Today's Officials
Referees Jean Hebert (15), Graham Skilliter (24)
Linesmen Ryan Daisy (81), Brian Murphy (93)
Ntl. Anthem Rene Rancourt
WAYBACK MACHINE
BOSTON vs WASHINGTON, LIFETIME SERIES
The Bruins and Capitals are meeting for the 154th time in their histories with the Bruins having a 76-46-21-10 record and a 500--425 scoring edge in those games.
The Bruins are 42-21-9-4 in their 76 home games of this lifetime series with a 256-199 scoring advantage in those contests.
The Bruins are winless in their last 8 games vs. the Capitals at 0-6-2, including a 4-3 OT loss in Washington on 12/7 & 5-3 road loss on 2/7 in the 1st 2 games of this season’s series … They are 2-8-5 in their last 15 games overall vs. the Capitals with their last win a 4-2 road victory on 3/29/14 … They are 4-4-2 in their last 10 games vs. Washington in Boston but are 0-2-1 in their last 3 contests with their last home win a 3-0 Tuukka Rask shutout on 3/6/14.
The 8-game winless streak vs. Washington is Boston’s longest such current stretch vs. any opponent.
TODAY’S GAME-
The Bruins host the Capitals today in the 3rd & final game between these teams and the Capitals’ lone visit this season to TD Garden… The Bruins are 44-30-7 thus far this season with a 23-16-1 mark on home ice … They are 9-9-5 vs. Metropolitan Division opponents and are 27-19-7 vs. Eastern Conference teams this season.
They clinched a playoff berth with a 4-0 win vs. Tampa Bay on 4/6 & are concluding their regular season schedule today.
They are playing their 13th & final matinee of the season today & are 10-2-0 so far in afternoon contests.
MILESTONES APPROACHING
Drew Stafford is 1 point short of his 400th NHL point.
David Backes is 2 points shy of his 500th NHL point.
INJURIES (160 total man-games lost)
Tim Schaller – Lower body injury suffered 3/8 vs DET; Has missed 14 games.
Jimmy Hayes – Lower body injury suffered 4/1 vs FLA; Has missed 3 games.
Torey Krug – Lower body injury suffered 4/6 vs OTT.
Noel Acciari – Upper body injury suffered 4/6 vs OTT.
The Boston Bruins will leave the TD Garden ice after their regular-season finale against the Washington Capitals on Saturday not knowing their opponent in the upcoming Stanley Cup playoffs or whether they will or will not have home ice advantage.
And one of their three potential first round opponents is ... the Washington Capitals.
The Caps, who come in with nothing to play for after already wrapping up their second straight Presidents' Trophy, can play the spoiler role and perhaps even hand pick the Bruins as their opponent with a win Saturday.
If they do try to do that, it might be for good reason -- the Caps are trying to finish off their fourth straight three-game season series sweep over the Bruins and haven't lost to Boston since March 29, 2014. Goaltender Braden Holtby is 11-2-0 with a 1.80 goals-against average lifetime against Boston.
And the Caps, who have won three straight and nine of their last 10, will face a team missing two of its most important offensive players as the Bruins will be without the suspended Brad Marchand and Torey Krug, their most mobile and offensive defenseman.
Krug injured his right knee in the first period of Thursday night's 2-1 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday night and the absence of both players clearly had an effect on the 3-on-3 overtime period.
Speaking about Marchand, David Pastrnak, who was stopped by Craig Anderson on a second-period breakaway, said, "He is one of our best players. So, you always miss your best players. He's a key to our offense, so you always miss those players."
The Bruins have lost all 10 games against the Caps, Leafs and Senators, their three potential playoff opponents.
The Senators ended Boston's six-game winning streak and moved a point ahead of the Bruins, who clinched a spot Tuesday, into second place in the Atlantic Division, with a game in hand heading into the final weekend.
They also grabbed a three-point lead over the fourth-place Toronto Maple Leafs as the Sens, Bruins and Leafs all battle for the right to not play the Capitals in the first round. The Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders were also hanging on prior to play Friday night.
The Caps, who also play Sunday, come to town without John Carlson and Brett Connolly. Carlson will miss his third straight game with a lower body injury, while Connolly got sick Thursday.
Coach Barry Trotz said Friday he thinks Carlson could play Sunday against Florida but added, "But if there's any doubt, we're going to hold him off until the playoffs." He thinks Connolly will play in the regular-season finale.
Paul Carey, who hails from the Boston area, could replace Connolly in his first game since being recalled from the minors. Whether he plays or not, he will have to come up with all kinds of tickets.
"It's going to cost him a little bit, this game," Trotz said in the Washington Post. "It's a little tough for him. He might have to cut it off and just do the parents."
Anton Khudobin, who has won six straight starts after a first half that was so poor he wound up in the minor leagues, will start against the Caps. Tuukka Rask, 1-9-5 with a 3.14 goals-against average and .887 save percentage lifetime against the Caps, will start for the Bruins.
Interim coach Bruce Cassidy, 18-7-1 since taking over for the fired Claude Julien, said Friday no healthy players will be rested. He will be missing Marchand and the injured Krug and Noel Acciari (upper body).
There was no official decision on whether Jakob Forsbacka-Karlsson, who dressed for warm-ups Thursday after securing his work visa, might make his NHL debut with three forwards injured.
According to the Bruins' Twitter account, Cassidy said, "He's a possibility for sure ... we'll have some decisions to make tomorrow morning."
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but will be checking the game throughout the day. Hoping we pick up the "W" and would be funny if the Leafs lose both games and Tampa wins there last game 
