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Game Preview: 02.22.25 vs. Washington Capitals | Pittsburgh Penguins

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Game Preview: 02.22.25 vs. Washington Capitals | Pittsburgh Penguins


4 NATIONS, FACING OFF

Sidney Crosby captained Canada to the 4 Nations Face-Off championship over Head Coach Mike Sullivan’s Team USA. Crosby recorded five points (1G-4A) in four games, including three assists in the opening game when he was named Player of the Game. His five points were the second most in the entire tournament.

Crosby joined Wayne Gretzky as the second player to captain two championship teams in NHL International Tournament play.

Penguins Rickard Rakell and Erik Karlsson represented Team Sweden and went 1-0-2-0 in three games, just barely missing out on the Championship Game as they tied Team Canada with five points apiece.

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Karlsson recorded a goal and two assists in three games, while Rakell was a plus-1 in two outings. Karlsson’s three points led all Swedish players throughout the tournament.

SID VS. OVI

The 2024-25 season marks the 20th season that generational talents Sidney Crosby and Alex Ovechkin face off. The two have taken part in 71 head-to-head matchups, where Crosby and the Penguins have gone 41-26-4 against Ovechkin and the Capitals. Crosby has 31 goals, 61 assists and 92 points, while Ovechkin has 37 goals, 30 assists and 67 points.

Not only is the Crosby/Ovechkin rivalry one of the NHL’s best, but it’s also the league’s longest-standing rivalry. Crosby and Ovechkin are the only two players in the NHL to play for the same team since the beginning of the 2005-06 season and are two of just five players that are still active that also played in 2005-06 (also Corey Perry, Brent Burns and Ryan Suter).

The 2024-25 season marks the 20th consecutive season that Crosby and Ovechkin have played one another. Only four forward-duos have played against each other in more consecutive campaigns: Ron Francis and Mark Messier (23 seasons), Alex Delvecchio and Doug Mohns (21 seasons), Dean Prentice and Ron Stewart (21 seasons) and Delvecchio and Stewart (21 seasons).

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The two have combined to win four Stanley Cups, five Hart trophies (regular-season MVP) three Art Ross trophies (most points), 11 Rocket Richard trophies (most goals), three Conn Smythe awards (playoff MVP) and six Ted Lindsay awards (most outstanding player) among other awards

CLUB 17

Sidney Crosby is leading the charge for the Penguins with 58 points (17G-41A) on the season. The forward is just two points away from becoming the ninth player in NHL history to have 17 or more 60-point seasons, and only Washington’s Alex Ovechkin (17) has more 60-point seasons than Crosby among active players.

He is heating up with four goals in his last five games. With his next tally, he will tie Bobby Hull (610) for 18th place on the all-time goals list. The forward also has assists in three-straight games (3A) that he’s dressed in, and his 1,045 total career assists are four shy of tying Gordie Howe for 10th place on the all-time assists list.

PENS CLAIM KOLYACHONOK

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On February 9, the Penguins claimed defenseman Vladislav Kolyachonok (koh-lee-ah-CHOHN-ahk) off of waivers from the Utah Hockey Club. The 23-year-old defensemen is signed through the 2025-26 season and has posted five points (2G-3A) in 23 games this season. The native of Minsk, Belarus was originally a second-round pick (52nd overall) of the Florida Panthers in 2019 and has spent the past four seasons between the NHL and AHL.

In 62 career NHL games, he’s recorded 12 points (4G-8A) and one game-winning goal. Kolyachonok also has 150 games at the AHL level split between Tucson and Syracuse, where he’s picked up 48 points (13G-35A) and is plus-12.

CLIMBIN’ AND STREAKIN’

Erik Karlsson is currently on a five-game point streak, registering six points (2G-4A) during this span. His point streak is currently tied for third in the NHL among defensemen behind Vancouver’s Quinn Hughes (8) and Washington’s John Carlson (6).

