The Washington Capitals are in Boston on April Fools’ Day to take on the Bruins for the final time this season. The two teams have split their previous two games this season, leaving Tuesday night’s game as the decider in the season series.
While Ryan Leonard’s upcoming NHL debut is the big story ahead of puck drop, the Capitals and head coach Spencer Carbery also had other lineup news after the team’s morning skate. Carbery revealed that Matt Roy, a mainstay in the Caps’ defense corps this season, will not play against the Bruins due to “family reasons.”
Per Carbery, Roy is not currently with the team in Boston. Carbery did not specify whether he expects Roy to be back in the lineup Wednesday when the Capitals finish up their two-game road trip against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Veteran rearguard Dylan McIlrath, who has not featured in a game in over three months, will replace Roy against the Bruins. McIlrath’s last action this season also came on the road in Boston, but only sparingly, as he played just 1:45 of ice time as the Capitals’ seventh defenseman on December 23. Carbery has previously signaled that he wants to get McIlrath and fellow healthy scratch Alex Alexeyev time in the lineup ahead of the playoffs, though Roy’s family circumstances ultimately forced the change.
Carbery also shared that Taylor Raddysh will be sent to the press box to accommodate Leonard’s NHL arrival. Leonard is set to skate with Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas, likely forcing Connor McMichael down to third-line duty.
Projected Capitals lines against Bruins:
Ovechkin
Dubois
Wilson
Protas
Strome
Leonard
McMichael
Eller
Mangiapane
Duhaime
Dowd
Beauvillier
Sandin
Carlson
Chychrun
TVR
Fehervary
McIlrath
Lindgren
Thompson
Charlie Lindgren will get the start in net for the Capitals as they attempt to stave off their first four-game losing streak of the season. Lindgren was the better of the team’s two goaltenders in March, posting a 3-2 record with a 2.38 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage.
Lindgren took the loss in his only other appearance against the Bruins this year, allowing three goals on 21 shots. In five career games against Boston, Lindgren is 2-2-1 with a 1.66 goals-against average, a .933 save percentage, and two shutouts.
Alex Ovechkin comes into the game just five goals away from passing Wayne Gretzky for sole possession of the NHL’s all-time goals record. Ovechkin has 29 goals in 68 career games against the Bruins and one goal in seven games against Bruins starter Jeremy Swayman.
The Bruins come into Tuesday’s game on a league-worst five-game losing streak. They have plummeted to 15th in the Eastern Conference, just one standings point (69) ahead of the Buffalo Sabres (68) for last place.
