Pens and Caps tonight.

We are all well aware of how much the Pens need to start winning games again. We are slipping out of the top 8 of the Eastern Conference and we are going to continue falling if we keep playing the way we have been during this 5-game losing streak we are in now.

Tonight's game in Washington against the Capitals would be a perfect opportunity to get back in the win column and collect two points.
The Caps are back from a road trip in California where they lost to the Kings and Sharks by identical scores of 5-2. Their leading scorer, Nicklas Backstrom was placed on Injured Reserve earlier in the week and they will miss him. The Capitals are not doing all that well as of late without him. They are having their struggles as well and if the Pens can bring things together and play their game, they have a chance of turning things around tonight.

Don't let the recent California road trip for the Caps fool you though. Before those two losses, the Caps were 6-1-1 in their previous 8 games. Also, after a slow start to the season, Ovechkin is starting to score more, with 7 goals in the past 9 games. Of course, after the two tough losses, the Caps would want to bring their best in a home game, especially against a rival like Pittsburgh. This game has the potential to be an exciting one, if the Pens show up tonight.


Tonight starts the second half of the season for the Pens. Perhaps this could be a fresh start, a clean slate. Time to remember our game and stick to it. The Pens need to forget about the losses and the injuries and bring their best effort and pull off a win. The offense needs to produce more than it has been recently (obviously), the defense needs to be tighter and more responsible and the goaltending needs to be amazing. We are capable of doing these things, it's just a matter of executing them.

Let's start this second half of the season off right, or else we could watch the continuation of a deteriorating team. A good game against a rival to begin the second half is just what we need, let's go out and do it!