Alex Ovechkin ends his season in historic fashion.
The Washington Capitals closed out their 2024-25 regular season with a 5-2 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday night at PPG Paints Arena. While the Penguins had no postseason implications riding on the game, the long-standing rivalry still delivered, especially with Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby sharing the ice. Ovechkin matched Gordie Howe’s mark of 44 goals in a season by a player aged 39 or older, set back in 1968-69, adding another milestone to his legendary career.
The loss brought Ovechkin and the Capitals’ regular-season record to 51-22-9, finishing with 111 points. Despite the setback, Washington secured first place in the Metropolitan Division and locked up the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
The Ovechkin-Crosby rivalry
Ovechkin capped off his historic season by scoring his 897th career goal in the second period. On the other side, Crosby wrapped up his 20th NHL campaign with a goal and an assist, surpassing the 90-point mark for the ninth time in his career.
The Capitals will kick off their pursuit of a second Stanley Cup on Monday when they face the Montreal Canadiens. Friday’s clash between two of hockey’s biggest icons marked the 73rd regular-season meeting between Ovechkin and Crosby—one of the few without playoff implications. Washington had locked up the Eastern Conference’s top seed weeks earlier, while Pittsburgh was already out of postseason contention.
The last time the Capitals met the Canadiens in the postseason, eighth-seeded Montreal stunned the Presidents' Trophy-winning Capitals with a first-round upset back in 2010.
Bryan Rust capped his season with a career-best 31 goals, striking twice in the finale. His second goal came off a dazzling whip-around backhand assist from Sidney Crosby, stretching Pittsburgh’s lead to 3-1. Alex Nedeljkovic turned away 18 shots for the Penguins.
End of the road for Ovechkin?
Alex Ovechkin’s 44th goal of the season pushed him three ahead of Wayne Gretzky, whose career mark he shattered earlier this month. Clay Stevenson impressed in his NHL debut, stopping 33 shots for the Capitals.
Pittsburgh also honored the visiting Ovechkin with a tribute video celebrating his milestone as the NHL's all-time leading goal scorer. He skated to center ice to acknowledge the crowd, which erupted into a brief but respectful “Ovi” chant—an unexpected gesture toward one of their fiercest rivals.
Now that Ovechkin has cemented his place atop the NHL’s goal-scoring list, the spotlight shifts to what comes next. With his 40th birthday approaching in September and two years remaining on his current deal, speculation will only grow. Ovechkin has openly expressed interest in closing out his career with Dynamo Moscow, the club where it all began for him in the KHL — raising the possibility that his legendary NHL run could be nearing its final chapters.
Ovechkin has also hinted that he might retire when his contract ends after next season. Despite his age, the goal-scoring magic remains as strong as ever. This season marks the 14th time in his 20-year career that he’s hit the 40-goal milestone, proving that his scoring touch is far from fading.
