Unlike last season, the Bruins — like the Capitals — come in picked by many to compete for the Stanley Cup. Expectations are high.
Both teams return basically the same lineups with a few additions and subtractions. The Bruins traded 2008-09 leading goal scorer Phil Kessel earlier this month but added puck-moving defenseman Derek Morris and grinder Steve Begin. Also back in the lineup for the first time since January will be forward Marco Sturm, who led the Bruins with 27 goals in 2007-08 and will be looked upon to help compensate for the loss of Kessel’s scoring potential.
The Capitals lost longtime NHL veteran and future Hall of Famer Sergei Fedorov but added some potential scoring in forwards Brendan Morrison and former Bruin Mike Knuble.
Between the pipes, the Bruins will once again count on reigning Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas and rookie Tuukka Rask. The Capitals’ net will be guarded by former Vezina and Hart Trophy winner Jose Theodore and rookie sensation Seymon Varlamov.
This game also features the last two Jack Adams Award winners in Boston’s Claude Julien and Washington’s Bruce Boudreau.
This a great way to start the season with two teams that could very well face each other in the Eastern Conference finals and play for the right to go to the Stanley Cup Finals.
When and Where
Thursday, Oct. 1, 7:05 p.m. ET (Versus)
TD Garden, Boston, Mass.
Records
Bruins (0-0-0)
2008-09: 53-19-10, 116 points, 1st Northeast Division, 1st Eastern Conference, lost in conference semifinals in seven games to Carolina.
Capitals (0-0-0)
2008-09: 50-24-8, 108 points, 1st in Southeast Division, 2nd in Eastern Conference, lost in conference semifinals to Pittsburgh in seven games.
Head to Head
This is the first game of the season for both clubs. Last season, the Capitals won the season series 3-0-1. The Bruins lead the lifetime series 68-34-21-4.
Skinny
This game with the Capitals marks the first of a five-game homestand for the Bruins. The Bruins were 29-6-6 at home last season and were the second-highest scoring team in the NHL last season, averaging 3.29 goals per game. They also allowed the least amount of goals, and Tim Thomas and former Bruin Manny Fernandez combined to win the Jennings Trophy with a 2.32 GAA.
The Bruins’ power play was ranked fourth in the NHL in scoring at a 23.6 percent clip, and their penalty kill was ranked 11th at 82.4 percent.
The Capitals were 21-15-5 on the road last season and 1-0-1 at the TD Garden. They were the third-highest scoring squad with 155 goals and averaged 3.27 goals per game. Washington allowed 2.93 goals per game.
The Capitals’ power play was second in the NHL in scoring at a 25.2 percent clip, and their penalty kill was 17th at 80.6 percent.
Projected Lineups
Bruins
| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Milan Lucic | Marc Savard | Marco Sturm |
| Blake Wheeler | David Krejci | Michael Ryder |
| Mark Recchi | Patrice Bergeron | Chuck Kobasew |
| Shawn Thornton | Steve Begin | Byron Bitz |
| Defenseman | Defenseman |
|---|---|
| Zdeno Chara | Derek Morris |
| Andrew Ference | Dennis Wideman |
| Mark Stuart-Matt Hunwick | Johnny Boychuk |
| Goaltenders |
|---|
| Tim Thomas |
| Tukka Rask |
Capitals
| Left Wing | Center | Right Wing |
|---|---|---|
| Alexander Ovechkin | Nicklas Backstrom | Alexander Semin |
| Mike Knuble | Brendan Morrison | Brooks Laich |
| Eric Fehr | Michael Nylander | Chris Clark |
| David Steckel | Boyd Gordon | Matt Bradley |
| Defenseman | Defenseman |
|---|---|
| Mike Green | Shaone Morrisonn |
| Brian Pothier | Milan Jurcina |
| Tomi Poti | Jeff Schultz |
| Goaltenders |
|---|
| Jose Theodore |
| Semyon Varlamov |
Stat Sheet
Bruins
Marc Savard led the Bruins with 88 points last season. He also led the team with 63 assists.
