Ovechkin, Malkin now ‘understand each other’ but rivalry continues when the puck drops
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vs. Penguins C Evgeni Malkin» The Capitals’ all-world forward took another step towards claiming his second consecutive Hart Trophy Wednesday, notching a Verizon Center-rattling goal against Montreal. Ovechkin (42 goals) has seized a seven-goal lead in the goal-scoring race with his hot play of late.» The Penguins All-Star entered the weekend to leading his team and the league with 84 points, despite Pittsburgh’s struggles. Malkin will look to continue his offensive prowess for newly-appointed interim bench boss Dan Bylsma, as the Pens seek better returns in the wins column.Capitals C Nicklas Backstrom
vs. Penguins C Sidney Crosby» Washington’s young swivel is starting to make good on scouts’ comparisons to the legendary Peter Forsberg. Ovechkin’s set-up man shook the sophomore slump that had been plaguing him early in the campaign, registering a team-leading 47 assists in 2008-09 and is beginning the flaunt an increasingly intimidating scoring ability.» The Penguins’ captain is having another strong season, piling up 74 points entering the weekend — trailing only Malkin and Ovechkin (75). Crosby has remained healthy after missing significant time last season with an ankle injury, but has been hamstrung by the absence of an elite, scoring wing (paging Marian Hossa).Capitals G Jose Theodore
vs. Penguins G Marc-Andre Fleury» Theodore, whose presence in the Caps’ goal was bemoaned by fans in the early stages of the campaign, seems intent on restoring his form from 2002 when he ruled the league as the Vezina and Hart Trophy winner. Washington will need a continued steady presence in the crease from the traditionally streaky veteran to sustain a run at Boston for the top spot in the East.» The former number-one-overall draft pick looked great for Pittsburgh last season, returning from a lengthy injury to post strong numbers and lead the Penguins to the Stanley Cup Finals. The Penguins will need better from either Fleury (2.84 GAA in 2008-09) or from the soft defense in front of him if they are going to claw their way into the playoffs.Capitals D Mike Green
vs. Penguins D Sergei Gonchar» It has been a slow month for Green, other than breaking an NHL record that stood for a quarter of a century and garnering consideration for the Norris Trophy. Whether or not the Norris talk is justified remains to be seen. What is clear is that Green has added another headache for opposing coaches looking to figure out a way to stymie the Caps’ potent attack.» Caps’ present, meet Caps’ past. Washington’s former blueliner, who just returned from a dislocated shoulder, is under the gun in the Steel City with many in Pittsburgh hoping that Gonchar’s presence will help solidify a shoddy defensive corps and can help lead this black-and-gold squad back into playoff contention. — John R. Adams
If it was a peace offering they wanted to display there was no better stage for it.
Penguins at CapitalsWhen » Sunday, 12:30Where » Verizon CenterTV/Radio » NBC/1500 AM & XMCaps notes» Sunday’s game will be televised nationally on NBC. The network will employ a “Stars Cam” that will follow Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby and Washington’s Alex Ovechkin on each shift. It will air on NBC.com and NHL.com.» The two teams will meet for the final time this season on March 8, another Sunday afternoon game that could be picked up by NBC.» The Caps won both games against Pittsburgh earlier this season — 6-3 on Jan. 14 and 4-3 on Oct. 16.
For months, rumors of a rift between the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin and Pittsburgh Penguins star center Evgeni Malkin festered. They were spurred in part by Ovechkin’s demonic play every time the two teams met as he unloaded hit after hit on his Russian countryman.
But the constant questions about a possible feud took a toll as well. So Ovechkin and Malkin — with some encouragement from Atlanta Thrashers forward Ilya Kovalchuk, a fellow Russian — teamed up at the NHL All-Star festivities last month in Montreal.
During the Superskills competition the night before the All-Star game, Ovechkin donned a fishing hat with a Canadian flag sticking out the top in front of a roaring audience. Malkin theatrically helped him don a pair of goofy, white sunglasses and then squirted a sports drink into his rivals’ mouth. Ovechkin went on to win the competition.
Feud over? Both players have publicly insisted that the whole issue — reportedly exacerbated when Ovechkin got into a nightclub fight with Malkin’s agent two summers ago in Moscow — was overblown in both the Russian and North American media.
“We talked lots and now we understand each other,” Ovechkin told reporters in Montreal last month. “But on the ice it’s still same rivals.”
For the first time since apparently ending their own personal cold war, Malkin and Ovechkin’s teams will meet on the ice Sunday afternoon at Verizon Center when the Caps and Penguins play a nationally televised game on NBC.
These games have earned tremendous hype in recent years — originally because Pittsburgh center Sidney Crosby, 21, and Ovechkin, 23, were the fresh, hyped young faces of a post-lockout NHL. It made for a too-perfect storyline that often left the two stars bristling. Then came Ovechkin’s and Malkin’s personal issues and public comments earlier this season by Caps forward Alexander Semin, another Russian, that “I don’t see anything special there” when asked his opinion about Crosby.
But Sunday’s matchup is different. After Crosby’s team won 10 of the first 12 games between the two teams since 2005, the Caps have turned the tables. Washington has won both games this season and entered the weekend tied for second-place in the Eastern Conference. Pittsburgh, meanwhile, entered the weekend in 10th place, four points out of a playoff position, and last week fired head coach Michel Therrien. That’s a precipitous fall for last year’s Stanley Cup runners-up — and lends an air of desperation to Sunday’s contest.
“[Pittsburgh] just needs to simplify everything,” said NBC analyst Mike Milbury. “They’re going to need their goaltending to be consistently good and their special teams to be superb in order to make the playoffs.”
