I Dig Sports
LEBANON, Tenn. No previous oval experience, no problem for Dennis Hauger.
Andretti Global rookie Hauger led the Indy NXT by Firestone Open Test on April 1 at Nashville Superspeedway on his first-ever day of driving on an oval, turning a top lap of 187.564 mph in the No. 28 Rental Group car. Hauger, from Norway, leads the standings in the IndyCar development series after winning the season opener March 2 on the streets of St. Petersburg, Fla.
First test on an oval, and it was a really cool experience, Hauger said. I had a lot of fun out there. Good day at the office, and Im looking forward to coming back here later in the season.
Series veteran Myles Rowe was second fastest on the 1.33-mile concrete oval, which will host the 2025 series finale Music City Grand Prix on Sunday, Aug. 31. Rowes best lap was 187.491 in the No. 99 Abel Motorsports/Force Indy car.
Rookie Lochie Hughes helped Andretti Global produce a 1-3 finish on the speed charts, as he was third at 186.651 in the No. 26 McGinley Clinic/USF Pro Championship entry.
Veteran Salvador de Alba kept the good times rolling for Andretti Global, fourth at 186.602 in the No. 27 Group Indi car. Fellow veteran Caio Collet rounded out the top five at 186.054 in the No. 76 HMD Motorsports machine. Collet was the only one of the top five to turn his fastest lap during the morning session.
A total of 19 drivers turned 2,953 laps without incident today. Series veteran Jonathan Browne was the busiest driver, recording 194 laps in the No. 9 Chip Ganassi Racing car.
FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. Dale Howard has driven to the 2025 United Sprint Car Series Presented By Hoosier Racing Tire Winter Heat Series Championship.
The USCS Winter Heat Series was scheduled for 14 events, however, weather issues cancelled five shows leaving nine races that were contested at five different tracks.
Howard totaled 1,284 points in nine races with two wins, seven top five finishes and eight top ten finishes. Howard drove to two straight victories at Southern Raceway in Milton, Fla., on Feb. 15 and Feb. 22.
Davie Franek finished second in the USCS Winter Heat Series point standings, despite having a DNF in the feature race on night one at Hendry County Motorsports Park. Franek totaled 1,258 points with two wins, four top five finishes and seven top-10 finishes.
Lance Moss tied National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee and 2021 USCS National Champion Danny Smith for third in the Winter Heat standings, each with 1,192 points.
Sixteen-time USCS National Champion and National Sprint Car Hall of Fame Inductee Terry Gray was fifth in the USCS Winter Heat Series standings with 1,114 points.
CHILLICOTHE, Ohio Race season has arrived in the Ohio Valley and the World of Outlaws Late Model Series is ready to invade the region for the first time in 2025.
A regular stop on the tour since 1989, Atomic Speedway will host the Series for two nights of action Friday and Saturday as part of the Fireball 50.
Action gets underway on Friday night with a 35-lap, $12,000-to-win, main event before a 50-lap, $15,000-to-win feature caps off the program on Saturday night.
In addition to the Late Models, the program will also include Modifieds on Friday and Sport Mods and Legend Cars on Saturday.
THE BOBBY & RYAN SHOW
The 2025 season is only eight races old, but every driver not named Bobby Pierce and Ryan Gustin knows exactly who they have to beat if they want to contend for the championship in the fall.
With two wins apiece, Pierce and Gustin stand as the only two current title contenders to reach victory lane with the Outlaws this year. They also sit 1-2 in multiple key metrics, including Heat Race wins and feature laps led.
If history is anything to go by, the next chapter in their battle will be written at the front of the pack this weekend.
The last three World of Outlaws races at Atomic were won by either Pierce or Gustin, and they are the only Series regulars to win an Outlaw race at the track since Tim McCreadie took the checkers in 2006.
Gustin took a few nights to get the hang of Atomic, as he missed the top 10 in his first four Outlaw starts there. Something clicked last August though, as The Reaper picked up back-to-back podiums with a third on Friday and a win on Saturday. Pierce has been impeccable at the track from the start, as hes collected two wins and no finishes worse than fourth in World of Outlaws competition.
ON THE UPSWING
Following a strong end to the 2024 season, Brian Shirley rolled into 2025 looking for more race-winning speed. Instead, he got the exact opposite in the opening weeks of the year.
A disastrous Speedweeks buried him in the standings and left him with a shop full of wrecked cars and blown engines. Smoky Mountain Speedway wasnt much better, as Squirrel never found his footing and came home 21st. But when the tour traveled south to Swainsboro Raceway, the Bob Cullen Racing team began to show signs of life.
