NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Juuse Saros made 23 saves and the Nashville Predators ended NHL-leading Winnipeg's franchise-record winning streak at 11 games, beating the weary Jets 2-1 on Thursday night.
Filip Forsberg and Tommy Novak scored to help Nashville snap a two-game losing streak.
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Winnipeg Jets center Vladislav Namestnikov (7) goes to the ice with Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg (9) defending during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo (2) gets a pass off as Nashville Predators center Gustav Nyquist (14) defends during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Nashville Predators right wing Luke Evangelista (77) passes as Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo (2) defends during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Nashville Predators defenseman Brady Skjei (76) is defended by Winnipeg Jets center Gabriel Vilardi (13) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk (4) is congratulated for his goal against the Nashville Predators during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Nashville Predators defenseman Andreas Englund (8) and Winnipeg Jets center David Gustafsson (19) work for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg (9) is congratulated for his goal against the Winnipeg Jets during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Neal Pionk scored and backup goalie Eric Comrie made 28 saves for the Jets, coming off a 4-1 victory over Ottawa on Wednesday night.
Forsberg opened the scoring at 4:26 of the opening period. Ryan O’Reilly won a faceoff at the left dot and Gustav Nyquist sent a touch pass to Forsberg at the top of the circle, where he snapped a quick wrist shot through traffic past Comrie.
Pionk tied it with 8:55 remaining in the first with a slap shot from the right point that beat Saros high to the far side.
Nashville regained the lead with 4:31 remaining in the first on Novak's power-play goal.
Jets: Playing back-to-back games in Ottawa and Nashville was a tough challenge for the Jets.
Predators: Not much has gone right for Nashville this season, but it did split the season series with the Jets. Each team winning their two home games.
Just before the horn sounded to end the first period, Saros stopped Kyle Connor on a partial breakaway to send Nashville to the intermission with a 2-1 lead.
Winnipeg went 0 for 4 on the power play, including a two-man advantage for 1:54 late in the second period.
Both teams are in action Saturday. The Jets host the Philadelphia, and the Predators are at the New York Islanders.
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Winnipeg Jets center Vladislav Namestnikov (7) goes to the ice with Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg (9) defending during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo (2) gets a pass off as Nashville Predators center Gustav Nyquist (14) defends during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Nashville Predators right wing Luke Evangelista (77) passes as Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo (2) defends during the second period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Nashville Predators defenseman Brady Skjei (76) is defended by Winnipeg Jets center Gabriel Vilardi (13) during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk (4) is congratulated for his goal against the Nashville Predators during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Nashville Predators defenseman Andreas Englund (8) and Winnipeg Jets center David Gustafsson (19) work for the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Nashville Predators left wing Filip Forsberg (9) is congratulated for his goal against the Winnipeg Jets during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, Feb. 27, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/John Amis)
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — A top Russian security official traveled to North Korea on Friday to meet leader Kim Jong Un, after North Korea recently reportedly sent additional troops to Russia to support its war against Ukraine.
A brief dispatch by Russia's state-run news agency Tass reported that Sergey Shoigu, Russia's Security Council secretary, had arrived in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital, and plans to meet top North Korean officials including Kim. It gave no further details including what Shoigu would discuss with Kim.
North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency confirmed the arrival of a Russian delegation led by Shoigu but didn’t provide details on the purpose of their visit.
Shoigu's visit comes after Ukraine and Russia agreed in principle Wednesday to a limited ceasefire after President Donald Trump spoke with the countries’ leaders, though it remained to be seen when it might take effect and what possible targets would be off limits to attack.
North Korea has been supplying a vast amount of conventional weapons to Russia, and last fall it sent about 10,000 to 12,000 troops to Russia as well, according to U.S., South Korean and Ukraine intelligence officials. In late February, South Korea's spy agency said North Korea appeared to have sent additional troops to Russia. South Korean media put the number of newly sent North Korean soldiers at about 1,000 to 3,000.
South Korea, the U.S. and others suspect North Korea is receiving economic and military assistance from Russia in return for providing weapons and troops. Many experts say North Korea will likely ramp up its support of Russia to win as much benefits as possible from Russia before the war ends.
