Two NHL legends will miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs for first time in 16 seasons
For the first time in nearly 20 years, two of the NHL's biggest stars won't be among the players competing for Lord Stanley's Cup.
On Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Penguins had their slim postseason hopes dashed, securing the first postseason without Sidney Crosby nor Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin for the first time since 2006.
While the season was over long ago for Ovechkin and the Capitals, the Penguins' down year came to an excruciating end thanks to a Metropolitan Division rival.
On Wednesday, the New York Islanders defeated the Montreal Canadians 4-2 to clinch the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference. The Isles' big win also snapped the Penguins' 16-year postseason streak, the longest streak in pro sports.
The longest playoff streak in the NHL now belongs to the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs, who've qualified in each of the last seven seasons, per Sportsnet.
Crosby and the Penguins attempted a late rally, winning three of four games heading into a matchup with the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. However, the Pens came up small in a must-win situation, falling 5-2 to the 26-49-6 Blackhawks.
Pittsburgh's loss set the stage for the Islanders to swoop in and steal the final playoff berth, capping off a brutal end to the year for the Penguins.
Despite the Penguins' disappointing campaign, Crosby shined in his 18th NHL. The 35-year-old leads Pittsburgh in points (91) with one game remaining and recently became the sixth-fastest player in NHL history to reach the 1500-point mark.
Meanwhile, Ovechkin and Washinton's playoff hopes ended last week, snapping an eight-year postseason streak for the Capitals. Like Crosby, Ovechkin led the Capitals in scoring (74 points) while also making history.
Netting 42 goals, the 37-year-old recorded his 13th-career 40-goal season, topping the legendary Wayne Gretzky for the most all-time.
Ovechkin also continued his pursuit of "The Great One" for hockey's goal-scoring record, increasing his total to 822 in 2022-23. He remains 72 goals behind Gretzky for the historic mark.
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