The Washington Capitals, fresh off their New Year’s Eve victory over the Boston Bruins, will play their first game of 2025. And it will be a tough test.

Tonight the Caps will face a slick-skating Minnesota Wild team that plays excellent on the road. Minnesota leads the league in road wins (13) and road points (29).

They will also face future Hockey Hall of Fame goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury in net for perhaps the final time at Capital One Arena. Alex Ovechkin has lit up Fleury 27 times — the most of all his goalie victims. Also, I will never forget this moment.

Neither Kirill Kaprizov or Wild captain Jared Spurgeon will suit up for the Wild due to injury. Martin Fehervary is in for the Caps after absorbing a high stick from Tom Wilson.

The Capitals-Wild game is airing on Monumental Sports Network. Joe Beninati and a returning Craig Laughlin have the call. Puck drop is shortly after 7:00 pm.

Lines

Washington Capitals

Minnesota Wild

Tunnel shenaigans

1st Period

Puck is dropped.

Huge glove save 21 seconds in by Charlie Lindgren. Wow.

🚨 1-0 Washington Capitals. WSH Goal: Tom Wilson (15). Assists: R. Sandin (12). Time: 10:19.

Sandin’s shot is saved by MAF, but the rebound falls right to Wilson’s skates for an easy put-in.

🚨 1-1 tie. MIN Goal: Ryan Hartman (15). Assists: Z. Bogosian (5), J. Eriksson Ek (11). Time: 11:24.

Hartman with a deflection in front of the net to tie 65 seconds later.

Tom Wilson gets cross-checked into Minnesota’s net. Then Marc-Andre Fleury cross-checks him out of it. Capitals go to the power play!

Oh NoOoOo

🚨 2-1 Minnesota Wild. MIN SHG: Yakov Trenin (3). Unassisted. Time: 19:07.

Poor stickhandling behind the net, Lindgren loses both the puck and his stick and Trenin scores a layup on his backhand.

At intermission: The Capitals are outshooting the Wild 13 to 11 and are out-attempting them 24 to 12 at five-on-five but go into break down 2-1.

2nd Period

Puck is dropped.

Another big early glove save by Lindgren. This time on Frederick Gaudreau 18 seconds in.

Tom Wilson to the box for roughing Brock Faber at 8:43.

Martin Fehervary loses a tooth. He looks like Ovi now. Oh no. Marat Khusnutdinov to the box for High-sticking – it’s a double minor.

🚨 2-2 tie. WSH PPG: Alex Ovechkin (18). Assists: D. Strome (30). Time: 15:08.

Alex Ovechkin scores again on Marc-Andre Fleury for 871st career goal, now 23 away from Wayne Gretzky’s all-time record

Ovi’s 871st career goal and 28th against MAF. 23 away from Gretzky.

At intermission: The game is tied 2-2. The Capitals are outshooting the Wild 21 to 18.

3rd Period

Puck is dropped.

Both teams are going hard for the next goal.

🚨 3-2 Washington Capitals. WSH Goal: Martin Fehervary (1). Assists: P. Dubois (24). Time: 05:34.

With Fleury bowled over by his own man, a missing-tooth’d Fehervary hits the back of the net for the first time this season. Huge goal.

Caps to the penalty kill after Nic Dowd takes an interference penalty on Mats Zuccarello at 6:20.

Penalty killed.

A Tom Wilson goal is taken off the board due to a high stick.

OH NO.

Seconds later…

🚨 3-3 tie. MIN Goal: Marco Rossi (15). Assists: R. Hartman (5), J. Brodin (10). Time: 11:19.

Rossi with a great redirect, then captures the rebound and scores.

Jakob Chychrun beats Fleury but hits the post with around three minutes remaining in the game.

Tom Wilson just misses scoring again after a great feed by PLD. The puck rolled on Wilson.

Capitals and Wild end regulation tied 3-3. To overtime we go. The Wild outshot the Capitals 32-31.

Overtime

Puck is dropped.

Matt Boldy in a foot race… and he hits the post!

