That’s a wrap for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals 2024-25 NHL regular season, and it was a tale of two teams headed in opposite directions.
Despite grabbing the final Wild Card playoff berth last season on the last day of the regular season, several offseason retooling moves helped the Capitals clinch the top spot in the Eastern Conference this season.
Meanwhile, the Penguins have now missed the playoffs for a third straight year, and there’s little reason to believe that’s changing anytime soon.
Penguins End Season on High Note Against Capitals
There was still one final regular-season game to play before the Capitals begin their playoff run against the Montreal Canadiens, and the Penguins gave their fans one last reason to cheer with a 5-2 win over Washington in Pittsburgh.
Bryan Rust and Connor McMichael traded goals in the first period, before the Penguins added two in the second — one from Sidney Crosby and another from Rust. Alex Ovechkin also scored, marking the 897th goal of his career.
Danton Heinen and Phil Tomasino added third-period goals for the Penguins, who ended the season with a 34-36-12 record.
The Capitals, meanwhile, finished at an impressive 51-22-9, the second-best mark in the NHL behind the Winnipeg Jets
So who disappointed the most in this finale?
Washington Capitals Goalie Clay Stevenson
Making his NHL debut after being recalled from AHL affiliate Hershey Bears, Clay Stevenson was thrown into the fire and allowed five goals in the loss.
While the game won’t impact the long-term outlook, it certainly wasn’t the debut Stevenson had imagined. Still, it’s one he won’t forget. He finished with 33 saves on 38 attempts.
“Honestly, you don’t even know,” Stevenson said in the dressing room after the game. “I’m just looking at the stick blades. I don’t even really know who’s out there backdoor. But it’s something special to make saves on players like that. It’s incredible.”
Washington Capitals Defenseman Rasmus Sandin
Rasmus Sandin was caught out of position multiple times and finished the game with a -2 rating in 23:46 of ice time, without registering a point. He was also responsible for a giveaway.
The 24-year-old from Uppsala, Sweden had an otherwise solid season for Washington. He finished with 30 points on the season, averaging 19:11 of ice time.
Washington Capitals Defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk
Trevor Van Riemsdyk didn’t fare much better, also posting a -2 rating with no points. He logged 24:22 of ice time and committed a giveaway as well.
The 33-year old veteran played all 82 games for the Capitals in 2024-2025, but hasn’t had much impact outside of his own end. He finished the season with just one goal and 20 assists.