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PITTSBURGH -- To bemoan the loss of Sidney Crosby when it comes to watching the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals is understandable, yet it underestimates the fierceness of the rivalry that exists between two of the NHL's marquee teams.

For the second time since David Steckel's controversial Winter Classic hit either caused or was a contributing factor in Crosby's concussion, the two teams met. And for the second time, the game was both intense and dynamic.

Different without Crosby? That goes without saying, just as it goes without saying the game in general is diminished by his continued and prolonged absence.

That said, Monday's 1-0 Washington victory was compelling nonetheless.

When we watched Alex Ovechkin stymied by a deft blocker move by Pittsburgh netminder Marc-Andre Fleury on a first-period breakaway, we couldn't help but think of Game 7 during the first playoff clash between these two rivals in 2009.

Ovechkin was denied on a similar breakaway early in Game 7 and the Pens went on to rout the home team and eventually won their first Stanley Cup championship since 1992.

That series might have been the high-water mark since the lockout both in terms of buzz surrounding the series and the actual competition on the ice.

And the moment the Penguins skated off the ice with a 6-2 win in Game 7, was there anyone in the game who did not wonder when it would happen again?

Well, we know there's a lot of hockey yet to be played this season, but not so much that you can't look at the standings and predict the likelihood of a first-round Pittsburgh/Washington matchup.

The Capitals trail Tampa for first place in the Southeast Division by a point, but the Bolts have two games in hand.

Pittsburgh is pretty much locked into second place in the Atlantic Division behind Philadelphia, which would suggest either the fourth or fifth seed in the Eastern Conference.

"That could be a playoff matchup," Washington's Mike Knuble offered after Monday's game. "It's always competitive. They're fun hockey games."

Standing nearby was center Nicklas Backstrom, his left hand still smarting from a Kris Letang slash.

"I think everybody wants that matchup," he said. "There's so much emotion."

If the past two games played by these two teams are any indication, Crosby or no Crosby, a Part Deux this April would be dynamite.

Both teams are trying to put last season's disappointing playoff turns behind them.

The Caps, of course, were humbled by eighth seed Montreal in the first round, while the Penguins, wearied from two straight trips to the Cup finals, were shocked by the Canadiens in the second round.

Of course, the Capitals would relish a chance to avenge the 2009 playoff loss, but there would also be the added dynamic of the dramatic shift in how both teams approach the game.

A season ago, the Caps were running away with the Eastern Conference by outscoring teams by wide margins. Now, they grind out games and their defense, once the object of ridicule, ranks sixth in the NHL in goals allowed. Their penalty-killing unit is ranked fifth.

The Pens, meanwhile, have peeled back their flashy outer skin in the absence of Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, gone with a knee injury for the balance of the season, to reveal a dedicated, hard-working team that ranks fifth in goals allowed per game and has the top-ranked penalty-killing unit in the NHL.

Bemoan the absence of offensive fireworks a new playoff matchup might represent, especially if Crosby is unable to return, but relish the chance to watch these two remade teams tangle in what we can only imagine would be another long series.

With both teams coming off road games Sunday afternoon, they combined for 63 shots but just one goal Monday night.

Ovechkin, after missing the early breakaway, ripped a high shot from the point on a power play to provide the only goal the Caps would need.

It was just Ovechkin's fifth power-play goal of the season, but Capitals coach Bruce Boudreau said his star forward is starting to shoot the puck in a way he hadn't for the first half of the regular season. He was also blocking shots and bumping into Penguins bodies all night.

"He's been playing like that for the last two weeks and being a real leader," Boudreau said.

Both netminders, Fleury and Michal Neuvirth, were outstanding in the final regular-season meeting between these two rivals.

Brett Sterling, the AHL call-up who has moved into a top-line role because of the Pens' lengthy injury list, hit a goalpost early in the third period.

Jordan Staal, who played after taking a big Letang slap shot to the head late in Sunday's shootout loss to Chicago, was denied on a short-handed breakaway.

Washington's Matt Bradley delivered a big hit on Matt Cooke and ended up fighting Ryan Craig.

Washington defenseman John Carlson made a terrific defensive play to break up a Max Talbot breakaway.

On it went.

"Two tired teams," Knuble noted after.

But not too tired to put on a terrific show.

Just as we might imagine come mid-April.

"There might be only 12 guys for each team ready to play the next series," Boudreau mused about the possibility.

He might be right. And here's hoping we find out.

Brent Johnson missed out on a shutout after taking down Rick DiPietro in the final minute of Wednesday's game, but where does this fight rank among some of the best goalie fights in history?

Brent Johnson vs. Rick DiPietro

Felix Potvin vs. Ron Hextall

(courtesy: hockeyfights.com)

Patrick Roy vs. Chris Osgood

(courtesy: hockeyfights.com -- oh the glory days of ESPN2!)

Patrick Roy vs. Mike Vernon

(courtesy: hockeyfights.com)

Boston Bruins (28-15-7) at Carolina Hurricanes (25-19-6), 7 p.m. ET

Season series: 2-1 Boston
Starting goaltenders: Tim Thomas (24-5-6, 1.81 GAA) vs. Cam Ward (22-15-5, 2.70 GAA)
Preview: Two weeks after the Bruins finished a home-and-home sweep of the Hurricanes, Carolina tries to end the series with Boston on a high note. The Hurricanes got only two of their 76 shots past Tim Thomas in back-to-back losses to the Bruins on Jan. 17 and 18. Carolina is one point out of the eighth-seed in the East, while Boston leads the Northeast division.

Chicago Blackhawks (26-20-4) at Columbus Blue Jackets (23-21-5), 7 p.m. ET

Season series: 3-1 Chicago
Starting goaltenders: Marty Turco (10-10-2, 3.02 GAA) vs. Steve Mason (15-12-2, 3.20 GAA)
Preview: The Blackhawks begin a six-game road trip in Columbus after All-Star weekend featured four Chicago players, including game MVP Patrick Sharp. Heading into their final 32 games, the Blackhawks are tied for seventh in the West with San Jose and Colorado. Minnesota and Los Angeles are a point behind that group, and Columbus, tied for 13th, is five back.

Pittsburgh Penguins (31-15-4) at New York Rangers (29-20-3), 7:30 p.m. ET

Season series: 2-1 New York
Starting goaltenders: Marc-Andre Fleury (23-11-2, 2.19 GAA) vs. Henrik Lundqvist (21-16-3, 2.29 GAA)
Preview: The Rangers have lost four in a row to the Penguins at Madison Square Garden and haven't won a home game against the Penguins since Jan. 5, 2009. Pittsburgh hasn't won five straight at MSG since a streak from Dec. 31, 1989 to March 17, 1991. Neither Sidney Crosby nor Evgeni Malkin is ready to return, but the Penguins are 5-3-1 without Crosby and 2-1-0 without both Crosby and Malkin this season.

Philadelphia Flyers (33-12-5) at Tampa Bay Lightning (31-15-5), 7:30 p.m. ET

Season series: 2-0 Tampa Bay
Starting goaltenders: Sergei Bobrovsky (21-6-3, 2.42 GAA) vs. Dwayne Roloson (7-3-0, 2.25 GAA for Bolts)
Preview: The East's top two teams face off for the third time this season with the Flyers looking for their first win of the season against the Lightning. The Lightning have won five straight games and are in the midst of a 12-game home stand. The Flyers have won two straight and six of their last seven games. Philadelphia leads the Presidents' Trophy race after 50 games for the first time since the 1986-87 season.

