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The rivalry between the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins has provided the NHL with one of the funniest, most admired and consequential head-to-heads in the last 15 years. With generational stars Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby leading their respective teams, hockey fans have been vying for playoff positions throughout his decade and a half.
It’s a rivalry that will be renewed Thursday when the Capitals host Pittsburgh for the second of three conferences this season. It was a turning point. After snapping his seven-game unbeaten streak with that win, the Penguins are back in the playoff positions with his 20-9-6.
Washington has seen a similar turnaround, with December getting off to a rocky start with one of the best calendar months in five years. Despite cooling off a bit since January, the Capitals will be in Thursday’s game and alongside the Penguins he’ll earn the top spot in the Eastern Wild Card with 56 points.
Pittsburgh has a chance to clinch the season series with a win at Capital One Arena. A 1-1 win isn’t the most important tiebreaker (he’s fifth out of seven tiebreakers), but the Capitals need every win they can beat their neighbors in the standings. is. Washington has already played in 50 games, tied for most in the NHL. He has three games left for the Penguins, giving him the advantage of collecting points at once.
For the first time in Ovechkin and Crosby’s careers, the Capitals and Penguins are simultaneously battling for postseason lives. Since 2007–08, at least one of him has been his division champion in 12 of the last 15 seasons. In their nine seasons in the current playoff format, both have never finished as a wild card team.
The Penguins now hold the first tiebreaker against the Capitals due to their high points percentage. However, Washington has a slight edge in both his next two tiebreakers, a regulation victory (21-20) and a regulation-overtime victory (25-23). Thursday’s win will help the Penguins get some buffer in these categories for when they make up for those extra games later.
The Penguins aren’t the only team the Capitals have to worry about. Heading into Wednesday’s game, the Buffalo Sabers (53 points), Florida Panthers (52 points) and New York Islanders (51 points) are all within five points of Washington and Pittsburgh. They are also within reach of his No. 3 New York Rangers (No. 59) in the Metro.
As important as it is to make it to the postseason, avoiding the second wildcard spot is just as important. The East’s final team will face the Boston Bruins (80) in the first round.
Boston leads the league in both points scored (181) and least points scored (98), with 14 more points than any other team in the NHL. Its plus-83 goal difference is almost double that of the next closest team to the Dallas Stars, who own plus-42 figures.
Thursday’s win could go a long way in helping either the Capitals or the Penguins in the April standings. Health will be a factor, especially for Washington after he retired early after blocking a shot with his foot. Tristan Jarry is out until the end of the All-Star break with an upper body injury.
There have been many important matchups between the Capitals and Penguins over the years, but for the first time in this era, they will go head to head while fighting to secure a place in the postseason.
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