I‘ve got a story coming in the Examiner’s print edition tomorrow previewing the first Caps and Penguins game of the season. Everyone’s looking forward to it – the game is Thursday night at Mellon Arena – even as a bunch of Caps players did their best to downplay the significance.
It’s not that they don’t think it’s a big game. Trust me – every one in that room remembers the feeling they had after that Game 7 loss at home to Pittsburgh in the Eastern Conference semifinals last May. It stung for weeks, if not months. Bruce Boudreau had to force himself to sit through the whole game. Defenseman Shaone Morrisonn still hasn’t seen so much as a highlight. It just isn’t worth inflicting that kind of pain on himself. Defenseman Tom Poti has seen highlights here and there, but said he doesn’t dwell on it or think about it much.
“It hurts throughout the summer but you use it to strive to be better, as motivation for this year,” Morrisonn said. “Not too many guys talk about it. But we want to take that next step.”
The players have a point, of course. Washington went 3-0-1 against the Penguins during the regular season last year and it didn’t have much impact during the playoff series. In the end, this is still just one small slice of an 82-game season where every standings point is precious. The two teams will play each other four times between now and April 6. But I have a feeling when the Caps skate onto the ice at Mellon Arena and the crowd is booing and the music is pumping their true feelings about this game will show. There are only a handful of regular-season NHL games that truly stand out in a given year. This is absolutely one of them.
“They stole what we wanted,” said Caps forward Eric Fehr, who played the first two games of that playoff series, but was sidelined by an injured shoulder the rest of the way. “And we have to go through them to earn the Cup.”
That series was 252 days ago now. So while Washington may downplay the importance of this single game it still can serve as a measuring stick – much like Tuesday’s comeback 3-2 win over Detroit.
“[The Penguins] are the Stanley cup champs. Any team that plays against them is going to use it as a measuring stick to see how you stack up,” Poti said. “We’ll be no different tomorrow night. They’re the champs until someone beats them and takes it away from them.”
Pittsburgh won two games in overtime during that playoff series and the Caps won one of those themselves. Game 7 was an anticlimactic 6-2 Penguins win at Verizon Center and they went on to take the title – twisting the knife a little deeper as Washington watched the celebration on television. But even after that epic playoff confrontation, is there too much hype when the Penguins and Caps play in the regular season?
“Everyone is going to say yes to that question. But I’m going to say no,” said Caps defenseman Brian Pothier, who will likely sit out tonight’s game because of an undisclosed injury. “I think it’s what the [NHL] needs, what the league wants. It’s what hockey fans want. All these great players, two of the best young, energetic, exciting teams in the league playing against each other with two passionate sets of fans. I want to watch that game.”
Pittsburgh star center Sidney Crosby had a six-point night on Tuesday against the New York Islanders. He ranks fourth in the NHL with 63 points and has 32 goals – good for second overall. Caps star winger Alex Ovechkin had five points last Friday against Toronto. The two-time reigning Hart Trophy winner is third in the league with 30 goals and second in points with 65.
“Every game against Pittsburgh is that playoff mentality and playoff atmosphere,” said Caps defenseman Jeff Schultz. “You always hear about Alex and Crosby in this game. I definitely think these guys hear the hype and it kind of fuels them. But at least for Alex I know he’s way more worried about himself and our team than a rivalry with another player.”
Game Notes
» The Caps and Penguins have not played each other yet this season. Washington is 31-12-6 with 68 points and in first place in the Eastern Conference. Pittsburgh is 31-19-1 with 63 points and is in fourth place in the conference. The Penguins have won four of their last six games. Washington has won seven of eight.
» According to NHL.com, Penguins forwards Max Talbot and Pascal DuPuis are out for Thursday’s game and defenseman Sergei Gonchar is day-to-day. Former Caps goalie Brent Johnson will likely start for the Penguins as No. 1 goalie Marc-Andre Fleury deals with a broken finger.
