The Washington Capitals closed out their 2024-25 common season with a 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday evening at PPG Paints Enviornment. Whereas the Penguins had no postseason implications using on the sport, the long-standing rivalry nonetheless delivered, particularly with Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby sharing the ice. Ovechkin matched Gordie Howe’s mark of 44 targets in a season by a participant aged 39 or older, set again in 1968-69, including one other milestone to his legendary profession.
The loss introduced Ovechkin and the Capitals’ regular-season document to 51-22-9, ending with 111 factors. Regardless of the setback, Washington secured first place within the Metropolitan Division and locked up the highest seed within the Japanese Convention.
The Ovechkin-Crosby rivalry
Ovechkin capped off his historic season by scoring his 897th profession objective within the second interval. On the opposite aspect, Crosby wrapped up his twentieth NHL marketing campaign with a objective and an help, surpassing the 90-point mark for the ninth time in his profession.
The Capitals will kick off their pursuit of a second Stanley Cup on Monday after they face the Montreal Canadiens. Friday’s conflict between two of hockey’s greatest icons marked the 73rd regular-season assembly between Ovechkin and Crosby—one of many few with out playoff implications. Washington had locked up the Japanese Convention’s high seed weeks earlier, whereas Pittsburgh was already out of postseason rivalry.
The final time the Capitals met the Canadiens within the postseason, eighth-seeded Montreal shocked the Presidents’ Trophy-winning Capitals with a first-round upset again in 2010.
Bryan Rust capped his season with a career-best 31 targets, placing twice within the finale. His second objective got here off a blinding whip-around backhand help from Sidney Crosby, stretching Pittsburgh’s result in 3-1. Alex Nedeljkovic turned away 18 pictures for the Penguins.
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Finish of the street for Ovechkin?
Alex Ovechkin’s forty fourth objective of the season pushed him three forward of Wayne Gretzky, whose profession mark he shattered earlier this month. Clay Stevenson impressed in his NHL debut, stopping 33 pictures for the Capitals.
Pittsburgh additionally honored the visiting Ovechkin with a tribute video celebrating his milestone because the NHL’s all-time main objective scorer. He skated to middle ice to acknowledge the gang, which erupted into a quick however respectful “Ovi” chant—an sudden gesture towards certainly one of their fiercest rivals.
Now that Ovechkin has cemented his place atop the NHL’s goal-scoring record, the highlight shifts to what comes subsequent. Together with his fortieth birthday approaching in September and two years remaining on his present deal, hypothesis will solely develop. Ovechkin has overtly expressed curiosity in closing out his profession with Dynamo Moscow, the membership the place all of it started for him within the KHL — elevating the likelihood that his legendary NHL run could possibly be nearing its closing chapters.
Ovechkin has additionally hinted that he may retire when his contract ends after subsequent season. Regardless of his age, the goal-scoring magic stays as sturdy as ever. This season marks the 14th time in his 20-year profession that he’s hit the 40-goal milestone, proving that his scoring contact is way from fading.