Alex Ovechkin is on the verge of a significant milestone as he approaches his 900th career NHL goal. The Washington Capitals’ captain, who scored a goal and provided an assist on October 24, 2023, is just one goal shy of this historic achievement. Ovechkin has not scored in his last two games, but he has a strong history against the New York Islanders, having accumulated 71 points (45 goals, 26 assists) in 74 career matches against them.
The Capitals will host the Islanders on Friday, marking Ovechkin’s third attempt to reach the coveted 900-goal mark. He previously registered an assist in a 4-2 victory against the Islanders on October 11. In addition to his pursuit of 900 goals, Ovechkin is also targeting his 127th goal in October, which would set a new record for the most career goals in the month, surpassing the legendary Wayne Gretzky.
Washington is coming off a 1-0 loss to the Dallas Stars, which marked their second consecutive defeat. Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance despite the loss, stating, “I think a lot of what we did out there for the majority of the game, especially the second and third period, I thought we did a lot of good things. We just weren’t able to finish.”
In their last encounter with the Islanders, the Capitals displayed a strong offensive performance. Forward Aliaksei Protas contributed significantly with two goals and an assist, while goaltender Logan Thompson made 34 saves. The team may see the return of forwards Dylan Strome and Rasmus Sandin, both of whom missed the previous game due to injuries. Strome is recovering from a lower-body injury sustained during a 7-1 defeat to the Ottawa Senators, while Sandin has been sidelined for three games with an upper-body injury. Carbery noted the positive developments in their recovery, stating, “It was a good step, and I’ll talk to (head athletic trainer Jason Serbus) and we’ll see where they’re at for the weekend.”
On the other side, the Islanders are grappling with their own challenges, experiencing a second three-game losing streak of the season following a 6-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Thursday. Rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer scored his third goal of the season in that game, having previously netted his first career goal against the Capitals. The Islanders were without star player Mathew Barzal due to disciplinary reasons after he was late to the morning skate. Coach Patrick Roy emphasized the importance of team culture in the decision, saying, “Barzy doesn’t feel good about it, but you respect the decision. He understands it.”
Barzal is expected to return for the upcoming game against the Capitals, which adds another layer of anticipation to the match. As Ovechkin seeks to etch his name further into the annals of NHL history, the matchup promises to be a thrilling encounter for fans on both sides.