Phil Kessel led the Bruins in goals with 36. Michael Ryder was second with 27 lamp-lighters.
Zdeno Chara led all Bruins defensemen with 50 points (19 goals, 31 assists) and won the Norris Trophy as best defenseman.
Capitals
Alexander Ovechkin led the Capitals in points (110) and goals (56). Ovechkin won the Hart Trophy as the league MVP.
Nicklas Backstrom led the team in assists with 66 helpers.
Defenseman Mike Green was a Norris Trophy finalist and led the Caps’ blue line with 73 points (31 goals, 42 assists).
Goaltender Matchup
Bruins
Tim Thomas won the Vezina Trophy last season as the league’s best goaltender. Thomas was 36-11-7 with a 2.10 GAA and .933 save percentage. Thomas also had five shutouts.
Tuukka Rask was 1-0-0. He had a 35-save shutout against the Rangers Jan. 31 in his only NHL start of the year.
Capitals
Jose Theodore was 32-17-5 with a 2.87 GAA and a .900 save percentage. He had two shutouts.
Seymon Varlamov was 4-0-1 with a 2.37 GAA and a .918 save percentage.
Black and Blue
Bruins
Forward David Krejci (hip surgery) is probable and expected to play.
Capitals
No injuries to report at this time.
Overheard
“When you start at home, there’s always the pressure of need to win, need to win. When you’re on the road, your players are spending more time together. They’re eating lunch and pregame meals at the hotels. It’s actually not a bad thing for team bonding. You can come back from a road trip .500 or a game above .500 like we did the last couple years. Everybody sees that as a successful road trip. We all know that if we come out of this homestand .500, it will certainly not have been a success. This is the challenge of starting at home.”
–Bruins head coach Claude Julien
Press Box
Bruins
The Bruins are the pick for the Stanley Cup.
The Bruins assigned Vladimir Sobotka to Providence on Wednesday.
Forward David Krejci is a go.
Are the Bruins good enough?
Claude Julien is no-nonsense and straightforward.
With Phil Kessel gone, the Bruins aren’t just worried about a new first-line right wing. They’re also thinking about who fills in for him during shootouts.
The Bruins extended the contract of assistant GM Jim Benning on Wednesday.
Capitals
The Capitals are tired of individual accolades and want the Cup.
The Capitals are one of the hardest tickets in the Nation’s capital.
Mike Knuble could be one of the most underrated free-agent signings from this past summer.
Are the Caps on the verge of becoming a dynasty?
Chris Bourque, son Hall of Famer Ray, was claimed off waivers by the Penguins.
NHL
The new-look Habs renew their rivalry with the Leafs in Toronto.
The Habs named former Bruin Hal Gill, Andrei Markov and former Boston College standout Brian Gionta as their three alternate captains.
The Rangers took over David Letterman‘s show Wednesday.
Leafs GM Brian Burke’s mouth has him in trouble again.
Judge Redfield T. Baum turns down both bids for Coyotes.
Mats Sundin called it a career Wednesday.
Outlook
It is always hard to figure out how season openers will go, but if these two teams stick to their systems, then fans can expect the defensive-minded Bruins to be doing their best to bottle up the offensive-minded Capitals. If successful, the B’s will pounce on whatever chances the Caps’ freewheeling offense provides (and there should be plenty) with their speed and transition game.
Some of the more intriguing story lines on Thursday — and in the first month of this season — will be who emerges to fill the offensive void left by Kessel. Marco Sturm gets his first audition on Thursday. Will his speed and scoring touch be enough for the playmaking Savard and physical Milan Lucic, or will the likes of Ryder, Mark Recchi and Blake Wheeler be called upon in the coming days?
Also worthy of watching is how Derek Morris fits into the defense and plays alongside Zdeno Chara, both 5-on-5 and on the power play. If Morris can’t hang, look for Dennis Wideman or Matt Hunwick to get some looks there.
The 2009-10 season is here, folks. Game on!
