Penguins Game 61 vs. Capitals preview

PITTSBURGH — This article originally appeared on PittsburghHockeyNOW.com.

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ game Thursday against the visiting Washington Capitals won’t lack for drama. There’ s the usual matchup between future Hall of Famers Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin when these longtime rivals meet.

There’s also the tension surrounding both teams heading into Friday’s NHL trade deadline.

Perhaps at the top of the list, though, is the standings implications. The Penguins (28-24-8) and Capitals (28-23-9) are both longer shots to make the playoffs, but they are neck-and-neck. You can check the hockey odds. Each has played 61 games, and Washington has one more point than the Penguins.

Penguins Preview

Following a frustrating 1-3 western road trip that concluded with three straight losses, the Penguins came home and downed the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-3 on Tuesday with forward lines that were scrambled from previous games.

The Penguins remain eight points out of third place in the Metropolitan Division and out of an Eastern Conference wildcard spot.

They are dealing with several injuries in addition to trade target Jake Guentzel and Bryan Rust, the top-line wingers who already were out of the lineup.

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