The 100th career matchup between generational stars Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin never materialized during the Washington Capitals 6-3 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.<\/p>\n
PITTSBURGH (AP) \u2014 The 100th career matchup between generational stars Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin never materialized during the Washington Capitals 6-3 victory<\/a> against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.<\/p>\n But that didn\u2019t stop the crowd from showing its appreciation for Ovechkin in what could be his final game in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n The Penguins opted to sit Crosby<\/a> and several other regulars after securing a playoff berth<\/a> for the first time since the 2021-22 season and home ice advantage throughout the first round.<\/p>\n During a television timeout in the second period, the Penguins showed a video tribute honoring Ovechkin and his longstanding rivalry with Crosby<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was nice,\u201d Ovechkin said. \u201cIt was a show of respect for all the time we spent in the rivalry \u2026 playoffs, regular season \u2026 it shows respect.\u201d<\/p>\n Ovechkin received a standing ovation from the crowd in Pittsburgh, as the Capitals\u2019 captain stood up from the bench and waved while players tapped their sticks on the ice in appreciation.<\/p>\n \u201cYou could feel in that moment what (Ovechkin) has meant to the Pittsburgh Penguins\u2019 fans and this city, that even though they hate the Washington Capitals, they appreciate what has gone on over the last 21 seasons,\u201d Capitals\u2019 coach Spencer Carbery said. \u201cYou can tell there\u2019s a genuine appreciation from the city.\u201d<\/p>\n Ovechkin is the NHL\u2019s all-time leading goal scorer, while Crosby is the only player in league history to average a point per game for 21 straight seasons.<\/p>\n