After using a provisional to start Fridays feature, Shirley moved up 11 spots in 35 laps to finish 13th. Saturday saw Shirleys best early-night speed in months, as he qualified sixth in his group, finished second in his heat race to make his first redraw of 2025 and spent the first half of the feature running in the top 10. A flat left-rear tire may have knocked him down to 20th in the final order, but the No. 3s clearly had speed.
The next two weeks present a golden opportunity for Shirley to show what hes capable of. He ended the night on the podium in his last three World of Outlaws starts at Atomic and has a DIRTcar Summer Nationals win in Chillicothe on his résumé from 2014. Then, hell head back to his home state for next weekends Illini 100 at Farmer City Raceway.
Shirleys decades-long track record there includes two wins each with the World of Outlaws, Hell Tour and MARS along with several more local and regional triumphs.
BREAKING THROUGH
As the only driver with seven top 10s in the first eight races, Nick Hoffman has arguably been the most consistent driver on tour so far in 2025. But solid finishes alone arent enough to win a World of Outlaws championship.
The season is still young, but up to this point Hoffman finds himself in the opposite scenario from a year ago.
In 2024, The Thrill from Mooresville won five times two more than champion Brandon Sheppard but trailed Sheppard in top fives and top 10s. This time around, a lack of wins is his only deficit compared to the likes of Pierce and Gustin.
Atomic could be just the place for Hoffman to remove his goose egg from the win column. Hes a two-time winner in regional action and owns three top fives in four World of Outlaws starts at the track.
ROOKIE RACE ROLLS ON
Theres a new driver on top of the MD3 Rookie of the Year Award battle entering Atomic, as a pair of top fives at Swainsboro were enough to vault Drake Troutman around Ethan Dotson and into fourth in the overall points table.
Troutman kicked his season into gear on the final night of Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals when he led several laps and finished second to Jonathan Davenport. Smoky Mountain didnt go his way with a 24th-place run, but Troutman quickly got back on track in Georgia.
On the other hand, Dotson got off to a hot start with two top fives in the first three Outlaw nights of the year at Volusia Speedway Park, but has struggled to replicate that speed in the weeks since.
While Dotson has yet to compete at Atomic in a Late Model, his Modified stat sheet is certainly impressive.
The Californian ran a three-race weekend with the Renegades of Dirt Tour in 2022 and finished first, first and third in the Features. Troutman was also in attendance that weekend, scoring a best finish of seventh.
Trailing that duo in the rookie standings are Jake Timm, Daniel Adam, Austin Smith and Dillon McCowan.
SCOUTING THE LOCALS
In addition to the World of Outlaws, this weekends event is co-sanctioned by the Valvoline American Late Model Iron Man Series, bringing the toughest Late Model competition in the region together to battle the nations best.
Theyll be led by reigning Series champion Rusty Schlenk, who finished top five at Atomic last June on his way to the title.
The three-time DIRTcar UMP Late Model national champion is already batting 1.000 in 2025, winning twice in two starts at Attica Raceway Park.
Other Buckeye State natives to keep an eye on include Rod Conley, who beat the Outlaws at Atomic in 2008 and finished top five at the track four times last year, as well as Adam Stricker, who came home fifth against the Outlaws in last years Fireball 50.
Wood Brothers Family Named Grand Marshals For Goodyear 400
DARLINGTON, S.C. Darlington Raceway announced the family of the Wood Brothers Racing team will serve as the grand marshals for the Goodyear 400 this Sunday.
Celebrating their 75th anniversary alongside the Track Too Tough to Tame, the pioneer team of the NASCAR Cup Series will say the most famous words in motorsports ahead of the main event of The Official Throwback Weekend of NASCAR.
As we celebrate 75 years of racing at The Lady in Black, its only right we also recognize the same achievement for one of the most storied teams in our sports history with the Wood Brothers, said Darlington Raceway President Josh Harris. Few organizations have garnered as much success throughout NASCAR, and particularly at Darlington Raceway. Were grateful to celebrate each other and fire off the Goodyear 400 with a family of legends.
Since their first of 104 starts at Darlington in the spring of 1961, the Wood Brothers stand as one of the most successful organizations to have ever competed at the 1.366-mile venue. The team has amassed a total of eight wins across three drivers in three different decades.
David Pearson, a native of Spartanburg, S.C., captured four of those wins in the tracks spring event in 1972 (his first start for the team), 1973, 1974, and 1976 along with two Southern 500 victories coming in 1976 and 1977. Fellow NASCAR Hall of Famer and Timmonsville, S.C. native Cale Yarborough scored one Southern 500 win for the Wood Brothers in 1968 while Neil Bonnett notched the teams most recent win at Darlington in 1981.
