Tag: Washington

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NHL (National Hockey League)

Alex Ovechkin pushes for history as Capitals face Utah in Washington, D.C.

Washington Capitals (NBA)

Alex Ovechkin is steadily working toward breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time NHL goal-scoring record.

With 879 career goals, just 16 away from passing Gretzky, Ovechkin aims to keep his momentum going when the Washington Capitals play the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday afternoon.

Ovechkin has scored in four straight games, bringing his season total to 26 goals. This puts him on track for 45 goals, which would mark the 14th time in his 20 seasons that he has reached 40 goals. His 0.68 goals per game this season is the fifth highest of his career, and he’s doing this at 39 years old.

Washington head coach Spencer Carbery believes there is more to come from Ovechkin, who missed 16 games with a broken leg from mid-November to late December.

“I think his best hockey is to come in the season,” Carbery said. “In my head, at 39 years old, missing that amount of time and trying to come back and get caught up in the NHL. I think that’s really, really hard, and I saw a difference in his individual game. I think he’s going to look even better coming out of the break.”

The Capitals head into Sunday’s game with a chance to tie the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the NHL. They’re coming off a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, extending their point streak to five games (3-0-2).

Sunday’s game will be the final one for both teams before the league breaks for the 4 Nations Face-Off, which runs from Wednesday through Feb. 20. The Capitals are one of two teams not sending players to the tournament.

Alex Ovechkin waves to the crowd after the game

“A mental break is enormous for us at this point in the year,” said defenseman John Carlson. “Guys that are a little banged up and injured, it’ll help them too. But mostly the way I look at it is just the mental. Kind of get away from the day-to-day stuff and come back re-energized and invigorated to finish the year strong.”

Utah will be looking to recover after a 7-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday, which left them at a .500 record for the season.

Despite this, Utah is only eight points behind the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

“I liked our determination on offense, I like the way we competed on offense,” said Utah coach Andre Tourigny. “I think we were too short on detail defensively. All in all, we gave up too much on offense for them.”

Forward Lawson Crouse has struggled this season, with just 12 points (eight goals, four assists) in 54 games. He is on pace for only 12 goals, a drop after scoring over 20 goals in each of the past three seasons.

The Utah alternate captain was scratched on Tuesday against the Flyers but returned to the lineup on Thursday against the Columbus Blue Jackets, scoring his second goal in the last 15 games.

“I hold myself to a higher level and standard,” Crouse said about being scratched. “… Obviously, it’s unfortunate but I’ve got to play better. It’s on me.”

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Hawks and Wizards aim to feature new players in their matchup in Washington, D.C. on Saturday

Atlanta Hawks (NBA)

The Atlanta Hawks and Washington Wizards will both look different when they meet for the final time this season on Saturday.

The Hawks’ new players from the trade deadline — Caris LeVert, Georges Niang, Bones Hyland, and Terance Mann — were with the team for the Hawks’ 115-110 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday, but they did not play. They traveled with the team and are expected to play against the Wizards.

The Wizards’ new players — Khris Middleton, Marcus Smart, Colby Jones, and Alex Len — should be ready to play as well. None of them played in Friday’s 134-124 home loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers. AJ Johnson, another player acquired by the Wizards at the trade deadline, played in the game and contributed two points and four assists in nine minutes.

“Khris is a championship-caliber player whose professionalism will help our organization in multiple ways,” said Wizards general manager Will Dawkins about Middleton.

Washington’s three-game winning streak ended Friday, and they now have a 5-21 record at home, with eight consecutive losses at Capital One Arena.

The Hawks have won two of their last three games after losing eight in a row.

Both teams will play their second game in two nights. Washington is 0-8 in such situations, while Atlanta is 4-6.

Washington leads the season series 2-1, but the Hawks won the most recent game 129-117 in Atlanta on Nov. 15.

Niang is excited to be back playing under Atlanta coach Quin Snyder, with whom he spent four seasons in Utah.

