Updated injury report, Penguins Cup window may be closed, Hurricanes playoff hopes could be running out of time and more in your NHL morning coffee headlines.
Check out the video highlights of last night’s notable NHL games, including the Capitals handing the Canadiens their sixth straight defeat and Sabres rookie Jack Eichel lighting up the Bruins.
Updated NHL injury report.
Kings lose Jeff Carter to injury.
LOS ANGELES TIMES: Kings center and leading scorer Jeff Carter left last night’s game against the Arizona Coyotes due to an upper-body injury. Carter returned to Los Angeles following the game.
WINNIPEG SUN: Jets center Mark Scheifele suffered a head injury during practice on Saturday. His status for Sunday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins remains uncertain.
THE DETROIT NEWS: Red Wings rookie star Dylan Larkin missed last night’s game against the Nashville Predators with an upper-body injury. There’s no timetable for his return. Defenseman Jonathan Ericsson (upper-body injury) also missed that game.
THE VANCOUVER SUN: Defenseman Chris Tanev (suspected foot injury) and winger Alex Burrows (upper body) joined the Canucks growing list of sidelined players.
Notable NHL Headlines.
TRIBLIVE.COM: Has the Pittsburgh Penguins Stanley Cup window closed?
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Yes, about two years ago.
THE NEW & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes are running out of time to get results that will boost their playoff chances this season. If they don’t improve soon, big roster changes could be coming.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The biggest, of course, will be dealing away declining center Eric Staal, who still has sufficient name value to attract interest in the trade market. Of course, he’ll have to waive his no-trade clause, but Staal stated late last month he wouldn’t stand in the way of a trade if management indicates they don’t wish to keep him.
PHILLY.COM: It appears the Flyers won’t be sending promising rookie defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere to the minors when Mark Streit comes off LTIR on Wednesday. The club will have to free up cap room when Streit returns, and it’s expected they’ll demote someone to the minors.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers are 8-2-2 since Gostisbehere since Nov. 27, and he has a point in 14 of 18 games since he was called up. No wonder they don’t want to send him back to the minors.
THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC: Thanks to the Coyotes, youth hockey is soaring in Arizona. Among the notables to emerge is promising prospect Auston Matthews.
Sure the Penguins window is closed but all summer every “expert” with a keyboard had the Ducks as cup favourites. Any team that makes the playoffs can win the cup these days.
If they can milk the most out of their defencemen so that they provide capable puck support, they should have as good a chance as anyone in the East. People can talk all they want about the struggles they have had, but look at their last six games. Even in the losses, the process was much, much better. I’m not saying they will make a big run, but it appears they are turning a corner.
If they do turn that corner, there’s no reason they can’t be a real threat in the East.
Really?
I don’t remember many experts picking Pittsburgh to win the cup. Which so called experts are you talking about? You can’t win with out defense. I did expect Pittsburgh to score more. I had Pittsburgh battling Boston for the 8th & final playoff spot.
As a basically lifelong hockey fan growing up watching Hockey Night in Canada every weekend on CBC in DET from the time Cherry’s duds were actually the fashion, I understand hockey. People will get hurt. Fact of the game. But, what’s happened to Larkin over the course of this season and the unwillingness of the NHL to be proactive or at a minimum enforce the rukes on the book is inexcusable. The attempts to injure Larks go back to the game against the Bolts with Stamkos literally trying to drive his head into the ice 3x while Larks was on the ice. No call, no suspension. That was one of the easiest calls ever that was missed because it was Stamkos. Giving rooks, espescially highly skilled nuisances like Larks is understandable. My feeling is that because the league looked the other way on the Stamkos attempt, others feel it’s fair game and finally he was injured. Kudos NHL. I hope theres a drive Betmans head into the ice booth at the All Star game. Hockey guys like you Lyle shoukd be more proactive in pointing this crap out. I like your stuff but guys like you with the ear of the powers that be have to help drive the sport in the right direction.