Shoigu's trip could be related to Kim's possible trip to Russia, some observers say. In June 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Pyongyang and signed a major mutual defense treaty with Kim. At the time, Putin invited Kim to visit Moscow.
In 2023, when Shoigu, then a defense minister, traveled to North Korea, Kim gave him a personal tour of a North Korean arms exhibition in what outside critics likened to a sales pitch. In September 2024, Shoigu, then with the new security council post, went to North Korea again for a meeting with Kim, and the two discussed expanding cooperation, according to North Korea’s state media.
Earlier Friday, KCNA said Kim oversaw the test-launches of new anti-aircraft missiles the previous day. It cited Kim as calling the missiles “another major defense weapons system” for North Korea.
The missile launches, North Korea’s sixth weapons testing activity this year, occurred on the same day that the U.S. and South Korean militaries concluded their annual training that North Korea views as an invasion rehearsal. The 11-day Freedom Shield command post exercise was the allies’ first major joint military exercises since the inauguration of President Donald Trump in January, and the two countries held diverse field training exercises alongside the Freedom Shield drills.
North Korea’s Defense Ministry alleged Friday the recent U.S.-South Korean drills involved simulations to destroy underground tunnels in the North to remove its nuclear weapons. An unidentified ministry spokesperson said the U.S. and South Korea would face “the gravest consequences they do not want,” if they perform similar provocative actions again.
North Korea often churns out warlike rhetoric and threats of attacks when the U.S. and South Korea militaries conduct big drills. South Korea's Unification Ministry on Friday warned North Korea not to use its defensive drills with the U.S. as a pretext to launch provocations.
Trump has said he's willing to reach out to Kim to revive their nuclear diplomacy, but North Korea hasn't made any public responses to Trump's overture. Many experts say Kim, now preoccupied with his support of Russia's war efforts against Ukraine, won't likely embrace Trump's outreach anytime soon, but could seriously consider it when the war ends.
Kim and Trump met three times in 2018-19 to discuss North Korea's possible nuclear disarmament, but their diplomacy eventually fell apart due to disputes over U.S.-led economic sanctions on North Korea.
This photo provided by the North Korean government shows Russia's Security Council secretary, Sergey Shoigu, right, who arrived at Pyongyang Airport being greeted by Party Secretary Park Chung-cheon on Friday, March 21, 2025. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
This photo provided by the North Korean government shows Russia's Security Council secretary, Sergey Shoigu, center left, who arrived at Pyongyang Airport being received by Party Secretary Park Chung-cheon, center right on Friday, March 21, 2025. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, its military test-launches a new anti-aircraft missile at an undisclosed location in North Korea, Thursday, March 20, 2025. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
In this photo provided by the North Korean government, its military test-launches a new anti-aircraft missile at an undisclosed location in North Korea, Thursday, March 20, 2025. Independent journalists were not given access to cover the event depicted in this image distributed by the North Korean government. The content of this image is as provided and cannot be independently verified. Korean language watermark on image as provided by source reads: "KCNA" which is the abbreviation for Korean Central News Agency. (Korean Central News Agency/Korea News Service via AP)
U.S. Army soldiers participate in a joint river-crossing exercise between South Korea and the United States as a part of the Freedom Shield military exercise in Yeoncheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
A South Korean army K1E1 tank crosses a floating bridge on the Imjin River during a joint river-crossing exercise between South Korea and the United States as a part of the Freedom Shield military exercise in Yeoncheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
U.S. and South Korean army soldiers participate in a joint river-crossing exercise between South Korea and the United States as a part of the Freedom Shield military exercise on the Imjin River in Yeoncheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
U.S. Army soldiers participate in a joint river-crossing exercise between South Korea and the United States as a part of the Freedom Shield military exercise in Yeoncheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
A South Korean army K1E1 tank crosses a floating bridge on the Imjin River during a joint river-crossing exercise between South Korea and the United States as a part of the Freedom Shield military exercise in Yeoncheon, South Korea, Thursday, March 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)
