12:10 pm
April 18

Capitals @ Bruins

Who will WIN this matchup?

Washington Capitals (29-12-4)

@ Boston Bruins (24-12-6)

 

Starting Goalies:

Vitek Vanecek (WSH): Likely

Tuukka Rask (BOS): Confirmed

 

Current odds:

Washington Capitals: (+120)

Boston Bruins: (-140)

 

• An infusion of new blood has the Boston Bruins back on track. Heading into Sunday’s matinee home clash with the Washington Capitals, the Bruins are riding their first three-game winning streak in more than two months, and a collection of newcomers — notably the trade-deadline acquisitions of Taylor Hall, Curtis Lazar and Mike Reilly — are having a big hand in the success.

• Hall scored in his second consecutive game, Lazar also tallied and Reilly set up David Pastrnak’s game-opening tally in Boston’s 3-0 win over the New York Islanders on Friday.

• The Bruins, who have the red-hot New York Rangers nipping at their heels for fourth place in the East Division, have a 3-1-2 record this season against the division-leading Capitals — although that regulation-time loss was their most recent meeting, an 8-1 Washington victory on April 11.

• Boston’s strengthened lineup, plus having No. 1 goalie Tuukka Rask back from injury, is undoubtedly good news for the Bruins. So was Pastrnak’s goal, which snapped a seven-game drought.

• The Capitals arrive after dropping the Philadelphia Flyers 6-3 Saturday afternoon, a game in which Alex Ovechkin scored twice to record his 730rd goal — which has him one goal behind Marcel Dionne for fifth-most in NHL history — and John Carlson collected four assists.

• The Capitals have won four of five games and have a three-point edge on the Pittsburgh Penguins and four-point bulge on the Islanders for the division’s top spot.

• Like the Bruins, though, the Capitals are benefiting from their trade-deadline addition. Forward Anthony Mantha, who was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings for a high price, has scored in all three games since joining Washington.

• Thanks in big part due to Carlson and Ovechkin, Washington, which leads the league with 158 goals, is thriving on the power play. The Capitals scored twice with the man advantage against Philadelphia, and has a 13-for-36 run going over the last 11 games.

5/10
Confidence
StreakSmarter Pick
Boston Bruins
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