Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin for setting the NHL record for goals in a career.

“I congratulate you on your outstanding record,” Putin said. “You have surpassed legendary masters in the number of goals scored in National Hockey League regular-season games.”

In setting the new record, Ovechkin passed Hall-of-Famer Wayne Gretzky. It was Ovechkin’s 895th career goal.

Ovechkin set the record on Sunday afternoon in a game against the New York Islanders. Despite Ovechkin’s goal, the Capitals lost 4-1.

Ovechkin has been a strong supporter of Putin. In 2017, he set up a social media movement called PutinTeam in an effort to have Putin reelected.

Ovechkin has previously stated that his support of Putin is not a political statement but a support for his country.

Ovechkin and Putin have not talked as of yet, but Putin reportedly “highly values Ovechkin’s sporting result.”

With Ovechkin’s goal on Ilya Sorokin, Ovechkin has now scored on 183 different goalies in his career.

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin scored his 30th goal of the season Tuesday, continuing his determined march to break Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record. The 39-year-old veteran is now just 11 goals behind, putting him firmly on pace to break the record in the coming weeks.

Still performing at an elite level at the tail end of his career, this is the 19th time in 20 seasons that Ovechkin has scored 30 goals. In order to break Gretzky’s all-time total of 894 goals, Ovechkin has required consistent excellence and exceptional longevity. He is nearly there now, though it would be hard to tell by his typically muted comments to reporters.

“My linemates, teammates do a pretty good job finding me out there and I just have to finish it up,” Ovechkin said after the game Tuesday, a 3-1 loss to the Calgary Flames.

Despite missing five weeks this season to recover from a broken fibula, Ovechkin is still tied for seventh in goals scored across the league. Oilers star Leon Draisaitl’s 43 goals will be tough to catch, but Ovechkin is only three behind second place, a testament to his production when he’s been on the ice this season.

Record chasing has served Washington well this season, as Ovechkin’s hunt coincides with the team’s 38-12-8 record. Though the Capitals aren’t considered a front runner for the Stanley Cup, they’re solidly in the running for the President’s Trophy with a commanding lead in the Eastern Conference.

Barring an injury, Ovechkin’s 20th NHL season could end up being the most important in his career. The next 23 games will be spent breaking Gretzky’s record and further cementing his own. After that, he will lead a talented Capitals team to the playoffs, where he will have the chance to win his second Stanley Cup. For one of the all-time greats, there are countless ways to get to a storybook ending.

With a hat trick in a 7-3 blowout win against the Chicago Blackhawks Tuesday, Alexander Ovechkin became the third player in NHL history to score 800 career goals, joining Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe. It wasn’t the prettiest score of his career, but it would’ve been a tall task for the Washington Capitals star to make his 800th his best.

Between 14 postseason berths and a Stanley Cup victory in 2018, Ovechkin has given more to the Capitals than any individual in the franchise’s history. In fact, his impact on the team and league is so widely understood that some Chicago fans threw their hats on the rink as a show of respect after his historic score.

Now at 800, the Great Eight is one goal away from tying Howe for the second-most goals all time. Though Gretzky’s total of 894 is still out of reach, Ovechkin has nevertheless ensured that he will be remembered as one of the greatest goal scorers in the history of the sport. He will have a chance to tie or overtake Howe on Thursday when the Capitals play the Dallas Stars at 7:00 p.m. ET.

“Let’s take it step by step,” Ovechkin said. “It’s a big number. It’s the best company you ever can imagine since you started playing hockey, with Gordie (and Wayne) — 800, I’m the third person who ever scored that many goals.”

Ovechkin’s longevity has been a marvel in itself, as the Capitals’ captain has remained healthy for years in an especially punishing sport. His sustained success has been even more remarkable, however, as he has now scored at least 20 goals in every season since his NHL career began in 2005. He is on pace for another highly productive season this year at age 37 with 20 goals in 31 games thus far.

Ovechkin’s performance has not yet propelled the Capitals in the standings, as the team is sixth in the Metropolitan Division, standing at 15-12 with four overtime losses.

Alex Ovechkin’s goal in the second period against the Detroit Red Wings Thursday proved inconsequential in a 3-1 defeat for the Washington Capitals. As Ovechkin’s 786th career score, however, it will forever be best known as the score that made history.

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In his 18th season as a member of the Capitals, Ovechkin has now tied longtime Red Wing Gordie Howe for most goals scored with a single NHL team. Between 1946 and 1971, Howe scored 786 times in 25 seasons with Detroit.

Taken first overall in the 2004 NHL Entry Draft, Ovechkin signed with the Capitals in 2005 and made an immediate impact, scoring 98 goals in his first two seasons for struggling Washington teams. The team has only missed the playoffs once since, earning 14 postseason berths since 2007.

The culmination of the 2017-18 season, a historic Stanley Cup victory for Ovechkin and the Capitals, meant much more than a single successful season. After more than a decade, the star finally managed to lead a team to the championship, and his viral celebration tour for weeks afterwards felt like it was years overdue.

