Caps vs. Penguin Scum 3-27-2007 Preview

Washington Capitals (26-50; 65 points; 5th Southeast Division, 14th Eastern Conference, 27th Overall) vs. Pittsburgh Penguin Scum (43-33; 96 points; 2nd Atlantic Division, 5th Eastern Conference, 11th Overall):
Caps Game #77, Home Game #39, NHL Game #1,134

Verizon Center, Washington, D.C. 7:05 pm. Washington TV: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WTEM 980-AM. Pittsburgh TV: Fox Sportsnet Pittsburgh. Radio: WXDX 105.9-FM. NHL Center Ice: Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic feed.

Tonight the Caps come back home before heading out for two more games on the road. While the Caps have lost three in a row, they've won their last two on home ice. The Penguin Scum however have won two in a row themselves after dropping two consecutive games and start a three game road trip tonight.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post. (Don't forget about the Contest!) Caps.com.

Open Source Intelligence:

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Road warriors (it's an accounting trick), "historical" hat trick. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Elbows Malkin-Lindros shooting for an award (not the Lady Byng), ticket sales, career-high, scouting the Caps. Penguin Scum.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com AP Wire.

What Do I Expect Tonight?:

A long caravan of mullets will be making its way down I-270 tonight into the city as the Bandwagon Penguin Scum fans finally have something to cheer about as they sit tied atop the worst Division in the NHL. Only New Jersey and Nashville have more wins in their Division than the Penguin Scum do. This is a team that, like the Caps early on in the season, is flying high with confidence right now. However their goaltending is more than suspect as Jocelyn Thibault and Marc-Andre Fleury have been tag teaming the job in recent weeks. Thibault is not the answer and Fleury is a well known choker. The Caps have a chance to spoil the Penguin Scum's designs on clinching a playoff spot tonight. When the Caps win in regulation, the Penguin Scum will be prevented from locking up a playoff spot. A win in regulation will also help the Devils who are tied with the Penguin Scum atop the Atlantic Division with a game in hand. The Senators are two points ahead of the Penguin Scum for fourth place. Both New Jersey and Ottawa are in action tonight as the Devils visit the Islanders (any Islanders loss combined with any Penguin Scum win or an Islanders loss in regulation combined with a Penguin Scum overtime or gimmick loss puts the Penguin Scum into the playoffs) and Ottawa hosts Boston.

Caps Nut Official Washington Hockey.com Predict The Score Contest Entry:

Caps 6
Penguin Scum 3
Winner by Ovechkin