Friday’s NHL action was all about the achievements of Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin, who scored twice to tie Wayne Gretzky’s goal record.

Otherwise, there was little impact on the postseason picture, with no team having a chance to clinch or move in or out of a playoff position.

That will change on Saturday as the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers and Los Angeles Kings can clinch (see below).

In addition, the Kings (95 points) and Edmonton Oilers (93) play in a Pacific Division game that will have a big impact on who gets home-ice advantage if they meet again in the first round.

In the tightening Central Division title race, the Winnipeg Jets (108) and Dallas Stars (104) are both in action. Dallas has won seven in a row and has a game in hand.

The Montreal Canadiens (81), New York Rangers (79) and Columbus Blue Jackets (77) are in action in the tight Eastern Conference wild-card race.

The St. Louis Blues, playing the Colorado Avalanche, can extend their winning streak to a franchise-record 12 games and put distance between them and the idle Minnesota Wild in the race for the West’s first wild-card spot.

The NHL playoff standings are a jumble with many teams in contention. Here’s a look at the playoff picture:

Who’s in the NHL playoffs?

Eastern Conference: Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs

Western Conference: Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars, Colorado Avalanche, Vegas Golden Knights

Who can clinch today?

The Lightning will clinch a playoff berth if they get at least one point vs. the Sabres. They’d also get in if Canadiens lose to the Flyers in regulation or the Rangers don’t beat the Devils in regulation.
The Panthers will clinch if beat the Senators. They also will if they get one point and either of the following happens: the Rangers lose or the Canadiens lose to the Flyers in regulation. Third option: the Blue Jackets lose to the Maple Leafs and the Rangers lose in regulation.
The Kings will clinch if the beat the Oilers and the Flames lose to the Golden Knights. They’d also get if they get one point and the Flames lose in regulation.

NHL games today (Saturday, April 5)

N.Y. Rangers at New Jersey, 12:30, ABC | ESPN+ | Fubo
Florida at Ottawa, 2
Pittsburgh at Dallas, 3, ABC | ESPN+ | Fubo
Anaheim at Vancouver, 4
Edmonton at Los Angeles, 4
Carolina at Boston, 7
Tampa Bay at Buffalo, 7
Columbus at Toronto, 7
Philadelphia at Montreal, 7
Colorado at St. Louis, 7
Winnipeg at Utah, 7
Vegas at Calgary, 10
Seattle at San Jose, 10

NHL Eastern Conference standings 2024-25

(as of April 4)

Metropolitan Division

x-Washington Capitals (107 points)
x-Carolina Hurricanes (96)
New Jersey Devils (87)

Atlantic Division

x-Toronto Maple Leafs (96)
Tampa Bay Lightning (93)
Florida Panthers (92)

Wild card

Ottawa Senators (86)
Montreal Canadiens (81)

Sitting outside playoff position:New York Rangers (79), Columbus Blue Jackets (77), Detroit Red Wings (77), New York Islanders (76), Pittsburgh Penguins (72), Philadelphia Flyers (71), Buffalo Sabres (70), Boston Bruins (69)

NHL Western Conference standings 2024-25

(as of April 4)

Central Division

x-Winnipeg Jets (108)
x-Dallas Stars (104)
x-Colorado Avalanche (98)

Pacific Division

x-Vegas Golden Knights (98)
Los Angeles Kings (95)
Edmonton Oilers (93)

Wild card

St. Louis Blues (91)
Minnesota Wild (89)

Sitting outside playoff spot: Calgary Flames (84), Vancouver Canucks (81), Utah Hockey Club (80), z-Anaheim Ducks (74), z-Seattle Kraken (70), z-Nashville Predators (62), z-Chicago Blackhawks (52), z-San Jose Sharks (50)

x-clinched playoff spot; z-eliminated

NHL Eastern Conference playoff bracket

Here is how the Eastern Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended April 4:

Key: M – Metropolitan Division. A – Atlantic Division. WC – wild card

Washington (M1) vs. Montreal (WC2)
Carolina (M2) vs. New Jersey (M3)
Toronto (A1) vs. Ottawa (WC1)
Tampa Bay (A2) vs. Florida (A3)

The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth. 

