A win was all that was needed for Pittsburgh to secure a playoff spot. A win it was. When Erik Karlsson made it 5–2 with three minutes left in the game, the matter was already decided.
Before that, Karlsson had an assist when Pittsburgh scored two goals in nine seconds midway through the second period. Despite Jack Hughes scoring a goal a few minutes later, the rest of the game belonged to Pittsburgh.
Pittsburgh has three games left in the regular season. On Friday and Saturday, the potentially final heavyweight meetings between superstars Sidney Crosby, 38, and Alexander Ovechkin, 40, are next, as Pittsburgh and Washington meet in a doubleheader. Washington has no playoff chance.
