Saturday Roundup/Gamenight: Pens @ Caps

[AP Preview - WashingtonCaps.com Preview (coming soon)]

So... um... Pens tonight, eh?

If the Caps are to win, they'll need to be physical yet disciplined and take advantage of a somewhat vulnerable Penguins penalty kill. But you knew that. Here's some of what you might not have known about the Caps, the Pens and tonight's game:

• To date, the Caps have four defensemen with more than one point, and only five forwards with a similar distinction. Chris Clark, Matt Pettinger, David Steckel, Donald Brashear and Shaone Morrisonn have each played in all six games thus far this season without registering a single point, while Tomas Fleischmann and Milan Jurcina each have only one point in six games.
  
• Further to that last point, the Caps haven't scored as many as four goals in a game since March 18, a span of 15 games. To say that the Caps are awaiting an offensive awakening is an understatement.
• Pens netminder Marc-Andre Fleury has been wretched so far this season, and sports a 2-3-0 record with a 4.11 goals against average and a .871 save percentage. Of course, for his career, he's 5-0-0, 2.17, .932 against the Caps, so if a pourous MAF shows up at Verizon tonight, it will be an unfamiliar sight for the boys in white.
• As an Islander last year, Viktor Kozlov had 4 goals and 4 assists in eight games against the Pens.
  

I'll have more news and notes later, and will be taking in the game from high atop the Verizon Center tonight, so be sure to check back often. Oh, and be sure to read Corey's article today for some great "Alex being Alex" quotes.

Why The Penguins Will Win:

"The Verizon Center is like a second home for Pens fans, so look for the strong Pittsburgh crowd to power the Pens to victory. Oh, and having Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin doesn't hurt either." - Penguins Buzz

"One huge factor is the Pens fans presence down there. It is going to be a awesome enviroment. The Pens will feed off that. This one smells like a OT thriller." - thepensblog.com

"The Pens are struggling with a new identity right now, but in the past, the Penguins have always routed the Capitals to find confidence in their game plan. Plus, a lot of Penguins fans always make the road trip so the atmosphere will be like a home game." - Confessions of a Hockey Fanatic

"The Penguins win this game because of secondary scoring. Max Talbot, Adam Hall, and the rest of the teams role players have stepped up in a big way. Look for Marc-Andre Fleury to bounce back in the pipes and the scoring to come from some unlikely sources." - Faceoff Factor

"Simply put...the Pens own the Caps. They have the firepower, the grit and we all remember those playoff series' in the last decade..." - Home of the Penguins

Elsewhere 'Round the Rinks:

I wonder if the Caps have heard from Phoenix's lawyers regarding tonight's "White Out."

Daily Awards

• Hart: Patrick Kane (G, 2A, +1, 3 SOG)
  
• Ross: Patrick Kane, Petr Sykora (3 points each)
  
• Norris: Jack Johnson (G, +1, 2 SOG, 3 hits)
  
• Vezina: Pascal Leclaire (21-save shutout win)
  
• Richard: Petr Sykora (2G)
  
• Calder: Patrick Kane (G, 2A, +1, 3 SOG)
• Aiken: Jaroslav Hlinka (0 points, -3)