Evangelista scores 2, Saros gets 200th win as Predators beat Hurricanes 3-1

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Luke Evangelista scored twice, Juuse Saros stopped 34 shots in his 200th career win, and the Nashville Predators beat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1 on Tuesday night.

Michael Bunting also scored for the Predators, who won for just the second time in seven games.

Taylor Hall scored for the Hurricanes, who lost their second straight after an eight-game win streak. Pyotr Kochetkov had 13 saves.

Bunting gave the Predators a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal 5:14 into the game, knocking in a loose puck after Kochetkov stopped Kieffer Bellows' shot from the right point with the puck getting behind the goalie.

Evangelista doubled the lead at 4:01 of the second as he got a long pass from Filip Forsberg, drew Kochetkov out of his net with a pump fake, and then skated to the right and put the puck in the open net.

Hall got the Hurricanes on the scoreboard 2:01 later on a power play as he put a backhander past Saros. Jarvis got his 200th point on the play. It was the fourth straight Carolina goal scored by Hall after he scored the last three in a 5-2 win at Anaheim on Sunday.

Evangelista got his second of the night and ninth of the season with 7:12 to go in the third for a two-goal lead.

Predators: Nashville improved to 2-4-1 in their last seven and avoided elimination from the playoff race.

Hurricanes: Despite the loss, Carolina has a firm grip on second place in the Metropolitan Division, beginning the day 12 points behind first-place Washington and nine up on third-place New Jersey.

Evangelista tipped a shot by Marc Del Galzo past Kochetkov in the third period to push the Predators' lead to 3-1.

Saros got to 200 wins in his 402nd career game, becoming the fifth-fastest Finnish goalie to reach the mark. He trails only Antti Niemi (353), Pekka Rinne (371), Miikka Kiprusoff (374) and Tuukka Rask (385).

Predators host St. Louis on Thursday, and Hurricanes host Montreal on Friday.

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Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros (74) deflects a shot on goal during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

Nashville Predators right wing Luke Evangelista (77) celebrates his goal with teammates during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Toronto Maple Leafs, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Nashville, Tenn. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)

A U.S. passenger flight preparing to leave the nation's capital and an incoming military jet received instructions to divert and prevent a possible collision, officials said.

Delta Air Lines Flight 2983 was cleared for takeoff at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport on Friday around 3:15 p.m., the same time four U.S. Air Force T-38 Talon aircraft were inbound, the Federal Aviation Administration said in a statement.

The jets were heading for a flyover of Arlington National Cemetery when the Delta aircraft received an onboard alert of a nearby aircraft. Air traffic controllers “issued corrective instructions to both aircraft,” according to the FAA, which intends to investigate.

According to a recording of air traffic control communications, Delta's pilot asked, "Was there an actual aircraft about 500 ft below us as we came off of DCA?”

In a recording archived by aviation site LiveATC.net, the controller responded: “Delta 2983, affirmative.”

The Airbus A319 with 131 passengers, two pilots and three flight attendants was embarking on a regularly scheduled flight between Reagan and Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport, Delta Airlines said.

The flight left its gate at 2:55 p.m. and was scheduled to arrive at Minneapolis-St. Paul at 4:36 p.m. local time before the flight crew followed the diversion instructions from the controllers, the airline said.

No injuries were reported.

The Air Force's website describes the T-38 Talon as “a twin-engine, high-altitude, supersonic jet trainer” used by different departments and agencies, including NASA, for various roles including pilot training.

The incident comes just two months after a midair collision above the same airport killed 67 people. The Jan. 29 crash between an American Airlines passenger jet and an Army helicopter was the deadliest U.S. plane crash in more than two decades. Both aircraft plunged into the Potomac River, killing everyone aboard.

Associated Press reporter Julie Walker contributed from New York.

FILE - The air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is pictured, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025, in Arlington, Va. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)