Penguins give ground to Capitals with shootout loss

With more than three decades of history as heated combatants dating to their days as members of the Patrick Division, the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals are firmly established as rivals.

Both squads have ended the other’s season in the playoffs going back to the early 1990s.

So something like the measly wild-card spots each is competing for in the Eastern Conference aren’t required to validate the bellicose relationship between the franchises.

But it certainly doesn’t dilute the venom between them.

“You always understand there’s going to be more intensity, more emotion in those games,” Penguins forward Sidney Crosby said at the team’s facility in Cranberry on Wednesday. “With the standings the way they are and how close it is, I think it just adds to it.”

On Thursday, the Capitals added to their wins and points totals by earning a 3-2 shootout victory against the Penguins at Capital One Arena in Washington.

The result gave the Capitals (26-19-6, 58 points) a one-point edge over the Penguins (24-15-9, 57 points) for the top wild-card position in the Eastern Conference standings.

Shootout goals by forwards Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom were the difference.

A power-play goal supplied the Capitals with the first lead of the contest exactly six minutes into regulation. Taking a pass near the right half wall of the offensive zone, Kuznetsov glided into the right circle then snapped a seam pass to the left circle for Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin. From his customary spot stationed over the left dot, Ovechkin fired a half-speed one-timer that beat goaltender Casey DeSmith’s blocker on the near side for his 32nd goal of the season. Kuznetsov and defenseman Dmitry Orlov had assists.

The Penguins’ fourth line generated offense for the second consecutive game and tied things up, 1-1, 2:37 into the second period. Penguins forward Danton Heinen gained the offensive zone on the right wing and offloaded the puck to linemate Drew O’Connor at the right point. Advancing to the right half wall, O’Connor lobbed a wrister that goaltender Darcy Kuemper failed to capture with his glove and allowed to clunk off the near post. Heinen followed up on the sequence and jabbed in the rebound with a forehand shot for his fifth goal. O’Connor and defenseman Brian Dumoulin netted assists.

Heinen, O’Connor and linemate Ryan Poehling figured in on two goals for the Penguins during a 7-6 overtime home win against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.

The hosts regained a lead, 2-1, at 5:17 of the third period via forward Marcus Johansson’s 13th goal. Gaining the offensive zone on the left wing, Backstrom left a drop pass at the point for Johansson. Moving towards the left circle with little resistance, Johansson lasered a far-side wrister that glanced off the stick of Penguins forward Brock McGinn and toasted DeSmith’s glove before hitting twine. Assists went to Backstrom and forward Sonny Milano.

Penguins forward Bryan Rust’s 11th goal — and 300th career point — tied the contest again, 2-2, with 7:08 left in the third period. Moving into the offensive zone on the right wing, Rust maneuvered into the right circle and lifted a pedestrian wrister that beat Kuemper’s glove on the near side. Linemates Jake Guentzel and Crosby claimed assists.

DeSmith’s record slipped to 7-9-4 after he made 43 saves on 45 shots in regulation and overtime then stopped one of three shots in the shootout.

Forward Rickard Rakell scored the Penguins’ lone shootout goal. Crosby and forward Evgeni Malkin were denied by Kuemper.

Notes:

• During warmups, Ovechkin offered regards to Penguins defenseman Kris Letang, who has gone through quite a bit of personal strife over the past two months between suffering a stroke in late November and the death of his father, Claude Fouquet, in late December.

• Ovechkin’s goal was his 18th career power-play score against the Penguins in 71 games.

Only forward Mike Gartner, a member of the Hockey Hall of Fame who played for the Capitals, Minnesota North Stars, New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Phoenix Coyotes, has scored more power-play goals against the Penguins.

In 90 games versus the Penguins, Gartner scored 20 power-play goals.

• The Penguins went beyond the bounds of regulation for the fifth time in their past six games, having lost three of those contests. This season, the Penguins are 4-9 in games that go to overtime or a shootout.

• Forward Danton Heinen opened the scoring for the Penguins at 2:37 of the second period. It marked his second consecutive game with a goal.

During Tuesday’s 7-6 overtime home win against the Florida Panthers, Heinen had a goal and two assists.

Before Tuesday, Heinen had gone 34 consecutive games – not including the seven games in which he was a healthy scratch – between goals.

• The Penguins’ scratches were defenseman Mark Friedman (healthy), rookie forward Jonathan Gruden (healthy) and goaltender Tristan Jarry (undisclosed injury).

• Capitals forward Conor Sheary, a member of the Penguins’ Stanley Cup championship squads in 2016 and 2017, appeared in his 500th career game. The bulk of those games (192) were with the Penguins.

• Capitals forward Anthony Mantha appeared in his 400th career game.

• Former Penguins forward Carl Hagelin is designated to long-term injured reserve due to a left hip injury and has yet to play for the Capitals this season.