Penguins/Capitals Recap: Pens close out tough year on a good note in victory over Washington

The Pens show up and see the 2024-25 season off on a high note by defeating the Capitals

Pregame

Pittsburgh makes some changes, Kevin Hayes can’t go and Kris Letang is obviously done for the season so a couple new faces roll into the lineup. Alex Nedeljkovic gets the crease for the final game of the season.

The Capitals use the very unusual 13 forward, 5 defensemen lineup. Clay Stevenson gets the nod for his first ever NHL game.

First period

It doesn’t take long for the fireworks to start. The Caps strike 4:08 into the game, Ryan Graves is way too far up the ice for unknown reasons and coughs up a 2-on-1 against as a result. Tom Wilson shoots and Nedeljkovic kicks the rebound out straight to Connor McMichael. Easy goal. 1-0.

The Penguins are able to answer right back within a minute. It’s a similar goal as the one scored on the other net, only this time it’s Stevenson leaving a big rebound when a Ville Koivunen deflects a puck and handcuffs him. Bryan Rust is right there to put it back, 1-1 game and Rust officially has 30 goals on the season.

The rest of the period goes by with a step above preseason-like intensity. Sidney Crosby sets Koivunen up for his first goal but the rookie rings the puck off the post.

No penalties, not much more intensity than being at a men’s league at Neville Island.

Second period

The Pens get a power play and they get a power play goal. Crosby makes an unreal pass behind his back and right through the crease (welcome to the NHL, Clay Stephenson!) and Rust is there to quickly add his 31st goal of the season. 2-1 Pens pull ahead.

Washington gets a 2-on-2 up the ice and Dylan Strome rips a shot past Nedeljkovic. However, Alex Ovechkin was a step or two ahead of the play and it was an easy challenge for the Pens to make and the refs to take the goal away. Remains a 2-1 Pittsburgh lead.

Not for long, Phil Tomasino sets up Crosby, who continues his welcoming of Stevenson to the NHL by snapping in a one-timer. Pens push the lead to 3-1.

The Caps get their second goal again. On the power play. You can probably guess who and roughly where on the ice. Ovechkin’s 44th narrows the lead to 3-2.

Third period

The Pens score on a scramble in front of the net. Stevenson is emphatic that Koivunen punched it into the net with his glove. The NHL generates a review to find out, and sure enough, Koivunen scores in a manner that isn’t allowed. Score remains 3-2 with 15:46 to go.

Pittsburgh takes a penalty but their PK looks good. Danton Heinen takes advantage of the Caps getting sloppy with the puck and it’s a clean breakaway. Heinen rips a shot to the top corner that leaves Stevenson thinking, “no one in Lehigh Valley can do that” (maybe). 4-2.

The Pens extend the lead to 5-2 with 10:59 to go. Tomasino gets the puck going the other way, he has passing options but calls his own number and after a pretty curl ‘n drag rips one by the shooter tutor that Stevenson has become. 5-2 Pens.

That’s about it for the excitement. Tomasino almost walks Dylan McIlrath on another toe drag move, but can’t finish the play by scoring on the goalie. The clock runs out on the game and the Pens’ season.

Some thoughts

• Pretty cool that Rust is now officially a 30-goal scorer for the first time. Crosby got over the 90-point plateau again to get something out of this game.
• Crosby’s behind-the-back pass in the second period on Rust’s second goal is why you watch an otherwise meaningless Game No. 82. Won’t get infinite chances to watch Sid play hockey
• It’s not everything but one little reason the Caps are where they are and the Pens are where they are can be traced back to the 2019 NHL draft. The Pens picked Sam Poulin 21st overall, he appeared in his 13th career NHL game tonight, producing zero goals. Washington took Connor McMichael a few picks later in that draft. McMichael scored his 26th goal of the season tonight and had 57 points on the year. It’s one decision at one position, but every little bit adds up. Pittsburgh traded a lot away to feed their championship window but getting almost nothing in the drafts from 2016-21 in the picks they did make stands out at this point.
• Then again, finding a way to acquire the 24th overall pick from that draft, Tomasino, might pay off for Pittsburgh. Goal and an assist tonight to end his season on a strong note, showed a lot of confidence with his dekeing and moves with the puck. Fun to see. Granted, the Caps were lurching through this game without much energy or effort to expend ahead of the playoffs, but a nice performance is a nice performance.
• There was no tanking from the Pens’ coaching staff on this night. If ever there would have been time to look the other way and gift the opponent a goal it would been it tonight to help the draft slot positioning. No dice, they played it straight — the Pens’ video crew immediately had it flagged for Sullivan and the coach didn’t hesitate to make the call to have the referees look at the play and keep the team’s lead. Like it or not, by definition, that’s the job of the coach no matter the circumstances, and it worked. What could have been a 2-2 game ended up being one the Pens maintained their lead for the rest of the game instead. Add it up and Pittsburgh gets the 9th best odds to win the lottery draft.
• Insert sassy note here about second period differences of goofus Ovechkin costing his team a goal being sloppy and too far ahead of the play. Gallant Crosby generates a goal and an assist in same period with skill and precision…Until this joke was ruined by Ovechkin getting the classic PPG from the left side of the ice. Foiled again!
• Not gonna lie, Heinen plays so vanilla it’s hard to remember he’s in the lineup a lot of the times. This was only his third goal in the 28 games he’s spent back in Pittsburgh this season. Heinen seems to alternate years where he competes like crazy, is hard on pucks all over the ice and it translates to some offense followed by a season where he floats around, has little impact and nearly plays himself out of a job. Heinen has a contract for next year so he’ll be back assuming there’s no trade to be found, let’s hope it’s one of those good seasons about to kick in. Great shot tonight for him.
• Shame Koivunen couldn’t get a (legal) goal. He’s got something to dig at all summer and get ready to chase. It’s not going to take very long before he does get his first NHL tuck, great prospect and close to the season getting a taste of the NHL action and seeing that his game translates very well at this level. That’s not always been the case or Pens’ history when it comes to high-scoring players in the Finnish league being able to make impacts in the NHL (Janne Pesonen, Valtteri Puustinen).

With that, another season is in the books. Thank you for joining us for the ride and please do plan on sticking around as the focus turns to the NHL draft and all the exciting events ahead!