Consult the meeting summaries
Sonny Milano scored his first NHL hat trick, Alexander Ovechkin found the back of the net again, and the Washington Capitals defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 7-6 in a shootout on Friday night.
The Hurricanes had won five straight games before Friday’s game in Washington.
Ovechkin’s goal was his 846e in career and his 24e this season.
John Carlson and Connor McMichael scored for the Capitals in the third period.
Dylan Strome was the only scorer in a five-round shootout session.
Darcy Kuemper allowed four goals on 22 shots and gave way to Charlie Lindgren to start the third period. Lindgren blocked seven shots.
Sebastian Aho also scored three goals and reached the 30-goal mark this season. Jaccob Slavin, Brady Skjei and Seth Jarvis also scored and Jake Guentzel had three assists.
Pyotr Kochetkov allowed six goals on 25 shots.
Stephen Whyno, Associated Press
Jamie Benn scores two goals and the Stars win 4-2 against the Penguins
PHOTO JEROME MIRON, USA TODAY SPORTS
Jamie Benn scored two goals 1:17 apart and the Dallas Stars defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 on Friday night.
The Stars captain now has 15 goals this season, including six in his last eight games.
Michael Bunting scored on the Penguins’ third shot. Rickard Rakell also hit the target in the loss.
Jake Oettinger stopped 20 pucks for the Stars.
The Penguins are 2-10-2 in their last 14 road games.
Joe Pavelski scored his 25e campaign net to tie the score in the first period.
Jason Robertson had two assists, bringing his total to 48 this season, to register his fifth game with at least two points in his last seven outings.
Tristan Jarry gave way to Alexander Nedeljkovic after Sam Steel’s goal early in the third period. Jarry allowed four goals on 20 shots.
Schuyler Dixon, Associated Press
Rantanen scores 2 goals in Avalanche’s 6-1 win over Blue Jackets
PHOTO ISAIAH J. DOWNING, USA TODAY SPORTS
Mikko Rantanen had two goals and an assist, Nathan MacKinnon scored to extend his home game point streak to 33, and the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-1 on Friday.
Cale Makar, Ross Colton and Valeri Nichushkin also lit the red light for the Avalanche, who have won eight straight games.
Alexandar Georgiev stopped 23 shots to get his 36e victory of the campaign.
Trailing 1-0, the Avalanche scored six straight goals. The team finished the match with 51 shots on the opponent’s net.
MacKinnon scored on a breakaway with 6:01 left in regulation. He also got an assist. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 45 pucks.
Colton scored the game-winner and Rantanen doubled the Avalanche lead 1:24 later in the second period.
Rantanen is just four points away from a second straight 100-point season.
Severson opened the scoring to give the Blue Jackets a 1-0 lead.
Pat Graham, Associated Press