"I liked a lot of parts of his game [Friday}," says Caps coach Todd Reirden of Samsonov. "I think it's another challenge for him, his first game against Pittsburgh this year, and we'll see how he does."
Not only do the Caps and Pens renew their rivalry at long last on Sunday, but the two teams expect all four of these meetings down the stretch to be critical in deciding the Metropolitan Division. Washington owns a six-point lead in the standings over the Penguins, but Pittsburgh holds a game in hand and two months of the season remains.
Players on both sides always get pumped up for these Caps-Pens games, but with all four of them coming in the homestretch of yet another season in which Washington and Pittsburgh are among the top teams in the Metro Division and the Eastern Conference, the games should carry more gravity than if they were played in October and November. Last season, the Caps faced the Pens three times before Christmas, and the teams saw each other only once after the All-Star break.
"It's always nice games against Pittsburgh, a lot of fighting and a lot of battles," says Caps defenseman Dmitry Orlov, who will skate in his 500th career NHL game against the Penguins on Sunday afternoon. "It's a rivalry, you know. We hate each other, they play in our division and we met in the playoffs so many times, so it's going to be fun.
"First game [against the Pens], and it's [an afternoon game] too, so it's going to be a little bit different to get started. I think we need to have a good start in that game, because sometimes we are a little sleepy. I think we need to make a focus on the first minutes in that game."
For the better part of the last decade and a half, the Caps and Pens have been among the league's elite teams. This season is no exception, as Washington owns the league's best record, and the Pens are the NHL's third-best team, behind only the Capitals and Boston.
"Every time you face a top team in the league, it's a test for you," says Pens defenseman Kris Letang. "Obviously we all know the rivalry between the two teams, and it's always a fun atmosphere. To go line up against them is going to be a fun challenge."
Pittsburgh has had a remarkable season, given that the Pens have been ravaged by injuries to key players throughout the season to date. Only five Pittsburgh skaters have played in all 51 games this season; Washington has had five defensemen play in every game, and the Caps have nine players who have played in all 52 games.
The Pens have lost a total of 213 man-games to injury this season, and they are still playing without four regulars: defenseman Brian Dumoulin and forwards Nick Bjugstad, Jake Guentzel, and Dominik Kahun. Pittsburgh did get blueliner Justin Schultz back for its Friday night game against Philadelphia, and he logged just under 17 minutes in his first game action after missing the previous 16 games with a lower body injury.
Despite playing without so many key players for large chunks of the season, Pittsburgh has lost as many as three straight games only once this season (Oct. 19-23). The Pens came out of their midseason break on Friday with a 4-3 overtime victory over Philadelphia. Sidney Crosby scored the game-winner in that one, giving the Pens their seventh win in nine games (7-2-0).
