NBC Sports Washington will surround all seven potential first-round games with two hours of live news, analysis and commentary with Capitals Pregame Live and Capitals Postgame Live. Extensive Caps coverage will continue to be available on NBCSportsWashington.com and the MyTeams app throughout the postseason.
All Capitals playoff games will broadcast on 106.7 The Fan (when not conflicting with Washington Nationals baseball) and on 99.1 FM WDCH, and on the 24-hour radio channel, Caps Radio 24/7, devoted specifically to the Capitals. In addition to broadcasting all games, Caps Radio 24/7 will continue to provide instant news and access to the Capitals, including live game audio, exclusive Capitals playoff-related hockey content throughout the day. The channel is available through the Caps Mobile App by accessing the "Caps Radio 24/7" button at the bottom of the home screen, through
WashingtonCaps.com
and also through TuneIn radio, a free app that helps people find and listen to music, sports, news and talk content on the web.
Attendance at Capital One Arena for Round 1 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs will increase to 25 percent capacity (5,000 fans per game). Due to limited ticket availability, priority for ticketing was given to season ticket members. Any additional releases of inventory will be available on Ticketmaster.com.
All previously announced health and safety protocols announced by Monumental Sports & Entertainment remain in pace. Visit
http://www.monumentalsports.com/health-safety
for details.
The Capitals and Bruins matchup marks the fourth time the two franchises will meet in the playoffs (1990 Conference Final, 1998 Conference Quarterfinal, 2012 Conference Quarterfinal). Washington has an all-time series record of 2-1 against Boston and a 9-9 (includes 2020 Round Robin game in Toronto) record in playoff games. During the most recent playoff matchup in 2012, the Capitals won the series with a Game 7 overtime goal scored by Joel Ward, which, at the time, marked the second Game 7-winning goal scored in overtime in franchise history. It marked the first postseason series in NHL history to have all seven games decided by one goal.
The Capitals finished the 2020-21 season with a record of 36-15-5 and earned a spot in the playoffs for the seventh consecutive season and the 31st time in franchise history. The Capitals' run of seven consecutive postseason appearances is the second-longest stretch in franchise history (14 straight trips from 1983 to 1996). The Capitals have reached the postseason in 13 of the last 14 seasons, joining the Penguins as the only teams with as many appearances in the last 14 years.
Alex Ovechkin (69g, 62a, 131p in 136 playoff games) and Nicklas Backstrom (36g, 71a, 107p in 128 playoff games), who between them have the Capitals records for career playoff goals, assists, points and games played, will extend their shared franchise benchmark for most years in the postseason (currently 12).
