The Washington Capitals improved to 4-1-0 after a 5-1 win over the Minnesota Wild at Capital One Arena as the team debuted a brand new alternative ‘Screaming Eagle’ jersey on Friday evening. Minnesota falls to a disappointing 2-3 in the 2025-26 season. Dylan Strome secured the Capitals victory with three points in the game, but Alex Ovechkin stole the headlines with his 898th regular-season goal in the third period. Minnesota goaltender Filip Gustavsson did everything he could to maintain a mediocre road team, but the 40-save performance wasn’t enough to thwart the Capitals’ offensive attack.
Strome gives Capitals an edge in the first period
Late in the first period, center Strome scored his first goal of the season after redirecting a puck past Gustavsson for a 1-0 Capitals lead. The play was set up when Ovechkin zipped a cross-ice pass over the top of the crease, and right onto Strome’s tape, triggering the loud buzzer as the puck slid over that thin red line.
Washington controlled the game in the first period with a 13-3 opening lead. Gustavsson was solid in making the saves he needed to keep Minnesota trailing by just one goal after the first 20 minutes.
Wild, Capitals exchange late in second period
The second period followed a similar pattern to the original frame. Washington outscored Minnesota 11-4, but only allowed one puck to slip past Gustavsson in that period. Minnesota struck first in the middle frame. Former Capitals forward Marcus Johansson defeated Logan Thompson to tie the game at 1-1 at 16:47 of the second period, with assists from Matt Boldy and John Middleton.
Boldy became just the sixth different Wild forward to score a point in each of his team’s first five games, according to the NHL’s website with live updates. The 24-year-old winger joins Andrew Brunette (seven games played in 2009-10), Mats Zuccarello (twice, 2023-24 and 2022-23), Chris Stewart (6 GP in 2017-18), Pavol Demitra (6 GP in 2006-07) and Zach Parise (5 GP in 2012-13).
The sad times inside Capital One Arena lasted exactly 31 seconds before Aliaksei Protas regained the lead for Washington. Protas sent a pass intended for a cutting Connor McMichael to the side of the net, but the puck deflected off Gustavsson’s skate over the goal line to give Capitals a 2-1 lead. The 6-foot-4 forward has gotten off to a poor start in the 2025-26 season with four goals and six points in his first five games. Protas had a breakout season in 2024-25, scoring 30 goals and 66 points as a key member of the Capitals’ forward line.
Ovechkin’s snipe puts game out of reach for Minnesota
Early in the third period, Washington took a commanding 3-1 lead on a crafty play following a face-off win. Strone won the offensive zone draw against a waiting Ovechkin, who one-timed the puck past Minnesota’s netminder for his 898th regular-season NHL goal. The 40-year-old forward is two goals away from becoming the first NHL player to score 900 goals.
8️⃣9️⃣8️⃣ https://t.co/iiYqd1gqIC pic.twitter.com/31rociCpZu
— Capitals of Washington (@Capitals) October 18, 2025
Despite the lead, Washington never gave up and continued to pound pucks towards Gustavsson in the third period. Strome grabbed his own rebound and fired the puck into the empty Minnesota net for a 4-1 lead after the Wild goalie made the first stop on the play.
Related: Alex Ovechkin could reach 1,000 goals if he returns for the 2027-2028 season
Tom Wilson scored a power-play goal at 18:03 after Boldy was assessed a frustration penalty for lunging in front of the referee. Washington ended the game with a 45-15 lead over Minnesota in the 5-1 win over the Wild.
With the win, Washington improves to 4-1-0 with eight standings points, tying the Carolina Hurricanes at the top of the Metropolitan Division in the early season. The Capitals return to the ice on Sunday afternoon when the Vancouver Canucks visit Washington, DC. Minnesota drops to 2-3-0 in 2025-26 with a quick turnaround for the Wild, who play the Philadelphia Flyers (1-2-1) tomorrow night, October 18, at 7:00 PM ET.
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