Senators pull away with 4-goal spree, beat Kraken 7-4

SEATTLE (AP) — Shane Pinto had a goal and two assists in Ottawa's four-goal spree in the first and second periods and the Senators beat the Seattle Kraken 7-4 on Saturday night.

Linus Ulmark made 17 saves to help Ottawa improve to 3-1 on a five-game trip. The Senators are four points behind Boston for the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Seattle has lost two in a row and four of its past six. It holds the second wild card in the West after San Jose’s overtime loss to the New York Islanders.

Tyler Kleven, Dylan Cozens and Michael Amadio also scored after Jacob Melanson gave Seattle an early lead.

After Eeli Tolvanen scored for Seattle to cut it to 4-2 late in the second, Warren Foegele, Tim Stutzle, and Brady Tkachuk pushed Ottawa’s lead to five in the third.

Matty Beniers and Brandon Montour had late goals for the Kraken. Joey Daccord made 29 savss for Seattle.

Seattle’s Jaden Schwartz left late in the first period after taking a skate to the face. He did not return.

Senators: At Vancouver on Monday night.

Kraken: Host Nashville on Tuesday night.

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

Seattle Kraken forward Jaden Schwartz (17) is tended to by team personnel and teammates defenseman Brandon Montour (62) and forward Chandler Stephenson (9) after a collision during the first periodof an NHL hockey game against the Ottawa Senators Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Ottawa Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven celebrates with teammates on the bench after a goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Seattle Kraken, Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Ottawa Senators forward Dylan Cozens, left, and defenseman Thomas Chabot celebrate a goal during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Seattle Kraken Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle (18) skates against Seattle Kraken forward Matty Beniers, second from left, during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk, right, and forward Shane Pinto celebrate after an NHL hockey game against the Seattle Kraken Saturday, March 7, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Stephen Brashear)

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombians voted Sunday for a new Congress and to select candidates from three major coalitions in a primary-style contest ahead of a presidential election in May.

The election unfolded under high alert for political violence across the South American country, particularly in rural regions dominated by illegal armed groups.

Just hours after polls opened, Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez asserted that a group of at least 2,400 people “allegedly heading to vote” were detected trying to enter Colombia at an illegal border crossing with Venezuela in Norte de Santander, despite announced border closures during the election process.

“They are doing so illegally,” said the minister, who posted images on his social media account showing people lining up on secondary roads to cross a river to the other side, where several buses were parked. “This is a clear case of a crime being committed,” Sánchez said.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro described the incident as “large-scale fraud” and an “avalanche of illegal voting” as he called on the mayor of Cucuta to act immediately.

“Sixty buses have been detained, and the company responsible for bringing massive numbers of voters from across the border must be investigated immediately,” Petro wrote on X.

Hours later, the defense minister said authorities had responded and that no people remained in that area. Sánchez said officials have opened an investigation into the transportation company, the political advertising used and the alleged suspects who are being identified.

Petro — the nation’s first left-leaning leader — also has cast doubt on the country's election software, pointing to the 2022 legislative elections, when his Historic Pact movement gained over 390,000 votes following a recount. He attributed this shift to the presence of election observers.

The European Union deployed 40 election observers in early February and said it intended to increase the size of the delegation for Sunday's congressional vote.

Sunday’s election is set to define the political landscape for Colombia’s next head of state.

More than 3,000 candidates are vying for 285 legislative positions — 102 in the Senate and 183 in the House of Representatives. There are 41.2 million eligible voters.

Petro is ineligible for reelection because the constitution bars a sitting president from running for a consecutive second term.

Under Petro’s government, Congress has become more of a counterweight to his policies, a departure from the past, when the legislature tended to be aligned with the president.

Colombia's current Congress approved Petro’s pension and labor overhaul, but rejected his proposed health care and tax reforms, and there were often tensions between him and lawmakers.

Meanwhile, the right-wing opposition is looking to reclaim its status as a dominant political force. The Democratic Center, the nation’s primary opposition party, has been influenced by former President Álvaro Uribe, who is mobilizing his base to secure a strong legislative presence ahead of the presidential vote.

Alongside the congressional vote, Colombians voted to choose presidential candidates for the country's three major political blocs: the center, the center-left and the right. The winners of the three “interparty consultations," similar to American primary elections, will go on to compete in the presidential election, whose first round is set for May 31.

Presidential hopefuls have long used the primaries to gauge their support before entering the first round of voting. This strategy proved successful four years ago for Petro, who consolidated his base by winning the left-wing primary alongside Francia Márquez, who became his vice president.

However, the two candidates currently leading in the polls — Iván Cepeda, from Petro’s party, and far-right Abelardo de la Espriella — are not participating in the primaries, which are optional.

Political analyst Gabriel Cifuentes said the primaries are a high-stakes gamble for the participants, noting that a victory on Sunday is only meaningful if it demonstrates enough strength to compete with the leading candidates, such as Cepeda and de la Espriella.

More than 126,000 law enforcement officers are expected to be deployed across the country on election day.

Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro votes during legislative elections in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, right, talks to electoral official before voting during legislative elections in Rionegro, Colombia, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Miguel Angel Lopez)

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro votes during legislative elections in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Colombia's President Gustavo Petro speaks after voting during legislative elections in Bogota, Colombia, Sunday, March 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Electoral posters promoting presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella and legislative candidates hang on a wall next to a crucifix of Jesus Christ at the Corabastos, the largest food distribution center in Bogota, Colombia, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Police hold up shields protecting presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella as he points while speaking during a campaign rally at the Corabastos, the largest food distribution center, in Bogota, Colombia, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Fernando Vergara)

Supporters of Ivan Cepeda, presidential candidate for the Historic Pact coalition, cheer him on during a campaign rally in Cali, Colombia, Thursday, Feb. 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Santiago Saldarriaga)