Brandon Saad breaks tie early in the 3rd in the Golden Knights' 3-1 victory over the Canucks

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Brandon Saad scored off a rebound from the left circle 18 seconds into the third period to put Vegas ahead for good and the Golden Knights extended their winning streak to three games with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.

Vegas took sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division, moving two points ahead of the Edmonton Oilers. The Canucks' three-game winning streak ended.

It was Saad's second goal in five games since joining the Golden Knights. He had three goals in 29 games with the St. Louis Blues.

Ivan Barbashev scored his first goal since Dec. 14, Tomas Hertl also had a goal, and Brett Howden had two assists. Adin Hill made 32 saves.

Jake DeBrusk scored for Vancouver. Kevin Lankinen stopped 32 shots.

Canucks top-line center Elias Pettersson played after suffering an undisclosed injury while playing for Sweden in the 4 Nations Face-Off, but was on the ice for just 9:32 and did not have a shot. Quinn Hughes, who leads the Canucks with 59 points, missed his fifth game in a row with an undisclosed injury.

Canucks: Lankinen, who signed a five-year extension Friday with an average annual value worth $4.5 million, kept the Canucks in the game while facing 16 high-danger chances.

Golden Knights: Vegas is generating plenty of chances. This was the Golden Knights' fifth consecutive game with at least 34 shots on goal.

Hill made four saves — two without his stick — on one possession midway through the third period to keep the Golden Knights ahead by a goal.

DeBrusk's first-period goal was his 300th career point.

The Canucks play at Utah on Sunday night. The Golden Knights are at Los Angeles on Monday night.

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Kaedan Korczak (6) checks Vancouver Canucks left wing Drew O'Connor (18) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Filip Hronek (17) passes past Vegas Golden Knights right wing Victor Olofsson (95) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) blocks a shot beside Vancouver Canucks left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Victor Olofsson (95) looks to shoot against Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (32) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Victor Olofsson (95) skates around Vancouver Canucks left wing Jake DeBrusk (74) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (32) blocks a shot by the Vegas Golden Knights during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights center Ivan Barbashev (49) celebrates after scoring against the Vancouver Canucks during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights center Ivan Barbashev (49) scores past Vancouver Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen (32) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights left wing Brandon Saad (20) celebrates after scoring against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights left wing Brandon Saad, left, celebrates after scoring against the Vancouver Canucks during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights and Vancouver Canucks players scuffle during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vancouver Canucks right wing Conor Garland (8) attempts a shot on Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill (33) during the third period of an NHL hockey game Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Vegas Golden Knights left wing Brandon Saad (20) and goaltender Adin Hill (33) celebrate after their team defeated the Vancouver Canucks in an NHL hockey game Saturday, Feb. 22, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

ANTALYA, Turkey (AP) — NATO foreign ministers on Thursday debated an American demand to massively ramp up defense investment to 5% of gross domestic product over the next 7 years, as the U.S. focuses on security challenges outside of Europe.

At talks in Antalya, Turkey, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte said that more investment and military equipment are needed to deal with the threat posed by Russia and terrorism, but also by China which has become the focus of U.S. concern.

“When it comes to the core defense spending, we need to do much, much more,” Rutte told reporters. He underlined that once the war in Ukraine is over, Russia could reconstitute its armed forces within 3-5 years.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio underlined that “the alliance is only as strong as its weakest link.” He insisted that the U.S. investment demand is about “spending money on the capabilities that are needed for the threats of the 21st century.”

The debate on defense spending is heating up ahead of a summit of U.S. President Donald Trump and his NATO counterparts in the Netherlands on June 24-25. It's a high-level gathering that will set the course for future European security, including that of Ukraine.

In 2023, as Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine entered its second year, NATO leaders agreed to spend at least 2% of GDP on national defense budgets. So far, 22 of the 32 member countries have done so.

The new spending plan under consideration is for all allies to aim for 3.5% of GDP on their defense budgets by 2032, plus an extra 1.5% on potentially defense-related things like infrastructure — roads, bridges, air- and sea ports.

While the two figures add up to 5%, factoring in infrastructure and cybersecurity would change the basis on which NATO traditionally calculates defense spending. The seven-year time frame is also short by the alliance’s usual standards.

Rutte refused to confirm the numbers under consideration, but he acknowledged that it's important to include infrastructure in the equation, “for example to make sure that bridges, yes, are there for you and me to drive our cars but also if necessary to make sure that the bridge will hold a tank. So all these expenditures have to be taken into account.”

It’s difficult to see how many members would reach a new 3.5% goal. Belgium, Canada, Croatia, Italy, Luxembourg, Montenegro, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain are not even spending 2% yet, although Spain does expect to reach that goal in 2025, a year past the deadline.

The U.S. demand would require investment at an unprecedented scale, but Trump has cast doubt over whether the U.S. would defend allies that spend too little, and this remains an incentive to do more, even as European allies realize that they must match the threat posed by Russia.

“There is a lot at stake for us,” Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said. He urged his NATO partners to meet the investment goals faster than the 2032 target "because we see the tempo and the speed, how Russia generates its forces now as we speak.”

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy said his country should reach 2.5% by 2027, and then 3% by the next U.K. elections planned for 2029.

“It’s hugely important that we recommit to Europe’s defense and that we step up alongside our U.S. partners in this challenging geopolitical moment where there are so many precious across the world, and particularly in the Indo-Pacific,” he said.

As an organization, NATO plays no direct security role in Asia, and it remains unclear what demands the Trump administration might make of the allies as it turns its attention to China. The last NATO security operation outside the Euro-Atlantic area, its 18-year stay in Afghanistan, ended in chaos.

Cook reported from Brussels, and Fraser from Ankara, Turkey.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte talks to journalists as he arrives for a NATO's informal meeting of foreign ministers in Antalya, southern Turkey, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

British Foreign Secretary David Lammy talks to journalists as he arrives for a NATO's informal meeting of foreign ministers in Antalya, southern Turkey, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

NATO foreign ministers pose for a group photo during their informal meeting in Antalya, southern Turkey, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Turkey's Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan talks to journalists as he arrives for a NATO's informal meeting of foreign ministers in Antalya, southern Turkey, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, right, talks to British Foreign Secretary David Lammy during an informal meeting of NATO's foreign ministers in Antalya, southern Turkey, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte talks to journalists as he arrives for NATO's informal meeting of foreign ministers in Antalya, southern Turkey, Thursday, May 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Khalil Hamra)

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a joint press statement with Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio departs a lunch between President Donald Trump and Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani at the Amiri Diwan in Doha, Qatar, Wednesday, May 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)