Two rivals at opposite ends of the success spectrum square off when the Washington Capitals host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Friday.
The Capitals are rolling through the early part of the season, off to a 9-3-0 start after a 3-2 win against the Nashville Predators on Wednesday. They sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 18 points, two back of both the Carolina Hurricanes and the New Jersey Devils.
It’s a different story for the Penguins, who are trying to stay out of the division basement. They are one point out of last place in the Metropolitan after their eighth loss in their past 10 games on Thursday, falling 5-1 to the Hurricanes.
The Washington offense is clicking with an average of 4.08 goals per game (fourth in the NHL) after the team put up 2.63 goals per game last season (28th out of the 32 teams). The top line of Alex Ovechkin, Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas has played a key role, especially Ovechkin, who has six goals in a five-game scoring streak as he cuts away at the NHL’s all-time goal-scoring record.
“I’m always having fun,” the Capitals captain said. “When you’re winning games, when you produce some opportunities to have a chance to score goals, it’s always fun to play.”
Still, the Capitals aren’t relying only on one trio. Connor McMichael shares the team lead in goals with Ovechkin, both having eight. Tom Wilson is second with six. Fourth-line center Nic Dowd has four goals in 12 games, nine away from his career-high set in 2022-23 — in 65 games.
“Obviously, all of us want more minutes, more time on special teams, more responsibility,” Dowd said. “That’s never going to change. But we have a really good mixture of players that are excited to be where they are, and that just allows them to play better and have more confidence.”
Washington is also enjoying stellar play from goalie Logan Thompson, acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights in June. Thompson is 6-0-0 to start his Capitals tenure.
“Just really thankful to be here, be part of this organization,” Thompson said.
The Penguins, meanwhile, took a step back on Thursday after going 2-0-1 in their previous three games to briefly half their skid. However, the Hurricanes scored in the first minute, then cruised to a 5-0 lead before Pittsburgh got a consolation goal.
“Overall, I don’t think it was as bad as the score indicated today,” Pittsburgh defenseman Erik Karlsson said postgame. “We just got to find a way to get even more confidence and try and play with a little bit more confidence throughout the entire game. … They’re feeling good about themselves no matter what happens in the game. That’s kind of the spot we have to get to.”
It’s been a struggle for Pittsburgh at both ends of the ice. The Penguins rank 20th in the NHL with an average of 2.80 goals per game but haven’t scored more than three since a 6-5 overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 16, when they did so for the third time in four games.
Unsurprisingly, Evgeni Malkin (four goals, 12 assists) and Sidney Crosby (six goals, nine assists) lead the Penguins’ offense. Rickard Rakell is tied with Crosby for the team lead in goals but has scored just twice in his past seven games, with both coming in the same game.
At the other end, Pittsburgh is 30th in the league with an average of 3.80 goals against and is tied with the Montreal Canadiens for the most goals allowed, 57.
