Washington Capitals eliminate the Boston Bruins from the playoffs.

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11. What kept them afloat last year was missing

What kept them afloat last year was missing
In a series that saw all seven games decided by one goal (an NHL first), four of them in overtime, the seventh-seeded Washington Capitals consistently were that little bit better, shift after shift and night after night - and that in the end added up to being the team that now stands 12 victories from winning the Cup this year.

The Bruins, failing for a sixth time in franchise to history to repeat as a Cup winner, were let down in a number of crucial areas, including:

■Their best players weren’t their best players.

“That’s part of the issue, for sure,’’ noted coach Claude Julien, his club flat out of the gate in Game 7. “We needed more out of some players.’’

That was especially true of Milan Lucic and David Krejci, who combined for but one goal and six points over the seven games. But overall, as a group, the forwards failed to put sustained pressure on rookie goalie Braden Holtby, be it with good first shots or follow-up, rebound attempts.http://www.boston.com/sports/hockey/bruins/articles/2012/04/26/what_kept_them_afloat_last_year_was_missing/

It was an incredibly close series, but the Caps had the edge most of the way.

Good luck to them moving forward - their franchise is overdue for some success.