(All opinions expressed in this article are my own.)
Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 career goals seemed unbreakable for a long time, but if anyone was going to break it, it would be legendary Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin.
In this edition of NHL Recap, we’ll discuss Ovechkin’s record-breaking game and how the Capitals are looking as we approach the offseason.
GAME RECAP: Islanders vs. Capitals (Sunday, April 6, 2025)
The entire league understood what was at stake with this game, but Ovechkin and the Capitals weren’t going to be let off easily. They would be facing the New York Islanders, who are currently fighting to keep their playoff hopes alive. The Islanders struck first with forward Bo Horvat scoring at 7:06 in the first period, followed by forward Marc Gatcomb scoring a couple of minutes later at 9:00. The Capitals would enter the second period down 0-2 and needing a boost to get back in the game.
Ovechkin scored his record-breaking goal on the power play at 7:26 in the second period. The Caps’ bench immediately joined him on the ice to celebrate, and the game was paused to acknowledge the monumental occasion. The league held a 15-minute ceremony to honor the achievement, featuring NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman and Gretzky himself. Ovechkin also got the chance to thank his friends and family for their support.
“Like I always say all the time, it’s a team sport. Without my boys, the whole organization, the fans, the trainers, coaches, I would never stand here, and I would obviously never pass [Gretzky]. So, fellas, thank you very much. I love you so much… And the most important thing. To my mom, my family, my beautiful wife, my father-in-law, my beautiful kids, thank you. I love you so much, and without you, without your support, I would never stand here. So, love you guys.”
Ovechkin’s 895th career goal would be the Capitals’ only goal of the game, and the Islanders would go on to win the game 4-1 (Marc Gatcomb would score again at 10:26 of the second period and Jean-Gabriel Pageau would score at 4:20 of the third period). But at that point, the only thing most people were concerned with was the new leader in career goals.
FINAL SCORE: Islanders 4, Capitals 1
PLAYOFF OUTLOOK
The Capitals became the first team to clinch a playoff berth this season after getting a win over the Philadelphia Flyers on March 2 and then proceeded to clinch the Metropolitan Division title on April 8 (due to a Carolina Hurricanes loss). The team is more than primed to clinch the Eastern Conference, and if they keep playing at their current level (and if Ovechkin keeps scoring at his current pace), they have a strong chance at winning the Stanley Cup come June.
