Golden Knights overcome Donato's hat trick to beat Blackhawks 5-3 for 5th straight win

CHICAGO (AP) — Pavel Dorofeyev scored a power-play goal with 3:10 left to snap a tie, and the Vegas Golden Knights rallied for their fifth straight win, 5-3 over the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday night.

Victor Olofsson scored twice for the Golden Knights, who overcame the first career hat trick by Chicago's Ryan Donato.

Mark Stone had a goal and an assist, Brett Howden scored an empty-netter and William Karlsson added three assists for Vegas. Adin Hill made 18 saves.

Ilya Mikheyev had two assists and Spencer Knight stopped 17 shots for Chicago, which has lost nine of 10 (1-8-1) and is in last place in the Central Division.

Dorofeyev ripped in his 31st goal on a one-timer from the right circle. The Golden Knights' league-leading power play cashed in on its second chance of the night after Teuvo Teravainen was sent off for hooking.

Donato now has 28 goals to lead Chicago. He has never had more than 16 goals in seven previous NHL seasons.

Donato popped in a rebound to cap a breakaway with 3:45 left in the first period. Stone and Olofsson scored 53 seconds apart in the second to put Vegas ahead 2-1.

Donato tied 2-all with 3:46 left in the second period and completed his hat trick 15 seconds later.

Olofsson clanked in a rising shot off the crossbar 2:06 into the third to tie it at 3.

Golden Knights: Skated without team-leading goal scorer Tomas Hertl (upper body) and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (lower body).

Blackhawks: Came out with energy, but missed on several prime chances.

Hill made a point-blank save on Frank Nazar, who skated in alone with 7:07 left in the third, to keep the game tied.

The Golden Knights, at 44-20-8 and 96 points, moved closer to their fifth division title in eight years.

The Golden Knights skate at Nashville on Saturday. The Blackhawks host Utah on Sunday.

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

Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Spencer Knight looks on as a shot by Vegas Golden Knights left wing Pavel Dorofeyev goes past him during the third period of an NHL hockey game Friday, March 28, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)

Vegas Golden Knights right wing Mark Stone (61) controls the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)

Vegas Golden Knights left wing Brandon Saad (20) and Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) watch the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game Friday, March 28, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (98) dives for the puck during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Vegas Golden Knights, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)

Chicago Blackhawks center Ryan Donato (8) celebrates in the second period after scoring his third goal during an NHL hockey game against the Vegas Golden Knights, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)

Vegas Golden Knights left wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) celebrates with teammates after scoring during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Friday, March 28, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)

Vegas Golden Knights left wing Pavel Dorofeyev (16) controls the puck against Chicago Blackhawks center Philipp Kurashev (23) during the second period of an NHL hockey game Friday, March 28, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)

LONDON (AP) — Britain and Mauritius are finalizing a deal to transfer sovereignty over the Chagos Islands, a disputed U.K. territory that is home to a major U.S. military base, the U.K. government said Tuesday.

The government signaled that President Donald Trump’s administration, which was consulted on the deal, has given its approval and no further action is needed from the U.S.

“We are working with the Mauritian government to finalize and sign the treaty,” said Tom Wells, a spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Starmer. “Once signed it will be laid before both houses of Parliament for scrutiny and for ratification.”

Britain and Mauritius have been negotiating a deal for the U.K. to hand over the Indian Ocean archipelago, which is home to a strategically important naval and bomber base on the largest of the islands, Diego Garcia. The U.K. would then lease back the base for at least 99 years.

But the deal has faced criticism from the opposition Conservative Party and from some allies of Trump. Last year the now-Secretary of State Marco Rubio said it posed “a serious threat” to U.S. national security.

Trump indicated during a visit to Washington by Starmer in February that he would support the deal, saying: “I have a feeling it’s going to work out very well.”

Britain split the islands away from Mauritius, a former British colony, in 1965, three years before Mauritius gained independence, and called the Chagos archipelago the British Indian Ocean Territory.

In the 1960s and 1970s Britain evicted up to 2,000 people from the islands so the U.S. military could build the Diego Garcia base.

Mauritius has long contested Britain’s claim to the archipelago and in recent years the United Nations and its top court have urged Britain to return the Chagos to Mauritius.

Britain agreed to do so in a draft deal in October, but that has been delayed by a change of government in Mauritius and reported quarrels over how much the U.K. should pay for the lease of the Diego Garcia air base.

The Chagos islanders, many of whom relocated to Britain, say they were not consulted over the agreement. Under the draft deal, a resettlement fund would be created to help displaced islanders move back to the islands, apart from Diego Garcia. Details of any such measures remain unclear.

Two Chagossian women are seeking to take the U.K. government to court over the issue. Bernadette Dugasse and Bertrice Pompe, both British citizens, fear it will become even harder to go back to live where they were born once Mauritius takes control of the islands.

FILE - This image released by the U.S. Navy shows an aerial view of Diego Garcia in the Chagos Island group. (U.S. Navy via AP, File)