The Washington Capitals face the Boston Bruins with both teams on opposite ends of the standings to close out the season. The Capitals have a 34-36-9 record and will finish the season with the sixth-best record in the Metropolitan Division. The Bruins have a 63-12-5 record and with six wins in a row, they have secured the best record in the NHL and are concluding arguably the greatest regular season in league history. Both teams are looking to wrap up the season with a win and the upcoming game should be a good one as a result.
The Capitals are having a rough season despite their offense stepping up and scoring 3.06 goals per game. Alexander Ovechkin, Dylan Strome, and Evgeny Kuznetsov have scored 75 goals and 115 assists to lead the top two lines but the rest of the offense has also stepped up. Conor Sheary, T.J. Oshie, and Sonny Milano have combined for 45 goals and 58 assists while defenseman John Carlson has added nine goals and 18 assists from the point to help open up the offense.
The offense has been great but the defense has let the Capitals down this year, allowing 3.15 goals per game. Trevor van Riemsdyk and Nick Jensen have combined for 7.5 defensive point shares but the rest of the unit has struggled, allowing opponents to find open shots on the net at will. Additionally, goaltender Charlie Lindgren has struggled with a .898 save percentage and a 3.02 goals-against average on 817 shots with -4.7 goals saved above average.