Charlie McAvoy says that while it’s always fun to play against old teammate Zdeno Chara, the Bruins aren’t looking at their playoff series against the Capitals any differently as a result.
It didn't even take a full period for the goaltending depth of the Washington Capitals to be tested in Game 1 of the team's first-round Stanley Cup Playoff series versus the Boston Bruins.
UPDATE (Saturday, May 15 at 8:30 p.m. ET): Vitek Vanecek has been ruled out for the remainder of the game, according to the Capitals.
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The Bruins tied the game at a goal apiece at 13:10 of the opening period when Boston winger Jake DeBrusk scored off a faceoff win.
Capitals goalie Vitek Vanecek tried to make the save and appeared to be in some pain as he got back to his feet.
Vanecek eventually exited the game and was replaced by 39-year-old veteran Craig Anderson.
Anderson is the most experienced goaltender available to the Capitals with 18 NHL seasons under his belt, including 46 career postseason appearances. However, Saturday's series opener is just the fifth appearance for Anderson this season. It's also Anderson's first playoff action since Game 7 of the 2017 Eastern Conference Final when he played for the Ottawa Senators.
Goalie depth/injuries have been an issue for the Capitals throughout 2021. Offseason signing Henrik Lundqvist missed the entire year after heart surgery in January. Ilya Samsonov, who entered the season as the No. 1 netminder, is currently in the league's COVID-19 protocols and not in the lineup for Game 1.