley Cup champions to defend a 1-0 victory over Washington in Game 1 of their first round playoff series.
"I had a good feeling he was going to go, and I had a good feeling about this guy who had the puck," said Thomas, the reigning Vezina and Conn Smythe Trophy winner. "I can say that it is something today. It was a detachment of some past me in practice, in recent days."
Thomas stopped all 17 shots he faced in Boston to win his sixth career shutout in the playoffs - four of them running for the championship in Boston in 2011. But it was adapted for the three periods goaltender Braden Holtby of the capital, third-stringer to debut in the playoffs because of an injury of Tomas Vokoun and Michal Neuvirth.
Holtby made 29 saves for the capital, and is always great, when Marcus Thomas Johansson returned from the legs, which began in the Bruins break. Brian Rolston has decreased by Benoit Pouliot, to clear the area, and he pushed it to Kelly.
At the top of the circle to the left of the playoffs, Kelly opened the Slapper who sailed on the glove Holtby for the game winner. What Kelly has earned the necklace, which took place last year's lucky charm, ragged, as the Bruins windbreaker returned to star in a game during their execution in accordance with the NHL franchise for the first time since 1972.
"It's always nice to finish early," said Kelly, who thought that the attack is deflected by a defender with a stick. "Goalkeepers are so good, I think it survived the wing and beat the goalkeeper is long gone. So I was pleasantly surprised when he saw him enter the "
Washington star Alex Ovechkin on the ice comforted Holtby, and Bruins celebrated their first victory in its quest to become the first champions of the Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings repeated in 1997-98.
2 games on Saturday at the TD Garden before the series moves to Washington for Games 3 and 4, Monday and Thursday.
"The next game will be different," Ovechkin said. "We know we can play against them. Holtby played a damn game. He was nervous, but once he made the first save, he calmed down."
Kelly, 31, had career highs with 20 goals and 39 points with a plus or minus 33 who was tied for third place in the league.
"Coaches talked about how he was the unsung heroes of this year," coach Claude Julien said the Bruins. "Scored 20 goals, the fact that he had never done before -. It was not always the same wing of the He created more than ever this year and was very solid defense."
Veteran NHL 21 games, only 21 Holtby moved in line with the Capitals because of a groin injury and Vokoun left leg injury on Neuvirth. He played only seven games this season, but he started five final 10 games of Washington and graduated with a 2.48 goals against average.
He helped the capital killed almost six minutes of consecutive man advantage late in the first and the beginning of the second period with a 4-for-3 Boston power plays late in the second.
"I was a little sloppy with some things, and these things I need to do better next game," he said. "Most importantly, I was not there for the boys, overtime, and I will definitely be better for him."
Note: The last two times these teams met in the playoffs, the winner went to the Stanley Cup finals. Bruins did in 1990, and the capitals in 1998. ... Dale Hunter, Washington directed his first game today, the NHL playoffs. As a player, a hunter was 42 goals and 76 programs with 729 penalty minutes and 23 battle staffs in 186 career playoff games with Quebec, Washington and Colorado. ... NCAA champion Boston College hockey team was honored during a break in the first period. ... Capitals, № 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, not to win a playoff spot until the last week of the season. They beat Boston in three of four games this season, including two trips to the Garden of TD.
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