In the current 2024-25 NHL season, the Washington Capitals are being very dominant. Every single player is anticipated by the crowd to perform at every single ice rink they come to attend, and they are one of the favorites for this campaign’s Stanley Cup. The contenders are performing like any top team would, as they are destroying any kind of competition that is coming against them. No wonder the players are getting that confidence from their captain, Alexander Ovechkin!

Indeed, the Russian NHL player is currently chasing Wayne Gretzky’s 894-goal record and is right now on 874. This performance has surely fueled the other players in the team, and the Capitals are just dominating, as seen by their recent match against the Edmonton Oilers on January 21 at Rogers Place. However, this particular win has resulted in them chasing a certain record if they keep up with the momentum in the next few games.

A good time for the Washington Capitals

So how did their last game go? Arriving at Rogers Place, the Washington Capitals faced an Edmonton Oilers team without Connor McDavid. But what happened? After he cross-checked Vancouver Canucks’ right winger Conor Garland, Oilers #97 received a three-match suspension, sparking a significant controversy. Indeed, this was a huge advantage for the Capitals, but they knew that the Oilers were no small team to go against in the NHL. Keeping everything in sight, the Capitals struggled a bit in the first period as the Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl scored.

However, the Capitals’ Tom Wilson scored with 10 minutes remaining in the first period of the game, and the match was tied 1-1. In the second period, considering the Oilers’ history of dominating in this section of games, the Capitals didn’t struggle as Matt Roy scored, making the home team feel the pressure with 1-2 on the scoreboard. Coming to the third period, Capitals’ Pierre-Luc Dubois scored the final goal, and Oilers’ Corey Perry only managed to score a single goal before the time ended, and the Edmonton Oilers lost the game 2-3 to the Washington Capitals.

Spencer Carbery, the coach of the Capitals, was filled with pride, knowing that despite Ovechkin’s lack of a goal in the game, the team still emerged victorious. However, the team also achieved another feat in the process, which they shared on X, stating, “Washington’s 11-game point streak is tied for the eighth longest in franchise history and marks the team’s first point streak of 11 or more games since the 2019-20 season (13 GP from 10/16/19 to 11/13/19: 11-0-2).”

This is a huge feat for the franchise, as their longest point streak is 15 games, which was achieved during the 2009-10 NHL season when they also acquired their longest winning streak of 14 games. Furthermore, every top NHL team is playing really well this season, and despite the competitiveness, the Capitals have emerged as the table toppers after 47 games, with a record of 32-10-5 and 69 points. Even before their match against the Oilers, the captain of the team responded cheekily to McDavid’s suspension.

Alexander Ovechkin had a great prediction

Coming to the Capitals vs. Oilers match, in an interview, Alexander Ovechkin reacted to Connor McDavid’s three-match suspension, stating, “Sucks for him. Good for us. We’ll take it.” This was a big statement, as the Oilers’ fans weren’t happy, but the Capitals’ fans knew that this might be their big opportunity to dominate the team at their home ground. And guess what? Ovechkin was right.

While the Oilers did play well, not having McDavid on the team affected them in many ways. The Capitals have been dominant all season, and with the Oilers missing a star player, they knew they had to win to take first place in the NHL table. Ovechkin’s team will be facing the Seattle Kraken next, and they will be hoping to carry their point streak with a dominant score on the board.