Oilers at Penguins
The longstanding face of the NHL meets perhaps the future one on Tuesday as two-time Hart Trophy winner Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins host fellow generational talent Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers. McDavid has been compared to Crosby for quite some time, although hockey fans were denied of this dream matchup last season after the now-19-year-old sustained a broken collarbone during his rookie campaign.
"It's exciting for me. (Crosby is) someone I grew up idolizing, and for me, it's going to be pretty cool," said McDavid, who notched his team-leading ninth assist and 14th point on Ryan Nugent-Hopkins' go-ahead goal in the Oilers' 2-1 victory over Detroit on Sunday. Pacific-leading Edmonton has answered a three-game losing skid to win back-to-back contests heading into the finale of its five-game road trip. Red-hot Crosby and Pittsburgh will be a tall order, however, as the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy recipient scored twice for the second straight contest in Saturday's 5-0 rout at San Jose to increase his point total to 10 (eight goals, two assists) in six games. The Penguins are 5-0-1 in those contests heading into the opener of their three-game homestand.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet West (Edmonton), ROOT (Pittsburgh), NHL.TV
ABOUT THE OILERS (9-3-1): Nugent-Hopkins has two goals and an assist in his last four contests heading into a key tilt with the Penguins, against whom he has recorded seven points (three goals, four assists) in seven career encounters. Fellow forward Tyler Pitlick added his fourth of the season versus the Red Wings to snap a seven-game scoring drought. Cam Talbot received his first night off on Sunday, but the workhorse goaltender will get the nod in Pittsburgh and has made himself at home on the road this season with a 4-1-1 mark and two shutouts.
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (8-2-2): Matt Murray hasn't missed a beat since his return from a broken right hand, making 32 saves against the Sharks for his second career shutout and stopping 64 of 65 shots in two outings. Carl Hagelin is showing signs of overcoming his early-season slump, as the 28-year-old Swede notched a personal-best three assists in his last contest after collecting just two points in his previous 11 games. Hagelin recorded four points and was a plus-5 on the team's four-game road trip.
OVERTIME
1. Pittsburgh is one of three NHL teams yet to lose in regulation at home this season (5-0-1).
2. Edmonton is 4-for-9 on the power play in the last three games after going 1-for-19 in the previous eight.
3. Penguins D Olli Maatta has recorded an assist and a plus-6 rating while averaging over 20 minutes of ice time over his last six games.