Game 4 Preview: Caps @ Pittsburgh Penguins

The Washington Capitals (2-1-0) travel to face Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins (2-1-1) at 7:30 pm at Mellon Arena in the first of four meetings this season.

Bruce Boudreau's squad, winners of two in a row, would like nothing more than to continue the dominant style of play they displayed Monday night when they defeated a previously unbeaten Vancouver team 5-1. Alexander Semin scored twice and Michael Nylander played a terrific game along the boards and scored on a penalty shot in the decisive second period.

With the injury to Viktor Kozlov, Eric Fehr will enter the line-up and play RW on a line with Sergei Fedorov and Tomas Fleischmann. Jose Theodore is expected to start in net.

Pittsburgh split two games with Ottawa in Sweden to start the season, winning 4-3 in overtime and losing 3-1 the next night. The Pens dropped an OT home ice match 2-1 to New Jersey over the weekend, then won for the first time at home in OT against the Philadelphia Flyers Tuesday night 3-2.

The Pens have only one player, Tyler Kennedy, with more than one goal so far in four games. Sid the Kid is scoreless in 14 shots, registering just two assists, as Coach Michel Therrien is still incorporating several new faces into his line-up.

Here's what some media outlets are saying about tonight's marquee match-up.

WHO'S HOT:

CAPS: LW Alexander Semin (3-3-6, +3); D Mike Green (3-2-5, +3); C Michael Nylander (1-3-4, even)

PENS: C Tyler Kennedy (2-1-3, +1); C Evgeni Malkin (1-2-3, +2)

WHO'S NOT:

CAPS: RW Tomas Fleischmann (0-1-1, -2); RW Chris Clark (0-1-1, -1); C Nicklas Backstrom (0-1-1, +1, five SOG in three games)

PENS: D Kris Letang (0-2-2, -2); LW Matt Cooke (0-1-1, -2); LW Ruslan Fedotenko (0-0-0, -1); C Maxime Talbot (0-0-0, -5)

INJURIES:
CAPS: LW Viktor Kozlov (left knee), out two weeks.

PENS: D Sergei Gonchar (shoulder), IR; D Ryan Whitney (foot), out.
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