FEBRUARY 7 NBC SPORTS FLEX SCHEDULING
ALEX OVECHKIN AND THE WASHINGTON CAPITALS TAKE ON SIDNEY CROSBY AND THE PITTSBURGH PENGUINS ON NBC SPORTS’ “GAME OF THE WEEK” SUNDAY, FEB. 7, AT NOON ET
Next Three “Game of the Week” Telecasts Set
The Sunday, Feb. 7, Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals game has been flexed as NBC Sports’ “Game of the Week” and will be played at Verizon Center at the special time of Noon ET, the National Hockey League and NBC Sports announced today. Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin last spring delighted the sports world with a memorable seven-game playoff series, including both superstars recording a hat trick in Game 2, that elevated what had been a rivalry between individuals into what many are calling the NHL’s best current team rivalry.
Both the teams and superstars are at it again this season. Ovechkin has 65 points in 41 games, including 15 in his last seven games. Crosby has 63 points in 50 games, including 14 in his last seven games. Ovechkin has 30 goals this season, tying him for third in the NHL. Crosby has 32 goals this season, second in the League behind San Jose’s Patrick Marleau who has 34. Ovechkin had five points against Toronto last Friday. Crosby had six against the Islanders Tuesday night.
The surging Capitals, who have won seven of their last eight games, currently sit atop the Eastern Conference standings. The Penguins have won five of their last eight games and reside in fourth place in the Eastern Conference.
The Capitals and Penguins face each other for the first time this season tonight, Thursday, Jan. 21, at Mellon Arena in Pittsburgh. The game will be televised locally on FSN Pittsburgh and Comcast SportsNet in Washington and nationally in the U.S. on NHL Network.
ADDITIONAL “GAME OF THE WEEK” MATCHUPS
This Sunday, the Penguins travel to Philadelphia to face the Flyers at 12:30 p.m. ET on NBC. This Keystone State rivalry has reached the boiling point after the Penguins eliminated the Flyers from the playoffs in two hard-fought series each of the past two seasons.
Sunday, Jan. 31, features a rematch of the last two Stanley Cup Finals when the Detroit Red Wings visit the Penguins in Pittsburgh. Another great NHL rivalry was forged when the Penguins won the Stanley Cup last spring in seven games to dethrone the Red Wings, who had won in six games the previous season against the Penguins. Jan. 31 marks the first meeting between Pittsburgh and Detroit this season.