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Backstrom will ‘absolutely’ play Saturday; Grabovski ‘very ready’ to return

Pittsburgh Penguins v Washington Capitals

WASHINGTON, DC - MARCH 10: Nicklas Backstrom #19 of the Washington Capitals skates down the ice against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Verizon Center on March 10, 2014 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)

G Fiume

From our friends at CSN Washington:

Short of the NHL awarding them 10 more points for good behavior, the news out of Kettler Capitals Iceplex on Thursday could not have been better.

Center Nicklas Backstrom, who left Tuesday night’s 5-4 shootout loss to he Los Angeles Kings with what many feared was a left shoulder injury, said he felt good after Thursday’s practice and will “absolutely” play on Saturday when the Capitals continue their playoff chase against the Boston Bruins.

Center Mikhail Grabovski, who has missed 21 of the past 22 games with a left ankle injury, also skated and said he’s “very ready” to return on Saturday, adding the final call will be made by the Caps’ medical and coaching staffs.

With 10 points out of a possible 12 in their last six games, the Caps have put themselves right back into the wild-card race in the East. After hosting the Bruins Saturday, they’ll travel to Nashville to take on the Predators Sunday.

Related: The Caps are back in the playoff race, but what are their chances?