Washington Capitals – Florida Panthers – 3:6
The absence of Alexander Ovechkin continues to cast a shadow over the Washington Capitals. The Russian captain traveled to Moscow with his father, whose health declined and who later passed away. The funeral kept Ovechkin in the Russian capital, making his return to the United States uncertain. He was slated to miss the game against Florida and would sit out a second straight contest in the Carolinas, leaving Washington short-handed once again.
The game in Washington opened with a somber tribute to Mikhail Ovechkin, acknowledging the longtime influence he had on the club and its star player. The Capitals entered the contest trying to snap a two-game skid that was already complicated by Ovechkin’s absence, while Florida carried momentum from a recent stretch that included four wins in their last six outings and a push toward the conference standings.
Washington remained in playoff contention, but only by a thin margin—two points clear of their next challenger and with a pair of games in hand for now. Without their captain, the Capitals found it difficult to match the visiting Panthers, who opened the scoring with a second-period tally from a veteran defenseman, Mark Staal, as Gustav Forsling had already given Florida the lead in the first period.
The pivotal moment came in the middle of the second period when Florida forward Lars Eller was pulled down on a scoring sequence, and Anton Lundell earned an assist that helped Colin White notch a goal to expand the Panthers’ advantage.
Before the second intermission, Dylan Strome forced a contact with TJ Oshie’s shot, only to see Florida respond with a three-goal cushion thanks to captain Aleksander Barkov. Florida’s offense was buoyed by 20 shots on goal in the second period, and they finished with a sizable edge in shots through two-thirds of the game, 30-18.
Washington mounted a charge in the third period with Ovechkin out, getting goals from Niklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov as the clock wound down. When coach Peter Laviolette shifted six skaters at once for a late surge, Washington added a few more empty-net goals to set the final margin. Since entering the league, Washington has played 50 games without Ovechkin and collected 23 wins, 23 losses in regulation, and four overtime or shootout losses. The Capitals now head to Raleigh for a stadium series match in the Carolinas, with the possibility that a loss could threaten their playoff position as Carolina sits atop the division.
With Ovechkin sidelined, the path to a strong finish remains steep and uncertain for Washington, underscoring how crucial the veteran presence is on a team chasing late-season momentum.
Carolina Hurricanes 6-2 Montreal Canadiens
The Hurricanes have been rolling at home recently, posting an 11-1-1 mark in their last 13 home games since their win against Montreal. The Canadiens pulled even late in the second period, but Carolina seized control in the third, forcing Steve Montembeault to surrender four goals as the Hurricanes imposed their will.
Seth Jarvis, a 21-year-old forward, delivered his first NHL hat trick, highlighting a standout night for the Canes. Andrey Svechnikov, a dynamic forward, contributed to the attack with a multi-point effort in a sequence often described as the team hitting its second gear.
Svechnikov, who opened the season as the team’s top sniper, had gone through a scoring drought of 18 games, though he still compiled 14 assists in that stretch. Montreal’s Yevgeny Dadonov struggled to find traction, recording a minus-4 in the contest as the Canadiens were overwhelmed by Carolina’s pace and pressure.
Louis Blues 4-2 New Jersey Devils
With Vladimir Tarasenko no longer in St. Louis and now with the Rangers, the Blues leaned on a Russian core to fuel the win. Pavel Buchnevich, Ivan Barbashev, and Alexei Toropchenko sparked the offense, while Dawson Mercer kept New Jersey in the game briefly after the Blues opened with a late first-period goal from Barbashev.
Toropchenko restored the lead in the second period with his fourth goal of the season, and St. Louis did not surrender the advantage thereafter, holding off New Jersey to close out the night on the right side of the scoreline.
Other matches
Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1 Winnipeg Jets
Nashville Predators 0-5 Boston Bruins
Calgary Flames 2-5 Detroit Red Wings
Seattle Kraken 6-2 Philadelphia Flyers
Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 San Jose Sharks
Vladislav Gavrikov remained out for Columbus as the Blue Jackets discussed a potential deal for their captain, choosing to protect his health while the team evaluated trades. The game recap reflects a night where several Russian-born players starred across the league, underscoring the international flavor of the current NHL season with teams balancing long-term plans and short-term results. The emphasis remained on the work of top scorers and the resilience of veteran goaltenders as the schedule presses on, with teams in the standings watching each result closely for playoff implications. Attribution: league game reports and team press materials from recent matchups across the national hockey landscape.