Round 2, Game 3- Washington Capitals @ Penguins

With a win at home in Game 2, the Capitals held serve for the Washingtonian portion of the series' first four games, forcing the Pittsburgh Penguins into a must-win situation at home in Game 3.

If the Penguins falter again, they are done like dinner. If they rebound and win, this becomes an entirely new series that could be bound for seven games. That's what's at stake.

Penguins' winger Chris Kunitz was fined, not suspended on Tuesday for a cross-check he leveled to the mask of Capitals' netminder Simeon Varlamov during a net mouth scramble at the end of Game 2. The Caps were fuming over the NHL's decision not to suspend Kunitz, and you can bet Alexander Ovechkin will be out to put Kunitz's head through the plexiglass during this game.

Evgeni Malkin needs to stop his Mr. Invisible act and play like the Hart Trophy candidate he was during the regular season. Hopefully, a change of scenery will cause that delightful turn in Malkin's game.

Varlamov has played very well in net, and Marc-Andre Fleury has been average. The Penguins' powerplay has been atrocious. Fleury and the powerplay have to be better.

Penguins-

Kunitz-Crosby-Guerin
Fedotenko-Malkin-Sykora
Cooke-Staal-Kennedy
Dupuis-Talbot-Adams

Orpik-Gonchar
Eaton-Letang
Gill-Scuderi

Fleury

Capitals-

Ovechkin-Fedorov-Kozlov
Fleischmann-Backstrom-Semin
Laich-Steckel-Bradley
Fehr-Gordon-Clark

Morrisson-Green
Poti-Jurcina
Pothier-Sloan

Varlamov

GO PENS!