John Carlson stopped at the last second by MAF after a huge rush of speed.

Shootout

This is the Capitals’ first shootout of the season.

❌ Dylan Strome is stopped by MAF.
❌ Mats Zuccarello is stopped by Lindgren.
❌ Pierre-Luc Dubois is stopped by MAF
✅ Matt Boldy beats Lindgren with a shot to the top corner past Lindgren’s glove.
❌ Alex Ovechkin is stopped by MAF.

Minnesota Wild win 4-3 (SO).

Skills competition sees Washington fall on home ice: Wild beat Capitals 4-3 (SO)

Comment below. Refresh for live updates during the game. The thread will be closed shortly after the game is completed.

The Jackson Hole Chamber of Commerce isn’t reacting yet to a second election of President-elect Donald Trump.

Rick Howe runs the chamber and told Jackson Hole Community Radio in December that three chamber businesses had reached out to him with immigration-related concerns. Howe does not soon anticipate the chamber taking a stance on immigration policies. But he said his policy teams are preparing to discuss changes as they come, such as mass deportations.

“We want to make sure that we have access to the workers that we need as a community to help us continue to do what we do on a daily basis,” Howe said. “Economic viability is key for us.”

He said he doesn’t have up-to-date data on the community’s number of working immigrants — documented or otherwise. But he said immigrants mostly work in the tourism and service industries, Teton County’s economic engine.

For Teton County and surrounding communities, how many immigrants would be targeted in a second Trump administration is still unknown.

But as Trump prepares to return to the White House, the question of how many will be impacted by his policies has become increasingly relevant for immigrants from many walks of life.

Trump’s administration promises the largest mass deportation in the country’s history, after the Biden administration’s deportations already hit a 10-year high. As summarized by the Niskanen Center, a potential policy playbook for the second Trump term, Project 2025, proposes cutting protections for holders of Temporary Protected Status, young adults known as Dreamers, more than 175,000 Ukrainians, in addition to restrictions for H-2A and H-2B temporary worker visas.

For unauthorized immigrants and migrants, part of what makes the population hard to track is obvious: They aren’t documented in the U.S. census. The census doesn’t separate documented and undocumented residents — it just totals.

University of Wyoming Professor Roger Coupal researches the economics of community developments across the state, with a focus on the agricultural sector. He has some rough estimates, putting the state’s number of undocumented migrants at 5,000.

Teton County, according to the U.S. census, is home to 2,900 residents born outside the U.S., or 12.5% of the county’s population. Just under a third have become naturalized citizens, according to the state’s Chief Economist Wenlin Liu.

Coupal noted that many who come to the U.S. are fleeing “extreme situations” when they come to Jackson in search of work or safer living conditions. As more immigrants settle and become part of the community and economy, many ski towns in the West, including Jackson Hole,could be devastated by mass deportations, he added.

Until new policies or deportation practices exist, though, Howe said his organization would be proactive. It’s a lot of “wait and see” until January, he said.

Howe envisions the chamber’s role as a source of information and connection.

He mentioned other nonprofits like Voices JH and One22, with whom the chamber could facilitate conversations, correct misinformation and be a source to which individuals and businesses alike can turn.

To start, the chamber is planning a Feb. 6 “Business Over Breakfast,” a monthly networking event for members, to address questions businesses may have a few weeks into Trump’s second administration.

Coupal said a loss of migrant workers and Trump’s impending tariffs could thrust the country into a recession.

“You could see a reduction in output on the industry side because we don’t have workers,” Coupal said.

There’s no research, he said, that supports Trump’s previous claims that immigrants hurt the economy.

A recent report by the American Immigration Council said mass deportation would cost the U.S. $315 billion initially, with long-term costs potentially tripling.

Jeremy Robbins, executive director of the American Immigration Council, said in a recent press release that mass deportation would come at an “extraordinary cost” to the government while hindering the economy. He warned of “tens of billions of tax-payer dollars lost, already-strained industries devastated, millions of people locked up in detention, and thousands of families torn apart.”

