Both are first-ballot, elite-tier Hall of Famers when they stop playing. Thursday's game between Ovi's Washington Capitals and Sid's Pittsburgh Penguins will be their 74th regular-season matchup and 99th overall -- and could be one of the hockey world's last chances to catch them against one another.

The Washington Capitals (7-5-1) had nearly everything go in their favor on Wednesday night. The team crushed the St. Louis

ARLINGTON, V.A. — Spencer Smallman was on the bus with his Hershey Bears teammates, on the way to Providence after a game in Springfield, when coach Derek King came back and let him know the good news: he was being called up to the Washington Capitals.

BOTTOM LINE: The Washington Capitals take on the St. Louis Blues after losing four in a row. Washington is 6-5-1 overall and 3-4-0 at home. The Capitals have a 2-1-0 record in games they have fewer penalties than their opponent.

Despite his team coming off a convincing win against the Edmonton Oilers, Blues Head Coach Jim Montgomery is making two lineup changes for Wednesday's game against the Washington Capitals (6:30 p.m. CT,