Alex Ovechkin Scores Goal No. 894, Tying Wayne Gretzky’s Record
Alex Ovechkin’s second goal of the game against the Chicago Blackhawks tonight (April 4) tied Wayne Gretzky for the most goals in the NHL’s history. His 893rd career goal came…
Monthly Archives: April 2025
Exciting Blues Prospect Is Red-Hot In AHL Right Now
St. Louis Blues prospect Nikita Alexandrov is enjoying a great season down in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Springfield Thunderbirds. In 44 games this campaign with the AHL squad, he has 21 goals, 28 assists, 49 points, and a plus-10 rating.
Yet, what's more impressive about Alexandrov's strong season with the Thunderbirds is that he is only getting better as it continues. The 24-year-old forward has been on fire lately, posting four goals and 10 points in his last eight contests. In addition, he has recorded 14 goals and 34 points in his previous 26 games. With numbers like these, he has been simply outstanding for the AHL squad.
Alexandrov has yet to play in a game this season for the Blues. However, if he continues to dominate the AHL, it will be interesting to see if it leads to him getting a shot on the NHL roster before the regular season is over.
In 51 career NHL games over two seasons with the Blues, he has three goals, six assists, and nine points.
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Two Away From NHL History: Alex Ovechkin Scores No. 893 In 14th 40-Goal Season
Alex Ovechkin is one goal away from tying Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goals record after scoring for the Washington Capitals on Friday.
With his 893rd career goal, Ovechkin is just two goals away from standing alone with the most in NHL history. Gretzky is in Capital One Arena watching history unfold and received a standing ovation from Caps fans in the first period.
This opening goal happened four minutes into Washington’s battle with the Chicago Blackhawks. That was Ovechkin’s 40th goal of the year, the 14th time he achieved that mark in his 20-year career. He has the most 40-goal seasons in NHL history, breaking the tie with Gretzky's 12 campaigns last year.
Defenseman John Carlson played the puck along the wall and found Dylan Strome behind Chicago’s net. Strome picked out the Capitals captain, who fired home a one-timer from point-blank.
Ovechkin beat goaltender Spencer Knight for the fourth time in his career. His shot beat Knight’s blocker but rang off the post. Luckily for Ovechkin, it bounced off the backside of the Blackhawks’ netminder and crossed the goal line.
CAREER GOAL NO. 893! 🚨
— NHL (@NHL) April 4, 2025
OVI'S TWO GOALS AWAY FROM THE RECORD! #Gr8Chase
🇺🇸: @NHLNetwork
🇨🇦: @Sportsnet or stream on Sportsnet+ ➡️ https://t.co/4KjbdjVctFpic.twitter.com/ZiW3iWU0ey
Ovechkin’s goal against the Blackhawks puts him on a four-game goal streak.
In his three games leading up to Friday’s outing, along with three goals, he provided an additional three assists for six points.
Since Ovechkin scored early in the game, there’s still plenty of time to add to the scoreboard. He can capture the record with a hat trick on home ice.
Alex Ovechkin Vs. Wayne Gretzky: The Tale Of The Tape In NHL Record ChasePart of what makes Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL goal-scoring record so compelling is that the two players are polar opposites in some ways yet stunningly similar in others.
After Washington’s game against Chicago, they visit the New York Islanders in UBS Arena on Sunday afternoon and return home to face the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday.
Further down the schedule, the Capitals take on the Columbus Blue Jackets on the road on April 12 and at home on April 13. Ovechkin scored his first career NHL goal against the Blue Jackets on Oct. 5, 2005. Nearly 20 years later, he can break the record against them, if he doesn’t do it on Friday or in the next two games.
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Penguins Notebook: Malkin Practices With Team, Bemstrom Optioned
It appears a key forward is nearing a return for the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Center Evgeni Malkin - out since Mar. 23 with an upper-body injury - was a full participant when the Penguins practiced Friday in Dallas. Malkin skated in his customary second-line center position between Rickard Rakell and rookie Ville Koivunen, which is a combination that was showcased briefly during training camp.
Malkin is expected to be a game-time decision for Saturday's tilt against the Dallas Stars.