NHL Western Conference playoff bracket

Here is how the Western Conference playoff bracket would look if the season ended April 4:

Key: C – Central Division P – Pacific Division. WC – wild card

Winnipeg (C1) vs. Minnesota (WC2)
Dallas (C2) vs. Colorado (C3)
Vegas (P1) vs. St. Louis (WC1)
Los Angeles (P2) vs. Edmonton (P3)

The winner of the first series would play the winner of the second. The winner of the third series would play the winner of the fourth.

When does the NHL regular season end?

The NHL regular season is scheduled to end on Thursday, April 17, with seven games.

When do the NHL playoffs start?

The NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs are scheduled to begin on Saturday, April 19.

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TAMPA, Florida — UConn isn’t letting Paige Bueckers leave without a national title, so woe to anyone who tries to get in their way.

Just ask UCLA, which was effectively run off the floor by halftime Friday night and wound up on the wrong end of an 85-51 Final Four loss. That would be the overall No. 1-seeded Bruins, mind you. Or Oklahoma, which is still licking its wounds from the 40 points Bueckers dropped on the Sooners a week ago.

Ask South Carolina, which headed for the exits at halftime of UConn’s beatdown of UCLA, having experienced this nightmare once already. UConn shellacked the defending champion Gamecocks on their home court less than two months ago. They didn’t need to watch UCLA get picked apart to know what awaits them in Sunday afternoon’s title game.

Shop UConn vs. South Carolina national championship tickets

Heck, ask UConn head coach Geno Auriemma, who has seen pretty much everything in his illustrious career and, as such, isn’t one for empty praise.

‘You always go into these games this time of the year expecting it to be incredibly, incredibly difficult. Not that it wasn’t, because I think our guys played about as hard as any group of kids can play,’ Auriemma said. ‘But I don’t think we made a mistake the entire evening, especially on the defensive end.’

There were, oh, three decades or so when everyone hated the Huskies because they were just better than everyone else. They collected titles like European royalty — 11 so far, for those counting — and the Final Four might as well have been a scheduled game.

But the competition had seemingly caught up to UConn these last few years. The Huskies haven’t won a title since 2016, and have made only one appearance in the title game since then. South Carolina is the team to beat now, reaching the title game for the third time in four years after routing Texas in the other Final Four game.

We all should have known better.

Since a loss to Tennessee on Feb. 6, no team in the country is playing better than UConn. And the Huskies haven’t just been good. They’ve been ruthless, snatching the very souls from their opponents.

‘You can tell there’s a level of connectivity and purpose. So many players are being stars in their roles,’ UCLA coach Cori Close said. ‘Obviously we talk about Paige and Azzi (Fudd) and Sarah (Strong), but the reality of how the whole team is contributing in different ways, it’s a credit to them.’

The win over UCLA was UConn’s 15th in a row, all but two of which were by at least 20 points. They’re outscoring their NCAA tournament opponents by 30-plus points, and the 34-point win over the Bruins was the largest ever at the Final Four.

That’s right. All those previous UConn teams, Pat Summitt’s Tennessee juggernauts — none of them did what these Huskies just did.

Against UCLA, they had a double-digit lead by the end of the first quarter. They’d harassed UCLA into 10 turnovers midway through the second, two more than the Bruins had field goals.

In perhaps the most audacious moment of the entire night, with less than two minutes left in the first half, Azzi Fudd stripped Elina Aarnisalo and whipped the ball to Bueckers. Bueckers, spotting Kiki Rice at her side, shoved the ball to Kaitlyn Chen, who scored on a layup that put UConn up 39-22.

Bueckers and Chen burst into laughter. UCLA had to want to cry.

‘She sees everything and she has the skill to go with it, to be able to make those passes,’ Chen said. ‘And she’s so smooth with the ball. She just does a great job of finding her teammates and finding her own shot.’

