Ovechkin final season has Capitals energized to win another Cup

ARLINGTON, Va. -- The beginning of Alex Ovechkin's farewell to the NHL provided another memorable moment for the Washington Capitals with a 5-3 victory against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins is his final home opener on Wednesday.

They hope there are plenty more ahead.

After announcing to his Capitals teammates Monday that this will be his final season in the League, Ovechkin, the NHL record holder with 929 goals, urged them to make the most of the opportunity ahead of them this season.  

"Let's enjoy it and let's do some special things this year," Ovechkin said. 

Washington, undoubtedly, would love to end Ovechkin's last ride in the NHL with another Stanley Cup parade. Just three games in, the Capitals (2-1-0) have a long road to get anywhere near that point and will face another early-season test when they host the New York Rangers (4-1-0) at Capital One Arena on Friday (7 p.m. ET; MNMT, NHLN, MSG).

They saw during the 2024-25 season, though, how Ovechkin's chase of the NHL goal record galvanized the entire team. Ovechkin surpassed Wayne Gretzky for the most goals in League history by scoring his 895th goal on April 6, 2025, and the Capitals finished first in the Eastern Conference that season with 111 points (51-22-9).

Knowing that this is Ovechkin's final season could do similar.

"There's urgency every year in the National Hockey League, no doubt, but (there's) a little bit of like, ‘I've got to make sure that I'm pulling my weight," Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. "… I've spoken on it a bunch on the (goal record) chase and how that energized our group at certain moments during the year of really grabbing 20 guys of not just ‘Ovi' but everybody trying to go like, ‘All right. Let's find a way to get 'O' one tonight or get a 3-2 lead so that he can get out there and score a 5-on-6 goal.'

"So, I do think it adds a little bit of urgency and the guys are aware of it and then it's just about utilizing that to our team's benefit."

After not playing in the preseason because of a lower-body injury, Ovechkin is off to a slow start in his 22nd season with one assist while averaging 13:28 in ice time through the first three games. The Capitals also have a much deeper team around Ovechkin after adding forwards Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou and Boone Jenner this offseason, and it's clear there are going to be more games when he plays more of a supporting role. 

The 41-year-old left wing remains the Capitals' unquestioned leader as their captain, though, and their respect and admiration for him has proven to be a powerful force. 

"Obviously it's going to be a bit of the last dance, whatever you want to call it," forward Tom Wilson said. "But there's a lot of guys in this room that are going to leave it all out there, and I want to win a Cup for everybody in this room. So, I think Ovi would say the same thing. 

"That being said, whenever you have a legend in your room leading the way, I think it's an accountability and a drive and a hungriness that we all have to show up and (have) an accountability to him to keep this thing moving in the right direction and the culture and the drive that he's created here."

Ovechkin already owns a host of NHL records, in addition to the goal mark, including power-play goals (331), game-winning goals (141), overtime goals (27), empty-net goals (72), 30-goal seasons (20), 40-goal seasons (14) and 50-goal seasons (nine, tied with Gretzky and Mike Bossy). But there are some remaining milestones he can reach this season.

Ovechkin's total of 1,006 goals, including 77 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, have him 11 away from surpassing Gretzky's NHL record of 1,016. If he can score 20 goals, he'd tie Gordie Howe's record for the most 20-goal seasons in League history with 22.

Ovechkin is second in Capitals history with 759 assists and needs four to break Nicklas Backstrom's record of 762. 

He is 10th in NHL history with 1,688 points and needs 12 to reach 1,700 and 36 to pass Mario Lemieux (1,723) for ninth. With 1,576 regular-season games, all with the Capitals, Ovechkin is 24 away from 1,600 and needs 32 to overtake Patrick Marleau (1,607) for second most with one NHL franchise.

Each game will be something to be savored, though, knowing that this season will be the last chance for the Capitals to do it.  

"I think it's the little moments that you maybe appreciate a little bit more," center Pierre Luc Dubois said. "The dinners the night before a game, the Christmas party, the Halloween party, all those little moments throughout the season that normal years you kind of go through them and have fun and, now you remember, ‘Well, this is going to be the last Christmas party,' or ‘That was the last time for that event.'

"So, there are still memories to be made. Of course, the ultimate would be raising the Stanley Cup."

Other than Ovechkin and Wilson, the only remaining players from the 2018 Cup team, no one else on Washington's roster has won it previously. This will be Ovechkin's last opportunity, though, to add another championship ring.

"Our goal is to, obviously, compete for a Stanley Cup and give Ovi the best chance to have one more," center Dylan Strome said. "Every other guy in here besides Tom finally has a chance to compete for one. That's obviously the goal as a hockey player is what you're trying to do is compete for a Stanley Cup. 

"And I don't think any better sendoff than that would be for us to help Ovi try to achieve that again."