Penguins vs. Capitals 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch Game 1 online

Sidney Crosby versus Alex Ovechkin in the playoffs. It's something we haven't had since 2009. The long-awaited sequel arrives at 8 p.m. ET on Thursday when the Pittsburgh Penguins visit the Washington Capitals in Game 1 of their second round series.

Scouting the Penguins

Washington might have been the best team in the regular season, but the Penguins weren't far behind. And the Capitals might be anxious to see how much momentum the Penguins carry into this series after a dusting of the Rangers in the first round. Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is still recovering from a concussion and there's no timetable for his return. Pittsburgh will go with 21-year-old rookie Matt Murray in net.

Scouting the Capitals

The last time these two teams met in the postseason in 2009, the Penguins won in seven games. Washington must feel like they just finished a seven-game series considering how the Philadelphia Flyers tried to grind them down all the way to a Game 6. Pittsburgh's power play is scoring at a ridiculous 38 percent clip, but the Capitals lead the playoffs with a 95.8 penalty kill percentage.

Pittsburgh Penguins at Washington Capitals

8 p.m. ET | Game 1, Eastern Conference Round 2
Verizon Center | Washington, D.C.
Local: N/A | Nat'l: NBCSN, CBC, TVAS
Live stream at NBC Live Extra and Rogers GameCentre
More coverage: Penguins blog | Capitals blog