Apr 2, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) clebrates his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the second period at Lenovo Center. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images
James Guillory-Imagn Images
RALEIGH, N.C. — Alex Ovechkin moved three goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record after scoring the 892nd of his career in the Washington Capitals’ game at the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday night.
Ovechkin beat Frederik Andersen on a 5-on-3 power-play with 34.5 seconds left in the second period. He now has 10 goals in 13 career games against Andersen, 53 overall in the 92 games he has faced Carolina and 32 in 46 games in Raleigh, which is the most of any visiting player.
Commissioner Gary Bettman, Capitals owner Ted Leonsis and Ovechkin's wife, Nastya, were in attendance for No. 892, sitting together in a suite.
The 39-year-old Russian has 39 goals this season and is one way from reaching 40 for a 14th time - also the most in league history - despite missing 16 games because of a broken left fibula.
The Eastern Conference-leading Capitals have seven more games left this season. Ovechkin is on pace to pass Gretzky’s mark of 894, which long seemed unapproachable, before the playoffs begin.
Because it is only a regular-season record, Ovechkin’s pursuit would need to continue in October if he does not score two or more the rest of the way this month.
It’s been a tough week for the Florida Panthers.
For the first time since late November, the Panthers have lost three straight games, capped off by Wednesday’s 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs.
The big news that came down before the game was that Panthers Captain Sasha Barkov would be out due to an upper-body injury.
During the first period, the Cats and Leafs combined to put 18 shots on Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz, but the former teammates stopped each and every one of them, keeping the game scoreless after 20 minutes.
It didn’t stay that way very long.
Deep in Toronto’s zone, Seth Jones carried the puck toward the blue line before starting a quick passing play that led to the game’s first goal.
The puck went from Jones to San Bennett to Sam Reinhart to Gus Forsling, who snapped a one-timer that beat Stolarz over the glove to give Florida a 1-0 lead.
Toronto tied the game about 10 minutes later after capitalizing on a broken rush play.
After getting into Florida’s end, William Nylander found the puck in the left circle and fired a shot toward the net that was deflected by John Tavares on the doorstep to knot the score at one.
A Mitch Marner one-timer gave Toronto a 2-1 lead with 9:10 to go in the third period on a sequence that saw Bobrovsky made several great saves moments before the goal was scored.
Marner then made an excellent pass to send Matthew Knies on a breakaway less than five minutes later to extend Toronto’s lead to 3-1.
Reinhart cut the Leafs’ lead in half with 2:38 to go, sniping a power play goal over a screened Stolarz’s blocker.
That’s as close as the Cats would get.
On to Ottawa.
QUICK THOUGHTS
Bobrovsky played in his 750th career game.
Forsling’s goal was his first in 16 games.
Bennett’s assist on Forsling’s goal gave him five points over his past six outings.
Reinhart has now logged six goals and 14 points over his past 13 games.
Jones has his first three-game point streak since joining the Panthers and picking up an assist on Reinhart’s goal.
He also has points in five of his past seven games.
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Alex Ovechkin scored career goal No. 892 for the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes, putting him three away from breaking Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL record of 894.
The goal was a one-time scored at the end of a second period of a lopsided game against the Carolina Hurricanes, narrowing the deficit to 4-1. Jakob Chychrun and Dylan Strome both notched assists on the play.
OVI'S 892nd GOAL... WE'RE IN THE ENDGAME NOW PEOPLE 🚨 pic.twitter.com/1aZ6cLgOE5
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) April 3, 2025
Gretzky and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman will both be in attendance at Capitals games from here on out to ensure they are present for Ovechkin's record-breaking goal.
Ovechkin's goal was his 39th of the season, inching him closer to the 14th 40-goal season of his 20-year NHL career. He's currently tied for third in goals scored this season and will likely come up short in his bid for a 10th Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy.
The Eastern Conference-leading Capitals have seven games to play in the regular season.
Fri: vs. Chicago, 7 p.m. ET
Sun: at Islanders, 12:30 p.m. ET
Thu, Apr 10: vs. Carolina, 7:30 p.m. ET
Sat, Apr 12: at Columbus, 7 p.m. ET
Sun, Apr 13: vs. Columbus, 6 p.m. ET
Tue, Apr 15: at Islanders, 8 p.m. ET
Thu, Apr 17: at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. ET
1. Wayne Gretzky (894)
2. Alex Ovechkin (892)
3. Gordie Howe (801)
4. Jaromir Jagr (766)
5. Brett Hull (741)
6. Marcel Dionne (731)
7. Phil Esposito (717)
8. Mike Gartner (708)
9. Mark Messier (694)
10. Steve Yzerman (692)
The Toronto Maple Leafs are on the cusp of standing alone with the longest active NHL playoff streak.
Toronto clinched a playoff spot for the ninth straight season on Wednesday night, while it’s a matter of time before the Eastern Conference’s last place team, the Boston Bruins, are eliminated from contention. Both clubs were tied for the longest streak at eight seasons.
