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Around the NHL: Capitals’ Wilson honoured to assist on Ovechkin’s record-setting goal, Blues set franchise record, Kings clinch playoff spot
The Washington Capitals celebrate Alex Ovechkin's record-setting 895 goal.
Photo credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images
Jeremy Tingly
Apr 7, 2025, 08:30 EDTUpdated: Apr 7, 2025, 07:55 EDT
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We’re back for one of the final Around the NHL segments of the 2024-25 regular season. With only a couple of weeks left in the year, the Stanley Cup Playoff picture is starting to take shape, meanwhile, Washington Capitals’ great Alex Ovechkin has been busy lighting the lamp and breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal-scoring record.
From making history to historic winning streaks to locking in playoff spots, here’s the very latest from around the NHL outside of the Toronto Maple Leafs world:

Tom Wilson ‘honoured’ to assist on Alex Ovechkin’s record-setting goal

Move over Wayne Gretzky, there’s a new goal-scoring king in NHL history. Sunday on Long Island, the hockey world stopped as Washington Capitals legend Alex Ovechkin potted his 895th career goal, surpassing Gretzky for the top spot in NHL history. And fittingly, OV’s long-time teammate Tom Wilson was involved, assisting on the historic marker:
Wilson spoke to reporters after the game and was humbled and honored to be a part of NHL history. “It’s not about me. It makes me a little bit emotional just because I think so much of him. To be able to be beside him forever in a big goal, I feel very lucky, I feel very honoured to be a part of that. It’s not about me at all. I’m just really proud. I love that guy, I love his family, and I’m really proud of him.”
“It will be the honor of my career to play with ‘O,’ learn so much from him, win with him, watch him score this goal. There’s really no words to describe it.” Wilson continued. Ovechkin broke Gretzky’s 31-year-old record and was honoured with the rare mid-game presentation, which included Wayne and his wife Janet, along with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

St. Louis Blues set franchise record with 12th straight win

The St. Louis Blues are the hottest team in hockey and have shot themselves out of a cannon, all the way up the Western Conference Standings and securely into a wild-card position.
The Blues won their 12th straight game on Sunday, defeating the Colorado Avalanche 5-4, and now have an eight-point lead on the Calgary Flames, who are chasing the Blues and Minnesota Wild for one of the wild-card spots in the West.
Along with setting their franchise record for consecutive wins, goaltender Jordan Binnington also tied a franchise record with his 10th straight home win, while Pavel Buchnevich also recorded his 100th goal as a Blue on Sunday.
Needless to say, head coach Jim Montgomery has turned the Blues around and pumped some serious life into the franchise, who were considering a fire sale at one point this season.
“It’s good to enjoy these moments, especially at home,” Binnington said following Sunday’s victory. “It’s really fun to play here right now, and you can tell there’s good energy all around. At the same time, we’ve got to focus and keep looking forward while we’re here.”

Los Angeles Kings clinch playoff spot

For the fourth straight season, the Los Angeles Kings are headed to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Kings beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-0, and with the Calgary Flames losing to the Vegas Golden Knights over the weekend, the Kings have found the separation they needed to punch their ticket to the second season.
While the Kings have now clinched for the fourth straight season, they haven’t won a playoff series over this stretch, thanks to the Edmonton Oilers, who have eliminated the Kings in each of the last three seasons. As it stands right now, the Kings are set to face off once again with the Oilers.
The Kings join the Winnipeg Jets, Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights, Colorado Avalanche,  Toronto Maple Leafs, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, and Washington Capitals as the 10 teams who have clinched their berth in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Quick hits from around the NHL:

  • The Washington Capitals will be without Aliaksei Protas on a week-to-week basis after the forward suffered a lower-body injury.
  • Maple Leafs’ Auston Matthews became the first US-born player to record nine-straight 30-goal seasons.
  • The Oilers signed prospect Nathaniel Day to an entry-level contract.
  • Stars forward Mikko Rantanen became the third-fastest Finnish-born player in NHL history to hit 700 points.
  • Bruins defenceman Nikita Zadorov called his team ‘easy to play against’ during their 10-game losing streak, this coming days after he called out goaltender Jeremy Swayman for his poor play.
  • Stars veteran Jamie Benn had his iron man streak snapped at 371 straight games.
  • Flyers’ Owen Tippett admitted the players were also part of the problem leading up to John Tortorella being fired last week.
  • Niklas Backstrom has followed Ovechkin and the Capitals around to ensure he got to witness history first handhttps:
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