New faces receive first look at heated series The newest Capitals will be introduced to the heated rivalry with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night when the two undefeated teams meet at Consol Energy Center.
Much like last season’s final two meetings, the star power is missing for the Penguins. Center Sidney Crosby is still awaiting clearance from team doctors to take part in full-contact practices after last year’s debilitating concussions. And Evgeni Malkin, off to a hot start after recovering from torn knee ligaments in February, is dealing with residual “soreness” and missed Tuesday’s home opener and practice Wednesday. His status for Thursday’s game is unknown. And yet Pittsburgh enters with a 3-0-1 record.
| Up next |
| Caps at Penguins |
| When » Thursday, 7 p.m. |
| Where » Consol Energy Center, |
| Pittsburgh |
| TV » CSN |
“On every team you have your few superstars, and in their case they have two of the best in the league,” Washington forward Troy Brouwer said. “The other guys get overshadowed as a result of it. They have a lot of good guys throughout that lineup. A lot of guys can score. Great supporting cast and that’s why they win even with those guys out.”
Brouwer and fellow new additions Joel Ward, Roman Hamrlik and Tomas Vokoun get their first taste of a rivalry that has become one of the NHL’s best in recent years. The two teams met in Pittsburgh on Jan. 2 for the annual Winter Classic showcase. Jeff Halpern, another free agent signing from this summer, knows the rivalry all too well after the Caps lost to Pittsburgh in the postseason twice during his first stint with the team.
The Penguins won a seven-game classic in the second round of the 2009 Stanley Cup playoffs. But during the regular season, at least, the Caps are 7-0-1 in their last eight trips to the Steel City. And overall Washington is 10-0-2 in its last 12 games against the Penguins. The Caps are also off to a 2-0 start after wins over Carolina and Tampa Bay.
“I haven’t been part of it so not as much as probably guys who play here,” Vokoun said. “You know what? They’re a good team, and if you want to be the top team you’ve got to beat the best team. So it’s a good test for us, and it’s going to be hard game.”
Vokoun may get a chance to atone for his rough start on Monday against Tampa Bay (23 saves, 28 shots). Michal Neuvirth didn’t practice Wednesday thanks to a lower-body injury, according to Caps coach Bruce Boudreau. A recall from the American Hockey League is possible if Neuvirth can’t participate in the morning skate Thursday in Pittsburgh. In that case, either Braden Holtby or Dany Sabourin would serve as Vokoun’s backup.
“Right now [Neuvirth’s] got a lower-body injury that is day-to-day,” Boudreau said, noting that the injury wasn’t the same “tightness” that caused Neuvirth to skip a scheduled preseason start last month. “He might be there [Thursday]. We’ll see. But right now we’re taking it cautiously.”
