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Watch: Alex Ovechkin ties Wayne Gretzky for most NHL goals all-time
And then he was just one goal from immortality. Alexander Ovechkin scored career tally No. 894 to tie Hockey Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky for most all-time on Friday.
The Washington Capitals captain struck on a signature one-timer from the left faceoff circle on the power play in the third period, victimizing Chicago Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight for the second time that night.
EIGHT. NINETY. FOUR.
— x - Washington Capitals (@Capitals) April 5, 2025
WE ARE WITNESSING GR8NESS. pic.twitter.com/6ia09pU2OF
"The Great Eight," as he's called, skated around the ice after being mobbed by his teammates off the bench. His goal gave Washington its first lead since his first-period strike put the team up 1-0.
He spent a moment to celebrate with his son Sergei and then could be seen bowing his head to Gretzky who was in attendance in one of the Capital One Arena boxes with Ovechkin's wife and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.
The Capitals went on to win 5-3 and improve to 49-18-9.
Ovechkin needs just one more goal to own the league's all-time record outright. He has six more regular-season games to complete the monumental achievement.
The Capitals will play the New York Islanders on Sunday.
More must-reads:
- Alex Ovechkin reveals why he purposely didn't break goals record vs. Blackhawks
- Watch: Alex Ovechkin scores goal No. 893, two from passing Wayne Gretzky
- The 'MLB playoff home run leaders' quiz
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Veteran center attempting NHL comeback
Free-agent center Adam Ruzicka turned to the KHL last season and had a solid showing in Russia with Spartak but notably hasn’t signed a new deal there yet. Spartak adviser Valeri Kamensky told Alexander Abustin of Sport-Express that the reason Ruzicka hasn’t re-signed yet is because he’s holding out hope to get another NHL opportunity. The 26-year-old was a fourth-round pick by Calgary back in 2017, going 109th overall. He spent parts of four seasons with the Flames before being claimed off waivers by Arizona in early 2024. However, a month later, Ruzicka and the Coyotes agreed on a mutual contract termination a month later, making him an unrestricted free agent. After another NHL chance didn’t materialize in short order, he ultimately signed with Spartak in late May 2024. Ruzicka was certainly productive in Russia, notching 26 goals and 19 assists in 65 regular-season games, good for fifth in team scoring. He was even better in the playoffs, picking up seven goals and five helpers in 12 postseason contests, making the most of his opportunity to play a more offensive role after being more of a depth player in the NHL. Over his four NHL seasons, Ruzicka has played in 117 games, picking up 14 goals and 26 assists. However, a good chunk of that production came in 2022-23 when he recorded 20 points in just 44 games with Calgary before his output tailed off the following year. Basically, he’s not too far removed from being a legitimate depth contributor at the top level. Kamensky acknowledged that discussions are underway with Ruzicka so if he doesn’t get another NHL look, he’ll simply re-sign. But, for now at least, it appears he’s hoping to get another chance at the top level first.
Cowboys' problem with Micah Parsons may hand Steelers a franchise QB
The Pittsburgh Steelers have been one of the most-talked-about NFL organizations throughout the course of the 2025 offseason. One of the biggest headlines that was attached to the franchise involved a rare May trade that sent George Pickens to the Dallas Cowboys. Many expected the wide receiver to be dealt before or during the NFL Draft, but after a move didn't occur, it was believed that he would play out the final year of his rookie contract in the Steel City. Now, he is teaming up with CeeDee Lamb in the NFC, and a duo has been formed that could be very dangerous. Unfortunately for fans of the Cowboys, the two wide receivers have not been the talk of Dallas' training camp. Team owner Jerry Jones is playing hardball with edge-rusher Micah Parsons, and the talented defender recently requested a trade. The decision not to pay Parsons yet has left Jones under intense scrutiny, given the fact that the pass-rusher is one of the league's best. Jones' recent comments also show how dysfunctional the situation has become. In a recent appearance on ESPN's "Get Up," respected analyst Dan Orlovsky found a way to relate Parsons' situation to quarterback Dak Prescott, insinuating that if Jones does indeed trade Parsons, Prescott's Super Bowl window in Dallas would close. "If they trade [Parsons], and I don't think they do, if they trade him, it declares the Dak Prescott era over," Orlovsky said. "This team has no shot of winning a Super Bowl without Micah Parsons. No shot, and if you're doing it, it's to acquire a ton of first-round picks, so you have the ammunition to go get an Arch Manning of the future." The Steelers are set to have 12 draft picks in 2026, which gives the front office plenty of options when it comes to bringing in the next franchise quarterback. Instead of drafting one, however, could an available Prescott be a target for general manager Omar Khan? Orlovsky believes trading Parsons away would upset the Cowboys' best players. "There's no way that you can go to your locker room with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, some of the first-round picks you have on your offensive line, Trevon Diggs, and go, 'Hey, go beat Philadelphia when you don't have Micah Parsons. Go beat the Rams when you don't have Micah Parsons.' Your locker room will sit there and go like, 'Oh, well you've obviously moved on, so we're going to start our process of moving on as well.'" Any team interested in acquiring Prescott would have to take a long look at his contract. Some of the cap hits are astronomical in the coming years, but Khan is known to be a guru when it comes to the finances in deals. There's no reason to believe that he couldn't make something work for Prescott if a trade were to happen during the 2026 offseason. Fans in Dallas shouldn't be panicking just yet, but there were already some rumors about Prescott's long-term position with the Cowboys during the 2025 offseason. Certain reports were eventually debunked because it was quite literally impossible for Jones to entertain the idea of dealing Prescott after the franchise altered the quarterback's contract. Prescott has a no-trade clause, but that can always be waived, especially if he is upset about how Jones moves forward. If the Cowboys trade Parsons and pick up a plethora of draft capital, and then go on to invest in a first-round signal-caller, Prescott may be requesting to be traded as well. That's a long way away from happening, but the Steelers immediately come to mind as a team that would likely be interested. The Steelers' best-case scenario would be the emergence of Will Howard It's not easy to make a name for oneself in the NFL, and it's even tougher for players like Will Howard who were drafted in the sixth round. Pittsburgh will be in the quarterback market once again in 2026 if Aaron Rodgers is serious about retirement, so it would be a fantastic development if Howard solidifies himself as the next starter in the Steel City.