Wood Brothers Racing, founded in 1950 from Stuart, Va., sits as the oldest active team in NASCAR while holding one of the winningest resumes in the sports history. The organization currently sits at 101 total wins after Josh Berrys victory earlier this year at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
They have been accustomed to visiting Victory Lane across eight decades while winning 120 pole awards in the process. A grand total of 22 of NASCARs 75 Greatest Drivers have at one point driven for the famed team.
Founder, owner, and former driver Glen Wood began working alongside his brothers Leonard, Delano, Clay and Ray Lee building race cars under a giant beech tree on the family homestead in Buffalo Ridge, Va. His sons Eddie and Len have taken over as Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer of the team, respectively, while their younger sister Kim serves as the Chief Financial Officer. Eddies son Jon Wood was named Team President in 2024, and his daughter Jordan Hicks works as the Chief Marketing Officer. Lens son Kevin Wood is the Team Executive Vice President and ensures the No. 21 Ford is ready for competition each Sunday.
BOSTON -- Alex Ovechkin scored his 891st career goal, moving him four away from passing Wayne Gretzky's NHL record, and Dylan Strome broke a third-period tie Tuesday night to lead the Washington Capitals to a 4-3 victory over the Boston Bruins.
Ovechkin gave the Capitals a 2-0 lead with about four minutes left in the first period, pushing a cross-crease pass from Strome into an open net. He has 12 goals in his past 18 games and eight games remaining this season to catch Gretzky.
The 39-year-old Russian, who also shot wide on an empty net in the final minutes, will continue his pursuit Wednesday night against the Carolina Hurricanes.
"It's getting close," Capitals coach Spencer Carbery said. "You can feel it. You can definitely feel it."
Ovechkin entered the season 42 goals short of breaking the regular-season record by The Great One that had long seemed unapproachable. Now in his 20th NHL season, Ovechkin was on pace to get to 895 in February before breaking his left leg in a shin-on-shin collision in November. He sat out 16 games but resumed his pursuit at Toronto in the Capitals' first game after the Christmas break.
"I go back to when he was injured and out for a while. When that happened, everyone was kind of thinking to themselves whether or not it was going to be possible," goaltender Charlie Lindgren said. "But anything's possible with Alex Ovechkin. We've seen that this far. We've got eight games to go, and the best thing about it is it doesn't feel like there's any pressure at all. And the team's enjoying it."
Earlier this season, the Washington captain became the 60th player to record 700 career assists. He joined Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jaromir Jagr, Marcel Dionne and Phil Esposito as the only players with 700 goals and 700 assists, one of several milestones in his career.
On Tuesday, the club padded its lead in the Eastern Conference standings, as Nic Dowd and Tom Wilson also scored for Washington. Lindgren made 21 saves to help the first-place Capitals end a three-game losing streak.
"I thought we had a decent first [period], and it got away from us in the second," Strome said on the Capitals' postgame show on the Monumental Sports Network. "They obviously took it to us. We got a 2-0 lead, and maybe thought it was going to be easy. But they're a good team, and we had to find a way to battle back in the third and get some timely goals."
Ovechkin is averaging a little less than two goals every three games. At that pace, he would pass Gretzky in the penultimate game of the season, at the New York Islanders on April 15.
David Pastrnak had two goals, Vinni Lettieri scored one and Jeremy Swayman stopped 27 shots for Boston, which lost its ninth in a row.
The Bruins came back in the second, getting a goal from Lettieri six minutes into the second and then the tying score by Pastrnak with three minutes left in the period. But Strome gave Washington the lead midway through the third, grabbing a rebound off the back wall and slipping it past Swayman.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia -- Vancouver Canucks center Filip Chytil may miss the rest of the season after experiencing a setback in his attempt to return from another concussion.
Coach Rick Tocchet said Tuesday that Chytil has experienced good and bad days trying to work back. The 25-year-old from the Czech Republic has not played since getting concussed when he was hit from behind by Chicago's Jason Dickinson on March 15.
"He would go out and skate and felt good, the next day not as good," Tocchet said. "To be honest with you guys, does he play this year? Maybe the odds are against it. Plus you don't want to put a guy in that type of position. But when a guy has good days and bad days, obviously you're not going to play the guy."
Asked if there was concern about Chytil's hockey-playing career continuing because of his concussion history, Tocchet added he was not sure.
"I talked to him today and he said it was different than his last concussion," Tocchet said. "The bad days aren't as bad, so that's a positive, so I think we've got to take the positive approach. Plus he's got four, five months to rebuild himself, or who knows? We've just got to take it day by day with this guy right now."
Vancouver acquired Chytil in late January as part of the return for trading J.T. Miller to the New York Rangers. Chytil has already had multiple concussions in the NHL and does not turn 26 until September.
