Whether the Washington Capitals are clawing out a W or not, one thing stays rock-solid—Alex Ovechkin’s glow never dims. A few days back, the boys in red pulled off a chaos-fueled comeback with Brandon Duhaime sniping two goals like he had cheat codes in the third. Dylan Strome was stirring the pot with a sweet little one-and-one, and Andrew Mangiapane was out there playing cleanup hero with a late-game beauty that broke the tie and cracked the Bell Centre wide open.

Oh, and let’s not forget—Washington’s got that comeback magic this year (25 of ‘em, count ‘em!), and Ovi’s the guy pouring gasoline on that fire, even if he ain’t the one lighting up the match every time. But when he ain’t putting the puck in the back of the net himself, Alex Ovechkin’s presence just drips electricity. So now, with Game 5 underway and running, you already know Alex Ovechkin’s out there shining like the playoff warlord he is.

So mid-game, while the ice was heating up and the Bell Centre was straight buzzing, Capitals PR hopped on X posting, “With his goal, Ovechkin ties Mario Lemieux (76) for the 12th-most playoff goals in NHL history.” Yup, that’s Alex Ovechkin out here messing with the legends again—just casually vibing with Mario freaking Lemieux in the history books like it’s no big deal. And let’s talk scoreline—Washington’s sitting real comfy on a 3-0 sweet lead over the Canadiens, and honestly? It’s looking like they brought the broomsticks to this one.

And well, Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery wasn’t holding back when he spoke to reporters about what’s coming up for his team: “I think that the start of the game is going to be important from an overall standpoint of what you expect from the Montreal Canadiens. They’re going to be very comfortable in this environment and facing elimination.. You can tell they’ve been through it… We expect their best punch today, and we’re going to need to be ready and we’re going to have [be] our best tonight.” Talk about setting the tone, right? Well, the message didn’t fall on deaf ears. Alex Ovechkin heard it loud and clear and wasted no time taking charge. With 10:48 left in the first period, he slapped home the first goal on a power play, putting the Capitals up 1-0.

At 39, Alex Ovechkin is still lighting it up like the veteran superstar he is, now sitting with four goals in this playoff series. That’s tied for fifth among all skaters in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. And if he finds the back of the net just two more times, he’ll tie Jaromir Jagr for the 11th most playoff goals in NHL history. Three more? Well, that’ll put him alongside Jean Beliveau for 10th. The Caps captain has been on a tear lately, recently breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record with career goal No. 895 earlier this month and adding three more before the regular season wrapped up. So, no wonder the Caps are extremely motivated to finish the job in the Eastern 1st Round against the Canadiens.

Alex Ovechkin’s Caps all motivated to get the title home!

Alex Ovechkin’s Washington Capitals were so close to clinching a spot in Round 2, just one win away from ending a playoff drought that dates back to 2018 and they did the deed in style. With a 4-1 series lead over the Montreal Canadiens, they’ve wrapped things up at Capital One Arena snugly. “We’re focused on one game,” said Tom Wilson, keeping it laser-sharp. It was all about keeping the machine running smoothly and finishing strong at home. The Caps knew the Canadiens won’t go down without a fight, though. Montreal has been tough in every game, with all but one of Washington’s wins being a one-goal battle.

Head coach Spencer Carbery knew the Canadiens were hungry, but he got his team dialed in and said they’ll need “a little bit more” to put the Habs away. The Capitals were ready to bring that extra energy, pushing past what they’ve shown so far. Montreal, led by some of the guys from their 2021 Cup Final run, were itching to repeat their magic and force a Game 6. But the Caps retooled big-time this season, adding key players in the off-season to complement their star power. And now, with a fresh batch of talent and some fiery motivation, they’ve established that their regular-season dominance wasn’t just a fluke.

It’s a moment Washington can’t let slip, with home ice advantage and a chance to seal the deal. Dowd put it simply: “You play all year for home ice… we’ve done that. But the job’s not done.” Plus, the potential return of Aliaksei Protas could give the NHL Caps a nice little boost. It’s clear the energy in that locker room is as high as ever, and with the fans behind them, they’re ready to finish what they started. And yup, they made it to round 2 as Alex Ovechkin shined!