Ovechkin’s 786 goals are not only the most a player has earned on a single team, but the third most in NHL history, behind Wayne Gretzky with 894 and Howe, who scored 15 additional goals for the Hartford Whalers in the 1979-80 season to earn 801 total.

If Ovechkin, who scored 50 goals in the 2021-22 season, stays on the ice for as long as Gretzky or Howe did, he has a very real chance to break the career record, a fitting honor for the player many already consider to be the greatest scorer in NHL history.

The Capitals currently hold a 5-5-2 record, a start that leaves them behind most of their division rivals without knocking them out of contention entirely early in the season. If Ovechkin can continue to produce at age 37 as he has in recent years, the team has as much of a chance as they’ve had for nearly two decades with “the Great Eight” at the helm.

Johnny Gaudreau and Claude Giroux made all the headlines in free agency – but Dylan Strome may be the best bargain signing.

When gauging the free agent market, teams need to be careful.

Offering a player too much term or full no-move or no-trade clauses could come back to haunt. 

This is because players tend to get worse as they age.

But this isn’t the same case with Strome, who is signing a one-year deal reportedly worth $3.5 million with the Washington Capitals.

Typically to become a free agent, the player must have played in the NHL for seven years or must be 27 years or older.

Strome is a rarer case.

The 25-year-old center was likely let go because the Chicago Blackhawks have their site sets at the top players in next year’s draft, which features projected first-overall-pick Connor Bedard.

Although former third-overall-pick Strome is set to play for his third NHL team already, the Ontario, Canadian native has only gotten better. 

Last season, playing in the Blackhawk’s top-six, Strome registered 48 points in 69 games. 

That’s a massive improvement from his 17 points in just 40 games played in the previous year, as Strome then struggled with injuries. 

Also, his underlying metrics were solid. 

Strome has a projected wins above replacement (WAR) percentage of 83%, according to data from NHL analytics site JFreshHockey. 

WAR measures a player’s total contribution to a team. 

For the Capitals, it was a rare opportunity to claim a young promising player without surrendering any assets. 

Strome will now be given the chance to potentially play on a line with Russian superstar Alex Ovechkin.

An even sweeter part of the deal for the Capitals is Strome will be a restricted free agent next year. 

So, if the organization wishes, it will have team control for another year and can tender Strome. 

But there is a challenge that lies ahead for the Capitals. 

According to CapFriendly, the team is now more than $6 million over the cap.

It’s possible that the Capitals may have a few players that will start the season on long-term injury reserve (LTIR).

That would buy it some extra time because those players wouldn’t count against the cap as long as they are on the list. 

For example, 35-year-old Nicklas Backstrom, who carries a cap charge of $9.2 million is one candidate for (LTIR). 

Backstrom has a hip injury that has been described as “chronic.”

His hockey future remains cloudy. 

Alex Ovechkin has no plans of leaving the team that drafted him 17 years ago.

The captain of the Washington Capitals announced that he believes he will reach a new contract with the team soon. Ovechkin is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, as his previous contract with the Capitals, for 13 years and $124 million ends this season. Ovechkin has been in conversations with team owner Ted Leonsis as well as general manager Brian MacLellan, and believes that a deal is imminent.

The Capitals were just eliminated from the NHL Playoffs in the first round on Sunday, when the franchise lost to the Boston Bruins by a score of 3-1, losing the series 4-1. This marks the third consecutive year that the Capitals have lost in the first round of the playoffs, a decline from their Stanley Cup championship in 2018. This season also marks the first time in his career that Ovechkin scored fewer than 30 goals, though the NHL did only play a 56-game regular season.

Ovechkin also faced a number of injuries throughout the season, including a leg injury just before the start of the playoffs which will prevent him from joining Team Russia at the IIHF World Championships in Latvia. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ovechkin was asking for around $12.5 million per year, which would match the most expensive contract in the league, held by Edminton’s Conor McDavid. Nevertheless, Leonsis has made it clear that they have every intention of resigning Ovechkin, regardless of the length of contract he desires. “Alex knows that if he plays five more years, 10 more years, whatever it is, we’ve got his back,” Leonsis said. “Our commitment to him is to continue to have great teams. We’ll spend to the cap; we’ll try to win championships. And that’s what he’s focused on, because that will be his legacy.”

The NHL announced that it will only fine Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson for a recent hit.

The incident occurred on Monday night when the Capitals were facing off with the New York Rangers. The two teams got into a scuffle in the second period. Wilson repeatedly punched Pavel Buchnevich in the head once Buchnevich was down on the ice after the play was stopped. Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin came to pull Wilson off from Buchnevich, but Wilson then proceeded to attack Panarin. Wilson attacked Panarin and pulled his hair before slamming his head down onto the ice. Wilson then punched him before slamming Panarin back onto the ice when the left winger attempted to get up.

Many fans, players and teams were upset at the league’s punishment for the right-winger. “Washington’s Tom Wilson has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for Roughing NY Rangers’ Pavel Buchnevich,” the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced.

