A couple of rivals on the way in opposite directions meet when Washington Capitals ends its regular season with a visit to the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The capitals (51-21-9, 111 points) will be the best seed in the eastern conference entering the Stanley Cup playoffs while the Penguins (33-36-12, 78 points) will miss the season for the third year in a row and end with his first losing season under coach Mike Sullivan.
The game contains the 73rd match with a regular season between Fram Alex Ovechkin, the new NHL trail leader and the three times the Stanley Cup champion Sydney Crosby. Crosby has registered 93 points (32 goals, 61 assists) in these matches while Ovechkin has a total of 67 points (37 goals, 30 assists).
Washington wants to build momentum on the way into the mail season after shaking late. The capitals are 4-6-1 in the last 11 matches, but their latest effort was a 3-1 victory on the New York Islanders on Tuesday.
Dylan Strome made his third NHL-hate trick and Charlie Lindgren made 32 rescues for Washington, who had lost two straight while being outscored 11-1.
“I felt it was one of the cleaner games we’ve been playing for a while,” Lindgren said. “I thought from start to end that it was just a consistent effort. I thought we did very really good things offensively. I thought defensively that we were steady tonight and detailed.”
Strome, who often plays on a line with Ovechkin, has put new career heights in goal (29), assists (52) and points (81).
“I have many amazing players I get to play with,” Strome said. “I played with for most of the season, and obviously the season that had, and playing with guys who and then and … The whole team has cut in. I feel we have done it all year.”
The capitals announced that the signed center Nic Dowd to a two -year contract extension. Dowd, 34, has registered a career heap 27 points (14 goals, 13 assists) this season and is a key member of Washington Penalty Kill.
The Penguins had won two straight and three out of four before a 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins who left Sullivan dissatisfied with most of his team.
“Slow start? It was a slow game, period,” Sullivan said. “We had a guy. I thought our goalkeeper was amazing. The rest of it, it’s hard to find a positive.”
Tristan Jarry made 28 rescues against Boston and is 4-1-1 in the last six starters. Rickard Rakell made for Penguins.
Rakell scored his 35th goal of the season, a career high. He had 15 goals in 70 games last season. His 69 points have bound his career high.
“I obviously mean it feels better than it did last year,” Rakell said. “It doesn’t feel good when you’re not in the position we want to be in. That’s how it feels right now.”
Crosby had its homespun on 14 matches (nine goals, 11 assists).
Defender Kris Letang, 37, will miss Penguin’s season finale and recover for several weeks after the operation this week to close a small hole in the heart.
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