The second to last game of the preseason for the Boston Bruins could very well be the final chance the team’s young players have to make the opening night roster.

Boston faces off against the Washington Capital tonight, featuring a lineup made up primarily of players who are battling amongst each other in hopes of claiming the last handful of available roster spots.

“It’s a good chance, and hopefully one of those guys will grab it,” Bruins head coach Marco Sturm said this morning at Warrior Ice Arena. “We still need one or two in our lineup. There are spots up for grabs, and hopefully someone will step up.”

Forwards Matthew Poitras and Matej Blumel seem to be the leading candidates to earn a job. The two will skate on a line together alongside Alexander Steeves, with Poitras playing the pivot and Blumel on the left wing.

Still, Sturm wants to see a little more out of the two before he makes any final decisions.

“I just want them to skate and just go up and down,” said Sturm. “There’s nothing really crazy about their game. It should be a north, south game, using their speed and enjoying the moment. Their structure is fine. Now just get out, show it, and believe within themselves that they can skate with the big boys.”

Poitras has broke camp with the Bruins each of the last two seasons.  He knows that with the start of the regular season just around the corner, he has to make the absolute most out of however many opportunities he has left.

“I think for me, it’s just about finding some consistency in my game,” Poitras said. ” I feel like I’ve been showing some good things. I need to keep showing that confidence and that I want the puck. Hopefully, I can do get something going tonight and, hopefully, do something productive.”

Like his linemates tonight, Steeves is also in the mix to earn a spot on the team. He’s played in three preseason games so far, but feels he’s yet to play to the best of his abilities.

“I’m just trying to get to that as quick as possible,” said Steeves. “Some seasons, for whatever reason, right from the jump, you have it. Other seasons, maybe it takes a few games. Hopefully I can get to it tonight. If that means a simple play when the play needs to be simple, that means a simple play. If it means making a more offensive play when available, that too.”

Other players to watch tonight include John Beecher, Marat Khusnutdinov, and Fabian Lysell up front, as well as Michael Callahan, Jordan Harris, and Victor Soderstrom on the backend.

Joonas Korpisalo is expected to play the entire game in net for the Bruins, with Michael DiPietro serving as his backup.

Projected Bruins Lines:

Merkulov – Khusnutdinov – Lysell

Blumel – Poitras – Steeves

Tufte – Beecher – Kastelic

Harrison – Brown – Duran

Lohrei – Jokiharju

Harris – Aspirot

Callahan – Soderstrom

Korpisalo

DiPietro

How To Watch:

Puck drop between the Bruins and Capitals is set for 7 p.m. EST at Capital One Arena. The game can be seen on NESN or streamed on NESN 360 for out-of-market viewers. 98.5 The Sports Hub will carry the radio broadcast of the game.

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