PENGUINS

If this was Alexander Ovechkin's last game at Capital One Arena, he had quite the send-off.

The standing ovation when his was the last name announced in the starting lineup was loud and unwavering, and only let up when the public address announcer cut in to introduce the national anthem.

The touches throughout the game, which wound up a 3-0 loss for the Penguins to the Capitals, were great. Referee Chris Rooney "tossed" Dylan Strome from the opening faceoff so Ovechkin could have his moment taking the draw against Crosby. Fans alternated between chants of "OVI!" and "ONE MORE YEAR!" during play. The kids in the intermission Mites on Ice game even wore yellow laces on their skates as a nod to one of Ovechkin's trademarks.

One of the more unique moments, though, came late in the first period. The Capitals aired a tribute video celebrating both Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby in their 100th game against each other, with highlights of some of their prior games against each other over the years and clips of some of the things they've done in the media together talking about each other. The videoboard then cut to a split-screen showing either player, as the public address announcer thanked both players for the 21 years and 100 games of their rivalry:

The Penguins have done similar things for Ovechkin a couple of times now -- they had a nice message and ovation for him Saturday in case that was his last game at PPG Paints Arena, and there was another tribute in last year's regular-season finale to celebrate him securing the league's all-time goals record.

But this was the first time something like this was ever done for Crosby in another building, let alone this building.

Once he caught onto it, he thought it was pretty neat.

"I mean, I didn't really know that was going on, to be honest with you," Crosby admitted. "We were chatting about a faceoff play, I think, and I just saw at the last minute. I definitely appreciate it. Didn't really realize at the time what was going on, but it's nice."

Crosby didn't play in Saturday's game, being held out along with six other players for injury-related reasons as the team looks to get its players closer to 100% health for the playoffs. I asked him if he had the option of choosing which game specifically he missed, and he clarified that no, that was the team's decision.

He said, though, that it was "definitely" important to him that he got to play in this game, since they don't know if it was Ovechkin's last home game.

I once asked Ovechkin at the 2023 NHL All-Star Game how his relationship with Crosby has evolved over the years, and he said, "We're good friends. We talk to each other. If he has some milestones coming up, I'll call him or shoot him a text. The first couple of years, it was kind of a different relationship. We were young, but now we've matured."

Crosby thinks that the rivalry is "still there." Of course. They're both competitive and on actual division rivals, and could still be first-round opponents in this year's playoffs. But the "rivalry" certainly isn't what it once was, either.

"It's maybe not to the extent that it was," Crosby said. "But hopefully people have been entertained. As competitors, as athletes, it's been pretty cool to be able to be part of some big games and that rivalry. That's something that obviously a lot of people have watched and cheered for, whether you cheered for or against, or whatever it was. It was something that has been special over that time period, and something I appreciate, and hopefully everybody appreciates."

Evgeni Malkin was just 19 years old when he really spent significant time with Ovechkin, when they were roommates at the 2006 Olympic Games in Turin, Italy, something he remembers being "so much fun."

"You know, we've grown up fast," Malkin reflected. "Now 20 years after, he has kids, I have a kid. We're a little bit older, but we're good friends. We support each other."

Malkin called the Penguins-Capitals, Crosby-Ovechkin rivalry "one of the best rivalries of all time, and said that he's glad to be "part of this battle" for so many years.

The Penguins tried to give Ovechkin a proper send-off after the game and lined up for a handshake line, with Crosby and Malkin at the forefront of it. But Ovechkin shook his head and waved the Penguins off, later saying that he did so because he doesn't actually know whether this is his last season:

"I didn't decide yet," he explained. "Thanks for them to wait out there. But I'm going to see Sid and Geno after this interview, and we'll talk."

That meeting did happen, and they traded memorabilia and posted for pictures with Ovechkin's two sons:

For what it's worth, Malkin had dinner with Ovechkin twice this week, once in Pittsburgh and then again at Ovechkin's home Saturday night. They talked about hockey, the playoff push, and played mini-sticks with Ovechkin's kids. And he came into today's game pretty confident that it wouldn't be his last time seeing Ovechkin across the ice from him.

"I mean, I don't believe it's his last game," Malkin said. "I think he's back next year, for sure. He's still hungry."

So, make that 100 games of the Crosby-Ovechkin rivalry ... and still counting, maybe.