Former NHL player John Scott released his own response to the league’s decision. “Shame on you, NHL, you should have [done] something to protect Panarin, and shame on Wilson, you ought to know better,” Scott said. “It was a joke of a fine. Listen, I love this kind of hockey, I think we all do, but what Tom did, there’s no excuse for that. It’s insane to me that he only got a $5,000 fine.”

The former player went on to describe it as a bad precedent that the league is setting by only fining Wilson. “What this means: It’s fair game, baby, in any scrum,” Scott said. “If you go into a scrum anywhere on the ice and you see a star player, I’m throwing sucker punches, I’m grabbing this guy, I’m twisting ankles, I’m doing whatever I can because the worst thing that’s going to happen to me is a $5,000 [fine] because I don’t see anyone doing more than what Tom Wilson did to Panarin.”

The Rangers released their official team statement in response to Wilson’s fine. “The New York Rangers are extremely disappointed that Capitals forward Tom Wilson was not suspended for his horrifying act of violence,” the team’s statement read. “Wilson is a repeat offender, and we find it shocking that the NHL and their department of player safety failed to take appropriate action and suspend him indefinitely. Wilson’s dangerous and reckless actions caused an injury to Artemi Panarin that will prevent him from playing again this season. We view this as a dereliction of duty by NHL Head of Player Safety, George Parros, and believe he is unfit to continue his current role.”

Following the hit, Panarin did not return to the game. The team then announced that Panarin will not play for the remainder of the season because of a “lower-body” injury.

The NHL trade deadline ended on Monday afternoon. Various teams rushed to make last-minute deals in order to either strengthen or rebuild their respective rosters. Here are some of the biggest trades that went down just ahead of the National Hockey League’s trade deadline. We take a look at a few trades from Sunday and every major move from Monday.

1) The Colorado Avalanche acquired Carl Soderberg from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for prospects Josh Dickinson and Ryder Rolston.

2) Colorado gets defender Patrik Nemeth from the Detroit Red Wings fora 2022 fourth-round pick.

3) Colorado acquires goaltender Devan Dubnyk from the San Jose Sharks for Greg Pateryn and a 2021 fifth-round pick.

Soderberg marks his return to Colorado with this trade. Soderberg previously played for the Avalanche from 2015-2019. Colorado traded him to the Arizona in 2019. The Avalanche get a veteran to bolster their team, which is currently in first place in the Western Conference. The Blackhawks gain prospects Dickinson and Rolston.

The Avalanche continues to make moves to improve their roster and gear up for a deep playoff run. The team seems to be doing this by acquiring previous franchise players. Nemeth played with Colorado when Soderberg was part of the team.

Colorado also gets a veteran goalie to help their goaltending depth and needs.

4) Detroit trades F Anthony Mantha to the Washington Capitals for F Richard Panik, F Jakub Vrana, a 2021 first-round pick and a 2022 second-round pick.

Clearly, the Red Wings are stockpiling picks and young assets while trading away their stars as they begin the rebuilding process.

5) The Capitals also acquired forward Michael Raffl from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a 2021 fifth-round draft pick.

Matha, the 26-year-old forward, has produced 21 points (11 goals and 10 assists) in 42 games this season. He should be a great addition to the Capitals’ high-volume offense featuring Alex Ovechkin. Matha is the high-profile addition here, but Raffl isn’t too shabby either. He has three goals and five assists in 34 games for the Flyers this year.

“We really liked Anthony for quite a while now,” Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan said. “I like a lot of the attributes: the size (6-foot-5, 234 pounds), the skill, the shot, the scoring ability. He’s a really good skater for his size. I think it’s a player that we’ve liked and talked about a lot in our room, and we had a chance to acquire him, so we went out and got him.”

5) The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired F Nick Foligno from the Columbus Blue Jackets and F Stefan Noesan from the Sharks in a three-team deal in exchange for a 2021 first-round pick, a 2021 fourth-round pick as well as a fourth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.

6) Toronto also added goalie David Rittich from the Calgary Flames for a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.

7) Toronto traded a 2022 fifth-round draft pick for defender Ben Hutton from the Anaheim Ducks.

8) Toronto sent forward Alexander Barabanov to the Sharks for forward Anti Suomela.

The Maple Leafs were in a full-blown buy mode. They are attempting to make a deep postseason run, and adding Foligno will certainly take some pressure off of Auston Matthews and John Tavares. Toronto has put all their chips on the table and are going all-in on this season. It is championship or bust for the Maple Leafs.

“I felt that the group of players and coaches deserved every effort on our end, on management, to bolster the team and try to give us as great a chance as possible down the stretch in our division and into the playoffs,” Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas said. “We were excited to be able to, we believe, add the pieces that will continue to enhance our ability to be as competitive as possible as we go into the playoffs and roll from there.”

9) The Boston Bruins acquired Taylor Hall and Curtis Lazar from the Buffalo Sabres in exchange for Anders Bjork and a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.

