Ice Hockey: Capitals Need to Create More Scoring Chances Against The Bruins

On Hockey: Capitals need to create more scoring chances against Bruins: Washington, DC Thursday are quite optimistic because believe it will be a long series.

But they also have problems just skeptical enough to provide sufficient evidence for a strong case in front of the building.

Let's start with the fact that the right to Braden Holtby and his teammates.

No one knew how Holtby, the pressure of his first series start of the NHL. But after 22 years as a rookie 17 saves in the second period of Game 1, including two on the rich Peverley to Bruins blank is pressed on the power play, we now know. He is ready.

"We told you it would be a good goalie," Capitals forward Matt Hendricks said.

Holtby took the blame for the overtime winner, Chris Kelly, but as a veteran of the injured Tomas Vokoun once said, "if you do not score, it's hard to beat."

Capitals played a solid game in defense. Boston 3.17 goals per game was tied to a second place in the league in the regular season, but Tyler Seguin and the rest of the deep and diverse, "Bruins was limited to six or chances to score in 60 minutes plus.

In addition to blunting of the velocity Boston through the neutral zone and limit the space on the offensive end, the capital also blocked 22 shots, including nine in the first period. The effort was headed by Roman Hamrlik, who blocked five years, and Troy Brouwer, who beat four.

The optimistic atmosphere in the locker room guests at TD Garden, after the game will be just as important as everything that happened during the race. In the past playoffs, the capital, probably a crushing defeat for overtime work must be transferred into practice the next day and maybe for the next game.

It will not happen this time. In the unfamiliar role of underdog, they freely and confidently before the game after.

"We bent, but we did not break," Brooks Laich said. "In the third period, we have 9.3 shots, and I liked our chances going into overtime. Thus, a game, there is a lot of hockey left, and we return the rink is very pleased to return to the game 2. "

Ovechkin added: "We know we can play against them, there is nothing special, we just focus ..."

Now the issues of concern.

They need a way to have a better chance at an offensive set and forget. These nine chances to score, they have collected (17 shots) is not enough against Tim Thomas.

In Game 2, they will have more photos and the traffic in front of the reigning Vezina Trophy. Thomas stopped every puck, he clearly sees, but he tends to over-commit to the shots and easily excited, in particular, by contact in the crease.

"We just need to find ways [the puck] to the network and go online," forward Jay Beagle said. "This is a fat, dirty goals. It will not be pretty. We just need to find a way to more traffic, more and more pictures."

If a coach Dale Hunter ends his lines intact on the morning of Saturday, the Capitals' top unit of Ovechkin, Laich and Brouwer would be better.

Ovechkin, in particular, have to fight harder to make room for maneuver and get your wrist fatal shot as Zdeno Chara and the defenders and Dennis Seidenberg on the face of each shift to find. The first line is the only chance to score, it should be noted, was shot from Ovechkin in the third period, and he came up with Chara in the cross-checking penalty.

Ovechkin, Laich can help us better in the circle against Faceoff specialist Patrice Bergeron. Laich won only seven of the 26 tracks that are left behind Ovechkin the puck more than he was.

This can be a difficult decision for the capital: they tried to play Bruins physical bruises, but could not. Ovechkin convex game high seven hits, but he was on the receiving end of much, if not more. In the end, it was Bruins, winners in a row with the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers, the capital of the blow-40-29.

During a long series, which will take its toll.

"They have a ton of talent and how to slow down the body to" Bruins forward Brad Marchand said. "We have a physical team and if we play like we play our best hockey."

Capitals, meanwhile, is not far from their best.

Game 1 could go both ways. But if Ovechkin and hopes to win the series - and the answer to the skeptics - they have to go to my Saturday.

Julien, do Not Hesitate to Call For Corvo

In mid March, when Joe Corvo couldn’t find his way out of a suit and tie, Claude Julien was quick to note that the defenseman would be called upon again. The Bruins coach was correct.

Corvo was in the Game 1 lineup Thursday night at TD Garden. With Adam McQuaid (eye/head) sidelined indefinitely, Corvo got the nod for the stay-at-home defenseman’s position on the third pairing alongside Greg Zanon. He finished with 19 minutes 10 seconds of work in the Bruins’ 1-0 overtime win.

During the regular season, Corvo didn’t play at the consistent level the Bruins hoped he would. In 75 games, he had 4 goals and 21 assists. Corvo’s 25 points were second among Bruins defensemen after Zdeno Chara (12-40-52). But he didn’t deliver the offensive pop his bosses were seeking on the power play. On the man advantage, Corvo had 1 goal and 8 assists.

