Ovechkin scores No. 898 as Capitals cruise past Wild; Schmaltz hits Hat Trick for Utah

Alexander Ovechkin moved one step closer to history as he netted his 898th career goal, helping the Washington Capitals to a commanding 5–1 victory over the Minnesota Wild in NHL regular-season action.

The Capitals captain assisted Dylan Strome’s opening goal before finding the net himself late in the third period for his first goal of the season.

Strome finished the night with two goals and two assists, while Alexei Protas and Tom Wilson also scored. Washington dominated throughout, outshooting Minnesota 45–14. Goalie Logan Thompson faced little pressure, making 13 saves for the Caps’ fourth consecutive win.

Filip Gustavsson did his best to keep the Wild in contention with 40 saves, but Marcus Jonasson’s lone goal wasn’t enough as Minnesota dropped to 2–3 on the season.

898! 🚨

Alex Ovechkin’s on the board with his first of the season! pic.twitter.com/WqWD6sKIpM

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— NHL (@NHL) October 18, 2025

Elsewhere, Nick Schmaltz recorded his second career hat trick and added an assist to lead the Utah Mammoths past the San Jose Sharks 6–3 in Salt Lake City. Schmaltz scored twice in the opening period and sealed his hat trick in the third, while Clayton Keller added a goal and three assists. Karel Vejmelka stopped 18 shots as Utah handed the Sharks their fourth loss of the campaign.

In Detroit, captain Dylan Larkin scored with just 1:24 remaining in overtime to give the Red Wings a 2–1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Rookie Axel Sandin-Pelika scored in his NHL debut, with Larkin providing an assist. John Gibson made 31 saves, conceding only once to JJ Moser late in regulation.

Meanwhile, the Vancouver Canucks edged the Chicago Blackhawks 3–2 in a shootout, extending their dominance over Chicago to 11 straight games. Brock Boeser scored the decisive shootout goal after regulation markers from Jake DeBrusk and Max Sasson for the Canucks, while Ryan Donato and Tyler Bertuzzi struck for the Blackhawks.