• Who: Penguins (33-36-12) vs. Capitals (51-21-9) • What: NHL regular season, Game 82 • When: 7:10 p.m. • Where: PPG Paints Arena • Goaltenders: Alex Nedeljkovic (13-15-5, .894 SV%) vs. Clay Stevenson (NHL debut) • TV: ESPN • Radio: Penguins Radio Network • Streaming: ESPN+ • Boxscore: NHL.com • Medianotes: Penguins | Capitals
► FOLLOW ALONG
• That's a wrap on the game and the season. Penguins win, 5-2. Goals from Bryan Rust (2), Sidney Crosby, Danton Heinen, Phil Tomasino
• Down to 1:13 left.
• Two fastest Penguins tonight: Joona Koppanen, 22.57 MPH, and Valteri Puustinen, 21.59 MPH. There was a time in the preseason where it was like those two and Jesse Puljujarvi as the top-3 fastest and I asked Puustinen what makes the Finns so fast and he said it was either the saunas, or the bread in their country being better. Someone should look into that.
• Less than four minutes remain in the season.
• They've been showing players' pre-recorded "thank you fans" videos on the videoboard all game. Kris Letang's just got a big ovation.
• GOAL: And another one, 15 seconds later. Phil Tomasino with a wrister from the slot. Penguins 5, Capitals 2
• GOAL: Danton Heinen gets a breakaway while shorthanded, puts the puck in literally just as the Capitals' power play expires. Penguins 4, Capitals 2
• Penguins to the PK with 13:14 left. Rickard Rakell to the box for interference.
• No goal. They say Ville Koivunen put it in with his hand. Really tough call.
• GOAL: Ville Koivunen gets his first. Scramble in the crease, he was laying down and it went in off of his leg. But they're reviewing it.
• Final frame is underway.
• End of the second and the Penguins lead, 3-2. Goals from Bryan Rust (2) and Sidney Crosby. Shots are 24-19 Penguins.
• DK: I had no idea he could score from there.
• GOAL: You're not going to believe this, but Alex Ovechkin just scored from the left circle on the power play. Career goal No. 897. Penguins 3, Capitals 2
• Penguins to the PK with 4:09 left. Sidney Crosby for a hook. Weak call.
• Bryan Rust just nearly got his third of the night, blew threw the crease and tried tucking one around Clay Stevenson's pad as he was falling.
• A "CROS-BY'S BET-TER" chant breaks out in the upper deck.
• DK: Looks like a simple pass from Tomasino. It wasn't. He made a lot happen there. Good side to be showing in a finale, and I mean that.
• GOAL: Sidney Crosby drops to one knee at the bottom of the right circle and fires in a feed from Phil Tomasino. Penguins 3, Capitals 1
• Santa is here in the crowd. Or at least a guy who looks like him. Nice applause for him.
• The videoboard recognizes Sidney Crosby for clinching a 90-point season. He seemed confused on the bench about why he was being applauded, lol.
• Yeah, Alex Ovechkin was offside. No goal. Penguins still lead 2-1.
• DK: Man ... I get that Strome shot through Timmins' legs, but it's just upstairs again and again and again. Wasn't always the case with him, but it has been for about 2-3 months now.
• Penguins are challenging for offside. Meaningless game for both teams. Love it.
• GOAL: Dylan Strome ties it, a shot off a rush that beat Alex Nedeljkovic's glove. Penguins 2, Capitals 2.
• Nothing on that power play.
• Penguins are going back on the power play with 12:04 left in the period. Dylan McIlrath for cross-checking Phil Tomasino.
• DK: Exempting Sid, who can do anything, it's been a long time since we've seen anyone (else) operate so comfortably out of the right circle on the power play as Koivunen. Like he was born there.
• GOAL: Bryan Rust is a 31-goal scorer. Yet another assist for Ville Koivunen, a secondary one. Absurd spinning backhand pass by Sidney Crosby for the primary one. Penguins 2, Capitals 1
• Same top power play: Matt Grzelcyk, Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, Ville Koivunen.
• Penguins getting a power play with 13:41 left in the second. Andrew Mangiapane sits for two for holding the stick.
• DK: A few Pirates are in the house, too: Paul Skenes, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Tommy Pham
• Fastest skater so far: Valtteri Puustinen, 21.59 miles per hour.
• Second period is underway.
• The same little boy who has been on the videoboard for the "Dance for a Dilly Bar" promo a handful of times this season is here again and the crowd erupted. He got a better ovation than the Steelers players did. Just a kid who likes to dance.
• End of the first, and it's 1-1. Bryan Rust has the Penguins' goal. Shots are 13-5 Penguins.
• Penguins are outshooting the Capitals 12-4. Wild.
• DK: Four Steelers on hand here, all just shown on the big board from a suite: Mason Rudolph, Pat Freiermuth, Connor Heyward and Zach Frazier.
• Ville Koivunen just hit the post. Man. Sidney Crosby set him up, too.
