Anschreibertisch 2012/2013 » geni Malkin, who also has a lower-body i

WASHINGTON - Alex Ovechkin scored goals. Sidney Crosby lost faceoffs.Lots and lots of faceoffs.The latest Ovi-Sid showdown was a no-contest. Ovechkin netted twice to take the NHL lead in goals, and Crosby struggled mightily in his return from his latest injury as the Washington Capitals snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday night.That was more of the team that Im used to seeing, said Capitals coach Barry Trotz, clearly relieved after a recent spate of too much finesse and too many blown leads.Ovechkin had a tip-in goal in the first period and then scored from his customary spot in the left circle with a one-timer on a power play in the second. His 29 goals are one more than Rick Nash and Tyler Seguin.Eric Fehr and Mike Green scored in the third, and Braden Holtby recovered from a mini-slump to get his fifth shutout of the season.But nothing was more jarring than the sight of Crosby lining up again and again in the faceoff circle and having the puck go the opposite way time after time. He lost 15 of his first 18 faceoffs and finished 17 of 24, a 29 per cent success rate that is among the worst in his 594 NHL games.Im not sure what it was, Penguins coach Mike Johnston said. But I know after the first period and partway through the second we were monitoring faceoffs and we werent doing too well as a team on draws. Usually on nights like that its help from your wingers on draws. Its not always the centres.It was Crosbys first appearance since receiving an injection last week to treat a lower-body injury that caused him to miss one game as well as the NHL All-Star game.Crosby didnt seem fazed much by the faceoff struggles. He said there are nights that for whatever reason, bounces and stuff like that dont go a centres way.I thought we wanted to win them, he said. Its a matter of executing it.The chief beneficiary was Fehr, who is getting more comfortable as a centre and won 17 of 22 draws. When the teams met in Pittsburgh last month, both Crosby and Fehr were 7 for 18.He got me pretty good in Pittsburgh, Fehr said, so maybe just the home-ice advantage helped. ... I was confident in the circle today and felt good.The Penguins also played their third straight without franchise stalwart Evgeni Malkin, who also has a lower-body injury. Pittsburgh has lost five of six.Holtby had been the stabilizing force that helped the Capitals recover from a slow start to the season, but had allowed four goals in each of his last three starts. On Wednesday he was back to his reliable self, stopping 27 shots to blank the Penguins for the second time in a little over a month. Pittsburgh hasnt scored on Washington in 120 minutes this season.You cant just keep saying theres more time left in the season. You want to fix these things as soon as they happen, Pittsburgh defenceman Rob Scuderi said. I dont think its certainly any time to panic yet, but we certainly would like to get our fingers on the problem immediately.NOTES: Ovechkin has 43 points in 37 regular-season games vs. the Penguins. ... The Capitals have earned a point in 10 consecutive home games. ... Looking to shake things up because of the losing streak, Trotz played Michael Latta after sitting the young centre for nine of the previous 10 games. Lattas most noticeable contribution was a tussle with Steve Downie in a fight-filled third period. Andre Burakovsky was scratched for the first time since New Years Day. ... Johnston said Malkin might return for next weeks Canada road trip: If he gets on the ice (for practice) this weekend, then we would plan on probably taking him out west.___Follow Joseph White on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JGWhiteAP Eric Dier Hotspur Jersey . The Toronto Argonauts signed the veteran linebacker to a three-year deal Tuesday, hours after the start of CFL free agency. Moussa Sissoko Jersey . The 25-year-old Brazilian player has only made four Premier League appearances for United this season and underwent a medical test in Italy on Friday. http://www.footballhotspurstore.com/customized/ . Hoefl-Rieschs exit — from the downhill course into safety nets, then airlifted from the slope by helicopter — left Anna Fenninger of Austria favourite to win her first giant crystal trophy one month after becoming an Olympic champion. Kyle Walker-Peters Jersey . Got Jacks? Pulling off a comeback for the ages, feisty Stephen F. Austin became the latest No. 12 seed to pull off an upset, tying the game on Desmond Haymons did-that-just-happen four-point play with 3. Ben Davies Jersey . Catch all the action on TSN2 and TSN GO at 9pm et/6pm pt. San Antonio took the series lead Monday night with a 122-105 home victory in Game 1. The Spurs used a balanced scoring attack and clamped down defensively late in the third quarter to claim the win.TSN.cas NHL Play of the Year showdown continues today with a pair of goaltenders flashing their boots. The 11th match-up of the Round of 32 sees Kari Lehtonen and Jonathan Quick square off with a pair of unlikely kick saves. Lehtonen throws just about everything he can at Avalanche forward John Mitchell and manages to get a piece of it, finally, with his foot. Mitchell wheels out from behind the net at what looks to be a yawning cage. Lehtonen, however, sees the reverse move coming and begins his cross-crease sprawl. Never giving up on the potential shot, Lehtonen throws his blocker and his glove in front of the net before finally hurling his left pad at the shot and makiing a mid-air, kick save to deny a sure goal.dddddddddddd. Quicks move is more succinct but just as unlikely. Blake Wheeler hurls a shot on net from a tight angle, but Quick is flat on his stomach with no chance of moving his body in front of the attempt. He decides to try an isolation move. Quick lifts his left leg up in the air behind him yoga-style and manages to get his skate to the puck and deny Wheelers look at the gaping twine. You can watch the highlights and make your decision here. Every vote counts, so watch all the plays and take part in the TSN.ca Play of the Year Showdown. Let us know who you voted for via Twitter by using the hashtag #tsnklondikepoy. ' ' '