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A meeting between Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin is usually big enough on its own. Russell Martin Authentic Jersey . The fact that the Pittsburgh Penguins can post the longest home winning streak in franchise history only adds more intrigue to tonights matchup with the Washington Capitals. Catch all the action live on TSN2 at 8pm et/5pm pt. The Penguins return home from a 2-0-1 road trip out west having won 12 straight as the hosting club. That matches the record set between Feb. 22- March 30 of last season. Pittsburgh also comes in well rested, having been off since winning a 2-1 decision in Calgary on Saturday. Marc-Andre Fleury came up with 27 saves and both Chris Kunitz and Matt Niskanen had goals. The Penguins, who are 6-1-1 in their last eight games, had scored 18 non- shootout goals in their previous four games while allowing 15. "It was nice to have a nice, low-scoring game," said Fleury. "The last few games were a little crazy. We have a lot of guys who can score goals, but if we want to be successful we have to do well defensively." Pittsburgh will play its next three at home, where it has not lost since Nov. 13 and is 19-3-0 this season. The Pens also get some rest after this contest as their next game isnt until Monday versus Florida. Even with the recent days off, Penguins forward James Neal is day-to-day and questionable for tonight with an upper-body ailment that has held him out of practice the last two days. Neal has 17 goals and 36 points in 27 games this season and notched a goal and an assist in Pittsburghs 4-0 win over hosting Washington on Nov. 20. Fleury recorded an 18-save shutout, improving to 14-7-2 with a 2.49 goals against average in his career versus the Capitals. Pittsburgh bested Washington for the fifth consecutive game and the Capitals have lost three straight in the Steel City following an eight-game series road win streak. Crosby and Paul Martin also had a goal and an assist in the November victory, while Ovechkin was held to just two shots. Crosby leads the NHL with 67 points and is second with 42 assists. He has logged eight goals and 25 points over a 16-game home point streak and has tallied five goals and 22 points in 12 career home meetings with the Capitals. The former Hart Trophy winner has 45 points in 26 career games versus Washington, while Ovechkin has 22 goals and 40 points in 32 career games against the Penguins. Ovechkin notched his league-leading 33rd goal of the season in last nights 2-1 shootout loss to the San Jose Sharks. However, Ovechkin, Eric Fehr and Nicklas Backstrom all failed on their attempts in the tiebreaker, while San Joses Patrick Marleau had the lone shootout goal. "It was a good test for us. A good team. Theyve been together for a long time," said Ovechkin. "I think we had good chances to win the game in (regulation), in the third period, but we got the point." Rookie Philipp Grubauer made 28 saves as he started for the 12th time in Washingtons past 17 games. He is 6-2-5 with a 2.06 GAA and .936 save percentage in 14 games (12 starts) this season. Though Washington has now followed up two straight wins with back-to-back shootout losses, the point moved the Capitals into a tie with Philadelphia for second place in the Metropolitan Division. Both teams trail Pittsburgh by 16 points for the top spot. Washington will play three straight and eight of its next nine on the road, where it is 8-8-4 on the season. Braden Holtby got the start in Washingtons first meeting with Pittsburgh this season, giving up all four goals on 40 shots faced. Dustin McGowan Authentic Jersey . -- Even with a two-shot lead going into the final round of a tournament he had won five times, Tiger Woods expected a fight to finish from Zach Johnson. Paul Molitor Authentic Jersey . The (11-11-4) Jets are seventh in the Central Division with 26 points. Fifth place Dallas and sixth-seeded Nashville also have 26 points, but the Stars have three games in hand on Winnipeg while Nashville has two.(SportsNetwork.com) - Melky Cabrera tries to continue his torrid start to the season on Wednesday when the Toronto Blue Jays resume a three-game set with the Houston Astros at Rogers Centre. Cabrera homered for the fourth straight game in Tuesdays opener and Toronto rolled, 5-2. Dioner Navarro went 2-for-4 with two doubles and two RBI and Edwin Encarnacion went 1-for-1 with three walks and two runs scored for the Blue Jays, who evened their record at 4-4. Toronto starter Mark Buehrle (2-0), who punched out 11 batters in his season debut against Tampa Bay, tossed 5 1/3 innings on Tuesday, allowing eight hits and one run with three strikeouts and a walk. "Im not striking out 11, Im not going to strikeout 11 guys in my next five starts combined," said Buehrle. "I need my defense behind me." Brett Oberholtzer (0-2) absorbed the loss for the Astros and surrendered three runs on three hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 5 1/3 frames. "I thought he did a good job keeping us in the ball game," said Astros manager Bo Porter on Oberholtzer. "Those last two walks in the sixth really hurt us. We had our opportunities. We had men on base with less than two outs. When you get in those situations you have to capitalize." Cabrera managed just three home runs all of lasst season, a year that saw him miss time with leg injuries before having a benign tumor removed from his spine Aug. Colby Rasmus Jersey. 30. With another home run on Wednesday Cruz would become the first Blue Jay to homer in five straight games since Jose Cruz Jr. went deep in six in a row Sept. 29-Oct. 5, 2001. "I feel 100 percent now and Im ready to go. Its good. I dont have any pain now," said Cabrera. Hoping to slow him down will be righty Lucas Harrell, who picked up right where he left off last season in his initial start of the season. Harrell lost a league-high 17 games a year ago and started his 2014 campaign off with a loss on Friday to Los Angeles, as the Angels battered him for five runs and seven hits in just three innings. "Its over with and on to the next start," Harrell said. "Ill get better for my next start." Toronto, meanwhile, will counter with right-hander Brandon Morrow, who lost to Tampa Bay his first time out. Morrow surrendered four runs and seven hits in five innings of that one. "It was just one of those things where you think you threw better than the end results," Morrow said. Toronto was 4-3 against the Astros last season. On Wednesday afternoon, the Jays optioned pitcher Marcus Walden to Triple-A Buffalo and recalled pitcher Neil Wagner. cheap nfl jerseys cheap jerseys ' ' ' |
