Brayden Point reaches 600 career points in Lightning's 4-1 victory over the Bruins

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Brayden Point reached 600 career points with a power-play goal, Andrei Vasilevskiy made 27 saves and the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Boston Bruins 4-1 on Thursday night.

Brandon Hagel had a goal and an assist, Michael Eyssimont and Anthony Cirelli scored goals 5:03 apart in the second period, and Ryan McDonagh had two assists.

Tampa Bay has won back-to-back games after dropping dour in a row. The Lightning moved past the Bruins into third place in the Atlantic Division.

Mason Lohrei scored for Boston, and Jeremy Swayman made 27 saves. The Bruins are 0-5-1 in their last six.

Bruins: Lohrei became the first Boston defenseman to score since Dec. 3. … The Bruins have gone eight games without a power-play goal.

Lightning: Ryan McDonagh got his 400th career point on Cirelli’s short-handed goal. Tampa Bay hass eight short-handed goals this season.

With the second period winding down, Nick Paul bounced a pass off the boards in the neutral zone to Mikey Eyssimont, who skated unchecked into the Boston zone and put a wrist shot from the left faceoff dot past Swayman to make it 2-0.

Tampa Bay is 16-3-1 when scoring four or more goals.

Both teams are back in action Saturday. The Bruins are at Florida, and the Lightning are at New Jersey.

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

Tampa Bay Lightning center Michael Eyssimont (23) celebrates his goal against the Boston Bruins with teammates, including right wing Mitchell Chaffee (41) and defenseman Ryan McDonagh (27) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) works around Boston Bruins left wing Cole Koepke (45) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) stops a shot by Boston Bruins right wing Oliver Wahlstrom (71) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. Defending for the Lightning is right wing Mitchell Chaffee (41) (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Lightning center Michael Eyssimont (23) gets held by Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov (91) as he tries to get a shot on goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Boston Bruins defenseman Andrew Peeke (52) blocks a shot by Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Nick Paul (20) knocks down Boston Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei (6) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Boston Bruins center John Beecher (19) tries to control the puck in front of Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (71) celebrates his goal against the Boston Bruins with left wing Brandon Hagel (38) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Boston Bruins center Charlie Coyle (13) battles with Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Mitchell Chaffee during the third period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Lightning center Brayden Point (21) breaks out ahead of Boston Bruins left wing Brad Marchand (63) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

MANILA, Philippines (AP) — At least 1.8 million mostly barefoot Catholic worshippers marched Thursday in an annual procession in the Philippines that venerates a centuries-old black statue of Jesus. Some said they prayed for good health for their families, an end to tensions in the South China Sea, and for incoming U.S. President Donald Trump to be kinder to Filipino immigrants.

The procession marks the feast of Jesus Nazareno and is a major annual Catholic event in Asia. The image was previously called the Black Nazarene, but church officials appealed for a change, saying the former name was not founded in history and evoked a racial slur.

The procession in Manila began before dawn Thursday, lasting nearly 21 hours as it crawled along the 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) route. The statue was finally brought inside the Minor Basilica and National Shrine of Jesus Nazareno, also known as Quiapo Church, at 1:25 a.m. on Friday.

Brig. Gen. Anthony Aberin, director of the capital region’s police, said the crowd was estimated at around 1.8 million at one point in the afternoon.

Last year, at least 2 million devotees joined the 15-hour procession, with some estimates of the crowd as high as over 6 million.

Reverend Father Robert Arellano, a spokesperson of Quiapo Church, said this year’s procession is slower compared to last year because of an increase in the number of participants and some jostling devotees climbing the glass-covered carriage housing the image.

Shouts of “Viva, viva,” rang out as the image passes by, with devotees clutching at ropes pulling the carriage and raising white towels in jubilation. The procession typically draws massive numbers of largely poor Catholics who pray for the sick and a better life.

Gaspar Espinocilla, a 56-year-old Manila city employee and a devotee of Jesus Nazareno for the last 20 years, said he is praying for his family, including his sister who has ovarian cancer. He is also praying for an end to tensions in the West Philippines Sea, a part of the South China Sea claimed by the Philippines, where China has been harassing Filipino fishermen and coast guard vessels.

“I hope China will ease up on us, they cannot seize everything as theirs,” said Espinocilla, who was wearing a maroon T-shirt printed with the face of Jesus Nazareno. “It is ours, not theirs.”

Renato Reyes, a garbage scavenger who has been a Jesus Nazareno devotee for more than three decades, said he prays for a better life for his family, for the Philippines to be free from calamities, as well as for wars overseas to end. He also said he will include in his prayers Filipinos who may be affected by Trump’s planned mass deportation of illegal immigrants.

“I hope they will not implement that because our countrymen are there just to earn a living for their families,” he added.

Officials said some 14,000 police and plainclothes officers were deployed, along with soldiers, fire fighters, prison staff and volunteers. Many nearby roads were closed and cell phone signals were blocked.

More than a dozen devotees were seen being carried away on stretchers. The Philippine Red Cross said that 467 people were given first aid or other medical assistance for mostly minor complaints like dizziness, difficulty breathing and nausea. At least 15 patients had to be brought to hospital. Police reported 604 people suffering minor injuries as of Thursday afternoon.

The statue of Jesus carrying the cross was brought to the Philippines from Mexico on a galleon in 1606 by Spanish missionaries. The ship that carried it caught fire, but the charred statue survived, according to some accounts. Church historians, however, said the statue’s color owes to the fact that it was carved out of mesquite wood, which darkens as it ages.

Many devotees believe the statue’s endurance, from fires and earthquakes through the centuries and intense bombings during World War II, is a testament to its miraculous power.

Devotees try to climb on a glass-covered carriage carrying the image of Jesus Nazareno during its annual procession in Manila, Philippines Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe)

Devotees try to climb on a glass-covered carriage carrying the image of Jesus Nazareno during its annual procession in Manila, Philippines Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe)

Devotees try to touch the image of Jesus Nazareno inside a glass-covered carriage during its annual procession in Manila, Philippines Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe)

Devotees pull a glass-covered carriage carrying the image of Jesus Nazareno during its annual procession in Manila, Philippines Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe)

Devotees grab the rope as they pull a glass-covered carriage carrying the image of Jesus Nazareno during its annual procession in Manila, Philippines Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe)

Devotees grab the rope as they pull a glass-covered carriage carrying the image of Jesus Nazareno during its annual procession in Manila, Philippines Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe)

Devotees grab the rope as they pull a glass-covered carriage carrying the image of Jesus Nazareno during its annual procession in Manila, Philippines, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe)

Devotees climb on a glass-covered carriage carrying the image of Jesus Nazareno during its annual procession in Manila, Philippines, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe)

Devotees raise their hands as they join the annual procession of Jesus Nazareno in Manila, Philippines, Thursday. Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe)

Devotees raise their hands as they join the annual procession of Jesus Nazareno in Manila, Philippines, Thursday. Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe)

Devotees pull a glass-covered carriage carrying the image of Jesus Nazareno during its annual procession in Manila, Philippines, Thursday. Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe)

Devotees pull a glass-covered carriage carrying the image of Jesus Nazareno during its annual procession in Manila, Philippines, Thursday. Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe)

Devotees pull a glass-covered carriage carrying the image of Jesus Nazareno during its annual procession in Manila, Philippines, Thursday. Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe)

Devotees pull a glass-covered carriage carrying the image of Jesus Nazareno during its annual procession in Manila, Philippines, Thursday. Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Basilio Sepe)