Washington Capitals Playoffs: Top 3 ways to upset Bruins
If the Washington Capitals were underdogs entering their series against the Boston Bruins, they are the ultimate underdogs now. Trailing in a series 3-1, the team that is a win away from the next round is suddenly in the driver’s seat and the favorite.
The one with their back to the wall is the underdog and has to climb out of a deep hole. That is where we’re at right now with the Caps. They are heavy underdogs and are in a plight trailing 3-1 with their season on the line tonight.
It isn’t over till it’s over so here are the top 3 ways the Caps can upset the Bruins and get back in the series.
#3 Win the face off battle
If there’s anything the Caps have struggled on this postseason one of their weaknesses has been on the face off dot. Part of it is the Lars Eller injury. Another part is they’re simply getting beat.
In Game 1 the Bruins had the edge in face offs 60 percent to 40 percent. Game 2 was even worse as the Bruins had a 63%-43% edge. In Game 3 the Caps actually won the battle 52%-48%. In Game 4 the Bruins had the edge 56%-44%.
The Caps centers need to step up especially on the dot. I’m looking at you Evgeny Kuznetsov.
#2 Special teams especially power play has to come alive
The Capitals power play was lethal in the regular season but so far in the playoffs it’s been quiet. In Game 4, they went one for seven on the man advantage and it doomed them.
Alex Ovechkin‘s power play goal from a stick snapped in half that went off a Bruin was the first and only goal the Caps scored Friday night.
In an article by Stars and Sticks alum Andrew Gillis of NBC Sports Washington, Nicklas Backstrom spoke of the Caps power play woes:
“I feel like we have to come up with something new here. I feel like they’re reading us pretty well. So we can talk about that tomorrow and get better. We’ve just got to get some more shots and just create those secondary chances, I think.”
The Caps had six shots and allowed two Bruins shots in 10:38 total of power play time. Overall in the series they are an abysmal three for 17. That’s 17.6 percent.
Mike Vogel and John Walton preview the Caps must-win Game 5 at Capital One Arena tonight. #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/FnRqD6Mvpp
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) May 23, 2021
Here’s what the power play units will look like, reported from morning skate by Samantha Pell of The Washington Post:
First unit: Carlson, Ovechkin, Backstrom, Oshie, Mantha
Second unit: Orlov, Schultz, Wilson, Kuznetsov, Eller
#1 Five on Five play has to improve
Although the Caps power play has been a weakness of the whole series, their five on five needs to pick it up and fast. In 35:26 ice time at five on five in Game 4, the Caps had zero goals.
The first three games of this series as well as every game nine years ago was decided by one goal. The Caps offense has a 45.8 percent Corsi For percentage in the playoffs. That’s ranked 11th out of 16 playoff teams. That’s bad.
The Caps only Corsi For percentage above 50 percent was Game 1, aka the lone game they won in this series. It was a total of 51.4 percent. Game 2 the Caps only managed a 41.2 percent Corsi For percentage and a 46.6 percent in Games 3 and 4.
The Caps were outshot at five on five in their last three games by a total of 95-68. Scoring chances were 89-59 in favor of the opposition and high danger chances were 35-16.
The Caps had 11 five on five shots on goal in Game 4. That was their worst game of the season by far. They also had only one high danger scoring chance the whole game.
Washington Capitals Playoffs: The future of Alex Ovechkin. light. Must Read
Can the Caps rebound? Time is running out and tonight is a do or die.