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Penguins' Gesture for Capitals' Alex Ovechkin Revealed

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Antonio Losada | Last updated Apr 18, 2025 6:40 AM ET

The Washington Capitals left Pittsburgh with a loss against the Penguins, but Alex Ovechkin didn’t leave empty-handed.

After a night that featured a rare standing ovation from rival fans and a memorable exchange of goals with long-time foe Sidney Crosby, Ovechkin was gifted a Rolex watch by Crosby and fellow Russian Evgeni Malkin.

Both Penguins, still wearing their game jerseys in the tunnel after the game, met a fully-suited-up Ovechkin in a postgame moment to present him with the watch.

“From us to congratulate you for the record,” Malkin said in Russian as the two Penguins forwards handed the box to Ovechkin.

A gift for #Gr8ness pic.twitter.com/dZVyhQWypI
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 18, 2025

“Wow, nice," Ovechkin responded. "Thank you, guys.”

The trio posed for photos in the hallway outside the locker rooms, with Ovechkin in a suit and Crosby and Malkin still in uniform, in a funny picture captured by the Penguins account on X.

“How many watches is this guy gonna want?” former Capitals head coach Bruce Boudreau joked on Monumental Sports Network after the game.

pic.twitter.com/x04zVb50Ti
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) April 18, 2025

The postgame exchange followed another extraordinary battle between Crosby and Ovechkin, with both scoring goals for their teams during the second period of Thursday's regular-season finale.

Crosby scored his 33rd goal of the season, finishing the year with 91 points in 80 games.

Shortly after, Ovechkin lit the lamp for his 44th goal of the season and the 897th of his career, reaching 73 points in 65 outings.

Asked afterward whether this—the 73rd through 20 seasons—could be his final matchup against Crosby, the 39-year-old Ovechkin dismissed the idea with a smile.

“I’m not retire yet,” Ovechkin said. “So.”

The Capitals (51-22-9) and Ovechkin will now turn their attention to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, where they will face the Montreal Canadiens in the first round after the Habs clinched the second wild-card berth on a historic Wednesday night for the franchise.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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