The Washington Capitals welcomed the Chicago Blackhawks to Capital One Area on Friday evening with all eyes squarely pointed towards Washington’s Captain, Alex Ovechkin, as he entered the competition three targets shy of setting a brand new all-time targets document. With the present document holder, Wayne Gretzky, current in Washington, D.C., Ovechkin’s two targets rewarded ticket holders with a legendary scene because the Capitals battled the Blackhawks to a 5-3 victory.
Ovechkin’s fortieth purpose of the season represented the opening rating of the competition. Washington’s celebrity obtained a cross from Dylan Strome earlier than Ovechkin’s wrist shot collided with each posts and bounced into the online behind Chicago’s goalie, Spencer Knight. The purpose got here 3:52 into the primary interval, and the ensuing buzz within the crowd continued for the rest of the interval. The primary-period tally was Ovechkin’s 242nd profession first-period purpose, passing Gretzky for many in NHL historical past. In keeping with NHL.com Reside Stats, Ovechkin is just the second participant age 39 or older to attain 40 targets in a season. Gordie Howe scored 44 targets in 1968-69 at age 40.
Ten minutes after Washington’s opening tally, Blackhawks winger Tyler Bertuzzi tied the sport at one. He was the beneficiary of a very good cycle play, which was adopted by a fortuitous bounce along with the online that allowed Landon Slaggert to slip the puck throughout the crease to Bertuzzi to dunk into the online for the Blackhawks’ first purpose of the sport. The sport entered the primary intermission tied at one.
Chicago’s Frank Nazar unlocked the tie with a purpose 31 seconds into the second interval. The 21-year-old winger situated some open house within the offensive zone and obtained a cross from newcomer Oliver Moore earlier than Nazar fired a snapshot that beat Washington’s Charlie Lindgren for a 2-1 Blackhawks lead. Moore recorded the first help on the purpose for his first NHL level in his third skilled sport.
Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary tied the sport on the 7:09 mark of the center body on a wrist shot that trickled by Knight and throughout the skinny pink line. Protection associate John Carlson picked up an help on the purpose for his second level of the night. The longtime Capital blueliner tied Mathieu Schneider for sixth all-time together with his 158th profession multi-point sport. Mark Howe could be the subsequent identify on the listing with 183 multi-point video games.
The Blackhawks interrupted the get together environment as soon as once more with a Philipp Kurashev purpose 10 seconds after Fehervary’s rating for a 3-2 Chicago lead on the 7:19 mark of the second interval. Kurashev stuffed a free rebound previous Lindgren after the Capitals goalie made the cease on a Slaggert deflection however couldn’t management the rebound. Chicago entered the second intermission holding a 3-2 benefit.
Washington tied the sport at three on an personal purpose from Chicago’s Connor Murphy after the defenseman whacked a bouncing puck previous his personal netminder early within the third interval. Dylan Strome was credited together with his twenty fifth purpose of the season on the play. The 28-year-old ahead continues so as to add to a career-high 75 factors in 76 video games throughout his third season with the Capitals.
Three minutes later, Ovechkin raised the Capital One Area crowd to its ft once more with a traditional one-timer purpose from his energy play workplace for his forty first purpose of the season and a 4-3 Washington lead. Along with his 894th regular-season purpose, he tied Gretzky for probably the most all-time in NHL regular-season historical past in a single fewer sport performed at 1,486 NHL video games. Whereas Ovechkin tied Gretzky together with his purpose tonight, he broke a tie with former teammate Jaromir Jagr for probably the most game-winning targets with 136.
Associated: Alex Ovechkin Scores Purpose No. 894, Tying Wayne Gretzky’s File
Ovechkin had one late likelihood to interrupt Gretzky’s document on a breakaway, however Washington’s star was unable to get a shot off in opposition to Knight late within the third interval. Ryan Leonard sealed the sport with an empty-net purpose for his first NHL purpose in entrance of the sport’s most legendary goalscorers. Washington gained its forty ninth sport of the season and improved to 105 factors this season to maintain tempo with the Winnipeg Jets (108 factors) and Dallas Stars (104) within the NHL Presidents’ Trophy race for the 2024-25 season.
Ovechkin’s subsequent likelihood to interrupt Gretzky’s goal-scoring document comes this weekend. On Sunday afternoon, Washington visits the New York Islanders at UBS Area at 12:30 pm EST as Ovechkin could have his eyes set on claiming one of many NHL’s most immortal information. Washington has six video games remaining within the 2024-25 NHL season.
