Recreation Preview: 04.17.25 vs. Washington Capitals – NHL.com

The Pittsburgh Penguins shut out the 2024-25 season as they host the Washington Capitals at PPG Paints Area. Puck drop is ready for 7 PM. Doorways open at 5:30 PM.
This game will be available to watch on ESPN. Followers can take heed to the sport on 105.9 the X and on the Penguins app.
Crew Information: PIT (33-36-12), WSH (51-21-9)
Because the starting of the 2015-16 marketing campaign, no staff has defeated Washington greater than Pittsburgh (23 wins). The Penguins are 4-2-1 of their final seven video games and 9-5-2 of their final 16 video games general.
Tonight is Fan Appreciation Night time, offered by PPG
Take a look at tonight’s lineup of actions to have fun the very best followers in hockey!
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Recreation Notes
The 2024-25 season marks the twentieth season that generational skills Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin face off. The 2 have taken half in 72 head-to-head matchups, the place Crosby and the Penguins have gone 41-27-4 in opposition to Ovechkin and the Capitals.
Not solely is the Crosby/Ovechkin rivalry one of many NHL’s greatest, but it surely’s additionally the league’s longest-standing rivalry. Crosby and Ovechkin are the one two gamers within the NHL to play for a similar staff for the reason that starting of the 2005-06 season, and are two of simply 5 gamers which are nonetheless lively that additionally performed in 2005-06 (additionally Corey Perry, Brent Burns and Ryan Suter).
The 2024-25 season marks the twentieth consecutive season that Crosby and Ovechkin have performed each other. Solely 4 forward-duos have performed in opposition to one another in additional consecutive campaigns: Ron Francis and Mark Messier (23 seasons), Alex Delvecchio and Doug Mohns (21 seasons), Dean Prentice and Ron Stewart (21 seasons) and Delvecchio and Stewart (21 seasons).
The 2 have mixed to win 4 Stanley Cups, 5 Hart trophies (regular-season MVP) three Artwork Ross trophies (most factors), 11 Rocket Richard trophies (most targets), three Conn Smythe awards (playoff MVP) and 6 Ted Lindsay awards (most excellent participant) amongst different awards.
Defenseman Erik Karlsson has been productive all through his profession in opposition to the Capitals as he ranks second in factors (32) in opposition to Washington amongst lively defensemen.
Along with his two-point efficiency (1G-1A) on Friday evening in opposition to the Devils, Sidney Crosby is now one level away from recording the ninth 90-point season of his profession. If he reaches his mark, he’ll change into the tenth participant in NHL historical past with 9 or extra such seasons. Solely Mario Lemieux has extra 90-point seasons in Penguins historical past than Crosby.
Crosby is statistically having among the best seasons in NHL historical past by a participant of their age 37 season or older as his 89 factors are the sixth most in a single season in league historical past.
Rickard Rakell has been a objective scoring machine this 12 months as his 35 targets lead Pittsburgh. Along with his objective Sunday in opposition to the Bruins, he set a brand new career-high objective whole.
Rakell is having among the best seasons by a winger within the Sidney Crosby Period (2005-Current), as solely two gamers in that span not named Crosby or Evgeni Malkin have had extra targets in a single season.
Along with his objective on Sunday in opposition to Boston, Rakell is presently one level shy of surpassing his single-season career-high level whole of 69 set in 2017-18 with Anaheim. If he reaches the 70-point mark, he’ll change into simply the sixth Penguins participant, and fourth winger, through the Sidney Crosby Period (2005-Current) to perform this feat:
The Penguins energy play linked once more on Sunday in opposition to the Bruins as Rickard Rakell tallied his ninth power-play objective of the season. The ability-play unit has caught hearth over the past month and a half, and for the reason that starting of March, the staff ranks fourth in power-play share (30.0).
The Penguins now have power-play targets in seven-consecutive video games (8 PPG in 19 PPO), the longest streak since they went 10-straight video games with a power-play objective from Dec. 1-22, 2022.
Rakell’s power-play tally on Sunday was his ninth of the season, trailing solely Sidney Crosby for the staff lead.
Penguins rookie Ville Koivunen has excelled within the NHL since being recalled from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Since making his NHL debut on Mar. 30, the ahead has 5 assists in seven video games for the Penguins.
Koivunen recorded an help on the Penguins’ lone objective on Sunday in opposition to the Bruins, stretching his level streak to 4 video games. His lively four-game level streak is the twelfth longest by a rookie this season and is tied for the longest lively level streak amongst rookies.
Koivunen is searching for the primary level streak of 5 or extra video games by a Penguins rookie since John Marino achieved a six-game level streak from Nov. 16-27, 2019 (1G-6A).
Goaltender Tristan Jarry has factors in 5 of his final six begins (4-1-1) and has been distinctive in web over the past month, registering two shutouts in his final 5 begins. Since his return from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins on Mar. 9, he ranks sixth in wins (8) amongst goaltenders.
Defenseman Matt Grzelcyk loved a profitable first 12 months with the Penguins. The Charlestown, MA native is one among two Penguins (Erik Karlsson) to go well with up for each sport this season and has set profession highs in video games performed (81), assists (37), factors (38), power-play factors (15), blocked photographs (99) and time on ice per sport (20:35). Grzelcyk’s 38 factors this season are 12 greater than his earlier profession excessive with Boston in 2022-23.
Grzelcyk’s 37 assists and 99 blocked photographs each rank third on Pittsburgh this season.
Fast Hits
1) On Tuesday, the Penguins recalled defenseman Filip Kral from the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The blueliner has set profession highs in targets (7), assists (22) and factors (29) in his fourth AHL season and first with Wilkes-Barre. Kral is trying to make his Penguins debut tonight.
2) It was introduced at present that Penguins rookie Ville Koivunen has been named to the AHL All-Rookie Crew for the 2024-25 season. By simply 62 video games within the AHL, Koivunen ranks third amongst all rookies with 55 factors (21G-34A). His 55 factors within the common season are the fifth most by a rookie in WBS historical past.
3) Evgeni Malkin has 81 factors (27G-54A) in 65 profession video games in opposition to the Capitals. It’s the third-most factors he’s scored in opposition to anybody staff.
4) For the sixth-consecutive season, Sidney Crosby has been voted the “Most Full Participant,” incomes 33.81% of the 630 votes within the NHLPA Participant Ballot.
5) It was introduced yesterday by President of Hockey Operations and Normal Supervisor Kyle Dubas that Kris Letang underwent profitable surgical procedure: closure of a patent foramen ovale (PFO; small gap in coronary heart). The anticipated restoration time is 4 to 6 weeks.
Meet the Penguins!
As a part of the Penguins Pledge, and in partnership with the Nationwide Aviary, Aviary consultants and a few of their reside penguin ambassadors will go to PPG Paints Area for at present’s sport. A everlasting show on the FedEx Stage of PPG Paints Area might be dwelling to the visiting penguins and in addition characteristic footage of the Nationwide Aviary’s Penguin Level habitat for the video games when the birds aren’t on the enviornment. The Nationwide Aviary is a worldwide chief within the conservation efforts to save lots of endangered African Penguins from extinction. More info can be found here.
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