WASHINGTON, D.C. — Alex Ovechkin inched closer to Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goal record, scoring his 890th career goal on Sunday, March 30, 2025, but the Washington Capitals couldn’t keep pace in an 8-5 loss to the Buffalo Sabres at Capital One Arena. Ovechkin’s milestone—leaving him just five goals shy of Gretzky’s 894—came in a high-scoring affair where the Capitals (47-17-9) dropped their third straight game, while the Sabres (31-36-6) rode a balanced attack to victory.
Game Action
The Capitals struck first at 10:06 of the opening period when Jakob Chychrun pounced on a rebound from Ovechkin’s slap shot, beating Sabres goalie James Reimer to make it 1-0. Buffalo answered at 12:49 on a power play, with Tage Thompson scoring off a rebound from JJ Peterka’s shot to tie it 1-1. The second period turned the tide, as the Sabres erupted for three goals. Ryan McLeod scored at 2:14 on a slick give-and-go with Jack Quinn, giving Buffalo a 2-1 lead. Chychrun responded just 32 seconds later with a wrist shot from the left face-off dot, tying it 2-2. But Alex Tuch deflected a Connor Clifton shot at 5:17, and Sam Lafferty lifted a backhand over Logan Thompson’s glove at 11:52, putting the Sabres up 4-2.
The third period saw a Capitals rally ignite 37 seconds in when Aliaksei Protas scored shorthanded on a breakaway, cutting the deficit to 4-3 and marking his 30th goal of the season—a career high. Thompson answered at 1:28 with another power-play goal, and Quinn’s breakaway at 5:52 made it 6-3. Ovechkin pulled Washington within two at 9:11, deflecting Rasmus Sandin’s shot for his 890th career goal, and Pierre-Luc Dubois made it 6-5 at 14:03 with a power-play deflection of Ovechkin’s point shot. But Tuch’s second goal at 15:34 and Peyton Krebs’ empty-netter at 19:36 sealed the 8-5 win for Buffalo. Reimer stopped 24 shots, while Thompson made 15 saves for the Capitals.
Player Highlights
Ovechkin’s three-point night (1 goal, 2 assists) included assists on Chychrun’s opener and Dubois’ goal, bringing his season total to 37 goals in 57 games. “He’s chasing something special,” Protas said. “He helped us get close in that game, but a couple mistakes cost us.” Chychrun scored twice, and Protas hit the 30-goal mark, a breakout for the 24-year-old. For the Sabres, Tuch (2 goals, 1 assist) and Quinn (1 goal, 2 assists) led the way, while Thompson added two power-play goals. Sabres coach Lindy Ruff praised his team’s second period: “We managed the puck better, put the puck in a place where we could get it back and create some pressure.”
The Capitals, despite their 47 wins, are in a rare slump, matching their longest losing streak of the season (0-3-0 from Feb. 25-March 1). They still lead the Metropolitan Division by nine points over the Carolina Hurricanes, but with the playoffs looming, coach Spencer Carbery stressed execution: “We failed to execute… We’ve got to get this thing corrected quickly.” Ovechkin, ever the leader, remained focused: “We just have to find our way to win the games.” The Capitals face the Boston Bruins on April 1, a chance to regain momentum as Ovechkin continues his chase for Gretzky’s record, potentially tying it on April 12 against Columbus.
