Capitals vs. Bruins playoff preview

The first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs features 16 teams in eight division-based best-of-7 series, which start Saturday.
Today, NHL.com previews the Stanley Cup First Round between the Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins.

No. 2 Washington Capitals vs. No. 3 Boston Bruins

Capitals: 36-15-5, 77 points
Bruins: 33-16-7, 73 points
Season series: WSH 4-4-0; BOS 4-2-2
Game 1:Saturday (7:15 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, SN, TVAS)
The Capitals and Bruins will play each other in a Stanley Cup Playoff series for the first time since 2012.
Each team has been a fixture in the playoffs during the past decade, with the Capitals making the postseason the past seven seasons and in 13 of the past 14, including winning the Stanley Cup in 2018. The Bruins have made the postseason the past five seasons and in 12 of the past 14, winning the Stanley Cup in 2011 and reaching the Stanley Cup Final in 2013 and 2019.
But this time Zdeno Chara, who was Bruins captain for each of those runs to the Final, is on the other side after signing with the Capitals as a free agent on Dec. 30.
"Obviously playing 'Z,' I'm sure that'll be a storyline," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said.
Chara was the longest-tenured captain in the NHL, serving in the role during his 14 seasons with Boston. In his 1,023 games with the Bruins, the 44-year-old scored 481 points (148 goals, 333 assists). He scored 10 points (two goals, eight assists) this season with Washington.
The Bruins are heartened by the fact they played well of late against the Capitals in the MassMutual East Division. Entering 2020-21, the Bruins lost 17 of 19 regular-season games (2-12-5) against the Capitals, dating to Oct. 11, 2014. This season Boston was 4-2-2 against Washington.
"Solid team. Great top six. Big bodies," Cassidy said. "Their coach (Peter Laviolette) has been there many times. So they're going to be ready to go. … But a team we've played well against this year. Looking forward to the matchup."
Though the Capitals struggled with injuries while the season wound down, Laviolette said he likes the direction they were heading in his first season. Washington closed 11-4-1, when it withstood injuries to forwards Alex Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom and T.J. Oshie; defenseman John Carlson; goalie Ilya Samsonov; and the absence of forward Evgeny Kuznetsov because of NHL COVID-19 protocol.
"The game that we've been playing on the ice, based on everything that you see when you watch the game and then the data that comes out after the game -- you're looking at scoring chances, you're looking at zone time and you're looking at special teams -- there's a lot of things that we really like about the last 20 to 25 games that we've played," Laviolette said.
"They haven't always been wins, but the game, I think, gives you the opportunity to win. So I think we're comfortable and confident with that and hopefully the health will go along with it."

Game breakers

Capitals: Backstrom led the Capitals with 53 points (15 goals, 38 assists), the first time he's done so since 2016-17. And though he's not usually the one finishing the plays, the center often is the one setting them up, his passing creating so many of the chances the Capitals have scored on during his 1,011 NHL games. Backstrom led Washington with nine points (one goal, eight assists) against Boston this season.

Bruins: It's not clear how he's doing it, but Brad Marchand is getting better with age. The left wing, who turned 33 this month, averaged 1.30 points per game this season, the highest of his NHL career. He also averaged an NHL career-high 0.55 goals per game, and he's playing more in control than he has before.

Goaltending

Capitals: The Capitals might not have expected Vitek Vanecek to get the bulk of the starts this season, but the rookie has held his own. Vanecek started 36 games and was 21-10-4 with a 2.69 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage. The Capitals also have Samsonov, who started 18 games and was 13-4-1 with a 2.69 GAA and a .902 save percentage. The third option is Craig Anderson (2-1-0, 2.13 GAA, .915 save percentage, four games).
Bruins: Tuukka Rask hasn't had the smoothest of seasons, but he ended it right where he wants to be: healthy and on a roll heading into the playoffs. Rask was 7-1-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average and a .923 save percentage in his final nine regular-season games. Boston will use rookie Jeremy Swayman (7-3-0, 1.50 GAA, .945, 10 games), who arrived in the NHL ahead of schedule, to back up Rask. It also has veteran Jaroslav Halak (9-6-4, 2.53 GAA, .905, 19 games), who missed three weeks in April because of a positive test for COVID-19 and had Swayman pass him on the depth chart.

