The Bruins and Capitals just completed their game day skates for Tuesday night's game. Tim Thomas and Jose Theodore were first off the ice for their respective teams and will man the pipes tonight. Also, Shawn Thornton will take the place of Byron Bitz on the fourth line for the Bruins.
The Bruins are trying to snap a seven-game losing streak and obviously the Capitals, who have won ten straight, are not an easy opponent to accomplish that feat against. But as head coach Claude Julien points out, the Bruins are more focused on themselves than the Capitals.
"We don't get to pick our opponents, unfortunately," Julien said. "You've got to take what comes. They've obviously been playing well. They're confident. They've got a lot of skill on that hockey club. We've got a challenge. This is something we don't control, but we feel good enough as a team right now to face that challenge."
The Capitals know that a desperate team like the Bruins could be a recipe for disaster for a confident club like themselves and they're not taking this game lightly.
"They know they're going to be playing a really good team," Washington coach Bruce Boudreau told a media scrum. "I don't care what the standings say or anything else. We know Boston is a good team. We know they're about to break out of this slump. We just don't want it to be against us."
Reigning two-time Hart Trophy winner Alexander Ovechkin echoed his coach's assessment.
"It doesn't matter what the standings say, that is a good team over there and they will be hungry," Ovechkin said.
Here's what the Bruins lineup should look like:
Forwards
Milan Lucic–Marc Savard–Miroslav Satan
Marco Sturm–Patrice Bergeron–Mark Recchi
Blake Wheeler–David Krejci–Michael Ryder
Daniel Paille–Steve Begin–Shawn Thornton
Defensemen
Zdeno Chara–Derek Morris
Matt Hunwick–Dennis Wideman
Johnny Boychuk–Adam McQuaid
Goaltenders
Tim Thomas
Tuukka Rask
