Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid will go head-to-head on Sunday, the second of two meetings this season between two of hockey’s greatest players.
But while McDavid’s Oilers (38-21-3) are Stanley Cup contenders, having made it to the Western Conference Finals the last two years and currently sitting in second place in the Pacific Division, the Penguins are falling.
If the Penguins’ (28-26-8) playoff hopes aren’t dead yet, they are certainly on life support. Pittsburgh is in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division, eight points back of a wild-card spot, with five teams between them and it.
Like McDavid, Crosby continues to be a key player for his team. The 36-year-old leads the Penguins in goals (32) and points (64), while averaging 20:07 minutes of ice per game.
McDavid may have recently endured a 10-game goal drought, but that hasn’t stopped him from collecting points. The Oilers captain has 77 assists on the season, tops in the league, while his 100 points puts him in third in the NHL points race.
Last time these two teams met, which was exactly one week ago in Edmonton, the Oilers eased their way to a 6-1 victory. This time, the teams will face off at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh (1 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. MT on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+).