Bruins offer a lot to like, but Cup No. 2 won’t be easy,
The Boston Bruins, who open their playoff series vs. the Washington Capitals on Thursday (7:30 ET, NBC Sports Network), are trying to be the first team to repeat as Stanley Cup champion since the 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings. USA TODAY Sports’ Kevin Allen examines their chances. Three reasons they will: 1. Goaltender Tim Thomas has a .935 save percentage, a 2.06 goalsagainst average and five shutouts in 43 career playoff games. He won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP during last season’s run. In the Stanley Cup Final, he yielded eight goals over seven games.
2. Defenseman Zdeno Chara is the best all-around player at his position in the NHL. Other than a goaltender, no one can have an impact on a playoff series like the 6-9 Chara. He can handle any player one-on-one and is one of the few players who can match Capitals star Alex Ovechkin’s strength. Plus, he scored eight power-play goals this season with his wicked shot.
3. The team essentially has the same personnel as last year and is improved because center Tyler Seguin, 20, has blossomed into a star. After a 22-point season as a rookie, he scored 67 points this season to become the youngest player in team history to lead the Bruins in scoring. “Going into your first year and winning a Stanley Cup, that’s experience you can’t buy,” said Seguin’s linemate Patrice Bergeron. “He gained a lot of confidence over the summer.” Three reasons they won’t: 1. The Capitals are playing more confidently than they have at any point this season. Ovechkin looks vibrant again, and first-line center Nicklas Backstrom, the team leader in points per game, is back after missing 40 games with a concussion.
2. How much will Nathan Horton be missed? Now out with a concussion, he plays on the top line and had two series-clinching goals before he was hurt in Game 3 of the Final.
3. After a lengthy championship run, in which three of the four series went to Game 7, the Bruins often looked like a tired team this season.