Montreal Canadiens (27-18-5) at Washington Capitals (27-15-9), 7:30 p.m. ET

Season series: 1-0 Washington
Starting goaltenders: Carey Price (24-16-5, 2.36 GAA) vs. Semyon Varlamov (8-7-3, 2.16 GAA)
Preview: The Capitals have looked like a different team since getting stunned by the Canadiens in the postseason. They cruised through last season and won the President's Trophy, but were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round by Montreal. This season, the Capitals are 17th in the league at 2.71 goals per game, have been shut out seven times and Alex Ovechkin is on pace for career lows in goals and points.

Los Angeles Kings (27-22-1) at Minnesota Wild (25-19-5), 8 p.m. ET

Season series: 1-1
Starting goaltenders: Jonathan Bernier (5-8-0, 3.08 GAA) vs. Niklas Backstrom (15-11-3, 2.52 GAA)
Preview: After an up-and-down season, the Kings went into the All-Star break on a three-game win streak. Unfortunately for Los Angeles, the Kings now begin a 10-game road trip. The Kings are 5-8-0 in their past 13 road games. The Wild won four of five before the break and are currently tied with the Kings, but Minnesota is just 4-6-1 at home since the start of December.

Vancouver Canucks (31-10-9) at Dallas Stars (30-15-5), 8:30 p.m. ET

Season series: 2-0 Vancouver
Starting goaltenders: Cory Schneider (8-2-2, 2.35 GAA) vs. Kari Lehtonen (22-11-5, 2.57 GAA)
Preview: The Canucks and the Stars both lead their divisions, but Vancouver has dominated the series. Vancouver has outscored Dallas 11-2 in the two games. But the Canucks will now need to depend on defenseman Lee Sweatt more with an injury to Alexander Edler. Edler, who leads the Canucks with 24 minutes of ice time per game and tops the defense with 32 points, is having back surgery and will be out indefinitely.

Phoenix Coyotes (25-17-9) at San Jose Sharks (25-19-6), 10 p.m. ET

Season series: 2-0 San Jose
Starting goaltenders: Ilya Bryzgalov (19-12-6, 2.64 GAA) vs. Antti Niemi (13-13-3, 2.69 GAA)
Preview: The Coyotes will try to win their sixth straight away from home Tuesday night and end a six-game slide against the Sharks. Phoenix has limited its opponents to 1 for 17 on the power play during its run on the road. Veteran center Joe Thornton has two goals and three assists, and Antti Niemi has posted a 1.50 goals-against average in two wins over the Coyotes this season.

Tuesday: Flyers at Lightning, 7:30 p.m. ET

The third game in a mighty 12-game homestand for the Lightning, and they host the league’s best team (at least for our money). Tampa Bay could pull within two points of Philly for the top spot the Eastern Conference.

Prediction: The Bolts start the post-All-Star weekend schedule with their third straight win.

Tuesday: Canucks at Stars, 8:30 p.m. ET

The Stars will be hoping to avenge their 7-1 loss in Vancouver shortly before the break. We wonder if the Canucks will be spending a few nights in Big D before the game as the Stars did in Vancouver? Probably not. Still, this should be a good tilt between two division leaders.

Prediction: The Stars will even the score at home.

Wednesday: Sharks at Ducks, 10 p.m. ET

The Ducks have won seven of their past 10 games and continue to impress. Goalie Jonas Hiller was solid in the All-Star Game, and he’ll have to keep up his strong play against a Sharks team that would like to create some breathing room for itself in the playoff bracket. San Jose is 4-0-1 in its past five contests.

Prediction: The Ducks will continue their strong play and defeat the streaky Sharks.

Thursday: Wild at Avalanche, 9 p.m. ET

The Avs hit the break tied with San Jose for the last playoff berth, while the Wild were just one point back and have come on strong in recent weeks. This is the kind of game that’s going to hurt for the loser.

Prediction: The Avs will get their game going.

Friday: Sabres at Penguins, 7 p.m. ET

The Sabres have some ground to make up if they want to revisit the playoff tournament in April, and they’ll visit a Penguins team still missing Sidney Crosby even though the Pittsburgh captain has been given clearance to begin light workouts. There’s a better chance Evgeni Malkin will be on the ice, but either way, these are the types of games the Sabres have to win.

Prediction: Crosby or no Crosby, the Pens will be too tough for the Sabres.

Last week: 3-2.

VANCOUVER -- Greetings from the Left Coast. I see there's plenty of angry puck heads this week. Love it. Let's get at 'er:

gatorsandtitansfan44: The Nashville Predators are not getting enough notice. They have won 10 of 12, getting some of the best goaltending in the league from Pekka Rinne and look at their injury list! Two of their top scorers are on IR, their big offseason signing has played 1 1/2 games, a top four D-man (Boullion) and a filler they picked up to help with scoring since two of their top point guys are out (Svatos). Guess what, not only are the Predators quite arguably the hottest team in the league, but they are doing it while dealing with tons of injuries. Not to mention that they had to go nearly a month without starting goalie Pekka Rinne. The fact of the matter is the NHL season is a little over halfway done and the Nashville Predators with a rag tag group of guys and several key injuries are on fire and now sit just four points out of first in the division (second in the West) behind Detroit, four points ahead of the defending SC champion Blackhawks (who they have beaten in three out of five this year), and they are two points ahead of the Ducks (fifth in the West), who have played three more games than Nashville so far. Why can’t the fact that they have no "superstar scorer" be set aside and the fact that this is a good young hockey team with a solid foundation be brought out? The bottom line is this team has very good potential, and if they can keep playing the way they are this season who knows? Maybe a trip to the conference semis is finally within their grasp.

My take: Hey, I've done my best, writing a Preds story two weeks ago. But generally, you are indeed correct that this team just doesn't get the kind of national attention it deserves. Playing in a small and non-traditional market obviously doesn't help. What would also help is a deep playoff run, which they've never had. That would cultivate more of a respect factor around the league. Is this the year?

Kavashaforlife: Dear Mr. Nabokov:

Hey, it is me, Logic; I think we need to have a talk. I understand, the Islanders are not the ideal place to resume your NHL career, but are you not tired of the cold nights in Russia? Report to the Islanders, take the next week (including workouts over the All-Star break) to earn the starting goaltending job on despondent Long Island; play a week or so on the Island, show the rest of the NHL that you still have it (I see the headlines now: "Nabokov's 40 save night (again) sparks the resurgent Isles") and eventually get traded to Detroit (or another playoff contender) for a draft pick and mid-level player. Unlike at Burger King, you cannot always "have it your way;" take what the Islanders are offering you, it has to be better than what Russia's offering you.

Sincerely,

Logic (Hopeful Islanders Fan)

My take: Problem is, my friend, the Isles can't trade him unless they put him on waivers first and it's unlikely he would clear. Hence, a trade is not a realistic option. By now, most hockey fans know I interviewed Nabokov on Sunday. He sounded genuinely surprised over the phone that the Islanders would claim him. And quite frankly, I'm with him on that. I mean, why aren't the Isles just focusing on losing games and getting another high lottery pick to join John Tavares and company on a young club that will be better over the next few years? Having said that, I also think Nabokov should report to Long Island. He needs to show the other 29 GMs that he can still stop pucks so that once July 1 rolls around, he'll get some interest.

phillyisbetterthanpitt: Stop protecting the players from headshots. This is a joke, they get paid all this money to play the sport the same way they have been playing it their entire lives. The NHL is getting more and more soft with each passing year Bettman remains the head. Stop letting GMs protect their money interests and let the players play the game the way it was intended to be played.

