In the regular-season finale, Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin displayed their skills as the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Washington Capitals 5-2. Ovechkin scored his 897th career goal in the second period, concluding a historic season where he surpassed Wayne Gretzky's record. Crosby also had a goal and an assist, surpassing 90 points for the ninth time in his 20th NHL season.
The Capitals, already clinching the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, paid tribute to Ovechkin for becoming the NHL's goal king. Pittsburgh honored him with a video, leading to a crowd chant of "Ovi." The game marked the 73rd meeting between the longtime rivals, with the Capitals gearing up for a playoff run against the Montreal Canadiens as the Penguins missed the postseason. Bryan Rust's two goals, including one set up by Crosby, and Alex Nedeljkovic's 18 saves were highlights of the game. Clay Stevenson also made his NHL debut, making 33 saves for the Penguins.