<Li> 2017 Eastern Conference Second Round: Penguins won, 4--3 </Li> <Li> 2018 Eastern Conference Second Round: Capitals won, 4--2 </Li> <P> The Capitals--Penguins rivalry is a hockey rivalry between the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League . Both teams have played in the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference since 2013 . This rivalry stems from the eleven playoff series that the two teams have met in, which is second most between NHL expansion teams behind the Dallas Stars and the St. Louis Blues (who have twelve meetings). Pittsburgh has emerged victorious in every series except for the 1994 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals and 2018 Eastern Conference Semifinals . There is also only a 250 - mile drive between the cities of Washington and Pittsburgh, allowing visiting fans of both teams to attend each other's games in fairly large quantities . In addition to the geography and deep playoff history, the emergence of Alexander Ovechkin (Washington) and Sidney Crosby (Pittsburgh) as two of the NHL's biggest superstars has fueled the rivalry . </P> <P> Starting in the early 1980s, Pittsburgh and Washington had developed some animosity towards each other, but their matchup was never considered one of the top rivalries because they were rarely good at the same time . The two teams had never even made it to the playoffs in the same year until 1989 when the Capitals lost to the Penguins' cross-state rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers, in the division semifinals and the Penguins lost to the Flyers in the division finals . The next season, the Capitals and Penguins went in opposite directions . The Capitals finished third in the Patrick Division and made it to the Wales Conference Finals against the Boston Bruins (but lost that series 4--0), while the Penguins did not even make the playoffs . </P>

How many times have the penguins and capitals met in the playoffs