In addition to the reporters who regularly cover the Washington Capitals and Minnesota Wild, the media scrum surrounding star goal-scorer Alex Ovechkin had an extra layer on Thursday morning at Xcel Energy Center.

In the last day or two, Capitals media relations officials have welcomed national reporters from ESPN, NHL.com, Canadian television network Sports Net and elsewhere, and they expect more to join the throng in the coming days as Ovechkin’s pursuit of the game’s all-time goals record gets down to numbers that can be counted on one hand.

Ovechkin, who needed six goals to tie Wayne Gretzky as he prepped for Thursday’s game in Minnesota, joked that the questions and the media hype started to get old about two years ago.

“You just get used to it,” he said.

Some players pursue milestones late in their careers when their effectiveness has waned and their teams are well out of the playoff race. That’s far from the case for Ovechkin, the on-ice leader for the top team in the NHL, with solid designs on bringing the Stanley Cup to the nation’s capital for the second time in a decade.

Add a crush of national media to a team that is already getting lots of attention, and it could get to be too much for some players. But the Capitals are enjoying the ride on the Ovechkin hype train.

“It’s been really fun to be a part of for sure. Obviously what he’s done this year has been absolutely insane,” said Charlie Lindgren, the former Lakeville North and St. Cloud State goalie that has made 31 appearances in the Washington crease this season. “Just his production and the way he’s scoring goals. … He’s just scoring at an elite clip and it just shows what a special player he is.”

Kaprizov and Eriksson Ek resume skating

A few hours before the Wild took to the TRIA Rink ice for their morning skate, injured forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek were out there with a skating instructor, taking their official first strides on the road to returning to the Wild lineup — although Wild coach John Hynes acknowledged that they had both been on the ice before Thursday, doing what he termed “rehab skates” without pucks.

Both players will accompany the Wild on the team’s three-game trip to New York City next week, and while their return to the lineup would have all of the hype and drama of a Broadway premiere, Hynes said it won’t happen that soon, classifying both players as week to week.

The regular season ends April 15 against Anaheim at Xcel Energy Center.

“Kirill is going to go back and see his doctor. Ekky’s gonna come (on the trip) but they will not play,” Hynes said. “When I (say) ‘week to week,’ and I’ll be up front with you guys if it looks like they’re progressing to go, this is truly the first step of getting back on. It’s nothing imminent.”

Ovechkin acknowledged being disappointed that Kaprizov has been injured for the two head-to-head meetings between the Wild and Capitals this season.

“He’s a tough player, obviously, when he’s healthy,” Ovechkin said. “It’s always fun to watch highlights on him. He’s great.”

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By JESSICA DAMIANO, Associated Press

Most houseplants are tropical plants that require the warm, somewhat humid conditions of their natural habitat. In the home, many can become tired-looking, especially over winter, when even your brightest window provides lower-than-ideal light levels.

So why not send your houseplants on a vacation from which they’ll return re-energized, invigorated and having grown like, well, a weed?

First, slip plants out of their pots to ensure their roots aren’t crowded. If they are, loosen them gently and replant them in a container exactly 2 inches larger (no more, no less), then make a game plan.

Make sure the weather is right

Just as you might avoid visiting certain areas during extreme seasonal weather events, your plants’ summer vacation plans should also be carefully timed. Jumping the gun, such as setting them out on the first warm spring day, could be injurious or even fatal. Some tropical plants can suffer severe damage when temperatures drop to just 45 degrees Fahrenheit.

This July 5, 2020, image provided by Kelly Jo Sandri shows a large tractor seat plant, several Pepperomia and fern species, a Bromeliad and a Tradescantia houseplant displayed outdoors on shelves in Blue Springs, Mo. (Kelly Jo Sandri via AP)

Wait until nighttime temperatures remain reliably above 60 degrees, then harden plants off by placing them in a shady outdoor spot (to avoid sunburn) for an hour or two. Then bring them back indoors. Repeat this daily over the course of a week, increasing their outdoor exposure by one hour each day. At the end of the week, they should be well acclimated to the stronger light, longer days and the wind of the great outdoors, where they can spend the summer.

Growing plants need nutrients

While on vacation outdoors, your plants will benefit from natural sunlight, rain showers that will cleanse their leaves and provide hydration, and breezes that will train them to stand stronger. They’ll also likely grow with reckless abandon.

This June 2020, image provided by Stacy Meli shows Ficus elastica, Strelitzia nicolai (white bird of paradise), Schlefflera, Ficus tineke and Caladium ‘Miss Muffet’ among houseplants spending the summer outdoors in the Gravesend section of the Brooklyn borough of New York. (Stacy Meli via AP)

All this added vigor means they’ll require the nutrients of a growing teenager. Apply a slow-release fertilizer according to package directions or a fast-release product diluted to half strength once every two weeks. Avoid fertilizing during heat waves or when plants are otherwise under stress; forced growth when they are struggling will only make them weaker.

