Penguins Conclude 2024.25 Season with Win Over Washington

The Penguins wrapped up the 2024-25 season with a 5-2 win over the Capitals on Thursday (April 17).

Games against Pittsburgh and Washington tend to be eventful, and tonight was no different. Here are some of the highlights.

WITNESSING GREATNESS

There’s been a lot of talk about Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin in recent weeks, and rightfully so. Crosby surpassed Wayne Gretzky for the most point-per-game seasons in NHL history (20), before Ovechkin completed the Gr8 Chase and overtook the Great One to set the all-time goals record.

It’s been amazing to see the mutual admiration between the two legends, who entered the league together in 2005. Crosby appreciates hockey history, and has such reverence for the milestone that Ovechkin hit. Meanwhile, Ovechkin spoke this morning about how their relationship has grown over the years.

As Crosby said, “It's pretty rare that you go head-to-head like that. End up being in the same division, coming in with those kind of expectations and the playoff series and everything that goes along with it... it's unique, and I definitely appreciate it, and that's something that is great for the game of hockey – but it's something that I think there's mutual respect there as well.”

That goes for both organizations, with the Penguins playing a tribute video to congratulate Ovechkin during the first TV timeout of the first period. The fans at PPG Paints Arena gave him a standing ovation before chanting his name. It was such an incredible moment. It showcased just how wonderful the sport is, and transcended it, really. After the game, Crosby and Evgeni Malkin gifted Ovechkin with a watch.

Both players went on to shine in the game, as they continue to dominate two decades in. Ovechkin scored a power-play goal to reach 897. Crosby got his 33^rd of the season, and added an assist with a magnificent no-look pass on Bryan Rust’s first goal. He also got an assist to give him 91 points, making him the sixth player in NHL history and first in nearly 20 years to reach that number in their age 37 season or older.

Rust did a fantastic job of encapsulating what it was like watching them tonight:

“Two guys who, from my point of view, almost saved the league. It was in not the greatest spot 20 years ago. And these two guys, two young bucks, came into the league and took it by storm. Two high-character guys who've only gotten better and showed they're the best of their generation, if not two of the best players of all time. Seeing them both on the ice tonight after two huge milestones for each of them this year, I think it's a really cool, and the hockey geek in me was really excited to be a part of that.”

RUST HITS NEW CAREER HIGH IN GOALS

After Rust tied his career high of 29 goals last week in New Jersey, he said obviously, team success is first. You want to win games, win championships. But a second to that is personal success. So, any time you can hit new milestones and get career highs, especially after 10 years, that means you’re probably doing something right.

“But,” as Rust said, “It’s only 29, and there’s a lot more.”

Rust added two to his total tonight, giving him 31 – passing that mark for the first time as an NHLer.

“I can’t tell you I thought I’d ever score 30 goals. I thought maybe 30 over my career when I first got into the league!” Rust said with a laugh. “But it’s cool. It’s proof that I’ve been working hard, and hopefully, I can keep doing it and get to the next milestone.”

Mike Sullivan, who coached Rust in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton before getting named head coach of Pittsburgh in December 2015, also didn’t expect him to evolve into the type of player he is. As Sullivan pointed out, in the American Hockey League, Rust was on their second line and didn’t slot in on the power play.

“I don't know that I've been around a player or coached a player whose offensive game has evolved and developed like his,” Sullivan said. “He deserves so much credit for his passion for the game, his work ethic, to put the time in every day to develop his overall game. It's remarkable what he's done with his career.

“You look at his game right now, the last handful of years he's on a 30-plus pace. This year, he achieves it. He stayed healthy for us more so this year than he has in the past. He plays the game extremely hard, and that's one of the reasons why it's hard for him to play 80 games. Because he puts himself in harm's way a lot and that's what we admire about him, but he's just a terrific hockey player.”

KOIVUNEN KEEPS SHINING

Speaking of players coming up from the American Hockey League, Ville Koivunen has an incredibly bright future.

Tonight, the 21-year-old picked up two assists to give him seven in the last eight games, the most by a Penguin in his first eight games since Jake Guentzel's seven in 2016-17.

He extended his point streak to five games, the longest by a Pittsburgh rookie since John Marino had a six-game point streak in November 2019.

And Koivunen nearly got his first NHL goal (it was overturned since he used his glove to put it over the line) after scoring 21 in 55 games with WBS, which earned him a nod to the AHL All-Rookie Team.

Koivunen was in the top-six for the entirety of his time in Pittsburgh, skating alongside Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and showcasing his high hockey IQ and quiet confidence.

“That can be very intimidating for a young player. One of the things that we observed was that it didn't faze him,” Sullivan said. “There's been a few other guys that have come through here that were in similar circumstances, that excelled, so that's a great sign. He's a great kid. He loves hockey. He's got really good offensive instincts. He's got a real high hockey IQ, and he has some swagger to him. He plays with moxie and that's what you need to play in this league.”