Capitals hold off Vegas' late comeback in a 3-2 victory over the Golden Knights

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pierre-Luc Dubois had two goals and an assist to lift the Washington Capitals to a 3-2 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Friday night.

All three of Washington's goals came in the second period, with Jakob Chychrun adding his 22nd of the season. Braeden Bowman and Tomas Hertl scored in the third for the Golden Knights.

The Capitals pulled within two points of the New York Islanders for third place in the Metropolitan Division and within two of Boston for the Eastern Conference's second wild card. Washington is 2-0 since the Olympic break and has won six of its last seven.

The Pacific Division-leading Golden Knights had a three-game winning streak snapped despite the return of five Olympians. Vegas was without two Americans (Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin) and three Canadians (Mark Stone, Mitch Marner and Shea Theodore) in Wednesday's win over Los Angeles. All were back on the ice Friday.

The Golden Knights scored five third-period goals in that 6-4 victory over the Kings and they nearly pulled off a big comeback at Washington. Bowman broke up Logan Thompson’s shutout bid early in the third, and Hertl's power-play goal made it 3-2 with 10:45 still to play, but that was as close as Vegas could come.

Stone was called for high-sticking with 4:24 left, but Thompson still had to come up big on short-handed chances by Brayden McNabb and Marner.

Dubois beat Akira Schmid high to the blocker side 49 seconds into the second to open the scoring. Just over 2 1/2 minutes later, Aliaksei Protas found Dubois in front with a nice pass for a 2-0 lead.

Chychrun's shot from the right circle sneaked under the crossbar to make it 3-0.

The line of Dubois, Protas and Tom Wilson was on the ice for all three of Washington's goals, along with defenseman Rasmus Sandin. Protas and Sandin had two assists each.

Dubois had no points in his first six games this season and had surgery for injuries to his abdominal and adductor muscles. He has three goals and two assists in three games since returning.

Golden Knights: At Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Capitals: At Montreal on Saturday night.

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

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Akira Schmid looks for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Reilly Smith (19) shoots the puck past Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun (6) celebrates his goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Vegas Golden Knights, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson (48) watches the puck during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Vegas Golden Knights, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Capitals left wing Pierre-Luc Dubois (80) celebrates his second goal of the game during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Vegas Golden Knights, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) — A cargo plane carrying money crashed Friday near Bolivia’s capital, damaging about a dozen vehicles on highway, scattering bills on the ground and leaving at least 15 people dead and others injured, an official said.

Defense Minister Marcelo Salinas said the Hercules C-130 plane was transporting newly printed Bolivian currency when it “landed and veered off the runway" at an airport in El Alto, a city adjacent to the capital of La Paz, before ending up in a nearby field. Firefighters managed to put out the flames that engulfed the aircraft.

Fire chief Pavel Tovar said at least 15 people died but he did not clarify if the dead were in the plane or in the cars on the nearby highway.

Salinas did not specify how many people had been killed in the crash and said the cause was being investigated.

Bolivian Air Force Gen. Sergio Lora said two of the plane's six crew members had not been found as of late Friday, adding that the aircraft was arriving from the eastern city of Santa Cruz.

Images on social media showed debris from the aircraft, destroyed cars and bodies scattered on the road. According to Tovar, at least 15 vehicles were damaged.

The plane, belonging to the Bolivian air force, was transporting money to La Paz and images on social media showed people rushing to collect the bills scattered at the crash site, while police in riot gear tried to disperse them.

Tovar said the hundreds of people trying to collect the spilled bills were hindering rescue efforts.

More than 500 soldiers and 100 police officers took control of the area to disperse the mob, according to official reports. Police and military personnel burned the cash boxes in the presence of Central Bank President David Espinoza, who said the bills “have no legal value because they never entered circulation,” without clarifying what that meant.

Espinoza did not specify the amount of money being transported but he said the banknotes had arrived in Santa Cruz from abroad.

Authorities temporarily suspended all flights to and from the terminal.

Police stands next to a plane that crashed in El Alto, Bolivia, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

People walk on the scene where a plane crashed on a highway in El Alto, Bolivia, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

Military police on the scene where a plane crashed in El Alto, Bolivia, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

A police covers himself from tear gas spread to disperse people from getting near the area where a aircraft that was transporting money crashed on a highway, in El Alto, Bolivia, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

Police stands near a destroyed car that was struck by a plane in El Alto, Bolivia, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)

A military police stands next to a plane that crashed in El Alto, Bolivia, Friday, Feb. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)