My take: Marc Savard has another concussion. David Perron hasn't played since his November hit to the head. Matthew Lombardi has played two games this season, still out with a concussion. The best player on the planet won't be showcased in the All-Star Game as he continues to recover from a concussion. Yup, you're right. No issue here whatsoever. All is well. I have no idea why we're even talking about it.

StLbluesfan314: I am so frustrated about the Blues this season! I feel like we are the Chicago Cubs of hockey. Every time the season begins, we all have the hopes of a Cup in STL. But year after year no such luck. DON'T GET ME WRONG, I enjoy getting to the playoffs but yet we can't make anything happen! Is it time to talk of trading some of those "cornerstone" pieces to get some real talent in here to make a playoff run? Any news on the talk of getting a sniper who can put pucks into the net with consistency? The addition of Oshie back from injury is nice but we still can't put up points. Is it inconsistency that is killing this team? GET US SOME HELP J.D.!

My take: Um, the Cubs of hockey are a team you may have heard of in Toronto. The Maple Leafs and Cubs have brought suffering to a new level for their fans.

LynchBages: Kings vs. Mike Murphy. Unfortunately Murphy has all of the leverage. However, the goal that was allowed to stand against Phoenix the other night from the high stick up around the head (never mind that Hanzal is 6'5"!) was ridiculous, especially when the feeds in the arena even showed it was almost two feet over the crossbar. The explanation from the "war room" was feeble, at best, and even though Lombardi's comment was out of line, the league should be embarrassed to ask him to pay that fine. With all of that in mind, it's painfully obvious that the Kings are frustrated because their plan to have the kids grow up fast makes them too thin -- they do have steaks where their talent is evident, but no consistency. REALISTICALLY, do you see any movement coming this season via trade? I'm thinking they're going have to look to the Eastern Conference ... more consistent scoring and a top-four D-man, but who??

My take: Hanzal's goal should not have stood. Bad call from the war room in Toronto. But Lombardi was out of line to say that publicly. Totally out of line. And when I spoke with the Kings GM on Friday, he felt brutal about it. Good on Lombardi to call Murphy on Friday morning and apologize. Classy move by Lombardi.

mrcheesenacho7: I'm tired of hearing everyone call out Sidney as a baby and a poor leader because he isn't able to play or participate in the All-Star Game. You have to realize that the guy would be on the ice in a second if he could help out his team, yet he hasn't skated in almost three weeks and does nothing but catch hell from haters for something he can't even help. The Sid haters have reached a new low.

My take: Anyone who thinks Crosby is not injured and skipping the All-Star Game on purpose it a moron. He's injured. He's got a concussion. He's doing the right thing by taking the week off to recover. Enough said.

cbjgatorhead: I'm not going to bash Scott Howson/Scott Arniel at all ... but I'm beginning to question some of their tactics lately. I don't understand why we sent down Kyle Wilson when we have Huselius floating around like a worthless bag of garbage. Also additional garbage, Anton Stralman, but thankfully we have Grant Clitsome! And obviously it's not because of money. We just sent our highest paid D-man down to the AHL. Why do we continue to keep Huselius around?!

My take: I feel terrible for Jackets fans. I love the city of Columbus, I've always thought it was an excellent choice for an NHL franchise. But it's been nothing but heartache and frustration for a decade plus. There are no easy solutions moving forward. The Predators model is the one to try to copy: patient drafting and developing and no quick fixes.

colt135: I will rant about Nabokov. I hope Islanders fans like what Snow did. The idea is to make your team better, and for them Nabokov is an upgrade. With over 30 games left in the season, if he caught lightning in a bottle and went 20-10 (he won 44 last year), they could grab the eight spot.

My take: Whatever you're taking, I want some of that.

raquelm5: Hi, I am a hockey fan, I love hockey, I play hockey and I live in Miami so I have Panthers season tickets. My hubby HATES hockey so I am always trying to find someone to go to the games with me and no one wants to go and the ticket is free. Their reasons are either: a) they don't care about hockey, or b) the Panthers are so bad. I play in a women's rec league and it seems that the Panthers make the same mistakes we do. It is sad to watch and when they seem to be winning for once, they manage to loose. We always say that they "snatch defeat from the jaws of victory" like the game vs. the Hurricanes when they were up 3-0 and lost 5-3. Should I bother renewing my season tickets so I go through the trouble of finding who to go with or fighting with my hubby to go with me? Oh, BTW, Bank Atlantic Center is 50 miles from where we live.

My take: Raquel, don't give up on them yet. Dale Tallon showed in Chicago that he knows how to rebuild a team. It's just going to take time, which I know is tough to take given the long drought of non-playoff years in South Florida. But give Tallon a chance. He knows what he's doing.

fbullock: Pierre, We find ourselves with another annual useless hockey game this Saturday night. No it's not an Isles vs. Devils game. Although it would be a lot better if it was. But sadly it's the NHL All-Star Game. It's just plan useless not just for the fans but for those having to cover it. I feel for you having to trek down there to RBC but make sure you shake enough corporate hands to make it worth it. Only person that will be happy this weekend will be the wife since I will have no pucks on this weekend. I wish the hockey gods could help me with the work I will have to do in the garage. Anyway, I feel there is no need in bashing this hand-holding corporate event unless I have a solution and I do. Why can't we take the weekend and have an awesome round-robin tourney? How about the All-Stars from: NHL vs. KHL vs. SEL vs. EHL. After three days the top two points teams play for a stack of cash. I don't believe any of the above leagues lose because of the monster TV deal it would bring as well as international sponsors. It’s a no brainer. Not to mention the side games of the above leagues. They could include an all-amateur game as well as high stakes skills comp. Oh what a weekend. Puck heads would be on full puck tilt for three or four days. As well, I believe the media would have a much better time with the storylines. Well, just throwing out one fan's dream, instead me and my dog Hosehead are going to grab us some Elsinore and clean the garage.

My take: Well, the game is actually on Sunday, but yes, I'm with you. I've wanted the All-Star Game canceled for years. The addition of the Friday fantasy draft is a neat touch. But I suspect Sunday's game will be a dud once again. Solution? Just blow it up. The NHL schedule is brutal on the players. Adding back those three days from the break wouldn't hurt.

Sidney Crosby will not play in this weekend's All-Star Game, as he is still recovering from a concussion. Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun break down the news:

Burnside: Well, my friend, the clock is ticking down to the big All-Star Weekend in Raleigh. Sadly for fans hoping to see the world's best player, Sidney Crosby, he has bowed out of the proceedings. Looks like he and Evgeni Malkin, both voted onto the All-Star lineup by the fans, will be kept out of action by injury. If history is any indication, that means Malkin and Crosby will also miss at least the first game after the All-Star break. This is the second straight All-Star Game that Crosby will miss. He was unable to play two years ago in Montreal, but did attend the event and did not incur the league's imposed martial law when it comes to players trying to blow off the annual schmooze-fest.

LeBrun: This time, I'd be shocked if Crosby went to Raleigh. He's recovering from a concussion. He should just stay home and recuperate and not add any stress with travel, etc. I suspect that's what he'll do.