These were the lines and pairings from practice on Friday with Malkin back in the fold:
McGroarty-Crosby-Rust
Rakell-Malkin-Koivunen
Dewar-Hayes-Tomasino
Heinen-Lizotte-Acciari
Grzyleck-Letang
Timmins-Karlsson
Graves-Kolyachonok/Shea
- In other news, the Penguins officially optioned forward Emil Bemstrom back to Wilkes-Barre Scranton (WBS) on Friday. Bemstrom was waived by the Penguins on Apr. 1 and cleared the next day, but the Penguins kept him on their roster until Friday. He registered one point in 13 games with the NHL club this season.
Bemstrom will rejoin WBS for their Calder Cup quest. Pittsburgh's AHL affiliate has already clinched a playoff berth, but they are vying for a first-round bye in the final stretch of the season.
In 43 AHL games this season, Bemstrom recorded 21 goals and 46 points in 43 games and was named to the AHL All-Star team. He led the team in scoring prior to his NHL call-up on Feb. 7.
McGroarty Scores First NHL Goal In Penguins 5-4 Overtime Loss To BluesThe Pittsburgh Penguins' 5-4 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues on Thursday - which gave the Blues their whopping 11th straight win - obviously wasn't the desired result.
- Rutger McGroarty scored his first NHL goal on Thursday against the St. Louis Blues with just 23.8 seconds left in regulation to force overtime.
As for what he plans to do with his first-goal puck (which, evidently, Koivunen - who also registered his first NHL point on the play - let him keep)?
"I plan to give the puck to my parents," McGroarty said. "They've been there through every stage, and they've helped me with just about everything in my life. I couldn't be here without him."
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Alex Ovechkin scores goal No. 893, 1 shy of tying Wayne Gretzky's NHL record of 894
Alex Ovechkin scored career goal No. 893 for the Washington Capitals on Friday night against the Chicago Blackhawks, putting him one shy of matching Wayne Gretzky's all-time NHL record of 894 and two short from breaking the decades-old record.
The Capitals star got this one on a one-timer with assists from Dylan Strome and John Carlson.
Ovechkin's goal was his 40th of the season, making it the 14th 40-goal campaign of his 20-year NHL career. He's currently third in goals scored this season and will likely come up short in his bid for a 10th Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy. Leon Draisaitl of the Edmonton Oilers leads the NHL with 52 scores.
Ovechkin is also the first player in NHL history to notch 40 goals three different times after turning 35. He has recorded as many 40-goal seasons in his 30s as he did in his 20s.
The Eastern Conference-leading Capitals have six games to play in the regular season. Now that Ovechkin is in striking distance of Gretzky's record, "The Great One" has begun accompanying NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to every Capitals game until the record is broken.
Wayne Gretzky is in the building to watch Alex Ovechkin's Gr8 Chase❗️
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) April 4, 2025
📺 ESPN+/Hulu/Disney+ pic.twitter.com/wxVd6EhQpP
Ovechkin ranks third on the NHL goals leaderboard despite playing at least nine fewer games than every other player in the top 10. He broke his fibula in November, which forced him to miss nearly five weeks and created significant doubt he could break the record this season. Since his return, the 39-year-old has been on a tear, with 25 goals and 17 assists in 42 games.
He still has a year left on his Capitals contract and is unlikely to remain with the team after that. Even if he goes scoreless for the rest of the season, it's still a matter of "when" and not "if" he breaks the record. But to do so at the end of the season, for a team battling for the Presidents' Trophy, is about as great an environment as fans of the "Great Eight" could hope for.
Capitals remaining schedule
Sun, Apr 6: 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
NHL top-10 in career goals
1. Wayne Gretzky (894)
2. Alex Ovechkin (893)
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)
"They've Been Delivering For 18, 20 Years Under Pressure": Canucks Rick Tocchet Discusses The Historic Careers Of Sidney Crosby & Alex Ovechkin
The 2024-25 season is shaping up to be a historic one for both Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin. The ninth and 11th all-time point producers in NHL history are wrapping up their 20th season and are now breaking Wayne Gretzky records that were once deemed unbreakable. Despite both closing in on 40 years old, neither looks like they are slowing down, with both Crosby and Ovechkin signed for at least one more season.
