The New York Rangers have gotten off to a great start to the 2026-27 season. Even though they were shut out in their first game against the Boston Bruins, the Rangers have since been on a four-game winning streak, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning, Detroit Red Wings, Utah Mammoth, and New York Islanders. While the vibe are positive, the schedule will only get tougher.
This Friday, the Rangers are set to go on the road to take on a Washington Capitals team that overhauled their forwards group, bringing in the likes of Alex Tuch, Jordan Kyrou, and Boone Jenner. And yes, star Alex Ovechkin will be playing. However, the Capitals' franchise great made a huge announcement this week.
On Monday, Ovechkin released a statement announcing that he will be retiring after this season. It will be weird to see Ovechkin not playing in the NHL, especially since he long solidified himself as the greatest goal scorer in history. From the Rangers' perspective, they will only face him four more times this regular season (not including a potential playoff series).
Alex Ovechkin was a pain for Rangers to play against
The Rangers are no strangers to dealing with league superstars in their division. They had to deal with Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin ever since the duo entered the league with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The Capitals didn't officially become a division rival of the Rangers until after the 2012-13 season, when the Southeast Division was dissolved after the NHL realignment. From there, the Capitals joined the Metropolitan Division with the Rangers.
During his career with the Capitals, Ovechkin scored 46 goals and dished out 28 assists for a total of 74 points in 80 games against the Rangers. No, that was not the most points he put up against a single team. That belongs to the Carolina Hurricanes, who allowed 111 points (53 goals, 58 assists) to Ovechkin in 97 games.
Even so, the Rangers had to face off against Ovechkin in the playoffs quite a bit since he entered the league in 2004. In 2009, the Rangers faced off against the Capitals in the second round. Ovechkin scored three goals and recorded four assists to help lead Washington to a seven-game series win. The team would meet again in the first round of the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with the Capitals winning the series in five games, with Ovechkin recording three goals and three assists.
The Rangers would get the better of the Capitals and Ovechkin, as they defeated them in seven games in back-to-back seasons. The star only put up six points (four goals, two assists) in those 14 games. Then, there was the memorable second-round matchup in 2015, where the Rangers won Game 7 thanks to the clutch goal from Derek Stepan to clinch their spot in the Eastern Conference Finals. Ovechkin had three goals and assist in that series.
The final time these two teams met in the playoffs was in 2024, where the Rangers swept the Capitals in four games. Ovechkin was held without a point in all four games.
Rangers will get a sneak preview of Alex Ovechkin-less Capitals this season
When looking back at the offseason, it became evident that the Capitals were preparing for life without Ovechkin, who had not made up his mind about whether he was going to play this season.
The Capitals' big move was pulling off a sign and trade with the Buffalo Sabres for Tuch, who they signed to an eight-year, $84 million contract. Then, they made the trade to acquire Kyrou from the St. Louis Blues for Connor McMichael, forward prospect Milton Gastrin, and the 16th overall pick. Kyrou is under contract through the 2030-31 season. They also signed Jenner to a four-year, $23 million contract. That, and they gave young forward Ryan Leonard an eight-year, $84 million contract extension.
Washington's forward group is newer than in the past, and they are going to be with the team for the foreseeable future. The Capitals knew there were only so many seasons left in Ovechkin's career. That, and missing out on the playoffs last season, seemingly pushed them to be more aggressive to figure out the future of their forward group once Ovechkin ultimately retires.
The Rangers will have a minimum of four games left to face off against Ovechkin, who will go down as one of the best goal scorers in NHL history.
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