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The Rundown:

An electric Eastern Conference Matchup in the heart of Washington, D.C., as the Boston Bruins take on the Washington Capitals. Two teams vying for comeback seasons, as both teams were ousted in the first round of the playoffs. Older teams with championships in recent history, this will be a fun matchup against two heavyweights in their respective divisions.

The Matchup

The Bruins and Capitals had some high scoring contests last season when both teams faced off against each other. When you have both Alex Ovechkin and David Pastrnak going head-to-head, you expect a ton of goals to be going around for both sides. Through three matchups last season, both teams scored a total of 23 goals. Boston won two of the three games against Washington, but the Capitals never scored less than three goals in each game. Both teams have tons of offensive talent and should likely bring a high-energy game from both teams. Just like the Tampa Bay Lightning vs. New York Rangers game from last night, I expect the same level of intensity and excitement.

Players To Watch

For the Boston Bruins, Jake DeBrusk will get some serious good looks to start off this season. With an injury to Brad Marchand that will likely leave him out for one-third of the season, DeBrusk will get prime opportunities on the first line next to Patrice Bergeron. Last season, he made huge offensive strides, cracking 42 points for the first time since his sophomore season. Depending on Taylor Hall’s availability tonight, he is going to be looked at as a key weapon. And if Hall plays tonight, he’ll have another great playmaker on that line to set him up.

For the Washington Capitals, Darcy Kuemper will make his first start for the Capitals since his departure from Colorado. The starting netminder for this year’s champion Colorado Avalanche, decided to take his talents to the District of Columbia after signing a five-year, $5.25 million deal. As the starter for the Avalanche, Kuemper posted a .921 SV% and a 2.54 GAA through 57 starts. His presence in the blue crease gives major confidence for the Capitals, as last season they struggled to find consistent goal tending. With both Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek now gone, Kuemper has his place between the pipes secured. 

My Prediction

In their current states, the Capitals have the better roster. Not having Brad Marchand or Charlie McAvoy in the starting lineup to start the year is something that shouldn’t be looked over. But when they get healthy, the Bruins are the better team. I don’t expect Boston to go down without a fight, the Capitals are going to win on home ice against the Bruins with a score of 6-4.