Alex Ovechkin netted his 884th career goal, drawing closer to Wayne Gretzky's record, but the Washington Capitals succumbed to the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1. Scoring against Andrei Vasilevskiy late in the game, Ovechkin remains ten goals shy of the all-time mark. Despite this achievement, the Capitals have now lost three consecutive games for the first time this season, raising concerns as they lead the Eastern Conference.

Tampa Bay players praised Ovechkin's goal-scoring ability, highlighting the difficulty of stopping him when he finds space. Capitals coach Spencer Carbery remains optimistic, believing Ovechkin's chemistry with his teammates will improve as they progress through the season.