NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 11, 2021

by | Apr 11, 2021 | News, NHL | 39 comments

A record-setting performance for Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell, the NHL extends the end of the regular season as the Canucks get a date to return to action, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell set an NHL record with his 11th consecutive win in a 6-5 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Toronto center Auston Matthews tallied a hat trick to push his league-leading goal total to 31. The Leafs sit atop the Scotia North Division and the NHL overall standings with 59 points.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell (NHL Images).

Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 19 shots as the Winnipeg Jets shut out the Montreal Canadiens 5-0. Nikolaj Ehlers, Mathieu Perreault and Andrew Copp each had a goal and an assist as the Jets (53 points) hold a one-point lead over the Edmonton Oilers for second place in the North.

Speaking of the Oilers, they were blanked 5-0 by the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom made 17 saves for the shutout while Johnny Gaudreau and Mark Giordano each had a goal and an assist. The Flames (37 points) are six points back of the fourth-place Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers were listless in this game for a good reason. The NHL rescheduled this game for Saturday despite the fact the Oilers had previously scheduled a memorial service earlier in the day for their late teammate Colby Cave. Cave passed away a year ago today. Oilers captain Connor McDavid and his teammates justifiably questioned the league’s decision to play that game following the service.

A shootout goal by Adam Erne gave the Detroit Red Wings a 5-4 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Martin Necas and Dougie Hamilton each had a goal and an assist for Carolina. The Hurricanes are tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning with 58 points but hold first place in the Discover Central Division over the Lightning because they hold a game in hand.

Andrei Vasilevskiy had a 36-save shutout performance to carry his Tampa Bay Lightning over the Nashville Predators 3-0. Yanni Gourde had a goal and an assist. Nashville holds fourth in the Central with 45 points. Predators defenseman Ryan Ellis returned to action after missing 20 games with an upper-body injury.

The Florida Panthers (56 points) suffered their third straight defeat by dropping a 4-1 decision to the Dallas Stars. Jason Robertson scored twice and Anton Khudobin made 20 saves as the Stars (40 points) moved to within five points of the fourth-place Predators in the Central Division. The Panthers slipped to third place, two points behind the Hurricanes and Lightning.

A four-goal rally by the Chicago Blackhawks enabled them to overcome a 2-0 deficit and hold off the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3. Alex DeBrincat had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks (43 points), who sit two points behind the Predators.

An overtime goal by Ryan O’Reilly lifted the St. Louis Blues over the Minnesota Wild 3-2. Mike Hoffman scored twice for St. Louis in his first game after being a healthy scratch from the previous two contests. The Blues regains fourth place in the Honda West Division with 44 points, one ahead of the Arizona Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hoffman is considered among the top trade targets heading into tomorrow’s NHL trade deadline. It’ll be interesting to see if last night’s performance stokes further interest in his services from contenders seeking forward depth.

Dustin Brown, Jeff Carter and Andreas Athanasiou each had a goal and an assist as the Los Angeles Kings doubled up the San Jose Sharks 4-2. The loss leaves the Sharks stalled in sixth place in the West with 40 points, four back of the Blues.

Sean Couturier snapped a 2-2 tie in the third period as his Philadelphia Flyers edged the Boston Bruins 3-2. Travis Konecny had a goal and an assist and Brian Elliott made 30 saves as the Flyers (44 points) moved within four points of the fourth-place Bruins in the MassMutual East Division. Boston defenseman Matt Grzelcyk left the game after the second period with an upper-body injury.

The NHL announced the Vancouver Canucks can return to play on Friday, April 16 after having eight games postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak. The Canucks last played on March 24. The league also announced it is extending the regular-season schedule to May 16 to allow the Canucks sufficient time to complete those games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The regular season was originally slated to end on May 8. It had been extended once already to May 11.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers placed forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on injured reserve and recalled James Neal and Tyler Ennis. Both played in last night’s game against the Flames.

THE SCORE: cites a report by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman saying the Los Angeles Kings have opened contract talks with winger Andreas Athanasiou.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks held forward Mattias Janmark out of last night’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Coach Jeremy Colliton said it was an organizational decision and not based on Janmark’s performance.







39 Comments

  1. sitting here sipping my Black Rifle Coffee and looking at a Bruins D situation today against the Caps with Grzelcyk Carlo McAvoy out and Miller on a rest day & the B’s needing D help even when all are healthy what will they do the next two days they have two glearing needs a Dman & a winger……..will Sweeney/Neely wait till the crumbs are left or get something done today ?

    • Those Harvard guys psychanalyze everything.What is Sweeney waiting for.A week from now we could be out of the playoffs.

    • The B’s are probably too busy sipping black rifle coffee to get anything done.

