PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- This banner. This arena. These two teams.Its not hard to imagine that this is where destiny meets disappointment. Or where hope meets reality.The Pittsburgh Penguins raising of their 2015-16 Stanley Cup banner to the rafters of the newly named PPG Paints Arena Thursday night was first and foremost a testament to the teams recent history. The teams championship last June came after a tumultuous regular season that saw a coaching change and myriad questions about the teams character all answered emphatically when they downed the San Jose Sharks in six games in the Stanley Cup finals.For those reasons, its an achievement that will never be forgotten, the banner a constant reminder of that time. But the moment the banner stopped fluttering high above the Penguins logo, that shiny piece of history was quickly be placed aside in pursuit of something else historic: a second straight championship.We dont need to think about [repeating], GM Jim Rutherford said. Its hard to win one. We know that. We all know its hard to win two. But one of the things [coach Mike Sullivan] is continually saying is, Lets just play.Lets just play. And play they did Thursday night, with the Penguins ultimately coming out on top of a wildly entertaining affair 3-2 in a shootout to open their defense of the Cup.The witness to the festivities -- actually, they came out shortly after the banner had made its trip north to the arena rafters -- the Washington Capitals?couldnt have been more perfectly chosen as the team to face the Pens on this festive night.The Capitals and their captain, Alex Ovechkin, have played the foil to Sidney Crosbys Penguins throughout the past decade, during which the Pens have won two championships. The Capitals are still looking for their first franchise Cup win.Whether or not the schedule makers did it on purpose, I dont know, said Capitals forward Justin Williams, a three-time Cup champion himself.But he admitted there is a sour feeling being the other team on a night of banners and celebrations of past glories, especially when those glories came at the expense of the Capitals.Last season, the Capitals roared through the regular season finishing 16 points ahead of the Penguins atop the Metropolitan Division and won the Presidents Trophy as the top team in the NHL. They won it every which way: heavy, fast, high-scoring, button-down. And when the two teams met in the second round, the first time in the postseason the two teams had met in the Crosby-Ovechkin era since an epic seven-game second-round series in 2009, there was a crackle at what might unfold.Even though the Caps won Game 1, they seemed to chase the series throughout, ultimately bowing out in overtime in Game 6 in this very building.So, cruel joke or not, it was indeed fitting the schedule makers gave the Capitals the task of waiting out the pregame ceremonies and cheers and appearance of the Stanley Cup one last time before the start of a new season.Indeed, as much as theres been a constant magnetism between the two teams since captains Ovechkin and Crosby, who missed Thursdays game while recovering from a concussion, came into the league in 2005, there is much that binds them this season.Both will have to guard against looking too far ahead and wanting too much to prove themselves before the time for proving is at hand.After we won it, its a little bit easier to not rush the process, said Penguins center Eric Fehr, who might have the best perspective on the dynamic that exists between being a champion and being perpetually disappointed, having been a first-round draft pick of the Capitals in 2003.I think when you lose out, youre extra hungry to try to force that getting into playoffs. I think, for us, were just taking it every game to trying to make sure we prove why we were the champions.No team has repeated as Stanley Cup champions since the 1997-98 Detroit Red Wings.The team before that?The Penguins, in 1991 and 1992.Phil Bourque was a defenseman on those two Cup winners in the early 1990s. Few know this Pittsburgh team as well as Bourque -- now an analyst on the teams radio broadcasts -- and in spite of the fact that the team will begin the 2016-17 season without Crosby, Bourque believes they might be as well-poised to repeat as champions as anyone since that Hall of Fame-laden team in Detroit almost two decades ago.The leadership core is rock-solid, and they might have the best one-two goaltending tandem in the league with Marc-Andre Fleury, who was excellent making 39 saves Thursday while playoff sensation Matt Murray?is recovering from a broken hand.But theres the group of hungry youths who were so critical to the Penguins playoff success in the form of Bryan Rust, Conor Sheary, Tom Kuhnhackl and Brian Dumoulin.All the