SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) — Brady Tkachuk completed his second straight natural hat trick with a nifty move up the middle in overtime to give the Florida Panthers a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday night.
Tkachuk also scored three straight goals Tuesday night in Columbus in the second period of a 7-3 victory over the Blue Jackets.
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Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) and Vancouver Canucks center Filip Chytil (77) go for the puck in a face-off during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
The puck gets past Florida Panthers goaltender Akira Schmid (40) on a goal scored by Vancouver Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Leevi Meriläinen (31) defends the goal against Florida Panthers left wing Brady Tkachuk (8) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Florida Panthers left wing Brady Tkachuk, left, scores the game winning goal past Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium, right, during overtime in an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Florida Panthers left wing Brady Tkachuk (8) celebrates after scoring the game winning goal against Vancouver Canucks goaltender Leevi Meriläinen (31) during overtime in an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
With goalie Akira Schmid off for an extra attacker, Tkachuk tied it with 13 seconds left in regulation with a one-timer from the right faceoff circle. He started the run with 8:49 to go, firing a shot from the top of the right circle past goalie Leevi Merilainen.
Merilainen made 36 saves, and Liam Ohgren and defenseman Elias Pettersson scored first-period goals for Vancouver. The Canucks have lost six straight, the last five to start a six-game trip.
Schmid stopped 15 shots.
Ohgren opened the scoring at 7:23. After a Florida turnover, he took a pass from Linus Karlsson and snapped in a shot from the high slot.
Pettersson struck with 2:54 left in the first with his third goal of the season. Filip Chytil — making his season debut after returning from preseason shoulder injury — set up the defender for a shot from the slot.
The Panthers lost forward Eetu Luostarinen midway through the third period when he crashed into the back boards off a clean hit from Pettersson.
Before the game, the Canucks traded Aatu Raty to Toronto for fellow forwards Jacob Quillan and Brandon Buhr.
Canucks: At Tampa Bay on Saturday.
Panthers: Host Seattle on Saturday night.
See AP’s full NHL coverage here
Florida Panthers center Sam Reinhart (13) and Vancouver Canucks center Filip Chytil (77) go for the puck in a face-off during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
The puck gets past Florida Panthers goaltender Akira Schmid (40) on a goal scored by Vancouver Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Leevi Meriläinen (31) defends the goal against Florida Panthers left wing Brady Tkachuk (8) during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Florida Panthers left wing Brady Tkachuk, left, scores the game winning goal past Vancouver Canucks defenseman Zeev Buium, right, during overtime in an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Florida Panthers left wing Brady Tkachuk (8) celebrates after scoring the game winning goal against Vancouver Canucks goaltender Leevi Meriläinen (31) during overtime in an NHL hockey game, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Sunrise, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — Alaska's major U.S. Senate candidates clashed over the Iran war, soaring c onsumer prices and personal credibility Thursday during a high-stakes debate in a contest that will play into control of the closely divided chamber.
Two-term Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan said the war needs to end soon, and he wants the Strait of Hormuz to open and a deal to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman, said an agreement is “so far out of sight” and lamented the deaths of 20 military personnel.
“This war is driving up our energy bills and hurting Alaskans with no end in sight,” she said.
Sullivan said the best way to bring down energy costs “is to produce more Alaskan energy by and for Alaskans.”
The debate followed contours of Senate contests around the country, with Peltola blaming the Trump administration for rising gas and consumer prices and pulling back from traditional alliances around the globe, while Sullivan warned that Democratic leadership in Congress would undercut the military and curb domestic energy production.
The debate also took on an edgy, deeply personal tone, as the candidates repeatedly accused each other of being dishonest or misleading.
“I think that Alaskans have had it up to here with the lying and the dishonesty,” Peltola said at one point, addressing her rival.
Sullivan repeatedly accused Peltola of lying throughout their campaign and said “it’s revealed character challenges.”
