Skate Report: Focus is on winning, not Wilson

WASHINGTON -- Tonight is not the first time that the Penguins have faced the Capitals this season.

This will actually be the third time in 34 games that the Penguins will meet Washington.

If the previous two are any indication, we can expect once again another rumble-and-tumble contest like the Nov. 7 game here that featured Evgeni Malkin throwing a questionable -- but legal -- back-shoulder check into the face of T.J. Oshie, who left the game only to come back and win it with 1:14 remaining.

That, however, has got nothing on what we might be in store for tonight at Capital One Arena.

Unlike the last two meetings, Tom Wilson will be in the lineup.

He, of course, has become the central figure in the Penguins-Capitals rivalry.

Most recently, in last spring's playoff series, Wilson concussed Brian Dumoulin and then ended the season of Zach Aston-Reese with controversial hits to the head. The latter hit cost Wilson a three-game suspension.

Wilson missed the first two games of this year's season series with Pittsburgh while serving a 14-game suspension at the start of the season for an illegal hit to the head of St. Louis' Oskar Sundqvist in the preseason.

Tonight's game will be Wilson's third game back after missing the previous three due to an injury sustained Dec. 4 when he was crunched by Vegas enforcer Ryan Reaves with a thunderous shoulder-to-shoulder check.

That hit certainly did not go unnoticed in Pittsburgh.

"He kind of ran into karma, if you will, against Vegas," Aston-Reese told me after Wednesday's morning skate. "I'm sure there might be some bumps, but that's something ... I don't really know what to expect."

Wilson has scored nine goals in 13 games for the Metro-leading Capitals, who are on a five-game winning streak. During their current run, the Capitals have averaged 4.8 goals per game.

When asked about the rivalry with the Penguins, Wilson told reporters at the Capitals' skate: “They don’t like us, we don’t like them. There’s your quote.”

Obviously, the Penguins would love to get their pound of flesh against Wilson but that, they say, is not their focus. They went out of their way to reinforce that.

"It's a new game, we're just trying to do what we can to win," Jamie Oleksiak said diplomatically.

A win tonight could catapult the Penguins back into third place in the division and a spot in the playoff field.

"It's going to be a physical, emotional, spirited game, playoff-type atmosphere," Aston-Reese was saying. "The last time we played these guys, we thought we deserved to win. So we're looking to bounce back from that ugly loss (to the Ducks) the other night."

THE ESSENTIALS

• Media notes

• Team statistics

• NHL scoreboard

• NHL standings

THE INJURIES

• Penguins: Patric Hornqvist, right winger, will be a game-time decision with an upper body injury. ... Dominik Simon, forward, will miss his eighth game with a lower body injury. He skated with the Penguins during the morning skate and appears close to returning. ... Justin Schultz, defenseman, is expected to miss four months after fracturing his leg Oct. 13 in Montreal.

• Capitals: Brooks Orpik, defenseman, has missed the last 22 games with a knee injury. ... Christian Djoos, forward, has missed the past two games with a thigh injury and is expected to miss considerable time after undergoing surgery. 

THE SKATE

• Patric Hornqvist is a game-time decision but is "very probable" to return after missing the past six games with an upper body injury.

It's been a rocky road back for Hornqvist after it initially appeared he might not miss any time after suffering the injury Dec. 6. He also missed three games at the end of November with a concussion.

"It was kind of up and down for 3-4 days there and then they took me off for a few days and then it got way better," he said. "Glad we did that and glad I'm feeling better."

• Hornqvist will skate on the third line with Derick Brassard and Tanner Pearson. But nowhere will his impact be felt more than on the power play.

"For the guys who shoot the puck, it makes our life easier," Kris Letang said of the forward the Penguins believe is the NHL's best net-front presence.

Though the Penguins converted in each of the last two games, the power play went 2-for-16 in Hornqvist's absence.

• As expected, Matt Murray will be in goal. He has a .931 save percentage and 2.47 goals-against average on the road this season. At home? Those numbers jump to .844 and 5.02.

"It's going to be a tough challenge," Sullivan said. "Matt's played extremely well in this building. He had a real solid game the other night, had a couple good practices. He's fresh. He's excited to get in the net tonight."

Murray has a 5-4 career record vs. the Capitals, including a win in this year's season opener.

• Among the players taking the ice was Garrett Wilson, who cleared waivers shortly after the skate ended. It appears the journeyman forward will be in the lineup. For what it's worth, Wilson has two career NHL fights but he did once drop the gloves against Tom Wilson in a Dec. 3, 2010 game in the OHL.

THE OTHER SIDE

• The Capitals held their morning skate at their practice facility in Alexandria, Va.

• Alex Ovechkin not only leads the NHL with 29 goals -- four more than the Sabres' Jeff Skinner -- he can extend his points streak to a career-high 15 games tonight. The team record is 17, done twice by Hall of Famer Mike Gartner.

• Since joining the Capitals, Oshie has 20 points (11 goals) in 15 regular-season games against the Penguins. Five of the goals were on the power play. Three of the goals were game-winners.

• Orpik joined his teammates on the ice in Alexandria in a non-contact jersey.