The Canucks, who are making a desperate push to make the playoffs, are also not sure about the status of center Elias Pettersson, who has not played since getting injured March 22 against the Rangers. Tocchet said Pettersson was day to day.
Captain Quinn Hughes has missed time for a lower-body injury and winger Brock Boeser was temporarily sidelined by a concussion. All-Star goalie Thatcher Demko missed training camp and the beginning of the season as he worked his way back from a rare knee injury, then went down with another injury in February.
"There's been a lot of things that've hit this team," Tocchet said. "And you're looking for culture stuff, right? Who's all in and who's not. When you have a lot of guys all buying in, you can withstand some stuff."
The Canucks (34-27-13) are chasing the Minnesota Wild, St. Louis Blues and Calgary Flames for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference as they get set to host the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday.
The odds of making a playoff run aren't in Vancouver's favor, but everyone on the team is staying committed, Demko said, even as injuries continue to ravage the lineup.
"I think as a group, we've been through a lot this year," Demko said. "It's obviously not an easy situation right now with some of the guys out, but I feel like our effort's been there every game. We haven't mailed it in, we're not using it as an excuse. We're showing up every night and giving it a solid effort. So really proud of the guys coming together and trying to get some wins here.
New York Islanders coach Patrick Roy said forward Anthony Duclair was "god-awful" in their loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night, and that the veteran is failing to meet expectations.
Duclair played 12 minutes, 15 seconds in the Islanders' 4-1 loss to the Lightning with zero points and finished at minus-1. He had only four shifts in the third period. It was the third straight game in which Duclair played 12:15 or less. He has averaged 15:03 in ice time this season, his first with the Islanders.
"He was god-awful. He was god-awful. He had a bad game. That's why I didn't play him a lot. And he's lucky to be in the lineup. Sorry if I lose it on him right now, but that's how I feel," Roy said.
When asked what he's seeing in Duclair's game, the Islanders coach said "it's an effort thing" for the veteran forward.
"He's not skating, he's not competing, he's not moving his feet. He's not playing up to what we expect from him," Roy said.
Duclair has seven goals and four assists in 44 games with the Islanders, skating to a minus-15. The 29-year-old winger is averaging one point per 60 minutes -- which would be a career low for the 11-year veteran. Duclair signed a four-year, $14-million free agent contract with the Islanders last summer and has a full no-trade clause through 2026.
New York is winless in its past six games, struggling down the stretch while chasing the final wild-card playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. The Islanders trail the Montreal Canadiens by five points with eight games to play.
NHL playoff watch: Are the Rangers and Wild both on the ropes?
As the defending Presidents' Trophy winners, the New York Rangers were envisioned as a playoff team again in 2024-25. As the team on top of the league standings in early December, similar words could be written about the Minnesota Wild.
And yet, heading into Wednesday night's matchup between the clubs (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+), nothing is certain about either team's playoff chances after the pair has gone 8-9-3 in the past 10 games apiece.
The Wild enter the game in a playoff position, and have a 93.7% chance to make the playoffs per Stathletes. A key part of that is the team's remaining strength of schedule; their remaining opponents have a 46.0% winning percentage, which is the second-easiest path. (Only the New Jersey Devils face a weaker slate in the final stretch.)
Compare that to the Rangers, who have a 19.0% chance, and will begin this game on the outside looking in. New York's remaining slate is considerably more difficult; a 54.1% opponents' winning percentage ranks as the second toughest, behind only the Detroit Red Wings.
If the Wild qualify as the first wild card, their likely first-round opponent is the Vegas Golden Knights; if they land in the second wild-card position, their likely opponent is the Winnipeg Jets. Unfortunately, Minnesota went 0-3 against both teams this season.
The Rangers' more likely outcome as a playoff entrant is as the second wild card, which earns them a matchup against the Washington Capitals; the Caps have won all three games against New York this season. The Rangers could wind up as the first wild card, earning a matchup against the Atlantic Division champ. They went 1-2 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, 0-2 against the Florida Panthers (with one more game coming up on April 14), and 0-1 against the Tampa Bay Lightning (with games coming up on April 7 and April 17).
So, the future isn't blindingly bright in the playoffs for these teams. But all you need is a ticket in, and unexpected things can happen!
There are just over two weeks left until the season's end on April 17, and we'll help you track it all with the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we'll provide details on all the playoff races, along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.
Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.
Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Today's schedule
Yesterday's scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick
Current playoff matchups
Eastern Conference
A1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Florida Panthers
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Montreal Canadiens
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils
Western Conference
C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 Minnesota Wild
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 St. Louis Blues
P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers
Wednesday's games
Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).
Minnesota Wild at New York Rangers, 7 p.m.
