Washington beats Pittsburgh twice
Social summaries noted Washington beat Pittsburgh in two matchups across the weekend slate, marking a clean sweep in those showings. (x.com) Those back‑to‑back wins were listed among the weekend’s notable NHL outcomes. (x.com)
Washington swept Pittsburgh in a weekend home-and-home, winning 6-3 on Saturday, April 11, and 3-0 on Sunday, April 12. (nhl.com) (espn.com) The first game was the louder one: rookie Ilya Protas scored his first National Hockey League goal and added two assists, Ryan Leonard scored twice, and Alex Ovechkin added an empty-netter in Pittsburgh. (nhl.com) (espn.com) The second game was tighter and more consequential for Washington’s season. Logan Thompson made 24 saves for his fourth shutout of the season, Trevor van Riemsdyk broke the scoreless tie in the second period, and Connor McMichael scored twice in the third. (espn.com) (statmuse.com) Those two wins came at the end of the regular season, when every point mattered more for Washington than for Pittsburgh. The Capitals entered Sunday still chasing a playoff spot, while the Penguins had already clinched a berth and home-ice advantage in the first round. (nhl.com) (espn.com) Saturday’s lineup context mattered, too. Pittsburgh rested Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust and several other regulars after clinching, then brought Crosby back Sunday for what ESPN described as the 100th — and possibly final — Crosby-Ovechkin matchup. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) The rivalry still framed the weekend even with the standings pulling the teams in different directions. Pittsburgh honored Ovechkin with a video tribute on Saturday, and Washington fans chanted “One more year!” on Sunday as Ovechkin, 40, weighed whether to return for a 22nd season. (espn.com 1) (espn.com 2) For Washington, the sweep showed two ways to win in 24 hours: a six-goal rush driven by rookies and depth scoring, then a shutout built on goaltending and a low-event defensive game. (nhl.com) (espn.com) For Pittsburgh, the losses did little to change the bigger picture. The Penguins had already secured second place in the Metropolitan Division before the back-to-back and were set to close the regular season on Tuesday, April 14, at St. Louis. (hockey-reference.com) (espn.com) The weekend ended with Washington taking all four available points from its oldest rival, keeping its postseason hopes alive and sending the Crosby-Ovechkin era into one more uncertain spring. (espn.com) (nhl.com)
