DALLAS (AP) — Jake Oettinger shut out his home-state team stopping 32 shots, Wyatt Johnston and Matt Duchene scored 58 seconds apart late in the second period and the Dallas Stars beat the Minnesota Wild 3-0 on Monday night.
Oettinger, who grew up about 20 miles south of the Twin Cities in Lakeville, Minnesota, is 7-0-2 in regular-season play against the Wild and has an eight-game home winning streak beginning in late January.
Johnston deflected a shot from the blue line by Thomas Harley for a power-play goal at 15:01 of the second. Duchene also scored through a screen, from the right circle at 15:59.
Mason Marchment added an empty-net goal in the final minute.
Filip Gustavsson made 26 saves for the Wild. Gustavsson allowed only two goals last week going 3-0-0 to be selected the NHL’s First Star of the Week.
BLUE JACKETS 4, ISLANDERS 3, SO
NEW YORK (AP) — Adam Fantilli scored in regulation and then got the only goal in the shootout, leading Columbus to a win against New York to end a six-game skid.
Boone Jenner and Kirill Marchenko also scored in regulation for the Blue Jackets, and Elvis Merzlikins made 30 saves.
Pierre Engvall, Kyle Palmieri and Anders Lee scored for New York, which lost its second straight after a three-game win streak. Ilya Sorokin finished with 28 saves.
In the second round of the shootout, Fantilli made a move to his backhand and beat Sorokin. Bo Horvat then missed high and wide left on his attempt in the third round.
CANUCKS 4, DEVILS 3, SO
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Jonathan Lekkerimaki scored in regulation and got the deciding goal in the fourth round of the shootout, and Vancouver beat New Jersey.
Pius Suter scored twice for Vancouver, which improved to 3-1 in shootouts this season. Thatcher Demko finished with 22 saves in his first start since a lower body injury on Feb. 8.
Timo Meier had two goals and Erik Haula also scored for the Devils, and Jacob Markstrom had 25 saves.
Jake DeBrusk scored in the first round of the shootout for Vancouver, and Jesper Bratt tied it for New Jersey in the second round. In the fourth round, Lekkerimaki fired a wrist shot past Markstrom for the win on his first career shootout attempt.
RED WINGS 5, UTAH 1
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — Alex Lyon made 16 saves in relief of injured starter Petr Mrazek, powering Detroit to a victory over Utah.
Lyon took over at goalie after Mrazek exited just 1:38 into the game with an apparent lower body injury. Dylan Guenther collided with Mrazek in the net at the tail end of a breakaway shot attempt. Mrazek limped off the ice after the play and went straight to the locker room.
Elmer Soderblom, Marco Kasper, Austin Watson, Alex DeBrincat and Tyler Motte all scored to help Detroit snap a six-game skid away from home.
Guenther reached 100 career points, scoring his 26th goal of the season for Utah. Karel Vejmelka made nine stops in his career-high 14th straight start.
Dallas Stars center Colin Blackwell (15) attempts to shoot past Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (32) during an NHL hockey game in Dallas, Monday, March 24, 2025. (AP Photo/Gareth Patterson)
VATICAN CITY (AP) — U.S. Vice President JD Vance met briefly with Pope Francis on Sunday to exchange Easter greetings, after they got into a long-distance tangle over the Trump administration's migrant deportation plans.
Francis, who is recovering from a near-fatal bout of pneumonia, received Vance in one of the reception rooms of the Vatican hotel where he lives. The 88-year-old pope offered the Catholic vice president three big chocolate Easter eggs for Vance's three young children, who did not attend, as well as a Vatican tie and rosaries.
“I know you have not been feeling great but it's good to see you in better health,” Vance told the pope. “Thank you for seeing me.”
Vance’s motorcade entered Vatican City through a side gate while Easter Mass was being celebrated in St. Peter’s Square. Francis had delegated the celebration of the Mass to another cardinal.
The Vatican said they met for a few minutes at the Domus Santa Marta “to exchange Easter greetings.” Vance's office said that they met, but provided no further details. In all, Vance's motorcade was on Vatican territory for 17 minutes.
He later joined his family for Easter Mass at St. Paul Outside the Walls, one of the four pontifical basilicas in Rome. The Vances visited the tomb of the apostle St. Paul that is said to be located there.
Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, and the pope have tangled sharply over migration and the Trump administration’s plans to deport migrants en masse. Francis has made caring for migrants a hallmark of his papacy.
Just days before he was hospitalized in February, Francis blasted the deportation plans, warning that they would deprive migrants of their inherent dignity. In a letter to U.S. bishops, Francis also appeared to respond to Vance directly for having claimed that Catholic doctrine justified such policies.
Vance has acknowledged Francis’ criticism but has said he will continue to defend his views. During a Feb. 28 appearance at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, Vance didn’t address the issue specifically but called himself a “baby Catholic” and acknowledged there are “things about the faith that I don’t know.”
Vance met Saturday with the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and foreign minister, Archbishop Paul Gallagher.
Vance’s office said he and Parolin “discussed their shared religious faith, Catholicism in the United States, the plight of persecuted Christian communities around the world, and President Trump’s commitment to restoring world peace.”
The Vatican, for its part, said there was an “exchange of opinions” including over migrants and refugees and current conflicts.
The Holy See has responded cautiously to the Trump administration while seeking to continue productive relations in keeping with its tradition of diplomatic neutrality. It has expressed alarm over the administration’s crackdown on migrants and cuts in international aid while insisting on peaceful resolutions to the wars in Ukraine and Gaza.
Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
U.S. Vice President JD Vanc and his family arrives at Basilica Papale di San Paolo Fuori le Mura (Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls) to attend Easter mass, in Rome, Italy, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Kenny Holston/Pool Photo via AP)
U.S. Vice President JD Vanc and his family arrives at Basilica Papale di San Paolo Fuori le Mura (Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls) to attend Easter mass, in Rome, Italy, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Kenny Holston/Pool Photo via AP)
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, centre, his wife Usha and their children arrive at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside The Walls in Rome, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
U.S. Vice President JD Vance, centre, his wife Usha and their children arrive at the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside The Walls in Rome, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino)
Pope Francis appears on the central lodge of St. Peter's Basilica to bestow the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for to the city and the world) blessing at the end of the Easter mass presided over by Cardinal Angelo Comastri in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)
Pope Francis receives U.S. Vice President JD Vance before bestowing the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for to the city and to the world) blessing at the end of the Easter mass presided over by Cardinal Angelo Comastri in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Sunday, April 20, 2025. At center the head of the papal houshold Bishop Leonardo Sapienza. (Vatican Media via AP, HO)
Pope Francis receives U.S. Vice President JD Vance, left, before bestowing the Urbi et Orbi (Latin for to the city and to the world) blessing at the end of the Easter mass presided over by Cardinal Angelo Comastri in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Sunday, April 20, 2025. At center the head of the papal houshold Bishop Leonardo Sapienza. (Vatican Media via AP, HO)
From left, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin meets with U.S. Vice President JD Vance, his daughter Mirabel, his wife Usha, and their sons Ewan and Vivek at the Vatican, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (Vatican Media via AP, HO)
The motorcade of U.S. Vice President JD Vance is seen en route to Vatican, in Rome, Italy, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (Kenny Holston/Pool Photo via AP)
