It's brief, but this is the official statement from the Capitals front office on the suspension of star center Nicklas Backstrom. He will miss Game 4 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with Boston thanks to a cross-check of Bruins forward Rich Peverley and subsequent match penalty.

"We disagree with the NHL’s decision to suspend Nicklas Backstrom.  This has been a competitive and physical series, and we do not understand why a suspension was imposed in this case while other incidents in this series have not been reviewed. Our singular focus now is on Game 4, and we look forward to the energy that our great fans provide."

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