Washington Capitals at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. (TNT)
Florida Panthers at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7:30 p.m.
Colorado Avalanche at Chicago Blackhawks, 9:30 p.m. (TNT)
Seattle Kraken at Vancouver Canucks, 10:30 p.m.
Tuesday's scoreboard
Washington Capitals 4, Boston Bruins 3
Montreal Canadiens 3, Florida Panthers 2 (OT)
Buffalo Sabres 5, Ottawa Senators 2
Columbus Blue Jackets 8, Nashville Predators 4
Tampa Bay Lightning 4, New York Islanders 1
St. Louis Blues 2, Detroit Red Wings 1 (OT)
Utah Hockey Club 3, Calgary Flames 1
Edmonton Oilers 3, Vegas Golden Knights 2
Anaheim Ducks 4, San Jose Sharks 3 (SO)
Los Angeles Kings 4, Winnipeg Jets 1
Expanded standings
Atlantic Division
Toronto Maple Leafs
Points: 94
Regulation wins: 37
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 8
Points pace: 104.1
Next game: vs. FLA (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Tampa Bay Lightning
Points: 93
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 103.1
Next game: @ OTT (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Florida Panthers
Points: 92
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 8
Points pace: 102.0
Next game: @ TOR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Ottawa Senators
Points: 84
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 8
Points pace: 93.1
Next game: vs. TB (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 98.6%
Tragic number: N/A
Montreal Canadiens
Points: 79
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 87.5
Next game: vs. BOS (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 51.7%
Tragic number: N/A
Detroit Red Wings
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 83.1
Next game: vs. CAR (Friday)
Playoff chances: 2.3%
Tragic number: 13
Buffalo Sabres
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 77.6
Next game: vs. TB (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 8
Boston Bruins
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 75.4
Next game: @ MTL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 5
Metro Division
x - Washington Capitals
Points: 105
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 8
Points pace: 116.4
Next game: @ CAR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Carolina Hurricanes
Points: 94
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 9
Points pace: 105.6
Next game: vs. WSH (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
New Jersey Devils
Points: 87
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 6
Points pace: 93.9
Next game: vs. NYR (Saturday)
Playoff chances: 99.8%
Tragic number: N/A
Columbus Blue Jackets
Points: 77
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 9
Points pace: 86.5
Next game: vs. COL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 25.5%
Tragic number: 17
New York Rangers
Points: 77
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 85.3
Next game: vs. MIN (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 19.0%
Tragic number: 15
New York Islanders
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 82
Next game: vs. MIN (Friday)
Playoff chances: 3.1%
Tragic number: 12
Pittsburgh Penguins
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 77.6
Next game: @ STL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 7
Philadelphia Flyers
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 76.6
Next game: @ MTL (Saturday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 5
Central Division
x - Winnipeg Jets
Points: 106
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 7
Points pace: 115.9
Next game: @ VGK (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
x - Dallas Stars
Points: 102
Regulation wins: 40
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 113.0
Next game: vs. NSH (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Colorado Avalanche
Points: 94
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 7
Points pace: 102.8
Next game: @ CHI (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
St. Louis Blues
Points: 89
Regulation wins: 30
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 6
Points pace: 96.0
Next game: vs. PIT (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 96.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Minnesota Wild
Points: 88
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 7
Points pace: 96.2
Next game: @ NYR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 93.7%
Tragic number: N/A
Utah Hockey Club
Points: 80
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 87.5
Next game: vs. LA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0.7%
Tragic number: 7
e - Nashville Predators
Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 67.8
Next game: @ DAL (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
e - Chicago Blackhawks
Points: 51
Regulation wins: 18
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 56.5
Next game: vs. COL (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Pacific Division
x - Vegas Golden Knights
Points: 98
Regulation wins: 42
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 8
Points pace: 108.6
Next game: vs. WPG (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A
Los Angeles Kings
Points: 93
Regulation wins: 37
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 8
Points pace: 103.1
Next game: @ UTA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Edmonton Oilers
Points: 91
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 8
Points pace: 100.8
Next game: @ SJ (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A
Calgary Flames
Points: 82
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 90.9
Next game: vs. ANA (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 6.4%
Tragic number: 11
Vancouver Canucks
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 26
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 89.8
Next game: vs. SEA (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 2.4%
Tragic number: 10
Anaheim Ducks
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 82.0
Next game: @ CGY (Thursday)
Playoff chances: ~0%
Tragic number: 3
e - Seattle Kraken
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 25
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 7
Points pace: 74.3
Next game: @ VAN (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
e - San Jose Sharks
Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 8
Points pace: 55.4
Next game: vs. EDM (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E
Note: An "x" means that the team has clinched a playoff berth. An "e" means that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention.
