2009 Eastern Conference Semifinals Game 7 vs Capitals
A rivalry fueled by geography, playoff history, and generational talents.
The Capitals–Penguins rivalry is a National Hockey League (NHL) rivalry between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins. Both teams have played in the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference since 2013. This rivalry stems from the 11 playoff series that the two teams have met in, which is second most between NHL expansion teams behind the Dallas Stars and St. Louis Blues (who have met each other in 14 playoff series). Pittsburgh won in every series except for the 1994 Eastern Conference quarterfinals and 2018 Eastern Conference second round.
There is also only a 250-mile drive between the cities of Washington, D.C., and Pittsburgh, allowing visiting fans of both teams to attend each other's games in fairly large quantities. In addition to the geography and deep playoff history, the emergence of Alexander Ovechkin (Washington) and Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh) as two generational talents has fueled the rivalry. The rivalry reached new heights in the mid and late 2010s, as the teams won three consecutive Stanley Cups between them – in 2016 and 2017, the Penguins defeated the Presidents' Trophy-winning Capitals en route to the championship, while in 2018 the Capitals eliminated the two-time defending champions in the second round on their way to winning their first Stanley Cup.
All six Stanley Cup championships combined between Washington and Pittsburgh have required defeating each other in the playoffs.
Quick Facts
- Final score
- 6-2 Penguins
- Historical context
- Second consecutive Cup Final appearance (also reached in 2008)
Lore & Background
Starting in the early 1980s, Pittsburgh and Washington had developed some animosity towards each other, but their matchup was never considered one of the top rivalries because they were rarely good at the same time. The two teams had never even made it to the playoffs in the same year until 1989 when the Capitals lost to the Penguins' cross-state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, in the division semifinals and the Penguins lost to the Flyers in the division finals. The next season, the Capitals and Penguins went in opposite directions. The Capitals finished third in the Patrick Division and made it to the Wales Conference finals against the Boston Bruins (but lost that series 4–0), while the Penguins did not even make the playoffs.
Reader's Guide
The 1990–91 season marked the start of the rivalry. Pittsburgh and Washington finished first and third in the Patrick Division, respectively. The Penguins won a tight division semifinal series against the New Jersey Devils in seven games while the Capitals finished off the New York Rangers in six games. In the division finals, the Capitals won game one in Pittsburgh, 4–2.
The Penguins went on to win the next three games, starting with a high-scoring 7–6 OT affair in game two, followed by two 3–1 victories in Washington. Pittsburgh would close out the series in game five with a 4–1 victory. They would go on to win the conference finals against Boston and the Stanley Cup Final against the Minnesota North Stars, winning both series in six games. In 1991–92, the Capitals finished second in the division and the entire NHL, and the Penguins finished third.
This set up a second consecutive playoff meeting between the two teams. This time, the Capitals took a 3–1 series lead by winning games one and two on their home ice and then followed a game three loss with a 7–2 drubbing of the Penguins in Pittsburgh. Dino Ciccarelli scored four goals in that game and was one of five Washington players to have a multi-point game that night. The Penguins would not give up, responding with a 5–2 win in Game 5 in Landover.
Pittsburgh then won both games six and seven by two goals each to win the series in seven games. After this series, the Penguins would defeat the New York Rangers in the Patrick Division finals and win eleven consecutive games to their second Stanley Cup. The 1992–93 season would see both teams capture the top two spots in the Patrick Division. Pittsburgh won the division with a franchise record 119 points in the regular season, including an NHL-record 17-game winning streak.
However, the third-place team in the division, the New York Islanders, would upset both Washington and Pittsburgh in the division semifinals and finals, respectively, thus preventing a third consecutive Capitals–Penguins playoff matchup. Before the 1993–94 season, the NHL renamed its divisions and made minor realignments. Pittsburgh was placed in the Northeast Division (formerly known as the Adams Division), while Washington remained in the newly named Atlantic Division that was formerly known as the Patrick Division.
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