Alex Ovechkin returns with goal for Capitals against Maple Leafs

TORONTO (AP) — Alex Ovechkin’s record chase is back on.

His empty-net goal for the Washington Capitals in Saturday’s 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs wasn’t the most challenging goal among the 869 he’s scored in the NHL, but it was significant given his return from a 16-game hiatus due to injury.

“Every goal is hard to score in this league, so if you want to try, put on skates and go six on five,” Ovechkin quipped after the game.

Washington’s captain moved closer to Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 career goals. Ovechkin was 25 back with 46 games remaining in the regular season.

Ovechkin played his first game since fracturing his left fibula Nov. 18 in a game against the Utah Hockey Club.

The 39-year-old said it didn’t take long for him to get back in rhythm.

“I tried to feel how I feel with the puck, mentally, physically. And as soon as the first shift ended, I was feeling like ‘OK, now I could play,'” he said.

Ovechkin wasn’t quite firing on all cylinders, however. He was held off the scoresheet until scoring his empty-net goal on a breakaway late in the third period.

He had three hits and three shots on goal in 14 minutes, 58 seconds of ice time.

But the atmosphere surrounding the Russian superstar picked up right where it left off before his injury, said Capitals forward Tom Wilson.

“I’m sure you guys are excited. We’re excited when he’s walking out to the ice. People are like climbing on top of each other to get videos of him. He’s taking the hockey world on a crazy ride right now, and it’s rock star stuff,” Wilson said.

“He’s the man and we love him in here and he was flying for that goal. Nice to see him get back on track here.”

Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said Toronto’s game plan didn’t change when Ovechkin’s return was confirmed by Capitals counterpart Spencer Carbery earlier in the day.

“When he’s playing, we’ve got to do a good job on him, and I thought we did tonight for the most part,” Berube said.

Ovechkin enjoyed a resurgent start to his season with a league-leading 15 goals in 18 games before the injury occurred.

He moved into a tie with center Connor McMichael for the team lead with 16.

His quest to catch Gretzky continues Sunday in Detroit against the Red Wings.

Ovechkin said he was interested to see how his body would respond to two games in 24 hours.

“I have to find a rhythm, feel the game and try to do the little things,” he said. “Practice is one thing. In a game, it happens so quick, so you have to be ready for that.”

The Capitals thrived in Ovechkin’s absence going 10-5-1.

Despite predictions of both Ovechkin’s and the Capitals’ downfall this season, Carbery has navigated the club to a 24-9-2 record, just a point behind the New Jersey Devils atop the Metropolitan Division.

If Ovechkin regains his pre-injury pace, the Capitals can be a formidable opponent in the season’s second half and into the playoffs.

Ovechkin was content Saturday just to get back on the ice — and grab another goal while he was at it.

“It’s nice to be back on the board,” he said.

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Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin stands for the national anthems prior to NHL hockey game action against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates after his empty-net goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during third-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin (8) lines up for a face off against the Toronto Maple Leafs during third-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin (8) chases Toronto Maple Leafs' Bobby McMann (74) during second-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Washington Capitals' Alex Ovechkin (8) celebrates after his empty-net goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs with Aliaksei Protas (21) and Pierre-Luc Dubois (80) during third-period NHL hockey game action in Toronto, Saturday, Dec. 28, 2024. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

FILE - Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin looks on during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Nov. 13, 2024, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass, File)

SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A passenger jet burst into flames while landing at an airport in South Korea on Sunday, killing 179 people in one of the deadliest air disasters in that nation's history. There were only two survivors, officials said.

Video showed the plane skidding across the airstrip, overrunning the runway and crashing into a barrier at the airport about 290 kilometers (180 miles) south of Seoul on Sunday. Its front landing gear apparently was not deployed.

Here are some things to know about crash:

The pilot sent out a distress signal shortly before the plane overshot the end of the runway, officials said.

Footage aired by South Korean television channels showed the plane skidding — and apparently without its landing gear deployed. The jet overran the runway and hit a barrier, trigging a fiery explosion. Footage showed thick plumes of smoke billowing from the plane, which was engulfed in flames.

The 15-year-old Boeing 737-800 jet was arriving from Bangkok when the crash happened at 9:03 a.m. Sunday in the town of Muan.

Workers have retrieved the flight data and cockpit voice recorders of the plane’s black box, which will be examined by government experts investigating the cause of the crash and fire, Senior Transport Ministry official Joo Jong-wan said.

