Washington Capitals News & Notes: Pittsburgh Sweep, Ovechkin Denies Handshake & Small Playoff Chances – Hockey Writers – Washington Capitals

The Washington Capitals have seen their playoff chances rise slightly thanks to a three-game winning streak, while the Detroit Red Wings and New York Islanders have suffered heavy losses in recent days. Washington took care of business with a home-and-home sweep against the Pittsburgh Penguins, who loaded up on power-packed lineups, over the weekend to stay in the playoff hunt. Alex Ovechkin has made it clear he hasn’t decided on a potential retirement, with his team one win (and some help) away from next weekend’s party.

Capitals Sweep Penguins To Keep Playoff Hopes Alive

Washington faced two must-win games against Pittsburgh this weekend, but the Capitals got lucky after the Penguins clinched their playoff spot on April 9 following a 5-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils. This allowed Pittsburgh coach Dan Muse to rest key players like Sidney Crosby and Kris Letang in the first of two meetings against Washington.

The Capitals and Penguins traded seven goals in a wild second period Saturday afternoon, including several key Washington markers: Aliaksei Protas scored his 25th goal of the season to open the scoring, Tom Wilson scored his 30th of the season, and Ryan Leonard scored twice to reach the 20-goal plateau. Ilya Protas jumped on the historic train by scoring his first NHL goal in the third period to give the Capitals a 5-3 lead, while Ovechkin scored his 32nd empty-net goal of the campaign to complete a 6-3 win over Washington.

Related: Capitals’ Ilya Protas on NHL Debut, Playing with His Brother, and Ovi & Plans for the Future

On Sunday, Washington beat Pittsburgh 3-0 in the 100th all-time meeting between Ovechkin and Crosby. Connor McMichael hit two 3-pointers, and Logan Thompson made 24 saves for his fourth shutout of the season. Still, the topic of conversation was obviously whether this was Ovechkin’s last home game at Capital One Arena.

Ovechkin Shakes Handshake With Penguins

Capitals fans gave their captain a minute-long standing ovation before the game, followed by “one year” chants directed at the 40-year-old star to return to the Beltway for the 2026-27 season. After Sunday’s 3-0 win, the Penguins lingered on the ice to offer one last sign of respect to the game’s rising star: a respectful postgame handshake.

Ovechkin did not accept the move and explained that he has not made a decision about his future in Washington. “I haven’t made a decision yet,” Ovechkin said of his NHL retirement game. “I don’t know. I’m thankful they’re waiting over there, but I’m going to see Sid (Crosby) right now, and Gino (Evgeni Malkin), after the interview, and we’ll talk.”

Ovechkin’s mind was on the playoff battle for the Capitals with one crucial game left on the slate. Washington will play a road game against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena tomorrow night. If the Philadelphia Flyers lose to the Carolina Hurricanes in any fashion on Monday evening, the Capitals could be playing for a chance to steal a playoff spot on Tuesday night.

Capitals’ Two Slim Playoff Scenarios

Washington does not control its own destiny as it heads into the final game of the season. Philadelphia owns that honor with 94 points and a 41-27-2 record. The Flyers host the Hurricanes on Monday night at Xfinity Mobile Arena. A Philadelphia win of any variety would give them 96 points, putting them out of reach for the Capitals (42-30-9 record and 93 points with one game left).

Related: Flyers Can’t Wait to Make Their Playoff Push

Washington can still make the playoffs in two ways: If the Capitals beat the Blue Jackets and the Flyers hold one point in their last two games, Washington will play Pittsburgh in the first round. If the Capitals get the game against Columbus in overtime and the Flyers lose both games in regulation, Washington will enter the postseason by virtue of holding a regulation win over both Philadelphia and Columbus.

It was always going to be a long shot for the Capitals to climb back into the playoff race this season. However, a 7-3-0 record in the last 10 games has kept things interesting for Washington. Now, all Capitals fans can do is watch the action unfold over the next 48 hours to see if their team can somehow extend this magical run for a few more weeks.