NHL Playoffs 2012: Loose Attitude Will Key Boston Bruins' Victory over Capitals

The Boston Bruins have proven in the past that they can maintain the kind of loose attitude they need to win when their season hangs in the balance, and that same attitude will be their secret on Wednesday night in the final game of the first round of the playoffs against the Capitals.

Boston staved off elimination in Sunday's Game 6 when Tyler Seguin netted the game-winner in overtime, forcing the decisive Game 7.

The pressure is enough to destroy the psyche of any player on any team, but the Bruins and the Capitals are refusing to let it get to them. A tweet from the Bruins' official account on Wednesday morning said it all:

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I asked several B's if Gm7s were fun to play and got a unanimous and emphatic yes. As such, room was reasonably loose...^BISH

— Boston Bruins (@NHLBruins) April 25, 2012"

The Bruins have been here before. During last season's Stanley Cup run, they played a Game 7 in the first round at home against the Canadiens, and they claimed a thrilling 4-3 overtime win. Their semifinals series against the Lightning went to seven games as well, and the B's took that one 1-0.

In the Stanley Cup finals, they needed to win Game 6 at home to keep the series alive, and they did before winning Game 7 on the road in Vancouver, 4-0.

Obviously, Boston has had plenty of recent experience in this field. Forward Brad Marchand told the Associated Press that the secret to winning is staying focused and concentrating on playing hard for the entire game, regardless of its implications: 

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We know we have to battle for 60 minutes right down to the last buzzer. But in Game 7, anything can happen. It's usually a lucky bounce or a minor mistake that will decide the game. So we have to be prepared to play our best game yet in this series. 

"

The Capitals have been similarly loose after failing to clinch a trip to the second round in Game 6. But they haven't played a Game 7 since 2010, when they lost on home ice to the Canadiens in the first round. Last season, after dispatching the Rangers in five games, they were swept by Tampa Bay in the quarterfinals.

Capitals rookie goaltender Braden Holtby has been astoundingly good in the postseason. At times, he’s outplayed reigning Vezina Trophy winner Tim Thomas. But Holtby has never played in a Game 7 before, never mind a Game 7 on the road. In that sense, Thomas has a leg up on him.

But then again, who would have thought Holtby would be able to get the Caps this far?

Boston, too, has lost its fair share of Game 7's. Who can forget that historic collapse against the Flyers in the 2010 quarterfinals? Now, however, they seem to be feeding off of the success that keyed them to victory last year, when they figured out how to withstand the pressure.

But like Marchand said, it's Game 7. Anything can happen, and it comes down to which team is more prepared for anything.