The study also indicates that national GDP could shrink 4.2% to 6.8%. For comparison, the economy decreased by 4.3% during the 2007 to 2009 recession, according to the study.

“We’re making the assumption that somehow Americans are going to replace all these people,” Coupal said, “and they won’t.”

Every state has perplexing laws on the books, including Nevada. 

With the world-renowned casinos and hotels of the Las Vegas Strip, it comes as no surprise that some of the state’s strangest laws revolve around gambling. 

Read on about unusual laws in the Silver State.

STRANGE LAWS IN NEW MEXICO, INCLUDING TROUBLE FOR TRIPPING A HORSE 

1. No state lotteries
2. Prohibited to pawn property from someone intoxicated
3. Avoid swearing on the strip
4. You can’t hula hoop on Fremont Street
5. Rules of the road for funeral processions

1. No state lotteries

There are five states that don’t participate in state lotteries, and Nevada is one of them. 

The other states that don’t take part in the drawings are Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii and Utah. 

While you won’t be able to buy Powerball or Mega Millions tickets in Nevada, there are plenty of other ways to gamble in the Silver State. 

Nevada may not have state lotteries, but there are plenty of other ways to test your luck. (iStock)

WEIRD LAWS IN MASSACHUSETTS INCLUDING A $20 FINE, POSSIBLE JAIL TIME FOR FRIGHTENING A PIGEON

2. Prohibited to pawn property from someone intoxicated

Nevada is home to many pawn shops, with plenty of rules and regulations regarding sales. 

One law regards buying property from someone who is under the influence. 

According to Nevada Statute § 646.060, “a pawnbroker, and a clerk, agent or employee of a pawnbroker” cannot receive “property from a person under the age of 18 years, common drunkard, habitual user of controlled substances, habitual criminal, habitual felon, habitually fraudulent felon, person in an intoxicated condition, known thief or receiver of stolen property, or known associate of a thief or receiver of stolen property, whether the person is acting in his or her own behalf or as the agent of another.”

Those who break this law are guilty of a misdemeanor. 

3. Avoid swearing on the Strip

The Las Vegas Strip is full of delectable dining, plentiful shops, world-renowned entertainment, lavish hotels and casinos, and sometimes, foul language. 

City municipal ordinance 10.40.030 covers swearing while in the area. 

“The use of profane, vile or obscene language or words upon the public streets, alleys, or highway of the City is prohibited,” according to the law.  

Las Vegas technically has a law against swearing, though it is not one that’s enforced. (Joe Sohm/Visions of America/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

WEIRD LAWS IN COLORADO, INCLUDING ONE AGAINST THROWING SNOWBALLS

If you do let a swear slip on the Strip, don’t worry. This law is not commonly enforced. 

4. You can’t hula-hoop on Fremont Street

On the historic Fremont Street in Las Vegas, there is plenty to do to keep you entertained late into the night, and also restrictions that may surprise you.

Don’t expect a hula-hooping contest on Fremont Street, as the recreational activity is one of many banned in the area.  

“The use of unicycles, bicycles and other types of cycles, skateboards, roller skates, in-line skates, hula hoops larger than four feet in diameter, and shopping carts, except as authorized by The Fremont Street Experience Limited Liability Company in connection with special events and mall entertainment,” according to Section 11.68.100 the Las Vegas Code of Ordinances. 

Hula-hooping is one of the many recreational activities not allowed by law on Fremont Street. (iStock)

5. Rules of the road for funeral processions

Nevada has a detailed section in state law regarding funeral processions. 

The “Rules of the Road” section of the state’s law covers rights that are granted to an individual driving an emergency vehicle, leading a funeral procession or driving a regulatory agency vehicle.

Included in this law is the right to run red lights after slowing down when necessary and exceeding the posted speed by 15 mph “to overtake the procession and direct traffic at the next intersection.” 

Additionally, those leading funeral processions or driving vehicles mentioned above can “disregard regulations governing direction of movement or turning in specified directions. The driver of a vehicle escorting a funeral procession may direct the movements of the vehicles in the procession in a similar manner and may direct the movements of other vehicles.”