Thanks to their many postseason meetings over the years, including their second round series in 2016, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals have developed quite a rivalry over the past two decades.
They renewed it on Thursday night to open the 2016-17 season as the Penguins raised their latest Stanley Cup banner, and it didn’t take them long to remember that they don’t really like each other very much.
Things were a bit heated early on when Penguins forward Tom Kuhnhackl ran over Capitals goalie Braden Holtby behind the net.
At that point, things were just getting started.
Later in the period, Penguins enforcer Tom Sestito, who is mainly in the lineup because the team is without Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust to open the season, had a lengthy fight with Capitals agitator Tom Wilson (seen above).
Things got heated once again later in the second period when Justin Williams was given a two minute penalty for roughing when he pretty much picked up Penguins center Evgeni Malkin and body slammed him behind the net following a whistle.
Malkin had just scored to give the Penguins a 2-1 lead a couple of minutes earlier in the period.
Update: The Penguins ultimately grabbed a 3-2 shootout win against the Capitals on Thursday.