Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals
March 08, 2008, 3:00 PM 12:30 PM
Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.
TV: NBC
Last Meeting: 1/21/2008, Caps win 6-5 in the shootout.

About the Opponent

Pittsburgh Penguins: 38-24-7, 83 points, 2nd in the Atlantic Division, 4th in the Eastern Conference.

Team Leaders
Goals: Evgeni Malkin (38)
Assists: Evgeni Malkin (51)
Points: Evgeni Malkin (89)
Plus/Minus: Sidney Crosby (+16)
Penalty Minutes: Georges Laraque (113)
Fights: Georges Laraque (12)

Random Penguins Fact
In his final year in the QMJHL Sidney Crosby posted a +78 rating in 62 games for Rimouski Oceanic

Random Penguins Statistic
For all their offensive skill, the Penguins are 22nd in the league in shots on goal per game.

Keys to the Game

Washington
Unleash the fury. Actually I don’t really like that expression but if the Caps can funnel the anger and frustration over yesterday’s loss in to this game, the Penguins won’t stand a chance.

Penguins
Play defense first. With Ty Conklin coming back to Earth and Marc-André Fleury seeing more playing time, the Pens defensive situation is far from rock-solid; all the offensive weapons that the Pens have and they should generate enough offense. Concentrate on stopping the Caps and the rest should take of itself.

Players to Watch

Washington
Nicklas Backstrom - everyone’s going to talk about Alex Ovechkin vs. Crosby/Malkin, while perhaps mentioning Alex Semin as well. Backstrom might fly under the radar a little leading into the game but something tells me he wont be once the final buzzer sounds.

Penguins
Brooks Orpik - Orpik is the only member of the Penguins’ defense corps who can match up against Ovechkin, so the game may hinge on his ability to control The Great Eight.