Corvo’s most troublesome area was his own zone. He especially struggled with his down-low coverage, both in the corners and in front of the net.

All of that, however, has been forgotten.

“I feel very confident,’’ Julien said before the game. “Everyone that we have here is very capable of playing. We’ve got one guy that’s going to be out for sure tonight in McQuaid. But the other seven, we can put any one of them in there. They’ve done a great job. If anything, I feel extremely confident.’’

Corvo proved his coach correct. In overtime, Corvo made a critical play to initiate the game-winning play. After Tim Thomas kicked out Marcus Johansson’s shot, Corvo collected the puck and rapped it off the right-side boards. Two passes later - Brian Rolston to Benoit Pouliot, Pouliot to Chris Kelly - the Bruins were enjoying a 1-0 OT win.

“Very happy,’’ Corvo said of seeing Kelly’s goal. “It’s one of those games that kind of scares you because they’re hanging in there, hanging in there. Their goalie’s playing well. You just don’t want to let them steal the first one. It was a relief.’’

Corvo is also more familiar with the Capitals than his teammates. On March 3, 2010, Washington acquired Corvo from Carolina for Brian Pothier, Oskar Osala, and a 2011 second-round pick. Corvo appeared in seven playoff games for the Capitals that year.

“They’ve always been a fast team and a skilled team,’’ Corvo said. “That hasn’t changed.’’

Depending on McQuaid’s situation, Corvo could fill the role played by Tomas Kaberle last year. Kaberle, paired mostly with McQuaid, saw plenty of time on the power play. But the coaches were careful to keep Kaberle away from dangerous matchups. Kaberle didn’t play on the penalty kill.

Corvo could be in a similar position. During practices leading up to Game 1, Corvo was on the point on the No. 1 power-play unit alongside Chara.

Assignment: Ovechkin  
 
During the three regular-season games he played against the Bruins, Alex Ovechkin went head-to-head with Chara and Johnny Boychuk. In Game 1, Ovechkin battled Dennis Seidenberg for the first time this year. In the second period, Seidenberg and Ovechkin came together in one of the most jarring smashes of 2011-12.

Seidenberg isn’t as punishing a hitter as Boychuk, but he was just as thorough as Chara during last year’s postseason run. Seidenberg’s toughness, positioning, and big-game capabilities make him a natural to play against Washington’s most potent sharpshooter. Chara and Seidenberg also got assistance from Patrice Bergeron, who was used in a matchup role.

In 17:34 of ice time, Ovechkin had just one shot. It came on the power play, when he teed up one of his trademark one-timers from the left circle. Thomas followed the play well and kicked out Ovechkin’s shot with his right pad.

“It’s two big, strong defensemen he has to go through, and probably one of the best two-way centermen in the league in Bergy,’’ said Julien. “He was good, but our guys were better tonight. We did a good job of minimizing that. He’s a big part of their offense.’’

Power play misfires

The Bruins went 0 for 4 on the power play. In the second period, during four-on-four play (David Krejci and John Carlson were sent off for roughing), the Bruins got a four-on-three man-advantage after Braden Holtby was whistled for roughing. Even with more space, the Bruins couldn’t find a weakness in Washington’s penalty kill.

“Our guys weren’t seeing much tonight,’’ said Julien. “There were some openings we could have used. We were dusting the puck a little too much versus shooting it. When we made some of those passes, some of those guys should have ripped a shot right away. Instead, we stopped and started looking for another play.’’

The Bruins went 0 for 21 on the power play in last year’s first round against Montreal.

Boychuk good to go

Boychuk shook off his left knee sprain and dressed for Game 1. He has been using a knee brace along with a heavy tape job. add Boychuk had one shot, two hits, and three blocked shots in 17:58 of ice time . . . At the end of the game, Krejci was hit by a pane of glass knocked loose by celebrating fans. Krejci fell to the ice, but got up and skated off on his own . . . Mike Mottau and Jordan Caron were Boston’s healthy scratches . . . Bergeron won 18 of 25 faceoffs (72 percent).

Capitals Slip Past Bruins in Overtime Thriller

The new decoration, Chris Kelly, a heavy padlocked chain he wore around his neck, scoring the winning goal in the first leg play-off in Boston on Wednesday night.

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.