NHL-best Capitals beat the defending champion Panthers 6-3 for their 4th consecutive win

WASHINGTON (AP) — Tom Wilson scored his 31st goal of the season, Alex Ovechkin had a pair of assists and the Washington Capitals beat the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers 6-3 on Saturday to win their fourth game in a row and pad their lead atop the NHL.

Wilson set up Connor McMichael's opening goal in the first period before scoring his own 7 seconds after the ensuing intermission. Dylan Strome scoring 52 seconds later made it eight goals combined between the teams in the first 21 minutes of a high-event game largely lacking in defense.

Anthony Beauvillier, John Carlson and Andrew Mangiapane also scored for the Capitals, who were the first team in the league to clinch a playoff spot and have won nine of their last 10. Logan Thompson made 33 saves to improve to 31-4-5 in his first season with Washington.

Ovechkin had five shots on net but remained at 888 career goals, seven back of breaking Wayne Gretzky's record.

Sam Bennett, Seth Jones and Jonah Gadjovich scored for the short-handed Panthers, who are without injured winger Matthew Tkachuk and suspended defenseman Aaron Ekblad and are awaiting trade deadline acquisition Brad Marchand to debut. Vitek Vanecek allowed six goals on 31 shots.

Panthers: They missed an opportunity to separate themselves from Toronto in the Atlantic Division. Whoever finishes second has to face Tampa Bay in the first round.

Capitals: With a big lead atop the Eastern Conference, they showed they can win while fiddling around with some things before the playoffs.

Wilson and Strome scoring in the first minute of the second shifted the previously back-and-forth game in the Caps' favor.

Ovechkin has seven assists in six games.

The Panthers host Pittsburgh on Sunday, while the Capitals visit West-leading Winnipeg on Tuesday night in a matchup of the top two teams in the league.

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

Florida Panthers left wing Jonah Gadjovich, right, celebrates after his goal with defenseman Nate Schmidt (88) during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Washington Capitals, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) battles for the puck against Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell (15) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin (8) shoots the puck during the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Capitals left wing Andrew Mangiapane (88) celebrates after his goal during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Capitals left wing Andrew Mangiapane (88) celebrates after his goal as Florida Panthers goaltender Vitek Vanecek, second from right, looks on during the second period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson (43) celebrates his goal with defenseman Martin Fehervary (42) during the second period of an NHL hockey game against the Florida Panthers, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

Washington Capitals left wing Anthony Beauvillier (72) scores past Florida Panthers goaltender Vitek Vanecek, front left, and defenseman Tobias Bjornfot (2) during the first period of an NHL hockey game, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Monday he would be placing a 25% tariff on all imports from any country that buys oil or gas from Venezuela as well as imposing new tariffs on the South American country itself.

In a Truth Social post, Trump said Venezuela has been “very hostile” to the U.S. and countries purchasing oil from it will be forced to pay the tariff on all their trade to the U.S. starting April 2.

Venezuela will face a "Secondary” tariff because it is the home to the gang Tren de Aragua, he said. The Trump administration is deporting immigrants that it claims are members of that gang who illegally crossed into the United States.

Trump's latest tariffs threat suggests the administration will take bolder moves against China, the largest customer for Venezuelan oil. The Trump administration has already levied universal 20% tariffs on imports from China as an effort to crackdown on the illicit trade in fentanyl.

The U.S. president told reporters during a public portion of a Cabinet meeting Monday that the tariffs related to Venezuela were “long in the making,” as he promised forthcoming import taxes on autos and pharmaceutical drugs that he has pledged will lead to more investment and factories inside the United States.

Trump has labeled April 2 as “LIBERATION DAY” based on his still unclear plans to roll out import taxes to match the rates charged by other countries, as well as fully levy 25% tariffs against Mexico and Canada, the two largest U.S. trading partners. The Republican president has also increased his 2018 tariffs on steel and aluminum to 25% for all imports. Trump told reporters on Friday that there would be “flexibility” in his tariffs even as he has opposed granting exemptions to his import taxes.

The U.S. stock market had been climbing on Monday as investors expect the tariffs to be more targeted than they earlier feared. Still, the S&P 500 index is down so far this year out of concerns that a trade war could hinder economic growth and increase inflationary pressures.

Trump said his social media post on Monday would serve as notification of this policy to the Department of Homeland Security and other law enforcement agencies.

The tariffs would most likely add to the taxes facing China, which in 2023 bought 68% of the oil exported by Venezuela, according to a 2024 analysis by the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Spain, Russia, Singapore and Vietnam are also among the countries receiving oil from Venezuela, the report shows. The United States in January imported 8.6 million barrels of oil from Venezuela, according to the Census Bureau.

President Donald Trump waves to the media as he walks on the South Lawn of the White House, in Washington, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)