NHL Preview: Capitals (30-17) at Penguins (32-15)
Date: February 17, 2015 7:00 PM EDT
The Pittsburgh Penguins continue to pick up points in spite of their recent inability to take advantage of opposing penalties.
With a likely matchup against a goaltender who has had their number, they'd like to get their power play back on track Tuesday night against the visiting Washington Capitals.
The Penguins (32-15-9), three points ahead of Washington in the Metropolitan Division, lost 2-1 in a shootout at Chicago on Sunday, failing to score on two power-play opportunities. They're 4-2-1 over their last seven games despite failing to find the back of the net on 15 power plays. Their 22.6 power-play percentage prior to that stretch ranked sixth.
Pittsburgh coach Mike Johnston was pleased with what he saw after he split up his top power play attack into two lines, however. Johnston previously used Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Chris Kunitz and Patric Hornqvist together, but slid Malkin and Hornqvist over to play with Blake Comeau, Paul Martin and Simon Despres. Meanwhile, Derrick Pouliot and David Perron joined Crosby, Kunitz and Letang, giving the Penguins better depth across their power-play lines.
"I really like the look of it," Johnston told the team's official website. "It gives us two dynamic units, some competition. I thought Pouliot and Letang on the back ends were good for both units. It gives us a different dynamic. You have to build some of those things in your repertoire as you head down the stretch."
The Penguins have been drawing fewer penalties, too, averaging 2.1 power plays over their last seven contests after previously averaging 3.2.
Crosby, who failed to record a point for the third time in four games Sunday, has a team-best 21 power-play points but just one in his last 11 games. He recorded 15 points over a span of seven matchups with Washington before Pittsburgh was shut out by Braden Holtby twice this season. The Capitals took a 3-0 victory in Pittsburgh on Dec. 27 and won 4-0 at home on Jan. 28.
The Penguins were scoreless on eight power-play chances after going 9 for 26 (34.6 percent) while winning the previous eight meanings.
Holtby, whose six shutouts are a career high and are tied with Ryan Miller for second in the league behind Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury (eight), figures to get the start after getting the day off in Sunday's 5-3 win at Anaheim.
Alex Ovechkin continued his excellent play for Washington (30-17-10), scoring twice and assisting on Andre Burakovsky's two goals against the Ducks for his 19th career game with four-plus points.
Ovechkin, whose 36 goals lead the league, has 22 goals over his last 26 games since Dec. 20 - six more than the next highest goal scorer in that span, San Jose's Joe Pavelski. He had been tied for 11th with 14 goals through his first 31 games with the Capitals posting a .581 win percentage. They own a .654 percentage in the last 26.
"We've got so many good players on the team, but of course, Ovi's one of the best," Burakovsky said. "He's been really good this season, and his shot is incredible. So it's really important for us that Ovi's playing good."
Ovechkin scored twice in the last matchup and has 57 points in 44 career meetings with Pittsburgh, including the playoffs.
The Capitals held their last two opponents scoreless on seven power plays after giving up three goals on four opportunities in their previous three contests.
Fleury, who has a 0.49 goals-against average with a pair of shutouts in his last four games, has allowed all seven goals on 70 shots against Washington this season.
