Pittsburgh Penguins

Opponent: Pittsburgh PenguinsTime: NoonSite: USAir ArenaTickets: Several thousand are available.TV/Radio: HTS/WMAL (630 AM)Outlook: The Eastern Conference-leading Penguins are 4-0 and off to their best start since 7-0 in 1986-87. This is the first meeting between the teams since Washington upset Pittsburgh in the first round of last season's Stanley Cup playoffs. Pittsburgh beat Ottawa, 5-4, on Friday night, and Washington comes in off a 5-2 win Friday over the previously unbeaten New York Islanders.

VS. PITTSBURGH PENGUINS* WHEN: Tonight, 7:35.* WHERE: Capital Centre.* TV/RADIO: HTS: WCAO-AM 600.* OUTLOOK: The Capitals (14-4) are looking to manipulate the defending Stanley Cup champs the way they did three weeks ago in Pittsburgh, when they waltzed to an 8-0 victory in Don Beaupre's first game of the season. The Caps got roughed up during a 5-3 win against the New York Rangers Wednesday night (Rod Langway and Al Iafrate each received stitches), but still remain entirely intact. The Penguins (8-7-3)

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.

BasketballCharlotte Hornets -- Signed F Lorenzo Williams.FootballDallas Cowboys -- Announced that the following players will be de-activated for today's game with the Giants: RB Derrick Gainer, OT James Parrish, WR Tim Daniel and TE Joey Mickey.New York Giants -- Announced that the following players will be de-activated for today's game with the Cowboys: CB Izel Jenkins, LB Burnell Dent, G Scott Davis and DE Mark Flythe.HockeyBuffalo Sabres -- Reassigned C Sergei Petrenko to AHL Rochester.

Baseball Boston Red Sox -- Named Steve Braun roving minor-league hitting instructor.Oakland Athletics -- Agreed to terms with OF Dave Henderson (.271, 20 HR, 63 RBI) on a three-year contract.BasketballOklahoma City Cavalry (CBA) -- Acquired F Orlando Graham from the Quad City Thunder for the rights to G Ricky Grace, F Barry Mitchell, a second-round draft choice in 1991 and an undisclosed amount of cash.FootballWashington Redskins -- Placed OT Ed Simmons on injured reserve. Claimed OG Scott Beavers off waivers from the Denver Broncos.

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.

Baseball Orioles -- Named Earl Winn area scout for Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and Tennessee.Chicago Cubs -- Named Tony Muser bullpen coach. Waived C Hector Villanueva for the purpose of giving him his unconditional release.Chicago White Sox -- Announced C Carlton Fisk waived his right as a veteran player to be protected by Chicago in the expansion draft.Colorado Rockies -- Making the first trade in their history, they acquired P Travis Buckley from the Montreal Expos for a player to be named.

LANDOVER -- Washington defenseman Sylvain Cote, who has a fractured orbital bone, expects to be on the ice for tonight's Game 4 of the Capitals' Eastern Conference quarterfinal series with the Pittsburgh Penguins."