Penguins lose first showdown with Capitals

PITTSBURGH (AP) — If there can be a playoff game in January, this was it. The Washington Capitals only hope that beating the Pittsburgh Penguins during the season will show them how to get it done when the games truly count.

Alex Ovechkin scored twice and the streaking Capitals scored the final four goals to beat the Penguins 6-3 on Thursday night in the first game this season between elite teams led by the NHL’s two signature stars.

Tomas Fleischmann scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and set up Nicklas Backstrom’s breakaway goal less than a minute later for Washington. The Capitals won their fifth in a row and eighth in nine games and improved to 4-0-1 against Pittsburgh the last two seasons, although the Penguins won when it mattered in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

Eric Fehr and Mike Knuble also scored as Washington came back from deficits of 1-0 and 3-2 despite Sidney Crosby’s goal, a revived Evgeni Malkin’s three assists and rookie Nick Johnson’s goal in his first NHL game.

The first Capitals-Penguins game since Pittsburgh’s 6-2 win in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals on May 13 was only the start of their four-game season series, but it had a different feel than a mere regular-season game — and not just because Ovechkin and Crosby revived a rivalry that also may play out in the Olympics next month.

“It had the feeling of a playoff game, and that obviously happens with the matchup we have with Sid and Ovechkin,” Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik said. “The intensity was definitely there.”

In their 23 career meetings, Crosby has 17 goals and 23 assists and Ovechkin has 18 goals and 17 assists.