Washington Capitals to fill Nicklas Backstrom gap against Boston Bruins -NHL Playoffs Game 4 Preview
Boston Bruins might not have scored a single goal in the first period in the series so far along with going 0-11 on power play opportunities but the Stanley Cup defending champions are still leading the 2012 National Hockey League (NHL) Eastern Conference
playoff quarterfinal series against Washington Capitals, 2-1.
Game 4 will definitely be interesting to see as Washington needs to save itself from being put on the brink of elimination and playing without top centre, Nicklas Backstrom, due to a one-game suspension, Capitals need to pull a rabbit out of the hat here.
"Sometimes you think it's (the) right decision. Sometimes it's not. Sometimes you want to laugh," Washington captain, Alex Ovechkin, said about his teammate’s suspension. "So right now, I think it's kind of (a) bad decision. But there is nothing you can
do."
Backstrom was making a comeback after missing 40 games due to a concussion and having him return for the playoffs certainly made a difference on the team. He was suspended after hitting a Boston player with the stick in the face but Washington head coach,
Dale Hunter, wanted the league to focus more on Bruins targeting his head.
"That doesn't make sense. I don't know any coach that would tell his team to go after somebody's head," Boston Bruins coach, Claude Julien, said talking about Hunter’s statements. "It's ludicrous; it's ridiculous. OK?"
The series is no doubt one of the most physical and tense at the moment as Bruins attempt to make another run for the Stanley Cup while Washington is trying to save face from extreme disappointment. Capitals ended the season in the lowest playoff spots,
something they need to make up for now.
Bruins seem to be more dedicated than ever but there is also no telling what Washington could be up to. They might just rebound and give Bruins an upset but playing again in Boston could be a challenging aspect for Capitals.
Thursday night’s matchup between Boston Bruins and Washington Capitals at the Verizon Center in Washington should certainly an exciting and interesting one. The contest will kick off at 7:30 PM ET.
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