10) The Ottawa Senators dealt Mike Reilly to the Bruins and sent Braydon Coburn to the New York Islanders. The Senators received a third-round pick and seventh-round pick in 2022 for the two players.

After signing a one-year, $8 million dollar deal before the star of the season, Hall can become a free agent at the end of the season. The 29-year-old forward has tallied 19 points (two goals and 17 assists) in 37 games for the struggling Sabres this season.

As the No. 1 pick by the Oilers in the 2010 NHL Draft, Hall has scored 582 points (220 goals, 362 assists) in 664 regular-season games for the Sabres, Devils, Coyotes and Oilers. He won the Hart Trophy in 2017-18 when he was voted as the NHL most valuable player after scoring an NHL career-high 93 points (39 goals, 54 assists) in 76 games for the Devils.

Adding Reilly also helps bolster Boston’s defense. The 27-year-old has 19 assists in 40 games this season. The Bruins’ defense has been extremely banged up this season so Reilly will be a welcome addition to Boston.

Right now, the Bruins are in fourth place in the MassMutual East Division. Since the top four teams make the playoffs, this move should help Boston’s chances of making a Stanley Cup run.

Other Moves:

11) The Winnipeg Jets acquired defensemen Jordie Benn from the Vancouver Canucks for a 2021 sixth-round draft pick.

12) The Nashville Predators received defenseman Erik Gudbranson from Ottawa in exchange for defenseman Brandon Fortunato and 2023 seventh-round draft pick.

13) The Montreal Canadiens acquired defenseman Erik Gustafsson from Philadelphia in exchange for a 2022 seventh-round draft pick.

14) The Florida Panthers added forward Sam Bennett and a 2022 sixth-round draft pick from Calgary in exchange for forward Emil Heineman and a 2022 second-round draft pick.

15) The Canucks acquired defenseman Madison Bowey and a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft from Chicago in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft.

16) Anaheim landed defenseman Haydn Fleury from the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for defenseman Jani Hakanpaa and a sixth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.

17) The Vegas Golden Knights acquired forward Mattias Janmark, defenseman Nick DeSimone and a fifth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft from Chicago and San Jose in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft and a third-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. San Jose additionally receives a fifth-round pick in the 2022 draft.

18) The Tampa Bay Lightning acquire defenseman Fredrik Claesson from the Sharks for goaltender Magnus Chrona.

19) The Edmonton Oilers landed defenseman Dmitry Kulikov from the Devils for a conditional fourth-round pick in the 2022 NHL Draft.

20) The Blackhawks acquired forward Adam Gaudette from Vancouver in exchange for forward Matthew Highmore.

21) The Pittsburgh Penguins acquired forward Jeff Carter from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for conditional draft picks in 2022 and 2023.

Washington Capitals goaltender Henrik Lundqvist announced on social media that he will undergo open-heart surgery.

Two weeks ago, Lundqvist announced that he will miss the 2020-2021 NHL season because of a heart condition. On Monday morning, he revealed more details that he needed to have open-heart surgery because of a heart condition. He tweeted out, “Scheduled for an open heart surgery now- Aortic Valve replacement, Aortic Root and Ascending Aortic Replacement, to be more exact.” The 38-year-old affirmed that he was going to stay positive, “Staying positive here and set on the road to recovery.”

The iconic goalkeeper had spent the majority of his career with the New York Rangers. In his 15 seasons with New York, he emerged as a superstar with them. Lundqvist helped lead the Rangers to playoff success as they made it to the Eastern Conference Finals three times and one Stanley Cup appearance. Lundqvist won the 2012 Vezina trophy, and in 2014, led the team to the Stanley Cup Finals, where they lost to the Los Angeles Kings in five games. The goalkeeper became a beloved sports figure in New York, as fans gave him the nicknames “The King” and “Hank.”

After the conclusion of last season, he was bought out of his contract. Lundqvist signed with the 2018 Stanley Cup Champions the Capitals in an effort to win one Stanley Cup in his illustrious career. He was set to make his debut with Washington in the 2020-2021 season but that is no longer the case because of his heart condition and upcoming surgery.

The former Vezina Trophy winner has played in more than 1,000 games including playoffs, career goals-against an average of .243 and a .918 save average in the regular season. His postseason GAA is a .230 and a .921 save average.

With two-thirds of the season finished for the NHL, we’re in the final stretch until playoffs that start on April 8th.

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The Boston Bruins are first in the NHL standings with 39-13 record with a total of 90 points on the season. The Bruins are led this season by the six-year veteran, right-wing David Pastmak who has a total of 88 points this year. He has 45 goals and 43 assists. Trailing the Bruins are the Tampa Bay Lightning with a 40-18 record and 85 points on the season and the Washington Capitals right behind them with a 39-18 record and 84 total points. With another third of the season left, all the playoff spots are up for grabs as teams continue to fight for the top 16.

Here are the dates, times, and locations of upcoming NHL games.