Foreign conflicts and their impact at home produced some of the sharpest exchanges.
Asked about Ukraine and President Donald Trump's deal to buy Russian oil, Peltola said, “I think it’s so important that we stand with Ukraine and our allies. We have been making new adversaries out of our traditional allies across the globe.”
“I think we should be doing everything in our power to help support them, not bolstering up Russia,” she added.
Sullivan said he was a strong supporter of Ukraine, then said Democrats were always “cutting our military, undermining readiness.”
Peltola appeared to be reading from note cards during several of her answers, at one prompting Sullivan to question the moderators and say he didn’t think the candidates were supposed to get questions ahead of time. A moderator said they did not.
Visits by Trump on Tuesday to conservative Wasilla and by Vice President JD Vance the week before to Fairbanks — the hometown of Sullivan’s wife — underscore the stakes involved as both parties seek control of the chamber. Alaska last elected a Democrat to the Senate in 2008.
The contest is playing out in a turbulent political year in which voter angst over the Iran war, soaring gas and diesel prices, and a rising cost of living have put the House and Senate up for grabs.
Before the debate, noisy supporters of both candidates gathered with signs — and at least one bullhorn — outside the Alaska Public Media studios.
There was a brief moment of agreement when the candidates were asked about the possibility of a third Trump term in the White House. Sullivan said it would be unconstitutional, and Peltola said that the law was clear, "Two terms for every president."
The race also includes two Republicans who have done virtually no campaigning, including another Dan Sullivan. To participate in Thursday's debate, candidates had to win at least 5% of the vote in August's open primary.
Dan J. Sullivan, a retired teacher who dominated attention ahead of the primary and was called a sham candidate by the senator and his allies, including Trump, finished third with about 2.5% of the vote. Dan J. Sullivan said he received no invitations to any candidate forums.
The incumbent, whom Trump repeatedly called the “real Dan Sullivan,” said the energy and enthusiasm generated by the rallies can be important in turning out his voters.
Sullivan finished second to Peltola in the August primary, in which the top four vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, advanced to the ranked vote general election. Sullivan, a retired Marine, said the race comes down to record, vision and character.
“I saw her up close and personal. It wasn’t pretty,” he told reporters after the debate, referring to Peltola’s time in office.
He said Peltola was ineffective during her time in Congress. But in an interview Wednesday, Peltola said she worked well with Sullivan as part of Alaska’s three-member congressional delegation and said he was engaging in “kind of revisionist history.”
“Our delegation worked so well together the two years that I was there,” she said, citing as accomplishments the approval of the major Willow oil project in the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska. Peltola won special and regular elections for the state’s only House seat in 2022 before losing reelection in 2024.
Sullivan also has sought to align Peltola with “Lower 48 liberals” who oppose expanded oil and gas development. Peltola called that claim a diversion from issues such as the war in Iran and high fuel and other costs.
In this photo shot with a smart phone, Democrat Mary Peltola smiles ahead of a debate with Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska's Senate race, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)
In this photo shot with a smart phone, Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan poses ahead of a debate with Democrat Mary Peltola in Alaska's Senate race, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)
Democrat Mary Peltola smiles ahead of a debate with Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan in Alaska's Senate race on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)
Alaska Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan is seen ahead of a debate with Democrat Mary Peltola in Alaska's Senate race on Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)
In this photo shot with a smart phone, supporters of Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democrat Mary Peltola gathered outside the venue where the candidates were set to debate, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026, in Anchorage, Alaska. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)
In this photo taken with a smartphone, Mary Peltola, a Democrat running for U.S. Senate in Alaska, speaks to a reporter at a picketing event for Horizon Air flight attendants Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, in Anchorage, Ala. (AP Photo/Becky Bohrer)
President Donald Trump listens as Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, speaks at a campaign rally at the Curtis D. Menard Memorial Sports Center, Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, in Wasilla, Alaska. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