In the most important sense, the Leafs’ streak of playoff appearances doesn’t mean much besides the fact that the pressure to win at least a couple of rounds is higher than ever. They’ve only won one playoff round in eight seasons.
Not only that, but since 2016-17, the Leafs have the 15th-most playoff wins and the 15th-most playoff games played. This is a stark reminder of how many chances the Buds have blown.
Toronto’s active playoff streak is an emotional double-edged sword for Leafs fans. Most of them remember the lean years, when the Buds didn’t make the playoffs in 10 of 11 seasons beginning in 2005-06. So, having playoff games for what will be nine straight years now is far preferable to the alternative of no playoff games.
Maple Leafs' Auston Matthews Logs More PK Minutes, But At What Cost?Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews hasn’t scored as many goals this year, but he has a significant career high elsewhere.
However, if the Maple Leafs do get eliminated in the first or second round of this year’s post-season – or even if they win two playoff series and then get unceremoniously swept in the Eastern final – there will be no moral victories.
There won’t be any more excuses that will satisfy Leafs fans if they don’t excel in the playoffs under all that pressure. There will be no more press conferences where Leafs brass talks about patience and the learning process. Those days are long over.
The only thing Leafs fans will want is turnover. If that means saying goodbye to pending Leafs UFAs Mitch Marner and John Tavares, Leafs fans may say, “so be it.” This should be the team's last chance at running it back with the same core in hopes that things eventually improve because they already changed the coach, and they changed the GM two years ago.
It’s no wonder that the stakes are sky-high for the Buds this spring. They may win the highly competitive Atlantic Division, but imagine the fallout if they follow up with a first-round loss to the Ottawa Senators or Montreal Canadiens. Or imagine the blowback if the Leafs get out of Round 1, only to be demolished by the defending Cup-champion Florida Panthers or Tampa Bay Lightning in Round 2. The mushroom cloud of anger and frustration that could envelop the franchise will return bigger than usual.
So, while it will be a slight moral victory if the Leafs extend the longest active playoff streak and win the division for the first 82-game season since the 1999-2000 campaign, it won’t matter one iota if Toronto doesn’t reward its customers with a serious playoff run.
They’ve shown encouraging signs of grinding out wins and playing playoff-style hockey this season, so it’s about time they take advantage of it in the post-season. Otherwise, all these years of getting into the playoffs will amount to a Blue-And-White hill of beans.
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As it stands now, the Los Angeles Kings are still battling with the Edmonton Oilers to hold onto that second seed in the Pacific division. They will face them in two critical games this month, which will be key to ending up with the second seed and having a home-ice advantage against them in their likely first-round matchup.
But for now, the Los Angeles Kings aren't favorites entering the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they're becoming one of the West's most feared underdogs. LA can pull off a deep playoff upset with their rich defensive corps, elite goaltending, and a system designed for playoff hockey.
A Tale of Two Teams: Struggles vs. the East, Dominance in the West
While the Kings have struggled against the league's top of the Eastern Conference (19-9-4), despite their impressive record, they've split a lot of their games against the top teams in the conference, including the Tampa Bay Lightnings, Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils and—most recently losing to the Toronto Maple Leafs —they've flipped the script in their last two games. Their response? Scoring a combined 12 goals against the San Jose Sharks and Winnipeg Jets in back-to-back dominating performances.
But what's most important is that they're 3-0 vs. the Central Division-leading Jets this year. Winnipeg, one of the best Stanley Cup hopefuls, hasn't been able to penetrate LA's solid defensive system and grinding play. This means the Kings can compete with the best in the West—even if their record against Eastern Conference opponents is a little suspect.
Again, it'll be about matchups come playoff time, which could favor the Kings depending on who they play in the first round. The good thing for the Kings is that they won't have to play both the Stars or Avalanche in the postseason because those two will play it out in the first round, leaving either one of those teams, the Jets or maybe the Golden Knights.
Defensive Structure and Goal Tending: The Kings' Greatest Strengths
LA's defense-oriented strategy is built for playoff play. They grind the tempo, tire opponents on the boards, and limit high-danger chances.
Drew Doughty captains a defense that neutralizes visiting stars, especially when facing offense-first teams such as Edmonton or Dallas. Doughty is a future hall-of-famer playing extremely high in his career, including this season, when he became the first Kings' defenceman in history to hit 1,200 games.
The 1st defenceman in @lakings franchise history to hit 1,200 NHL games played – congrats to Drew Doughty pic.twitter.com/UYIhVnN08K
— NHLPA (@NHLPA) March 28, 2025
The Kings possess one of the league's top penalty-killing units, a weapon system against foes who employ the power play as a means of scoring (aka Jets, Stars, and Golden Knights).
