Hockey Is Back - Sweet; Caps @ Bruins Tonight

So if you read this blog you probably read other blogs that are focused on the Washington Capitals and the NHL as well and you know that Chris Bourque is now part of the dreaded Pittsburgh Flightless Birds organization; that the auction for the Phoenix Coyotes was won by --- no one; that there is no resolution in the Versus vs. DirectTV melee; and a host of other things related to hockey as well. There are also rumours on the Michael Nylander front you are probably aware of as well - ironic since in many ways, Chris Bourque to the Penguins is probably the first "casualty" in the Nylander saga - there will be others if something isn't able to be done to resolve the Nylander saga and free up his $4.875M of salary cap as well. But hey, we have hockey again - praise be!

Before getting to tonight's game and predictions though in case you missed it James Mirtle predicts the Caps will finish first in the Eastern Conference this season - hope that's not a jinx...

And just in case you missed it - Washington IS a Hockey Town - it's gotta be true since the Associated Press says so - and I agree.

For the Capitals and we Capitals fans the regular season begins in Beantown against the Bruins - here's hoping for a Two (2) Point Night for the boys in red.

My guess at the opening night lineup for the Capitals is now:

Forwards:
Ovechkin - Backstrom - Knuble
Semin - Morrison - Laich
Nylander - Steckel - Clark
Laing - Gordon - Bradley

Defense:
Green - Morrisonn
Poti - Jurcina
Pothier - Sloan

Goal
Theodore

I don't really think that Nyls will play but hey given he's making $5.5M, but if it were up to me - I'd play him till he gets traded or placed on LTIR - it's a cold thought but we need the Cap space if he's not going to be on the top two lines, which he isn't and that's the only way we'll get it. Best case is he plays well, showcases his talent and a deal he likes enough to agree to is offered by someone; worst case he plays as well as Boyd Kane would and gets as many minutes...so the third line will be Laing - Steckel - Clark and the fourth line will be Kane - Gordon - Bradley. Also according to the WaPo's Tarik El-Bashir the Defensive pairings will be Morrosonn - Green; Jurcina - Poti and Erskine - Pothier; that said I'm still rootoing for Sloan and Nyls to get sweaters tonight...(I gotta be me!)


Prediction: Caps 3 - Bruins 2. Should be a great game the Caps won 3 of 4 regular season contests last year against the Bruins though two went to Overtime and 1 of the other 2 was decided by a single goal. Fitting given the Bruins finished last season atop the Eastern Conference and the Capitals finished second.

The key to tonight's game for the Capitals - probably Alexander Semin. Take a look at Peerless' prognostication on the game and look at the fact that Semin was a big key in 2 of the 3 games out of four the Caps took from the Bruins last regular season...

The key for the Bruins is probably goaltending and Tim Thomas - again based on the results from last season's meetings between these two teams.

And now it's time for the beginning to begin...

LETS GO CAPS!!!