“I’m super excited to get back and get involved with a team that’s coached by him,” Niang said. “I told someone earlier that the way he breathes confidence into his players is second to none. He’s a real problem-solver. He’s real innovative in his ways of coaching, and that’s real beneficial to me.”

Washington Wizards (NBA)

With the new players not yet in action on Friday, Mouhamed Gueye played extended minutes and recorded his first career double-double, finishing with a season-high 15 points, career-high 12 rebounds, and four blocked shots.

“It’s just part of the process,” Gueye said. “I’ve been working my tail off the whole time. I pride myself in bringing the energy whenever I’m on the court.”

For Washington, Jordan Poole had a career-high 45 points in the loss. The 25-year-old guard has scored 19 or more points in 16 of his past 22 games.

The Hawks and Wizards both have top picks from the 2024 NBA draft — Atlanta’s Zaccharie Risacher (No. 1) and Washington’s Alex Sarr (No. 2). Risacher averages 11.2 points and 3.4 rebounds, while Sarr averages 11.5 points and 6.6 rebounds, although he has missed the last five games due to a sprained left ankle.

Washington may be without Anthony Gill, who sprained his right ankle in the first half against Cleveland and did not return. The Wizards also played Friday without Malcolm Brogdon (injury management) and Justin Champagnie (right rib contusion).

The Hawks expect Clint Capela to be available after missing Friday’s game due to personal reasons. He was on the bench in street clothes.

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NHL (National Hockey League)

The Washington Capitals are one of only two NHL teams without a player in the 4 Nations Face-Off, but this could be beneficial for them

Washington Capitals celebrates after a goal

The Washington Capitals have made a strong mark in the NHL standings, winning 36 out of their first 54 games and losing only 11 in regulation. This performance has made them a team to keep an eye on this spring.

However, for the next two weeks, the Capitals won’t be playing.

They are the only team in the NHL without a player selected for the 4 Nations Face-Off international tournament, which includes teams from the U.S., Canada, Sweden, and Finland. They are one of only two teams without representation, after San Jose traded Mikael Granlund to Dallas. This could end up being a benefit for the Capitals as other Eastern Conference teams have several players in the tournament.

“I’m sure everyone that was kind of on the bubble there probably would have liked to have been a part of it,” said Washington winger Andrew Mangiapane. “But I think internally and selfishly, I guess, for us, it gives everyone a two-week break, almost, to recover. We’ve played a lot of games here so just to recover the body, little bumps and bruises, get the energy levels back up, and maybe that little extra rest maybe helps us down the stretch here and even in playoffs.”

Spencer Carbery, who is a favorite to be named coach of the year, sees the break as a positive. While teams like Florida, Carolina, and the New York Rangers have several players at the tournament, the Capitals have the only true break with no games between February 9-22.

“It comes at a good time with where we are in the schedule,” Carbery said. “And I think it just sets us up to give our entire group a good mental and physical reset. … We’re going to need every ounce of energy mentally and physically that we can find.”

Mangiapane is right to point out that players like defenseman John Carlson, goaltender Logan Thompson, and winger Tom Wilson would have liked to be part of the tournament. Carlson has played for the U.S. in the 2014 Sochi Olympics and logged more minutes than any player last season. Thompson’s statistics are better than those of the three goalies Canada picked, and Wilson brings a rare mix of size and skill to the table.

Lars Eller and Taylor Raddysh celebrates after a goal

USA Hockey and Hockey Canada might regret not picking them, but for now, the Capitals are focused on the rest of the season.

“We’re focused on what we can control and get us best prepared, whether it’s rest or some work or whatever over the break and everybody’s going to be different in terms of that and get ready for the rest of the year,” Carlson said. “We’re going pretty good right now, and the last thing we want to do is take our foot off the gas.”

Washington has had a lot go right this season. Alex Ovechkin has scored 26 goals in 38 games despite playing through a broken left leg, all while chasing Wayne Gretzky’s career goal record. New players like Thompson, Mangiapane, center Pierre-Luc Dubois, and defenseman Jakob Chychrun have fit into the team seamlessly.

