Peter Diana, Post-Gazette Alex Ovechkin (left) is most often compared to Sidney Crosby, but how long before those comparisons extend to Penguins' rookie Evgeni Malkin?

When the Penguins and Washington play, as they do at 1:08 p.m. today at Mellon Arena, it usually is billed as a matchup between Sidney Crosby and the Capitals' Alex Ovechkin.

That's understandable. Ovechkin edged Crosby for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year last season. This season, Crosby is leading the NHL in scoring with 82 points in 47 games, while Ovechkin is tied for second with 70 points in 52 games, leads the league with 33 goals and has a career- and league-high 13-game points streak.

The two also played on the same line in the All-Star Game.

It's fair, though, to expand the matchup to include Crosby's teammate, Evgeni Malkin, who leads all rookies with 55 points in 46 games.

Both teams practiced at Mellon Arena yesterday, and Malkin walked to the visitors' end of the building to spend some time with his fellow Russian.

Ovechkin said Malkin, who is reluctant to speak English, is doing well on and off the ice.

"He said he feels great here," Ovechkin said.

On his first trip to Pittsburgh in 2005-06, Ovechkin predicted that if Malkin left Russia to join the Penguins this season, he would be the league's top rookie. It looks as if that was a good prediction.

"It's because I know his power and I know this guy," said Ovechkin, who played with Malkin at a couple of world championships and roomed with him during the 2006 Olympics.

Ovechkin wouldn't say which player he is most looking forward to facing, Malkin or Crosby.

"I'm excited to play against Pittsburgh because it's not one or two players on a team," he said. "They have great players."

The answer was no

Only 13 Penguins participated in practice, but not because it was optional. The rest of the players -- including Crosby, Malkin and goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury -- were told to skip the session.

"They didn't really give us a choice," Crosby said. "It was, uh, a coach's decision for us to stay off."

Coach Michel Therrien said that with the team entering the final two months of the season and in the midst of a stretch of four games in six days, it was time for the staff to make sure the players aren't overworked.

"It was not an optional because every time we make it optional, they always go on the ice," Therrien said. "We have to manage the energy of the players.

"We had a meeting with the staff and Stephane Dube, the conditioning coach, and we decided who's not going to go on the ice. They like to be on the ice. Sidney came to see me and he wanted to go on the ice. We said no."

Those who didn't skate had a light workout, such as on a bike.

Among those who practiced was forward Chris Thorburn, who missed the past two games after being granted a leave for personal reasons.

Welch is back

Defenseman Noah Welch, who has bounced between the Penguins and their Wilkes-Barre minor-league team, was recalled again. He has two points in 17 games with the Penguins, 17 points in 20 games with the Baby Penguins.

Recchi skips trip

Although he was invited to join the Carolina Hurricanes for their visit with President Bush at the White House yesterday afternoon, Penguins winger Mark Recchi declined -- but only because things are too hectic with the team's schedule. The Penguins traded Recchi to Carolina just before the trade deadline last spring, and he helped the Hurricanes win the Stanley Cup. He re-signed with the Penguins over the summer.