Gameday 48: Capitals vs. Penguins

Verizon Center - 8 PM

TV: NBC Sports Network 

Radio: 105.9 The X

Tonight the Penguins head to Washington D.C. and the Verizon Center for the Wednesday Rivalry!!!1!11!!!1!. It's been 5 years since that unreal series on the way to the Stanley Cup. Part of the hate has subsided but I'm sure that will change the first time Ovechkin jumps 30813 feet into the air to hit someone. If Ovechkin and his passion doesn't get you jammed the Capitals 391484 goal horns will for sure. The Capitals are 24-14-9 (3rd in the Metro) entering tonight while the Penguins are 27-12-8 (2nd in the Metro). Tonight's game combined with #JagrWatch going on, put us into Code Yellow on the Official Jam Chart.

Lines: (Daily Faceoff)

Kunitz - Crosby - Perron

Bennett - Sutter - Hornqvist 

Arcobello - Spaling - Downie

Sill - Lapierre - Forward 27

Martin - Letang 

Bortuzzo - Ehrhoff 

Scuderi - Despres

Fleury

No morning skate for the Pens and with Crosby being a game time decision, who knows what the lines will look like.

Ovechkin - Backstrom - Burakovsky 

Johansson - Kuznetsov - Brouwer 

Laich - Fehr - Ward

Chimera - Beagle - Wilson

Orpik - Carlson 

Alzner - Niskanen 

Hillen - Green

Holtby

Who are the Stripes: (Scouting The Refs)

Referees:

Tim Peel

Skilliter

Linesmen:

Derek Nansen

Andy McElman

This Date in Penguins History: January 28, 1989

Detroit Redwings: 5

Pittsburgh Penguins: 10

Wow. What a game this would've been to see. Apparently there were goalies playing in this game. Greg Stefan and Glen Hanlon were in net for the Wings and Wendell Young was in net for the Penguins. The Penguins got goals from Rob Brown (3), Paul Coffey (2), Bob Errey (1), Mario Lemieux (1), Troy Loney (1), and Dan Quinn (2). Dan Quinn added 4 assists, add those to his 2 goals (#math) and his 6 points were the most of any Penguins player that night. Super Mario added 3 assists. Bob Errey also dropped the gloves with former Ottawa Sentators coach and 2013 Jack Adams Award winner Paul MacLean. MacLean somehow received 19 penalty minutes that game, no clue what else he did. No clue if he had his unreal mustache back then, but that could be a reason for those PIMs. 

#GameNotes:

• Nicklas Backstrom is the leading scorer for the Capitals with 15 goals and 33 assists for 48 points.
• #JagrWatch
• Ovechkin has 27 goals and 16 assists for 43 points. 43, coincidentally, is also the number of strides Ovechkin averages before he hits someone. 
• Jay Beagle in the lineup for the Craps tonight. Good to see he finally woke up.

Goodnight Moon

• Newly acquired Penguin Maxim Lapierre will be making his debut tonight and will be wearing the number 40. Praying he teams up with Downie to 3-D Ovechkin through a table. 
• #BringHomeDoubleJ
• Crosby is a game time decision tonight, but it looks like he will be in the lineup after faking an injury to get out of the All Star Game. 

#BringHomeDoubleJ

#JagrWatch

Go Pens