As for his replacement, a league source told me today they should have enough time to replace him with a player at large and not have to use a rookie. As I reported over the weekend, the league is planning to use rookies for any All-Star who bows out late right before the weekend, an idea I like. The league was willing to give Crosby until Friday if he needed it, but the Penguins' captain ended the guessing today.

Burnside: No question his absence diminishes the game's luster, but that's life. It's easy to lose perspective on the whole All-Star process -- who gets selected, who bows out and for what reasons -- but I had a refreshing chat with Matt Duchene, the talented Colorado forward who will be attending his first All-Star Game. He is pumped. He talked about watching the game as a youngster and how exciting it was to see his heroes all in one place. He was particularly interested in the skills competition, and now he'll get a chance to take part in it.

That Crosby and others won't be in attendance isn't likely to diminish Duchene's experience and, frankly, the experience of the fans. Maybe that's a good lesson to remember.

LeBrun: And don't forget the media game Sunday morning at RBC Center. That's always one of the big highlights of the weekend. Just kidding! While All-Star Weekend will be something to remember for those in attendance (even if the game should be a bore, as usual), what about the players who will benefit from the break? Henrik Zetterberg, for example, will get to rest his bumps and bruises and I think that's huge for injury-riddled Detroit. The Wings should get Pavel Datsyuk and Daniel Cleary back shortly after the break, and with the rest Zetterberg is getting this weekend, that sets up the Red Wings well for a post All-Star run.

Burnside: I don't think you can understate the benefit of this break for the players and teams that won't be in Raleigh. That's why the games this week are seen as so crucial. Teams like Colorado, St. Louis, Los Angeles and Carolina are hoping to head into the break on a positive note and close in on playoff spots after the break. A lot of it is physical, of course, but there's no underestimating the psychological boost of having a four- or five-day break after winning two or three in a row. Conversely, if teams drop two or three in a row and are looking at how much ground they need to cover after the break ... well, that will make those days off more difficult, that's for sure.

LeBrun: But it can also work the other way. Teams could be on a roll entering the break and lose momentum because of the stop on the schedule. I had a coach complain to me about that. Either way, you and I will be in Raleigh. It all begins with Friday night's fantasy draft, a nice touch this year by the league. But most people's automatic first pick -- Crosby -- will not be there.

Pittsburgh Penguins (29-14-4) at New Jersey Devils (13-29-3), 7 p.m. ET

Season series: 2-0 Pittsburgh
Starting goaltenders: Brent Johnson (8-3-2, 2.04 GAA) vs. Martin Brodeur (8-18-2, 2.97 GAA)
Preview: The Penguins take the ice without both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin for the first time since Malkin came into the league, according to Elias Sports Bureau. Reports out of Pittsburgh indicate Malkin is day to day with a sore knee, while Crosby is still recovering from a concussion. Pens coach Dan Bylsma will put Dustin Jeffrey on the top line with Chris Kunitz and Pascal Dupuis. With a win tonight, Bylsma will tie Scotty Bowman for third place on the Penguins' all-time coaching wins list with 95.

Anaheim Ducks (26-19-4) at Toronto Maple Leafs (18-22-5), 7 p.m. ET

Starting goaltenders: Jonas Hiller (23-15-3, 2.45 GAA) vs. Jean-Sebastien Giguere (8-7-3, 2.73 GAA)
Preview: Jean-Sebastien Giguere will face his former team for the first time since being traded to Toronto. Giguere helped the Ducks to two Stanley Cup finals appearances, winning it all in 2007. Giguere is also the Ducks franchise leader among goalies for games played (447) and wins (206). The struggling Leafs are coming off a 7-0 loss to the Rangers on Wednesday night. Giguere said Wednesday morning that he would consider waiving his no-trade clause if the team asked.

New York Rangers (27-18-3) at Carolina Hurricanes (22-18-6), 7 p.m. ET

Season series: 1-1
Starting goaltenders: Henrik Lundqvist (20-14-3, 2.21 GAA) vs. Cam Ward (19-14-5, 2.72 GAA)
Preview: The Rangers are coming off a 7-0 win on Wednesday night, but they are an impressive 10-2-0 this season when playing the second game of back-to-back games and haven't allowed more than three goals in the second games. The Hurricanes are sitting in ninth place in the East and trying to fight into the playoff picture, but have lost three of their past four.

Washington Capitals (25-14-8) at New York Islanders (14-23-7), 7 p.m. ET

Season series: 1-0 Washington
Starting goaltenders: Braden Holtby (2-2-1, 3.84 GAA) vs. Rick DiPietro (7-6-4, 3.43 GAA)
Preview: Looking the beat the Islanders for the ninth time in their past 10 meetings, the Capitals turn to Braden Holtby in net. Recalled from the Hershey Bears on Wednesday with both of Washington's two top goalies injured, Holtby will be making his fifth NHL start of the season. The Capitals have been held to three goals or fewer in 11 straight games and have one win in their past five games.

Ottawa Senators (17-23-7) at Philadelphia Flyers (30-11-5), 7 p.m. ET

Season series: 1-0 Philadelphia
Starting goaltenders: Brian Elliott (12-16-6, 2.01 GAA) vs. Sergei Bobrovsky (18-6-3, 2.50 GAA)
Preview: Already leading the Eastern Conference, the Flyers now get to add top defenseman Chris Pronger back to the lineup. Pronger missed 13 games with a broken foot, but the Flyers went 9-4-0 in his absence and had the highest offensive production in the NHL at 3.46 goals per game. While Philadelphia is vying for the best record in the league, the Senators are tied with the Maple Leafs at the bottom of the Northeast due to a 1-6-3 stretch.

Tampa Bay Lightning (27-15-5) at Atlanta Thrashers (23-18-7), 7 p.m. ET

Season series: 4-0 Tampa Bay
Starting goaltenders: Dwayne Roloson (4-3-0, 2.92 GAA) vs. Ondrej Pavelec (16-11-5, 2.49 GAA)
Preview: With the Capitals struggling this season, the Southeast Division is wide open and the Lightning are taking advantage. Steven Stamkos has reclaimed the league goal-scoring lead with 35 goals after scoring in his past three games. Also, Stamkos has a point in seven of eight career games against the Thrashers with six goals and six assists.

Detroit Red Wings (28-12-6) at St. Louis Blues (22-17-6), 8 p.m. ET

Season series: 2-1 Detroit
Starting goaltenders: Jimmy Howard (22-7-4, 2.83 GAA) vs. Jaroslav Halak (17-14-4, 2.50 GAA)
Preview: The injury-riddled Red Wings will welcome back Jimmy Howard as they try to avoid a season-worst fourth consecutive road loss. Howard missed two games after bruising his right knee. And with Chris Osgood sidelined by a hernia, the Wings are in talks to sign goalie Evgeni Nabokov, a source confirmed to ESPN.com’s Pierre LeBrun on Thursday.

San Jose Sharks (23-19-5) at Vancouver Canucks (29-10-7), 10 p.m. ET

Season series: 2-0 Vancouver
Starting goaltenders: Antti Niemi (11-13-2, 2.79 GAA) vs. Roberto Luongo (21-8-5, 2.38 GAA)
Preview: After earning at least one point in a 17 straight games, the Canucks are just 1-2-1 in their past four games. The Canucks now return home from a five-game road trip with a three-point advantage for the Western Conference lead. Vancouver has outscored San Jose 10-4 in two meetings this season, but the Sharks come into the game on a two-game winning streak.

Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun are back to debate! Today, they look at a few elite stars' status heading into tonight's action:

Burnside: Good day, my friend. We're going to have to start renting out our services to NHL GMs and coaches after our discussion of Marian Gaborik's scoring woes sparked a four-goal, one-assist performance in the Rangers' 7-0 win against Toronto on Wednesday night. I won't be surprised if we hear from Kings GM Dean Lombardi regarding Anze Kopitar next. But I digress. Again.

Interesting night ahead in Toronto as Jean-Sebastien Giguere is scheduled to face his old mates from Anaheim, but the real Ducks story is Corey Perry, who is lighting it up in the absence of longtime linemate Ryan Getzlaf (sinus fractures).

LeBrun: Jonas Hiller obviously deserves a ton of credit for providing Vezina-type goaltending in the Ducks' net. But you're right, we can't forget about Perry. Chatting with Ducks coach Randy Carlyle yesterday here in Toronto, he said Perry has taken his game to another level this season. Because of that, Carlyle has used him in more situations.

"He enjoys his role and he gets major minutes, and we've expanded his role a little bit more this year to penalty killing," Carlyle said. "He enjoys that, he gets on the ice more. He plays four-on-four. He plays the power play. He takes a beating in front of the net and plays those tough minutes. So you have to reward those players and that's what he's getting, and he's getting recognition [around the league] because he's deserved it."

To me, Perry's confidence grew after playing for Canada's 2010 Olympic champion team. He returned to the NHL believing he belonged among the world's elite and has carried that into this season. Speaking of the world's elite, a couple of them are missing from the Pittsburgh lineup tonight.

Burnside: Indeed. The Penguins will take the ice this evening in New Jersey without captain Sidney Crosby and without Evgeni Malkin, both of whom are out with injuries. According to our good friends at Elias Sports Bureau, this is the first time since Malkin entered the league in 2006-07 that both players will be out of the Pittsburgh lineup.

Reports out of Pittsburgh indicate Malkin is nursing a sore knee and is considered day to day. No truth to the rumor Malkin is declining to attend next week's All-Star Game unless he's made a captain or gets to drive the Zamboni. But seriously, the Penguins are riding a three-game winning streak and seemed to have found a bit of a groove without Crosby, who is still suffering concussion-related symptoms.

The Penguins won't be taking any chances with Malkin, who has struggled offensively this season. He hasn't scored in six straight games and the Pens will need him at peak performance if they're to make another long playoff run.

LeBrun: If I were the Penguins, I'd rest Malkin through the All-Star break. Pittsburgh has built up a nice cushion in terms of points in the standings. No reason to risk his health. Same with Crosby. Which of course means both Pittsburgh centers could possibly miss the All-Star Game, as could Edmonton winger Ales Hemsky (concussion).

NHL executive Brendan Shanahan may need to phone in three replacements. It's never easy at this point because those possible replacement players may have already made plans for that weekend.

Before I leave, I wanted to mention Curtis Glencross' push from behind on Minnesota's Clayton Stoner last night. Brutal hit. Stupid. Don't be surprised if the NHL takes a look at it today.

OK, pal ... I'm off to Vancouver tomorrow morning for a few days to profile the Canucks, while you're traveling to Denver to check in on the run-and-gun Avalanche. Talk to you next week!

Washington Capitals (25-14-7) at Philadelphia Flyers (29-11-5), 7 p.m. ET

Season Series: 1-1
Starting goaltenders: Michal Neuvirth (15-6-4, 2.55 GAA) vs. Sergei Bobrovsky (17-6-3, 2.53 GAA)
Preview: The Eastern Conference-leading Flyers dropped the first meeting of the season with Washington 3-2 in overtime Nov. 7 but won 5-4 in a shootout Nov. 20. Both matchups were at the Verizon Center. Alex Ovechkin has been held without a point in his past three games and has just one goal in his past seven, but the Capitals' captain has recorded seven goals and six assists during a seven-game point streak against the Flyers.

Detroit Red Wings (28-11-6) at Pittsburgh Penguins (28-14-4), 7 p.m. ET

Starting goaltenders: Joey MacDonald (1-1-1, 2.37 GAA) vs. Marc-Andre Fleury (20-11-2, 2.29 GAA)
Preview: In the first meeting of the season between these two teams, the Penguins are worried about the health of Sidney Crosby, who hasn't played since Jan. 5 because of a concussion, but the Red Wings have even more concerns. Injuries to Pavel Datsyuk, Daniel Cleary, Mike Modano, Brad Stuart, Chris Osgood, Jimmy Howard and Tomas Holmstrom have left the Red Wings in survival mode heading into the All-Star break. Despite the injuries, it’s always interesting to see the 2008 and 2009 Cup finalists tangle.

Boston Bruins (25-13-7) at Carolina Hurricanes (22-17-6), 7 p.m. ET

Season Series: 1-1
Starting goaltenders: Cam Ward (19-13-5, 2.71 GAA) likely for Carolina. Game-time decision for Boston.
Preview: On Monday night, the Bruins crushed the Hurricanes 7-0 as Zdeno Chara recorded his first career hat trick and Tim Thomas has his seventh shutout of the season. The only good news for the Hurricanes is they didn't have to wait long to try to get revenge with the Bruins in town Tuesday night, but Carolina will need a much better effort if they are going to have any hope of earning a playoff berth.

Vancouver Canucks 29-10-6) at Colorado Avalanche (23-16-6), 9 p.m. ET

Season Series: 4-0 Vancouver
Starting goaltenders: Roberto Luongo (21-8-4, 2.33 GAA) vs. Craig Anderson (12-9-3, 2.98 GAA)
Preview: The Western-Conference leading Canucks will try to end their five-game road trip with a win and extend their perfect record against the Avalanche this season. Colorado is clinging to the eighth spot in the West and will need to quiet Henrik and Daniel Sedin if they are going to have a chance to win. The Sedin twins have combined for nine goals and 13 assists in their past nine games against the Avs.

We take a break in the Sidney Crosby All-Star saga to take a look at the real underlying story amid all the attention.

The game's best player has been sidelined two weeks and counting by a concussion. This is exactly what the NHL had hoped to avoid with the establishment of Rule 48 this season.

To recap, Rule 48 states that "a lateral or blindside hit to an opponent where the head is targeted and/or the principal point of contact is not permitted." But so far this season, what's clear is that either Rule 48 doesn't go far enough or there's confusion in how to implement it.

I think it's a bit of both.

Regardless of how you feel about David Steckel's collision/hit on Crosby in the Winter Classic, the question must now be raised about whether it's time to push Rule 48 even further. Ban all hits to the head, period, regardless of intent. Steckel said he didn't see Crosby. The league agreed and decided it was an incidental collision. And that may very well be true.

But would a stiffer, all-encompassing hits-to-the-head rule change the culture to the point that players would be even more careful? The flip side to such an amendment is the fear that it would take too much hitting out of the game. That's a risk worth taking, in my mind. There are still too many players suffering head injuries in this game. (Anyone seen Matthew Lombardi or David Perron lately?) And although Rule 48 has been a good development, it's not good enough.

Two years ago, former NHL Players' Association executive director Paul Kelly attended a GMs meeting in which he called for a new rule that would essentially ban all hits to the head. Kelly, now the executive director of U.S. College Inc., told ESPN.com on Tuesday that, under the NHLPA's proposal that year, the new rule read that "a hit to the head is a check delivered on a player who is not aware of the impending hit and therefore unable to protect or defend himself, and the checking player intentionally or recklessly targets and makes contact with the head of the opposing player with any part of his body including hand, forearm, elbow or shoulder."

