Gameday 35. Pens vs Caps.

Consol Energy Center - 7:30 p.m. ET

TV: NBC Sports Network (nationally) & ROOT Sports (locally)

Radio: 105.9 the X

The Pittsburgh Penguins (22-7-5, 49 points, 1st place in the Eastern Conference & 1st place in the Metrosexual Metropolitan Division) return from a much-needed break to square off against the Washington Capitals (17-11-6, 40 points, 8th place in the East, 4th place in the Metropolitan) for the first time in the 2014-15 season. The Christmas break was mostly about players getting healthy, but that didn't happen too much - Steve Downie and Thomas Greiss Superstar have the mumps. Up until this afternoon's interviews, it was a mostly uneventful break in Penguinland. Our staff's Christmas break was mostly spent watching the Penguins' Christmas Vacation spin-off 137 times, and playing Playstation together. Oh wait... #FreePSN.

LINES

(via Daily Faceoff)

Kunitz - Crosby - Rust

Malkin - Sutter - Hornqvist

Spaling - Goc - Megna

Farnham - Ebbett - Klinkhammer

Scuderi-Letang

Harrington-Bortuzzo

Martin-Despres

(the 6 defensemen plus Dumoulin & Pouliot rotated in sets, and Borts is a game-time decision)

Fleury

Ovechkin - Backstrom - Wilson

Johansson - Kuznetsov - Troy "Best in the World" Brouwer

Laich - Fehr - Ward

Beagle - Burakovsky - Latta

Orpik - Carlson

Alzner - Niskanen

Schmidt - Vespa Green

Holtby

#GameNotes

• Your TV guide will say that the program starts at 7:30 p.m., but the game being nationally broadcast on NBCSN inevitably means that puck drop will be at or around 9:03 p.m. ET.
• Matt Niskanen and Brooks Orpik return to Pittsburgh as opponents for the first time since the Capitals signed them to 7-year, $1 billion contracts back in July. It's inevitable: the Pens are going to do a tribute for Orpik and Niskanen. Hasn't been officially announced, but the Pens loving nothing more than an old fashioned tribute video for anyone that has ever gotten naked in the Penguins' locker room. First off, I'll list Matt Niskanen's accomplishments as a Penguin in parentheses --> (). Thank him for his time in the Burgh, and move on. Orpik, on the other hand, has been somewhat controversial in the Penguins' fan base. Regardless of Orpik's last season or two being very comparable to a traffic cone or the actual cardboard Brooks Orpik, he deserves a standing ovation from the crowd. I feel that the response from the crowd will be somewhat similar to Double J's return to Pittsburgh when he was with Philly - very loud with a mixture of woo's and boo's. Stand up, clap for the man, and be thankful for what he did with the Pens. #NeverForget
• Speaking of Niskanen, we learned how much of a douche he was last week (re: Dan Bylsma). "The organization can say whatever it wants, that it wasn't sure what it wanted to do, all that stuff. But it was (bull). It's not like Dan (Bylsma) was a chump or something, but that's how he was treated. He won you guys a Cup, you know?" Not going to quote it all, because this rant is getting long enough, but check out the article. Some stuff in their from Orpik and Todd Reirdon. Orpik clearly gets it, and Niskanen just sounds like a middle school child.
• Olli Maatta is expected back within the next month. If my count is correct, Olli Maatta has survived cancer, mumps, an ailing shoulder, three deployments in Iraq, the Playstation Network getting hacked and dysentery.
• Beau Bennett skated with the team today. He's expected to play a full 82-game season #BeforePSNIsUp.
• Entering tonight, the Pens have won five consecutive home games, and eight consecutive games against the Capitals. Blame Kyle if both of those streaks are snapped tonight.

Expect a hard-fought game tonight - pretty much the usual Pens-Caps game. Hope Bobby Fanham wrecks Brouwer; then Downie storms out of Lemieux's suite to give Ovechkin a Stone Cold Stunner on the ice, before sitting on top of the glass and shotgunning a beer.

Penguins! Ready your breakfast and eat hearty... For tonight, we dine in hell!

#FreePSN

#BeforePSNIsUp

#FireRammer

#RammerOut

#FreeCandy

Fucking do it.

Go Pens.