The Washington Capitals (43-30-9) finished the 2025-26 season on a high note. They got their fourth straight win by defeating the Columbus Blue Jackets (40-30-12) 2-1 on Tuesday.

More importantly, this could be the final NHL game for Alex Ovechkin. The Capitals captain received a final ovation from the crowd at Nationwide Arena.

It’s a full circle moment for Ovechkin, who made his debut against Columbus in October 2005. The 40-year-old recorded an assist in the Capitals’ win in the season series (4-0-0) against the Blue Jackets.

“We try to win,” Ovechkin said. “We’re trying to finish the season on a good note and I hope this isn’t my last game. I don’t know what’s going to happen. We’ll see.”

The first goal came early in the middle frame when Boone Jenner scored for Columbus. However, Anthony Beauvillier responded with the tying goal in the same period.

Then, in the third, Jacob Chykrun came up with the game-winner on the power play. Clay Stevenson was also strong in net, making 27 saves.

The season has already ended, with the Capitals sitting in fourth place in the Metropolitan Division with 95 points.

capitals analysis

All eyes were once again on Ovechkin as he suited up for the Capitals for possibly the last time. Although he is still undecided, the 40-year-old received plenty of cheers from the crowd in Columbus.

Many Capitals fans traveled as far as Ohio to see The Great 8 once again. As on Sunday, many in the stands chanted “one more year” and “Ovi”.

Ovechkin looked impressive on the ice as he recorded a secondary assist on Chirkrun’s goal. He led the team with four shots, 12 attempts and two hits during 18:24 ice time.

Winning Tuesday’s game was no longer necessary, so many players got a chance to shine. Stevenson started in net and looked strong, stopping 27 of 28 shots.

The Capitals finally responded, after Jenner scored 27 seconds into the middle frame. Trevor van Riemsdyk found Beauvillier on a breakaway as he beat Jett Greaves to make the score 1–1.

In the third, the Capitals played a key power play, as Ovechkin once again made his presence felt. He allowed Chirkrun to get a shot past Greaves for the go-ahead goal. The 28-year-old finished the season with 26 goals, the most among NHL defencemen.

With secondary assistance, Ovechkin finished his 21st season with 64 points (32 goals, 32 assists) in 82 games. This marked the first time since 2017–18 that The Great 8 appeared in all 82 games.

capitals report card

Team: B+

The Capitals went on to finish the season with four consecutive wins. If the team was not troubled by injuries and inconsistencies, they could have reached the playoffs.

Alex Ovechkin: A

Ovechkin made quite an impact in his swan song. He finished the 2025–26 season with 64 points (32 goals, 32 assists).

Clay Stevenson: A

Stevenson had a solid effort stopping 27 of 28 shots against Columbus. The 27-year-old got the start over Logan Thompson and the injured Charlie Lindgren.

Anthony Beauvillier: A

Beauvillier fueled the Capitals’ offense with the game-tying goal in the second period. He finished the season with a season-high 15 points.

Jacob Chykrun:A

Chicrun recorded the game-winner to help the team finish strong. He finished with 26 goals, the most among NHL blueliners this season.

Harry Lichtman is an award-winning journalist who covers the Washington Capitals for SportsNut. He also contributes to the sites… More about Harry Lichtman

Evgeni Malkin and the Pittsburgh Penguins face Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals on Sunday afternoon. With retirement rumors swirling, this could be Ovechkin’s last home game in Washington. However, does Malkin believe the Washington forward will retire from the NHL after the season ends?

The Penguins forward believes Ovechkin will return for the 2026-27 NHL season, the player told reporters. Malkin said Ovechkin will “definitely be back next year” because he is “still hungry.” As of now, the 40-year-old Washington forward plans to make a decision to retire after the season, but his close friend believes he won’t do that just yet.

Ovechkin is the best goal scorer in NHL history, and he is still performing at a high level. The Capitals star has 32 goals, 31 assists and 63 points in his 21st NHL season. While Ovechkin isn’t performing at a 50-goals-per-season level, he still provides much-needed offensive production for Washington.

Since Ovechkin’s contract expires at the conclusion of the 2025–26 NHL season, he will need to sign a new contract with the Capitals if he is to continue playing in the NHL. The end of this season has long been viewed as a potential retirement point for Ovechkin, as his contract expires.

The 40-year-old forward has previously expressed his desire to retire in Russia and potentially play a final season with Dynamo Moscow. If Ovechkin does retire from the NHL, it wouldn’t be shocking to see him play in Russia this year. However, the Capitals would love to have him back in the organization for another campaign.

After all, Ovechkin’s offensive production is hard to replace. Malkin believes Washington won’t have to worry and that Ovechkin will be back for at least one more season.

READ MORE: Alex Ovechkin issues major update on NHL retirement plans

Austin Konensky is a sports writer at SportsNut, covering the NHL, MLB, NFL, NBA and college football. His work…More about Austin Konensky