North-south, east-west, blindside or straight on, that rule was much more encompassing.

"I applauded the move by the GMs when they made it last year because I thought it was a step in the right direction," Kelly said. "I do think that the rule we proposed a year earlier went further, and going further is necessary if we're going to protect players in this game. The players are bigger, faster and stronger."

Crosby himself has said publicly that the league might want to re-examine the rule. After the Steckel hit and being driven head-first into the boards by Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman (the last time Crosby played, on Jan. 5), the Penguins captain discussed hits to the head.

"I know it's a fast game, and I think if anybody understands it's a fast game -- I've been hit a thousand times," Crosby told reporters on Jan. 8. "But when you get hit like that, there's nothing you can do. There's no way you can protect yourself. Those are things that hopefully [the NHL] pays more attention to."

"You are trying to change the culture on the ice," Kelly added. "You're trying to get players in that split second to understand they can't go after their opponent's head. I just think for the benefit of protecting the players and the long-term interest of the game, they should take another look at this."

No matter which side you're on in this argument, Crosby's return remains uncertain. He told local reporters Tuesday that he's "gotten better," but he still suffers headaches.

"Once you get better, you realize how far you've come," Crosby told reporters. "Some days you feel good. You feel like you've made progress. Some days are a little bit tougher. That's all tied into this type of injury.

"It has gotten better. It's tough to put a timetable on it. I feel like I've progressed a lot, especially the past week or so. Hopefully that's a good sign."

Would Crosby or any other player's injuries have been prevented if Rule 48 were any different? For the NHL, it's a question worth pondering.

• Time for you to weigh in: What do you think of Rule 48?

Matthew Barnaby and Barry Melrose separate the contenders from the pretenders in the NHL.

As we continue our NHL midseason report this week, Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun hand out their midseason awards:

Midseason Report: Team grades | Awards | Second-half radar | Fantasy Focus

Hart Trophy

Burnside's pick: Sidney Crosby, Pittsburgh Penguins
Why: Even though Crosby remains sidelined with a concussion, it does nothing to diminish the stellar season the Pittsburgh captain is having. As of this writing, Crosby still led Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos by nine points in the scoring race and by a goal in the goal-scoring race. The fact that the Penguins immediately stumbled when Crosby went out of the lineup illustrates how important his impact is on a team that remains a viable Stanley Cup contender.

LeBrun's pick: Crosby
Why: The length of his absence due to his unfortunate concussion might reopen what was no debate for this trophy. But he'd have to miss at least two weeks for that to happen. At the halfway point, it's a slam dunk for Sid; the Hart is his to lose.

Vezina Trophy

Burnside's pick: Tim Thomas, Boston Bruins
Why: There will be those who think Boston netminder Tim Thomas deserves consideration not just for the Vezina but the Hart Trophy as well. They might not be wrong. At midseason, Thomas would seem to be a runaway favorite to win his second Vezina Trophy in three seasons. He leads the NHL in all critical goaltending categories, including save percentage, goals-against average and shutouts.

LeBrun's pick: Thomas
Why: One fights the urge to be different and take Jonas Hiller, Pekka Rinne, Carey Price or Ondrej Pavelec, but you just can't argue with Thomas' ridiculous numbers up to this point. Where would the Bruins be without his standout first half? Not in a playoff spot. He told ESPN.com earlier this season that offseason hip surgery and a mental reset were two reasons for his turnaround from last season.

Norris Trophy

Burnside's pick: Kris Letang, Pittsburgh Penguins
Why: Yes, the sentimental choice is Detroit's Hall of Famer-in-waiting Nicklas Lidstrom, and no doubt Lidstrom is having a terrific season, especially for a 40-year-old. But let's not allow sentiment to get in the way of reality: Letang has emerged as the NHL's best all-around defenseman.

He logs big minutes (23:39 a night) against opposing teams' top players. He has filled the offensive void created by Sergei Gonchar's defection to Ottawa with 37 points, fourth among defensemen and just four points off the league lead for all blueliners. (Lidstrom was tied with Atlanta's Dustin Byfuglien for the lead with 41 points heading into Wednesday's action.) Letang is also plus-20, while Lidstrom is even. Perhaps most impressive for us, though, is Letang has become a key part of a Penguins defense that ranks fourth in the NHL. For the record, Lidstrom and the Wings rank 18th in goals allowed per game.

LeBrun's pick: Nicklas Lidstrom, Detroit Red Wings
Why: I mean, c'mon folks, you don't even need to think about this one. Burnside is on crack. Lidstrom is once again the best of the best on the blue line, and anyone in the Professional Hockey Writers' Association who doesn't give him a first-place ballot come April should have his voting privilege taken away. Of course, the "Perfect Human" has to continue his torrid pace into the second half, and we predict he will.

Calder Trophy

Burnside's pick: Cam Fowler, Anaheim Ducks
Why: This may be the toughest rookie race in recent years because so many first-year players are making significant contributions to their teams, whether it's Jeff Skinner in Carolina or Logan Couture in San Jose or Derek Stepan for the New York Rangers. But right now, we give the nod to Anaheim's stellar young defenseman Cam Fowler. The 19-year-old has made the jump to the NHL after just one year of major junior hockey and ranks seventh among all rookies in scoring (21 points). He leads all rookies in average ice time per night and has played a significant role in the Ducks' surprising bid for a playoff spot. Remember when everyone predicted the Ducks' shaky blue line would lead to a long season defensively? The Ducks rank an impressive 12th in goals allowed per game, and Fowler's impressive maturity is a key part of that improvement.

LeBrun's pick: Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks
Why: We have a feeling Taylor Hall will end up winning this in June with a monster second half, but I'll take leading rookie goal scorer Couture at the midpoint. Hopefully, the injury he suffered Tuesday night from a knee-on-knee hit by Toronto tough guy Colton Orr doesn't knock him out too long. On a disappointing Sharks team, Couture has been the club's most consistent performer this season.

Jack Adams Trophy

Burnside's pick: Marc Crawford, Dallas Stars
Why: Perhaps the most difficult of the major awards to pick given the number of worthy candidates. I love the work John Tortorella has done in New York with the Rangers. Mike Babcock continues to get top-level results regardless of the injuries that befall the Detroit Red Wings. Barry Trotz is again working magic in Nashville. But, for me, the coach of the year right now is Crawford, who has kept a surprising young Dallas team at the top of the Pacific Division when many predicted the Stars wouldn't challenge for a playoff berth at all.

LeBrun's pick: John Tortorella, New York Rangers
Why: There are so many good choices for this award every year. Other good candidates include Guy Boucher, Marc Crawford, Alain Vigneault, Mike Babcock, Bruce Boudreau, Peter Laviolette, Barry Trotz et al. But for my money, the Rangers have overachieved so far, and Torts is the reason.

Frank J. Selke Trophy

Burnside's pick: Ryan Kesler, Vancouver Canucks
Why: This race isn't as dynamic as it should have been with defending champ Pavel Datsyuk out with a foot injury, but Kesler is enjoying a seminal season, adding a dynamic offensive presence to his already world-class defensive abilities. Kesler has 24 goals, including five game winners, and is plus-17. Mike Richards will get some attention, and when Datsyuk comes back in a couple of weeks, he'll push the Vancouver center; but this is, in my mind, another runaway.

