Crosby focused on resuscitating Pens
Riding a nine-game winning streak, Washington is the hottest team in hockey right now. But will the league’s third-leading scorer throw a wrench into the Caps’ plans for the evening?
Sidney Crosby and the Penguins host Barry Trotz’s squad at 7 p.m. ET. Online sports book Bovada.lv gives Pittsburgh odds of -135 to emerge victorious. Conversely, the Capitals enter PPG Paints Arena as +115 underdogs.
Thanks primarily to Braden Holtby’s excellence between the posts, Washington (29-9-5) sits atop the Metropolitan Division. The 27-year-old has five shutouts in the past 14 contests. He’s also 2-0-1 against the Pens this season, with a 1.62 GAA and .943 save percentage.
If anyone’s capable of halting such dominance, however, it’s Crosby. The perpetual Hart Trophy candidate boasts 26 goals and 20 assists through 36 tilts. He’s on pace to eclipse the 90-point barrier for the sixth time in his career.
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Alas, even No. 87 can’t cure he entirety of the Penguins’ (26-11-5) current ills. They’ve dropped three in a row, slipping to third place. Top defenseman Kris Letang’s absence only serves to strengthen our connection with the Caps.
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