The jet operated by Jeju Air had 181 passengers and crew. Of those, a total of 179 people perished in the crash and ensuing fire; only two crew members survived, officials said.

Family members wailed as officials announced the names of some victims at a lounge in the Muan airport.

Kim E-bae, Jeju Air’s president, bowed deeply with other senior company officials as he apologized to bereaved families and said he feels “full responsibility” for the incident. Boeing also extended condolences and said in a statement on X that it is ready to support the company in dealing with the crash.

The government declared Muan a special disaster zone.

It will take months to determine the cause. But there are some possible clues.

Lee Jeong-hyeon, chief of the Muan fire station, said workers were looking into various possibilities about what caused the crash, including whether the aircraft was struck by birds. Transport Ministry officials said the airport control tower issued a bird strike warning to the plane shortly before it intended to land and gave its pilot permission to land in a different area.

The plane was destroyed with the tail assembly being the only recognizable part among the wreckage, the fire chief told a televised briefing.

The incident came as South Korea is embroiled in a political crisis triggered by President Yoon Suk Yeol’s stunning imposition of martial law and ensuing impeachment. Last Friday, South Korean lawmakers impeached acting President Han Duck-soo, leading Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok to take over.

Choi, who traveled to the crash site, called for officials to employ all available resources to find the missing and identify the victims as soon as possible. The government designated a weeklong national mourning period through Saturday.

Yoon’s office said his chief secretary, Chung Jin-suk, presided over an emergency meeting between senior presidential staff to discuss the crash and reported the details to Choi. Yoon also expressed condolences to the victims.

World leaders expressed their sympathies as South Korea dealt with the tragedy.

Thailand’s prime minister, Paetongtarn Shinawatra, expressed deep condolences to the families and ordered the country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs to provide assistance immediately. Pope Francis offered condolences from St. Peter's Square. Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said he was “deeply saddened by the loss of many precious lives.” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also extended condolences.

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Associated Press journalists Bobby Caina Calvan in New York, Chalida Ekvitthayavechnukul and Jintamas Saksornchai in Bangkok, Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo, Giada Zampano in Rome and David Sharp in Portland, Maine, contributed to this report.

Tourists check an electronic board departure schedule at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakarn Province, Thailand, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Chatkla Samnaingjam)

Rescue team members work at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Rescue team members work near the wreckage of a passenger plane outside of Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

South Korean army soldiers work outside of Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Rescue team members work outside of Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Firefighters and rescue team members work at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (Cho Nam-soo/Yonhap via AP)

A victim rescued from a plane crash is transported to a hospital in Mokpo, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (Cho Geun-young/Yonhap via AP)

Firefighters and rescue team members work at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (Cho Nam-soo/Yonhap via AP)

People watch as firefighters and rescue team members work at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (Cho Nam-soo/Yonhap via AP)

Firefighters and rescue team members work at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (Lee Young-ju/Newsis via AP)

Firefighters and rescue team members work at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (Cho Nam-soo/Yonhap via AP)

A rescue team works to extinguish a fire at the Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (Maeng Dae-hwan/Newsis via AP)

Fire engines work to extinguish a fire at the Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (Maeng Dae-hwan/Newsis via AP)

Firefighters and rescue team members work at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (Cho Nam-soo/Yonhap via AP)

A rescue team prepares to work at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (Maeng Dae-hwan/Newsis via AP)

Firefighters and rescue team members work near the wreckage of a passenger plane at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Family members of the passengers on a plane which burst into flames, weep at the Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (Park Ki-woong/Newsis via AP)

An official from fire station briefs to the family members of the passengers on a plane which burst into flames, at the Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (Park Ki-woong/Newsis via AP)

A tourist walks beside an office of the Jeju Air at Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Samut Prakarn Province, Thailand, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Chatkla Samnaingjam)

Jeju Air CEO Kim E-bae, fourth from left, and other executive members bow in apology ahead of a briefing in Seoul, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024 after its passenger plane burst into flames at an airport in the town of Muan. (Im Hun-jung/Yonhap via AP)

Relatives take photos of passenger lists at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, after a passenger plane crashed at the airport. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Relatives of passengers gather at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, after a passenger plane crashed at the airport. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Rescue team carry the body of a passenger at the site of a plane fire at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Rescue team members work at the site of a plane fire at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Firefighters and rescue team members work at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (Cho Nam-soo/Yonhap via AP)

Firefighters work to extinguish a fire off the runway of Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (Maeng Dae-hwan/Newsis via AP)

Firefighters and rescue team members work near the wreckage of a passenger plane at Muan International Airport in Muan, South Korea, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)