    • Joe, You guys can take Dermott from us.

  2. For those who don’t think mid to later round draft picks are not valuable… owners are authorizing spending hundreds of thousands of dollars in held salary just to get 4th and 5th round picks.

    That’s oversimplified slightly but still interesting.

    • Hi Chrisms

      Detroit’s net spend for the 4th was actually in the $65-$70 K range… I posted the math on it yesterday

      Stevie Y also now holds a “favour” chip on BrisBoise

      Note…. Canes paid $3.8 M for a first that at the time they believed would be in the 20th-25th sloth (Marleau deal)

      • The Detroit announcers in the game last night pointed out that Detroit can only retain salary on one more contract this year.

      • The biggest problem I see with Yzerman getting involved to retain salary for his buddy in Tampa is not the money itself, but the opportunity cost. The most likely trade candidate on the Wings right now is Luke Glendening. Say Toronto offers up a 3rd for him, Edmonton offers the same, they both want 50% retention. Yzerman picks Edmonton and ships Glendening off at 50% retained. What if Pittsburgh calls up Detroit 10 minutes later and asks for Helm (can play 3C and shore up PK) but needs 50% retained for cap purposed? Detroit is already at 3 retained salary transactions and cannot offer that. In this tight cap deadline, that ability is KEY.

      • BigPhat, Thats a good point, and the loss of flexibility goes beyond Mondays trade deadline.

        The Hockey News had an article a few years back that stated the percentages of current NHL players drafted in each round. The third highest category was “undrafted”.

        I suspect there is more to this deal than has been disclosed.

      • Hi GP & and Mike Myers in Big Body Suit

        Excellent points

        Completely forgot about the 3 retention limit

        No restriction for next year as both current retentions are UFAs

        This (yesterday’s retention) will likely be a “nudge nudge wink wink” favour chip (BrisBoise to Stevie Y) down the road

        Re Glendenning on Pens…. this is really a player they do not need.

        They need an offensive 3C

        At best he is equal to Blueger as a checking line C. The way Blueger has been playing this year…. I believe that Blueger is better

        Glendenning’s advantage is on the dots…. at best (pushing it here) he wins 1 extra face-off (overBlueger) per game

        Not worth trading for

      • Pretty sure Yzerman already knows every GM that is interested in his available guys and the general value each will offer.
        These talks started weeks ago, it is simply the cost that hasn’t been agreed to and whether or not somebody will move and offer more or accept less.
        He won’t be surprised by a team 10 minutes after making a deal with anybody because he has already spoken to everybody.

      • Pengy..your wish may come true to sources have said penguins in talks to acquire Anaheim tough guy nick Delauriers…we will see
        Black n gold

      • Hey! Gonna post this on a few segments cause I’m legit curious. If a team takes a major penalty… then the team on the penalty kill takes a minor… if the team with the major scores 4 on 4 do they get credit like it was a pp goal cause the was supposed to be short handed? Then does it revert to a 5 on 4? Or cause they had the same amount of skaters does the two minutes keep going?

        Huh.

  3. Saturday the bruins looked a bunch of chickens let loose in the slaughter house what a mess. Swayman was okay didn’t get much help!I’m not sure anything’s going to help this team.
    I’m convinced Sweeney’s gonna end with someone like a Hall Gill or a Matt Belesky! Sell!!

    • usually the Sweeney/Neely trade deals at the trading deadline are depth moves I see no changes at what they do best…..

      • Well golleeeeeeee thanks Joe when I want your opinion I’ll ask for it

      • I’m sorry I’ll never do it again

  4. Man Tor really needs to grab a goalie, guy they are playing almost lost a game and barely beat Price’s record.

  5. Bruins are fine better not make a deal just to make a deal just get healthy and if healthy Lord Stanley here we come. They dominate most games games with a new team every game imagine what they will do healthy.

    • With Savard going to Tampa , bargooon , by the way ….
      Makes Tampa and Colorado – Favourites – No brainer

      Islanders , Vegas could be spoilers

      Leafs , will sure be up to something , by 3:00 tomorrow, especially passing on Savard
      Goaltender – 100 percent – but something else is up !
      Coming out of the toughest division , they should be well rested – to tackle the U.S. in the semi and final round , but NO Cup again – Sorry got your luck !!
      Just being honest ..

