The Washington Capitals inherited third place in the Eastern Conference with a 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins on Sunday in Toronto.
Despite being the only team on the Bettman Tour to finish the season with at least 100 points in the standings, the Bruins struggled in the qualifying round. Their three losses relegated them to fourth in the Eastern Conference.
“We were a lot better in both directions of the ice,” said Bruins head coach Bruce Cassidy. We just weren’t able to win. ”
This means that the “Oursons”, who finished fourth because of their three losses, will cross swords with the Carolina Hurricanes, who defeated the New York Rangers after three small games. .
The Bruins had swept the Hurricanes in the Eastern Finals in the last playoffs, however.
“Obviously, we didn’t like our performances in those games,” Jake DeBrusk told the official website of the National Hockey League (NHL) after the game, talking about the three games of the tournament of the leading teams in ballast. We’re going to have to come out strong in the first game, we’re going to play against a great team in Carolina. We played against them last year, we know they will be ready and we are going to have to play better. ”
For their part, the “Caps” will meet with the New York Islanders in the next elimination round. The latter had eliminated the Florida Panthers in four games in the qualifying round.
“It will be interesting. We know them well, and we are obviously familiar with the coaching staff, forward Tom Wilson told the network. NBC after the meeting, referring to “Isles” head coach Barry Trotz, formerly with Washington. There is a good rivalry. We are excited and ready to move forward. ”
It was Wilson who allowed his team to snatch this third position. The plague of the Capitals gave his team a 2-0 lead early in the third period. The former Montreal Canadiens Ilya Kovalchuk also got an assist on Wilson’s success.
TJ Oshie opened the scoring for Washington with less than 20 seconds left in the first period.
In front of the winning team’s net, Braden Holtby made 29 saves. DeBrusk is the one who deprived the 30-year-old goalkeeper of a shutout, halfway through the third period.
Holtby’s opposite, Tuukka Rask, blocked 23 of the 25 shots directed at him.
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