Pittsburgh Penguins

Good morning --Pittsburgh Penguins-- Come on down - we just love hockey in Baltimore.

Comcast SportsNet Mid-Atlantic posted record ratings for regular-season Washington Capitals coverage during Thursday night's road game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, earning a 3.3 household rating and a 6.5 rating in the men ages 25-54 demographic. An average of 88,000 combined households in the Washington (76,000) and Baltimore (12,000) markets watched the Capitals' 6-3 win over the Penguins. During the third period, the game earned peak ratings of 4.2 in Washington and 1.5 in Baltimore, which equates to 113,000 combined households.

BasketballSeattle SuperSonics -- Named Kathy Scanlan executive vicpresident.HockeySt. Louis Blues -- Traded D Gordie Roberts (1 A, 8 PIM in games) to the Pittsburgh Penguins for future considerations.

PITTSBURGH - -Alex Ovechkin scored twice and the streaking Washington Capitals scored the final four goals to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins, 6-3, on Thursday night in the first game this season between two of the NHL's elite teams. Tomas Fleischmann scored the go-ahead goal early in the third period and set up Nicklas Backstrom's breakaway goal less than a minute later for Washington, which won its fifth in a row and eighth in nine games and improved to 4-0-1 against Pittsburgh during the past two seasons, although the Penguins won when it mattered most - in the playoffs.

Basketball Global Basketball Association -- Announced that the league has ceased operations.HockeyLos Angeles Kings -- Traded RW Bob Kudelski to the Ottawa Senators for C Marc Fortier and RW Jim Thomson.Pittsburgh Penguins -- Recalled C Martin Straka from IHL Cleveland.

PITTSBURGH -- He shuffles his feet with great frequency, blushes nearly as often and stammers on occasion.If Jaromir Jagr was as uncertain about his ability to dipsy-doodle around a defender on a slab of ice as he is self-conscious about his broken English and sudden emergence as a Stanley Cup playoff hero, he might not ever score a goal.Fortunately for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Jagr is as comfortable in a pair of skates as he is behind the wheel of a fancy sports car or with the joystick of a video game in his hand.

BASEBALL (AL) * Boston Red Sox -- Named Steve Braun roving minor league hitting instructor.* Oakland Athletics -- Agreed to terms with Dave Henderson (outfielder) on a three-year contract.HOCKEY (NHL) * Pittsburgh Penguins -- Traded Jim Johnson and Chris Dahlquist (defensemen) to the Minnesota North Stars for Larry Murphy and Peter Taglianetti (defensemen).

BaseballCincinnati Reds -- Announced the retirement of P Tim Burke.FootballNew Orleans Saints -- Announced the retirement of FB Buford Jordan.HockeyNew Jersey Devils -- Recalled RW Doug Brown from AHL Utica.Pittsburgh Penguins -- Recalled G Rob Dopson from IHL Cleveland.

Golf Senior Skins Game -- Announced that Chi Chi Rodriguez will replace the injured Lee Trevino at the Jan. 30-31 event.HockeyPittsburgh Penguins -- Recalled G Bruce Racine from IHL Cleveland.Hampton Roads Admirals (ECHL) -- Traded F Steve Mirabile to Richmond for F Kevin Malgunas.

VS. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS* WHEN: Tonight, 7:35.* WHERE: Pittsburgh Civic Arena.* TV/RADIO: Ch. 20; WCAO-AM 600.* OUTLOOK: Coach Terry Murray wanted toughness from his new scheme featuring defensemen Ken Sabourin and Al Iafrate and he's gotten it. The Capitals (23-26-3) tied Minnesota 2-2 Friday and defeated the Islanders 5-4 in OT Sunday. Left wing John Kordic, perhaps the toughest of all of the new acquisitions, won't be in the lineup until at least next week. The Penguins (27-21-3) have Mario Lemieux back in the lineup.