Brewers righty deserves consideration as dark-horse Cy Young candidate
The Milwaukee Brewers' trade with the Boston Red Sox early in the season flew under the radar. The Brewers acquired former top prospect Quinn Priester from the Red Sox, sending outfield prospect Yophery Rodriguez to Boston on April 7. Pitching prospect John Holobetz was sent to the Red Sox on May 5 to complete the trade. Priester had been expected to be a top-of-the-rotation arm, lauded for his athleticism and plus fastball and curve. However, he struggled during his time in the majors in 2023 and 2024, posting a combined 6.23 ERA and a 1.555 WHiP over 99.2 innings, striking out 69 batters with 41 walks while serving up 19 home runs. Despite a solid outing in his only appearance for the Red Sox, Priester remained in Triple-A as nothing more than pitching depth. That changed with his arrival in Milwaukee. He has exceeded expectations, either as a traditional starter or following an opener. Priester has posted a 3.15 ERA and a 1.190 WHiP over his 114.1 innings for the Brewers, striking out 93 batters with 38 walks. Opponents have mustered a meager .228/.294/.382 batting line in 471 plate appearances with just 13 homers. The Brewers' 64-48 record entering Tuesday is the best in the majors despite a nondescript rotation. While Freddy Peralta is a top-of-the-rotation arm in his own right, staff ace Brandon Woodruff missed all of 2024 and most of the first half of 2025. Pitchers such as Chad Patrick, Tobias Myers and Jose Quintana are back-of-the-rotation arms at this point. The Brewers needed someone to step up with Priester being the unlikely hero. Pitchers Paul Skenes and Zack Wheeler are the prohibitive favorites to win the National League Cy Young Award. BetMGM does not have Priester listed as one of the 10 most likely candidates to take home the hardware. However, Priester's performance, coupled with the Brewers' success this season, is worthy of attention. If he can continue to perform at this level, Priester deserves at least some consideration on the ballot.
The Dallas Cowboys receive an important reality check at joint practice vs the Rams but one play sparks confidence
The Dallas Cowboys' joint practice vs. the Los Angeles Rams is over and everyone present at Oxnard, California appears to agree on one thing: The offensive line lost the battle on Tuesday. The Cowboys received a reality check in the trenches after an offseason of aiming for a violent, physical run game. The Rams' defensive line was just better on Tuesday. Now granted, it's one of the best defensive lines in the NFL and it all starts with elite edge rusher Jared Verse. The young defender went up against Cowboys' backup left tackle Nate Thomas, who is expected to start in place of Tyler Guyton if the latter isn't ready for Week 1. In the play below, Verse beats Thomas with an inside move to blow up the play and get the tackle for loss on Cowboys RB Javonte Williams. And it wasn't just because of the mismatch involving Verse and Thomas: The Rams had success defending the run no matter what hole the Cowboys were aiming for. "It’s been a lot of [blown up plays] in the run game for the Cowboys offense today," Nick Harris from Fort Worth Star-Telegram posted on X, formerly Twitter. The Athletic's Jon Machota added: "Not much on the ground today for the Cowboys." Not only is it true the Cowboys were facing a top-tier defensive line but it's also true they're adopting a new run philosophy (more on that below), and they were down their starting left tackle. Tyler Smith also missed a good chunk of snaps with the first-team offense. And yet, the Cowboys know there are no excuses. Brian Schottenheimer will want his team focused on improving in the run game. One play during practice should get Cowboys Nation excited about the run game The best run of the day was attributed to Williams, who is listed as the starting running back on the Cowboys' unofficial depth chart. Williams broke free right down the middle of the offensive line and the reason why I got so excited with the play was simple: It was a counter run. Last year, the Cowboys ran the 30th-most counter attempts. That is bound to change: New offensive coordinator Klayton Adams comes from an offense that ran it the second-most times (Arizona Cardinals). Counter is a concept utilizing misdirection and demolition. The team pretends to run to the backside, from where to pulling blockers emerge to meet unsuspecting defenders. The play below is a perfect example. Left guard T.J. Bass meets with a Rams LB (No. 56) at the end of the line of scrimmage while center Cooper Beebe pulls and leads the way for Williams up the middle. From the moment the Cowboys hired Adams, I've been excited at the prospect of the franchise finally spicing up the run game and so far, it appears the overhaul to the run game is serious. Things might not have gone the Cowboys' way on Tuesday but it's a process for the new coaching staff. The only problem is time is a factor with the regular season under a month away.
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