The Capitals have allowed the second-fewest goals on average and have the highest-ranked offense at even strength. They have won games by a wide range of scores, from 1-0 to 7-4.

“Our depth really plays a role in it,” Mangiapane said. “It’s not just one guy kind of doing it every game. I feel like it’s coming from all four lines, all D pairings and the goalies have been playing great. That’s what winning teams have.”

Some successful teams, like the Panthers, have many players competing in the 4 Nations tournament. They have played a lot of hockey recently after reaching the finals in back-to-back years. Coach Paul Maurice encourages his players to “play as hard as they can and take the entire experience in.” He believes that making a national team boosts a player’s confidence and pride, helping them perform better when they return to their team.

“When a guy went up and got to walk into that room with all the great players from his country, he came back and he viewed himself differently,” Maurice said. “We’re not going to see any fatigue from these players. I think it’s a huge boost to the confidence, speed. They view themselves differently. Now, they’re part of the best in the league.”

Washington Capitals players celebrates after a goal

The Capitals don’t have a player in the top 30 for scoring, and a couple of their best players, Ovechkin and 22-goal scorer Aliaksei Protas, are from countries not involved in the tournament. Defenseman Martin Fehervary, if healthy, will likely play for Slovakia in Milan.

For now, the team’s focus is on getting through this break from hockey. Carlson knows there’s no perfect way to handle it.

“Just take care of yourself,” the 35-year-old veteran said. “Mentally, it’s a nice break. I think it’s most useful, probably, for that, unless you’re going through an injury or something like that and that time would be huge. But just the day-to-day mental load that we all have in here, it’s nice to get away from it, get away from the meetings and the constant pressure of it all.”

When the season starts again, the Capitals will play 27 games in 55 days, hoping to prepare for the playoffs. They haven’t won a playoff series since their Stanley Cup victory in 2018, and they are determined to change that.

“It’s going to be a grind coming down the stretch,” Carbery said. “We know that, and the way that we have to play, it’s going to be taxing and it’s going to be one of the hardest things these guys do is playing and hopefully playing for a long, long time into the spring.”

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The Bucks are trading Khris Middleton to the Wizards and acquiring Kyle Kuzma in Milwaukee

Kyle Kuzma goes up for a dunk in the 2nd half

The Milwaukee Bucks are trading NBA champion and Olympic gold medalist Khris Middleton to the Washington Wizards and bringing Kyle Kuzma back in return, a person with knowledge of the deal.

The trade also involves A.J. Johnson moving from the Bucks to the Wizards and Patrick Baldwin going from the Wizards to the Bucks, along with a future pick swap and some second-round draft picks, according to the person, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity as the trade still needs league approval.

The deal, first reported by ESPN, comes one day before the Thursday 3 p.m. Eastern trade deadline.

Middleton, 33, has had injury problems and leaves the Bucks after spending all but one of his 13 NBA seasons in Milwaukee. The three-time All-Star has played only 23 games this season, 16 of which were off the bench, but he was shooting a career-high 51% in those games.

Middleton helped the Bucks win the NBA title in 2021 and played for Team USA to win gold at the Tokyo Olympics later that year. He has been praised by Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo for years.

“It’s definitely a plus having Khris back,” Antetokounmpo said earlier this season when Middleton returned after ankle issues. “Man, he takes us to the next level with his IQ, decision-making, shot ability, defense.”

Kuzma, 29, will be joining his third team, having played four years with the Los Angeles Lakers and parts of four years with the Wizards. He has averaged 17.2 points per game for his career, including 15.2 points per game this season.

Khris Middleton reacts in the 1st half

The trade gives the Bucks some financial flexibility by getting them below the second apron, which might allow them more trade options before the deadline.

Being over the second apron had limited the Bucks’ ability to make moves as they worked to improve their aging roster. The Bucks (26-22) are currently in fifth place in the Eastern Conference after being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs in the last two seasons.

