Caps Take on Penguins on Wednesday in D.C.

Dec. 19 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins at Capital One Arena
Time: 8:00 p.m.
TV: NBCSN
Radio: Capitals Radio 24/7, FAN 106.7
Pittsburgh Penguins 15-12-6
Washington Capitals 20-9-3

The NHL's Metropolitan Division has been the most mediocre of the league's four divisions thus far this season, but two of its longtime heavyweights will go toe-to-toe in Washington on Wednesday night. We're not yet to the halfway point of the season, but Wednesday's game between the Caps and the Pittsburgh Penguins is already the third of their four meetings for the regular season.

The first two meetings between the two heated rivals were as different as two hockey games can be.
On Oct. 4 in Pittsburgh, the Pens prevailed in a wild and wooly 1980s throwback contest, taking a 7-6 overtime decision on Kris Letang's power-play goal in overtime. The Caps were playing the second of back-to-backs a night after raising their Stanley Cup banner in Washington, and the Pens were hosting their home opener. It was a seesaw affair with lead changes aplenty, and the Caps had to be pleased to pick up the loser's point in that game; they trailed by two goals with less than seven minutes left in the third before forcing overtime on a pair of T.J. Oshie tallies just 21 seconds apart.
Just over a month later in Washington, both teams were scuffling a bit when they met again on Nov. 7. This time, the Pens vastly outplayed the Caps, but Washington eked out a 2-1 win on a late Oshie goal. Oshie left that game twice because of injury, but returned both times and scored the game-winner with 1:14 remaining. Pittsburgh outshot Washington 42-22 that night.
The Caps lost three of four in the aftermath of that win over the Pens, but they bring a five-game winning streak into Wednesday's game, and they've won 12 of their last 14 overall.
"They're always tough games when we play Pittsburgh," says Caps goalie Braden Holtby. "They're always a battle in different ways. That's the one thing with that team; you never know what kind of game it is going to be. It could be tight and hard checking, or it could be a free-for-all.

"It's very important that we stick to what we do and we try to control the game to our strengths. They're obviously in a battle right now trying to get things rolling, so we know they are going to be a desperate team. Our job is to make sure we're doing the little things right and we're focused on just being the best team we can be."
Strong five-on-five play has fueled the Caps' current run. Over this past weekend, the Caps swept a set of back-to-back games, winning twice in the shootout despite giving up four special teams goals in a 6-5 win over Carolina on Friday and two more on Saturday in a 4-3 triumph over Buffalo.
But at even strength, the Caps outscored their two weekend foes by a combined count of 7-2. Against the Pens on Wednesday, the Caps will need to stay strong at five-on-five, but they'll also need their beleaguered penalty kill to keep the Pens' potent power play in check.
"[The Penguins] are playing much better, as we are," says Caps coach Todd Reirden. "I'm hoping to see where our five-on-five game takes us, and obviously we've got to improve special teams-wise, especially with our penalty kill. And that's a dangerous power play over there as well. It's going to be a difficult game as they always are against Pittsburgh."

Washington has won five straight games against Metropolitan Division opponents, defeating five different foes along the way. The Caps have yet to face the Flyers this season, but they've beaten each of the other teams in the division at least once thus far in 2018-19.
"These games are fun," says Caps defenseman Matt Niskanen, a former Penguin. "But we've been playing some pretty good hockey here, especially over the last month or so. And they're starting to come too, now. I think they're finding their way and getting back to what they do well. It should be really competitive. It always is."
When Pittsburgh last visited Washington on Nov. 7, the Penguins lugged a four-game losing streak (0-3-1) with them. The Caps stretched it to five straight losses, but the Pens returned home to blank Arizona before losing four more games in succession.
After starting the season with a splendid 6-1-2 mark in their first nine games, the Pens went on a 1-7-2 slide over their next 10 games, but they've pulled it together since that extended skid. Pittsburgh enters Wednesday's game with an 8-4-2 mark in its last 14 games.
Most recently, the Pens suffered a 4-2 home ice loss at the hands of the Anaheim Ducks on Monday night. Pittsburgh jumped out to a 2-0 first-period lead, but for the third straight game, the Pens coughed up a two-goal cushion. Unlike the previous two games, they weren't able to rally for the win against the Ducks.
The Pens are still seeking consistency, as the Caps were at this time last month. Pittsburgh has won more than two consecutive games just once this season, a modest four-game winning run from Oct. 18-27. The Penguins are seventh in the league with an average of 3.36 goals per game, but their average of 3.21 goals against per contest has them 21st in the NHL in that department.