NHL On Tap: Crosby, Ovechkin renew rivalry in Capitals season opener

Welcome to the NHL On Tap. Three NHL.com writers will share what they are most looking forward to on the schedule each day. Today, their choices from the two games Friday.

Sid and Ovi, episode No. 66

The NHL has gotten younger, faster, bigger and better the past 18 years. Connor McDavid, Auston Matthews, Nathan MacKinnon, Leon Draisaitl and now Connor Bedard wow fans on a nightly basis. It's must-watch television. But all these years later the names on the marquee remain the same when the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals play. It's Sidney Crosby. It's Alex Ovechkin. It's hockey theater at its finest. They're at it again at Capital One Arena on Friday, the Penguins against the Capitals, Crosby vs. Ovechkin, in a national spotlight (7:30 p.m. ET, HULU, ESPN+, SN1, SN, TVAS). It will be the 66th time they will play head to head during the regular season. Crosby and the Penguins are 38-23-4 against Ovechkin and the Capitals when No. 87 and No. 8 play in the same game. Crosby has 86 points (28 goals, 58 assists) in the previous 65 games; Ovechkin has 63 points (34 goals, 29 assists). For the Penguins, they'll try to correct some of the mistakes they made in a 4-2 loss to Bedard and the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. For the Capitals, it's their season opener and coach Spencer Carbery's NHL debut. Last season was the first time since 2006 that the Penguins and Capitals both missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The stakes already are high. That's when Crosby and Ovechkin historically have been at their best. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

Karlsson's continuing adjustment to Penguins

While Dan's watching the matchup of veteran forwards, I'll be watching a veteran defenseman. Pittsburgh made a splash when they acquired Erik Karlsson from the San Jose Sharks in a trade that also included the Montreal Canadiens on Aug. 6 and he'll play his second game with them when they face the Capitals. He looked fine in his debut with them in a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday, although I'll admit most of my attention was on Bedard. Karlsson, the reigning Norris Trophy winner, logged a game-high 26:04 of ice time, had two shots on goal and blocked three shots against the Blackhawks. Karlsson is a tremendous add for the Penguins and I want to see how he adapts to them, especially against their longtime rival, the Capitals. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

Good start for Jack Hughes, Devils

Hughes got off to a quick start with two goals for the New Jersey Devils in a 4-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings in the season opener for both teams Thursday. Expectations are high for Hughes and the Devils this season after they ended a four-year Stanley Cup Playoff drought last season and reached the Eastern Conference Second Round. The Devils are considered Stanley Cup contenders this season with a young, exciting team led by Hughes, 22; forwards Nico Hischier, 24; and Dawson Mercer, 21; and rookie defenseman Luke Hughes, 20. New Jersey will host another young team in the Arizona Coyotes at Prudential Center on Friday (7 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, MSGSN). The Coyotes are making their season debut and feature their own young core of forwards in Clayton Keller, Matias Maccelli, Lawson Crouse, Barrett Hayton, and rookie Logan Cooley. Veteran defenseman Matt Dumba also will be making his debut for Arizona. -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

Friday games

Arizona Coyotes at New Jersey Devils (7 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, MSGSN)

This is the first of a four-game road trip for the Coyotes, who had part of their training camp in Australia. It's the second of back-to-back games for the Devils, who defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 on Thursday. New Jersey coach Lindy Ruff (905) needs one win to pass Al Arbour for fifth-most wins by a coach in NHL history (regular season and Stanley Cup Playoffs combined).

Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals (7:30 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SN1, SN, TVAS)

This is the season opener for the Capitals, who finished sixth in the Metropolitan Division last season and missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in nine seasons. Washington's Spencer Carbery, who will turn 42 on Nov. 9, is the League's youngest coach entering the season. Penguins forward Jake Guentzel has 26 points (11 goals, 15 assists) in 23 career games against Washington. He’s on a six-game point streak (three goals, six assists) against them dating to Nov. 14, 2021.