NHL Winter Classic: Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin and 10 Other Players To Watch
On January 1, 2011, Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins will square off against Alexander Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Heinz Field.
HBO Sports will air a 12-minute preview to their Hard Knocks-type documentary series leading up to the 2011 Winter Classic on Saturday, November 20.
While Sid the Kid and Alex the Great are certainly under the microscope, their supporting cast will have a significant impact on the outcome of the contest.
The following are ten players to watch in this year's Winter Classic.
Marc-Andre Fleury
1 of 12
Current stats: 4w, 6l, .883sv%, 2.88gaa (12 gp)
Marc-Andre Fleury has been struggling this season.
In a November 15 contest against the New York Islanders he gave up three goals on 25 shots and gave up two goals in less than seven minutes in a November 6 contest against Phoenix.
However, the Quebec native recorded 29 saves in a one-goal effort against Vancouver in his latest outing.
He will have to continue to play well in order to allow the Pens to go 2-0 in Winter Classics.
Michal Neuvirth
2 of 12
Current stats: 12w, 3l, .912sv%, 2.56gaa (17 gp)
Michal Neuvirth leads the league with 12 wins, but that is mostly due to the Caps' high-octane offense.
The Czech goalie has given up 15 goals in his last five starts, four of which have been wins, and, like Fleury, must play better in order to keep the Penguins' offense at bay.
Recently, his most impressive effort came against Tampa Bay, when he made 38 stops and only gave up three goals.
Brooks Orpik
3 of 12
Current stats: 1g, 3pt, +2, 14pim (14 gp)
Named after hockey legend Herb Brooks, the San Francisco, CA native has been a staple on the Penguins defense since 2003.
Brooks Orpik is going to have his work cut out for him against the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Alexander Semin, and Nicklas Backstrom.
In his last five games, he's plus-4 and looks up to the task.
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John Carlson
4 of 12
Current stats: 2g, 9pt, +8, 26pim (19 gp)
John Carlson is slowly emerging as a can't miss rookie for the Capitals.
In his past five games he's averaged 26 shifts per game and over 20 minutes of ice time.
The first-year player is plus-8 on the season and has only had one game in the minus, a November 14 contest against Atlanta, in his last five games.
Evgeni Malkin
5 of 12
Current stats: 7g, 17pt, -4, 6pim (19pt)
Evgeni Malkin has been up-and-down in the first quarter of the season.
In his last five games he has been held off the scoreboard twice and has only scored in one contest.
On November 13, Malkin had perhaps the best game of his career. In Atlanta he recorded a hat trick and scored the game winning goal.
Jeff Schultz
6 of 12
Current stats: 0g, 5pt, +7, 4pim (19 gp)
On the offensively-minded Capitals, defensive-specialist Jeff Schultz is often overlooked.
Although he is plus-4 on the year, Schultz is minus-1 in his last five games.
One the upside, he's been disciplined while playing over 20 minutes a night all year long.
Jordan Staal
7 of 12
Current stats: 3g, 5pt, -4, 6pim (11 gp)
Jordan Staal has show promise since being drafted second overall in 2006 and is rapidly improving each year.
Staal is coming off of injury and should be ready to make an impact in the Winter Classic come January.
Alexander Semin
8 of 12
Current stats: 14g, 25pt, +10, 14pim (19 gp)
Alexander Semin is in a contract year and playing like it. He's already had 14 goals in 19 games and five goals in his last five contests.
Half of Semin's shots found the back of the net in a November 11 contest against Tampa Bay. His hat trick helped propel his team past the Caps' biggest division rival.
Arron Asham
9 of 12
Current stats: 2g, 5pt, +1, 13pim (11 gp)
When it comes to outdoor hockey, Arron Asham can say, "I've been there, done that."
As a member of the Flyers last year, Asham participated in the Winter Classic in Boston's Fenway Park.
Although he is not an offensive threat for the Pens, he will certainly have an impact in this year's addition.
Nicklas Backstrom
10 of 12
Current stats: 6g, 21pt, +7, 8pim (19 gp)
This Swedish phenom was locked up long-term after netting 33 goals and tallying 101 points last season, but is currently being outplayed by teammate Alexander Semin.
Backstrom had four points against Tampa Bay on November 11 and has had goals in two of his last three games.
If he can get on a roll entering January he'll be a player to watch in the Classic.
Sidney Crosby
11 of 12
Current stats: 13g, 29pt, +4, 13pm (20 gp)
Sidney Crosby is the face of the next generation Pens. The new CONSOL Energy Center has 18,087 seats in his honor.
The Kid has been impressive of late. He's had a goal in four of his last five contests.
However, both he and his nemesis Alex Ovechkin have been outplayed by Tampa Bay's Steven Stamkos and Crosby needs a big performance on the big stage in order to show that he's the league's finest.
Alex Ovechkin
12 of 12
Current stats: 10g, 25pt, +7, 14pim (19 gp)
Alex Ovechkin has had at least 50 goals in his last five NHL seasons, but is currently being outplayed by teammate Alexander Semin and Steven Stamkos of the division rival Tampa Bay Lightning.
With 10 goals, Ovechkin is not among the top-5 goal scorers in the NHL.
However with 25 points he's on pace to have yet another 100-point season (he's had four in the last five years) and should be ready to put on a big performance in the Winter Classic.
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