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As mentioned, by the end of the season, both Crosby and Ovechkin will have passed records set by Gretzky. Starting with Crosby, he has already set two new records, becoming the NHL's all-time leader in points with a single franchise (1,678) and most consecutive seasons above a point per game. As for Ovechkin, he is on the verge of surpassing Gretzky's all-time goal record and, before the end of the campaign, could become the first and only player in NHL history to score 900 goals.
Watching these players battle it out over the past two decades has been a treat for hockey fans. While they weren't drafted in the same year, Crosby and Ovechkin made their NHL debuts on the same day and have faced off 97 times combined in the regular season and playoffs. Both will also be headed to the Hockey Hall of Fame while also having their jersey's retired by their organizations.
One person who has witnessed this rivality first hand is Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet. Tocchet spent three years as an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins and faced the Washington Capitals in both the 2016 and 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs. When asked about Crosby and Ovechkin's careers, Tocchet had a simple answer as to why they have been successful for so long.
"Well, it's just amazing, said Rick Tocchet. "We talk about consistency; they're consistency level. Whether it's scoring or whether it's any facet of the game. I lived it there for a couple of series of Washington and Pittsburgh, and watching them at high level, especially in the playoffs. Just a respect factor. It's hard to play that way every game. It's hard to play in pressure games and deliver, and they've been delivering for 18, 20 years under pressure. That's the hard part, to be able to deliver under pressure."
Crosby and Ovechkin have also served as role models for a large portion of players in the NHL. For years, whenever players were asked who their favourite player was growing up, the answer was usually Sid The Kid or The Great Eight. As Tocchet explains, he hopes young players are still paying attention to how much work Crosby and Ovechkin are putting in as the two continue to demonstrate how to be successful in the NHL.
"The easy answer is work ethic. They're doing stuff that other players aren't doing. Sidney Crosby, he trains, you know, he'll be in Germany one year training the new way of training. He's always trying to look outside the box. He always tried to build his foundation. And I think that's the same with the young players. You got to do what is required, what's more than required. Habits, build your foundation, build your game, what's your identity as a player, and then apply it in all the games."
In the end, the Crosby vs Ovechkin rivalry will go down as one of the best in NHL history. The two have battled their entire careers and produced moments that won't soon be forgotten. Luckily, fans will get one more chance to watch Crosby and Ovechkin go head-to-head, as they will face each other on April 17, 2025, which is the final day of the 2024-25 regular season.
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Bruins And Predators' Free Fall Could Lead To Great News
The Boston Bruins are so bad right now that it may help them more than people think.
It almost beggars belief that, coming off a 47-20-15 record last season, the Bruins are dead last in the Eastern Conference right now.
The Bruins were three points out of a wild-card spot at the NHL trade deadline when they traded Brad Marchand, Brandon Carlo, Charlie Coyle and Justin Brazeau. They since plummeted to the East’s basement and sit 29th overall with a 30-37-9 mark. They’re also 0-9-1 in their last 10 games after losing to longtime rivals, the Montreal Canadiens, on Thursday. It’s undoubtedly painful for Bruins fans to watch.
But the Bruins’ free fall through the standings has a positive element. It means they’ve avoided the mushy middle of the East and can now have a very high draft pick – maybe even the first-overall pick, if they win the draft lottery.
Before you know it – perhaps as soon as next season – the Bruins could be right back in the thick of the playoff hunt .
After Boston GM Don Sweeney sold at the trade deadline, Boston is committed to about $66.7 million in salary cap space next season. With the cap ceiling slated to rise to $95.5 million, that leaves the Bruins with about $29 million in cap space, which gives them leeway to spruce things up in the off-season. They do have six RFAs to take care of and five UFAs, but if they want to make changes and go big in free agency, they can.
But if the draft goes in their favor, Boston would have a draft pick in the top half of the first round for the first time since 2016, when they selected defenseman Charlie McAvoy 14th overall.
Boston hasn’t had a top-10 pick since Dougie Hamilton went to them ninth overall in 2011, and they haven’t had a top-five pick or higher since Tyler Seguin went to them second overall in 2010.
Needless to say, landing a top-five pick or better this season would do wonders for Boston’s core in the next decade or longer. All things considered, the Bruins’ relatively short period of struggle this season could be extremely beneficial for their big picture.
Another team in a similar situation to the Bruins is the Nashville Predators. They currently have the NHL’s third-worst record despite being major buyers in free agency.
