Alex Ovechkin will have a chance to add to his NHL record for most goaltenders scored on when the Capitals match up with the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday night. Per NHL.com’s Adam Kimelman, Ovechkin will play his second career game against Philly’s Ivan Fedotov after failing to beat the young Russian back on October 23.
Ovechkin scored in that game against the Flyers, but into an empty net to seal a 6-3 victory. The Great Eight set the all-time record, 179 unique netminders, when he put away an overtime winner against the Ottawa Senators’ Leevi Merilainen on January 16.
Fedotov could end up being Ovechkin’s fifth new goalie added to his list this season after scoring for a first time on goaltenders Cayden Primeau, Ilya Samsonov, Connor Ingram, and Merilainen. The 28-year-old former KHL star is playing his first full season in North America after a tumultuous 2023-24.
Before attempting to make his way to Philadelphia, Fedotov was arrested by Russian authorities for reportedly evading mandatory military service. He then spent a short stint in a Russian hospital with “stress-induced gastritis” before being sent to a naval base beyond the Arctic Circle in Severomorsk. After completing his training, he eventually terminated his KHL deal with CSKA Moscow and joined the Flyers.
Philly prep#ALLCAPS | @MedStarHealth pic.twitter.com/SvQQLZ9L1C
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) February 6, 2025
The Flyers will soon have a new-look lineup after making a big trade with the Calgary Flames last week. Philadelphia sent forwards Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee to the Flames for Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier, and two draft picks.
However, neither of the team’s new faces will dress against the Capitals. Flyers head coach John Tortorella revealed Thursday that the two players are in Toronto waiting for their immigration paperwork to be finalized and dealing with canceled flights due to winter weather.
Due to an upper-body injury, the Flyers will also be without Owen Tippett, their third-leading scorer. Defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen did not skate before the game, but Tortorella did not completely rule him out.
Philadelphia is 0-2 against Washington this season, losing a home-and-home series by a combined 10-4 score in October. The Capitals will enter Wells Fargo Center after defeating the defending champion Florida Panthers on Tuesday.
Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery will not make any lineup changes despite discussing how long the team’s regular healthy scratches have gone without game time after practice on Wednesday. Charlie Lindgren replacing Logan Thompson in net will be the only difference from Tuesday’s 6-3 win against Florida.
“Nope, [no changes],” Carbery said pregame. “Chuckie will start in net for us.”
Lindgren started against the Flyers on October 22, making 17 saves in a 4-1 win. He has dominated Philadelphia in his career, posting a 4-0-2 record with a 1.30 goals-against average, a .951 save percentage, and one shutout.
