Ovechkin scores league-leading 50th goal

Alex Ovechkin scored his NHL-leading 50th goal to become Washington’s first three-time 50-goal scorer, and defenseman Mike Green had two goals in the Capitals’ 5-2 victory over Tampa Bay on Thursday night.

After the first-period goal, Ovechkin followed through with a plan to put his stick on the ice and pretend to warm his hands over it.

“I think he’s a terrific player. He went down a notch in my books after that,” Lightning interim coach Rick Tocchet said. “It’s not something I like. It’s hard for me to accept, to see something like that in our building.”

The 23-year-old Russian has 213 goals in 315 career regular-season games. He had 52 goals as a rookie in 2005-06, 46 in 2006-07 and 65 last season.

Kings get Bruins in OT: Dustin Brown scored with 34 seconds left in overtime to give Los Angeles a 3-2 come-from-behind win over host Boston.

Brown converted a rebound of Sean O’Donnell’s shot for his 24th goal, capping a comeback from a 2-0 deficit midway through the third period.

Canadiens in free fall: In Ottawa, Jason Spezza scored goals 52 seconds apart late in the first period, and Daniel Alfredsson added a goal and an assist as Ottawa defeated Montreal 5-4.

The Canadiens, tied for seventh place in the tight race for the final Eastern Conference playoff spots, have lost four in a row to drop to 1-2-2 since general manager Bob Gainey took over as coach after firing Guy Carbonneau.

Ducks stay alive: Bobby Ryan knocked in the deciding goal in a shootout and Anaheim stayed in the thick of the Western Conference playoff race with a 3-2 victory over host Phoenix. The Ducks climbed into a tie with idle Dallas and Minnesota for ninth place with 74 points. The top eight teams make the playoffs.

NBA

James trips Blazers

LeBron James had 26 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists for his 24th career triple-double, leading Cleveland to a 97-92 overtime win over Portland.

Cleveland committed only two turnovers, tying an NBA record, while setting a franchise record and marking the lowest total in the NBA this season.

James scored six points in the overtime period, with his driving basket in the lane after the Cavaliers won the jump ball putting them ahead for good. Zydrunas Ilgauskas added a free throw and a basket, giving the Cavaliers a 91-86 lead with 3:15 left. James hit two more baskets as the Cavaliers outscored Portland 11-6 in the extra session.

Brandon Roy led the Trail Blazers with 24 points. LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum, Portland’s starting forwards, missed the game because of injuries. Both players were injured in the fourth quarter of Wednesday night’s 95-85 win over Indiana.

Hawks win seventh straight: Joe Johnson scored 24 points, and reserve Flip Murray had 19 in the Atlanta Hawks’ seventh straight victory, 95-87 over visiting Dallas. The Hawks moved four games ahead of fifth-place Miami in the Eastern Conference standings. Dallas is 31/2 ahead of Phoenix for the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Rivers fined for rant: Boston coach Doc Rivers has been fined $25,000 by the NBA for criticizing a referee earlier in the week. He was irate following the Celtics’ 127-121 loss at Chicago on Tuesday night after he got whistled for his second technical foul in the final minute. That led to an automatic ejection and a rant against referee Bill Kennedy, who was also fined an undisclosed amount.

Wrestling

Iowa schools tied

Iowa State and defending champion Iowa were tied for the lead at the NCAA wrestling championships, both with 30 points, after the first day of the three-day meet. The unbeaten Hawkeyes sent six of nine qualifiers to the quarterfinals with much better seeds than Iowa State, which had five qualifiers.

Ohio State (30) was third, followed by Nebraska (24) and Edinboro (22.5). Rounding out the top 10 were Boise State (22), Illinois (20.5), Hofstra (20), Cornell (18.5) and Missouri and Penn State (18).

Golf

Furyk leads PGA

Jim Furyk made two long birdie putts and was equally thrilled with a 10-foot par save on his final hole, which gave him a 6-under-par 65 in the Transitions Championship at Palm Harbor, Fla. It was the first time he has held the outright lead since his last PGA Tour victory 20 months ago.

Stephen Ames was one shot behind after a 66 on a Copperhead Course that was demanding as ever, but one he enjoys far more than the Blue Monster last week at Doral that favors the big hitters.

Baseball

Prosecutor backs Tejada

A federal prosecutor recommended that All-Star shortstop Miguel Tejada get probation and no prison time for misleading Congress about the use of performance-enhancing drugs.

U.S. attorney Jeffrey Taylor said in a memo to Federal Magistrate Judge Alan Kay that Tejada deserves that reduced sentence because he has admitted wrongdoing, accepted responsibility and has no criminal record. Tejada is to be sentenced March 26.

Tejada is the 2002 American League MVP with the Oakland Athletics and a five-time All-Star who now plays for the Houston Astros.

Marlins’ park approved: Miami City Commissioners approved a plan to build a $639 million Florida Marlins ballpark, nudging the long-debated stadium one step closer to reality.

With a 3-2 vote, the commission approved the 37,000-seat stadium on the site of the demolished Orange Bowl.

NFL

Saints cut McKenzie

The New Orleans Saints have cut cornerback Mike McKenzie. The 32-year-old McKenzie played five seasons with the Saints after the team acquired him in a 2004 trade with Green Bay. The 11-year veteran started 62 of 63 games, with 225 tackles (167 solo), 58 passes defensed, 12 interceptions and one forced fumble.

The past two seasons were tough for McKenzie, who suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in the last game of the 2007 season against Philadelphia. He returned for the 2008 season, playing seven games, before suffering a fractured right patella while making a tackle in November against the Atlanta Falcons.