We don’t know for sure this is Alexander Ovechkin’s final season in the NHL, but some people are definitely proceeding as if it is.
The longtime Washington Capitals star, who has said he will make a decision about retirement during the summer, made what could very well be his final road game against his team’s biggest rival, the Pittsburgh Penguins, on Saturday.
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During the second period, the Penguins used a break in play to wish Ovechkin well, prompting a standing ovation from a Pittsburgh crowd that has been rooting against him for more than two decades.
“Ovi, thank you for 21 years of the greatest rivalry in hockey. It has been a pleasure,” the Penguins announced said. “And if you want, we’re ready to go for 22.”
The full crowd reaction:
No active player has more goals scored against the Penguins than the NHL’s all-time goals leader, with 44 in 82 games played. The only players with more goals: Mike Garnter (56 goals in 94 games), Bryan Trottier (47 in 82) and Guy Lafleur (46 in 70).
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Ovechkin scored one of those goals on Saturday as part of a 6-3 win over the Penguins, improving the Capitals’ record to 41-30-9. Washington is currently five points out of the playoffs with two games to play, so Ovechkin could have only two games left in his NHL career.
One of those games is against the Penguins, in Washington, D.C. this time. The Capitals will play their final home game of the regular season — and Ovechkin’s potential final game at Capital One Arena — against Pittsburgh on Sunday, then face the Columbus Blue Jackets on the road for their last game on Tuesday.
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