• Really cool: First TV timeout and the Penguins are showing a tribute video for Alex Ovechkin becoming the all-time leading goal-scorer. Montage of highlights from Penguins-Capitals mashups during this era, with a lot of Ovechkin goals mixed in. Ovechkin skates to center ice and salutes the crowd, which gives him a standing ovation and chants of "OVI!"
• Bryan Rust, Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell all have at least 30 goals. The last time the Penguins had three 30-goal scorers was 2000-01. Alex Nedeljkovic can join them if he manages to score 29 goals tonight.
• Yet another assist for Ville Koivunen. He needs that goal today.
• GOAL: Bryan Rust is a 30-goal scorer. Huge celebration from him, that was a massive milestone for him. Another rebound goal. Penguins 1, Capitals 1
• GOAL: Connor McMichael scores off a rebound. Alex Nedeljkovic made the pad save on Tom Wilson and kicked it right to McMichael. Capitals 1, Penguins 0
• There won't be one final first shot, first goal. Alex Nedeljkovic makes the save.
• For the final time this season, we are underway.
• Capitals are running 13 forwards/five defensemen:
Alex Ovechkin - Dylan Strome - Anthony Beauvillier Connor McMichael - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Tom Wilson Andrew Mangiapane - Lars Eller - Ryan Leonard Brandon Duhaime - Nic Dowd - Taylor Raddysh/Ethen Frank
Rasmus Sandin - Trevor van Riemsdyk Jakob Chychrun - Dylan McIlrath Alex Alexeyev
• Tanner Howe, who was injured last week in the WHL playoffs, is still here, presumably for rehab. His Calgary Hitmen have advanced to the second round in his absence.
• Lines and pairings, for the final time this season. Sam Poulin slots in on the fourth line. Vladislav Kolyachonok is back in. No Filip Kral:
Matt Grzelcyk - Erik Karlsson Ryan Shea - Conor Timmins Ryan Graves - Vladislav Kolyachonok
• Unsurprisingly, no Kevin Hayes on the ice for warmups. Sam Poulin is out there after being emergency recalled today. Both Filip Kral and Vladislav Kolyachonok are warming up.
• Talked with Valtteri Puustinen's dad at the skate, he had a 30-hour travel ordeal to get here for this. Puustinen's got to get a goal tonight now.
THE ASYLUM
Final: Penguins 5, Capitals 2
• Who: Penguins (33-36-12) vs. Capitals (51-21-9)
• What: NHL regular season, Game 82
• When: 7:10 p.m.
• Where: PPG Paints Arena
• Goaltenders: Alex Nedeljkovic (13-15-5, .894 SV%) vs. Clay Stevenson (NHL debut)
• TV: ESPN
• Radio: Penguins Radio Network
• Streaming: ESPN+
• Boxscore: NHL.com
• Media notes: Penguins | Capitals
► FOLLOW ALONG
• That's a wrap on the game and the season. Penguins win, 5-2. Goals from Bryan Rust (2), Sidney Crosby, Danton Heinen, Phil Tomasino
• Down to 1:13 left.
• Two fastest Penguins tonight: Joona Koppanen, 22.57 MPH, and Valteri Puustinen, 21.59 MPH. There was a time in the preseason where it was like those two and Jesse Puljujarvi as the top-3 fastest and I asked Puustinen what makes the Finns so fast and he said it was either the saunas, or the bread in their country being better. Someone should look into that.
• Less than four minutes remain in the season.
• They've been showing players' pre-recorded "thank you fans" videos on the videoboard all game. Kris Letang's just got a big ovation.
• GOAL: And another one, 15 seconds later. Phil Tomasino with a wrister from the slot. Penguins 5, Capitals 2
• GOAL: Danton Heinen gets a breakaway while shorthanded, puts the puck in literally just as the Capitals' power play expires. Penguins 4, Capitals 2
• Penguins to the PK with 13:14 left. Rickard Rakell to the box for interference.
• No goal. They say Ville Koivunen put it in with his hand. Really tough call.
• GOAL: Ville Koivunen gets his first. Scramble in the crease, he was laying down and it went in off of his leg. But they're reviewing it.
• Final frame is underway.
• End of the second and the Penguins lead, 3-2. Goals from Bryan Rust (2) and Sidney Crosby. Shots are 24-19 Penguins.
• DK: I had no idea he could score from there.
• GOAL: You're not going to believe this, but Alex Ovechkin just scored from the left circle on the power play. Career goal No. 897. Penguins 3, Capitals 2
• Penguins to the PK with 4:09 left. Sidney Crosby for a hook. Weak call.
• Bryan Rust just nearly got his third of the night, blew threw the crease and tried tucking one around Clay Stevenson's pad as he was falling.
• A "CROS-BY'S BET-TER" chant breaks out in the upper deck.
• DK: Looks like a simple pass from Tomasino. It wasn't. He made a lot happen there. Good side to be showing in a finale, and I mean that.