LeBrun's pick: Mike Richards, Philadelphia Flyers
Why: He draws the tough matchups all the time and gets it done. Ask opposing top centers which player they most hate to play against in the NHL, and Richards' name invariably will come up. Ryan Kesler is a great pick, too, but he's become more of an offensive force this season, while Manny Malhotra has emerged as the shutdown man in Vancouver. So, with usual champ Pavel Datsyuk out with a long-term injury, I like Richards for this award at the halfway point.

GM of the Year

Burnside's pick: David Poile, Nashville Predators
Why: Every season, Poile and the Predators work within their own budget that rarely approaches the NHL's salary cap, and every season, they ice a team that never fails to surprise with its performance. This season is no exception. Nashville has received surprising production from under-the-radar acquisitions like Sergei Kostitsyn, who is second on the team in point production, and unheralded homegrown talent like netminder Anders Lindback, who delivered yeoman service when starter Pekka Rinne was injured. At the time of this writing, the Preds had won six in a row and were comfortably ensconced in a playoff spot in the ultra competitive Western Conference.

LeBrun's pick: Steve Yzerman, Tampa Bay Lightning
Why: Fresh off handing Canada an Olympic gold medal under incredible pressure, Yzerman jumps into the Tampa Bay job and retools the Bolts into contenders. Impressive. He's shown the willingness to act when he sees deficiencies, adding veteran goalie Dwayne Roloson and blueliner Marc-Andre Bergeron. His biggest test will be re-signing Steven Stamkos.

Monday: Vancouver Canucks at San Jose Sharks (10:30 p.m. ET)

The Canucks jumped into the top spot in the ESPN.com Power Rankings on Monday (the highest honor that a team can receive short of being named Grand Poo-bah of the Loyal Order of Water Buffalo). They have not lost in regulation in their past 10 (9-0-1) and were tied for the conference lead with Detroit as of Monday. San Jose, meanwhile, rebounded after losses last week to Los Angeles and Minnesota to beat the Kings and Chicago. This is a good test to see if the Sharks really are among the league's best as we cruise into the second half of the schedule.

Prediction: The Canucks continue their ascension with a big road win in the Shark Tank.

Tuesday: Tampa Bay Lightning at Washington Capitals (7 p.m. ET)

We all know about the surging Capitals, who have won five of six (5-0-1) after knocking off Pittsburgh in the Winter Classic on Saturday. But the Lightning, 8-1-1 in their past 10, were actually in first place in the Southeast Division on Monday based on their winning percentage. The Lightning will have new netminder Dwayne Roloson in the fold for what should be an interesting clash between teams with dynamic offensive tools. Tampa sniper Steven Stamkos is now just one goal back of Sidney Crosby in the goal-scoring race with 31.

Prediction: The Lightning, who are in Pittsburgh the next night for another big tilt, come up with a win but it'll take extra time.

Wednesday: Carolina Hurricanes at the New York Rangers (7 p.m. ET)

The Canes began the week seven points back of the seventh-place Rangers with three games in hand. If the Hurricanes, in ninth at week's start, hope to force their way back into the playoff discussion in the Eastern Conference, these are the games they need to win. Carolina has won three straight and seven of 10.

Prediction: The Rangers hold off the Canes at MSG.

Thursday: Pittsburgh Penguins at Montreal Canadiens (7:30 p.m. ET)

The Penguins look to bounce back after a disappointing end to 2010 with losses on Long Island (in a shootout) and in the Winter Classic. The Habs, meanwhile, are trying to hang on to a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Shocking but Sidney Crosby has zero points in his past two games. Carey Price is winless in his past four (0-3-1) and wasn't great in an overtime loss to Atlanta on Sunday.

Prediction: The Habs' woes continue as the Penguins get back on track.

Friday: Detroit Red Wings at Calgary Flames (9 p.m. ET)

The Wings are trying to muddle through without offensive pieces Pavel Datsyuk and Daniel Cleary and lost to the Islanders (in overtime) and Philadelphia in their past two outings. Calgary is hoping to build on some recent success as the Flames start the week riding a four-game winning streak. Any coincidence the wins are coming with the departure of GM Darryl Sutter, who was forced out last week? Discuss amongst yourselves. Regardless, these are the kinds of games the Flames must win if they're serious about getting back in the playoff picture in the competitive Western Conference.

Prediction: The Flames shock the Wings.

Last Week: 4-1

1. Roloson acquisition bad news for Smith

We're not sure that anything has really been settled in Tampa Bay with the acquisition of veteran netminder Dwayne Roloson this past weekend, but the move has a number of implications.

First, this is bad news for Mike Smith.

We must admit to having a soft spot for Smith, who was likable and wildly competitive when he arrived in Tampa from Dallas in the Brad Richards trade a couple of years ago. We thought he might emerge as a bona fide NHL starter, yet injury and inconsistency have combined to block that path. Smith has been injured of late, and Dan Ellis played pretty well in his place, having inherited the starting job by default. Minor leaguer Cedrick Desjardins got in a couple of starts and won both, but clearly GM Steve Yzerman did not like the looks of an Ellis-Desjardins or Ellis-Smith tandem moving forward, even though the Bolts continue to vie with Washington for the top spot in the Southeast Division and their goals-against average has improved in the past month or so.

With the acquisition of Roloson, look for Smith to be waived and sent to the minors, as Yzerman likely will want to avoid carrying three netminders.

Roloson remains a bit of a wild card.

Heck, even we were gushing over him a week or two ago, as he has delivered mostly superlative work playing in front of a ghastly New York Islanders team. But he is five seasons removed from his starring playoff role for the Edmonton Oilers when the eighth-seeded wonders came within a game of winning the 2006 Stanley Cup, dropping Game 7 in Raleigh to the Carolina Hurricanes. Roloson had been injured in Game 1 of that final, but his play down the stretch after coming over from Minnesota and through the first three rounds gave the Oilers their finest hockey moments since Mark Messier, Wayne Gretzky et al.

This Bolts team is a lot better than any team he's played on since, but to assume Roloson automatically reprises his Cinderella role instead of pumpkin is a bit premature.

Finally, this move is bad news for Evgeni Nabokov, who is currently unemployed, and Tomas Vokoun of Florida, who will be an unrestricted free agent come July and on the market before the Feb. 28 trade deadline. The Lightning were the NHL team most likely to look for goaltending help. As of now, they hope they've found it.

2. Moving the Winter Classic

ESPN colleague E.J. Hradek brought up the topic during a podcast in Pittsburgh leading up to the Winter Classic that next year, Jan. 1 will fall on a Sunday. The NHL has rightfully been pleased with the niche it has carved out on the crowded Jan. 1 sports calendar the past four years. But there is also little appetite to go head-to-head with the NFL on a late-season Sunday. It's a dynamic that will present itself periodically, and sources tell ESPN.com that there is already preliminary discussion about moving the game to a New Year's Eve time slot or pushing it to Jan. 2.

We assume that a Saturday slot, perhaps early to midafternoon, might work, as it shouldn't push into NBC's New Year's Eve programming. That's assuming, of course, that NBC renews its contract with the NHL at the end of this season and that it doesn't rain cats and dogs wherever the game ends up being played, throwing the whole thing into flux again.

3. Incidental contact rule

Twice during the Winter Classic, goals were waved off because there was incidental contact between a player and a goalie preceding the puck crossing the line. This reignited (at least in our minds) an ongoing debate over how the game's rules are interpreted. If part of the NHL's goal is to make the game more appealing to a broader American audience, it might do well to simplify one of the most ridiculous rules in the book: the cop-out rule that allows referees to wave off a goal after such contact but not necessarily call a penalty.

