Washington Capitals, Dallas Stars, and Los Angeles Kings Daily Highlights – Hockey Roundup

Washington Capitals – Toronto Maple Leafs – 3:7

The Washington Capitals entered the game with a live playoff pulse, hoping to climb into the wildcard mix after facing Toronto. A loss could still leave them positioned ahead of Detroit in the wildcard standings, since they carried two games in hand and were coming off a three-game win streak at home. Toronto, meanwhile, had clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs but had dropped their previous two contests. The Capitals held a one-point edge in the race with Detroit, and the matchup with Toronto loomed as a pivotal moment in their late-season push.

Yet the night started with a jolt. In just the opening shift, 16 seconds in, Toronto struck first. John Carlson struggled to clear the zone, Max Domi won a puck battle and threaded a sharp pass from behind the net to the crease. Auston Matthews redirected it into the goal, sending the puck past Charlie Lindgren in a clean finish.

The pattern continued in the second period as Toronto extended their lead within a minute. A rapid counterattack found captain John Tavares feeding William Nylander on the doorstep, and Nylander finished with ease to broaden the margin.

The Capitals struck back on the power play with Alexander Ovechkin capitalizing from his favored left faceoff circle against Justin Wall, who was back in the lineup for the first time since March 7.

Two goals in quick succession followed, with Matthews extending Toronto’s lead and Connor McMichael replying for Washington in a 35‑second span. Just before the intermission, the visitors added another to restore a two-goal cushion heading into the third.

Washington pressed again after a Toronto turnover in the neutral zone led to a breakthrough. Dylan Strome recovered the loose puck, took a decisive move on the defender, and found Ovechkin with a clean feed. Ovechkin released a wrist shot that rang off the near post and found twine, pulling the Caps back into contention.

After that burst of Washington pressure, Toronto grew dominant. Lindgren struggled under the relentless pressure as the Leafs added three more goals, pulling away decisively in the final stanza.

A standout night for Matthews saw him reach his 57th goal of the season and add three assists, tying his personal best for a single game. Teammate Max Domi matched that feat with four assists, marking a memorable performance. Matthews also set a franchise record for most goals in a season, while Domi continued to elevate his assist totals in a standout campaign.

On the Western front, Ovechkin remained among the NHL elite in career points, sitting tied for 13th in the all-time leaderboard with Joe Thornton, and continuing a late-season surge that has him peaking with 34 points across his last 32 games (17 goals, 17 assists). His career total moved to 845 goals, narrowing the distance to the legendary Wayne Gretzky in the pursuit of the all-time mark.

Despite the loss, Washington still held a one-point advantage over Detroit with a game in hand, as the Red Wings prepared to host the New York Islanders. The Capitals were set to face another challenge at home next, with Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov returning to roster action after stints elsewhere, while their opponent would be Carolina, a strong team near the top of the league standings.

There was speculation that injured forwards TJ Oshie and Alexei Protas could rejoin the lineup soon, each listed as day-to-day in the build-up to ensuing games.

Dallas Stars – Arizona Coyotes – 5:2

Dallas entered this matchup looking to maintain ground in both the Central Division and the broader Western Conference race, hosting an Arizona squad that had shown resilience after the All-Star break. The Coyotes took the early lead, with Clayton Keller becoming the first Coyotes player to reach 60 points in three straight seasons since Jeremy Roenick, a notable benchmark from the late 1990s and early 2000s.

From the second period onward, Dallas found their footing. Logan Stankoven evened the score, and captain Jamie Benn tallied his 13th goal of the season, marking his 1,100th regular-season game in the process. Tyler Seguin returned to action after a long absence and immediately made an impact, signaling the team’s refreshed energy on the ice.

Matt Duchene, too, played a crucial role by escaping a 2-on-1 rush with quick thinking. His heads-up play set up a key sequence that opened the door for Dallas, as Seguin found space and finished with precision. In the third period, Dallas added two more goals to seal the win, while Arizona could only answer with a single marker.

Los Angeles Kings – Minnesota Wild – 6:0

In a high-profile clash that carried playoff implications, Minnesota could not keep pace with Los Angeles on the road. The Kings dominated with a decisive performance that featured a standout scoring run from veteran Kevin Fiala, who found the net for his 23rd time this season.

David Rittich stole the spotlight in goal for Los Angeles, registering his third win of the season and fueling a shutout effort that underlined the team’s strong defensive structure. Anze Kopitar directed traffic and delivered the setup that ended with Fiala’s finish, while Fiala himself filled the scoresheet with a finish of his own later in the game.

As the season progressed, Kopitar’s leadership and the club’s depth carried the day. Kaprizov, who had sought to sustain a points streak for Minnesota, ended the night without rebounds or points, a rare blot in an otherwise strong campaign. The result snapped several streaks for the Wild, but the Kings continued to press their case as a top contender in the league standings.

Overall, the night showcased a range of narratives: seasoned veterans extending their reach, young skaters returning from injury, and teams plotting their late-season runs with a clear sense of purpose and urgency.