In the trade, they sent away a player whose No. 22 jersey might one day hang in the Fiserv Forum rafters.

Middleton holds the franchise record for career 3-pointers with 1,382. He scored 12,586 points for Milwaukee, ranking him third in team history, behind Antetokounmpo and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

He is second in team history in games played (735) and minutes played (23,039), behind Antetokounmpo, and third in assists (2,990).

Middleton averaged 24 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game during the 2021 NBA Finals when the Bucks defeated Phoenix in six games. He has averaged 20.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists in 80 career playoff games with Milwaukee. Middleton was selected to the All-Star Game in 2019, 2020, and 2022.

However, injuries have limited his play in recent seasons.

He missed the Bucks’ seven-game loss to Boston in the 2022 Eastern Conference semifinals and played just 33 games in 2022-23 and 55 games in 2023-24. Middleton didn’t make his 2024-25 debut until December 6 as he recovered from offseason ankle surgery. He went scoreless in two games in late January.

Kuzma has also struggled this season, shooting 42% from the field, 28.1% on 3-point attempts, and 60.2% on free throws, all career lows. However, he scored 31 and 22 points in his last two games.

The Bucks selected Johnson with the 23rd overall pick in the 2024 draft. The 20-year-old guard averaged 2.9 points in seven games with Milwaukee.

Baldwin, a 22-year-old forward who went to high school in the Milwaukee area and played one season of college basketball at Milwaukee, was the 28th overall pick in the 2022 draft. He averaged 2.1 points and 4.6 minutes in 22 games this season.

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NBA (Basketball)

The Washington Wizards enter their game against the Nets in Washington on a rare winning streak

Washington Wizards (NBA)

The Washington Wizards, on a rare winning streak, will look to complete a 3-0 road trip when they face the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday in New York.

Washington (8-41) heads into the game with the worst record in the NBA, coming off a 134-96 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Jan. 30, marking their 16th consecutive defeat for the second time this season.

However, the Wizards managed to break their losing streak with a 105-103 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday. They followed it up with a 124-114 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Monday, securing just their second winning streak of the 2024-25 season.

Washington hasn’t won three games in a row since last March.

“You want to be a consistent player, a consistent team? It’s about the work, it’s about the process,” Wizards coach Brian Keefe said after Monday’s win. “Our guys are terrific with that. It’s something I don’t even think about because it’s just who they are now, and a lot of guys are like that.”

He added, “Keep it going.”

Corey Kispert scored a season-high 25 points on Monday, while Bilal Coulibaly added 26 points, his best performance since scoring 27 on Dec. 13. Washington is 2-1 when Coulibaly scores 26 or more points, and three of the Wizards’ eight wins have come when he scored at least 20 points.

Washington is 2-2 in Kispert’s four games of 20 or more points.

The Brooklyn Nets (17-33) come into Wednesday’s matchup with a three-game winning streak, their longest of the season. The latest two wins came against the Houston Rockets, who are in third place in the Western Conference.

Brooklyn Nets center Day’Ron Sharpe during the first half of an NBA basketball game

After defeating the Rockets 110-98 in Texas on Saturday, the Nets won 99-97 at home on Tuesday with a dramatic final 10 seconds.

Brooklyn was down by four points before Keon Johnson hit a 3-pointer with 8.1 seconds left. Tosan Evbuomwan stole the inbounds pass, and D’Angelo Russell nailed the game-winning 3-pointer with 3.4 seconds remaining. The Rockets’ Jalen Green missed a last-second 3-point attempt.

Johnson scored 22 points, leading an injury-depleted Brooklyn team. The Nets were without Noah Clowney (ankle), Cam Thomas (hamstring), and Cameron Johnson (ankle). Bojan Bogdanovic, who hasn’t played this season, is getting closer to returning after offseason foot surgery.

Offense has been a struggle for Brooklyn this season. The Nets rank second to last in the league in scoring, averaging just 105.4 points per game.