Plants that would rather stay home

There are some plants, however, that are homebodies. Those with delicate, fuzzy or velvety foliage, such as African violets, should never be exposed to leaf-wetting rain, direct sunlight or wind.

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Low-light houseplants such as Pothos, ZZ plant, Chinese evergreen, snake plant and cast iron plant can be placed outdoors, but only in a shady spot. Even there, they should be monitored for signs of sunburn or scorch and returned home if they display symptoms.

In late summer or early fall, when temperatures threaten to drop below 60 F in your garden, reverse the acclimation process by moving plants into the shade for incrementally longer periods each day for a week. Then, inspect them for insects and, for good measure, give them a hose shower before bringing them back home.

They’ll be happy campers.

Jessica Damiano writes weekly gardening columns for the AP and publishes the award-winning Weekly Dirt Newsletter. You can sign up here for weekly gardening tips and advice.

The Sundance Film Festival is getting on its horse and moving to Boulder.

After months of multimillion-dollar funding appeals from cities across the country, the nonprofit film festival board announced Thursday that the famed event will move from its longtime home in Park City, Utah, to Colorado beginning in 2027.

Boulder beat out a combined bid from Park City and Salt Lake City, as well as one from Cincinnati, which revealed earlier that it was no longer in the running.

The city is set to host the event from 2027 through 2036, according to Colorado film commissioner Donald Zuckerman, with a potential 86,000 and $132 million in economic activity, as Park City reported in 2024.

The news means that Hollywood will now turn its focus toward the Front Range, which should benefit financially in January and February, when the trend-setting festival is held, an otherwise sluggish time of year for hotels and restaurants here. Contrast that with the promise of hundreds of Hollywood elite in limousines, dozens of red carpets and worldwide media attention.

Sundance sees the heart of the festival as centered in downtown Boulder, according to a Thursday statement, “utilizing a wide array of theaters and venues, and incorporating spaces around the Pearl Street Mall, a pedestrian-only street.”

“January is a traditionally slow time for tourism in Denver and Boulder, and (Boulder) has the capacity to serve the people that would participate,” Gov. Jared Polis has told The Denver Post, touting the mountain backdrop, hotel capacity and Denver International Airport — not to mention festival founder Robert Redford’s ties to the University of Colorado, having attended college there.

Polis and state legislators have been working since last year to shore up incentives for the event, with a potential $34 million state tax credit for Sundance. The incentives would be doled out over the next decade, or about $3 to $5 million per year. The revised bill — which would also leverage $500,000 annually to support “small or existing local film festivals entities,” as sponsors put it — is due on the State Senate floor Friday morning.

While most legislators have supported the drive, State Rep. Bob Marshall (R) of House District 43, called it a “taxpayer bribe” in a letter to The Denver Post.”

However, the decision reinforces Boulder as an international draw, with an attractive, walkable downtown, sophisticated cultural scene, and the capacity to host tens of thousands of visitors during Sundance’s annual event, boosters said.

“This decision was informed by a detailed evaluation of the key components essential to creating our Festival,” said Ebs Burnough, Sundance Institute Board Chair, in a statement. “During the process, it became clear that Boulder is the ideal location in which to build our Festival’s future, marking a key strategic step in its natural evolution.”

The founder of the Sundance Institute, Robert Redford, attends the opening day press conference to kick-off the 2018 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah on Jan. 18, 2018. (Angela Weiss, AFP/Getty Images)

Boulder is “an art town, tech town, mountain town, and college town,” added Amanda Kelso, Sundance Institute Acting CEO.

Choosing Boulder cements Colorado’s reputation as a global film destination, joining prestigious events such as the Telluride Film Festival, Aspen Shortsfest, Boulder International Film Festival and Denver Film Festival, said Kathy and Robin Beeck, co-founders of the Boulder International Film Festival.

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“We and Sundance both think there’s not only room for both festivals, but for collaboration,” Robin Beeck told The Denver Post this month, noting that she and Kathy met with Sundance officials last summer during Sundance’s fact-finding trip.

John Tayer, president and CEO of the Boulder Chamber of Commerce, which represents 1,300 businesses, has told The Denver Post he’s confident the city is ready for its close-up.

“… Boulder is accessible by an international airport,” he said. “We have incredibly convenient transportation, and all the amenities and theaters and services that you need are within walking distance of each other.”

Now that it’s decided, Sundance, state and local officials will spend the next two years shoring up theaters, meeting and party spaces, and lodging options in a remarkable cross-collaborative effort. It will include not only the state incentives but work from Boulder’s business boosters to meet Sundance’s high expectations for hosting, as well as the University of Colorado — where some events are expected to be held — and other Front Range film industry types.

