Here are five thoughts from the first period with the Bruins and Capitals locked in a scoreless tie aftert the first 20 minutes of Game 1 at TD Garden.
1) Cheap move by Jay Beagle tripping David Krejci on the faceoff at center ice and then butt-ending him in the face when the Bs center tried to get up afterward. Beagle gets whistled for a four-minute penalty and we start to see the Dale Hunter-type influence on the series and Washington.
2) It appears the Bruins strategy is throw as much rubber at Braden Holtby as possible. Makes sense given that its a rookie goaltender, but now Holtby has made nine saves and built up a little confidence. Not enough traffic in the first period from the Bruins for a young goaltender looking for a foothold.
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3) Dennis Wideman getting booed every time he touches the puck. Its like old times all over again.
4) How is the Washinton power play as bad as it is? They manage only a single shot on net after a quasi-bogus boarding call against David Krejci when Dennis Wideman turned his back to the center when he saw him coming.
5) It appears pretty simple: The Bruins strategy involves pounding Mike Green with physicality and grinding him down, and the Bruins are doing the exact same thing with Dennis Seidenberg. Zdeno Chara also had Alex Ovechkin teed up from all the way across the other side of the ice, but Ovie side-stepped the onrushing 6-foot-9 missile right at the last moment. Four hits for Ovechkin and three apiece for Shawn Thornton and Chara.