National Hockey

WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin scores 50 goals a season so often the historical significance of it almost gets overlooked.

NASHVILLE — The Nashville Predators have signed defenceman Dante Fabbro to a three-year, entry-level contract. Fabbro collected 33 points and 28 assists as a junior at Boston University this season.

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Darcy Kuemper and Nick Cousins, along with some gritty play from their teammates, gave the Arizona Coyotes a critical victory in their pursuit of a Western Conference wild card.

VANCOUVER — Bo Horvat wants to see his Vancouver Canucks string together three solid periods of hockey. The centre was frustrated after his team dropped their third contest in a row, losing 5-4 to the Anaheim Ducks on Tuesday night.

WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin scored his NHL-leading 49th goal of the season to snap a four-game drought and help Washington beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 on Tuesday night, increasing the Capitals' division lead.

EDMONTON — It took 34 years for the Edmonton Oilers to see two players record hat tricks in the same game again.

MONTREAL — The Montreal Canadiens are hitting their stride when it matters the most.

OTTAWA — There's no denying this has been a difficult season for Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — Sergei Bobrovsky picked up his second consecutive shutout as the Columbus Blue Jackets keep scrapping to get above the Eastern Division wild-card line.

WASHINGTON — Alex Ovechkin heard Capitals fans chanting, "We want 50!" after scoring his 49th goal of the season. "Next game," Ovechkin said.