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Connor Hellebuyck stops 22 shots as Jets blank Predators

NHL: Nashville Predators at Winnipeg JetsDec 30, 2024; Winnipeg, Manitoba, CAN; Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck (37) makes a save as Nashville Predators forward Michael McCarron (47) looks for a rebound during the first period at Canada Life Centre. Mandatory Credit: Terrence Lee-Imagn Images

Connor Hellebuyck made 22 saves for his league-leading fifth shutout of the season as the Winnipeg Jets defeated the visiting Nashville Predators 3-0 on Monday night.

Gabriel Vilardi had two goals and defenseman Dylan DeMelo also scored for Winnipeg, which tops the NHL with 27 wins and 55 points following its fourth consecutive victory. Nikolaj Ehlers and Kyle Connor each added two assists.

Juuse Saros stopped 25 shots for Nashville, which has dropped two in a row following a 3-0-1 stretch.

DeMelo opened the scoring with 2:42 left in the second period. He took a pass from Morgan Barron, fired a wrist shot from the inside part of the right circle and beat Saros high. It was DeMelo’s first goal of the season and first in 42 games dating back to April 10.

Vilardi scored twice in a span of 1:02 late in the third. His five-on-three power-play goal made it 2-0 with 6:16 left when he slammed a shot in from the slot off a pass from Ehlers.

With the Jets still on a power play, Vilardi tapped in a loose puck with 5:14 remaining.

Saros made his best save of the night around the six-minute mark of the third when he robbed Mark Scheifele’s tip attempt after a cross-slot pass from Connor.

Saros stopped Ehlers with a pad save on a partial breakaway as Ehlers split the two defensemen with a little over 10:30 left in the first. And about a minute and a half later, Saros denied Connor from the left circle.

Hellebuyck made a big save on Vinnie Hinostroza from the bottom part of the right circle on a two-on-one rush with just under five minutes remaining in the opening period.

Saros made an outstanding save on Vilardi from in front on a rebound around the halfway point of the middle period.

Hellebuyck stopped the original effort and the rebound from Mark Jankowski, who charged down the slot with 7:20 remaining in the second.

Saros foiled Ehlers again, this time on a backhand shot from in front, with 40 seconds left in the second period.

–Field Level Media

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Cole Caufield, Canadiens grab early lead, cool off Caps

NHL: Washington Capitals at Montreal CanadiensFeb 28, 2026; Montreal, Quebec, CAN; Montreal Canadiens forward Cole Caufield (13) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Washington Capitals during the first period at the Bell Centre. Mandatory Credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images

Cole Caufield scored two first-period goals and the Canadiens went on to beat the Washington Capitals 6-2 on Saturday night in Montreal.

Nick Suzuki had a goal and two assists for the Canadiens, who have points in seven straight (5-0-2). Jakub Dobes made 27 saves and improved to 9-0-2 in his past 11 starts.

Alex Ovechkin scored both goals for the Capitals, who had won three straight. Anthony Beauvillier had two assists and Charlie Lindgren made 19 saves for Washington, which was playing the second of a back-to-back after a 3-2 home win against the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday.

The Capitals went 0-for-4 on the power play after going 0-for-5 on Friday. Montreal was 0-for-3.

Caufield gave the Canadiens a 1-0 just 30 seconds into the game when he intercepted Jakob Chychrun’s pass, skated in on a breakaway and beat Lindgren with a wrist shot.

Ovechkin tied it at 13:16. Dobes made the save on Declan Chisholm’s shot from the point, but couldn’t control the rebound and Ovechkin knocked in the loose puck from the right post.

Caufield made it 2-1 at 14:19 when he backhanded in a loose puck at the right post after Lindgren made the save on Jayden Struble’s point shot.

Mike Matheson increased the lead to 3-1 at 12:22 of the second when he took a pass from Zachary Bolduc on the rush, skated down the open slot and beat Lindgren glove side with a wrist shot.

After Washington’s Aliaksei Protas hit the post, Suzuki gathered the rebound, skated down into the Washington end and fed Kirby Dach, who scored on a one-timer from the slot to make it 4-1 at 16:34.

Ovechkin pulled the Capitals within 4-2 at 12:12 of the third, scoring from the low slot when he tipped in a pass from Dylan Strome.

Suzuki sent a back-hander into an empty net at 16:44 to make it 5-2, then Jake Evans sent a shot nearly the length of the ice into an empty net for a short-handed goal during 6-on-4 play at 18:35.