However, the Nets have been solid on defense, allowing 112.1 points per game, which is 12th in the NBA. During their current three-game win streak, Brooklyn has held opponents under 100 points in each game, starting with a 104-83 win at Charlotte on Jan. 29.

Johnson has been a major contributor on both ends of the floor, especially in the past month. His 22-point performance on Tuesday was his fifth game with 20 or more points since Jan. 10, raising his season average from 8.0 to 9.7 points per game.

He also had two steals on Tuesday, marking his fifth multiple-steal game since Jan. 10.

“(I am) someone who is going to come in and constantly defend to their fullest, night in and night out, but on the offensive end, (be) someone you can trust with the ball in their hands,” Johnson said. “Each night I feel like I’m getting more and more comfortable with the different roles I’m given.”

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Panthers look to extend streak with tough road matchup against Ovechkin’s Capitals in Washington, D.C.

Alex Ovechkin- Washington Capitals

After completing a perfect three-game homestand, the Florida Panthers are now heading out on the road to face the Washington Capitals and Alex Ovechkin on Tuesday night in a matchup of division leaders.

Carter Verhaeghe has been a key player for the Panthers in their last two games. He scored a goal and added an assist in a 5-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday and followed that up with his fourth career hat trick in a 6-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Sunday.

“It was nice. I have been shooting it a lot lately, so it feels good to have a couple go in,” Verhaeghe said. He also assisted on Matthew Tkachuk’s empty-net goal against the Islanders.

Florida’s head coach Paul Maurice praised Verhaeghe, saying, “We felt his game is trending in the right way. He’s got it cooking now.”

Other key players like Sam Reinhart, captain Aleksander Barkov, and Tkachuk are also performing well for the Panthers. Reinhart has scored in two consecutive games, bringing his team-leading goal total to 31. He’s also added four assists during his current three-game point streak.

Tkachuk, who contributed an assist on Sunday, has accumulated nine points (four goals, five assists) in his last five games.

Barkov set up three goals in the win over New York, bringing his assist total to a team-high 35 on the season. He has eight points (one goal, seven assists) in his last five games.

Verhaeghe had a hand in defenseman Niko Mikkola’s goal in a 4-1 loss to Washington back on November 25. That game ended with the Capitals cruising to victory in Sunrise, Florida, with Lars Eller scoring twice and Jakob Chychrun adding a goal and two assists.

Florida Panthers (NHL)

Now, Washington, which leads the Metropolitan Division, comes into Tuesday’s game having lost two straight 5-4 overtime games, with three losses in their last four contests (1-1-2). The Capitals did extend their home point streak to 13 games (9-0-4) with a loss to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday.

Head coach Spencer Carbery was encouraged despite the loss, saying, “To get that game tied and to score four against that team and that goaltender (two-time Vezina Trophy recipient Connor Hellebuyck), there’s positives that we’ll take out of that game.”

However, Carbery noted missed opportunities, adding, “I just thought we could’ve done a better job in a lot of different scenarios to win that hockey game in regulation, and we just didn’t. And right to the end — we make a silly mental mistake in overtime and let (Josh) Morrissey beat us off the wall, which, that’s uncharacteristic. That’s not us.”

Ovechkin continued his strong play by scoring his team-leading 24th goal of the season in the loss to Winnipeg, which was his second goal in as many games. The three-time Hart Trophy winner now has 877 career goals, leaving him 18 shy of Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record.

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Trump focuses on hockey, sidesteps tariff discussions during Florida Panthers’ Stanley Cup visit in Washington, D.C.

President Donald Trump speaks during an event

President Donald Trump mainly focused on sports and avoided discussing tariffs during the White House celebration of the Florida Panthers, the NHL’s reigning Stanley Cup champions, on Monday.