Karlsson leads all Pittsburgh defensemen and ranks fourth on the team with 38 points (6G-32A). The blueliner sits just two points away from surpassing Tomas Sandstrom for 10th place on the all-time points list among Swedish-born players.

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Only Nicklas Lidstrom (1,142) has more points all-time among Swedish-born defensemen.

D-MEN SHINING FOR NEW CLUB

Matt Grzelcyk continues to show his offensive capabilities since joining the Pittsburgh Penguins as his 28 points (1G-27A) ranks sixth in the league among defensemen who have joined a new club since the start of this 2024-25 season.

500 CLUB

Rickard Rakell has been having a career year with the Penguins, leading the team in goals (25) and ranks second in points (48). Rakell enters tonight’s game just three points away from reaching 500 career NHL points. The forward is looking to become the 12th player from his 2011 draft class to reach 500 points and the third Swede to do it.

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He is two points away from the fourth 50-point season of his career.

QUICK HITS

Pittsburgh’s goaltenders have been consistent as of late, holding their opponents to three goals or fewer in each of the last six outings. In Pittsburgh’s nine games since January 20, the Penguins have allowed only 21 goals against, which is the third fewest in the league in that span.

Michael Bunting has six goals and seven points (6G-1A) in 10 career games against Washington. He has goals in two out of the last three games against them.

Pittsburgh’s penalty kill ranks first in the NHL during the month of February (6-for-6).

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Kris Letang (7G-27A-34PTS) and Erik Karlsson (5G-26A-31PTS) rank first and second in points among active defensemen versus Washington, respectively.

Sidney Crosby has consistently produced points throughout his career against the Capitals. Despite not playing in the same division as Washington until 2013-14, Crosby ranks first in points versus the Capitals among all active players, and is currently seventh all-time. Crosby has recorded 31 multi-point efforts against the Capitals, which is quickly approaching the NHL record.

In 152 career day games, Sidney Crosby has tallied 80 goals, 120 assists and 200 points. His 200 points are the second most in NHL history while his 80 goals are the fifth most.



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Washington

North Dakota National Guard heading to Washington duty

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North Dakota National Guard heading to Washington duty


BISMARCK — About 60 North Dakota Army National Guard Soldiers will be sent to help the District of Columbia National Guard under a joint task force starting in April.

Most soldiers are from the 131st Military Police Battalion, which is headquartered in Bismarck, according to a release.

The support will be given as part of the effort that began on Aug. 11, when several states activated members of their National Guard to support local and federal law enforcement in Washington under the President Donald Trump’s

executive order 14333,

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which declared a crime emergency in the nation’s capital.

The support is a federal mission under the command of the D.C. National Guard, which supports civilian agencies and local law enforcement to reduce crime and minimize property damage.

“Safeguarding the citizens, federal workers and elected leaders in our nation’s capital is a matter of national security, and we appreciate these Soldiers volunteering for this important mission,” said North Dakota Gov. Kelly Armstrong in a release. “We know they will represent our state with the skill and professionalism that military leaders everywhere have come to expect from the North Dakota National Guard.”

The battalion is expected to be in Washington for about three months.

Our newsroom occasionally reports stories under a byline of “staff.” Often, the “staff” byline is used when rewriting basic news briefs that originate from official sources, such as a city press release about a road closure, and which require little or no reporting. At times, this byline is used when a news story includes numerous authors or when the story is formed by aggregating previously reported news from various sources. If outside sources are used, it is noted within the story.

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Brothers shot Park Police officer who arrested one of them the day before, documents say

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Brothers shot Park Police officer who arrested one of them the day before, documents say


Charging documents reveal the U.S. Park Police officer who was shot Monday in Southeast D.C. had arrested one of the suspects the day before and was following that suspect at the time.

The suspects are brothers, 22-year-old Asheile Foster and 21-year-old Darren Foster, of Southeast. They appeared in federal court Wednesday afternoon.

