Pens-Caps rivalry ‘fun to be a part of’

The Pittsburgh Penguins will be without centre Evgeni Malkin and forward Carl Hagelin when the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions open their Eastern Conference semifinal series Thursday night in Washington.

Coach Mike Sullivan said Wednesday that Malkin and Hagelin will be scratched from the lineup because of injuries.

Malkin, who led the Penguins in goals (46) and points (98) during the regular season, missed Game 6 of Pittsburgh’s opening-round win over Philadelphia with a lower-body injury. The Russian star was injured when he got tangled with Flyers forward Jori Lehtera in Game 5. Sullivan says Malkin may be available for Game 2.

Hagelin, who scored twice in the first round, is dealing with an upper-body injury after colliding with Philadelphia’s Claude Giroux in Game 6.

Riley Sheahan filled in for Malkin on Pittsburgh’s second line in Game 6. Dominik Simon took Hagelin’s spot on a line with Sheahan and Phil Kessel in practice on Wednesday.

The good news for Pittsburgh revolves around their captain Sidney Crosby, who has faced the Capitals three times in the playoffs. Each time he led his team to victory. And all three times the Penguins used the win as the springboard to a raucous mid-June parade with the Stanley Cup in tow.

Still, Crosby sounded like a cautious investor when asked if Pittsburgh has a mental advantage over rival Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals heading into yet another post-season showdown.

Past performance, the two-time MVP stressed, does not guarantee future results.

“I think it depends on what you do in the series and how you play,” Crosby said. “I don’t think it plays a huge role. I guess to answer your question, no.”

Pittsburgh is 9-1 all-time in the post-season against Washington.

Not that Ovechkin is intimidated. The Capitals star said he “can’t wait” to get another shot at the Penguins after spearheading Washington’s first-round win over Columbus in six games.

The teams split their four meetings during the regular season, with the Capitals wrapping up their third straight Metropolitan Division title with a 3-1 win in Pittsburgh on April Fool’s Day.

Of course, none of it matters once the puck drops in Game 1.

“It’s a new year,” Pittsburgh defenceman Kris Letang said. “The series is going to play out differently. The game is going to be won differently. You don’t know how it is going to go. The only thing I know is it’s a good rivalry, two really good teams, two teams that have a lot of punch offensively. It’s going to be fun to be a part of.”