Caps vs. Penguin Scum 2-22-2009 Preview

Washington Capitals (37-22; 79 points; 1st Southeast Division, 3rd Eastern Conference, 5th Overall) vs. Pittsburgh Penguin Scum (29-31; 64 points; 4th Atlantic Division, 10th Eastern Conference, 17th Overall):
Caps Game #60, Home Game #30, NHL Game #887

Verizon Center, Washington, DC. 12:38 pm. Washington TV: None Radio: WFED 1500-AM. Pittsburgh TV: None Radio: WXDX 105.9-FM National TV: NBC.

Today with 8 weeks left in the regular season, the Caps finally get to host the Penguin Scum in the Phone Booth in the third game of the five game homestand. The Caps have only lost back-to-back games at home once this season and have won three of their last five games overall. The Penguin Scum are coming in off a win handed to them by Martin Biron and Philadelphia Flyers yesterday where Evgeni Malkin-Lindros posted a Canadian Diving Team Captain, Low Blow Secondary Assist Cindy Crosby, Hat Trick (1 goal, 1 secondary assist, and 1 unsportsmanlike conduct penalty). They are 2-1 under their new Head Coach, Dan Bylsma, but have given up four or more goals in their last two and in three of their last four games.

What The Natives Are Saying:

(Com)Post. Times. Caps.com.

Neutral Views:

NHL.com: AP Wire, scum at heart, ready for the challenge, new philosophy, player's coach.

Open Source Intelligence:

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: impressive win, What Went Wrong, Part I, too many off nights, Green envy. Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: coaching derby, two in a row, scouting report, late risers. Penguin Scum.com.

What Do We Expect Today?:

After Friday's game, we should expect the Caps to come out, play hard, and put away a team that the Caps have already beaten twice on the road and that fired their Head Coach one week ago. However, Bruce Boudreau ran a bag skate after the Caps dismal 5-0 loss to the Buffaslugs in Loserville...er...Buffalo all the way back in November and the next time out, in Ottawa, the Caps lost 2-1 in overtime. Furthermore, in both of their wins in Pittsburgh this season, the Caps had to dig out of a hole against the Penguin Scum. While three games is hardly enough to declare the problems of the Penguin Scum cured by their new head coach, the Caps today are facing a team fighting for its playoff life. Even though the Penguin Scum won yesterday, they remain four points out of the 8th seed and need to get 30 of the remaining 44 points available just to match the point total of the 8th in the Eastern Conference last season. We shouldn't expect anything but the best the Penguin Scum have to offer today. Finally, keep in mind what we said a lot last season and this is the Penguin Scum; something fluky always seems to happen when we play them that ends up costing us the game. Last year it was Nicklas Backstrom infamously scoring into his own net to give them a win. It would not surprise us in the least to see something fluky happen again today.

Caps Nut Official Prediction:

Caps 2
Penguin Scum 3
Winner by Gonchar

(3-1 on the season)