A pair of rivals going in opposite directions meet when Washington Capital ends its regular weather with a trip to Pittsburg Penguin.
The capitals (51-21-9, 111 points) will be the top seeds at the Eastern Conference entering the Stanley Cup playoffs, while the penguin (33-36–12, 78 points) will recall Postsen for the third straight year and end with his first losing season under coach Mike Sulivan.
The game has a 73rd regular-season matchup between forward Alex Ovechin, new NHL all-time goal leader and three-time Stanley Cup Champion Sydney Crossbie. Crossbee has recorded 93 points (32 goals, 61 aids) in those matchups, while Ovechin has 67 points (37 goals, 30 supports).
Washington is trying to build a speed in Postsen after a late scuffle. Capital is 4-6–1 in its last 11 matches, but his latest attempt was a 3–1 victory at New York Islanders on Tuesday.
Dialon Strome created his third NHL hat trick and Charlie Lindgren made 32 saves for Washington, which lost two directly while exiting 11–1.
“I felt that this is one of the cleaner game we played in a while,” Lindgren said. “I thought it was just a consistent effort from beginning to end. I felt that we had done a lot of good things aggressively. I thought that we were stable and wide tonight.”
Strome, often playing on a line with ovchen, has determined the height of the new career in round (29), aid (52) and points (81).
“I have a lot of great players with whom I want to play,” Strome said. “I was playing with most of the season, and obviously the season that was, and like and then to play again and again … we are clinging to our entire team. I think we have done it throughout the year.”
Capital announced that they had re -signed the center Nick Dowd for a two -year contract expansion. The 34-year-old Dowd has recorded a career-high 27 points (14 goals, 13 aids) this season and is a major member of the Washington Penalty Kill.
Penguin had won two straight and three out of three before losing Boston Breens 4–1, unhappy with most of his team’s team.
“Slow start? It was a slow game, period,” Sulivan said. “We had a man. I felt our goalkeeper was very good. In the rest of it, it is difficult to find a positive.”
Triston Zari saved 28 against Boston and has 4–1-1 in his last six beginnings. Record Raikel scored for Penguin.
Raikel scored his 35th goal of the season, a career high. He had 15 goals in 70 matches last season. His 69 points have raised his career.
“I mean, of course, it seems to be a better way than last year,” Raikel said. “It doesn’t feel good that when you are not in the situation we want we feel like this right now.”
Crossbee had his home point Streak and on 14 Games (nine goals, 11 aids).
The 37 -year -old defenseman Chris Latang will recall the conclusion of the penguin season and will recover for several weeks after surgery this week to close a small hole in his heart.
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