Like the 2025 Sundance event, which ran Jan. 23-Feb. 2 in the resort town of Park City, Boulder’s will be programmed during the same time period.

“All three finalists were assessed on ethos and equity values, infrastructure, and capabilities to host the Festival, in addition to demonstrating ways in which they will continue to foster the diverse Sundance community and inspire the next generation of independent filmmakers,” according to a Sundance statement.

A mainstay at the Eid al-Fitr table of Maryam Jillani’s grandmother, Kulsoom, was mutton pulao, an aromatic rice dish prepared in a gently spiced bone broth. It’s both comforting and celebratory — and can be absolutely revelatory when paired with a sharp condiment like a garlic chutney.

This cover image released by Hardie Grant shows the cookbook “Pakistan,” by Maryam Jillani. (Hardie Grant Publishing via AP)

Dessert included seviyan, sweetened vermicelli noodles simmered in spiced milk.

Here are recipes from Jillani’s cookbook, “Pakistan,” for the mutton, chutney and seviyan:

Mutton Pulao (Aromatic Rice with Mutton)

This photo taken on June 21, 2022 shows a recipe for mutton pulao from Maryam Jillani’s book, “Pakistan.” (Maryam Jillani via AP)

Serves 6 to 8 as a main course

Ingredients

About 3 pounds bone-in mutton, lamb or beef, cut into 1- to 1 1/2-inch pieces

4 medium yellow onions, halved and thinly sliced

4 whole cloves

2 black cardamom pods

One 2-inch cinnamon stick

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

2 tablespoons garlic paste

2 tablespoons salt, or to taste

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 cups basmati rice, rinsed in several changes of water

Directions

Fill a large pot with 8 to 10 cups water. Add the mutton, half of the onions, the whole cloves, cardamom pods, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon of the garlic paste, and 1 tablespoon of the salt. Cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook the mutton for 1 to 2 hours, depending on the quality of the meat, until it is tender. With a slotted spoon, remove the meat. Strain the solids from the liquid, return the liquid to the pot, and place it by the stove. Discard the solids.
In a clean, heavy-bottomed pot, heat the oil until it begins to shimmer. Add the remaining onions and fry on medium-low heat for 12 to 15 minutes until they are a deep golden-brown color. Take care to not let them burn. Stir in the remaining garlic paste and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the mixture no longer smells raw.
Increase the heat to high and add the mutton and remaining 1 tablespoon salt. Sear the meat, 5 to 7 minutes, until it has browned slightly. Pour in 6 cups of the strained mutton broth (put any leftover broth in airtight containers and freeze for later use). Taste and add more salt as needed. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer. Carefully pour in the rice and let cook for about 10 minutes until the water completely evaporates.
Wrap a tight-fitting lid with a clean kitchen towel and place it securely on the pot. Turn the heat to the lowest possible setting and let the rice steam for at least 10 to 12 minutes until fluffy. Carefully transfer the pulao to a serving platter and fluff with a fork.

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Lahsun ki Chutney (Garlic Chutney)

Aida Khan, a London-based entrepreneur and chef, shared her mother’s recipe for this vibrant, punchy lahsun ki chutney. Its very spicy, so a little goes a long way. Refrigerate this chutney in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Makes 1 cup

Ingredients

4 heads garlic, cloves separated and peeled

1 1/2 small red onions, roughly chopped

1/4 cup red chile flakes

1 bird’s eye chile (optional)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon salt, or to taste

2 teaspoons lemon juice

Directions

In a food processor, combine the garlic, onions, chile flakes, and bird’s eye chile (if using), and blitz until you have a thick paste.
In a small saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat until it shimmers. Add the garlic and onion paste and salt. Bring it to a simmer, cover the pan, and reduce the heat to low. Cook the chutney for 35 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure it doesn’t stick to the pan, until the garlic and onions have caramelized and the chutney’s color deepens.
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the lemon juice and serve.

Seviyan (Sweetened Roasted Vermicelli)

This image shows a dessert recipe called seviyan from the cookbook “Pakistan” by Maryam Jillani. (Sonny Thakur via AP)

Serves 12

Ingredients

1/4 cup ghee

6 green cardamom pods, cracked

5 1/2 ounces seviyan (semolina vermicelli)

8 1/2 cups full-fat milk

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons blanched sliced almonds

Directions

In a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat, melt the ghee and heat it until it begins to shimmer. Add the cardamom pods and fry for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the seviyan and fry over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes until browned slightly. Gradually pour in the milk and bring the pudding to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Keep the milk at a gentle simmer and cook for 15 to 20 minutes, stirring continually, until the milk thickens but the seviyan still has some bite.
Transfer the seviyan to a serving bowl. Top with sliced almonds. Let it cool to room temperature before serving. To store, transfer to an airtight container, refrigerate, and use within 2 to 3 days.

From “Pakistan,” a cookbook by Maryam Jillani.