Washington Capitals' Zdeno Chara waves to the crowd after a video tribute earlier this season at TD Garden. But now he'll be looking to oust his former team in the playoffs. (AP photo)

Admit it, Puckheads, you’ve been going crazy the last few weeks.

Why? Because you know that normally, in mid-April, you’re glued to the TV every night, up till very late sometimes, watching the most compelling sports television of them all: Stanley Cup Playoff Hockey. And even better, Stanley Cup Sudden Death Playoff Hockey.

We missed it last April and May, and this April, but here we are in mid-May, and this current weekend, the Bruins are finally playing Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Saturday night in Washington, D.C.

It couldn’t have worked out any better – the Bruins vs. the Washington Capitals in the East Division first round.

Or better yet, the Bruins vs. former longtime captain Zdeno Chara.

Tom KIng

Perfect.

“I think if you look back at the start of the year, you probably could have guessed that it would play out this way,” Bruin Brad Marchand said after Monday night’s third place clinching win over the Islanders that made the first round opponent official. “Obviously, it adds another story line to the series.”

Boy does it ever. Chara left the Bruins as a free agent after basically didn’t feel he was a part-time, fill-in seventh defenseman, which is what the Bruins saw him as at this point in his career. The Capitals offered him a more full-time role, and with the shortened regular season, it made sense.

So here we are. And the intriguing thing as far as the Bruins are concerned is the fact that the trade deadline moves Boston general manager Don Sweeney said have transformed this team into one that was fading away into a bonafide Stanley Cup contender.

The Bruins lacked scoring, and Sweeney made the long awaited move for Taylor Hall, the former No. 1 pick of 2010 and MVP of three years ago. Hall, languishing in Buffalo – sadly the NHL’s latest wasteland – has been rejuvinated, with eight goals and six assists as a Bruin. They’re still talking about his overtime game-winner last Monday and his incredible talent.

“It’s probably some of the most enjoyable hockey of my career,” Hall told the media after the clinching win this past Monday night.

But of course the spotlight will be on Big Z.

“He knows (Patrice Bergeron) better than anybody, and (Brad Marchand),” Cassidy said earlier this week. “He’s seen them play for years. One of the reasons they signed Z is (for) this time of the year.

“His impact there probably hasn’t been truly felt yet and we’re going to be the first ones to find out what it is.”

Do the B’s have what it takes? The NHL changed formats this year with the divisions to cut down on travel and keep teams contained to regions, the same opponents, etc.

We’ve seen tons of games against the same teams, and now we see them again in the playoffs. It was like this, some may remember, several years ago when you had to play out of your division, creating instant rivalries and what we all love to see – playoff animosity.

Can the Bruins claw their way past the Capitals and then take on likely the Pittsburgh Penguins in the division finals/Cup quarterfinals?

This is a tougher road than the one they had two years ago when they made the Stanley Cup Finals, a playoff run that was crushing when they lost to St. Louis after it looked like another Cup was headed to Causeway Street.

Last summer, of course, was more or less a blur, almost surreal. The playoffs were in a bubble, no fans, there was goaltender Tuukka Rask having to bolt due to a family emergency, etc. It was like Puckhead Purgatory.

And OK, this year is still a later start than usual. But fans will be at the TD Garden, it’s May, and it’s playoff time.

Life is good, Bruins fans. Enjoy.

Tom King may be reached at tking@nashuatelegraph.com, or@Telegraph _TomK.

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