NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 22, 2021
Recaps of Sunday’s action featuring a hat trick for Bruins winger David Pastrnak plus injury updates and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: David Pastrnak tallied a hat trick to lead the Boston Bruins to a 7-3 romp over the Philadelphia Flyers in the Honda NHL Outdoors Sunday at Lake Tahoe. It was Pastrnak’s second hat trick of the season and the 10th of his career. James van Riemsdyk had a goal and two assists for the Flyers, who pulled goaltender Carter Hart after the second period. Bruins defenseman Jeremy Lauzon left the game early in the first period with an undisclosed injury.
Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Any lingering concerns over the effects of offseason hip surgery on Pastrnak’s performance must be alleviated by now. He’s picking up where he left off last season and climbing up the NHL stat board. Hart, meanwhile, appeared to have trouble tracking the puck in the outdoor environment.
Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois scored twice, including the winner in overtime, in a 4-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Dubois also added an assist in his first game since being sidelined by a muscle injury 10 days ago. Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele also each collected three points. Elias Pettersson scored twice for the Canucks.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets moved Dubois to left wing on the top line alongside Wheeler and Scheifele while moving Kyle Connor down to the second line. It’ll be interesting to see if that becomes a permanent change.
The Washington Capitals got two power-play goals from T.J. Oshie and another from Alex Ovechkin to hold off the New Jersey Devils 4-3. Kyle Palmieri and Andreas Johnsson each had two points for the Devils.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin now has 712 career NHL goals, putting him five back of Phil Esposito for sixth on the all-time goalscoring list.
Brady Tkachuk’s overtime goal lifted the Ottawa Senators over the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. Senators’ goalie Matt Murray made 30 saves for the win while Habs netminder Jake Allen made 36 stops. Montreal winger Jonathan Drouin left the game in the first period with an undisclosed injury.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens were lucky to escape with a point as they were outplayed by the lowly Senators. The Habs bolted from the gate this season with a 7-1-2 record, leading the league in scoring and jockeying with the Toronto Maple Leafs for first place in the overall standings. They have since dropped five of their last seven games, managing just 13 goals during that stretch and slipping to fourth in the North Division.
HEADLINES
WGR 550: Buffalo Sabres winger Jeff Skinner could become a healthy scratch in their upcoming game against the New York Islanders. He’s hasn’t scored a goal in 14 games this season.
THE ATHLETIC: John Vogl reports there’s concern Sabres defenseman Jake McCabe may have suffered a season-ending knee injury on Saturday. The results of his examination are expected today and a source said they’re bracing for ligament damage.
TSN: Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins suffered an upper-body injury during Saturday’s game against the Nashville Predators. He’s listed as week-to-week.
THE ATHLETIC: Multiple sources tell Jeremy Rutherford St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko has a back injury. It’s not known if he’ll require surgery. The club intends to rest him for now and see how he responds.
OILERS NATION: Edmonton Oilers defenseman Slater Koekkoek suffered a broken collarbone during the club’s 7-1 win on Saturday over the Calgary Flames.
NHL.COM: The Department of Player Safety fined Los Angeles Kings defenseman Austin Strand over $3,100.00 for cross-checking Arizona Coyotes forward Conor Garland on Saturday.
LOS ANGELES TIMES: The Anaheim Ducks have recalled top prospect Trevor Zegras from their AHL affiliate in San Diego. The young prospect had nine points in eight games in the AHL.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zegras was the MVP of the 2021 World Junior Championship as he led Team USA to a gold medal in the tournament. The Ducks hope the youngster will provide a boost to an anemic offense with a league-worst 1.83 goals per game average.
The B s beat flyers j,v, team last night.Because of injuries the team has showcased many of their young defensemen.Number 55,67,58,75 and John Moore.Good potential trade bait when Grezlyk comes back.
Unlike the Penguins, the Bruins should go for it and deal some young talent … their window is right now.
Ed I agree with their window is right now. Way to early to be going for it.
Boston big concern is still the second line and now an unproven defense core.
Jake Debrusk is wearing thin on me, other then one solid shift last night; i think he was like me Enjoying the natural beauty that surrounded him and i don’t mean Pastrnak.
I feel for Pasta.
Missing out on Barbie Girl sucks.
https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/bruins/david-pastrnaks-interview-about-barbie-girl-after-bruins-flyers-amazing
Pasta was legitimately angry during the interview. That kid is a breath of fresh air.
