The Washington Capitals may not like the timing of their first meeting with the defending Stanley Cup champions.
Without Alex Ovechkin, the Caps will face the Boston Bruins Tuesday hoping to fill the void of their suspended captain.
The NHL suspended Ovechkin for three games Monday for his hit on the Pittsburgh Penguins' Zbynek Michalek Sunday. Ovechkin left his feet and made contact with Michalek's head, which was enough evidence for the league to suspend Ovechkin for the third time.
The Caps are already without Nicklas Backstrom (head injury) and Mike Green (abdominal surgery), which will be the first time since all three have been in the NHL that all three have been out of the lineup.
Meanwhile, the Bruins are leading the Eastern Conference at 31-13-2. After visiting the White House Monday, Boston will visit Verizon Center, where they split the two games with Washington last season. Tim Thomas won all three games for the Bruins against the Caps last season.