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process are here. Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL's Erie Otters, is No. 1 on the draft board.
1. San Jose Sharks
Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14
2. Chicago Blackhawks
Points: 51
Regulation wins: 18
3. Nashville Predators
Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
4. Seattle Kraken
Points: 68
Regulation wins: 25
5. Buffalo Sabres
Points: 70
Regulation wins: 26
6. Boston Bruins
Points: 69
Regulation wins: 23
7. Philadelphia Flyers
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20
8. Pittsburgh Penguins
Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20
9. Anaheim Ducks
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 23
10. New York Islanders
Points: 74
Regulation wins: 25
11. Detroit Red Wings
Points: 75
Regulation wins: 26
12. New York Rangers
Points: 77
Regulation wins: 32
13. Columbus Blue Jackets
Points: 77
Regulation wins: 24
14. Utah Hockey Club
Points: 80
Regulation wins: 26
15. Vancouver Canucks
Points: 81
Regulation wins: 26
16. Calgary Flames
Points: 82
Regulation wins: 26
Why Ovechkin is 'nearly impossible' to stop: Opponents, teammates explain his shot
Washington Capitals coach Spencer Carbery smiles while discussing "the few faceoff plays" they run for Alex Ovechkin.
When it's from the right circle, the Capitals call it "Shooter Back." From the left circle, they call it "Board Side O" -- as in, "board side Ovechkin." Numerous goals have come from these play designs, which have been so successful that every other team in the NHL has its own version -- albeit without Ovechkin on the finishing end.
Ovechkin's legacy is about scoring goals -- as he closes in on Wayne Gretzky's record of 894 -- and these plays are an instrumental part of that legacy. So much so that the area in the left faceoff circle has become known as "Ovi's Office."
Ovechkin became synonymous with faceoff goals because of the play designs and his ability to get a shot off whether the puck is flat or wobbly. There's also the Capitals' ability -- even as Ovechkin gets older -- to supply him with a certain archetype of teammate that has helped foster continuity and make adjustments as he approaches the record. "The reality is all you're trying to do is get the puck in his hands, on his stick, and let him get a clean shot off anywhere inside the top of the circles," Carbery said.
Ovechkin scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 5, 2005. That was before leading rookie of the year contender Macklin Celebrini was born -- his birthday is June 13, 2006. Ovechkin can score from anywhere on the ice, but the faceoff circle is where he has done much of his damage -- 210 of them since 2007-08, according to MoneyPuck data.
Multiple coaches and players from across the NHL agreed Ovechkin's pursuit of Gretzky's record is a testament to consistency -- not just for Ovechkin, but the Capitals, who are still placing their franchise's all-time greatest player in a position to succeed.
"One of the things that's not talked about a ton with the reason he's had faceoff circle success is he's pretty much always had a left-handed centerman," one NHL assistant coach said. "Now, it's Dylan Strome. Before that, it was Evgeny Kuznetsov and Nicklas Backstrom. It works out really well because he's a right-handed shot and they're pulling out on to his forehand. If he had a right-handed center, it would be even more difficult for those plays to work."
After nearly two decades, through a career that started in the dead puck era and continues with the net front now en vogue, nobody has found a way to consistently prevent Ovechkin from scoring from the faceoff circle -- even though everyone in the building knows where he's going to set up. As those around the NHL explain it, there are so many decisions opponents must make -- and moving parts to be accounted for -- that it will lead to Ovechkin and the Capitals inevitably finding an advantage.
"He's probably going to be the best goal scorer in history, which makes it the hardest job to defend him," Anaheim Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas, who was Ovechkin's teammate in the 2019-20 season, said. "It's really about anticipating and not giving him as much space as he wants. But for some reason, he keeps finding it and keeps scoring goals.
"In the first game I ever played against Washington, he scored four goals, and you're just asking, 'How did this happen?'"
WHAT EXACTLY MAKES "Board Side O" so hard to stop? The assistant coach explains it using a series of video clips. The first starts with Strome, a left-handed center, winning the faceoff. Once the draw is done, Ovechkin is already within 5 inches of the puck.
The coach said Ovechkin not only gets off the line quickly, he is usually moving before his opponent. This allows him to create separation, and it's a recipe he has perfected over his 20-year career.
But it's not just that early separation. The coach points out how the puck is wobbling and difficult to control. Still, Ovechkin fires on net without needing even half a second to get off a perfect shot.
"Ninety-nine percent of the league, the moment this puck is fumbled, it's not a shot on goal, it's not a scoring chance," the assistant said. "He finds a way to get pucks through no matter what. That's an elite skill that he has that's just as good or better than anyone else in the league has."
