With the stench of consecutive second-round defeats to the Pittsburgh Penguins still fresh Adrian Kempe Jersey , a depleted version of the Washington Capitals reconvened for the start of the 2017-18 season. Six regulars were gone from the previous year鈥檚 55-win team. A cast of unproven rookies and veterans making the league minimum were brought in to fill the void. Few could have predicted what was ultimately in store for Alex Ovechkin & Co. eight months later.On that first day of training camp a year ago, a visibly irritated Ovechkin practically pleaded with reporters. 鈥淲e not going to be suck this year,鈥?he insisted after a series of questions hinted otherwise. 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to be fine.鈥漁f course, the Capitals were more than fine. And when the Stanley Cup champions returned this fall, Ovechkin fielded... All-Access +All-Access Member AreaPremium content and in-depth analysis from our team of experts exclusively for magazine subscribers. Simply login to unlock the content or become a member for less than $2.50 a month.LoginBecome a Member ST. LOUIS (AP) Sidney Crosby got another milestone goal on Sunday. The puck went right to his dad.Crosby scored twice http://www.officialislanders.com/authentic-adidas-mathew-barzal-jersey , including his 400th career goal, and the Pittsburgh Penguins pulled away from the St. Louis Blues for a 4-1 victory.Bryan Rust snapped a tie with a third-period tally and Riley Sheahan also scored for the Penguins, who have won 12 of their past 17. Matt Murray made 33 saves.Crosby had not scored in his previous 10 games dating to Jan. 14. The captain stopped the drought in the second period in front of his father Troy, who was on the two-game fathers’ trip that began Friday in Dallas.”It’s tough when you’re waiting that long to get it, but it’s definitely worth the wait to have my dad here http://www.officialislanders.com/authentic-adidas-nick-leddy-jersey ,” Crosby said. ”So many early mornings and sacrifices so I could play hockey. It’s special to have him here.”Troy Crosby got the puck after the game along with a big hug.”It’s just so nice to be here,” Troy Crosby said. ”To be able to share it with him, there are just no words to describe it.”Kyle Brodziak scored for St. Louis, which had won two in a row. Jake Allen had 19 stops.Crosby jammed a shot under Allen’s pad from the side of the net at 3:31, tying it at 1 with his 18th of the season. He becomes the 95th player in NHL history to reach the 400-goal mark.”I still don’t know how it trickled in Nick Foligno Jersey , it seemed like it took forever,” Crosby said. ”You’re trying to put it in that area, short side. Somehow it kind of found its way in.”Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan marveled as Crosby’s skills.”He scores more goals from below the goal line than anybody I’ve ever seen and he’s one of the few guys that thinks the game at such a high level,” Sullivan said. ”It was a typical Crosby goal.”Allen couldn’t believe Crosby was able to find such a small opening.”That’s why he’s the best player in the world,” Allen said. ”I would never play that any differently. He’s one hell of a smart player.”The goal came 21 seconds after Brodziak converted from close range off a pass from Chris Thorburn.Rust scored on a breakaway at 1:05 of the third period to give his team a 2-1 lead.”It was kind of a shot of adrenaline Authentic Oliver Bjorkstrand Jersey ,” Rust said.Crosby added an empty-net goal with 2:48 left.It looked as if Paul Stastny had scored for St. Louis just 34 seconds before Rust got his eighth of the season, but video replay showed the puck was hit with a high stick.”It wasn’t our worst game we’ve played,” St. Louis defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. ”I thought we battled hard.”Pittsburgh’s sixth win in eight games also marked the return of Ryan Reaves to St. Louis after he was traded to the Penguins in June. Reaves, who spent seven season as the Blues’ enforcer, was given a loud ovation when he came onto the ice for the first time.”I saw a lot of signs Ryan Murray Jersey , a lot of love,” Reaves said. ”It was a fun day.”NOTES: Stastny played in his 800th NHL game. … Allen started back-to-back games for the first time since Dec. 27-29. … Pittsburgh has gone four games without a power-play goal, tying a season-high four-game drought from Dec. 11-18. … St. Louis coach Mike Yeo was an assistant for the Penguins when they won the Stanley Cup in 2009.UP NEXTPenguins: Host Ottawa on Tuesday.Blues: Travel to Nashville on Tuesday.—