Game Preview: 10.07.26 at Washington Capitals

BROADCAST INFORMATION

Watch: TNT

Listen: 105.9 The X and the Penguins app

THE MATCHUP

• Since the beginning of the 2015-16 campaign, no team has defeated Washington more than Pittsburgh (25 wins). 
• Pittsburgh has points in eight of its last 14 games versus Washington (7-6-1) dating back to Nov. 9, 2022.
• The Penguins have points in six of their last eight visits to Capital One Arena (5-2-1).

QUICK HITS

1. Evgeni Malkin has 82 points (27G-55A) in 68 career games against the Capitals. It’s the third-most points he’s scored against any one team.

2. Bryan Rust has 27 points (16G-11A) in 38 career games against the Capitals. It’s the third highest career point total versus an opponent (New Jersey – 35; Philadelphia – 31) and second highest career goal total versus an opponent (New Jersey – 19). The Penguins are 12-4-2 when Rust has a point against Washington, and 6-0-1 when he records two or more points.

3. Sidney Crosby has notched 97 points (35G-62A) in 77 career games against the Capitals. He’s three points shy of notching 100 points against his fifth NHL franchise (PHI, NYI, NYR, NJD). 

4. The Penguins are one of just six teams in the league that have yet to allow a power-play goal against (TOR, STL, COL, MIN, UTA)

5. Filip Hallander and Ville Koivunen’s plus-4 are tied for seventh in the NHL.

PROJECTED LINEUP

Bryan Rust, who has been week-to-week with an upper-body injury, was a full participant in Tuesday's practice. The forward said afterward that he hoped to make his season debut tonight, but that conversations still needed to be had, and he had to see how his body felt.

He did take line rushes. Here was the workflow Pittsburgh used...

CROSBY VS. OVECHKIN

The 2026-27 season marks the 22nd season that generational talents Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin face off. The two have taken part in 75 head-to-head matchups, where Crosby and the Penguins have gone 43-28-4 against Ovechkin and the Capitals.

Below are their stats when facing each other in the regular season:

Player                  GP    G       A      PTS

Sidney Crosby    75     35     62     97

Alex Ovechkin     75     38     33     71

Not only is the Crosby/Ovechkin rivalry one of the NHL’s best, but it’s also the league’s longest-standing rivalry. Crosby and Ovechkin are the only two players in the NHL to play for the same team since the beginning of the 2005-06 season, and are two of just four players that are still active that also played in 2005-06 (also Corey Perry and Brent Burns).

The 2026-27 season marks the 22nd consecutive season that Crosby and Ovechkin have played one another. Only one forward-duo in NHL history has played against each other in more consecutive campaigns: Ron Francis and Mark Messier (23 seasons).

The two have combined to win four Stanley Cups, five Hart trophies (regular-season MVP) three Art Ross trophies (most points), 11 Rocket Richard trophies (most goals), three Conn Smythe awards (playoff MVP) and six Ted Lindsay awards (most outstanding player) among other awards.

FAMILIAR PLACES FOR NEW FACES

Penguins newcomers Hendrix Lapierre and Trevor van Riemsdyk are making their returns to Washington after spending the last six seasons with the Capitals organization. 

Lapierre, the Capitals’ first-round pick (22nd overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft, collected 47 points (13G-34A) in 158 career games with the Capitals. His NHL single-season career highs in goals (8), assists (14), points (22) and games played (51) all came in the 2023-24 season with the Capitals. Lapierre spent parts of three seasons with the Capitals’ AHL affiliate, the Hershey Bears, where he played under then Bears head coach and current Penguins assistant coach Todd Nelson. With the Bears, Lapierre won two Calder Cup championships (2023, ‘24) and was named AHL playoffs MVP after registering 22 points (7G-15A) in 20 playoff games in 2024.

van Riemsdyk recorded 92 points (13G-79A) in 387 games across six seasons with the Capitals from 2020-26. van Riemsdyk reached career highs in goals (7) and points (23) in 2022-23 and assists (20) in 2024-25 with Washington. During his tenure with the Capitals, van Riemsdyk led team defensemen in games played, ranked third in assists and fifth in points.