Trump delayed the event for nearly an hour to have a conversation with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau about tariffs. Once the ceremony began, with the Stanley Cup placed on the Resolute Desk in the Oval Office, Trump posed for pictures with the Panthers, spoke with players and team owner Vinnie Viola — who he considers a close friend — and received a couple of jerseys and a golden hockey stick as gifts.

Trump praised the Panthers for their remarkable comeback from losing in the 2023 finals to Vegas to winning their first-ever championship. He humorously compared their comeback to his own return to the White House.

“You gave the fans one of the most riveting comebacks in NHL history, in any sport history,” Trump said. “I don’t know anything about a comeback, but they tell me it’s very nice.”

The Panthers presented Trump with a customized red jersey reading “Trump 45-47,” and a “Trump 47” jersey, as well as the gold stick. The gifts were handed to him by Viola, Finnish captain Aleksander Barkov, and American forward Matthew Tkachuk.

President Donald Trump holds a gold hockey stick

“We had to go with 45 and 47, right?” Viola joked. “We brought a cohort, to use a term from the military, of champions to visit a champion. And your kindness and the hospitality displayed by your staff reflect the excellence you demand from people, and we were the beneficiaries of it today.”

Viola had briefly been nominated by Trump to be the Secretary of the Army in 2016, though he later withdrew his name.

Trump praised Viola, saying, “He’s a champion at everything he’s ever done, loves the military.”

Trump also singled out key players, including goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, forward Anton Lundell, and Game 7 heroes Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe, as well as Florida head coach Paul Maurice and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. Trump commended Bettman’s long tenure, saying, “He does a great job. Knew him for a long while, when he was in another league. But this has been incredible, the job you’ve done.”

Soon after the ceremony, Trump announced that he had agreed to pause tariffs on both Canada and Mexico for 30 days.

Tkachuk, the only American-born player remaining on the team this season, expressed his gratitude for the visit. “Being one of the few Americans who loves this country so much, this is such an incredible day for myself,” he said. “You wake up every day really grateful to be an American, so thank you.”

The Panthers visited the White House before their game against the Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals on Tuesday night. During his speech, Trump mentioned talking to Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, who is chasing Wayne Gretzky’s career goals record.

Trump recalled a conversation with Gretzky, saying, “Do you know Wayne Gretzky? Did you ever hear of Wayne Gretzky? Isn’t that the ‘Great One?’ And he was telling me about a gentleman that protected him named Marty McSorley. You know that? You ever hear of him? I don’t know if he was a good hockey player, but they say he was very tough. Wayne was saying he was great as far as he was concerned.”

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NHL roundup: Jets edge Capitals 5-4 in OT in top-tier matchup in Washington, D.C.

Winnipeg Jets and Washington Capitals

Defenseman Josh Morrissey scored 1:57 into overtime, completing a two-goal performance to give the Winnipeg Jets a 5-4 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday in a matchup between the NHL’s top two teams.

Winnipeg’s Cole Perfetti and defenseman Dylan Samberg each had a goal and an assist, and Alex Iaffalo also scored. Vladislav Namestnikov and defenseman Neal Pionk each recorded two assists, and Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves for the Jets (leading the Western Conference), who have now won six straight and nine of their last 11 games.

Washington’s captain Alex Ovechkin tied the game at 4-4 with a blast from the point, his 24th goal of the season and 877th career goal, putting him 18 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL record. Pierre-Luc Dubois (former Jet), Tom Wilson, and Taylor Raddysh also scored for Washington.

Defenseman Matt Roy had three assists, and goalie Thompson made 25 saves for the Capitals, who had also lost a 5-4 overtime game to Ottawa on Thursday.

Islanders 3, Lightning 2 (OT)
Defenseman Tony DeAngelo scored 33 seconds into overtime to give the Islanders a 3-2 victory in Tampa Bay, extending their NHL-record seven-game winning streak. Adam Boqvist scored in his Islanders debut, and Kyle Palmieri added a goal. Goalie Ilya Sorokin made 28 saves. Jake Guentzel and Nikita Kucherov scored for the Lightning, with Andrei Vasilevskiy stopping 33 shots, as Tampa Bay struggled with a 2-4-1 record in their last seven games.

