Aho's two goals, assist lead Hurricanes over Predators 4-1

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Sebastian Aho scored two goals and added an assist as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Nashville Predators 4-1 on Wednesday night.

Jackson Blake had a goal and an assist, Seth Jarvis also scored and Pyotr Kochetkov made 25 saves for the Hurricanes, who have won five straight, equaling a season high.

Filip Forsberg scored and Juuse Saros made 33 saves for Nashville, losers of two of three.

Andrei Svechnikov had a pair of assists for the Hurricanes. Carolina completed the sweep of the two-game series against Nashville. The Hurricanes are now 6-1-1 against Central Division opponents this season.

Blake scored the game’s first goal with 7 minutes left in the opening period.

Battling just outside the Nashville crease with defenseman Nick Perbix, Blake collected the rebound of Logan Stankoven’s shot from the right side and chipped it by Saros.

Aho and Jarvis scored 1:50 apart early in the third, with Aho connecting on the power play at 2:43 and Jarvis following at 4:33.

Forsberg spoiled Kochetkov’s shutout bid at 8:06 of the third. The goal extended Forsberg’s point-scoring streak to six games. He has six goals and three assists over that span.

Saros kept the game close for the first two periods, including turning aside 18 of the 19 shots he faced in the first. Saros had won six of his previous seven decisions.

Carolina’s previous three victories came via a shootout, but no extra time was needed Wednesday.

Aho added an empty-net goal in the game's final minute.

Hurricanes visit the Florida Panthers on Friday.

Predators host the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday.

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Nashville Predators defenseman Brady Skjei (76) moves the puck past Carolina Hurricanes center Seth Jarvis (24) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Nashville Predators left wing Erik Haula (56) shoots the puck over Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin (74) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov (52) defends the goal against Nashville Predators center Fedor Svechkov (40) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Nashville Predators right wing Michael McCarron (47) and Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin, right, battle for loose puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (20) celebrates his goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A Wisconsin judge accused of helping a Mexican immigrant evade federal authorities did not take the stand Thursday after her attorneys presented less than an hour's worth of witnesses in her defense as she faces obstruction and concealment charges.

The case against Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was expected to head to the jury later Thursday after closing arguments.

The highly unusual charges against a sitting judge are an extraordinary consequence of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown. Dugan’s supporters say Trump is looking to make an example of her to blunt judicial opposition to immigration arrests.

Prosecutors have tried to show that Dugan intentionally interfered with members of a federal immigration task force's efforts to arrest 31-year-old Eduardo Flores-Ruiz at the Milwaukee County Courthouse.

Dugan’s team filed a motion late Wednesday asking U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman, who is presiding over the case, to find Dugan not guilty without asking jurors to deliberate. Adelman did not immediately rule Thursday on the motion, which is common after prosecutors present their case.

Dugan argued in her motion that she may have inconvenienced the arrest team but she didn’t intentionally try to conceal Flores-Ruiz, noting that although he left through a private door, he still emerged into the public hallway where two officers saw him.

Dugan also insisted that long-standing legal precedent prevents civil arrests of people coming or going from courthouses and immigration removal proceedings are civil actions.

Officers who came to arrest Flores-Ruiz testified that they learned he was in the country illegally after he was arrested in Milwaukee on state battery charges. Flores-Ruiz was scheduled to appear for a hearing in front of Dugan on April 18. Six agents and officers staked out Dugan's courtroom that morning, ready to arrest him when he emerged from the hearing.

They testified that Dugan and another judge, Kristela Cervera, stepped into the hallway wearing their robes. Dugan angrily told four members of the team to report to the chief judge's office.

As Cervera led them to the office, Dugan returned to her courtroom and led Flores-Ruiz out a private door into the hallway. Prosecutors produced transcripts of audio recordings from microphones in her courtroom that show Dugan told her court reporter that she'd take “the heat” for showing Flores-Ruiz out the private door.

Two agents Dugan missed during her confrontations with the team followed Flores-Ruiz outside, and a foot chase through traffic ensued before he was finally arrested. Members of the team testified that Dugan divided them and forced them out of position, leaving them too short-handed to make a safe arrest in the hallway.

Cervera, for her part, testified that she was uncomfortable backing up Dugan during her confrontations with the arrest team. She said she was shocked when she heard Dugan led Flores-Ruiz out a private door, adding that judges shouldn't help defendants evade arrest. Cervera also testified that Dugan told her three days after the incident that Dugan was “in the doghouse” with the chief judge, Carl Ashley, because she “tried to help that guy.”

Dugan's attorneys have countered during cross-examinations that Dugan didn't intend to obstruct the arrest team and was trying to follow a draft courthouse policy from Ashley that called for court employees to refer immigration agents looking to make an arrest in the courthouse to supervisors.

They've also argued that the arrest team could have apprehended Flores-Ruiz at any point after he emerged from the courtroom and Dugan shouldn't be blamed for their decision to wait until he got outside.

This courtroom sketch depicts Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan in court, Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wis. (Adela Tesnow via AP)