The assistant shows more clips of "Board Side O" before switching to footage of what makes "Shooter Back" equally successful on the other side of the ice. With the faceoff on the right side, Ovechkin is on the inside part of the ice. He still has a left-handed center pulling the puck toward him and he instantly fires a shot with another rolling, wobbly puck that beats the goalie.
Steven Stamkos -- tied for 22nd all-time with 577 goals -- said there are numerous moving parts that must fall into place to score from the faceoff circle. The shooter needs playmakers who can distribute, and he needs to find space to get to the faceoff circle. Being in the right position leads to east-to-west passes, which result in shots that are hard for the goalie to stop.
He added that the speed of the pass often dictates where the shooter aims. But the goal is to fire the puck so quickly that the goalie doesn't have time to react.
"The faceoff dot, per se, between the hashmark is kind of like the quiet area in the defensive zone," Stamkos said. "For him and I, it's a spot where we've had a lot of success and you just keep going back to what works."
What Ovechkin does with his shot prompted the assistant to compare Ovechkin to a baseball player. He said many NHL players practice one-timers with the idea that if the puck is off by 6 inches, they won't take the shot. Ovechkin will take the shot.
"If you groove a fastball down the middle, any guy can hit that," the assistant said. "What about a pitch on the edge of the strike zone? That's what Ovechkin does so well. He can hit all those pitches.
"He can take those imperfect passes and not only get pucks on the net, but he can get them through defenders and put them in a difficult place for a goalie to save."
OVECHKIN'S PRODUCTION FROM the faceoff circle has stirred debate on what qualifies as a high-danger scoring chance. Because if it's Ovechkin in the faceoff circle? That's about as dangerous as it gets.
"The thing with him is he doesn't need much space," Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi said. "You just need to be one second late and he's going to score."
Anyone who has watched Ovechkin has seen what this looks like; he finds space in the faceoff circle before dropping to one knee and blasting a one-timer that's usually followed by him celebrating.
Barry Trotz, who coached Ovechkin for four seasons including winning the Stanley Cup in 2018, said the Caps' power play is designed to create two choices for opponents: focus on Ovechkin and leave everyone else open, or concentrate on the other four skaters with the hopes none of them can get the puck to Ovechkin.
Each choice provides a problem. Those playmaking centers are either going to find someone else, or they can score themselves. There are also the puck-moving defensemen with hard shots, like Mike Green and John Carlson, while wingers such as T.J. Oshie, Alexander Semin and Tom Wilson have occupied different spaces -- and scored many goals.
"They've been so good for so long, and he's a much better passer than people realize," Trotz said of Ovechkin, who is 56th in NHL history with 724 assists. "If he knows he can't get the puck through, he's a good passer as well and doesn't get enough credit for that."
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh said there's a reason penalty killers are still trying to figure out Ovechkin.
"Guys like him and [Stamkos] like to shoot it, they like to establish their shot but they also know a lot of times there's going to be a guy in the lane blocking the shot and somebody else might be open," McDonagh said. "They have the ability to find that passing lane and create a scoring chance for someone else."
Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy said Ovechkin's shot is both powerful and the hardest to track in the NHL, comparing it to a knuckleball that somehow moves at a high rate of speed.
Vasilevskiy said that while goalies are trained to stop flat shots at various speeds, the movement and power Ovechkin generates can't really be replicated. That's because it changes direction "at least three or four times" before reaching the net, he said.
"Even when it's flat, it's hard to stop," Vasilevskiy said. "But when it's a knuckleball, it's nearly impossible. You're just trying to get in a good position and hope to block it. There's no chance to react against such a shot."
Josi added that it's also a very difficult for a defenseman to block.
"It is heavy. But at the same time while it's heavy, he also knows where it's going," Josi said. "A lot of times, I think he knows when you're trying to block it and he finds a way to get around it."
INJURIES TO BACKSTROM and Oshie, along with Kuznetsov being traded last spring, meant the Capitals were in transition. They still reached the playoffs in 2023-24 as a wild-card entry, ranking 18th on the power play (20.6%) and 28th in goals per game (2.63).
The changes impacted Ovechkin's production. He finished with 31 goals and 65 points, which are the lowest totals he has recorded in each category for a single season in which he played more than 70 games.
This season, the Capitals are atop the Eastern Conference standings, and leading the NHL with 3.58 goals per game while their power play is ninth, with a 23.7% success rate.
"You can't just plug someone in and expect them to be Nicklas Backstrom," Carbery said. "He is so gifted and talented in that area that it's unfair to say, 'Dylan Strome, go be Nicklas Backstom.' His skill set is different. We had to go through a process of trial and error. We had to learn that for ourselves. Everyone said, 'Let's do it the way we've done it for 10 years because that's been so successful' -- but that's not the way it works."