That’s what makes this UConn team so dangerous. Yes, Bueckers averaged 29 points on 58.7% shooting her first four NCAA tournament games. But unlike other UConn teams in her previous seasons, she no longer has to do everything. This group has Bueckers, Fudd and Strong.

That follows the mold of Auriemma’s previous championship teams, ones that boasted multi-headed monsters. Diana Taurasi, Sue Bird, Shea Ralph. Maya Moore, Tina Charles, Renee Montgomery. Breanna Stewart, Moriah Jefferson, Stefanie Dolson.

‘Going into this weekend, we felt we had the best opportunity that we could have in the last five, six years, seven years … (because) it wasn’t relying all on one person and that person had to play exceptionally outstanding game in order for us to win it all,’ Auriemma said.

Strong was the Huskies’ leading scorer against UCLA — not Bueckers — finishing with 22. Fudd had 19, all in the first half when UConn set an unforgiving tone.

‘If Paige had 16 last year, we wouldn’t have made it to the Final Four. If Paige has the kind of game that she had today in the previous couple of years, it would be almost impossible for us to win,’ he said. ‘And yet today, look what happened. So we have more pieces.

‘You have to come here with really good players and put yourself in a position to do it.’

Auriemma and Bueckers said UConn hasn’t talked about winning a national title — except, Auriemma said, when he wants to make Bueckers mad by pointing out she doesn’t have one. But the way they’re playing speaks volumes.

‘We hoped to be playing on the last day of the season,’ Bueckers said. ‘We got that opportunity. We don’t want to take it for granted.’

South Carolina knows what’s coming. It doesn’t mean the Gamecocks have any better hope of stopping it.

Follow USA TODAY Sports columnist Nancy Armour on social media @nrarmour.

TAMPA, Florida — The women’s 2025 Final Four in Tampa was just as hot as the weather.

The final games of a March Madness tournament that captivated so many fans with amazing baskets, phenomenal storylines and even better players brought everything but the kitchen sink to Amalie Arena. The Final Four lived up to the hype, setting the stage for a national championship game that will likely be of epic proportions. The South Carolina Gamecocks and UConn Huskies faithful filled the air with so much noise that earplugs probably wouldn’t have mattered. (Much to the dismay of Texas Longhorns and UCLA Bruins fans.)

For South Carolina, the young freshman phenom Joyce Edwards was a driving force behind the Gamecocks’ victory over Texas, propelling Dawn Staley’s squad to another national championship appearance as she strolled the sidelines in a fitting South Carolina-colored Gucci track suit.

Then, there’s UConn, which had a pack of Huskies in double figures, including freshman sensation Sarah Strong, as it outhustled UCLA in nearly aspect. Unfortunately, it was never a close game for the Bruins, who folded like fresh laundry under the Huskies defensive pressure.

The first games of the Final Four are complete. Let’s review which teams looked the best under the lights, and which teams crumbled when the pressure was on. Here are the winners and losers from Friday’s Final Four games:

Winner: South Carolina freshman Joyce Edwards

Joyce Edwards leads South Carolina in scoring. So when she only scored 15 combined points in the past three March Madness matchups before Friday’s faceoff with 1-seed Texas it was a major cause for concern. However, Edwards more than answered the call when the Gamecocks were in early foul trouble.

Edwards was fearless, and her confidence level seemingly increased midway through the game. It was apparent the Longhorns had no answer for her when she broke out a silky euro step mid-play. Unfortunately, she didn’t make the basket after (there was a foul) but for her to attempt something like that spoke volumes. She finished the night with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Loser: The paper South Carolina coach Dawn Staley rolled up

When South Carolina came out flat against fellow No. 1 seed Texas, sheets of paper everywhere trembled in fear. One of their dear beloved cousins was rolled up early by Gamecocks coach Dawn Staley and never saw its original form the rest of the matchup.

The Gamecocks eventually righted the ship with their signature defense and transition offense, shifting the momentum well into the second half. However, despite being up by as many as 15 points, Staley never relented her grip on that piece of paper. Its cylinder form was so crips and tight, it never stood a chance. Thoughts and condolences to whatever was on it, but the contents might not ever been known.

