Hendrix Lapierre ends 90-game goal drought in Capitals’ 3-1 win over Flames

CALGARY, Alberta (AP) — Hendrix Lapierre ended a 90-game goal drought, Alex Ovechkin had an empty-netter and the Washington Capitals beat the Calgary Flames 3-1 on Friday night to end a four-game losing streak.

Aliaksei Protas also scored and Logan Thompson made 25 saves against his hometown town.

Morgan Frost scored for Calgary, and Devin Cooley stopped 35 shots. In the third, Cooley denied defenseman Jacob Chychrun's lacrosse-style wraparound attempt on a power play.

Protas broke a tie at 7:35 of the third. When Cooley slid to his left to defend against Tom Wilson, a rebound squirted out to the Belarusian, who fired the puck into an open net.

Lapierre tied it at 1 at 6:33 of the second. John Carlson's shot deflected off the leg of Yan Kuznetsov and onto Lapierre’s stick for the 23-year-old’s first goal since March 18, 2024, which also happened to be against Calgary. He has 10 career goals,

Calgary countered a Washington short-handed, odd-man rush with a power-play goal on the Flames’ next trip down the ice. Frost bear Thompson with a wrist shot below the goalie’s outstretched stick at 6:09 of the first.

Capitals: At Edmonton on Saturday night.

Flames: Host Anaheim on Sunday night.

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

Washington Capitals' Hendrix Lapierre, left, celebrates after his goal against the Calgary Flames with John Carlson, right, during second-period NHL hockey game action in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Larry MacDougal/The Canadian Press via AP)

Washington Capitals goalie Logan Thompson (48) makes a save against Calgary Flames' Connor Zary (47) during first-period NHL hockey game action in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Larry MacDougal/The Canadian Press via AP)

Washington Capitals' Ryan Leonard, front left, and Calgary Flames' Yan Kuznetsov, right, battle in front of the Flames' net during second-period NHL hockey game action in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Larry MacDougal/The Canadian Press via AP)

Washington Capitals' Justin Sourdif (34) looks for a rebound as Calgary Flames goalie Devin Cooley makes a save during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Larry MacDougal/The Canadian Press via AP)

Washington Capitals' Aliaksei Protas, right, celebrates his goal against the Calgary Flames with teammates during the third period of an NHL hockey game in Calgary, Alberta, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (Larry MacDougal/The Canadian Press via AP)

Whatever happens in a fourth-round match between defending champion Madison Keys and fellow American Jessica Pegula at the Australian Open, Keys has already nailed the promo for it.

“This is going to be the first match in Grand Slam history between two podcast co-hosts,” Keys said Saturday. “It’s a very niche headline.”

The close friends advanced to the fourth round with wins Saturday. The ninth-seeded Keys beat Karolina Pliskova 6-3, 6-3 in the opening match on Rod Laver Arena, and sixth-seeded Pegula defeated Oksana Selekhmeteva 6-3, 6-2 at Margaret Court Arena.

In her on-court TV interview, Keys alluded to the podcast that she and Pegula, along with several other WTA players, do. It's called “ The Player’s Box ” and it chronicles everyday life on tour.

"I think we have to do (one) before the match, so we’ll see how that goes,” Keys said, smiling, already thinking ahead to Monday's match.

She confirmed that later in her news conference.

“We are filming tomorrow (Sunday),” Keys said. "We’re both going to try to think of something to kind of commemorate this moment.

“I mean, hopefully we have more times where we meet later in tournaments where we get to play each other. We can see how this one goes and then hopefully be able to capitalize on it and then see how we want to do it in the future, as well.”

When asked if there would be any “trash talk” during the filming, Keys said she wasn't sure.

“I don’t know if either of us really trash talks very well,” Keys said. “I’m sure we’re going to, for sure, find some way to at least talk about it and hopefully make it entertaining.”

Pegula, who launched the podcast with Keys, Jennifer Brady, and Desirae Krawczyk during last year’s U.S. Open, said she noticed the possible head-to-head contest midway through the tournament.

“I honestly didn’t really realize it until last round that if we both win, we would play each other," Pegula said. “I mean, we’re so used to it. Like, it doesn’t really change that much. But maybe it will help the numbers on the pod.”

So no trash talk?

“Maybe that’s what we should do,” Pegula said. “We’ll see what kind of segments we can come up (with). It could be like a trash talk segment before we play.”

Keys leads Pegula 2-1 in their career head-to-head meetings, including a 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 win in the final of the Adelaide International in Australia last year.

Jessica Pegula of the U.S. waves after defeating Oksana Selekhmeteva of Russia in their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Aaron Favila)

Madison Keys of the U.S. plays a forehand return to Karolina Pliskova of the Czech Republic during their third round match at the Australian Open tennis championship in Melbourne, Australia, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Dita Alangkara)