Nashville, TN (SportsNetwork. Indiana Pacers Pro Shop .com) - Barry Trotz received a warm welcome back from the Bridgestone Arena crowd in his return to Nashville. His former team didnt quite return the generosity, however. James Neal scored his second goal of the night with 1:40 remaining, capping a furious late comeback from the Predators that produced a 4-3 triumph over Trotzs Washington Capitals. Nashville overcame a 3-2 deficit by scoring twice in the final 4 1/2 minutes, with Mattias Ekholm netting the equalizer on a power play to help the Predators to their first five-game win streak in three years. I felt like we stuck with it throughout the night, Neal said. We responded every time we gave something up. I loved the way the guys battled back at the end. Trotz was behind the bench for that run, as well as many others while serving as the Predators head coach for the franchises first 15 seasons of existence. That tenure came to an end when he was fired at the conclusion of the 2013-14 campaign, shortly before taking over in Washington. Seth Jones added a goal and an assist for Nashville, while Carter Hutton came up with 31 saves in his first start since the Predators announced standout goaltender Pekka Rinne would miss 3-to-5 weeks with a sprained knee. Alex Ovechkin notched a pair of goals in the loss, which halted a stretch of 10 straight games of recording at least one point for the Caps. Braden Holtby finished with 26 saves. We wanted to win for (Trotz), Ovechkin said. We had the lead, but didnt finish it up. Marcus Johanssons power-play tally 2:38 into the third period gave Washington a 3-2 edge, but a costly tripping penalty to Capitals defenseman John Carlson with 5:14 remaining enabled Nashville to draw back even. Ekholm fired a wrister past Holtbys glove hand on the resulting 5-on-4 to even the contest, and Neal made Washington pay for a defensive miscue in its own end less than three minutes later. Neal intercepted a clearing attempt by the Caps Matt Niskanen before slipping the puck between Holtbys pads while in all alone for the eventual game- winner. Trotz took several bows to the home crowd after receiving a standing ovation as a video tribute aired during the games first timeout, though his new team trailed 2-0 early in the second period before battling back to take the lead. Jones registered the games first goal with a long wrist shot that got through traffic with 3:44 left in the opening period, and Neal made it a 2-0 Nashville lead just 1:50 into the second. The Predators Victor Bartley threw the puck toward the Washington net to set up the second goal, with Mike Fisher steering the pass right to an uncovered Neal for a tap-in into an open right side. Ovechkin quickly brought the Capitals back, however, by scoring twice within a span of just over 2 1/2 minutes later in the period. The star sniper rifled in a bad-angle attempt from the left of the Nashville net off a Karl Alzner give with 3:46 elapsed in the second. Ovechkin struck again 6:18 in with Ekholm in the box for a tripping call, one-timing a feed from Mike Green past Hutton to knot the score at 2-2. Game Notes Washington had gone 7-0-2 over its previous nine games, while Nashville improved to 8-0-2 in its last 10 ... Nashvilles last five-game win streak took place from Jan. 19-31, 2012 ... The Predators set a new franchise record by recording their 30th win in their 43rd game of the season, bettering the mark of 44 games set by Trotzs 2006-07 squad ... Ovechkin has scored eight goals in his last nine outings ... Green finished with two assists ... Washington went 2-of-3 on the power play while the Preds ended 1-of-4. Indiana Pacers Gear . The team announced that it exercised the options on 15 players including goalkeepers Evan Bush, Maxime Crepeau and Troy Perkins, defenders Matteo Ferrari, Karl W. Pacers Jerseys 2020 . Karlovic of Croatia used his big serve to beat Jiri Vesely of the Czech Republic 7-6 (6), 7-6 (7). Kohlschreiber had lost all of his three previous matches against Istomin but the German broke serve for a decisive 3-2 lead in the third set and held on to reach his first final of the year. https://www.cheappacers.com/ . The former Edmonton Oilers defenceman was with the St. Louis Blues in training camp on a professional tryout. Whitney, 30, had four goals and 13 points in 34 games with the Oilers last season.SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. - For all his birdies Saturday, two big pars kept Martin Laird in control at the Phoenix Open.Laird made 10-footers for par on the 16th and 18th holes and had a 3-under 68, giving him a three-shot lead going into the final round over a new pair of the next generation.Hideki Matsuyama, the 22-year-old from Japan who already has seven worldwide victories, roared into contention with birdies on his last four holes for an 8-under 63, the low round of the tournament. Brooks Koepka, a 24-year-old who travelled the world to get back home to America, finally found some fairways and used his power to shoot 64. They were tied for second with Zach Johnson, who had a 67.Laird, a 32-year-old Scot who has lived in Scottsdale the last 14 years, was at 13-under 200 as he goes for his fourth PGA Tour victory.Among the 15 players within five shots of the lead was Francesco Molinari of Italy, who made a hole-in-one before more than 15,000 rowdy fans on the par-3 16th hole. It was the first ace in the notorious arena on Saturday — the biggest day at the Phoenix Open — since Tiger Woods in 1997.Perhaps the biggest surprise was Jon Rahm of Spain, a junior at Arizona State playing this week on a sponsors exemption. He got the gallery on his side early, especially by wearing a Sun Devils jersey when he teed off on the 16th, and shot 66. Rahm was at 9-under 204, along with Ryan Palmer (68) and 21-year-old Justin Thomas, who had four birdies over his last six holes to salvage a 69. Indiana Pacers Store. COATES GOLF CLASSICOCALA, Fla. (AP) — With a notable double prize not only within reach, but practically in her grip, teen star Lydia Ko had to settle for half of the spoils.Though the 17-year-old New Zealander blew a late lead in the LPGA Tours season-opening Coates Golf Classic to finish a shot behind Na Yeon Choi, she became the youngest player of either gender to reach No. 1 in the world ranking.Ko, four strokes ahead on the front nine, double-bogeyed the 17th hole during a wild closing stretch, but still eclipsed Tiger Woods mark as the youngest to reach the games apex. Woods was 21 years, 5 months, 16 days when he reached the top in 1997. Ko did it at 17 years, 9 months, 7 days.Choi shot a 4-under 68 to finish at 16 under. Ko had a 71 to tie for second with Jessica Korda (66) and Ha Na Jang (70).DUBAI DESERT CLASSICDUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Rory McIlroy shot a 6-under 66 to extend his lead to four strokes with a round left in the Dubai Desert Classic on Saturday.The top-ranked McIlroy, a stroke ahead after the second round, had a 20-under 196 total on Emirates Golf Clubs Majlis Course. Denmarks Morten Orum Madsen was second after a 66, and Englands Lee Westwood was third at 14 under after a 69. ' ' '