Alex Ovechkin is now one goal shy of reaching 700, scoring his first goal in five games on Thursday night in the Washington Capitals’ 4-3 overtime loss to the Montreal Canadiens.

His last goal came with a hat trick on Feb. 4 against the Los Angeles Kings. He now sits at 699 career goals.

As the slump continued, members of the Capitals’ organization spoke out, including GM Brian MacLellan.

“From observing, I would say I think everybody wants him to get it and are trying hard for him to get it… let’s just play our game and it’s going to happen organically,” MacLellan said. “It’s just going to take care of itself.”

Ovechkin’s thoughts were clear as he sought to end the drought.

“I don’t think somebody thinks about it,” he said. “If it happens, it happens. It’s just a matter of time. Tomorrow, after tomorrow, whatever. We’re focusing right now to get our game better, to secure a playoff spot, and then we’ll move on.”

Only seven players have reached the 700 mark: Wayne Gretzkey, Gordie Howe, Jaromir Jagr, Brett Hull, Marcel Dionne, Phil Esposito, and Mike Gartner.

This weekend, Ovechkin will have two chances to reach the 700 club. They visit New Jersey on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. ET on MSG+ and host the Pittsburgh Penguins on Sunday at 12:00 p.m. ET on NBC.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

The Washington Capitals surged past the Los Angeles Kings to walk away with a 4-2 victory, resting on the shoulders of their leader, Alexander Ovechkin. Trailing by one goal late in the third, the 34-year old captain turned on the heat with three straight goals in four minutes and twenty-four seconds.

“In less than five minutes, he took over the game, ” Coach Todd Reirden said. “We win the game because of that.”

This was Ovechkin’s fourth hat trick of the season, putting him just two goals shy of a career 700. He is on track to do this in 1,140 career games, which would put this the second fastest in NHL history.

He has 16 goals in his past 10 games. When asked if he amazes himself, his response was classic Ovechkin.

“Not yet,” he said. I’m still playing. Right after the year, yeah, I’m pretty sure my family and my friends are going to talk about it, but now personally I don’t try to concentrate about it. I’m just going out there and doing my job.”

The Kings held strong in the beginning of the game, keeping control pretty much until the end. They held Washington to only 12 shots through the first 40 minutes.

Then Ovechkin came alive.

“Give him a couple more years, and he’ll be at 800,” Kings coach Todd McLellan said. “It’s that type of night where maybe you don’t see him a lot early and then bang, bang, bang – and it’s in the net and they’ve won.”

Looking ahead to the future, McLellan was hopeful in his team’s process.

“Our ability to close and finish out games hasn’t been very good,” he said. “And that’s the next step in our evolution.”

Capitals fans and those around the league may see Ovechkin reach 700 when they take on the Flyers on February 8 at 7:00 p.m. ET.

SLIDESHOW: 50 GREAT SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019

One of the NHL’s grittiest defenseman is calling it quits after 15 seasons.

Brooks Orpik, the 18th overall pick of the 2000 NHL Draft, played 1,035 career regular season games between the Pittsburgh Penguins and most recently the Washington Capitals. Orpik finishes his career after 194 career points consisting of 18 goals and 176 assists. Orpik also ends his career as a two-time Stanley Cup winner, in 2009 with the Penguins and 2018 with the Capitals.

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“I’ve been extremely lucky to have the best job in the world for many years, but my body is telling me it is time to move on to something new,” said Orpik in an interview with the Capitals. “I’m excited for more family time and to experience a lot of the things that being a professional athlete forces you to miss out on. Thank you to the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins for giving me the opportunity to play against the best athletes in the world. I’ll be forever grateful for the memories and relationships that hockey has given me.”

SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019- TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

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Orpik spent the first ten seasons of his career with the Penguins from 2004-2014. Orpik’s leadership became quickly evident as he became an alternate captain in 2008, just four years after making the NHL. Orpik’s leadership is one of the main reasons why the Capitals offered him a five-year, $27.5 million contract during the 2014 offseason.

Orpik’s veteran presence and leadership helped the Capitals capture their first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Orpik’s veteran presence was on full display during Game 2 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals against the Vegas Golden Knights when Orpik scored the game-winning goal to tie the series up at 1-1. It was Orpik’s first goal in over two years.

When asked about Orpik’s retirement, Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin said, “Batya was a great leader in our locker room and was so important for us to win our first Stanley Cup. We will miss his presence in the room and on the ice. Not only was he a great leader and a player, but he was a better person. I’m so happy I had a chance to play with him and for our young guys to have had the chance to learn from him. I want to wish him, Erin and his kids the best. We will miss him and the Batya protein shakes!”

With the NHL Draft coming up on June 21, future stars will be presented an opportunity to implement themselves in a variety of teams. Last year’s Stanley Cup champions, the Washington Capitals, will be looking to find gold like they have in the past. In this year’s draft, the Caps have the 25th overall pick. A decade ago in 2009, the Caps were in a similar position in the draft with the 24th pick.

