Crosby and Malkin Sitting Out the Showdown: Penguins vs. Capitals Gets a Major Makeover
The 100th meeting between Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin is going to have to wait, and honestly, it might not even happen at all. The Pittsburgh Penguins just scratched both Crosby and Evgeni Malkin hours before puck drop against the Washington Capitals, and the lineup got absolutely gutted beyond those two superstars.
The Injury Pile Gets Real
Crosby is day to day with a lower-body injury after missing about a month following a knee injury he suffered playing for Team Canada at the Milan Cortina Olympics. Malkin is day to day with an upper-body injury and has already missed nearly 20 games this season dealing with various health issues. On top of those two, Pittsburgh also scratched forwards Ben Kindel and Bryan Rust, plus defensemen Kris Letang, Erik Karlsson, and Parker Wotherspoon. This isn't just missing a couple guys. This is a full defensive meltdown heading into a matchup against one of the league's most dangerous offenses.
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The Penguins can afford to rest bodies because they just clinched a playoff spot two days ago with a win over New Jersey for the first time since 2022. Pittsburgh has basically locked up second place in the Metropolitan Division with three games left to play, so there's clearly a "we can take it easy" mentality kicking in.
Ovechkin and the Capitals? They're still mathematically alive but it's grim. Washington is still holding out faint hope of making the postseason, but they're likely going to need to win each of their final three games and get some serious help from around the league. With Crosby and Malkin out, the Caps probably feel like they got a gift. Whether that's enough to keep their season alive is another story entirely.
This one tips off in Pittsburgh, and it's nowhere near the matchup anyone expected when the schedule came out.
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