Washington Capitals and Boston Bruins travel to Beantown for second leg of home-and-home series
The Washington Capitals will be looking to find a way past Tim Thomas – who was stellar in the Boston Bruins 3-1 win over the Capitals on Tuesday October 19 in Washington, by saving 35 of the 36 shots he faced – as Washington looks for redemption when the
two teams return to Boston to go head-to-head on Thursday October 21.
Previous meetings
After losing back-to-back games to the Capitals in the pre-season, the Bruins will be hoping that they can claim back-to-back victories in the regular season, as the two sides meet for the second time in three nights, with the Bruins winning the first game
3-1.
How they match up
Since taking over for Tukka Rask, who was mediocre in Boston's season opener, Tim Thomas has been nothing short of spectacular, recording three consecutive wins along with one shut-out.
The Capitals' biggest question mark is in goal as Michal Neuvirth had to leave Tuesday's game with a headache and was replaced with Semyon Varlamov.
Up front for Boston, the trio of David Krejci, Nathan Horton, and Milan Lucic has led the way combining for 17 points in six games.
The Capitals are not short of offensive fire-power of their own as they are led by Alex Ovechkin, who has eight points in six games. Defenceman John Carlson has also been impressive with one goal and six assists in six games.
Oddly enough, the Capitals' once-feared power play has gone a bit cold as they are ranked 16th in the NHL. Their penalty killing unit, on the other hand, has risen to the occasion and are currently ranked number one, having yet to concede a goal while down
a man.
The likely reason for the Capitals' lack of efficiency on the power play is due to the fact that they have been without their power play specialist on the point, Mike Green, who's been injured and whose status remains day-to-day.
What to expect
Bruins forward Milan Lucic and Capitals defenceman John Erskine were involved in a spirited tilt the other night so don't be surprised if the fireworks spill over into Thursday.
The Washington Capitals will be looking to throw everything they've got at Thomas with the aim of finding some kind of c***k in the armour. Although it's not necessarily a sure thing that Thomas' strong play will ensure him a spot between the pipes, as the
Bruins may be looking to get Rask, the Bruins starter when the season began, back into action.
"I mean, what more can you say, he's played well," Julien said about Thomas. "He played well again tonight, solid in nets for us. So, we have some decisions to make before next game."
After playing three consecutive games on the road, the Bruins finally return home and will be looking to put in a big performance for their home town fans.
"We've been on the road enough, but we're not going to complain," Bruins coach Claude Julien said about how his team's schedule has played out. "The more road games we play right now, the less we have to play at the end."
Momentum and home-ice advantage will enough to tip the balance in the Bruins' favour. Bruins win 3-2 in a shoot-out.
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