The Pittsburgh Penguins season ended last night with a 5-4 loss to the New York Islanders. The Pens went 2-for-2 on power plays in the game, with Evgeni Malkin netting his 27th goal of the season and Jeff Carter scoring his 11th of the year. It was a back and forth game with the Penguins leading twice, but the Islanders scored the game-winning goal with just over five minutes remaining in the game. Goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 27 of 32 shots. The Penguins had 45 shots in the game.
Following the game, 39-year old Jeff Carter announced his retirement. The Penguins were aware and made Carter a starter last night, with Sidney Crosby giving Carter the opportunity to take the game’s opening face-off. Crosby would later set up Carter’s final career goal. The Penguins acquired Carter from the Los Angeles Kings before the NHL trade deadline in 2021. He had won two Stanley Cup titles during his decade in L.A. He scored 100 points and 52 goals with the Penguins in 241 games.
The Penguins end their season with a 38-32-12 record. They accumulated 88 points, three shy of a playoff spot.