WASHINGTON (AP) — Logan Thompson was back in net, just in time for the Olympics.
Thompson returned from injured reserve and made 27 saves to lift the Washington Capitals to a 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Thursday night. It was the team's final game before the Olympic break. Thompson is on Canada's roster.
“It's important to get this one before the break, and feeling good with confidence going into this big tournament,” Thompson said.
Thompson played for the first time since Jan. 27, and the Capitals needed him to be sharp, especially when Jonathan Marchessault and Erik Haula came in alone on a two-man breakaway for Nashville. Thompson stopped Marchessault's shot.
“He was fantastic tonight right from the start. So many big saves in that game," Washington coach Spencer Carbery said. “I'll be honest with you. We weren't very good. So without that performance we are not getting two points tonight.”
Tom Wilson, Thompson's teammate for Canada, opened the scoring for Washington. Pierre-Luc Dubois — who was coming back from an even longer injury absence, having not played since Oct. 31 — made it 2-0 before the first period was over.
The Capitals remained four points behind the New York Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division. They're also four behind for the last wild card in the Eastern Conference.
That's a concern for later. Now Thompson can focus on trying to win a gold medal.
“It's a dream come true," he said. "I'm going to just go there and soak it all in and do any little bit that they want me to do, whether that's practice goalie, backup, hand out the water bottles. I'm just going to be happy to be there.”
Jakob Chychrun scored two goals for the Capitals, bringing his season total to 21, the most among NHL defensemen. Alex Ovechkin assisted on Chychrun's second goal, but he played only 13:15 — one of the lowest ice time totals of his career.
Dubois was without a point in his first six games this season, then had surgery for injuries to his abdominal and adductor muscles. He made it back a bit earlier than initially expected.
“We were circling this game on the calendar. It was an ambitious goal. At times we didn't know if we were going to be able to do it,” Dubois said. “The staff just did such a fantastic job of helping me and putting me in position to succeed. I owe it all to them.”
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Washington Capitals left wing Pierre-Luc Dubois (80) celebrates his goal with defenseman John Carlson (74) during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson, left, celebrates with defenseman Jakob Chychrun (6) and others after an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson stops the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Nashville Predators, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — The race between a onetime political director for Sen. Bernie Sanders and a former congressman was too early to call Thursday in a special House Democratic primary for the seat vacated when Mikie Sherill was elected governor of New Jersey.
Former U.S. Rep. Tom Malinowski started election night with a significant lead over Analilia Mejia, based largely on early results from mail-in ballots. The margin narrowed as results from votes cast that day were tallied, and the two were locked in a tight race.
With more than 61,000 votes counted, Mejia led Malinowski by 486, or less than 1 percentage point.
All three counties in the district report some mail-in ballots yet to be processed. Also, mail-in ballots postmarked by election day can arrive as late as Wednesday and still be counted.
Malinowski did better than Mejia among the mail-in ballots already counted in all three counties, leaving the outcome of the race uncertain.
The Democratic winner will face Randolph Mayor Joe Hathaway, who was unopposed in the Republican primary, on April 16.
Malinowski served two terms in the House before losing a bid for reelection in a different district in 2022. He had the endorsement of New Jersey Democratic Sen. Andy Kim, who has built support among progressive groups.
Mejia, a former head of the Working Families Alliance in the state and political director for Sanders during his 2020 presidential run, had the Vermont independent senator's endorsement as well as that of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez of New York. She also worked in President Joe Biden's Labor Department as deputy director of the women’s bureau.
Both Malinowski and Mejia were well ahead of the next-closest candidates: Brendan Gill, an elected commissioner in Essex County who has close ties to former Gov. Phil Murphy; and Tahesha Way, who served as lieutenant governor and secretary of state for two terms under Murphy until last month.
The other candidates were John Bartlett, Zach Beecher, J-L Cauvin, Marc Chaaban, Cammie Croft, Dean Dafis, Jeff Grayzel, Justin Strickland and Anna Lee Williams.
The district covers parts of Essex, Morris and Passaic counties in northern New Jersey, including some of New York City's wealthier suburbs.
The special primary and April general election will determine who serves the remainder of Sherrill's term, which ends next January. There will be a regular primary in June and general election in November for the next two-year term.
Sherrill represented the district for four terms after her election in 2018. She won despite the region's historical loyalty to the GOP, a dynamic that began to shift during President Donald Trump's first term.
FILE - Analilia Mejia, center, speaks during a rally calling for SCOTUS ethics reform, May 2, 2023, in Washington. (Joy Asico/AP Images for Center for Popular Democracy Action, File)
FILE - Democratic Congressman Tom Malinowski speaks during his election night party in Garwood, N.J., Nov. 8, 2022. (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki, File)
FILE - New Jersey Gov. Mikie Sherrill waves during her inauguration ceremony in Newark, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig, File)