Strome said in his first couple games, he always looked for Ovechkin no matter where they were on the ice. That's what Strome did when he played alongside Patrick Kane when he was with the Chicago Blackhawks.
But what Strome learned was that he now has the freedom to carry the puck into the offensive zone. Then, it's about finding Ovechkin in different spaces.
"Whenever you are playing with someone who has those guys' skill level, your senses are heightened and you want to get them the puck whenever you can," Strome said. "You want to be a complementary piece to those guys who've done it a long time. Those guys are always at the top of their game and it puts that extra pressure on you to make sure you play well enough so they want you on their line."
Natural Stat Trick's metrics show Strome has played more than 480 minutes in 5-on-5 play with Ovechkin this season. Ovechkin has had 88 minutes when he hasn't played with Strome at 5-on-5, while they've spent more than 142 minutes together on the power play.
Wilson, who has been with the Capitals for 12 seasons, said playing with Ovechkin is all about how one understands space. He said that his role from the moment he joined the team was to do whatever he could to either create space for Ovechkin or find Ovechkin in those spaces by constantly forechecking to win possession.
Talking about the time they played together, Wilson joked that together they provided "a lot of body" for opponents. Ovechkin stands at 6-foot-2 with a playing weight between 220 and 238 pounds, while Wilson is 6-4 and 220 pounds.
"He also creates a lot of room," Wilson said. "Everyone assumes when he gets the puck, that he's going to shoot. I've had a ton of goals in my career where he finds me. He doesn't shoot it, but he passes. I've had a lot of benefits from him being able to find me on the backdoor or in the slot. But his shot is a cheat code because it does open everything up."
Carlson and Wilson have seen Ovechkin score hundreds of times, but they both said this season has been so much fun to watch. They talked about how every arena they go to is filled with people who want to see Ovechkin get closer to a record.
The desire to be on the ice for the record-breaking goal has led to some lobbying by players, which makes Carbery smile.
"Oh, of course!" Carlson said when asked if he wants to have a hand in Ovechkin's historic goal. "I think everybody does. I think that's on everyone's mind."
Wilson said: "Everyone wants to be a part of history and everyone will be a part of history. It doesn't matter who's on or who passes it. I just think being able to tell your kids about that one day and being a part of it is going to be something I'll never forget."
LaLiga say Barcelona have never had the salary space to register Dani Olmo or Pau Víctor with Spain's sports ministry (CSD) due to rule this week on whether the duo can play again this season.
The league has questioned the 100 million deal which led to the CSD granting Olmo and Víctor temporary registrations in January, saying they will report the unnamed auditor Barça used to verify the sale of VIP seats at Spotify Camp Nou, which is being redeveloped.
The deal was not recorded in the accounts Barça submitted to LaLiga last week for the 2024-25 season, which were approved by a different auditor.
"The financial statements show Barcelona did not have on Dec. 31, 2024, nor on Jan. 3, 2025, nor since that date the capacity to register Olmo and Víctor," the league said in a statement on Wednesday.
LaLiga add that they have subsequently communicated to Barça "the reduction of their spending limit," which had risen to 463m in February, while forwarding all information to the CSD and reporting the unnamed auditor to Spain's Institute of Accounting and Auditing of Accounts (ICAC).
A club source told ESPN that Barça did not plan to respond to LaLiga's statement. The CSD are due to make a final decision before April 7 on whether Olmo and Víctor's registrations should be revoked for the rest of the season.
The issue has been ongoing since the turn of the year when Barça missed a Dec. 31 deadline to prove they were compliant with LaLiga's financial regulations in order to register Olmo and Víctor for the second half of the campaign.
They had initially received temporary registrations via a league rule which allowed them to be registered in the place of a long-term injured player, in this case Andreas Christensen.
LaLiga later confirmed the sale of VIP seats for 100m had brought the club back within the regulations on Jan. 3, but that the chance to prolong Olmo and Víctor's registrations had passed.
Barça appealed that decision to the CSD, who agreed to reinstate the registrations while they analysed the case during a three month window, which is up this week.
The CSD's decision provoked outrage across the league, with LaLiga president Javier Tebas and Athletic Club chief Jon Uriarte voicing their complaints, while several top flight clubs also released statements questioning the ruling.
Olmo, who joined Barça from RB Leipzig last summer for around 60m, is sidelined with an adductor injury which is set to rule him out until the middle of April.
Since the CSD's ruling, the Spain international has made 13 appearances in all competitions, including seven in LaLiga, scoring two goals and providing four assists.
Víctor, meanwhile, has featured just five times in the same period. All of the young forward's outings have come as a substitute.
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