The Washington Capitals lost the first game of their first round Playoff series to the Boston Bruins on Thursday night, but it wasn't without a silver lining. The Caps hung with the defending Stanley Cup champions for 60 minutes before conceding the first goal of the game in overtime. Our Caps blog Japers' Rink saw enough to give them some hope for the rest of the series.
It's a series in which many have already written off the Caps, conceding the series to the Bruins before the puck has even dropped - and perhaps they'll end up being right. But if the Caps can get a few more performances from Braden Holtby like the one he rolled out at TD Bank Garden - even in a losing effort - they may just have a fighting chance.
It is a disappointing result to be certain, but the Capitals defense stepped up and stopped one of the most explosive teams for all of regulation. They were one good bounce away from winning this game themselves. If they can steal Game 2 in Boston on Saturday, it's a brand new series.
We'll have plenty more on these games and the rest of the 2012 NHL Playoffs on SB Nation D.C., so keep it locked to this StoryStream for all the latest news and updates. For more news, analysis, and discussion on Capitals hockey, please head over to Japers' Rink. For the opponent's perspective all series, check out Stanley Cup of Chowder. You can also head over to the SB Nation NHL hub page for more on hockey news as the playoffs begin.