Time for a shake up in montreal? Maybe a deal for RNH or puljujarvi involving danualt and possibly tatar and/or picks. Byron could be on his way out too. Also lehkonen. Oilers could use some depth.
Why all the gloom and doom in Montreal.
Toast of the town earlier.
Just a rough patch wait it out.
Not gloom and doom. Montreal has some decisions to make and need more scoring up the middle. Caufield is coming along nicely and tatars value is as high as its going to get. The younger centres could use a good mentor. Thats what happend to galchenyuk imo. Puljujarvi would likely fit in with a montreal team that already has some finns.
Puljujarvi is fine where he is.
Montreal needs to realize that Price is not the goalie he was 3 years ago. They also need a true game breaking center. Kotkiemi is a 3rd liner whether the posters on here believe that or not. They’ve played half there games against Vancouver and Montreal and caught Edmonton at the beginning before they got warmed up. There stats are inflated and they now sit in 4th place and will continue to slide. Seriously the solution for Montreal is someone like Eichel but it will cost Suzuki or KK and the hab fans are still on dreamland about KK. The habs are now against the cap with maybe Caufield as the only elite prospect and no game breakers. RNH is not a game breaker and would not help. Go get Eichel and pay the price Buffalo wants then try and peddle Price to Seattle like Pittsburgh did with Fleury. Seattle will need a star to sell tickets. It’s the same thing I said a year ago and will probably be the same thing I say in a year from now but they will not win with a true game breaking number 1 center. For the first time in a while there may actually be 1 or 2 available.
KK is not Eichel, and never will be, but the kid is still just 20 yrs old. IMO he will be a 1 or 2 C.
My prediction is a 2 way guy that puts up a little under a pt a game. 6’2″ 200lb plus (by the time he fills out).
I’d take him on my team and day.
Other than opinion what do you base that on Ray. He’s averaging around 35-40 points per 82 games. Saying he’s only 21 is just an excuse for his mediocre production. Most players that are of the caliber you state are at least showing signs of producing at that level by the time they are that age. Heck see Suzuki for an example. Is less than a year older and producing at a way higher rate. He’s shown nothing other than unknowledgeable eye tests to state otherwise. He should be a very good 3c though and there’s nothing wrong with that. Habs have always and continue to need a true game breaking number 1 center.
I said 20 Roger. And it’s not an excuse, it’s reality of the NHL. Isn’t that the way this almost always works? KK isn’t a Matthews, or Eichel.
Suzuki is a great example, what did he do when he was 20? 41 pts in 71 games minus -15.
For KK to match that he would need to finish with 32 pts if he played all 56 games. And start giving up way more goals when he is on the ice.
From his draft 2 forwards are producing better than KK. Svechnikov, who is playing with an elite C, and Tkachuk.
Way too early to write this guy off as a 3C. IMO this should be his rookie year and he shouldn’t have played in the NHL until now.
Might we look at him differently if that was the case?
Agree or not, that is how I back up my opinion, your turn.
That’s easy Ray Kotkiemi has 8 points in 17 games still puts him on pace for around 35 points in 82 games. His production has not gone up at all since entering the league. You figure he would increase his production every year. That by the way is playing Vancouver and Ottawa for 8 of those games. Easy pickins. Even the playin round he had 4 points in 10 games guess where that averages over an 82 game schedule. He gets the ice time, power play time why is he not getting better other than opinion from 1 year to the next. Maybe just maybe that’s because that is the player he is. A very solid 3c. Maybe he’ll over achieve 1 or 2 years during his career but he’s clearly without question a 3c. Maybe not on Montreal but any contending team. He’s on pace to maybe 25 points this year but who knows maybe he gets 27 or something. Should match Spezza although Spezza plays less than 10 minutes a game.
Ya I can read a stat line too Roger, but thanks.
I think a 20 yr old will improve for the next few years, you don’t think they do, or don’t think KK will.
Most 20 yr old 1st rd drafted players don’t even play in the NHL full time. He is already a solid full time 3C. That is a really big achievement for a 20 yr old actually. Something Suzuki wasn’t able to do at that age.
I think he will be a 1 or 2C, and a very effective 2 way player because he is already an effective NHL player at 20.
Same old habs