THURSDAY EYE-OPENER

NHL

The Pittsburgh Penguins have inched within three points of the first-place New York Islanders in the Metropolitan Division by avoiding a season sweep by Washington.

Sidney Crosby notched his 20th goal of the season and the Pens claimed their third straight win by downing the Capitals 4-3 in Washington. Brandon Sutter’s short-handed goal put the Penguins ahead 2-0 late in the second period, and Chris Kunitz provided the eventual game-winner in the third.

Evgeni Malkin had three assists against the Capitals, who remain six points off the Metropolitan Division lead.

Also on NHL ice:

– Andrew Hammond earned his first NHL shutout by stopping 25 shots in Ottawa’s 3-0 triumph at Anaheim. The Ducks still own a 10-point lead in the Pacific Division after ending a three-game winning streak.

– Sean Monahan scored the tiebreaking goal on a power play 35 seconds into the third period of Calgary’s 3-1 victory over the Devils in New Jersey. Karri Ramo stopped 26 shots as the Flames ended a three-game skid and moved one point ahead of Minnesota for the final Western Conference playoff berth.

– Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane has undergone surgery to repair a broken left collarbone suffered in Tuesday’s win over Florida. The injury will likely sideline the dynamic winger for the rest of the season unless the team makes a deep run in the playoffs. Kane was tied for the NHL lead with 64 points, producing 27 goals and 37 assists.

– The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired forward Daniel Winnick from Toronto for forward Zach Sill and a pair of draft picks. Winnick had seven goals, 23 points and a team-high +15 in 58 games with the Maple Leafs this season.

-The Los Angeles Kings have signed forward Kyle Clifford to a five-year contract extension. The Kings’ second-round pick in 2009 has three goals and seven assists to go with a team-leading 66 penalty minutes.

– The Winnipeg Jets have picked up winger Jiri Tlusty from the Carolina Hurricanes for two draft picks. Tlusty has 13 goals and 10 assists this season and gives the Jets some depth they were lacking due to a number of injuries.

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NFL

The Green Bay Packers have released inside linebacker A.J. Hawk, cutting ties with the nine-year veteran and respected locker room presence.

Hawk leaves Green Bay with 1,118 tackles, tops in the franchise since 1975. He appeared in 142 out of a 144 possible regular-season games since being drafted in the first round in 2006.

But Hawk lost playing time in the second half of this past season as Green Bay tried to shore up its run defence.

Elsewhere:

– Detroit has released running back Reggie Bush, who started 23 of 25 games and had 299 carries for 1,303 yards and six touchdowns. He also had 94 catches for 759 yards and three touchdowns. In nine NFL seasons with the Lions, Saints and Dolphins, Bush rushed for 5,465 yards and 35 touchdowns.

– Running back Peyton Hillis has been released by the New York Giants. He played in New York’s first nine games in 2014 before suffering a season-ending concussion. The seven-year veteran rushed for 115 yards and caught 10 passes.

– Jacoby Jones has been cut by the Baltimore Ravens just over two years after his 108-yard kickoff return for a touchdown help beat San Francisco in the Super Bowl. The 30-year-old receiver played three seasons with Baltimore after a five-year run with Houston.

– The Atlanta Falcons have signed kicker Matt Bryant to a contract extension. Bryant joined the Falcons in 2010 and was successful on 29 of 32 field-goal attempts last season. He led the NFL with seven field goals of 50 yards or longer.

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MLB

The Angels have confirmed that outfielder Josh Hamilton is meeting with Major League Baseball officials about a disciplinary issue. The team declined to give any more specific information.

Hamilton hasn’t reported to spring training in Arizona after undergoing surgery on his right shoulder earlier this month. He is expected to be out until after the regular season begins.

Hamilton has a well-chronicled history of drug addiction and alcohol abuse, leading to previous suspensions.

MLB declined comment on Hamilton.

In other training camp news:

– Cincinnati pitcher Homer Bailey won’t be ready for the start of the season as he recovers from September surgery for a torn elbow tendon. Bailey’s timetable has him returning to the rotation in mid-April.

– The Baltimore Orioles and former All-Star infielder Everth Cabrera (BREHR’-uh) have finalized their $2.4 million, one-year contract. Cabrera was an All-Star in 2013 with the Padres before being suspended for 50 games that season following his admission that he took a banned substance. He played just 90 games for the Padres last year, hitting .232 with a .272 on-base percentage in 391 plate appearances.