A late season flourish by the Washington Capitals (42-32-8, 92 points) and swoon by the Ottawa Senators earned Washington the No. 7 seed in the 2012 Eastern Conference playoffs and a matchup with the No. 2 seed and defending Stanley Cup Champion Boston Bruins (49-29-4, 102 points).
The NHL just released the official playoff bracket and schedule, and the Capitals vs. Bruins series will begin in Boston on Thursday evening at 7:30 p.m. ET. Here is the full series schedule:
2012 EASTERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS
Thursday, April 12 at Boston, 7:30 p.m. NBC Sports Network, CBC
Saturday, April 14 at Boston, 3:00 p.m. NBC, CBC
Monday, April 16 at Washington, 7:30 p.m. NBC Sports Network, CBC
Thursday, April 19 at Washington, 7:30 p.m. NBC Sports Network, CBC
*Saturday, April 21 at Boston, 3:00 p.m. NBC, CBC
*Sunday, April 22 at Washington TBD
*Wednesday, April 25 at Boston TBD
Washington won three of the four meetings with Boston in the regular season, the most recent being a 3-2 shootout victory on March 29. Both teams are entering the game on a roll. The Capitals have won five of their last seven games overall, while Boston is 9-2-1 in their last dozen contests.
For more news, analysis, and discussion on Capitals hockey, please head over to Japers' Rink. For a view from the other bench, check out SB Nation's Bruins blog 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.
