PITTSBURGH — In a thrilling regular-season finale, hockey legends Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin displayed their exceptional skills. Crosby`s Pittsburgh Penguins triumphed over Ovechkin`s Washington Capitals with a score of 5-2.
Ovechkin marked his record-setting season by scoring his 897th career goal in the second period. Crosby, celebrating his 20th NHL season, contributed a goal and an assist, surpassing the 90-point mark for the ninth time in his career.
The Washington Capitals are set to begin their pursuit of their second Stanley Cup on Monday, facing off against the Montreal Canadiens in the playoffs.
This 73rd regular-season matchup between these two iconic players was uniquely low-stakes. Washington had already secured the top playoff seed in the Eastern Conference, while Pittsburgh, in a rebuilding phase, was out of playoff contention.
Bryan Rust contributed significantly to Pittsburgh`s victory, scoring twice and concluding the season with a personal best of 31 goals. His second goal was particularly memorable, assisted by a remarkable backhand pass from Crosby, extending the Penguins` lead to 3-1. Penguins goalie Alex Nedeljkovic made 18 saves.
Ovechkin`s 44th goal of the season further solidified his lead over Wayne Gretzky, whose long-standing record Ovechkin surpassed earlier in the month. Capitals rookie goalie Clay Stevenson blocked 33 shots in his NHL debut.