Court documents state the Park Police officer who was shot had arrested Asheile Foster on Sunday on suspicion of dealing drugs. The officer said he followed Foster after he was released from jail on Monday and came to Park Police headquarters to get his personal belongings.

According to prosecutors, Foster told police he knew he was being followed by a white Tesla, and he confronted the officer on Queens Stroll Place SE, jumping out in front of the Tesla before the officer swerved around him.

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Then, dozens of gunshots went off, the officer told police. He said in charging documents he was shot in the shoulder as he kept driving several blocks to the intersection of Benning Road and Southern Avenue SE, where police found him. A helicopter then took him to a hospital. According to charging documents, the officer was treated and released the same night as the shooting.

A U.S. Park Police officer who was shot in Southeast D.C. on Monday is recovering from what authorities say was likely a targeted attack. Multiple law enforcement sources tell News4’s Mark Segraves that when the officer was shot, he was investigating a shooting that occurred in Anacostia Park on Friday.

Photos in the charging documents show the brothers firing at the officer’s Tesla, according to prosecutors.

The shooting drew a massive police presence to the Southeast neighborhood near the D.C-Maryland border Monday night.

Shell casings littered the middle of the street. Police said they recovered two weapons: a Glock 9 with an extended magazine and an AR-15.

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Prosecutors said that when the officer was shot, he was investigating a shooting that occurred in Anacostia Park on Friday. No one was injured in that shooting.

Darren Foster was located and stopped shortly after the shooting, D.C. police said. Asheile Foster was found on Tuesday.

The brothers were charged with assault on a federal officer, assault with intent to kill and weapons charges. They could face up to 60 years in prison if they’re convicted.



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Washington passes new AI laws to crack down on misinformation, protect minors

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Washington passes new AI laws to crack down on misinformation, protect minors


Washington just became the latest state to regulate artificial intelligence.

Under a pair of bills signed by Gov. Bob Ferguson Tuesday, companies like OpenAI and Anthropic will have to include new disclosures in their popular chatbots for Washington users.

Ferguson asked legislators to craft House Bill 1170 to crack down on AI-generated misinformation. When content is substantially modified using generative AI, that information will now have to be traceable using watermarks or metadata. The new law applies to large AI companies more than 1 million monthly subscribers.

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“ I’m confident I’m not the only Washingtonian who often sees something on my phone and wondering to myself, ‘Is that AI or is it real?’ And I feel like I’m a reasonably discerning person,” Ferguson said during the bill signing. “It is virtually impossible these days.”

RELATED: WA Gov. Bob Ferguson calls for regulations on AI chatbot companions

House Bill 2225 establishes new guard rails for AI chatbots that act like friends or companions. It applies to services like ChatGPT and Claude, but excludes more narrowly tailored chatbots, like the customer service windows that pop up when visiting a corporate website.

Chatbots that fit the bill will have to disclose to users that they are not human at the start of every conversation, and every three hours in an ongoing chat. The tools will also be barred from pretending to be human in conversation with users.

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The rules go further if the user is a minor. Companies that operate chatbots will have to disclose that the tools are not human every hour, rather than every three hours, if the user is under 18. The bill forbids AI companions from having sexually explicit conversations with underage users. It also bans “manipulative engagement techniques.” For example, a chatbot is not allowed to guilt or pressure a minor into staying in a conversation or keeping information from parents.

“AI has incredible potential to transform society,” Ferguson said. “At the same time, of course, there are risks that we must mitigate as a state, especially to young people. So I speak partly as a governor, but also as the father of teenage twins who grapple with this as a lot of parents do every single day.”

Under the law, AI chatbots will not be allowed to encourage or provide information on suicide or self-harm, including eating disorders. The companies behind these tools will be required to come up with a protocol for flagging conversations that reference self-harm and connecting users with mental health services.

The regulations come in the wake of several high-profile instances of teenage suicide following prolonged interactions with AI companions that showed warning signs. Many more AI users of all ages have reported mental health issues and psychosis after heavy use of the technology.

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