In the 2009 draft, the Caps picked forward Marcus Johansson with their first round pick, and he proved to be quite the selection. Ten years later, Johansson has scored 120 goals with 214 assists in 588 total career NHL games. For his first seven years in the NHL, he played for the Caps, scoring 102 of those goals for them. He has since been traded to the New Jersey Devils. The Caps proved to have done great business with the trade for him, as they picked up defensemen Michal Kempny and Martin Fehervary to help them win the 2018 Stanley Cup.

In the second round, the Caps picked up defenseman Dmitry Orlov and he has played 447 games for the franchise. He has eliminated the rookie mistakes he was prone to in his early years, and has proven himself a top four defender for the Caps. Orlov has recently signed a new deal with the Caps, keeping him there till 2023.

The Caps picked Cody Eakin in the third round and he played only 30 games for the Caps before they traded him to the Dallas Stars, and picked up a 2012 second-round pick where they would later select Mike Ribeiro. 

SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2019 – IN MEMORIAM SLIDESHOW

The Caps will clearly try to match their great picks they made a decade ago, getting 500 games out of Johnasson before trading him for tremendous defensemen Kempny and Fehervary. Orlov remains a vital piece as well in the Caps’ back-line. In this year’s draft, the Caps could use their 25th pick to select Patrik Puistola, a talented winger from Finland. The 17-year-old has years to improve and could be one for the future.

According to Corey Pronman of The Athletic, he says about Puistola that “he’s one of the best puck handlers in the draft. As a 17-year-old he made pro defenders look foolish, and he has the high level of creativity to try to make tough plays every game.”

The Caps have proven in the past that they know where to draft and what to look for. With the draft coming up and young talent joining the league, it’s an exciting time for hockey fans.

In a pivotal and big game 7, the returning champs the Washington Capitals were not be able to pull through – they suffered a 4-3 loss in double overtime.

The former champs were not expecting a departure this early from the playoffs.

Every season teams try to improve while at the same time you try to match and exceed the expectations of last year. “You’re always trying to re-set after every season,” center Nicklas Backstrom said. “You knew that was the case, but you were trying to re-set and trying to play every game like normal. We would have liked a better outcome, but it happens.”

The Capitals felt truly stunned reflecting on how their series lead of 2-0 wasn’t enough to pull through and then having the 3-1 advantage and still not being able to close it out. To give the other team three separate opportunities to come back and close out the series is a recipe for disaster.

The Capitals position reminds me a lot of the one that the Golden State Warriors had on their hands. Coming off winning the championship in the previous season, the Warriors looked poised for another title.

They dominated their matchup and went up 3-1 in the NBA final until the Cleveland Cavaliers would rally back and win a Game 7 at Oracle arena.

Several players gathered with the media to give their take:

Even coach Todd Reirden’s responses were short and brief as he took a moment to address the media as well.

Monday night’s game between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals got brutal.

While the Caps lost 5-0 on Monday night, they weren’t the biggest losers on the ice. That title goes to Hurricanes young cornerstone Andrei Svechnikov, who got dropped by Capitals legend Alex Ovechkin.

Ovechkin KO’s Rising Canes Star Svehcnikov

The 19-year-old Svechnikov, who was the second overall pick in the 2018 NHL draft, dropped gloves with Ovechkin in the first period. Previously, they had been pushing and shoving with sticks in Carolina’s offensive zone. Tensions rose and moments later, Svechnikov was out cold on the ice. The 19-year-old was immediately taken care of and helped off to the locker room. He’s expected to miss game four of the series after the fight.

Here’s the video of the two players going at it:

For the 33-year-old Ovechkin, it proved he can still play dirty if need be. The fight was just the fourth in his career and the first since 2010.

“First of all I hope he is OK,” Ovechkin said of his opponent after the game. “I’m not a big fighter. He’s the same. He asked me to fight. You don’t want to see a guy get hurt.”

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour portrayed Ovechkin in a more negative light, saying that Ovechkin took his gloves off first and that their 19-year-old had “never fought in his life, and I’m pretty sure Ovi knew that. So that stuff bothers me.”

Washington leads the series 2-1.

Here are some of the best reactions to the fight:

The NHL regular season has finally wrapped up and the playoffs are about to get started. The chase for postseason glory will kick off on Wednesday, April 10. The reigning champs, the Washington Capitals, will host the Carolina Hurricanes in the opening round. Below are the full schedules for the first round:

Eastern Conference

Washington Capitals Vs Carolina Hurricanes: 

Thursday, April 11, 7:30 P.M. EST – @ Capitals

Saturday, April 13, 3 P.M. EST  @ Capitals

Monday, April 15, 7 P.M. EST @ Hurricanes

Thursday, April 18, 7 P.M. EST @ Hurricanes

Saturday, April 20, TBD (if necessary) @ Capitals

Monday, April 22, TBD (if necessary) @ Hurricanes

Wednesday, April 24, TBD (if necessary) @ Capitals

Tampa Bay Lightning Vs Columbus Blue Jackets:

