24 7 Penguins Capitals Road to the NHL Winter Classic

Head coaches Bruce Boudreau of Washington and Dan Bylsma of Pittsburgh, along with a host of key players, including the Caps' Alex Ovechkin and the Pens' Sidney Crosby, are in the spotlight as the two clubs battle through their busy December schedules.

The Penguins and Capitals fight for first place in their respective Eastern Conference divisions. Following a home game versus Anaheim, the Caps head to Boston and Ottawa. Meanwhile, the Pens visit their in-state rivals in Philadelphia for a significant Atlantic Division showdown before hosting the New York Rangers and Phoenix Coyotes.

Preparations begin in Pittsburgh to set up the hockey rink at Heinz Field. The teams face each other on the ice in Washington.

As the Winter Classic got wetter and wetter, the NHL nearly experienced its first rain delay. The Washington Capitals weathered the conditions with a performance that proved they can handle a big-game setting, even one in the great outdoors. Eric Fehr upstaged stars Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin by scoring twice and the Capitals waded through rain drops to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-1 in the NHL's first nighttime Winter Classic on Saturday night.

The game is delayed by rain, but the teams finally take the ice under the lights at Heinz Field in Pittsburgh