Mike Knuble appears out for Caps for Game 4

Knuble scored the tying goal with 5:22 to play in the third, but also was examining his hand after he scored on a rebound and didn't skate on either of the off-days between Games 3 and 4.

Bruce Boudreau said he would not discuss Knuble's availability this morning, but the Caps players talked as if Knuble was out and Eric Fehr was in. "You know he'll be really excited to be back in," Brooks Laich said of Fehr, who has been a healthy scratch the first three games.

Jason Chimera skated in Knuble's spot during the Caps' optional skate at Madison Square Garden this morning on the right side with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom. Fehr would likely start with Laich and Marcus Johansson.

Laich said that matching lines and defense pairs hadn't decided much in the series, which has featured 10 total goals.

"I don't think the matchups are really the difference-maker here as they might be in other series," Laich said. "It just comes down to work ethic, will and want that decides it on the ice."