Latest on Pavel Datsyuk, Gabe Landeskog and Jakob Silfverberg, the Flames make a minor trade, plus updates on the Stars, Rangers, Maple Leafs and more in your NHL morning coffee headlines.
Check out the video below for highlights from last night’s NHL games, which included the New York Rangers collecting their seventh straight victory, while a coach’s challenge wiped away Alex Ovechkin’s chance of setting the record for most goals scored by a Russian player in the NHL.
Notable NHL Headlines.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars are off to their best start since 1998-99, a significant turnaround for a club that stumbled from the gate last season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I chalk it up to more offensive depth and improved goaltending this season. So far, the Stars are looking very good, though they’re having trouble defeating the rebuilding Toronto Maple Leafs, who account for two of the Stars’ three losses thus far this season.
THE NEWS & OBSERVER: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman dismissed the notion the Carolina Hurricanes, who are last in attendance this season, could be relocated once current owner Peter Karmanos Jr. sells the club. “People should not be concerned about something fueled by media in other locations. Everything Peter is doing is being done to ensure the long-term future of hockey in the Triangle. That’s where the league believes it should be and where it will be.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Over seven years of losing is to blame for the Hurricanes’ woes. They’ve already proven that, with a winning club, they can fill their building. Just like most NHL cities, constant losing takes a toll on the fan base. If the current management, under GM Ron Francis, can rebuild this team into a least a perennial playoff contender again, the fans will return. Give the fans something to cheer for, and they’ll reward you.
The NHL is investigating this incident between Avalanche captain Gabe Landeskog and Bruins winger Brad Marchand.
CSNNE.COM: The NHL Department of Player Safety are reviewing an incident that occurred during last night’s Colorado Avalanche – Boston Bruins game, in which Avs captain Gabe Landeskog drilled Bruins winger Brad Marchand with a hit to the head, and Marchand’s subsequent sucker-punching Landeskog.
AZCENTRAL.COM: Max Domi took the goalscoring lead among this season’s NHL rookies as his Arizona Coyotes downed the Edmonton Oilers 4-1.
THE DETROIT NEWS: Red Wings center Pavel Datsyuk will make his return to the lineup for the first time this season against the San Jose Sharks on Friday. Datsyuk had been recovering from offseason ankle surgery.
THE BUFFALO NEWS: As Sabres rookie Jack Eichel continues to improve, he must be prepared to face new tactics from opponents designed to shut down his offense.
THE PROVINCE: Despite struggling on the ice, the Vancouver Canucks are jockeying for first in the Pacific Division.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: But for how long can they maintain this? As the column notes, their special teams are atrocious and their defense suspect. That could take its toll as the season progresses.
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: An early-season scoring slump is nothing new for Anaheim Ducks winger Jakob Silfverberg.
TORONTO SUN: By defeating the Nashville Predators 2-1, the Toronto Maple Leafs are off to their first winning streak of the season.
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella went old school on his players during practice yesterday, making them do pushups for not performing a defensive drill properly.
CALGARY HERALD: The Flames made a minor trade yesterday, acquiring goaltender Kevin Poulin from the Tampa Bay Lightning for future considerations.
Funny what some decent goaltending can do….Reimers been good. Gaa under 2 sv% around .920
Does Torts not learn anything or know what year it is?
Making guy who get paod consideabl6 more than you do embarrassing things will where on the nerves of those millionares rather quickly, then they tune you out then youre unemployed….again lather wash rinse repeat. The pushup thing and acting like a drill Sargent to spoiled athletes will not end well.
Unless they win a few, in which case they will privately tolerate and publicly respect Torts until they lose. There are some prima donnas in the league who can benefit from tough love — its the collective treatment that rankles.
And just to cover all his bases Torts has made a healthy scratch of Murray tonight….smh
Maybe Murray deserves it? As for the push ups, the guy was brought in to teach discipline and that is what he was doing. Funny how any thing different is laughed at . . . until it works and then EVERYONE is doing it.
Funnier thing is these tactics may work for a few games but not for long. Hence why Torts has been fired twice in the last 3 years., and getting a team to do pushups is not exactly revolutionary.