pieces are in place, from up top all the way down, Bourque said.But this smartly played, emotional game Thursday was also a reminder that the Caps have legitimate claims on defying history, mostly their own. There are so many attributes from top-end coaching and management to the defending Vezina Trophy winner Braden Holtby, who was outstanding Thursday, to perennial goal-scoring champion Ovechkin, to three-time Stanley Cup champion Williams, to emerging star Evgeny Kuznetsov and the inextinguishable Nicklas Backstrom.If there is such a thing as destiny, is this time for Washingtons to reveal itself?Ovechkin admitted a different emotion came with being on hand for the Pens banner raising.I wish we had this position in Washington, but we didnt, Ovechkin admitted. Hope this year were going to do it. ... I think its time for us.Veteran NHLer Mike Rupp likewise believes the Capitals are a team capable of finally breaking through and winning it all. But he cautioned that the challenge for them might be more mental than anything.When a team has as dominating a season as the Capitals did last season, so many times thats your opportunity, Rupp said. Individually, thats your year to win.But they didnt. Theyll have to deal with that.I think everyones kind of tired of talking about what-ifs and you guys were so good here, why cant you do that, Williams said. I think this season you just want to let the play speak for itself. Sure, well have to answer questions. Its just part of the history of whats happened [in Washington], but I think just kind of focus on letting the play speak for itself. We love our team as we did last year, and I think were even better this year.And really, hes right.Apart from the not winning part, whats not to love?Just as theres much to love about the Penguins and their bid to defy history and raise back-to-banners.And watching these two powerful teams trade chances Thursday night, it was hard not to imagine that at some point next spring that their destinies will once again be intertwined. http://www.steelersrookiestore.com/Steelers-Artie-Burns-Jersey/ . Now tied for second in the league in shootout goals, the 24-year-old likes to see what the opposing goaltender has in store before he ultimately lands on a move. http://www.steelersrookiestore.com/Steelers-Arthur-Moats-Jersey/ . The return match will take place next Wednesday. Udinese leads Fiorentina 2-1 in the other semifinal. Napoli staged a second-half comeback from two goals down after Gervinhos opener and a stunning strike from Kevin Strootman. http://www.steelersrookiestore.com/Steelers-Bud-Dupree-Jersey/ . In taking its goal tally to 99 in all competitions already this season, City delivered another demonstration of its lethal firepower at Etihad Stadium to set up a fourth-round match at home to another second-tier team -- Watford. http://www.steelersrookiestore.com/Steelers-Heath-Miller-Jersey/ . Hey!" The lower tier of the School End of Queens Park Rangers Loftus Road was packed solid with a very festive-sounding Chelsea choral section in this particular part of South Africa Road London, W12. http://www.steelersrookiestore.com/Steelers-Antonio-Brown-Jersey/ . Louis Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey last Sunday. The fine is the fourth this season for Goldson. He was fined $30,000 for a hit on the New York Jets Jeff Cumberland in Week 1. Darren Weirs decision to bypass a Group Two race in Sydney has paid off with Kenjorwood scoring a fighting win at Flemington.Kenjorwood was an acceptor in the Villiers Stakes at Randwick on Saturday but was scratched after drawing barrier 16.Instead Kenjorwood lined up on home soil in the Chanteclair Handicap (1600m), landing a narrow victory.Ridden by apprentice Jye McNeil, Kenjorwood ($6) scored a long neck victory over Arties Shore ($51) with the $2.70 favourite Mihany two lengths away third.We were going to head to Sydney and if he had have drawn a barrier we would have been up there, Weir said.He drew wide so thats the reason were down here.Kenjorwood was a last-start second to Mihany at Pakenham on December 3 but Weir said the gelding strippped fitter on Saturday and appreciated the weight turn around in his favour.ddddddddddddntil today he hadnt been fit enough to take advantage of racing on the speed and toughening it out, Weir said.Long term plans could involve Kenjorwood joining the exodus of Victorian-trained horses to the Magic Millions meeting on the Gold Coast next month, although his next assignment is likely to be the Lord Stakes at Caulfield on December 26.I think it will be a perfect race for him, Weir said.McNeil moved to within one win of outriding his metropolitan claim with his victory on Kenjorwood.He comes out of his time on January 2. 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