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Game preview
As fans file into Capital One Arena on Sunday, there will be a mix of uncertainty and appreciation in the air. Alex Ovechkin could be suiting up in the final home game of his career. Twenty years after first dazzling Capitals fans with two goals and a board-breaking hit against the Columbus Blue Jackets on October 5, 2005, Ovechkin will match up against the Pittsburgh Penguins and Sidney Crosby for what could be the final time on April 12, 2026.
Ovi, now 40, wears his dedication to the sport. He’s grizzled, full of grey hair, and missing a tooth. His stride is shorter, sure, and his energy is not as boundless, but his huge shot and joy remain as evident as ever.
Ovi’s given Capitals fans the highest of highs — a Stanley Cup championship in 2018 and the NHL goals record in 2025. And he did things his own way, too — swimming in fountains and wearing yellow skate laces. A left winger who shoots right, Ovechkin drinks Coca-Cola on the bench and eats meals daily that would put most humans in food comas.
Whenever Ovi ultimately hangs up his skates — this summer, next, or even in a few more years — a great hockey career will end. But so, too, will that of an artist — albeit, a slightly goofy one — who showed why individuality matters and is worth fighting for.
Puck drop for the Capitals-Penguins game is at 3 pm and will air locally on Monumental Sports Network and nationally on TNT. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin will have the call.
And oh yeah, I buried the lede. This game is HUGE. Here’s what the Caps need to do to keep their playoff hopes alive.
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Lines
Washington Capitals
Pittsburgh Penguins
Goaltending matchup
Tunnel shenanigans
1st Period
Tonight’s starters: Chinahkov-Crosby-Malkin and Girard-Letang vs. Ovechkin-Strome-Wilson and Fehervary-TvR.
Puck is dropped. Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby take the opening faceoff after Dylan Strome is kicked out of the dot.
Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby take opening faceoff in potential final matchup
Alex Ovechkin lowers the boom on Joona Koppanen near the two benches. Fans loudly chant “Ovi! Ovi!”
Logan Thompson has made saves on Pittsburgh’s first four shots on goal.
Ovi with a huge hit on Kris Letang. He’s got three hits in the first period.
Justin Sourdif creates with three Penguins converging on him in the offensive zone, gets a good shot off from the top of the circles, Ivan Miroshnichenko nearly scores on the rebound. Capital One Arena was about to explode.
Fehervary high-sticks Erik Karlsson. The Penguins are going to the game’s first power play.
Penalty kill
Martin Fehervary high-sticking at 10:48
Capitals kill the penalty.
Skinner with two huge saves on Ilya Protas and Tom Wilson.
Cole Hutson takes a slap shot off the foot and is ailing. He leaves the ice and goes down the tunnel.
Pierre-Luc Dubois is not taking faceoffs today after suffering an injury in yesterday’s game when he slammed into the boards. Connor McMichael is taking all the draws.
Crosby hauls Fehervary down. Caps go to their first power play.
Power play
Sidney Crosby tripping penalty at 18:51
Hutson is back on the ice for the power play.
Justin Sourdif scores on a redirect off an Alex Ovechkin indirect shot with 40.8 seconds remaining, but the Capitals were offside as they entered the zone. Ilya Protas threw himself offside on the lateral pass on his entry.
The Capitals power play is so dangerous with Cole Hutson and Ilya Protas on the team. Guys just make plays.
At intermission: The game’s tied 0-0. Capitals lead in shots 9-8.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
Caps can’t score on the remaining time on their power play.
A Kuzy pass behind the net by Miro.
Caps players caught in a 3:57 long shift against the Pens as they come wave after wave in the offensive zone.
TVR scores at the back post, pushing the puck just over the goal line.
1-0 Washington Capitals
Goal: Trevor van Riemsdyk (3). Assists: P. Dubois (14), C. McMichael (32). Time: 12:22
An Alex Ovechkin blocked shot? Yeah this is his final year.
Logan Thompson robs Novak in the slot with his right pad. Looked like a sure goal. Then Novak comes in on a breakaway and loses the puck.
Penalty kill
Martin Fehervary tripping penalty at 15:37
Tom Wilson blocks an Erik Karlsson slap shot. He’s down on the ice and needs a whistle. It hit him on the tongue of the right skateboot.
Wilson is somehow already skating as he leaves the ice. The guy is so tough. He’s down the tunnel.
Timothy Liljegren sprung on a semi-breakaway by Ryan Leonard, looking like a forward, he dekes through the legs and nearly scores down the left wing. Wow.
Skinner stops Ovechkin off his set shot off a faceoff win.
Thompson stops Crosby with a huge slap shot from the left circle on a two-on-one that turned into just a one-on-one after the Penguins player went for a change.
Wilson returned to the bench at the end of the second period.
At intermission: The Capitals lead 1-0. Shots on goal are 21-20 Pens.
3rd Period
Puck is dropped.
Malkin dangling. He’s so good.
Timothy Liljegren getting a season’s worth of dekes out in this game.
Justin Sourdif, on a play he’s made seemingly 1000 times this season, makes a panic pass in the offensive zone, that misses everyone, and goes back to the Capitals’ end.
Ilya Protas wins a faceoff clean against Sidney Crosby in the defensive zone. They do it again, and he loses the next one.
Kris Letang powers Justin Sourdif off the puck and the Caps fourth-line center turns it over. He had such a great first two periods too!
Ovechkin dives to clear the puck out of the zone.
Penguins swarming in the Caps zone.
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