In the regular-season finale, the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Washington Capitals 5-2, with Alex Ovechkin scoring his record-breaking 897th career goal and Sidney Crosby surpassing 90 points for the ninth time in his 20th NHL season. The Capitals, having secured the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, will face the Montreal Canadiens in their quest for a second Stanley Cup.
Bryan Rust contributed with two goals, ending the season with a career-high 31 goals, while Crosby's goal and assist further highlighted his enduring prowess at 37. Ovechkin's 44th goal of the season solidified his lead over Wayne Gretzky, with the Capitals star now holding the career goal record. The game was marked by mutual respect, as Pittsburgh honored Ovechkin for his achievement, underscoring the competitive rivalry between the two teams.