NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 2, 2021
Recaps of Monday’s action, the three stars of the week, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: A third-period goal by Vincent Trocheck set the stage for Martin Necas’ overtime winner as the Carolina Hurricanes edged the Florida Panthers 3-2. Necas also collected two assists while Alex Nedeljkovic made 44 saves for the win. The Panthers (30 points) remain in first place in the Discover Central Division, one point ahead of the Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning. They also played with winger Anthony Duclair as he’s sidelined at least a week with a lower-body injury suffered during Saturday’s game against the Hurricanes.
Ottawa Senators winger Drake Batherson scored twice to extend his franchise-record goal streak to six games in a 5-1 upset of the Calgary Flames. Matt Murray got the win with 27 saves and Senators rookie Tim Stutzle picked up two assists. The Flames (22 points) have dropped three of their last four games and remain one point behind the fourth-place Montreal Canadiens in the Scotia North Division.
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko made 27 saves for his first NHL shutout in a 4-0 upset of the Winnipeg Jets. Elias Pettersson and Nate Schmidt each had a goal and an assist for the Canucks, who moved to within three points of the Canadiens.
Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone (NHL Images).
Mark Stone collected five primary assists as the Vegas Golden Knights overcame a 4-2 deficit to nip the Minnesota Wild 5-4 in overtime, snapping the Wild’s six-game win streak. Max Pacioretty scored twice, including the game-winner. Marcus Foligno tallied twice for the Wild (25 points), who remain two points back of the first-place Golden Knights in the Honda West Division.
The St. Louis Blues got two goals and an assist from Zach Sanford to hold off the Anaheim Ducks 5-4. The Blues sit one point behind the Golden Knights. Ducks forward Isac Lundestrom collected his first career NHL hat trick.
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Michael Hutchinson kicked out 31 shots in a 3-0 shutout over the Edmonton Oilers. William Nylander and Morgan Rielly each had a goal and an assist for the Leafs, who blanked the Oilers for the second straight game.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs accomplished this feat with leading goal scorer Auston Matthews and starting goalie Frederik Andersen sidelined by injuries.
The San Jose Sharks scored six unanswered goals in a 6-2 drubbing of the Colorado Avalanche. Evander Kane had a goal and two assists while Timo Meier collected three helpers. The Avalanche played without defenseman Cale Makar, who returned to Denver for further evaluation regarding an upper-body injury suffered during Friday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes.
HEADLINES
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane and Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Feb. 28.
THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline reports Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen is expected to make public comments today supporting head coach John Tortorella, who’s in the final season of his contract.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tortorella’s future has become the topic of speculation as the Jackets has dropped five straight games and seven of their last eight, leaving them seven points behind the fourth-place Chicago Blackhawks in the Central.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers claimed goaltender Alex Stalock off waivers yesterday from the Wild.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stalock revealed he was diagnosed with the heart condition myocarditis after testing positive for COVID-19 last November. He received clearance to resume training in mid-January but was unable to regain his spot on the Wild’s goalie tandem. As he’s crossing the US-Canada border he must quarantine for two weeks before joining the Oilers.
THE PROVINCE: Former NHL forward Todd Bertuzzi was arrested for drunk driving in Michigan over the weekend.
Back-to-back shutouts of a team with 2 of the most prolific goal scorers in the league – in their barn – without their two starting goalies and their own top goal scorer is – like it or not – pretty damned impressive for a team supposedly lacking an overall D of any great quality.
Have to agree on that one George…and I don’t like it any more than you do haha.
For all my back and forth and picking at the Leafs and their fans I can’t say I’m not worried about them come playoff time.
I’m the farthest thing from a Leaf fan but I can’t deny those two shutouts were very impressive!
Have to pull for Alex Stalock after what he’s been through with the virus.
Worrisome—Half of patients hospitalized with severe #COVID19 have damage to their hearts: inflammation of the heart muscle (myocarditis), scarring or death of heart tissue (infarction), restricted blood supply to the heart (ischaemia)—many with all 3. 🧵 imperial.ac.uk/news/216033/he…
Patrick Kane, too small, too soft, albatross of a contract, too much of a party guy…..all he does is continue to produce, carry the offense and the team on his back without Captain Serious.
great player
Surely Don Waddell has to swallow hard and somehow acquire a #1 goalie right???? He owes it to BrindAmour and his players. That team with a legit goalie can go really deep.
Nice win for the Nucks. Much needed win and much needed rest!
Every game Stutzle plays he looks more and more like a C out of position. Look for him to be skating at that position before this season is concluded. He’s the # 1 they’ve been looking for for several seasons now.
Stutzle does look like he is gonna be a serious difference-maker.
Aside from Hyman (who must be the best non ELC value contract in NHL) Thornton and Spezza may be the most enthusiastic players on the Leafs. That must be rubbing off on the rest when two seniors don’t stop smiling.
Ottawa’s 3rd line being anchored by Stuetzle and Batherson is just crazy good right now. If Batherson continues this path, he could evolve into a first line NHL scoring winger, which in our prospect pull, we were definetly missing on the right side of the ice.
Tkachuk – Stuetzle – Batherson sound like an intriguing future top line! Hope the young guys keep getting chances, every veteran not named Connor Brown, Nikita Zaitzev, and Matt Murray have been more the less disappointing. I am looking at you Dadonov!
Turns out Zaitsev is a good player after all. Looks darn good in OTT right now.
Lou was right.
Not at that price point and term.
Interesting read in The Atlantic re pro sports in general
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2021/02/what-pandemic-revealed-about-sports/618157/?utm_source=pocket-newtab