Balanced Scoring: Beyond Kopitar & Kempe
While Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe remain chief offense drivers, LA depth scoring has been the biggest X-factor down the stretch.
Kevin Fiala, Trevor Moore, and Quinton Byfield have delivered, offering the Kings numerous lines of threat to score from.
Adding Andrei Kuzmenko and Warren Foegele in the second half of the season threw even more gasoline on the fire of the scoring lineup. We see a lot of teams who make deals in the second half of the season, leading them to make deep playoff runs and even win the Stanley Cup because of the chemistry and depth they bring right away to the franchise.
Kuzmenko had no points in his first 7 games as a King
— Jesse Cohen | All The Kings Men (@KingsMenPodcast) April 2, 2025
He’s got 9 points in his last 7 games as a King.#GoKingsGo
The Kings have had three or more goals in four of their last six games, so they are clicking and peaking at the right time, getting their offense hot at the perfect time.
With a pair of goals tonight, Warren Foegele has set a new career-high in goals (22) and points (22-20=42). pic.twitter.com/Ac6NssFmHz
— LA Kings PR (@LAKingsPR) March 31, 2025
Matchup Nightmare for the West's Top Teams
The Kings possess the right prescription to fight against some of the West's most significant dangers.
Edmonton Oilers: LA has faced the Oilers in back-to-back-to-back playoffs and possesses the defense system that can slow up Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. If they get them again, the Kings' ability to play a grinding, physical style of hockey might enrage Edmonton's speed.
Dallas Stars: Dallas is one of the best Western Conference teams, but the Kings' structured play and hard forecheck can shut down their transition. LA also won the season series against Dallas 2-1, including their recent win in February when they went to overtime tied 4-4 and scored the game-winning goal.
Winnipeg Jets: We saw the defensive clinic the Kings put on the Jets a few days ago, sweeping the season series 3-0. In all games, the King's defense has held the number 3 ranked offensive Jets team to one goal in all three meetings, showcasing the level to which the Kings can amp up their defense.
Kings game morning hangover recap
— Russell Morgan (@NHLRussell) April 2, 2025
- Season sweep over the NHL’s top team.
- Hiller is turning Kuzmenko into a complete player.
- PK up to 8th in the league (81.7%).
- Kuemper besting the Vezina favorite.
- Can’t overlook Utah tomorrow before Saturday’s big game.#GoKingsGo
Final Take: LA's Playoff Formula is Coming Together
With their recent success against Western Conference teams, top-notch penalty killing, and a physical, disciplined brand of hockey, the Kings have everything it takes to make life miserable for the top contenders. While they've struggled against the East, the fact that they're 3-0 against Winnipeg, one of the top teams in the West, is all it takes to prove that they're more than capable of upsetting a favorite.
In an open-ice hockey conference where grinding is the word, LA's ability to grind down teams makes them the biggest wild card of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl practiced today in a non-contact jersey for the first time since suffering his injury against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Mar. 23.
The initial reaction and news that broke was disheartening, with some reports saying that Hertl's chances of returning before the playoffs were slim. Twice Hertl was announced out for the remainder of the week but todays news was the first bit of positive news.
Returning in non-contact is the first step in the return process, the next step will be practicing with contact at least once. The Golden Knights are back in action on Thursday when they host the league-leading Winnipeg Jets.
The timeline following the injury has been unclear to both the fans and the organization.
"I’m sure he wants to be around his teammates," coach Bruce Cassidy said. "He’s been putting the work in. We weren’t sure how it was going to come along, but good to see him back out there."
Cassidy has ruled out Hertl for the next three games, but they'll be taking it day-by-day following those games. Allowing Hertl to get some game action before the beginning of the playoffs will bode well for the 31-year-old.
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The Vegas Golden Knights have signed Jackson Hallum to a two-year, entry-level contract.
The 22-year-old played three seasons at the University of Michigan, scoring 17 goals and 42 points in 84 games. His junior season saw him set a career-high in goals, scoring eight goals and 17 points in 36 games.
The Golden Knights selected Hallum in the third round (91st overall) in the 2020 NHL Draft. Prior to joining the Wolverines, Hallum recorded 29 goals and 70 points in 62 games in his final season in the USHL.
Listed at 6'0, 170 lbs, Hallum is known for his speed and was considered one of the fastest skaters in his draft class. He's aggressive on the forecheck, willing to throw a big hit to earn the puck back.
The left-handed winger will join the Henderson Silver Knights in the AHL for their final eight games of the season. Hallum is the second NCAA prospect the Golden Knights have signed, the first being Trevor Connelly. The Silver Knights have struggled for quite some time and the Golden Knights organization looks to be beefing the roster up with prospects. Mathieu Cataford is another forward who is likely to join following the conclusion of his season.
Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.
Golden Knights Sign Trevor Connelly To Entry-Level ContractThe Vegas Golden Knights have signed top prospect Trevor Connelly to a three-year, entry-level contract.