      • Ken, Savard is only a bargoon as you put it from a mathematical standpoint given two other teams absorbed most of his remaining salary. The cost of that many draft picks that will be needed later as sweeteners to move bad contracts in the off-season will prove to be a gross overpayment

      • Hi Ken agree re as at now should be Avs Bolts SCF

        Exception… Vegas move … and they should

        Leafs should not do anything of substance unless it is a massive team altering move as they have no chance as at now (and without a massive roster realignment) of beating Bolts or Avs or Knights

        Re “ Coming out of the toughest division”

        As there are no head to head comparisons (between Div play) it can’t be asserted definitively

        My opinion (again subjectively) is that North is the weakest Div

        I’ve watched all Leafs; all Pens; 3/4 of Knights; 1/4 of Bolts games this year; and about the same amount of non Leaf’s North games as non Pen’s East games this year; with a smattering of Avs (non v Knights) ; Panthers and Canes (not v Bolts) this year

        Maybe 160 + full games this year plus highlights nightly (NHL Live)…. IMVHO … North is the weakestDiv

        As at now …. current rosters throughout league

        I can’t see Leafs winning a series against any of these teams

        Bolts, Canes, Knights, Avs, Caps, Isles, Pens

        So as at now … Leaf path to SCF; IMHO…. Can only happen if miraculously Panthers come out of Central AND NHL decides to pair up North/Central in semis ; OR NHL pairs up East v North, Bruins pick up their socks ; and win both series in East, then after that surge … fall apart v Leafs

        Then if those two ridiculously long odds situations happen… Leafs will lose to one of Knights or Avs in SCF

        So Dubas… all moves have to have window of ‘22-‘24 in mind…. unless you are doing a massive long term HUGE player for player swap right now….. and that’s talking in the ilk of Doughty in a to-through (Leafs only get 25% of Cap) in and Kerfoot out…. obviously with buckets O’ futures exiting as well…… so…. aim for ‘22-‘24

      • This exercise followed by a simple request is respectfully directed to Pengy:

        If a had a magic wand and could reallocate leafs salaries and I did the following:

        1) took 3M from Tavares and gave it to Hyman (new salaries 8M and 5.25M respectively)

        2) took 1M from Nylander and gave it to Campbell (new salaries 5,962,000 and 2675090 respectively)

        3) took 1.3M from Matthews and gave it to Spezza whose production per TOI is tremendous (new salaries 10.634m and 2M respectively)

        4) took 2.6M from Marner and gave it to Holl who has been their best D for 2 seasons and will still only be 4th highest paid D (salaries 8.393M and 4.5M respectively).

        Question: The core 4 now only make 32.7m down 7.8m.is this more palatable?

        Answer: who cares. It is exactly the same roster and salaries neither score goals nor make saves. What you have invested in has zero bearing on if your team can win or not.

        They are 1st overall on NHL and you say they have “no chance”.

        Please stop with your constant insistence that money allocation has anything to do with a physical activity or it’s outcome. It has become more than boring.

        Thank you.

    • Hi WH17/Mike

      We’re both Leafs fans but obviously viewing from different lenses

      The math allocation you’ve done is not what I was talking about

      The roster as is, IMVHO …. I can’t see Leafs winning a series against any of
      Bolts, Canes, Knights, Avs, Caps, Isles, Pens

      I hope and pray that I’m wrong… I just can’t see it happening as at current Leafs roster and current rosters for those teams

      I’ve been a Leafs fan approaching 5 1/2 decades

      I wish tremendously that they win a cup in the next few years… but IMVHO… change has to happen first

      The 1/2 Cap on 4 players has them in a bind to make moves that would move the needle in the right direction towards getting them to the promised land in their window … ‘22 to ‘ 24

      I’m loving the Campbell train but don’t necessarily see him alone as the saviour in goal that get’s them to the SCF in June of ‘22

      As at now Leafs have just over $13 M for 10 players next year…. and that is with Hutchinson backing up Campbell…. and no Hyman signed yet

      Campbell/Hutchinson tandem is one serious injury to Campbell away from a disaster

      Let’s say somehow a miracle (and it would be) happens and Hyman and a better back-up come in at $6.5 M extra over current combined…. leaving under $7 M for 8 players… averaging then less than $875K each … that’s spending to the absolute ceiling with no room for short term call ups

      So… to me… that next year’s roster is not as good as this year’s roster

      Unless Leafs go 8/1 (which they might) instead of 7-3-1 in the Seattle draft…. they are vulnerable to likely losing Holl

      Change needs to happen for a chance at the cup

      AM and JT (his choice) are not going anywhere

      MM …. I love him and many teams would… but just these other teams can’t fit in the Cap

      So to make the team better, I keep circling back to WW’s Cap of $7M

      If that $7M was not on one forward but say a solid and rugged mid 20’s 3C and a solid bottom pairing RHD plus a depth player…. 3 spots on roster vs 1… then Leafs have only 6 (not 8 ) positions to fill with the balance listed above (just less than $7 M)…. so technically those 6 can average $1.15 M instead of the $875 (max) listed above

      Again … hoping and praying I’m wrong…. just can’t see it happening at all this year

      Dubas still has but 1 day left to pull a rabbit out of a hat

  6. There should be some good action tomorrow before 3:00

    Leafs will definitely make a move in goal
    To pass on Savard , at an affordable price , something more intense must be on the agenda …
    Irregardless, Tampa and Colorado are the favourites ..