Winner: South Carolina guard Raven Johnson and her defense

Being a guard under Dawn Staley is not easy. There are lot of expectations which include being sound defensively. Enter Raven Johnson, who hasn’t exactly been splashy offensively. But Johnson found her defensive chops early against Texas.

In the first quarter, Johnson unleashed a fiery block on Texas senior guard Rori Harmon that gave way to a mountain of defense and shots that woke up a very sleepy South Carolina team. (Hello, ‘seatbelt gang.’)

Johnson frustrated Harmon for a good portion of the matchup, and was critical down the stretch, often clogging up lanes for the Longhorns. The Gamecocks don’t need Johnson to be spectacular. She can impact the game in many ways that don’t often show up on a stat sheet. If anyone watching went back and turned on the film, they’d see Johnson all over the court, quietly working in the background.

Loser: Texas star Madison Booker

The question for No. 1 seed Texas was always: How far can Madison Booker carry it? Fair or unfair, Texas goes as Booker goes. Getting to the Final Four is a fantastic accomplishment for the young sophomore, but she didn’t have enough to get the Longhorns back to a national championship.

Booker was in foul trouble early with three before halftime and just a measly seven points, a far cry from her 16.5 points per game. She ended her night with just 11 points, and none in the fourth quarter. To be clear, the Longhorns not making it to the final game of the season isn’t Booker’s fault. However, her performance is a brutal way to go back to Texas.

Winner: UConn guard Azzi Fudd and forward Sarah Strong

Azzi Fudd has been through so much, including battling back from multiple injuries. However, she plays so free and smooth like butter that it’s hard not to be impressed with her aura on the court. Fudd was one of two X-factors for UConn on Friday night against No.1 overall seed UCLA, which had no answer for her. By halftime, Fudd had a full game’s worth of stats, including 19 points and three steals on 63% shooting.

Not to be outdone, freshman Sarah Strong had 16 points on 70% shooting by the time the fourth quarter arrived. Strong seemingly couldn’t be stopped as she put Bruins defenders on skates, draining shots at will and smiling as she ran back down the court. Ahead of the final 10 minutes of the matchup, Fudd and Strong had a 35 combined points. UCLA had 37 total points. (Yes, that’s a real statement.) Fudd and Strong finished their evenings with 19 points and 22 points, respectively.

Loser: UCLA offense and head coach Cori Close

Whatever UCLA coach Cori Close had planned for the 1-seeded Bruins in the first half, it didn’t matter. Geno Auriemma must’ve drawn up the most diabolical defensive scheme he could think of because ahead of the third quarter, UCLA had 14 turnovers and was down by 20. To add salt to the wound, the Bruins let the Huskies score 19 points from the giveaways and they also let UConn pick their pockets for nine demoralizing steals.

However, it gets worse. The lead grew to more than 30 points and eventually became a boat race for which the Bruins didn’t have enough gas. It would be easy to say Auriemma outcoached Close. He did. But UCLA has been prone to disappear in huge moments. Old habits die hard, and Friday’s matchup against the Huskies was a painful reminder that as good as the Bruins are, the team is young and still very inconsistent against equal or superior competition. Auriemma put on a coaching clinic, one of his best of the season.

Winner: UCLA center Lauren Betts

It didn’t seem to matter in the grand scheme of a blowout game, but Lauren Betts showed up in Tampa. By the midway point of the fourth quarter, Betts had 23 of the Bruins’ 43 points. The center’s night was about the only thing that went right.

Betts deserves some recognition, though, because she kept trying to contribute even with the deficit insurmountable. It’s a sour note from such a stellar season from Betts, but there isn’t anyone in Amalie Arena who can say she didn’t try.

Loser: USA TODAY’s Meghan Hall and her eardrums

South Carolina and UConn will play for a national championship Sunday, and while there is major hardware on the line, there is something else that deserves attention: my hearing.

