Capitals Update: Highlights and Insights from Morning Skate Session

The Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins open a weekend home-and-home on the final weekend of the 2025-26 NHL regular season. Saturday’s game in Pittsburgh is the first meeting between the teams since Nov. 6, when the Penguins won 5-3. The clubs have met only three times this season.

Milestone watch and lineup notes

Alex Ovechkin could reach 100 career meetings with Sidney Crosby this weekend. Crosby will sit out Saturday’s game to rest several upper- and lower-body bumps. If the rivalry reaches triple digits, it will likely happen Sunday in Washington.

Washington will dress the same lineup that beat Toronto 4-0 on Wednesday. The Capitals face Pittsburgh on Saturday and Sunday before ending the season in Columbus on Tuesday.

Playoff picture

The Capitals must win all three remaining games to keep playoff hopes alive. They also need help from other teams to qualify.

Coach Spencer Carbery acknowledged the challenge. He said the club believes in itself and is focused on earning the next two points. A Capitals update offered highlights and fresh insights from the morning skate session, according to team staff.

Penguins progress and roster status

Pittsburgh has clinched a playoff spot. The Penguins return to the postseason after a three-year absence.

Under first-year coach Dan Muse, Pittsburgh improved by 18 points. The team rose from 80 to 98 points with three games remaining.

Carbery praised Pittsburgh’s offense and special teams. He singled out veterans who have produced at a high level this year. Names mentioned include Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Erik Karlsson.

Pittsburgh players unavailable Saturday

• Bryan Rust — lower body
• Jake Dewar — lower body
• Wotherspoon — upper body
• Lizotte — upper body
• Erik Karlsson — lower body
• Evgeni Malkin — upper body
• Kindel — upper body
• Jones — upper body
• Sidney Crosby — lower body

Beauvillier’s expanded penalty-kill role

Anthony Beauvillier is one of three Capitals to appear in all 79 games so far. Brandon Duhaime and Alex Ovechkin are the other two.

Now in his 10th NHL season, Beauvillier has taken a larger role on the penalty kill. He is averaging 1:11 of shorthanded ice time per game this season. That is his highest rate of shorthanded minutes over his career.

Beauvillier scored his first career shorthanded goal in 2019-20 with the Islanders. He added a second shorthanded goal last season. On Feb. 3 in Philadelphia he recorded his first shorthanded assist, setting up an Aliaksei Protas goal.

Since Nic Dowd was traded on March 5, Beauvillier has averaged 2:09 of shorthanded time across 16 games. That was fourth among Washington forwards in that stretch.

Carbery credited Beauvillier for stepping up on the kill. Washington’s penalty kill has been strong since Dowd’s departure. The unit has a kill rate of 85.4 percent and ranks fifth in the NHL.

Goaltending matchup

Logan Thompson will make his 100th appearance with the Capitals Saturday in Pittsburgh. He is seeking his 30th win of the season. Thompson posted a 21-save shutout on Wednesday in Toronto.

Against the Penguins, Thompson is 3-1-0 in four starts. His lifetime numbers versus Pittsburgh are a 2.52 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage.

Pittsburgh will start Arturs Silovs. The 25-year-old was acquired from Vancouver last July for a prospect and a draft pick. Silovs is 19-10-8 in 37 starts and sits one win shy of a 20-win season.

Silovs made one start against Washington earlier this season. He stopped 27 of 30 shots in the Nov. 6 victory.

Projected lineups

The two clubs meet again Sunday in Washington. The Capitals finish the regular season in Columbus on Tuesday. Reporting by Filmogaz.com.