Electric Win in Pittsburgh

Regardless of the result, last night's game in Pittsburgh showed why this is the most exciting sport in the world. The Capitals and Penguins put on an absolute show at the Mellon Arena trading leads all night long. Fittingly enough, the shootout also lead up to the hype as Ovechkin and Semin, who have notoriously struggled in the discipline, both tallied goals to give the Caps their first victory in Pittsburgh in the "new" NHL.

With Sidney Crosby on the shelf, the game was hyped as "Russian vs Russian". And did they ever live up to the expections. Evgeni Malkin and Alex Ovechkin both had two goals and one assist. For Malkin the output raised his season totals to 26 goals and 30 assists for 56 points in 48 games. For Ovechkin, the two goals gave him 38 on the season, passing the Thrashers Ilya Kovolchuk for the NHL lead.

Despite those amazing performances from the Russian superstars, the night was stolen by a Swede. Nicklas Backstrom became the first rookie in NHL history to record back-to-back 4 assist games. He is now second in the league in scoring among first-year players just five points behind Patrick Kane.

If you missed it, shame on you, but even if you witnessed it live, you must relive the experience by checking out the highlights again.

Caps/Penguins Preview

Washington Capitals (23-26-9, 55 points)
at
Pittsburgh Penguins (31-17-9, 71 points)

Television: NBC
Radio: Sportstalk 980-AM
Gametime: 3:30 PM ET


Following the Florida Panthers unlikely win over the division leading Tampa Bay Lightning last night, the Capitals find themselves in sole possession of last place in the Southeast Division and 14th place in the Eastern Conference, heading into today's game against their hated rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Once again the Caps will face one of the hottest teams in the NHL as the Penguins are 13-0-2 in their last 15 games and have not lost in regulation since January 10th at Florida. This comes on the hands of a nice performance against a red hot Tampa team who entered Thursday night's contest with a 13-3-1 record in their last 17 games.

The Penguins have won both of the previous meetings this season including a nationally televised game at the Verizon Center on Versus back on December 11. In that game the Caps jumped out to a 4-0 lead before falling in a shootout 5-4 thanks to an outstanding performance by Evgeni Malkin. In the second meeting the Caps were shutout by Pittsburgh at the Mellon Arena on Febuary 3rd with goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury's 30 saves stealing the show.

The Capitals are finally healthy on their blue line for the first time in a long while, as the return of Brian Pothier and John Erskine to go along with the outstanding play of Milan Jurcina and Shaone Morrisonn, should provide an outstanding challenge to Pittsburgh's outstanding young forwards. If they can build on the solid outing they had in Tampa, shutting down Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier for the majority of the game, the Caps will have a shot at pulling the upset.

If that is to happen though they are going to need help from their two young superstars in Alex Ovechkin and Alexander Semin. Both players have been slumping as of late, after averaging over a point per game for the season, they have combined for just 4 points (2 goals and 2 assists) over their last 6 games.

The Caps desperately need a two point result in this game as they are now 11 points behind the eighth place Toronto Maple Leafs for the final playoff spot.

Offense is Offensive

Improved Defensive Performance Spoiled as Caps are Shutout for the Third Time This Season
Pittsburgh Penguins 2, Washington Capitals 0
Boxscore
(Photo courtesy of Keith Srakocic/AP)


Whether it was the presence of a newly acquired defenseman in Milan Jurcina, or a determination to refocus on playing traditional Capitals' hockey, the Caps played their most complete game of the season defensively. They shut down the NHL's leading point scorer in Sidney Crosby and the leading Calder Trophy favorite in Evgeni Malkin, keeping them both off the scoreboard and denying them any significant opportunities.

Jurcina made his debut with the Washington Capitals today and made himself right at home, pairing up with former Providence Bruins teammate Shaone Morrisson. He wasted no time making an impact stopping Sidney Crosby as he attempted to go coast to coast just four minutes in. Crosby maneuvered his way around three Capitals players, but a Jurcina pokecheck stopped him from moving in on Kolzig.

Unlike previous games where the team has struggled out of the gate, the Capitals controlled the action early on recording 8 of the games first 9 shots. Six minutes in, Chris Clark had the best scoring chance with two point blank shots in front of Fleury on the power play. During the same man advantage, Alex Ovechkin served the Penguins notice that the Caps were here to play when he drilled Maxime Talbot in the open ice as he had his head down while trying to clear the puck out of his defensive zone. After taking a moment to regain his senses, Talbot headed off to the locker room for repairs. He did return later in the game.

