HIGHLIGHTS
- Pittsburgh scratched seven players, including Crosby, Malkin, and Letang, for Saturday’s game vs. Washington
- The Penguins clinched a playoff spot Thursday and have their Metro seed locked up
- Keep reading for the full list of scratches, the Crosby-Ovechkin angle, and what it means for Washington’s playoff push
The Pittsburgh Penguins gutted their lineup for Saturday’s game against the Washington Capitals.
Seven players are out. Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, Ben Kindel, and Parker Wotherspoon are all listed as day to day with various injuries. Every single one of them played Thursday night when Pittsburgh clinched its first playoff berth since 2022.
Head coach Dan Muse didn’t call them rest days.
“Guys have been playing through a lot,” Muse said. “They’re banged up. Right now, they’re day to day.”
Crosby is dealing with a lower-body issue. He already missed an extended stretch earlier this season after hurting his knee at the Milan Cortina Olympics. Malkin has an upper-body injury and has sat out close to 20 games this year. Letang and Karlsson are both nursing their own ailments.
The Penguins have their second seed in the Metropolitan Division locked up. These last three games don’t change anything for them.
To fill the roster, Pittsburgh recalled forwards Joona Koppanen, Rutger McGroarty, and Ville Koivunen from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. Goalie Arturs Silovs gets the start.
The timing stings for anyone who tuned into ABC hoping to see Crosby and Alex Ovechkin go head to head. This was supposed to be the 100th meeting between the two. That milestone will have to wait.
It might not happen at all in Pittsburgh. The two teams play again Sunday in Washington, and Muse said he’d check with medical staff before deciding who’s available. If Crosby sits again, the only shot at 100 would be if both teams meet in the playoffs.
For Washington, it’s a different story entirely. The Capitals are three points back of the Flyers for the final Metropolitan Division playoff spot with three games left. They need to win out and get help. Playing a skeleton Penguins crew is about as favorable a draw as they could ask for down the stretch.
Ovechkin is suiting up. The 40-year-old has 30-plus goals in his 20th season and still hasn’t decided if he’s coming back next year. Every game could be one of his last.
Connor Dewar is also out for Pittsburgh, listed week to week with a lower-body injury. His availability for the first round is up in the air.
Puck drop is at 3 p.m. ET on ABC.
