April 12 vs. Pittsburgh Penguins at Capital One Arena
Time: 3:00 p.m.
TV: MNMT, TNT, TruTV, HBO MAX
Radio: Team 980/Caps Radio Network
Washington Capitals (41-30-9)
Pittsburgh Penguins (41-23-16)
Some 24 hours after they met in Pittsburgh for the first time in more than five months on Saturday afternoon, the Caps and Penguins head back to Washington to conclude their weekend set of home-and-home back-to-backs and their season series on Sunday at Capital One Arena. In the Capitals’ final home game of the 2025-26 regular season, they’ll host the Penguins in another must-win game as they seek a third straight victory.
With their quartet of rookies chipping in with three goals and eight points, the Caps cruised to a 6-3 victory over the Penguins on Saturday.
Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby didn’t suit up for Saturday’s game; he was one of several regulars to sit out the game, as Pittsburgh is locked into second place in the Metropolitan Division, and it has secured home ice advantage for the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs when they get underway next weekend.
Crosby is expected to dress for Sunday’s rematch, which will mark the 100th time he and Caps captain Alex Ovechkin have gone head-to-head across their respective 21-season careers in the NHL. The Penguins played a video tribute to Ovechkin and his rivalry with Crosby during a television timeout in the second period of Saturday’s game, and the Pittsburgh fans responded with a heartfelt ovation.
“That was cool,” says Caps coach Spencer Carbery. “And sometimes they do those [videos] now when guys come back to places [where they once played]. That was an ovation that you could tell the respect, and it went on for a bit and you’re sitting and you’re clapping, and you’re like, ‘Yes!’
“You could feel in that moment what Ovi has meant to the Pittsburgh Penguins fans and this city as well, and the appreciation for the rivalry. Even though they hate the Washington Capitals, they appreciate what’s gone on over the last 21 seasons of going back and forth and being able to watch this live, and to tell your kids about it and to grow up in this era where it’s Ovi vs. Crosby, Penguins vs. Capitals. You can tell there is a general appreciation from the city.”
Along with Saturday’s victory came a raft of individual milestones for the Capitals. Logan Thompson needed to make only nine saves to record his 30th victory of the season, reaching that plateau for the second time in as many seasons since joining the team.
Tom Wilson racked up his second straight 30-goal season, Aliaksei Protas reached 25 goals for the second straight season and Ryan Leonard became the eighth Washington rookie – and the first since Ovechkin in 2005-06 – to hit the 20-goal target. And finally, 19-year-old rookie Ilya Protas – playing in his second NHL game – scored his first NHL goal on the power play in the third period and added a pair of assists for a three-point game.
Protas is one of 76 players in NHL history to rack up four points in his first two NHL games, and the second Capital to do so. In 1982-83, 31-year-old Milan Novy – in his lone season in the NHL and with the Capitals – scored a goal and had three assists in his own first NHL game.
Ilya Protas helped hook up his brother’s 25th goal of the season – the first goal of the game – in the second period. Minutes later, the Protas brothers combined to set up Wilson’s 30th goal.
“I thought he looked pretty good in this first game,” says Wilson of the younger Protas. “Obviously, there's going to be some nerves. I think he's just going to get better and better. And it's fun playing with those guys. They can be good on the forecheck, they can make plays. I feel like whichever way the game goes, we can adapt to it. And it's fun to play with those two guys.”
Leonard scored twice in the second period to reach the 20-goal level in his first full NHL season.
“It’s exciting,” says Leonard. “Obviously, credit to the whole staff, all my teammates and linemates. It’s not a solo mission and they helped me out.”
Defenseman Cole Hutson chipped in with a pair of helpers to give the Caps two teenagers with multi-point games, and the two teens totaled five points together. It’s just the second time in franchise history – and the first time in more than 43 years – that Washington has had a pair of teenagers combine for five points in a game. The first occurrence was on Nov. 7, 1982 when Bobby Carpenter (one goal, two assists) and Scott Stevens (two assists) combined for five points in a 6-2 win over the Hartford Whalers at Capital Centre.
Justin Sourdif picked up an assist on Leonard’s second goal; Sourdif reached 20 assists in this, his first full season in the NHL. Sourdif and Leonard (24 assists) are the first Washington rookies to amass 20 or more assists in a season since Evgeny Kuznetsov notched 37 helpers in 2014-15.
Although the Caps got some help on the out-of-town scoreboard early on Saturday with Ottawa’s whitewash 3-0 win over the New York Islanders, both Columbus and Philadelphia won their Saturday night contests. If the Flyers earn more than one point in total from their remaining two games – they host Carolina on Monday and Montreal on Tuesday – Washington will be eliminated from playoff contention, even if the Caps win each of their two remaining contests.
