Days After Capitals' Elimination, Penguins Miss Playoffs For First Time Since Ovechkin & Crosby's Rookie Year

Washington and Pittsburgh will have a lot to address in a lengthy offseason.

Within roughly a week of each other, the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins both witnessed disappointing ends to the 2022-23 campaign and will have longer summers to ponder their futures, as both will not be in the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in a long time.

The New York Islanders defeated the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday to clinch the final playoff spot in the East, which ended the Penguins' bid for a late berth. Pittsburgh could have gained more ground and clinched with wins in both of their final games to close out the season, but they fell to the Chicago Blackhawks in a surprising loss on Tuesday.

It ends 16 consecutive seasons of playoff berths for Pittsburgh.

Washington was eliminated from playoff contention on April 4 on their night off following a Florida Panthers victory. It ended a streak of eight consecutive trips to the postseason.

This is the first time since Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby's rookie seasons in 2005-06 that Pittsburgh will not be in the playoffs. It is the first time since 2007-08 that neither Ovechkin nor Crosby will compete for the Stanley Cup.

Crosby helped lead the Penguins to three championships in 2009, 2016 and 2017. Ovechkin powered the Capitals to their first-ever title in 2018.

Following Washington's Stanley Cup championship, each team suffered four consecutive first-round exits before not qualifying this season.