Bruins Projected Lines, Defensive Pairings For Capitals Matchup

There will be plenty at stake Monday evening when the Bruins and the Capitals meet at Capital One Arena.

Boston still is in a fight for the Atlantic Division crown and can earn it by winning the final two games on its regular-season schedule. The first challenge on the Bruins’ back-to-back will be a tilt with a Washington team that currently has a hold on an Eastern Conference wild-card spot but hasn’t yet clinched a playoff berth.

Head coach Jim Montgomery on Monday morning rolled with slightly tweaked third and fourth lines coming off Saturday’s win in Pittsburgh. Pat Maroon and Jesper Boqvist remained on the fourth line but were joined by Johnny Beecher, who was on Morgan Geekie’s left against the Penguins.

Jakub Lauko, who played well alongside Boqvist and Maroon at PPG Paints Arena, was Boston’s third line left wing at its latest morning state.

On the blueline, Matt Grzelcyk was the odd man out hours before puck drop. Brandon Carlo was paired with Parker Wotherspoon, while Kevin Shattenkirk remained in the fold alongside Andrew Peeke.

Jeremy Swayman is in line to start in between the pipes for the Bruins for their penultimate game before the Stanley Cup playoffs begin.

Here are the projected lines and pairings for Monday’s contest in the nation’s capital:

BRUINS (47-18-15)
Danton Heinen–Pavel Zacha–David Pastrnak
Brad Marchand–Charlie Coyle–Jake DeBrusk
Jakub Lauko–Morgan Geekie–Trent Frederic
Pat Maroon–Jesper Boqvist–Johnny Beecher

Hampus Lindholm–Charlie McAvoy
Parker Wotherspoon–Brandon Carlo
Kevin Shattenkirk–Andrew Peeke

CAPITALS (38-31-11)
Alex Ovechkin–Connor McMichael–T.J. Oshie
Aliaksei Protas–Dylan Strome–Tom Wilson
Max Pacioretty–Hendrix Lapierre–Sonny Milano
Beck Malenstyn–Nic Dowd–Nicolas Aube-Kubel

Martin Fehervary–John Carlson
Trevor van Riemsdyk–Vincent Iorio
Alexander Alexeyev–Dylan McIlrath

Charlie Lindgren