WILMINGTON — During last year's incredible run to the Stanley Cup, the Bruins [team stats] finally proved they could finish off opponents in the postseason.
This year, if they can learn how to start a playoff series, they might really have something going.
After three straight years of having their season end in Game 7s, the B's won three of those deciding games in a span of seven weeks en route to their first championship in 39 years. But in all three of those series that went the distance (Montreal, Tampa Bay, Vancouver), the B's lost Game 1, two of them at the Garden. They also were shut out in two of those Game 1s, and in two of the series — the opening round against the Canadiens and the finals against Vancouver — they lost the first two games.
It made for some great drama. Maybe a little too much drama.
When their quest for a repeat begins tonight against the Washington Capitals on Causeway Street, they hope to burst out of the blocks better than last year.
"We didn't start the playoffs the way we wanted to, and we're definitely shooting for a better start this year," winger Brad Marchand said after yesterday's final practice at Ristuccia Arena before tonight's Game 1. "Hopefully we'll put together a better game (tonight), but they're going to come out really hard and they've played well the last couple of games here. We're going to have to find a way to get a win here."
An early goal would help the Bruins' cause immensely. For at least tonight's opener, the B's will face rookie goaltender Braden Holtby. In 21 NHL games, the 22-year-old is 14-4-3 with a 2.02 goals-against average and .929 save percentage. But this will be his first postseason game, and when he faced the Buffalo Sabres on March 27 with both teams fighting for the final playoff spots, he had to be yanked early in the second period after giving up three goals on 18 shots.
"We are going to have to put lots of pucks on him and try to make him nervous," B's center David Krejci said. "Just don't pass up on any shots, get some traffic in and we should get some chances."
Coach Claude Julien said that while patience needs to permeate just about everything they do, the B's must make sure to bury their chances.
"We've had some scoring chances against that team when we've played them," Julien said. "One thing in the playoffs is when you get opportunities, which gets harder and harder, you've got to make sure you make them count. It's going to be up to us to make sure we bear down on our opportunities and make them count."
Even if they don't get the early results, forward Chris Kelly said they have to stay focused and composed.
"Obviously we all learned a lot with what we went through last year," Kelly said. "We grew as players and as people. Hopefully that's an advantage we can use this year that we didn't have last year."
It would behoove the B's to take care of their business at home. Just 16-21-4 on the road, the Caps were 26-11-4 at the Verizon Center, which was the third-best home record in the Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile, the Bruins were pretty much the same team at home as they were on the road. They picked up 51 points at the Garden and 51 away.
Kelly, espousing the steady-as-she-goes Bruins mantra, doesn't want to get wrapped up in the venue.
"You approach the playoffs wanting to win every game, and right now that's our focus," Kelly said. "We want to come out and have a good effort in Game 1. When that's over, focus on Game 2.
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