The middle of the second period set the tone for the remainder of the game. Moments after a Steve Eminger shot rang off the post, Ronald Petrovicky beat Kolzig on a weak shot as he entered the offensive zone on a 2 on 2 situation. He faked a slap shot then squeezed a wrist shot between Kolzig's glove and right pad. The goal was an unassisted marker for Petrovicky's 2nd of the season.

That goal would be all Pittsburgh would need as despite the Caps outshooting the Penguins 30-20, they were unable to penetrate goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. He stopped all 30 of those shots for his 4th shutout of the season, improving his record to 24-12-6. The key to Fleury's success was his ability to control the first shot from the Capitals and prevent any rebounds.

Rookie Jordan Staal put the game away with 37 seconds to go as he scored an empty net goal to make it 2-0.

The shutout meant an end to Alex Ovechkin's career high point scoring streak at 13 games. It was an uncharacteristic game for Ovechkin who did not record his first shot of the game until the 7 and a half minute mark of the third period.

The loss was the Caps fifth out of their last six games overall and tenth of their last eleven on the road, dropping their record to 21-25-7. The Penguins extended their winning streak to six games and improved to 25-17-8.

Game Notes:

Milan Jurcina's debut meant Lawrence Nycholat was a healthy scratch for the first time since his recall from Hershey on December 23rd. He had been slumping as of late, recording a -7 defensive rating in his last five games.... Daren Machesney backed up Kolzig for the second consecutive game as Brent Johnson remained out with a "body" injury(?).... The loss means the Caps are now 3-17-1 in the last 21 regular season games at Pittsburgh.... The Caps were shut out for the first time since a 5-0 loss at Carolina November 9th.... The 20 shots allowed by Washington was their fewest of the season.... A Boston win at Carolina tonight would drop the Caps to 14th in the conference.

Caps/Penguins Preview

Washington Capitals (21-24-7, 49 points)
at
Pittsburgh Penguins (25-17-8, 58 points)

Television: Comcast Sportsnet
Radio: Sportstalk 980-AM
Gametime: 1:00 PM ET


Following their embarrassing performance in Florida on Thursday night, the Capitals travel to Pittsburgh for a Saturday afternoon matinée with the Penguins at the Mellon Arena. The Caps head into the game having lost three straight and nine of their last ten games on the road. On the other hand, the Penguins have been on a roll as of late riding a five game winning streak entering today's contest.

One of the problems that has plagued the Caps all year, and especially as of late with injuries, has been the play of their defensemen. They hope to get a big boost today from Milan Jurcina, who is expected to make his debut with the team after being acquired from Boston Thursday afternoon for a 4th round pick in 2008. He took Brian Pothier's spot on the active roster after Pothier was placed on the injured reserve list yesterday with a concussion. He could see action on a defensive pairing with his former AHL Providence Bruins teammate Shaone Morrisonn. His hard slap shot could also give him some time on the second team power-play.

While the Capitals were struggling in Florida, the Penguins were busy blowing a 4-2 lead at home against the Montreal Canadians. They were able to regroup and come away with two points after Evgeni Malkin won the game for them in the shootout. The win moved the Penguins into a three-way tie for six place in the Eastern Conference.

It's a tale of two teams going in opposite directions as the Penguins have posted a 9-2-2 record during the new year, while the Caps have gone 5-8-0 for 2007.

Alex Ovechkin enters the game looking to extend his career high 13 game point scoring streak. After his goal against the Panthers he now has 33 on the year to go along with 37 assists for 70 points on the season, putting him in a tie for second in the NHL with the Lightning's Martin St. Louis, 12 points behind the Penguins' Sidney Crosby.

The game will mark the end of a three game road trip for the Caps, which up to now has been winless. They will return home with another matinée on Super Bowl Sunday against the New York Islanders at 1:00 PM ET at the Verizon Center. To purchase tickets visit Ticketmaster.com.

Ovechkin vs Crosby

By this time, we've heard and engaged in the debate over and over again. If you could build your franchise around one of these two young superstars, which would you choose? In the newest issue of The Hockey News magazine, columnists Ken Campbell and Mike Brophy provide what I believe to be the best argument so far. More specifically Ken Campbell provides the best case as to why your choice should be Ovechkin.




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Campbell: "I looked at the stats this morning. Alex Ovechkin 77 career goals, Sidney Crosby 58 career goals. Goals are what make things happen in the NHL. You can get a goal without an assist, but you can't get an assist without a goal. Ovechkin is by far the better goal-scorer, he's more dynamic, more explosive, he speaks his mind. Sidney Crosby never does. He just completely shuts it down and gives you cliche after cliche. If we're looking at growing this game, Ovechkin is the dominant personality. He's the dominant player and he does it with way less of a supporting cast that Crosby does. He's out-and-out the better player.