• GOAL: Sidney Crosby drops to one knee at the bottom of the right circle and fires in a feed from Phil Tomasino. Penguins 3, Capitals 1
• Santa is here in the crowd. Or at least a guy who looks like him. Nice applause for him.
• The videoboard recognizes Sidney Crosby for clinching a 90-point season. He seemed confused on the bench about why he was being applauded, lol.
• Yeah, Alex Ovechkin was offside. No goal. Penguins still lead 2-1.
• DK: Man ... I get that Strome shot through Timmins' legs, but it's just upstairs again and again and again. Wasn't always the case with him, but it has been for about 2-3 months now.
• Penguins are challenging for offside. Meaningless game for both teams. Love it.
• GOAL: Dylan Strome ties it, a shot off a rush that beat Alex Nedeljkovic's glove. Penguins 2, Capitals 2.
• Nothing on that power play.
• Penguins are going back on the power play with 12:04 left in the period. Dylan McIlrath for cross-checking Phil Tomasino.
• DK: Exempting Sid, who can do anything, it's been a long time since we've seen anyone (else) operate so comfortably out of the right circle on the power play as Koivunen. Like he was born there.
• GOAL: Bryan Rust is a 31-goal scorer. Yet another assist for Ville Koivunen, a secondary one. Absurd spinning backhand pass by Sidney Crosby for the primary one. Penguins 2, Capitals 1
• Same top power play: Matt Grzelcyk, Sidney Crosby, Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, Ville Koivunen.
• Penguins getting a power play with 13:41 left in the second. Andrew Mangiapane sits for two for holding the stick.
• DK: A few Pirates are in the house, too: Paul Skenes, Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Tommy Pham
• Fastest skater so far: Valtteri Puustinen, 21.59 miles per hour.
• Second period is underway.
• The same little boy who has been on the videoboard for the "Dance for a Dilly Bar" promo a handful of times this season is here again and the crowd erupted. He got a better ovation than the Steelers players did. Just a kid who likes to dance.
• End of the first, and it's 1-1. Bryan Rust has the Penguins' goal. Shots are 13-5 Penguins.
• Penguins are outshooting the Capitals 12-4. Wild.
• DK: Four Steelers on hand here, all just shown on the big board from a suite: Mason Rudolph, Pat Freiermuth, Connor Heyward and Zach Frazier.
• Ville Koivunen just hit the post. Man. Sidney Crosby set him up, too.
• Really cool: First TV timeout and the Penguins are showing a tribute video for Alex Ovechkin becoming the all-time leading goal-scorer. Montage of highlights from Penguins-Capitals mashups during this era, with a lot of Ovechkin goals mixed in. Ovechkin skates to center ice and salutes the crowd, which gives him a standing ovation and chants of "OVI!"
• Bryan Rust, Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell all have at least 30 goals. The last time the Penguins had three 30-goal scorers was 2000-01. Alex Nedeljkovic can join them if he manages to score 29 goals tonight.
• Yet another assist for Ville Koivunen. He needs that goal today.
• GOAL: Bryan Rust is a 30-goal scorer. Huge celebration from him, that was a massive milestone for him. Another rebound goal. Penguins 1, Capitals 1
• GOAL: Connor McMichael scores off a rebound. Alex Nedeljkovic made the pad save on Tom Wilson and kicked it right to McMichael. Capitals 1, Penguins 0
• There won't be one final first shot, first goal. Alex Nedeljkovic makes the save.
• For the final time this season, we are underway.
• Capitals are running 13 forwards/five defensemen:
Alex Ovechkin - Dylan Strome - Anthony Beauvillier
Connor McMichael - Pierre-Luc Dubois - Tom Wilson
Andrew Mangiapane - Lars Eller - Ryan Leonard
Brandon Duhaime - Nic Dowd - Taylor Raddysh/Ethen Frank
Rasmus Sandin - Trevor van Riemsdyk
Jakob Chychrun - Dylan McIlrath
Alex Alexeyev
• Tanner Howe, who was injured last week in the WHL playoffs, is still here, presumably for rehab. His Calgary Hitmen have advanced to the second round in his absence.
• Lines and pairings, for the final time this season. Sam Poulin slots in on the fourth line. Vladislav Kolyachonok is back in. No Filip Kral:
Ville Koivunen - Sidney Crosby - Bryan Rust
Danton Heinen - Evgeni Malkin - Rickard Rakell
Connor Dewar - Joona Koppanen - Phil Tomasino
Sam Poulin - Vasily Ponomarev - Valtteri Puustinen
Matt Grzelcyk - Erik Karlsson
Ryan Shea - Conor Timmins
Ryan Graves - Vladislav Kolyachonok
• Unsurprisingly, no Kevin Hayes on the ice for warmups. Sam Poulin is out there after being emergency recalled today. Both Filip Kral and Vladislav Kolyachonok are warming up.
• Talked with Valtteri Puustinen's dad at the skate, he had a 30-hour travel ordeal to get here for this. Puustinen's got to get a goal tonight now.
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