That’s what happens when sitting directly in front of gaggles of South Carolina and UConn fans during Friday’s matchup. The fans cheered endlessly, often screaming names of players and calling out plays. In the battle of whose fans were more passionate, it was a tie. In battle of which fans could scream the loudest, there was also a tie. The tiny humans (the most precious young fans) completely lost it at the mere sight of their favorite teams and thus awakened every nearby adult to yell as loud as humanly possible, too. My hearing never stood a chance. It might have to pull out a Michael Jordan flu game type of performance on Sunday to withstand the inevitable celebrating, sorrows and general basketball shenanigans.

SAN ANTONIO – Todd Golden can still remember how the other half lives.

Florida’s coach is only three years removed from his time at San Francisco, where he was a mid-major coach punching up against a sport hardening the competitive ceiling on those programs. The transfer portal, name, image and likeness opportunities and, likely soon, revenue sharing all combine to make life ever more difficult for college basketball’s have-somes, much less its have-nots.

“I definitely see a growing disparity between the levels,” Golden said Friday. “I don’t think that’s hard to see, when you look at the numbers and see how the different teams have done over the course of the year. I think it’s kind of been trending this way for the last couple years. This may be the best example of that, the way the tournament has shaken out.”

He’s not alone in that belief. This tournament — chalky and favorite-friendly since it started — has become the latest confirming evidence of an expanding gap in college sports.

Golden’s observations are fair. But suggestions this week that this Final Four of all No. 1 seeds reflects a sport in crisis do a disservice to one of the best national semifinals in recent memory.

Excellence isn’t a vice. Time might prove the NCAA Tournament is becoming more homogenized, but this one is going to end with the four best teams in America on the floor in San Antonio. Exactly as it should be.

“These are the best four teams in college basketball,” Auburn coach Bruce Pearl said. “I don’t care who your fifth team is. I don’t care. They don’t belong here. These four teams have earned it all year long. It’s not a knock on anybody else. It’s a compliment to all these teams, all these coaches and programs.”

Both things can be true. The middle ground might be boring, but it’s also fair.

It is becoming harder for teams outside the calcifying moneyed elite to remain competitive, when their rosters can be picked through every spring by programs with better resources and bigger stages.

PREDICTIONS: Five reasons Duke won’t win title and one why it will

BEST EVER?: A list of the seven best Final Fours in since expansion

Golden’s perspective is valid — he had to pull San Francisco up against stalwarts in his own conference (Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s), much less a wider landscape increasingly unforgiving to programs like that. Florida’s third-year coach is the only one of the four here this weekend who’s seen both sides of these questions in the modern game.

But if his words carry weight in one direction, they should in the other. And he’s equally right in classifying this field as elite.

“I truly believe the four best teams in college basketball are here this weekend,” Golden said. “Even though there maybe weren’t as many exciting upsets or storylines that way, I think the fact that all four of the best teams in college basketball all year long making it this far is a great storyline as well.”

It’s difficult to argue otherwise.

This year marks the first time since 2008 a Final Four is composed entirely of No. 1 seeds. But not every No. 1 is created equal.

Not only are Duke, Houston, Florida and Auburn (in order) the top four teams nationally in Ken Pomeroy’s net rating ranking, they are comfortably so. The gap in Pomeroy’s metrics from No. 1 to No. 4 is actually slightly narrower than the gap from No. 5 to No. 6.

By the same numbers, that foursome is historic. KenPom’s database stretches as far back as the 1996-97 season. These four teams are among its 10 highest-rated in that period.

Duke and Houston each won their regular-season and conference tournament titles. Auburn won the SEC in the regular season. Florida won the SEC tournament.

And a chalky tournament across the board has increased the difficulty of their respective paths to San Antonio. None of this weekend’s semifinalists played a team seeded worse than No. 5 in the Sweet Sixteen, or No. 3 in the Elite Eight. Three of the four beat their region’s No. 2 seed to get here. Houston became the first No. 1 since 2017 North Carolina to take the most difficult possible path, defeated the Nos. 16, 8, 4 and 2 seeds on the way to the Alamodome.

