The newest Capitals will be introduced to the heated rivalry that it Pittsburgh-Washington 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 suffering torn knee ligaments in February, is dealing with residual “soreness” and missed Tuesday’s home opener and practice on Wednesday. His status for Thursday’s game is up in the air. And yet, Pittsburgh enters with q 3-0-1 record.
“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 last Jan. 2 for the annual Winter Classic showcase. Jeff Halpern, another free-agent signing from this summer, knows the rivalry all too well after his first stint with the Caps when they twice lost to Pittsburgh in the postseason. Nothing new for Brouwer, whose old team – the Chicago Blackhawks – has an ongoing fued with the Vancouver Canucks after a pair of playoff wars. Chicago also sees Original 6 rival Detroit six times a year in the Central Division.
“No, that’s not even our big one. Our big one in Chicago was with Vancouver now,” Brouwer said. “And so those games were pretty intense. I’m assuming that it’s the same type of hockey here. You go into these games and everybody’s up for these games. It’s those games that you have to win and you really want to win. You judge your team how well you do against them.”
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, including last year’s Winter Classic victory. And overall Washington is 10-0-2 in its last 12 games against the Penguins.
“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 on Wednesday thanks to a lower-body injury, according to Caps coach Bruce Boudreau. A recall from the AHL is possible if Neuvirth can’t participate in the morning skate on 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.”
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