Brophy: "You tried to sell me on Wayne Gretzky over Bobby Orr on if he never scored a goal he would have led the NHL in scoring by assists and now you're undermining the value of an assist."

Campbell: "Gretzky's still the all-time leading goal-scorer, too, though."

Brophy: "You're undervaluing an assist. Sidney Crosby is younger. Sidney Crosby has more pressure on him. The expectations for him to be great have been there for a long time. If we're going to talk about selling the game, we're getting into personalities. I'm talking about Sidney Crosby the hockey player. Crosby is on a mission to be the best player in the world. I think Alexander Ovechkin is on a mission to be a great player. Sidney Crosby has set himself up for the harder chore of the two. I get a sense watching the two that while they both strive for greatness, Sidney Crosby will be the first to lead his team to a championship and will have more to do with his team winning the championship than Ovechkin will."

Campbell: "I just see a guy in Ovechkin who's intensely committed. I think he wants to be every bit as good as Sidney Crosby. He wants to be the best player in the world just like Sidney does. What may set them apart is Sidney Crosby, the way he plays the game, is goinBg to break down a lot sooner than Alexander Ovechkin will. Crosby won't last as long because he plays the game too recklessly and leaves himself much more vulnerable to injury than Ovechkin does."

Brophy: "I love Sidney's intensity. In the end it may be his undoing - he's the epitome of a guy who will go through a brick wall to succeed. In a 1-on-1 showdown, and this has been proven in their showdowns, Sidney will come out on top."

Campbell: "Except, of course, at last year's NHL Awards. I don't think he came out on top there. I could be wrong..."

The fact is you can't go wrong with either one. And while they are both top of the line superstars, they are very different when it comes to their playing styles. Ovechkin emits more passion for the game in the emotions he shows both on and off the ice. Crosby has that same love of the game but he is just a more passive person personality wise. Campbell's best argument is when he brings up the issue of goal scoring. Ovechkin is by far and away the better and more explosive goal scorer of the two. He is also the faster skater of the two, and can use that speed to absolutely blow by defenders. Crosby's 4-0-1 record in head to head match-ups so far is meaningless, as both teams are just in the beginning stages of rebuilding their rosters. It remains to be seen whether Brophy's prediction of Crosby winning a championship first comes to fruition. Hopefully Ovechkin will prove him wrong and finally bring the Stanley Cup to Washington.

The Hockey News Editor Jason Kay had this idea on a way to spice up the All-Star game:
"A team of 30-and-older players against a team of 29-and-under. Imagine Sidney Crosby and Alexander Ovechkin trying to work their magic against Nicklas Lidstrom and Scott Niedermayer, Martin Brodeur vs Cam Ward, Chris Chelios trying to stop Jordan Staal. There would certainly be a lot more pride on the line under this scenario than there is when East meets West."

I love it. It would provide a way to inspire a more exciting game. The young guys trying to take down the veterans. And the old guys trying to show the young guys whose boss. Just another way to liven up the game a little.

Around the NHL

Here are some good articles from issues around the NHL. Read, rate, and discuss.

1. Everyone is talking about the state of the Pittsburgh Penguins and their talk of relocating the franchise. But there is another franchise that arguably is worse shape, the Florida Panthers. An ESPN article by Damien Cox describes their troubles.
   
2. The Edmonton Oilers are in involved in talks for a new arena to replace the aging Rexall Place. They have seven years remaining on their current lease and would like to move into a new downtown arena at that time.
3. Sean Burke has a new home after being claimed on waivers by the Los Angeles Kings.
4. The highly debated Rail Cam will be used during the NHL All-Star game, and will be available in HD.
5. Speaking of the All-Star game, Joe Sakic and Brendan Shanahan were named All-Star captains.
6. The AHL All-Star game will be broadcast to over 100 million homes throughout the US and Canada.
7. The American Conference defeated the National Conference 6-3 in the ECHL All-Star game last night. The game was available free of charge via b2networks.
8. I refuse to come to a conclusion about the new uniforms until a see more about them. But here's an article on what Gary Bettman has to say about them.
9. A nice article on the Hershey Bears recapping their first half of the season. It also announces that Coach Bruce Boudreau will return next season to the Bears as the Capitals have picked up their option in his contract.