“It’s good for college basketball,” Cougars coach Kelvin Sampson said Sunday, after dispatching Tennessee in the Elite Eight. “Whoever wins the games in the semifinals on Saturday, whoever wins those, it’s going to be an unbelievable game on Monday.”

One year doesn’t guarantee a trend. And even if the field is tilting toward high-major teams long term (it is), they will not often be made quite like this.

Wider perception of this tournament so far has painted it as a bit of a dud, but the bracket sorted itself out in the end. Saturday night might be generational.

Follow IndyStar reporter Zach Osterman on X: @ZachOsterman.

Washington Capitals star Alex Ovechkin made history Friday night, scoring two goals at home to tie Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 with The Great One in the house.

Ovechkin tried his hardest in the 5-3 win to make it 895, but Chicago Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight stopped him. The Capitals captain will have to wait until Sunday afternoon at the New York Islanders to be alone at the top.

Ovechkin tied Gretzky’s mark in one less game. He also set records for game-winning and first-period goals in the victory.

‘It’s fun. I’m sure like everybody enjoys this moment because it’s something special,’ he told Monumental Sports Network after the game. ‘Doing it (at) home in front of fans, family, friends, obviously Wayne’s here as well. It’s a huge honor, it’s a historical moment. Its great.’

Gretzky’s goal record was thought to be unmatchable when he retired in 1999. Ovechkin was playing in Russia at the time, but the 2004 No. 1 overall pick scored twice in his 2005 NHL debut and now has tied the Hall of Famer with another two-goal game.

‘It means a lot, to be honest I don’t know what to say,’ Ovechkin said. ‘Right now I’m so emotional. You never felt like you can reach this milestone. I always said that without all my teammates, all my partners, you guys, obviously my family, my mom, my wife, they support (me).’

Highlights from Friday’s record-tying game by Ovechkin:

Alex Ovechkin vs. New York Islanders

If Alex Ovechkin scores at the Islanders on Sunday (12:30 p.m. ET, TNT, truTV) to break Wayne Gretzky’s record, there would be some symmetry. Gretzky scored his final goal in March 1999 against the Islanders. And Ovechkin and Gretzky will have played the same number of games, 1,487. Ovechkin has 44 goals in 71 career regular-season games against the Islanders.

What Wayne Gretzky said

Monumental Sports Network spoke with the Hockey Hall of Famer shortly after Ovechkin matched his record with a power-play goal in the third period.

‘Wayne, you’ve got some company now,’ Monumental Sports Network’s Al Koken said.

”That’s OK,’ Gretzky said. ‘That’s what my dad told Gordie Howe way back when, right? This is what the game’s all about. Alex has been great for the game and great for Washington, great for his own country.

‘It’s wonderful. I’m very proud of him. I’m proud of what I accomplished and, you know what? That’s what makes our game so wonderful, is the great athletes we have and more importantly the good people that they are.’

What Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said

Capitals owner Ted Leonsis posted on X about Alex Ovechkin’s accomplishment.

‘Loyal, consistent, dependable, and the definition of class… Alex has tied a record very few people believed would ever be broken. DC believed in him all along, and @ovi8 has delivered.’

Alex Ovechkin’s stats

Alex Ovechkin, who now shares the goal-scoring lead with Wayne Gretzky, finished Friday’s game with two goals on three shots.

Final score: Capitals 5, Blackhawks 3

Alex Ovechkin ends the game at 894 goals to tie Wayne Gretzky’s record. Though Spencer Knight stopped his bid for a 895th, Ovechkin ends up with the 154th game-winner to break the record he shared with Jaromir Jagr and also set the record with 242 first-period goals.

Another chance for Alex Ovechkin

Spencer Knight makes a save. Then he makes another and is booed.

Capitals-Blackhawks score: Ryan Leonard gets first goal

Ryan Leonard scores into the empty net for his first NHL goal. Capitals 5, Blackhawks 3

Chicago pulls goalie

No Alex Ovechkin on the ice yet.

