{"id":551505,"date":"2026-04-13T03:39:31","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T03:39:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/551505\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T03:39:31","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T03:39:31","slug":"penguins-say-goodbye-to-alex-ovechkin-maybe-in-meaningless-loss","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/551505\/","title":{"rendered":"Penguins say goodbye to Alex Ovechkin \u2014 maybe \u2014 in meaningless loss"},"content":{"rendered":"

WASHINGTON \u2014 The Penguins said goodbye to their longest-standing rival on Sunday \u2026 maybe.<\/p>\n

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin played in an otherwise meaningless game for the Penguins because it may have been Alex Ovechkin\u2019s NHL farewell. Ovechkin recorded a late assist on an empty-net goal in Washington\u2019s 3-0 win.<\/p>\n

The Capitals are still alive for a playoff spot while the Penguins continue to patiently wait until next weekend, when the postseason begins in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n

Crosby and Malkin posed for a picture with Ovechkin before and after the game in what felt like a goodbye from Washington to Ovechkin. However, following the game, Ovechkin asked the Penguins to leave the ice as they waited to shake hands with him.<\/p>\n

Malkin, who spent Saturday night having dinner at Ovechkin\u2019s house, said he thinks Ovechkin may return.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think he plays next year for sure,\u201d Malkin said. \u201cHe\u2019s still hungry.\u201d<\/p>\n

One day after Pittsburgh gave Ovechkin a hearty standing ovation, Washington fans stood for Crosby and Ovechkin after a video of their rivalry was shown on the scoreboard.<\/p>\n

\u201cI didn\u2019t really know that was going on, to be honest with you,\u201d Crosby said. \u201cWe were chatting about a face-off play, I think, and I saw it at the last minute. So, definitely appreciate it. Didn\u2019t really realize at the time what was going on. It\u2019s nice.\u201d<\/p>\n

Crosby said he wasn\u2019t given a choice on playing in Saturday\u2019s home game<\/a>, but that it was important to dress in this game.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, definitely,\u201d he said. \u201cI think, for a lot of reasons, you want to keep playing, just because of the potential. And then obviously, we don\u2019t know. So, I think just for that fact, definitely wanted to be in it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Opposing goalies typically don\u2019t like playing against Ovechkin, but Stuart Skinner soaked this one in.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh my gosh, yeah,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, so surreal. One of the greatest players to ever play the game. He should be celebrated just like that. The fans came early. They were amazing for him. Their team played great, we played great. It was just a really solid game. It was really cool for me seeing them take pictures in warm-ups. Having Sid and Ovi in front of me when I was stretching, it was a moment for me to remember. I\u2019m sure for them it definitely will be. That was pretty cool.\u201d<\/p>\n

Malkin made it clear his friendship with Ovechkin remains strong. They were once roommates in the 2004 Olympics. All these years later, they remain close.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he needs anything from my family or me, I\u2019m always open,\u201d Malkin said.<\/p>\n

Crosby doesn\u2019t love talking about himself but is aware of what the rivalry between he and Ovechkin has meant to so many people.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think it\u2019s still there,\u201d Crosby said. \u201cMaybe not to the extent that it was. But hopefully, people have been entertained. I think as competitors, as athletes, it\u2019s been pretty cool to be able to be part of some big games and that rivalry. That\u2019s something that obviously a lot of people have watched and cheered for, whether you cheered for or against, or whatever it was \u2014 it was something that has been special over that time period, and something I appreciate, and hopefully everybody appreciates.\u201d<\/p>\n

10 postgame observations\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u2022 I feel like Sunday was a very strange day for the Penguins. They wanted to honor Ovechkin properly, but like everyone else, don\u2019t really know if he\u2019s going to retire. They had a game to play that wasn\u2019t the least bit important to them in the standings, yet you don\u2019t want to develop bad habits with the Stanley Cup playoffs a week away. Plus, anytime they see the Capitals, they\u2019re going to play hard. But still, staying healthy was of the utmost importance.<\/p>\n

A #Gr8<\/a> showing of respect. pic.twitter.com\/DLhaUlkyVb<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 x \u2013 Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 12, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n

