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Nicklas Backstrom Apologizes for Cross-Checking Rich Peverley, Says ‘It Was Stupid on My Part’

Maybe it's because they realized they have awakened a sleeping bear, or maybe they truly are sorry. In any event, handing out apologies seems to be a common theme amongst the Capitals following Game 3 against the Bruins.

A day after Karl Alzner apologized to Brad Marchand for an elbow to the head, Nicklas Backstrom apologized for cross-checking Rich Peverley in the face.

"[Peverley] was going after Ovi [Alex Ovechkin] first and then I was just turning around, so that's all I can say," Backstrom told reporters Wednesday. "I'm sorry about that. It was stupid on my part."

The apology is nice, but it'll do nothing to reverse the one-game suspension that Backstrom received as a result of the match penalty he was assessed for the cross-check. Backstrom will sit out Game 4 in Washington on Thursday.

The Capitals issued a statement regarding Backstrom's suspension on Wednesday, saying that they don't understand the ban and disagree with the NHL's ruling.

The Caps trail the B's 2-1 in the best-of-seven series, which is a small hole, but one that just got a whole lot harder to crawl out of.

Click here to see Brendan Shanahan's explanation of the Backstrom suspension >>