The Pittsburgh Penguins failed to finish off their comeback bid against the Washington Capitals.

The Pittsburgh Penguins kicked off their 2024 with one of the worst periods of the season against their bitter rivals. It took the Penguins 13 minutes to show any life on Tuesday evening. By then, they were already down 3-0 to the Washington Capitals.

From the midpoint of the first period, the Penguins looked to be the better team, but their comeback effort fell short as Darcy Kuemper and the Capitals shut the door in the third period.

Goal Recap

(WSH 1-0) Tom Wilson (11): Rasmus Sandin (9) & Ethan Bear (1)

(WSH 2-0) Beck Malenstyn (4): Nic Dowd (3)

(WSH 3-0) Martin Fehervary (2): Dylan Strome (9) & Hendrix Lapierre (4)

(WSH 4-0) Alex Ovechkin (8): Rasmus Sandin (10) & Anthony Mantha (6)

(WSH 4-1) Rickard Rakell (3): Erik Karlsson (18) & P.O. Joseph (2)

(WSH 4-2) Sidney Crosby (21): Jake Guentzel (25) & Evgeni Malkin (18)

(WSH 4-3) Jake Guentzel (17): Sidney Crosby (17) & Rickard Rakell (8)

Three Stars

3. Alex Nedeljkovic

Anytime a goaltender comes in mid-game, it's unlikely to be in a winning effort. Alex Nedeljkovic nearly got the Penguins there, stopping 14 of the 15 shots he faced after relieving Tristan Jarry following the Capitals' third goal.

Nedeljkovic stabilized the back end for the Penguins, allowing them to press more in the offensive zone. The only goal he conceded was to Alex Ovechkin on the power play, and even then, he was screened by his defenseman, Ryan Graves.

2. Rickard Rakell

The resurgence of Rickard Rakell's season is a welcomed sign for the Penguins. Rakell tallied two points in the losing effort to extend his hot streak since coming back from injury.

Since returning from injury and returning to Sidney Crosby's line, Rakell has scored seven points (3G-4A) in seven games. Before the injury, Rakell went goalless and produced only four assists in 17 games.

1. Sidney Crosby

If there was a way to build onto a Hart Trophy campaign in a loss, Sidney Crosby found it. Crosby continues to carry this team back into games and playoff contention.

The Penguins captain finished this game with two points (1G-1A) to pass Joe Thornton for 12th on the NHL's all-time scoring list. He's now 39 points back from Ray Bourque and 50 points behind Phil Esposito for a spot in the top ten.

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