Tom Poti thought he had finally pushed the painful memory of the Washington Capitals' Game 7 collapse against the Pittsburgh Penguins into the deep recesses of his mind. But about three weeks later, the defenseman discovered he had not buried it deep enough. "Just when you're starting to get over it, you see them hoisting the Cup," Poti said Monday, eight months after Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and his teammates beat the Detroit Red Wings in the Stanley Cup Finals. "You start thinking, 'Could that have been us?

1 Meaningful game: After several dog games on Monday night, the NFL delivers a Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers matchup that has playoff implications (8:30 p.m., ESPN). 2 No. 1 vs. No. 2 (already!): In girls basketball, they get serious early as No. 1 St. Frances travels to No. 2 Arundel for a 7 p.m. game. 3 Jimmy V Classic: The classic features a top-flight women's basketball game between Georgia and Rutgers (7 p.m., ESPN2). 4 Meet the press: After a late night last night, Ravens coach John Harbaugh addresses the media today at 3:45 p.m. Check out www.baltimoresun.

1 Meaningful game: After several dog games on Monday night, the NFL delivers a Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers matchup that has playoff implications (8:30 p.m., ESPN). 2 No. 1 vs. No. 2 (already!): In girls basketball, they get serious early as No. 1 St. Frances travels to No. 2 Arundel for a 7 p.m. game. 3 Jimmy V Classic: The classic features a top-flight women's basketball game between Georgia and Rutgers (7 p.m., ESPN2). 4 Meet the press: After a late night last night, Ravens coach John Harbaugh addresses the media today at 3:45 p.m. Check out www.baltimoresun.

The Tampa Bay Lightning, one of the NHL's worst teams last season, has new ownership that believes it can achieve the type of quick turnaround that the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers pulled off. So to head up this endeavor, word is that the Lightning will name ESPN hockey analyst Barry Melrose as the coach today. The last and only time that Melrose coached in the NHL was from 1992 to 1995 (2 1/2 seasons), and the Kings did go to the Stanley Cup Finals once, losing to the Montreal Canadiens.

NHL Flames@Capitals 7 P.M. [CSN, CSN+] The story line is that the Washington Capitals were in the midst of a surprising playoff run when they ran into a brick wall over the weekend, losing close games to the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Caps need this one badly if they hope to have any shot at qualifying for the playoffs.

Good morning --Pittsburgh Penguins-- Come on down - we just love hockey in Baltimore.

LANDOVER -- Washington center Dale Hunter missed Game 3 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with the Pittsburgh Penguins last night.It is the second time Hunter has missed a playoff game in his 14 seasons. The last time was in 1985, when he was with the Quebec Nordiques.Hunter suffered what was termed a "sore leg" when he was tripped in the second period of Game 2. He didn't skate Wednesday, but team officials had anticipated Hunter would be ready for last night's game.But by yesterday morning, the injury had become worse and the team thinks it might be a hip flexor injury.

NHL Flames@Capitals 7 P.M. [CSN, CSN+] The story line is that the Washington Capitals were in the midst of a surprising playoff run when they ran into a brick wall over the weekend, losing close games to the Boston Bruins and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Caps need this one badly if they hope to have any shot at qualifying for the playoffs.

WASHINGTON - With 1:24 to play last night, Jeff Halpern poked a loose puck into an open net for a three-goal Washington Capitals lead and what appeared to be pure padding in the team's first game under new coach Glen Hanlon. But when the final second ticked off the clock, it was Halpern's goal that was the game-winner in the Caps' 6-5 victory over the Boston Bruins before 15,384 at MCI Center. "We were fine," said Hanlon, who was named the head coach on Wednesday afternoon, shortly after Bruce Cassidy was fired.

WASHINGTON - The Washington Capitals sat hunched forward on the bench, leaning on the boards as the minutes slipped away in the final period of last night's 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. A study in perfect harmony, their blue gloves gripped the red railing, perfectly spaced, their eyes a single focus on their teammates on the ice. They sat watching with such intense stillness they could have been a photograph. "There's such anticipation," said Caps coach Bruce Cassidy. "They could see the tide was turning.