The Capitals visit the Boston Bruins tonight at TD Garden for the third and final meeting between the teams this season. The Capitals and Bruins have split the first two games of the season series, with the home team winning each contest. Aliaksei Protas (2g), Tom Wilson (2a) and Pierre-Luc Dubois (2a) lead Washington with two points apiece in two games against Boston this season. The Capitals are 73-79-21-9 all-time versus Boston. Neither the Capitals nor Bruins have won consecutive games against the other since January 2022.
Ryan Leonard, who signed his three-year entry-level contract on Monday, is expected to make his NHL debut tonight versus Boston. The Amherst, Massachusetts native was selected by Washington with the eighth overall pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and recorded 49 points (30g, 19a) in 37 games with Boston College (NCAA) this season. The 6’0”, 200-pound forward led the nation in goals and became the first NCAA player with back-to-back 30-goal seasons since Boston College's Cam Atkinson in 2009-10 and 2010-11. In addition, Leonard led the NCAA in game-winning goals (9) and ranked 10th in the country in points. Leonard, 20, is one of 10 finalists for this year’s Hobey Baker Memorial Award, given to the top NCAA men’s ice hockey player in the nation. Leonard was also named Hockey East Player of the Year and a Hockey East First Team All-Star after leading the conference in scoring.
In January, Leonard led Team USA to its second straight gold medal at the 2025 IIHF World Junior Championship, the United States’ first back-to-back World Junior gold medals in the history of the tournament. Leonard, the U.S. captain, was named tournament MVP and Best Forward after recording 10 points (5g, 5a) in seven games. Leonard recorded two primary assists in the gold medal game against Finland to help the Americans overcome a 3-1 deficit en route to a 4-3 overtime win. Leonard, a two-time World Junior gold medalist, has recorded 16 points (8g, 8a) in 14 career World Junior games, including eight points (4g, 4a) in six elimination games, five points (2g, 3a) in four medal round games and three points (1g, 2a) in two gold medal games. Leonard also represented the United States at the 2024 IIHF Men's World Championship, where he appeared in six games and recorded one assist.
