Caps vs. Ning 12-26-2007 Wrap Up/ Caps @ Penguin Scum 12-27-2007 Preview

The Local Yokels:

(Com)Post: Ning edged, tag removed. Times: victory to begin stretch, interim no more. Caps.com.

The Neutral Observers:

NHL.com AP Wire.

The Other Side:

St. Petersburg Times: no excuses, MacDonald returns, up next. Tampa Tribune: Ning comes up short, Lukowich returns.

Final Thoughts:

I didn't think there was much controversy over the game winning goal. I thought there might have been a high stick but it was pretty clear that the puck crossed the line before the net came off. Anyway, let's hope we can build some momentum here and don't need anymore pep talks. I have to think that Tortorella is starting to burn his team out.

37 down, 45 to go.


Washington Capitals (14-23; 32 points) @ Pittsburgh Penguin Scum (18-18; 38 points):
Caps Game #38, Road Game: #20, NHL Game #548

Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh, PA. 7:37 pm. Washington TV: Comcast Sportsnet Mid-Atlantic. Radio: WWWT 1500-AM, 107.7-FM. Pittsburgh TV: Fox SportsNet Pittsburgh. Radio: WXDX 105.9-FM. National TV: HD-NET. NHL Center Ice: Fox SportsNet Pittsburgh feed.

Tonight the Caps make their first trip to Pittsburgh this season to face the Penguin Scum for the second time this season. The first game back in October yielded a 2-1 win for the Penguin Scum who have since seen their dreams of a Stanley Cup run die a slow horrible death. The Penguin Scum have been inconsistent of late alternating wins and losses over their last six games. The Penguin Scum won their last game on Sunday, 4-2, at home against Boston.

What The Natives Are Saying:

Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com AP Wire.

Open Source Intelligence:

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Orpik returning, Eaton indefinitely out. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Eaton out, Canada honors Canadian Diving Team Captain, Secondary Assist Cindy Crosby, questions answered, Scouting the Caps.

What Do I Expect Tonight?:

It has been five years since the Caps have won a game in Pittsburgh and something fluky always seems to happen when we visit that dump in Pittsburgh. The Penguin Scum were flying high last year playing with all kinds of confidence in securing the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference last year and leading all kinds of pundits to predict a deep run into this year's playoffs and maybe even a Stanley Cup Championship. But the sophomore slump has hit certain players very hard, injuries are starting to mount, and the Penguin Scum have yet to regain the confidence that the Senators sapped out of them in their first round drubbing back in April. The Penguin Scum are ninth in the Eastern Conference right now by virtue of the tiebreaker but hardly look like a playoff team lettalone the team they were last year. And if you believe our Old Friend, Larry Brooks (which we don't BTW), the Penguin Scum locker room is on the verge of revolt which would be the second coach of that team fired in three seasons should they succeed this season. (And you thought Jagr was a coach killer...) So how this game is going to play out with the Penguin Scum's top defensive-defenseman/Sergei Gonchar hand-holder out indefinitely is anybodies guess. I'm not one to question history, regardless of whether or not Ty Conklin starts in goal for the Penguin Scum.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 1
Penguin Scum 2
Winner by Roberts

(24-13 on the season)