The Washington Capitals got their first game in the win column for the 2024-25 season. They defeated the Vegas Golden Knights by a final score of 4-2. The Capitals got their goals from Jakub Vrana, Tom Wilson, Aliaksei Protas, and Jakob Chychrun. Meanwhile, Victor Olofsson and Jack Eichel scored the two Vegas goals. A few storylines played out during the matchup tonight.
Ovechkin Hits 700 Assists
While he continues chasing Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goal record, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin reached another milestone in his storied career. He set up Aliaksei Protas for his first goal of the season to give Washington a 3-1 lead in the second period. With that assist, Ovechkin officially tallied 700 career assists. He is the 60th player in NHL history to reach 700 assists, and he is only the sixth to have 700 goals and 700 assists. Ovechkin finished with two assists tonight.
Ovechkin talked after the game about reaching this milestone. He said, “When you play 20 years in hockey, I’m pretty sure you’ll get the same number. Yeah, it’s pretty big number. Nice to be in that company.”
Ovechkin has not scored a goal yet this season. He has three assists so far.
Vrana Scores in His Capitals Return
Head coach Spencer Carbery wanted to get a spark after the Capitals’ third line had a rough game on Saturday versus New Jersey. As a result, Jakub Vrana was placed into the lineup to replace Sonny Milano.
Tonight’s game against the Golden Knights marked Vrana’s first back as a member of the Capitals. He last suited up for Washington during the 2020-21 season. He opened the scoring for the Capitals, receiving a pass from Andrew Mangiapane (who also got his first point as a Capital). When it was announced that Vrana was the one who scored that goal, the crowd was electric for him.
“It felt great,” Vrana said after the game. “You’ve got to give a lot of credit to [Mangiapane]. That was a great forecheck, and he won that puck battle and he served it to me. Obviously it’s hockey: It was great timing, as well. He was good on the forecheck all game, and I’m happy that one went in.”
Vrana also discussed about how special the crowd was in his return. He said, “Amazing. They’re showing a lot of support, and I really appreciate that. Yeah, they were awesome.”
Capitals Have Offensive Burst in Second Period
Heading into the second period, the Capitals and Golden Knights were tied at one. Washington got three goals to boost their lead to 4-1. The three goal scorers were Tom Wilson, Aliaksei Protas, and Jakob Chychrun. In the blink of an eye, the Capitals had a three-goal lead against Vegas. Like Mangiapane with his assist tonight, Chychrun got his first point as a Capital on his goal. He put the puck by Vegas goalie Adin Hill after rebounding on a Nic Dowd shot. Wilson also is the first Capital to score multiple goals this season. He sits with two after the tally he scored tonight.
The Golden Knights scored last on a goal from Jack Eichel, but Vegas was not able to cut the lead down any more after that. Logan Thompson, who played against his former club tonight, made some critical saves that helped lead Washington to victory. Ovechkin talked about Thompson’s play tonight. Ovechkin said, “Huge game for him. He played solid. He makes a key save, especially in the second period when two guys fell on a breakaway.”
The Capitals next play on Thursday at Capital One Arena. They have a 7:00 p.m. matchup with the Dallas Stars. Washington can try and build on what they accomplished tonight and play a Stars team that is highly-regarded in the Western Conference.
