GAME THREAD: NHL: PITTSBURGH (3-3) at WASHINGTON (3-3)

NHL: PITTSBURGH (3-3) at WASHINGTON (3-3)

<h3>Crosby, Penguins face Ovechkin, Capitals</h3>

<div class="pre">Pittsburgh (3-3-0) at Washington (3-3-0) 7:00 pm EDT</div>

WASHINGTON (Ticker) -- After Alex Ovechkin beat him out for theCalder Trophy in the 2005-06 campaign, Sidney Crosby respondedwith a 120-point season that ended with him taking home the HartTrophy.


Some of the best young players in the NHL will be on the iceSaturday when the Pittsburgh Penguins visit the WashingtonCapitals.


Crosby has not gotten off to the start that he expected, scoringtwo goals and notching six points in five games. However, hedid score the decisive goal in Friday's shootout victory overthe Carolina Hurricanes.


Second-year star Evgeni Malkin leads the Penguins with fiveassists and seven points and the 23-year-old Maxime Talbot hastallied a team-high four goals.


The Capitals will counter with their own set of soon-to-besuperstars. Ovechkin has scored a team-leading four goals and,with his goal against Rangers on October 12, he became tofastest player in franchise history to tally 100 career markers.

The 22-year-old Russian has played well in his head-to-headmatchups with Crosby, notching three goals and nine points ineight career games against Pittsburgh.


Another 22-year-old Russian, Alexander Semin, is off to a slowstart. After collecting 38 goals and 73 points last season,Semin has been held to no goals and one assists on thiscampaign.


With Semin struggling, the team will need an even bigger impactfrom 19-year-old rookie Nicklas Backstrom. Washington'sfirst-round pick in the 2006 Draft, Backstrom is still yet torecord his first goal, but has set up four thus far.

The Penguins won all four meetings with the Capitals lastseason.

 

NHL: PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NHL AT WASHINGTON
STARTING GOALIES: PIT - MARC-ANDRE FLEURY
WAS - OLAF KOLZIG

OFFICIALS: REF - DAN O'HALLORAN, MIKE HASENFRATZ
LIN - DAN SCHACHTE, MARK SHEWCHYK</div>

 

NHL: PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">PITTSBURGH VS WASHINGTON - SCRATCHES

PITTSBURGH WASHINGTON

A NASREDDINE HEALTHY M BRADLEY HEALTHY
E CHRISTENSEN HEALTHY B SUTHERBY HEALTHY
J ERSKINE HEALTHY</div>

 

NHL: PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NHL PITTSBURGH 0
WASHINGTON 0 19:55 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NHL PITTSBURGH 0
WASHINGTON 0 17:40 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NHL PITTSBURGH 0
WASHINGTON 0 15:35 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NHL PITTSBURGH 0
WASHINGTON 0 11:50 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NHL PITTSBURGH 0
WASHINGTON 0 8:06 LEFT, 1ST PRD</div>

 

NHL: PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NHL PITTSBURGH 0
WASHINGTON 1
1ST PRD: WAS - BRIAN POTHIER 1 (MICHAEL NYLANDER, NICKLAS BACKSTROM)
13:45</div>

 

NHL: PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NHL END OF THE 1ST 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
PITTSBURGH 0 0
WASHINGTON 1 1 END OF THE 1ST

GOAL SCORING:

1ST PRD: WAS - BRIAN POTHIER 1 (MICHAEL NYLANDER, NICKLAS BACKSTROM)
13:45

SHOTS ON GOAL: 1ST 2ND 3RD TOTAL
--- --- --- -----
PIT 6 6
WAS 12 12

GOALIES: PIT - MARC-ANDRE FLEURY
WAS - OLAF KOLZIG</div>

 

NHL: PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">------------------------
Pittsburgh 0 --0
Washington 1 --1
------------------------

FIRST PERIOD -- Scoring: 1, Washington, Brian Pothier 1 (Michael
Nylander, Nicklas Backstrom), 13:45. Penalties: M Nylander, Was
(goalie interference), 1:15; S Gonchar, Pit (hooking), 11:32.

Shots on goal:
-----------------------------
Pittsburgh 6 --6
Washington 12 --12
-----------------------------

Goalies : Pittsburgh, Marc-Andre Fleury (12 shots, 11 saves).
Washington, Olaf Kolzig (6 shots, 6 saves). Referees: Dan O'Halloran,
Mike Hasenfratz. Linesmen: Dan Schachte, Mark Shewchyk.</div>

 

NHL: PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NHL PITTSBURGH 0
WASHINGTON 1 19:55 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NHL PITTSBURGH 0
WASHINGTON 1 17:30 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NHL PITTSBURGH 1
WASHINGTON 1
2ND PRD: PIT - JORDAN STAAL 1 (MARK RECCHI, BROOKS ORPIK) 3:58</div>

 

NHL: PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NHL PITTSBURGH 1
WASHINGTON 1 14:40 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NHL PITTSBURGH 1
WASHINGTON 1 12:46 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NHL PITTSBURGH 1
WASHINGTON 1 7:55 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NHL PITTSBURGH 1
WASHINGTON 1 3:55 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NHL PITTSBURGH 1
WASHINGTON 1 2:20 LEFT, 2ND PRD</div>

 

NHL: PITTSBURGH at WASHINGTON

<div class="pre">NHL PITTSBURGH 2
WASHINGTON 1
2ND PRD: PIT - (PP) RYAN WHITNEY 2 (SIDNEY CROSBY, RYAN MALONE) 17:59</div>