Penguins at Capitals
The term "three-peat" is in play for both the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals, as the former hopes to travel a path to a third consecutive Stanley Cup while the latter is bidding to prevent being a speed bump on the route for the third straight year. The Penguins make what has become a familiar march to Washington on Thursday to play the opener of their Eastern Conference semifinal series versus the Capitals.
Pittsburgh eliminated Washington in six games in the 2016 conference semifinals and seven in the same round in 2017 to improved to 9-1 in postseason series between the Metropolitan Division rivals. "We've seen them a lot the past couple of years. Both teams know each other well, I think both teams know what to expect," said superstar captain Sidney Crosby, who collected 13 points (six goals, seven assists) as the Penguins began their 12th straight postseason berth by dispatching Keystone State rival Philadelphia in six games. Alex Ovechkin, who recorded five points (three goals, two assists) to help Washington split a four-game regular-season series versus Pittsburgh, made good on a guarantee as the Capitals set up another meeting with the Penguins after winning four straight to eliminate Columbus in six games. "I don't know. One day, it has to happen," the three-time Hart Trophy recipient said of upending Pittsburgh to advance to the conference final. "If we want to get success, we have to beat Pittsburgh and move forward."
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ABOUT THE PENGUINS: Forwards Evgeni Malkin (lower body) and Carl Hagelin (upper body) have been ruled out of the series opener despite skating with the team on Wednesday following injuries sustained in Games 5 and 6, respectively versus the Flyers. Riley Sheahan and Dominik Simon replaced those two forwards and skated with Phil Kessel during Wednesday's practice while Jake Guentzel filled in for Malkin on the team's top power-play unit. "We've played together a little bit this year," Kessel said of Sheahan. "Whenever you get a chance to play with someone for an extended stretch it helps. I was able to play with him for 20 games or so. You build a little chemistry. He's a good player."
ABOUT THE CAPITALS: Braden Holtby started Game 3 of the first-round series against the Blue Jackets and returned to his Vezina Trophy-winning form by winning four straight games for the first time in his playoff career. The 28-year-old Saskatchewan native turned aside 137 of 147 shots in the series to set up a date versus Pittsburgh, against which he struggled this season (1-2-0, 3.60 goals-against average, .897 save percentage). Evgeny Kuznetsov collected four points in the season series with the Penguins and has six (two goals, four assists) in the final three games of the first-round series.
OVERTIME
1. Washington matched a franchise record by scoring nine power-play goals in a series while killing off the last 16 short-handed opportunities in the first round.
2. Guentzel scored five goals and set up four others during his four-game point streak, but was limited to just two assists in four games versus the Capitals this season.
3. Washington D John Carlson recorded eight power-play points (one goal, seven assists) in the first round.