Zdeno Chara, Dennis Seidenberg Crucial to Containing Alex Ovechkin, Capitals Offense in Playoffs (Podcast)

by NESN Staff on Tue, Apr 10, 2012 at 8:29AM

Alex Ovechkin has had statistically his worst season since first entering the NHL in 2005. Bruins sophomore forward Tyler Seguin actually tallied more points (Seguin 67, Ovechkin 65) than the two-time Hart trophy winner (MVP) this season.

But don't be fooled by the underwhelming numbers, Ovechkin remains one of the most dominant and fear-inducing forwards in all of hockey.

Boston's defensive pairing of Zdeno Chara and Dennis Seidenberg will be tasked with shutting down the steam-rolling winger, during the Bruins first-round play series against the Capitals. Chara has found success against Ovechkin in the past, holding the 26-year-old forward to just one goal in his past seven games against Boston. But it could be Washington's second line that causes the Bruins the most trouble in round one.

The duo of Alexander Semin and Nicklas Backstrom, who recently returned from injury, have been as potent second line as any in the NHL over the past few seasons. Semin's consistency on the wing and Backstrom's emergence as a viable threat at the center position make the tandem one that deserves constant attention.

Keeping both Ovechkin and the Semin-Backstrom pairing in check for an entire series will be an intricate task, and one that Claude Julien may have to gameplan around heading into the opening round.

Bruins beat writer Douglas Flynn stopped in for his weekly podcast with NESN.com's Luke Hughes to chat about Ovechkin's impact on the series, Tim Thomas' hopes to repeat his 2011 dominance and which Bruins could play an important role this postseason.

So take a listen and get excited for another Stanley Cup run for the black and gold.

Listen in the player below, or subscribe on iTunes to download it there