Wednesday, April 10, 7 P.M. EST @ Lightning

Friday, April 12, 7 P.M. EST @ Lightning

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW 

Sunday, April 14, 7 P.M. EST @ Blue Jackets

Tuesday, April 16, 7 P.M. EST @ Blue Jackets

Friday, April 19, TBD (if necessary) @ Lightning

Sunday, April 21, TBD (if necessary) @ Blue Jackets

Tuesday, April 23, TBD (if necessary) @ Lightning

Boston Bruins Vs Toronto Maple Leafs:

Thursday, April 11, 7 P.M. EST @ Bruins

Saturday, April 13, 8 P.M. EST @ Bruins

Monday, April 15, 7 P.M. EST @ Maple Leafs

Wednesday, April 17, 7 P.M. EST @ Maple Leafs

Friday, April 19, TBD (if necessary) @ Bruins

Sunday, April 21, TBD (if necessary) @ Maple Leafs

Tuesday, April 23, TBD (if necessary) @ Bruins

New York Islanders Vs Pittsburgh Penguins: 

Wednesday, April 10, 7:30 P.M. EST @ Islanders

Friday, April 12, 7:30 P.M. EST @ Islanders

Sunday, April 14, 12:00 P.M. EST @ Penguins

Tuesday, April 16, 7:30 P.M. EST @ Penguins

Thursday, April 18, TBD (if necessary) @ Islanders

Saturday, April 20, TBD (if necessary) @ Penguins

Monday, April 22, TBD (if necessary) @ Islanders

Western Conference

Nashville Predators Vs Dallas Stars: 

Wednesday, April 10, 9:30 P.M. EST @ Predators

Saturday, April 13, 6 P.M. EST @ Predators

Monday, April 15, 9:30 P.M. EST @ Stars

Wednesday, April 17, 8 P.M. EST @ Stars

Saturday, April 20, TBD (if necessary) @ Predators

Monday, April 22, TBD (if necessary @ Stars

Wednesday, April 24, TBD (if necessary) @ Predators

Winnipeg  Jets Vs St. Louis Blues: 

Wednesday, April 10, 8 P.M. EST @ Jets

Friday, April 12, 9:30 P.M. EST @ Jets

Sunday, April 14, 7:30 P.M. EST @ Blues

Tuesday, April 16, 9:30 P.M. EST @ Blues

Thursday, April 18, TBD (if necessary) @ Jets

Saturday, April 20, TBD (if necessary) @ Blues

Monday, April 22, TBD (if necessary) @ Jets

Calgary Flames Vs Colorado Avalanche: 

Thursday, April 11, 10 P.M. EST @ Flames

Saturday, April 13, 10:30 P.M. EST @ Flames

Monday, April 15, 10 P.M. EST @ Avalanche

Wednesday, April 17, 10 P.M. EST @ Avalanche

Friday, April 19, TBD (if necessary) @ Flames

Sunday, April 21, TBD (if necessary) @ Avalanche

Tuesday, April 23, TBD (if necessary) @ Flames

San Jose Sharks Vs Vegas Golden Knights: 

Wednesday, April 10, 10:30 P.M. EST @ Sharks

Friday, April 12, 10:30 P.M. EST @ Sharks

Sunday, April 14, 10 P.M. EST @ Golden Knights

Tuesday, April 16, 10:30 P.M. EST @ Golden Knights

Thursday, April 18, TBD (if necessary) @ Sharks

Sunday, April 21, TBD (if necessary) @ Golden Knights

Tuesday, April 23, TBD (if necessary) @ Sharks

The New Jersey Devils (9-10-4, 22 points, 7th in Metropolitan Division) will face off against the defending national champion Washington Capitals at Capital One Arena in D.C. for a Week 9 Metropolitan Division showdown on Friday night.

Capitals host struggling Devils on Nov. 30

The Capitals (14-7-3, 2nd in Metropolitan Division) are on one of the hottest streaks in the league right now as they enter tonight’s matchup with six back-to-back victories and look primed to stretch it to seven. The Devils are a whole other story, as they are coming off a three-game losing streak (two of which came on the road).

The Devils are tied points-wise with the Philadelphia Flyers for last in the Metropolitan division and will need to figure things out quickly before the season gets away from them.

Center Jean-Sebastien Dea was claimed by the Pittsburgh Penguins after the Devils put him on waivers yesterday. Dea ends his stint with the Devils with 3 goals, 2 assists and 27 shots in 20 games played.

The Devils also announced that Michael McLeod has been called up to New Jersey. McLeod has put up 10 points (3 goals, 7 assists) in 21 games for the minor league Binghamton Devils thus far.

Most concerning of McLeod’s numbers are his shots, which he’s only amassed 25 of over his 21 games (1.2 per game). For reference, Dea had a shot rate of 1.35 in the NHL before being waived. Assuming he gets the start, this could be the 2016 first-rounder’s NHL debut.

