It has not yet been decided if this will be the last time Alex Ovechkin plays Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins (41-22-16) in Pittsburgh, but the Washington Capitals (40-30-9) longshot playoff bid could end Saturday and Ovechkin is non-committal at best about coming back next season. The Penguins host what could be the final chapter of one of the great personal rivalries in NHL history Saturday at PPG Paints Arena.

The puck drops at 3 p.m. and Airborne lead singer Jeff Jimerson delivers a tidy national anthem.

The Penguins earned the X by their name Thursday when they beat the New Jersey Devils 5-2 at the Prudential Center and clinched a Stanley Cup Playoff berth. The Penguins have been red-hot for the last two weeks, filling the net with at least five goals in five of their last six games. Not coincidentally, they have also won five of their last six, clinching second place in the Metro Division as well.

Thursday, the Penguins battled themselves and New Jersey through the first half of the game. Penguins goalie Stuart Skinner made a bevy of big-time saves to maintain the couple of Penguins leads before they pulled away later in the second and third periods.

Egor Chinakhov had three points (1-2-3), and several Penguins had multiple points, including Evgeni Malkin (1-1-2), Erik Karlsson (1-1-2), and Sidney Crosby (0-2-2). In order, Bryan Rust, Tommy Novak, Chinakhov, and Malkin scored before Karlsson added the empty netter.

Skinner was a difference maker. He stopped 19 of 21 in the win.

Stumbles by the Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders, combined with Washington winning four of their last five, have kept Washington’s faint playoff pulse beating. Washington can get to 95 points if they win out, but they would need to beat the Penguins in each end of the back-to-back this weekend, and then Columbus Tuesday. And get some help with Flyers and Islanders losses.

According to MoneyPuck.com, Washington has a 7.4% chance of making the playoffs.

In keeping with Penguins coach Dan Muse’s recent lean toward Skinner, he is likely the starter Saturday. Logan Thompson will most likely start for Washington.

Muse has refused to indicate lineup changes in his pregame media availability, but there is a good chance that some players will rest on Saturday, Sunday, or Tuesday, and others, such as Jack St. Ivany or Ilya Solovyov, draw in.

How to Watch

TV: ABC

Radio: 105.9 The X

Expected Penguins Lines

Egor Chinakhov-Sidney Crosby-Bryan Rust

Anthony Mantha-Rickard Rakell-Justin Brazeau

Tommy Novak–Ben Kindel-Evgeni Malkin

Elmer Soderblom-Connor Dewar-Noel Acciari

Defense

Parker Wotherspoon-Erik Karlsson

Sam Girard-Kris Letang

Ryan Shea-Connor Clifton

Goalie: Stuart Skinner, Expected

Expected Capitals Lines

Forwards

Alex Ovechkin-Dylan Strome-Anthony Beauvillier

Aliaksei Protas-Ilya Protas-Tom Wilson

Connor McMichael-Pierre-Luc Dubois-Ryan Leonard

Brandon Duhaime-Justin Sourdif-Ivan Miroshnichenko

Defensemen

Martin Fehervary-Rasmus Sandin

Jakob Chychrun -Trevor van Riemsdyk

Cole Hutson-Matt Roy

Goalies

Logan Thompson

Special Teams

Penguins’ power play: 24.6%, 7th. Penguins penalty kill: 81.8%, 6th.

Capitals power play: 17.4%, 27th%. Capitals penalty kill: 79.8%, 13th.

Penguins Game Notes

The Penguins have points in eight of its last 12 games versus Washington (7-4-1) dating back to Nov. 9, 2022.

Evgeni Malkin has 82 points (27-55-82) in 67 career games against the Capitals. It’s the third-most points he’s scored against any one team.

Defenseman Sam Girard has four points (4A) and is plus-8 in his last six games.

Egor Chinakhov has 21 points (8-14-22) over his last 18 games and has picked up 36 points (18-18-36) in 41 games since joining the Penguins via trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

In the Sidney Crosby-Evgeni Malkin Era (2006-Present), no NHL team has more playoff victories than the Penguins (103) and no team has been to the Stanley Cup playoffs more:

Most Playoff Appearances Since 2006-07
Team Playoff Berths
Pittsburgh 17
Washington 16
Boston 15
Tampa Bay 14

Today is the 75th head-to-head meeting between Crosby and Ovechkin.

Player: GP. G-A-PTS
Sidney Crosby: 74. 35-62-97
Alex Ovechkin: 74. 38-32-70

Tags: Penguins game Penguins lines Penguins starting goalie Washington Capitals

Categorized:Penguins Pregame