PITTSBURGH –- The followers might need missed out on Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby going head-to-head at PPG Paints Arena another time, however Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals left city with just about all the things they might’ve hoped for Saturday.
That the Pittsburgh Penguins sat out Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and 5 different regulars to offer them time without work to heal some minor accidents earlier than the Stanley Cup Playoffs turned out to be a very good factor for the Capitals, who’re battling to remain alive in the playoff race.
Washington (41-30-9) assured itself of enjoying at the least another significant recreation with its 6-3 victory, with Ovechkin clinching an empty-net purpose. They’re three factors behind the Philadelphia Flyers for third place in the Metropolitan Division with two video games left to play for every.
The Capitals will attempt to keep alive once more in a rematch with the Penguins at Capital One Arena in Washington on Sunday (3 p.m. ET; HBO MAX, MNMT, truTV, TNT, SN360, TVAS).
“We’re going to take (it) game by game and we’ll see what happens,” Ovechkin mentioned. “Obviously, I don’t know what’s the score in the different (games), but we just have to get two points tomorrow and we’re still in. So, it’s a good thing.”
The recreation Sunday may be Ovechkin’s final at Capital One Arena, his house for 21 NHL seasons. The 40-year-old left wing is in the ultimate season of a five-year, $47.5 million contract he signed in 2021. He mentioned earlier this week that he’ll wait till the offseason to resolve whether or not he’ll play in the NHL once more subsequent season.
So, many will likely be coming to Capital One Arena in case it’s their final likelihood to see Ovechkin, the NHL’s all-time chief with 929 profession objectives, play there earlier than Washington closes out the common season on the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday. Whether they’ll see Crosby too stays to be seen.
Locked into second place in the Metropolitan Division, Pittsburgh (41-23-16) has little to play for standings-wise, so Crosby (decrease physique), Malkin (higher physique), Erik Karlsson (decrease physique), Kris Letang (higher physique), Bryan Rust (decrease physique), Ben Kindel (decrease physique) and Parker Wotherspoon (higher physique) didn’t play Saturday and had been designated as day-to-day.
Penguins coach Dan Muse was noncommittal about whether or not any of them will play Sunday or in the workforce’s regular-season finale on the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.
“I’ll have conversations with our medical staff, and we’ll make determinations going into tomorrow,” Muse mentioned.
With the Capitals season hanging in the stability, Ovechkin didn’t appear to thoughts that Crosby, Malkin and Co. sat out Saturday, however appeared to suppose there’s an honest likelihood at the least Crosby will play Sunday.
“I don’t care who’s playing,” Ovechkin, who leads the Capitals with 32 objectives and 62 factors this season, mentioned. “We just need the big win and, obviously, tomorrow he’s probably going to play.”
If Crosby does play, it is going to be the a hundredth recreation between him and Ovechkin, together with the playoffs. Together, Ovechkin, the No. 1 choose in the 2004 NHL Draft, and Crosby, the No. 1 choose in the 2005 NHL Draft, have written many memorable chapters in a storied rivalry that’s included 4 postseason collection.
Crosby and the Penguins gained the primary three (2009, 2016, 2017) and went on to win the Stanley Cup every time. The Capitals lastly broke by means of to defeat the Penguins in the second spherical in 2018 and went on to win the Cup for the primary time.
“There’s been so many great battles here that they’ve been a part of obviously, Sid and Ovi,” Capitals ahead Tom Wilson mentioned. “They’re two legends.”
There remains to be a longshot likelihood that they might meet once more in the Eastern Conference First Round this season, however the Capitals will want loads of assist for that to occur and may’t afford to lose both of their two remaining video games.
In case this was Ovechkin’s ultimate recreation in Pittsburgh, the Penguins and their followers paid tribute to him with a video on the middle ice scoreboard display and a standing ovation throughout a media time-out with 5:43 remaining in the second interval. Following the video of Ovechkin and Crosby speaking about their rivalry and turning into pleasant through the years, Penguins public deal with announcer Ryan Mill mentioned, “Ovi, thank you for 21 years of the greatest rivalry in hockey. It has been a pleasure.”
After a pause for the cheers, Mill mentioned, “And if you want, we’re ready to go for 22.”
A smiling Ovechkin stood and waved to the gang. When the cheers continued, Ovechkin waved once more and applauded the followers for their help in a metropolis the place he wasn’t usually so warmly obtained.
“It was nice,” Ovechkin mentioned. “It was a show of respect to all the time that we spend in the rivalries, playoffs, regular season. It shows respect.”
Players on each groups joined the salute by banging their sticks.
“Whether it’s your home crowd or your away crowd, what makes hockey great is the blood, sweat, and tears, and ‘O’s’ done a ton of that in this building,” Wilson mentioned. “And I think it’s awesome to see the Pittsburgh crowd give him that respect.”
“Being able to play with Sid, and get to know Sid and kind of just watching Ovi from afar, hearing some stories from ‘Geno’ (Malkin) about him, it’s a cool moment,” Penguins ahead Kevin Hayes mentioned. “I hope it’s not the last weekend where they play against each other. Both still elite players. Elite, elite players. And I think they both should keep playing.”
Ovechkin isn’t ruling that out. He made that clear when requested what he’ll bear in mind most about enjoying in Pittsburgh.
“I don’t know if it’s going to be my last year or not,” Ovechkin mentioned. “So, we will talk if I’m going to say I’m retired. I didn’t say that, so we’ll see.”
