Washington Capitals vs Chicago Blackhawks Picks and Predictions April 4th 2025

Ovechkin Chases Gretzky as Capitals Look to Regroup vs. Blackhawks

While the hockey world keeps a close eye on Alex Ovechkin’s pursuit of history, the Washington Capitals have more pressing concerns as they host the struggling Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night. Despite leading the Eastern Conference with 105 points, the Caps have stumbled lately, dropping four of their last five games and facing uncertainty in goal.

Ovechkin scored the lone tally in Wednesday’s 5-1 loss to Carolina and now sits at 892 career goals — just two away from tying Wayne Gretzky’s all-time mark of 894. With seven games left in the regular season, the 39-year-old has a real shot at history.

“I don’t want to say we was not ready, but (Carolina) just put it back in and try to win the battle and try to shoot with everything what they can,” Ovechkin said after the loss. “We pushed but only scored one goal.”

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Capitals Dealing With Injuries and Inconsistency

While Ovechkin remains red-hot — scoring in three straight and four of his last five — the rest of the Capitals have gone cold. Wednesday’s loss was compounded by a potential injury to starting goaltender Logan Thompson, who was pulled after the first period with an upper-body issue. The 28-year-old has 31 wins this season in 43 starts and is a critical piece for Washington’s playoff push.

Head coach Spencer Carbery said Thompson would be re-evaluated back in D.C., but as of Thursday, no update had been provided. If he misses time, it could test the team’s depth in a key stretch of the season.

Even with the recent skid, Washington holds a nine-point cushion over Carolina for the East’s top seed and trails only Winnipeg by a single point for the NHL’s best overall record. But with the postseason around the corner, now’s not the time for lapses.

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Blackhawks Focused on Development as Losses Mount

On the other side, the Blackhawks come to Washington riding a four-game losing streak and just two points clear of last-place San Jose. Youth is the theme for Chicago, with 14 players on the roster age 23 or younger — and while development is the priority, frustration is beginning to show.

Wednesday’s 3-2 shootout loss to Colorado stung, especially after surrendering the game-tying goal with just 11 seconds left. Second-year star Connor Bedard, who leads the team with 59 points, voiced the importance of limiting mistakes — especially against elite opponents.

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“When you get a chance to get (the puck) out… obviously you have to,” Bedard said. “That’s very magnified with teams like this.”

Bedard, who was just 19 months old when Ovechkin was drafted first overall in 2004, continues to be a bright spot in a challenging season. He’s picked up points in four of his last five games and looks every bit the future face of the franchise.

Chicago may not be fighting for a playoff spot, but with a chance to spoil a historic night in D.C., expect them to bring energy — even if the experience gap looms large.

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