Crosby. Ovechkin. Penguins. Capitals. Enough Said

It's not hard to understand why the NHL is buzzing today, what with the league's marquee matchup between the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals -- and Sidney Crosby v. Alexander Ovechkin -- again taking stage tonight at the Verizon Center (7:00 PM EST, NHL NETWORK).

It's always a treat to watch these matchups and I'll once more have the distinct pleasure of taking in the latest game between these two rivals in person tonight.

Here's a nice piece from ESPN dating back to last month, recapping the history between Sid and AO during their matchups since both came into the league in 2005:

http://sports.espn.go.com/olympics/winter/2010/icehockey/columns/story?columnist=burnside_scott&id=4940569

And that, perhaps, is the constant allure which follows these teams whenever they meet.

What will go on that list next?

There's no denying the league has a real treat on it's hands with these two clubs and these two superstars squaring off on a regular basis. It's not like Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux, who played each other so infrequently in the 1980's and 1990's while in opposite conferences.

So, while fans and people everywhere will have their eyes glued to the action tonight, hoping for something magical, and while I'm certainly in that group, there's something I'm looking for even more this evening.

I'm looking for the Penguins to step up and defeat one of the league's other teams.

I'm looking for the Penguins to get on a roll down the stretch of the season.

I'm looking for the Penguins to play a complete, 60-minute game, getting contributions from everyone up front, strong defense from their top-6 blueliners, and solid goaltending from #29.

In short, the Penguins need to play well and get a big win tonight against a team in a group of the league's best that Pittsburgh has struggled mightily with all year long.

Game recap at some point tomorrow, although it may be later than usual.

Let's Go Pens!


NOTES:

The status of Center Evgeni Malkin, still suffering from a re-injured foot after banging it into the boards late in the Penguins' game against the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon, is unclear for tonight. Pittsburgh was given the day off yesterday, so they didn't practice. Malkin is expected to test his foot in the morning skate today and see how he feels, before deciding whether to go tonight. Let's hope he's in the lineup. The Pens' will need all guns blazing tonight to keep up with the league's best offensive unit.