Another chance for Alex Ovechkin

He’s in all alone on Spencer Knight and tries stickhandling for a shot but runs out of room.

Another record in sight?

If the Capitals don’t give up another goal, Alex Ovechkin would get the game-winner and break the record he shares with Jaromir Jagr (135).

Alex Ovechkin high-fives his son after goal

Alex Ovechkin gave a high-five to son Sergei after the goal.

Capitals-Blackhawks score: Alex Ovechkin ties Wayne Gretzky

He scores from his office in the left faceoff circle. He ties Wayne Gretzky at 894 in one less game. Teammates come onto the ice to congratulate him and he waves to the cheering crowd. Capitals 4, Blackhawks 3

Capitals back on power play

Connor Bedard is calling for holding.

Capitals-Blackhawks score: Washington ties it up

Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy puts the puck in his own net while trying to keep away from Alex Ovechkin. Dylan Strome gets credit for the goal. Capitals 3, Blackhawks 3

Capitals on power play

Pat Maroon in the penalty box.

Third period underway

Blackhawks lead 3-2.

Alex Ovechkin stats

He has one goal on one shot through two periods, plus three missed shots, in 12:49 of ice time.

End of second: Blackhawks 3, Capitals 2

Alex Ovechkin makes a good move to get open for a shot late in the period, but it goes wide after the puck rolls on him. Blackhawks are opportunistic in that period, scoring 10 seconds after a power play and 10 seconds after a Capitals goal.

Capitals on power play

Frank Nazar in penalty box for slashing. Ovechkin has 323 power-play goals. Ovechkin gets a couple looks but doesn’t get a shot on net. Power play ends.

Capitals-Blackhawks score: Chicago goes back ahead

Tie game doesn’t last long. Philipp Kurashev drives home a rebound 10 seconds after Washington’s goal. Blackhawks 3, Capitals 2

Capitals-Blackhawks score: Washington ties it up

Connor McMichael makes a great move and his shot goes behind Spencer Knight. Martin Fehervary knocks it home. Capitals 2, Blackhawks 2

Capitals-Blackhawks score: Chicago goes ahead

The Capitals kill off the remaining 21 seconds of the Chicago power play, but Frank Nazar scores 10 seconds later. Blackhawks 2, Capitals 1

Second period underway

Tied 1-1. Blackhawks have short power play.

Alex Ovechkin describes his goal

Alex Ovechkin, talking to Monumental Sports Network, praised the work of John Carlson and Dylan Strome in setting up his goal. ‘It was a good flat pass (from Strome) and I got lucky. It hit the post and went in.’

He says he feels the buzz in the building: ‘Wayne’s here, so it’s a special moment.’

Alex Ovechkin’s stats

Alex Ovechkin has one goal on one shot. He played 5:03 in the first period.

End of first period: Capitals, Blackhawks 1

In addition to the Alex Ovechkin watch, the Capitals are trying to end a slide of four losses in five games. They’re pinned early in their zone, but Ovechkin scores his 40th goal of the season and 893rd of his career. Tyler Bertuzzi ties it about 10 minutes later. The Capitals will be short-handed for 21 seconds at the start of the second period.

Blackhawks go on power play

Ryan Leonard is called for high-sticking. He and the Capitals can’t believe the call. It’s the former Boston College star’s first penalty in his third NHL game.

Capitals-Blackhawks score: Tyler Bertuzzi ties it up

Tyler Bertuzzi scores at 13:52 and it’s a tie game. Capitals 1, Blackhawks 1

Wayne Gretzky in the house

The Great One is sitting with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman. There will be a brief ceremony whenever Alex Ovechkin breaks the record. He’s acknowledged by the Capitals and receives cheers from the crowd.

Alex Ovechkin scores 893rd goal

He’s stationed in the right faceoff circle. Dylan Strome feeds Ovechkin for a goal at 3:52. That’s 14 40-goal seasons for Ovechkin, adding to his record. He needs two goals to pass Wayne Gretzky and he passes Gretzky for most first-period goals (242).