Maple Leafs 4, Oilers 3
Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies each recorded a goal and an assist to help the Leafs break their three-game losing streak with a 4-3 win over the Oilers in Edmonton. William Nylander and Bobby McMann also scored for Toronto, with Auston Matthews adding two assists.

Goaltender Joseph Woll made 45 saves. Marner’s third-period goal at 18 seconds put the Leafs up 4-1, but Edmonton responded with goals from Zach Hyman, Corey Perry, and Evan Bouchard, but ultimately fell short. Stuart Skinner made 24 saves.

Senators 6, Wild 0
Jake Sanderson scored a goal and three assists, and rookie Leevi Merilainen earned his third shutout of the season with only 16 shots faced, leading Ottawa to a 6-0 win over Minnesota. Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson added a goal and two assists each, and Brady Tkachuk contributed one goal and one assist.

Josh Norris netted his second straight short-handed goal, and Michael Amadio also scored. Filip Gustavsson made 46 saves for the Wild, who were outplayed despite entering with an NHL-best 20-5-3 road record.

Bruins 6, Rangers 3
David Pastrnak recorded his first hat trick of the season, and added an assist to lead Boston to a 6-3 win over the Rangers in Boston. The Bruins took control after Pastrnak’s go-ahead goal in the first period. Pavel Zacha also had a goal and an assist, while Charlie McAvoy, Charlie Coyle, Brad Marchand, and Matt Poitras all contributed.

Rangers eye playoff position after earning points in seven of last eight games

Jeremy Swayman made 22 saves. J.T. Miller scored twice for New York after a trade with Vancouver, while Jonny Brodzinski added another goal. Igor Shesterkin had 19 saves as the Rangers lost for the third straight game.

Penguins 3, Predators 0
Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 25 shots for his first shutout of the season as the Penguins beat Nashville 3-0 at home. Sidney Crosby scored and had an assist, while Philip Tomasino and Bryan Rust added goals. Erik Karlsson and Rickard Rakell each had two assists. Juuse Saros made 33 saves for the Predators, who lost their fourth consecutive game.

Panthers 5, Blackhawks 1
Sam Reinhart scored his 30th goal of the season and added two assists to help Florida beat Chicago 5-1 in Sunrise, Florida. Carter Verhaeghe contributed a goal and an assist, while Jonah Gadjovich, Matthew Tkachuk, and Evan Rodrigues also scored. Aleksander Barkov had two assists, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 24 saves. Chicago’s Landon Slaggert scored the fastest goal in franchise history at 7 seconds, but the Blackhawks lost their fifth game in six.

Kings 4, Hurricanes 2
Kevin Fiala scored twice to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 4-2 win in Raleigh, North Carolina, snapping a four-game losing streak. Phillip Danault added a goal and an assist, and Trevor Moore also scored.

Quinton Byfield had two assists, and Darcy Kuemper made 26 saves. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Eric Robinson scored for the Hurricanes, who saw their seven-game point streak end. Frederik Andersen made 22 saves, and defenseman Brent Burns reached his 900th career point with an assist.

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Wizards end 16-game losing streak with win over Timberwolves in Washington

Washington Wizards and Minnesota Timberwolves

Kyle Kuzma scored a season-high 31 points to lead the Washington Wizards to a 105-103 win over the shorthanded Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday, ending their 16-game losing streak.

The Timberwolves cut the lead to 105-102 after Mike Conley made three free throws with 15.1 seconds left. They had a chance to tie when Conley stole an inbound pass and passed it to Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer.

Jordan Poole added 19 points for the Wizards, who avoided a franchise-record 17th consecutive loss. This marked their first win since defeating the Chicago Bulls 125-107 on January 1.

Bilal Coulibaly contributed 14 points, Jonas Valanciunas had 13 points and 10 rebounds, and Kyshawn George chipped in 11 points.

