The Washington Capitals improved to 4-1-0 following a 5-1 win over the Minnesota Wild at Capital One Arena as the team debuted a brand-new alternate “Screaming Eagle” jersey on Friday night. Minnesota falls to a disappointing 2-3 mark on the 2025-26 season. Dylan Strome powered the Capitals’ victory with three points in the contest, but Alex Ovechkin stole the headlines with his 898th regular-season goal in the third period. Minnesota’s goaltender, Filip Gustavsson, did everything he could to keep a lackluster road team, but the 40-save performance was not enough to thwart the Capitals’ offensive attack.
Strome Gives Capitals a First Period Lead
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 across the top of the crease, and right on the tape of Strome, which triggered the loud buzzer as the puck slid across that thin red line.
Washington controlled the play in the first period with a 13-3 shot advantage over the opening period. Gustavsson was solid in making the saves he needed to keep Minnesota trailing by just one goal after the opening 20 minutes.
Wild, Capitals Exchange Late Second Period Tallies
The second period followed a similar pattern to the initial frame. Washington outshot Minnesota, 11-4, but slipped just one puck past Gustavsson in the period. Minnesota struck first in the middle frame. Former Capitals forward Marcus Johansson beat Logan Thompson to tie the game at 1-1 at 16:47 of the second period, with assists to Matt Boldy and John Middleton.
Boldy became just the sixth different Wild forward to record a point in each of his team’s first five games, according to the NHL’s live updates website. The 24-year-old winger joins Andrew Brunette (seven games played in 2009-10), Mats Zuccarello (twice, 2023-24 & 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 precisely 31 seconds before Aliaksei Protas regained the lead for Washington. Protas sent a pass intended for a cutting Connor McMichael at the side of the net, but the puck ricocheted off Gustavsson’s skate and across the goal line for a 2-1 Capitals lead. The 6-foot-6 forward has started the 2025-26 season on a tear with four goals and six points over his first five games. Protas enjoyed a breakout season in 2024-25, scoring 30 goals and 66 points as a key member of the Capitals’ forward group.
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 off a faceoff win. Strone won the offensive zone draw to a waiting Ovechkin, who one-timed the puck past Minnesota’s netminder for his 898th NHL regular-season goal. The 40-year-old forward sits two goals shy of becoming the first NHL player to score 900 goals.
8️⃣9️⃣8️⃣ https://t.co/iiYqd1gqIC pic.twitter.com/31rociCpZu
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) October 18, 2025
Despite the lead, Washington never let up and continued to pound pucks towards Gustavsson in the third period. Strome grabbed his own rebound and rocketed the puck into the empty Minnesota net for a 4-1 advantage after the Wild goalie made the initial stop on the play.
Related: Alex Ovechkin Can Reach 1,000 Goals if He Returns for 2027-28 Season
Tom Wilson scored a power-play goal at 18:03 after Boldy took a frustration penalty for slashing in front of the referee. Washington finished the game with a 45-15 shot advantage over Minnesota in the 5-1 victory over the Wild.
With the win, Washington improves to 4-1-0 with eight standings points, tying the Carolina Hurricanes atop of the Metropolitan Division in the early season. The Capitals return to the ice on Sunday afternoon when the Vancouver Canucks visit Washington, D.C. Minnesota falls to 2-3-0 in 2025-26 with a quick turnaround for the Wild, who play the Philadelphia Flyers (1-2-1) tomorrow night, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. ET.