First, the Pens were denied a tying goal when Mike Rupp skated/was directed through the Washington crease. Replays showed that Rupp and the puck arrived in front of netminder Semyon Varlamov at exactly the same time. Isn't that the idea of a screen? Yes, there was some contact, and it likely prohibited Varlamov from stopping the puck.

Later, Alex Ovechkin was denied a late goal after "embracing" Pittsburgh netminder Marc-Andre Fleury behind the Pens' net. Replays seemed to show Fleury putting more of a grab on Ovechkin than vice versa.

I didn't like either call. It should be a simple thing.

If Rupp prohibited Varlamov from playing the puck of his own volition, wave off the goal and send Rupp to the box. If he was pushed by a defenseman or didn't bother Varlamov, ring up a Penguins goal. Same goes for the Ovechkin goal.

Having this wishy-washy "no harm, no foul" option for the officials simply muddies waters that should be crystal-clear.

4. Splitting fans' loyalty

A final word for the time being on the future of the Winter Classic. Regardless of whether it's being played on Jan. 1 (but especially if that's the case moving forward), why clutter the schedule with other NHL games, especially those involving American teams? If the theory is to open as many U.S. eyes as possible to the spectacle, don't have eight other American-based teams in action, as was the case on Saturday. We're not suggesting that the moratorium on competition should extend to Canada, but why force fans in New Jersey or Boston or Buffalo to choose between supporting their own teams and watching the Classic? In fact, à la the Super Bowl, if we were the NHL (and we rarely pretend to be), we would be promoting Winter Classic parties around the U.S. If they want to make this a special day for hockey, make it special. Just a thought.

5. Pietrangelo's award-worthy season

It's a bit of a shame that the NHL regulations are what they are and emerging young St. Louis defenseman Alex Pietrangelo isn't eligible for the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year.

Pietrangelo, who's just 20 years old, was the fourth overall pick in the 2008 draft. He played in eight games the season after he was drafted and nine games last season before being sent back to junior in both seasons. In both cases, he did not play enough games to start the clock ticking on his entry-level contract, but his appearance in NHL games in back-to-back seasons were enough to preclude him from consideration in this year's Calder Trophy race. Too bad, because the 6-foot-3, 206-pound Pietrangelo certainly would warrant discussion given his level of play.

Although he missed a couple of games thanks to injury, Pietrangelo has 18 points in 35 games and has become a mainstay on the Blues' power play. He is a plus-4 and is one of the reasons the Blues have persevered through a spate of injuries to key personnel up front to stay in the playoff hunt in the Western Conference. As of Monday, the Blues were sixth in the Western Conference tied with Los Angeles and Colorado with 45 points having won five of their past six games.

Were he eligible, Pietrangelo's point total would be one off the pace among rookie defensemen, and his 20:20 average ice time per night is third in the league.

"He has been a solid player right from the beginning of the season and looks to have a tremendous future ahead of him," Blues GM Doug Armstrong told ESPN.com on Monday.

PITTSBURGH -- Scott Burnside and Pierre LeBrun grade the 2011 Winter Classic between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins:

Weather

Well, there was a lot of it, and it did play havoc with the timing of the event and quality of the on-ice product. That was bad no matter how you spin it. When the ratings come out, perhaps the fact the weather forced the game to an 8 p.m. ET start will turn out to be a silver lining, but there's no doubt the weather dominated the storyline of this fourth Winter Classic, and not in a positive way. But guess what? If you're going to play outside, stuff is going to happen. Grade: D-minus.

Ice surface

In Buffalo four years ago, you could hardly see the puck by the time Sidney Crosby ended the first Winter Classic in a shootout. The snow was covering the ice too quickly. Without the sophisticated technology now employed by the league, the ice was breaking up and it was a mess. On Saturday, most players said the ice was still in good shape despite the rain. But there was one thing that was obvious throughout the evening: the puck bouncing.

"I think when it started to come down pretty good there, you could see the puck started to bounce even a little bit more," Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby said.

Instead of two skilled teams matching talent for talent, this game was reduced to teams firing as many pucks as possible at the opposing net. Grade: C.

Prime-time setting

Sure, it was a hassle to move the game to a later start time, but the optics were pretty dramatic. With the lights at Heinz Field shining on the glistening ice, it made for a pretty dramatic vista.

"The scene was spectacular," NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said. "Somebody in one of the clubs was telling me that as they approached the stadium and they saw the lights on, it was just a spectacular sight. They got chills down their spine." Grade: A.

Pregame festivities

Not sure anyone will match James Taylor singing the national anthem last year in Boston. And even though we had no idea who Jackie Evancho was, the young lady could sing. Nice touch to have both Canadian and U.S. anthems performed Saturday night (Steven Page, formerly of the Barenaked Ladies, provided a nice rendition of "O Canada"). The Canadian and U.S. flags formed by fans in the end zone were also pretty cool, and it was nice the fans didn't fling the cards away like they did at Wrigley Field. Grade: B.

Crowd

You've got to hand it to the 68,111 souls who took in Winter Classic IV, they were troopers. It wasn't until late in the third period with the Caps up 3-1 when fans started heading for the exits. Not sure it was as raucous a crowd as the one for the Classic at Wrigley, but that may be a function of the acoustics at an NFL stadium as opposed to a Major League Baseball park. Grade: B-plus.

Capitals

They showed the hockey world on the biggest stage of the regular season just how their tweaked game is looking. A better defensive team that was able to limit Crosby, the Caps looked more playoff-ready. Alex Ovechkin was held off the score sheet, but was noticeable in a strong two-way performance.

"A lot of people are making a lot of big things out of the [lack of] goals," Caps coach Bruce Boudreau said. "He's never once come to me and worried about his goal production. ... And he wants to do better. And you watch later on in the game, he was doing whatever it took to win as a team.

"I mean, last summer, he said he didn't care about numbers, what he cares about is winning," Boudreau added. "I truly believe that, and he'll be just as happy if he gets 45 goals or 40 goals and he wins something in April, May and June as if he got 70 goals and had any individual award. And that's what captains are all about. And he doesn't get enough credit for it, but he deserves [it]." Grade: A-minus.

Penguins

Jordan Staal was impressive in his first game in eight months, although he seemed to tire out a bit near the end. Crosby was held off the score sheet for the second straight game. Evgeni Malkin had one of his better games and scored a beauty. Overall, the Pens didn't generate enough offensive opportunities. An off night for them. Grade: C.

Mario Lemieux

The Penguins owner thrilled fans at Friday's alumni game, returning to action for the first time since his retirement. Then, he stunned the assembled media when he agreed to talk after the game. To cap it off, he said what Crosby has done so far this season is more impressive than anything he ever did. Well done, Mario. Grade: A.

Best game comment

That's an easy one. Caps owner Ted Leonsis: "The highlight for me was two sections filled with Caps fans and Pens fans and they looked at each other and they started chanting 'Flyers suck.' It's like they bonded around something." Grade: B-plus.

Overall

The game was better than average despite weather conditions in the third period that affected the integrity of the game to an extent. But the event was once again a success. The buzz in Pittsburgh since we arrived Wednesday has been out of this world. Bar none, this is the event of the NHL's regular season. One day, Mother Nature will prevent the game from being played on Jan. 1, but that's a story for another day. Grade: A.