–Field Level Media

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Sabres pile up goals early, cruise past Lightning

NHL: Buffalo Sabres at Tampa Bay LightningFeb 28, 2026; Tampa, Florida, USA; Buffalo Sabres forward Peyton Krebs (19), forward Alex Tuch (89) and Tampa Bay Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli (71) battle for the puck during the first period at Benchmark International Arena. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

Josh Norris scored twice as Buffalo found the net four times in the first period, and the Sabres easily won their third straight outing since the Winter Olympics break in a 6-2 rout of the host Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night.

The visitors’ victory pushed their road point streak to a season-best nine games (8-0-1). The Sabres play six of the next seven contests on home ice.

Rasmus Dahlin hit the net and had two assists, while Zach Metsa had a goal and a helper. Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch also scored, and goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 36 saves.

Following a four-game absence for an upper-body injury, Zach Benson was back and contributed an assist as the Sabres finished 4-1-1 in February’s shortened slate because of the Olympic Games in Italy.

Tampa Bay’s Victor Hedman tallied one goal and had an assist, and Dominic James scored. However, its 10-game home winning streak and Nikita Kucherov’s league-high 12-game active point streak both ended.

Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy surrendered five goals on 14 shots in 21:54 of ice time. Jonas Johansson stopped 20 of 21 shots in relief.

After losing 4-3 to the Lightning on an overtime goal by Jake Guentzel on Feb. 3, the Sabres struck twice in 50 seconds in the rematch after toppling the Florida Panthers 3-2 on Friday.

Dahlin slid left-to-right through the slot and whistled one past Vasilevskiy at 5:25 of the opening period. Before the visiting celebration could die down, Norris swooped in from the right side and beat the netminder between the pads for a 2-0 lead.

At 8:16 on Buffalo’s fifth shot, Norris stunned the Atlantic Division-leading Lightning again by redirecting Bowen Byram’s shot through two Lightning defenders and Vasilevskiy for his second tally.

Thompson maneuvered his way in and slipped in the club’s fourth goal with less than five minutes left. The Team USA gold medalist extended his point streak to seven games, his third streak that length thus far.

In the second, Metsa’s early goal chased Vasilevskiy from the match, but James put the Lightning on the board at 16:03.

Shortly after Guentzel was ejected for receiving a game misconduct and an unsportsmanlike penalty 2:02 into the third, Tuch hit the net at the 3:53 mark. Hedman scored his first at 5:27 for the final marker.

–Field Level Media

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West Virginia upsets No. 19 BYU to snap 3-game skid

NCAA Basketball: Brigham Young at West VirginiaFeb 28, 2026; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers forward DJ Thomas (5) shoots a three point shot over BYU Cougars forward Khadim Mboup (7) during the first half at Hope Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Honor Huff scored 19 points and dished out six assists to lead West Virginia to a 79-71 upset win at home over No. 19 BYU in a Big 12 Conference game on Saturday in Morgantown, W. Va.

Brenen Lorient racked up 18 points and pulled down nine rebounds, and DJ Thomas scored 13 points off the bench for West Virginia (17-12, 8-8 Big 12), which snapped a three-game losing streak.

Jasper Floyd and Chance Moore each scored 11 points for the Mountaineers, who earned an NCAA Tournament resume-building victory.

Robert Wright III led BYU (20-9, 8-8) with 23 points. AJ Dybantsa scored 20 points, with 16 coming in the second half, while Aleksej Kostic added 12 for the Cougars, who have dropped seven of their last 10 games.

Dybantsa hit a three to cut it to a one-possession game as the Cougars trailed 72-69 with 1:57 left. But West Virginia went back inside for a Lorient layup and a 74-69 lead.

Keba Keita’s steal and layup pulled the Cougars within 74-71. Huff, Floyd and Harlan Obioha combined to make five foul shots down the stretch to seal the win for West Virginia.

BYU led 22-20 at halftime, but the Mountaineers surged with a 20-4 run. Thomas pushed the Mountaineers ahead at 23-22 with a three-point play that sparked the extended rally for West Virginia to close the half.

The Mountaineers bench outscored BYU’s reserves 24-12.

Huff’s three pushed West Virginia to a 28-22 lead. The Mountaineers’ advantage grew to 38-24 as Floyd drove past Wright for a layup. They finished the first half with a 40-26 lead.

A 7-0 run to open the second half was capped by Kostic’s three-pointer and cut the BYU deficit to 40-33. But the Mountaineers rebuilt their double-digit lead with a 7-3 rally that started with a Treysen Eaglestaff three and featured buckets from Lorient and Thomas for a 47-36 lead.

–Field Level Media

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