New Jersey right wing Joey Anderson will sit out for tonights game as he recovers from surgery for a broken left ankle that he sustained last week against the Montréal Canadiens. Anderson has appeared in 11 games so far this season with a goal, an assist and 17 shots on goal.

Washington has been plagued with injuries for the past two weeks after both centerman Evgeny Kuznetsov and forward T.J. Oshie went down with concussions in the same game on Nov. 14. Oshie is second highest scorer on the team with nine goals and 14 points.

Star left wing Alex Ovechkin is leading the helm in the nation’s capital with 18 goals and 28 points in 24 games. He’s scored in three games in a row and has six goals in his last six games.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

Centerman Nicklas Backstrom and defenseman John Carlson have also been dominating offensively, feeding the team 22 and 21 assists, respectively, and 28 points.

Jakub Vrana seems to have taken a step forward, with 14 points in 24 games, including six goals. The other defensemen that will be seen a lot are Matt Niskanen, Dmitry Orlov and Michal Kempny, with each averaging at least 18 minutes a game.

TICKETS: WASHINGTON CAPITALS SEASON TICKETS

Tom Wilson had a heck of a performance in the Caps’ 4-1 assault against the New York Islanders Monday night. Wilson left the game with 2 goals, 6 shots on goal, 3 points and 1 assists. He has 12 points and 6 goals in 8 games.

This game airs on NSW+, MSG+ and NHL Network at 7:00 p.m. EST Friday from Capital One Arena.

Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson was suspended for 20 games on Wednesday after a blow to the head on St. Louis Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist.

Tom Wilson Sidelined For 20 Games, Longest Since 2015

A repeat offender, this is Wilson’s fourth suspension since last September, spanning only 105 games. This 20-game suspension is a significant one, the longest for any NHL player since 2015. It’s also the longest of Wilson’s suspension-studded career.

Even when pursuing the team’s first Stanley Cup victory, he was banned from three games in the 2018 postseason. The “high, forceful hit” was avoidable and intentional, according to The NHL Department of Player Safety, which reinforced its decision to ban the frequent offender, citing it “had no formula for a player who had been suspended this often in the modern era including just 16 games between suspensions.” Players who repeatedly violate league rules will be more severely punished for each new violation, according to the collective bargaining agreement with the NHL and NHLPA.

30 SPORTS FIGURES WHO DIED IN 2018 – TRIBUTE SLIDESHOW

Teammates were frustrated with the decision, accusing the NHL of targeting Wilson for his past. The Department of Player Safety said Wilson’s suspension during the last postseason was the combination of an “extreme injury” and an “extreme history”. This is what frustrated teammates this time around.

Devante Smith-Pelly of the Capitals detested the NHL’s moves on his teammate. “Honestly, I think it is garbage if I’m going to be honest,” he said. “We watched a video from the league saying what hits are good and what aren’t. They showed some hits way worse than that, maybe not in force, but in regards to the head, that were so-called allowed. I guess he just has a different rulebook. It’s garbage, honestly.”

This suspension may or may not see the upward trend of rehabilitation for the troubled Caps forward.

The Washington Capitals are still over the moon after winning their first-ever Stanley Cup last Thursday and, led by their 32-year-old Russian captain Alex Ovechkin, they celebrated with a parade on Tuesday.

Capitals Celebrate Stanley Cup Title

Tens of thousands of fans attended the celebration, according to several reports, as the Caps’ victory over the expansion franchise Vegas Golden Knights marked Washington’s first major professional sports championship in 26 years (since the Redskins last won the Super Bowl).

According to The Washington Post, dozens of profanity-laced screams filled the streets, gallons of beer were consumed and many fans even sung Queen’s “We Are The Champions.”

“We had a dream,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz said, quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “And we did it.”

Ovechkin, meanwhile, encouraged the fans to stay rowdy.

“You thought it was gonna be crazy but it’s basically nuts,” Ovechkin told the team’s fans. “You guys are killing it.”

Ovechkin announced just last week that he is expecting his first child with his wife Anastasia. On Tuesday, he encouraged the crowd to join the Capitals in singing “We Are The Champions,” a song that has become a favorite of the team’s.

Ovechkin has played with the Capitals since one year after he entered the NHL as the first overall draft pick in 2004. The winger reportedly has carried the Stanley Cup trophy with him everywhere since winning it. He even posted photos of himself sleeping next to it and holding it while taking a picture with White House advisers Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner.

“We’re absolutely nothing without you guys,” center and alternate captain Nicklas Backstrom told the crowd. “Finally, we started playing hockey like we can party.”

Some cars were seen carrying banners that read: “Ovechkin for President.”

Ovechkin and Capitals goalie Braden Holtby also made an appearance on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring jimmy Fallon to discuss the celebrations and — along with Belmont Stakes/Triple Crown-winning jockey Mike Smith — drank out of the Stanley Cup on the show. Holtby and Ovechkin even helped Fallon do a keg stand to drink out of the cup.

The D.C. Fire Department Emerald Society Pipes and Drums played “God Bless America” at the parade.