Toronto Maple Leafs 7-3 Washington Capitals — Night of Milestones and Momentum Across the NHL

Toronto Maple Leafs 7-3 Washington Capitals

Alexander Ovechkin extended his goal streak to four games, continuing a strong push in the chase for Gordie Howe’s NHL era scoring landmark. Howe sits at 801 career goals, while Ovechkin reached 776, closing the gap toward the legendary tally. The Maple Leafs hosted the Capitals in a game that offered fans a glimpse of the history being chased, and a reminder that the race for the top all-time scoring list remains unsettled.

Gordie Howe’s landmark still stood within reach as the Toronto bout promised a moment of historical significance. The matchup also featured a notable clash between Ovechkin and Toronto’s Auston Matthews, who had been a prolific sniper, tallying 21 goals across 17 games and wearing the lead in the league’s goal-scoring race this season. The duel drew attention from fans hoping to see both players influence the outcome in the Capitals’ and Maple Leafs’ arenas.

Yet neither Ovechkin nor Matthews delivered a standout performance in that particular night. Ovechkin left the ice without a goal, taking only one shot, while a late hit on Colin Blackwell—an event that became a talking point—left an impression of physical play rather than scoring brilliance.

Matthews did contribute a two-goal performance and surpassed the 100-point threshold for the season, yet the game did not showcase him as the definitive leader of his team that night. The game marked Ovechkin’s 1269th NHL appearance, a milestone that placed him alongside Canadian great Brett Hull in the historical leaderboard for most games played. The comparison underscored the longevity and durability that define his career.

Ovechkin’s closest goal total in the standings remained behind 80-81 by a handful of games, with his current pace placing him among the all-time leaders who have played more than 1,270 matches. His career points climbed to 1405 across 1269 games, ranking him among the league’s top scorers. After that date, Ovechkin’s points tally briefly overlapped with Sidney Crosby, though Crosby had played far fewer games—1102—creating a nuanced rivalry in the all-time scoring sequence. Four points separated these players from the 20th-ranked mark, held by Dale Hawerchuk with 1409 career points.

Amid the quiet night for Ovechkin and Kuznetsov, Toronto’s Russian players seized attention. Defender Ilya Lyubushkin finally found the back of the net, a rare moment after more than a year without scoring. His goal came in the middle of the second period, energizing the Leafs and contributing to the sequence that aided Ilya Samsonov in net for Washington.

On the Capitals’ side, the goaltending narrative shifted when the visitors dropped a goaltender in the frame. The Russian netminder faced a tough stretch, and Toronto’s Ilya Mikheyev added to the scoreboard, notching the Leafs’ first of the night. A few minutes later, Mikheyev struck again, advancing the home side’s lead as the Leafs pushed toward a dominant third period.

About four minutes into the game, the Capitals’ goaltender faced the net again, and the home team capitalized with a goal that boosted their momentum. By the third period, Toronto’s attack continued to click, and Mikheyev delivered another precisely timed finish from the blue line, finding the net to extend the lead for the Maple Leafs. The night’s seventh Toronto goal showcased the team’s offensive depth and finishing touch as the game wore on.

Other NHL action on the day

The night also featured a rough outing for another prominent Russian netminder, Andrei Vasilevskiy, who faced a surprising challenge later in the evening. The Tampa Bay Lightning were forced to turn to their backup as Vasilevskiy was pulled midway through the second period, with the Anaheim Ducks surging ahead in the contest. The Ducks converted late pressure into a dramatic overtime win, 4-3, after a back-and-forth affair that tested the goaltending depth and the teams’ resilience.

In regulation the defending champions started strong, moving in front 2-0 before a seven-minute stretch altered the game. The Ducks seized the moment, and the game drifted into overtime where Nikita Kucherov’s critical saves and Mikhail Sergachev’s assist to Anthony Cirelli culminated in the overtime winner for Toronto’s visitors. The tilt underscored the unpredictable nature of the season’s early stretch and the margins that separate teams at the playoff fringe.

Meanwhile, a meeting between the St. Louis Blues and the Buffalo Sabres ended in a decisive 6-2 Blues victory. Vladimir Tarasenko showcased his versatility with five points, including a hat trick and two assists, while Pavel Buchnevich added three points and helped Tarasenko earn first-star honors for the night. Tarasenko’s performance placed him among the league’s top performers for the day, reinforcing his ongoing impact in his Russian-American cross-border chapter of the season.

Tarasenko later earned the designation of first star of the day for his sustained production, having tallied 72 points (31 goals, 41 assists) through 67 games this season, a testament to his consistency and offensive prowess.

The Vancouver Canucks dominated the Arizona Coyotes with a 7-1 result, with Vasily Podkolzin contributing a multi-point effort. Podkolzin logged three points, including two goals and an assist over four minutes of ice time, a standout performance that marked a personal best in the NHL. The strong showing helped Podkolzin earn second-star honors for the night.

Meanwhile, Evgeny Dadonov produced two points in Vegas Golden Knights’ 6-1 win against the Calgary Flames, while Valery Nichushkin added an assist in Colorado’s 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. The day’s action emphasized the ongoing depth of Russian talent making a noticeable impact across multiple teams.