Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby returned to action for Sunday's contest against the Washington Capitals, potentially marking the last meeting between him and Alex Ovechkin.
The two clubs played Saturday in Pittsburgh, but Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Bryan Rust, Erik Karlsson, and Kris Letang were held out of the Penguins' lineup and given day-to-day designations. All of them suited up Sunday.
The highly anticipated meeting between the Penguins and Capitals could be the final home game of Ovechkin's 21-year career. The NHL's all-time leading goal scorer is on an expiring contract and recently said he'll decide in the summer whether he'll return next season.
Washington needs a win to keep its slim playoff hopes alive. The Capitals enter Sunday's contest trailing the Philadelphia Flyers for third spot in the Metropolitan Division and conclude their regular season against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday.
If Washington climbs into third place, it would take on Pittsburgh in Round 1 for the fifth time of the Crosby-Ovechkin era. The Penguins have won three of those series, and the winner has gone on to claim the Stanley Cup each time the teams have met.
