The Washington Capitals (2-5-1) look to continue improving this season when they host the surging Pittsburgh Penguins (5-3-0).
The Capitals are off to one of the worst starts in recent years. However the team has shown signs of improving after losing their first four games.
In their most recent match, Washington defeated a struggling Philadelphia team. The Capitals' scorers included Nicklas Backstrom, Troy Brouwer, and Wojtec Wolski. Braden Holtby made 29 saves in his first win of the season. Superstar winger Alex Ovechkin continued to struggle and has scored just three points in the first eight games. However, Coach Adam Oates was encouraged by Ovechkin's performance against the Flyers.
"I thought it was the best game he's played this year," said Oates of Ovechkin. "He was involved the whole game. He had a lot of opportunities."
The Penguins have won two straight in dominant fashion after being humiliated by the New York Islanders on home ice Tuesday night. The Penguins shutout the NY Rangers 3-0 on Thursday and demolished the New Jersey Devils in a 5-1 romp. The win over the Devils was the first home win for the Penguins this season.
"We've had a couple frustrating games [at home], and we wanted to make sure we kind of stayed focused and maybe brought the same attitude we had on the road at home," said Captain Sidney Crosby. "We had a little more patience ... We stuck with things, and this is something to build off of."
Previous Meetings: The teams split the four meetings last season.
Prediction: With the inconsistency that the Capitals have display, the likelihood of them topping a flourishing Pittsburgh team is unlikely; 4-0 Penguins.
Start Time: 12:30 PM EST
TV Info: NBC, TSN2
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