Heading into next season, Nashville has about $17.2 million in cap space, so GM Barry Trotz will have many areas where he can improve the organization.
The Predators haven’t had a top-10 draft pick since they selected defenseman Seth Jones fourth overall in 2013. Incredibly, they haven’t had a top-three pick or better since selecting David Legwand second overall with the franchise’s first-ever draft pick in 1998. The Preds desperately need young, elite talent, and like the Bruins, Nashville’s unexpected collapse this season could have benefits in the long haul.
Three NHL Clubs That Made The Best Of A Seller’s MarketThe NHL trade deadline saw contenders mortgage their future by trading future first-round picks and top prospects to add players to help in their pursuit of a Stanley Cup.
But back to the Bruins, whose fans have grown accustomed to year after year of being legitimate front-runners to go on long playoff runs. Their longest playoff drought since the 1960s is two seasons.
It must be unsettling for them to see this rapid collapse, but it must be more comforting to know that this doesn’t happen as often to them as it does to other teams. They’ll also be picking up a skilled player who can be part of their core for many years to come.
Who knows – by adding some veteran talents, Boston could return to the playoff mix next season. But you can’t get elite young players without some short-term pain, and that’s why the Bruins’ current struggles are a double-edged sword. They, at some point, needed to bottom out to take more steps forward as soon as possible, and that time is now.
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Carolina Hurricanes Rookie, Justin Robidas, To Make NHL Debut
Carolina Hurricanes forward Justin Robidas will be making his NHL debut tonight as the team takes on the Detroit Red Wings at Little Caesars Arena.
The Canes recalled the 2021 fifth-round pick yesterday in relation to both Jordan Staal and Andrei Svechnikov being questionable to go Friday and it was confirmed during morning skate that neither forward would be going tonight.
So in comes the rookie, the third to make their NHL debut for the Hurricanes this season (Juha Jaaska, Ryan Suzuki).
"He's a great kid and he's kind of earned the callup," said Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour. "That's kind of how we look at it. Had a good year, did everything that they asked him to do down there and I think we're rewarding him with this callup. It's well deserved.
"He's earned it by the way he came in this summer. He put in the work and just had a solid, solid season. So I'm happy for him."
Robidas is also another of NHL lineage, as his father, Stephane, played 15 years in the league. He's now an assistant coach with the Montreal Canadiens and according to FanDuel Sports Network's Hanna Yates, is trying to make it to Detroit in time for the game.
"Hopefully he can get here," Brind'Amour said. "They played last night and they don't play tonight so he should get here. Figure it out, because these are special moments in his life and in the family's life. Hopefully it has a good outcome."
The 22-year-old centerman had a strong first AHL season, with 17 goals and 48 points in 65 games.
Despite being listed at just 5-foot-8, Robidas is a relentless worker who makes an impact at 5v5, the power play and the penalty kill.
"From his work ethic to his defensive play and creating offense, he's really grown over the last two years," said Hurricanes AGM Darren Yorke to team reporter Walt Ruff. "He has developed into a consistent offensive driver, as well as a trustworthy defensive player and leader."
He'll be debuting on the fourth line alongside Mark Jankowski and Tyson Jost.
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NHL Hockey News, Scores, Standings, Rumors, Fantasy Games 2025-04-05 23:20:11
Nashville Predators Sign Goaltender To Contract Extension
The Nashville Predators have announced that they have signed goaltender Magnus Chrona to a one-year, two-way contract extension for the 2025-26 season. At the NHL level, Chrona will carry a $775,000 cap hit.
Chrona, 24, was acquired by the Predators from the San Jose Sharks back in August as a part of the Yaroslav Askarov trade. This was after Chrona posted a 1-6-2 record, a 4.71 goals-against average, and a .859 save percentage in his first nine career NHL games with the Sharks in 2023-24.
Chrona has yet to make his Predators regular-season debut and has instead spent this entire campaign down in the AHL with the Milwaukee Admirals. In 29 games this season with the AHL club, he has an 11-11-5 record, a .901 save percentage, and a 2.87 goals-against average.
Overall, there is no harm in the Predators keeping Chrona around for next season. At a minimum, he will continue to provide them with more goalie depth for the AHL.
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