Capitals at Penguins
The Washington Capitals made a statement in their season opener that they are not the reigning Stanley Cup champions by accident. They'll attempt to prove that their six-game victory in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs also was no fluke when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins for a rematch on Thursday.
The Capitals, who had a history of being underachievers in the postseason, shed that tag in 2017-18 as they ousted Columbus, Pittsburgh and Tampa Bay before defeating expansion Vegas in five games to claim the first championship in franchise history. Washington got off to a strong start in its defense of that title on Wednesday, extending its winning streak against visiting Boston to 13 games with a dominant 7-0 triumph as Evgeny Kuznetsov scored twice while Braden Holtby made 25 saves. Pittsburgh finished five points behind Metropolitan Division-winning Washington last season but was a force at home, registering a conference-high 30 victories at PPG Paints Arena while finishing below .500 on the road (17-20-4). The Penguins placed three players in the top 10 in league scoring, with Evgeni Malkin leading the club with 98 points (fourth overall) and 42 goals (tied for fourth).
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet One, Sportsnet 360, TVA, NBCS Washington, AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (1-0-0): Kuznetsov, who scored a career-high 27 goals last season, wasn't the only one contributing offensively in the season opener as 12 of the team's 18 skaters landed on the scoresheet. Captain Alex Ovechkin began his quest for his sixth Maurice Richard Trophy in seven seasons and eighth overall as he was one of three Capitals to record a goal and an assist versus Boston. Nicklas Backstrom notched three assists on Wednesday, the first being his 800th career point, to pull within seven of 600 in the NHL.
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (2017-18: 47-29-6, 2ND IN METROPOLITAN): Malkin, who came up just short of a fourth career 100-point season, figures to hit some milestones in 2018-19 as he is 30 goals shy of 400, 40 assists away from 600 and needs 70 points for 1,000. Pittsburgh is hoping its inability to win a third straight Stanley Cup coincided with the absence of Matt Cullen as the 41-year-old forward returns to the team after spending last season with Minnesota. The Penguins figure to be stronger defensively with the additions of veteran Jack Johnson, who was signed to a five-year contract, and Juuso Riikola - a 24-year-old Finn who was inked to a one-year deal and opened eyes during training camp.
OVERTIME
1. Penguins captain C Sidney Crosby is entering his 14th season with the team, putting him behind only owner Mario Lemieux (17) in length of tenure in franchise history.
2. Washington will be without F Tom Wilson until late November as the 24-year-old received a 20-game suspension on Wednesday for an illegal check to the head of St. Louis' Oskar Sundqvist in a preseason contest three days earlier.
3. Pittsburgh D Brian Dumoulin (upper body), who was injured in the team's final preseason game, participated in Wednesday's practice and will be a game-time decision.