For the Timberwolves, Jaden McDaniels scored 23 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Rudy Gobert finished with 16 points and 16 rebounds. Conley added 16 points, Alexander-Walker scored 14, and Joe Ingles had a season-high 10 points off the bench.

Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves

Minnesota was without stars Anthony Edwards (illness) and Julius Randle (groin), and Naz Reid did not return after suffering a right finger sprain in the third quarter.

Washington jumped out to a 27-17 lead, but Minnesota finished the first quarter with a 9-0 run. Poole scored 12 points in the opening period, including four 3-pointers.

Kuzma took over to start the second quarter, scoring 18 of Washington’s first 23 points, including four 3-pointers, giving the Wizards a 50-43 lead. Washington led 58-57 at halftime after shooting 54.5 percent (12 of 22) from 3-point range.

The Wizards held an 83-72 lead late in the third quarter, but the Timberwolves scored the last five points of the period to make it 83-77. Minnesota cut the deficit to 101-100 with 1:10 left in the game, but Washington scored the next five points to secure the win.

Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon returned after missing 14 games with a right foot injury, contributing three points in 21 minutes.

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The Jets and Capitals’ midseason clash in Washington lived up to the hype as a battle between the NHL’s top teams

Winnipeg Jets players celebrates after the win

The top two teams in the NHL faced off in front of a packed crowd of over 18,500 fans in Washington, D.C., on a Saturday night in early February, and it lived up to the hype.

The Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets played a thrilling midseason game with a total of nine goals, including the 877th career goal of Alex Ovechkin, bringing him 18 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record. The game was tied after Ovechkin’s goal, but the Jets won 5-4 in overtime, making it an exciting match for everyone involved.

“We knew how we were both sitting in the standings and both having real good years,” said Winnipeg coach Scott Arniel after his team secured their sixth consecutive win. “You know you’re going against some elite players on the opposite side, and we’ve been watching what they’ve been doing.

You’re following them in the standings, watching them on the highlights and when you have a game like that, exciting for the fans, not so much for the coaches.”

The goalies, Connor Hellebuyck and Logan Thompson, each made 25 saves during the game, keeping it from turning into a blowout, even with all the goals. Without their big saves, the score could have been much higher.

“Both teams obviously have a goalie — goalies — that every time they’re playing you expect to win, they give you a chance to win,” said Capitals winger Tom Wilson, who scored his 21st goal of the season. “The caliber of hockey tonight was high, and they were all over us.”

Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome celebrate in the 3rd period

Washington came back from a two-goal deficit in the third period when Ovechkin scored with 7:39 left in the game, sparking chants of “Ovi! Ovi!” from the crowd. It was one of the loudest moments at Capital One Arena this season.

“Two best teams playing, and it was a battle,” Ovechkin said. “It was a hard game at both ends.”

Arniel, who had coached Ovechkin for four years as an assistant from 2018-2022, recognized the power of that shot. “That came off in a hurry,” Arniel said. “And obviously ‘Helley’ didn’t have time to react to that one.”

Hellebuyck, a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, and Thompson, who joined the Capitals in a trade from Vegas last summer and earned a new six-year contract worth $35.1 million, both gave strong performances, but this game was all about the fast-paced action.

“It was a crazy game,” said Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey, who scored twice, including the overtime winner. “There was a lot of weird stuff going on, a lot of goals. Obviously both teams are known for scoring, but also their defensive game.

So I think both teams would probably want to clean some of those things up. But for just one game, a lot of swings. Great energy in the arena, and it was nice to be able to stick it out and get the two points.”

If Washington can make it through the Eastern Conference playoffs and Winnipeg can do the same in the West, this game could be a preview of an exciting Stanley Cup Final. These two teams will meet again in March in Canada, but a potential best-of-seven series in June could be an electric matchup.

“Both teams have a lot of pride and want to show that they’re the better team,” Morrissey said. “We found a way to be resilient in the game, and definitely you can see why they’re such a great team.”