In a tightly contested NHL regular-season clash between the Washington Capitals and the Pittsburgh Penguins, Evgeni Malkin of the Moscow-born Penguins delivered a decisive late goal. With the clock ticking down and both teams pressing, the veteran forward found the net at 1:40 remaining in the third period, tipping the balance in favor of Pittsburgh. This marker marked Malkin’s 75th goal of the current NHL campaign, a milestone that fans and analysts in North America will note as a standout moment amid a period of inconsistency for the Russian star over his previous five outings.
Joining the scoring surge for Pittsburgh was Jay Guentzel, who was named the second star of the game after delivering a noteworthy strike in the 41st minute. His goal extended the Penguins’ lead to 3-0 and set a tone that Washington would struggle to overturn as the contest progressed.
On the Capitals side, Dylan Strome produced a productive night, finishing with two points through a goal and an assist. His two-point performance helped keep Washington in the battle, even as Pittsburgh managed to rebound late in the game to secure a 4-3 victory at home. Strome’s effort positions him among the notable performers in the Capitals lineup, particularly in games featuring high-intensity, late-stage pressures.
The venue for this showdown was PPG Paints Arena, where Pittsburgh carried momentum into the late stages and ultimately held on to defeat the Capitals by a narrow one-goal margin. The result adds another chapter to a regular-season series that continues to deliver dramatic finishes, underscoring the Penguins’ ability to lean on late-game resilience when it matters most. The performance from Malkin and Guentzel, complemented by Strome’s two-point night for Washington, underscores the close competitive balance between these two storied franchises in the NHL today. Across North American hockey communities, fans will discuss the significance of Malkin’s late heroics and the key moments that swung the tide in this cross-conference showdown. Attribution: NHL game reports and team recaps compiled for Canadian and American audiences.