So there was a lot going on this afternoon in Washington, and it frankly felt a little awkward. There were contradictions in every direction. It peaked when Crosby and Malkin, after the game, kept the Penguins on the ice to shake hands with Ovechkin. Incidentally, it was Ovechkin who had the Capitals shake hands with the retiring Marc-Andr\u00e9 Fleury last season after a game. The Penguins wanted to pay Ovechkin that same respect, but he waved them off the ice.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s pretty clear that Ovechkin doesn\u2019t know what he\u2019s going to do, and that\u2019s perfectly fair. Nobody did anything wrong. But the whole thing felt a little weird.<\/p>\n

\u2022 You know what else is weird? Playing three games at the end of the regular season that mean nothing.<\/p>\n

The Penguins are in a tough spot. First and foremost, they need to take care of those who are beaten up or fatigued. I don\u2019t think Ben Kindel is particularly injured but I do think there are concerns about him hitting a bit of a rookie wall. Sitting him in both of these games over the weekend was sensible.<\/p>\n

Then again, if you\u2019re the Penguins, you want to be healthy and you want to be fresh. But you don\u2019t want to be too rested.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a very delicate balance to figure out. But I will tell you this: Muse was considerably happier with how the Penguins played in this game than 24 hours earlier. And for good reason. They were beaten because Logan Thompson played exceptionally well. The Penguins had the better of the play for much of this game.<\/p>\n

\u2022 I don\u2019t have any intel on Ovechkin\u2019s future. He has said on numerous occasions during the past few days that he\u2019s going to wait until summer to make a final decision. This, as a living legend, is his right.<\/p>\n

It certainly felt like a goodbye on Sunday. But is it goodbye?<\/p>\n

For one thing, there\u2019s a chance Washington\u2019s game in Columbus on Tuesday is going to be relevant. We\u2019ll see. If it\u2019s relevant, Ovechkin will play, of course. If it\u2019s not, perhaps he will not.<\/p>\n

As for the hockey side of things, it\u2019s a credit to Ovechkin\u2019s greatness that he\u2019s scored 32 goals this season. I mean that sincerely, because when you see him play in person, he can\u2019t really skate anymore and he looks exhausted on the bench after almost every shift. He looks like a guy at the end. It\u2019s not like he has anything left to prove.<\/p>\n

\u2022 That said, if this is it, I\u2019ll sure miss watching him play. There has never been anyone quite like Ovechkin. He is truly one of a kind.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Skinner was outstanding in defeat and commented after the game that he\u2019s feeling confident. The goaltender stopped 23 of 25 shots and I very much expect him to get the start when the Penguins open postseason play next weekend.<\/p>\n

Skinner said having a couple of sharp performances under his belt before the postseason is ideal.<\/p>\n

\u201cVery important,\u201d he said. \u201cI do like where my game is at. It\u2019s just continuing along, to keep that going on a consistent basis for me, which I know how to do. I feel really good about my game.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Stuart<\/p>\n

\n Stuart Skinner is happy with where his game is at leading into the playoffs with Pittsburgh. (Jamie Sabau \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\u2022 He didn\u2019t have a point on Sunday, but I like what I\u2019m seeing from Crosby. He\u2019s got his legs back. He\u2019s starting to carry defensemen on his back when he\u2019s protecting the puck behind the net, stuff he wasn\u2019t doing after returning from the Olympic knee injury.<\/p>\n

The captain looks in good form.<\/p>\n

\u2022 I liked Elmer S\u00f6derblom\u2019s game again. He\u2019s just a force in the offensive zone because of his ability to protect the puck. He was one of the Penguins\u2019 best players on Sunday.<\/p>\n

\u2022 I thought it was another positive game for the Kris Letang-Sam Girard tandem. They\u2019re playing at a considerably higher level than they were a couple of weeks ago.<\/p>\n

\u2022 To my knowledge, the Penguins didn\u2019t sustain any notable injuries in this game, and that\u2019s the most important news of all.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The Penguins play in St. Louis on Tuesday but some of their big names won\u2019t be playing, as you\u2019d expect. In fact, from what I\u2019ve heard, a number of their veterans returned to Pittsburgh immediately after the Penguins-Capitals game and will not be in Missouri for the final regular-season game. It\u2019s better for them to get some rest as opposed to making a road trip just to sit in the press box against the Blues.<\/p>\n