Numbers to know

Capitals:Their nine goals in 30 power-play opportunities against the Bruins (30.0 percent) was higher than their rate of 24.8 percent for the season.
Bruins: Marchand scored 14 goals in April, the most by Bruins player in a month since Barry Pederson scored 15 in December 1982. In 23 games since the start of April, Marchand scored 33 points (16 goals, 17 assists).

X-factors

Capitals: Forward Anthony Mantha was acquired in a trade with the Detroit Red Wings on April 12. Mantha scored in each of his first five games, including a goal against Boston. He's never played in the playoffs in his six NHL seasons, but he could have a meaningful role.

Bruins:Taylor Hall has been a different player in Boston since being acquired April 12 in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres. He scored 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in 16 games with the Bruins after scoring 19 points (two goals, 17 assists) in 37 games with the Sabres. Hall is a player with the talent to win the Hart Trophy, voted NHL MVP, which he did in 2018 with the New Jersey Devils; he's playing like that guy again.

They said it

"Going into the playoffs, you've got to make sure you have that good feeling in your body and you're excited about these upcoming games. That's where this group is right now. We're excited about this, and only positive vibes." -- Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom
"It's been 16 games. It's probably been some of the most enjoyable hockey I've played in my career. I really hope there's more to come."- Bruins forward Taylor Hall

Will win if …

Capitals: They stay healthy. The Capitals have run into injury issues of late, with Ovechkin (lower body), Oshie (lower body), Carlson (lower body) and Backstrom (lower body) missing time in the last week. Add to that the fact Kuznetsov remains on the COVID-19 protocol list and the Capitals aren't heading into the playoffs at full strength. But they can get back there quickly.
Bruins: Their defensemen hold up. The Bruins took a gamble in the offseason, allowing Chara and Torey Krug (St. Louis Blues) to sign elsewhere as free agents and deciding to go with younger players. It was rocky at times, but the defense (and goaltending) held opponents to 2.39 goals-against per game this season, fourth-lowest in the NHL. And trading for defenseman Mike Reilly from the Senators on April 11 strengthened the group, though Boston still is relying on Kevan Miller and his surgically repaired knee.

How they look

Capitals projected lineup
Alex Ovechkin -- Nicklas Backstrom -- Anthony Mantha
Conor Sheary -- Lars Eller -- Michael Raffl
Daniel Sprong --
Philippe Maillet
-- Tom Wilson
Carl Hagelin -- Nic Dowd -- Garnet Hathaway
Dmitry Orlov -- Justin Schultz
Brenden Dillon -- Trevor van Riemsdyk
Nick Jensen -- Zdeno Chara
Vitek Vanecek
Craig Anderson
Scratched: None
Injured: T.J. Oshie (lower body), John Carlson (lower body)
COVID-19 protocol: Evgeny Kuznetsov
Bruins projected lineup
Brad Marchand -- Patrice Bergeron -- David Pastrnak
Taylor Hall -- David Krejci - Craig Smith
Nick Ritchie - Sean Kuraly - Charlie Coyle
Jake DeBrusk - Curtis Lazar -- Chris Wagner
Matt Grzelcyk - Charlie McAvoy
Mike Reilly - Brandon Carlo
Jeremy Lauzon - Kevan Miller
Tuukka Rask
Jeremy Swayman
Scratched: Anton Blidh, Trent Frederic, Ondrej Kase, Karson Kuhlman, Connor Clifton, John Moore, Jarred Tinordi, Jakub Zboril, Jaroslav Halak