Alex Ovechkin’s linemates

Alex Ovechkin starts with Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson. He had been with Wilson and Pierre-Luc Dubois the past two games.

Game underway

Alex Ovechkin needs one goal for 40 this season, two to tie Wayne Gretzky’s record and three to break the record.

When is Alex Ovechkin’s next game? Capitals vs. Blackhawks start time

The Washington Capitals play the Chicago Blackhawks at 7 p.m. ET Friday at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.

Where to watch Capitals vs. Blackhawks game

The Capitals vs. Blackhawks game is being aired on NHL Network.

How to stream Capitals vs. Blackhawks game

Fubo and Sling carry NHL Network. Fubo is offering a free trial to new subscribers.

Stream Capitals vs. Blackhawks on Fubo (free trial)

Capitals vs. Blackhawks date, start time, where to watch

Game Day: Friday, April 4, 2025
Game Time: 7 p.m. ET
Location: Capital One Arena (Washington, D.C.)
TV Channel: NHL Network
Live Stream: Fubo  | Sling TV | ESPN+

Capitals honor players from 2018 Stanley Cup team

Devante Smith-Pelley, Brooks Orpik, Braden Holtby, T.J. Oshie and Nicklas Backstrom are honored. The five are out there for the ceremonial puck drop between Alex Ovechkin and Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno.

Spencer Knight to start for Blackhawks

Goalie Spencer Knight is expected to start in net for Chicago. He’s one of the record 182 goalies that Ovechkin has scored on. He has given up two Ovechkin goals.

Capitals to be without goalie Logan Thompson

The Capitals won’t have goalie Logan Thompson for Friday’s game and Charlie Lindgren will start. Thompson suffered an upper-body injury in Wednesday’s game and didn’t come out for the second period.

‘He’s definitely going to miss a couple games and then we’ll go from there,’ coach Spencer Carbery told reporters.

Wayne Gretzky expected to be in arena

Wayne Gretzky is expected to follow the Capitals around so he can there for when Ovechkin breaks the record. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman already was at a Capitals game this week.

Alex Ovechkin vs. Wayne Gretzky stats

Games: Gretzky 1,487 | Ovechkin 1,485

Goals: Gretzky 894 | Ovechkin 892

Assists: Gretzky 1,963 | Ovechkin 724

Points: Gretzky 2,857 | Ovechkin 1,616

Alex Ovechkin goals vs. Blackhawks

Ovechkin has 15 goals in 25 career regular-season games against the Blackhawks. He missed the teams’ earlier meeting this season because of a fractured left fibula.

Paige Bueckers heads into her final collegiate with one goal on her mind: to win that elusive national championship.

Bueckers and UConn women’s basketball will face South Carolina on Sunday at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida, for a chance to win the 2025 women’s NCAA Tournament national championship. Bueckers, who announced her intention to enter the 2025 WNBA draft, scored 17 points in an 85-51 win over UCLA in the Final Four on Friday.

Despite the blowout nature of the win and UConn’s earlier 87-58 victory over South Carolina earlier this season, Bueckers is convinced she and her teammates still have other level to hit in her final collegiate game.

‘I still think we got another level to tap into, and I think that’s what we save it for,’ Bueckers told the UConn locker room after the game. ‘We don’t need any extra incentive. The game earlier this season (against South Carolina) means nothing. It’s 0-0, the record’s 0-0 and we’re both trying to go 1-0.

‘Get some sleep tonight, get some rest because the game is early on Sunday, so we’ll need to be rested and recovered. We have 40 minutes to give everything we have in our entire souls and bodies.’

Bueckers nearly recorded a triple-double with 12 points, 10 assists and seven rebounds in the Huskies’ win over the Gamecocks on Feb. 16 in Greenville, South Carolina.

Sunday will mark the second national championship matchup between the two programs and the 16th overall meeting between the leading women’s college basketball teams. UConn leads the all-time series 10-5, but South Carolina has won five of the last seven matchups.

The Huskies have opened as -5.5 favorites over the Gamecocks, according to BetMGM as of Friday night.