The Washington Capitals wrapped up their latest victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins at around 6 PM EST on Saturday. Less than 24 hours later they’re scheduled to take on the Boston Bruins in back-to-back afternoon games.

That quick turnaround will keep veteran center Nicklas Backstrom out of the game. The team announced less than an hour before puck drop that Backstrom would miss out against the Bruins due to “body maintenance”.

#Caps Nicklas Backstrom (body maintenance) will not play today vs Boston.

— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) April 10, 2022

They won’t even tell us lower or upper body. Backy’s apparently just feeling Big Ugh everywhere today.

The 34-year-old center played 18:15 of ice time in the game against the Penguins. He recorded an assist on Alex Ovechkin’s game-tying, power-play goal.

Backstrom’s absence from the lineup has forced Lars Eller back to the middle of the ice after he had been lining up on the left wing of the fourth line. The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir has the full Caps lines from Sunday’s warmups as the following.

Conor Sheary reenters the picture after missing only one game with a non-COVID illness. Garnet Hathaway also returns to a more familiar role on the fourth line which forces Johan Larsson back to the left wing.

Vitek Vanecek will get his second start in April after giving up four goals on just 18 shots against the Minnesota Wild exactly one week prior.

Headline photo: Elizabeth Kong/RMNB