    Islanders, Vegas , sleepers

    Toronto , coming out of the toughest division .. Lol .. We will see !

    • ShaneinTpa

      I can’t see the significant pics , u referring to

      • The loss of the first round pick this year will force Tampa to lose either more roster players or high quality prospects to move Johnson’s contract en route to cap compliancy. Savard is a great fit but they won’t be able to keep him

  7. Love the high scoring games and especially with AM going 3G 1A and MM 1G3A…. I’ve no idea what Smith was thinking up 3-2 when Marner scored to make it 3-3 and not challenging G-Chuck’s goaltender interference

    That would have had them up 3-2; just off 2 quick goals; evaporate Leafs surge; and being on PP…. so as a Leafs fan, great non move Smith 👍👍😄😄

    Bruins… uh oh…. if I was a Bruins fan…. storm Sweeney Rez and light a fire to his butt to make a move. As a Pens fan…. Dear Mr. Sweeney….I humbly explore you to stand firm on no moves. Please and thanks.

    I see McD’s negativity re playing after the memorial. Showed in the players. That said…. goaltending for the Oil… uh oh. If I’m an Oil fan…. storm Hollan Rez and light a fire to his butt to make a move. As a Leaf fan …. Dear Mr.Holland….I humbly explore you to stand firm on no moves. Please and thanks.

    Panthers…. Bobo got outperformed by WhoDohBo…. Zito …. you want to perform in the playoffs… not a time to move Drieger…. Bobo’s up and down performance is dangerous as is trying to go into the playoffs with your Teenage Wunderkind as a back-up. Not a time to gamble on a teenager…. has bright future but youngsters can get spooked and playoffs too much risk for that move

  8. Love the high scoring games and especially with AM going 3G 1A and MM 1G3A…. I’ve no idea what Smith was thinking up 3-2 when Marner scored to make it 3-3 and not challenging G-Chuck’s goaltender interference

    That would have had them up 3-2; just off 2 quick goals; evaporate Leafs surge; and being on PP…. so as a Leafs fan, great non move Smith 👍👍😄😄

    Bruins… uh oh…. if I was a Bruins fan…. storm Sweeney Rez and light a fire to his butt to make a move. As a Pens fan…. Dear Mr. Sweeney….I humbly explore you to stand firm on no moves. Please and thanks.

    I see McD’s negativity re playing after the memorial. Showed in the players. That said…. goaltending for the Oil… uh oh. If I’m an Oil fan…. storm Hollan Rez and light a fire to his butt to make a move. As a Leaf fan …. Dear Mr.Holland….I humbly explore you to stand firm on no moves. Please and thanks.

    Panthers…. Bobo got outperformed by WhoDohBo…. Zito …. you want to perform in the playoffs… not a time to move Drieger…. Bobo’s up and down performance is dangerous as is trying to go into the playoffs with your Teenage Wunderkind as a back-up. Not a time to gamble on a teenager…. has bright future but youngsters can get spooked and playoffs too much risk for that move

    • Hi Lyle

      Sorry about that

      The site (and post was just hanging without doing anything)….not posting in my browser

      After 5 mins I just refreshed the site

      Looks like it posted twice

      I tried to also post on rumours but as at now not showing…. and it was hung on their as well???

      • Hey, Pengy, we encountered some technical difficulties. Seems to be sorted out now.

      • Cheers and thanks Lyle

    • Well, at least the Sens didn’t make it easy for Campbell to stretch his record. Hamburglar 2?

  9. As Joe mentioned no

    Rask
    Halak
    McAvoy
    Carlo
    Grizz
    Miller

    Your 2 top goalies and top 4 dman out against Washington.

    The stage is set for a blow out. But I’m predicting Boston 3 Washington 2

    The forwards will play a strong d game. They will have to help

    Lauzon
    Zboril
    Clifton
    Kampher
    Tinordi?
    Ahcan?

    Not sure if the Bruins had a full team this season, so don’t know what they really are. But I don’t see a cup contender.

    • On the bright side the young guys are getting valuable playing time in tough situations.
      Where’s Vaak?

  10. Biggest move Dubas can make before the deadline is to move Dermott and Kerfoot for picks, and promote Robertson and Sandin. It will make the team better. Unless, Dubas can pry out Edmunson, Gudas, Ristolainen out if there respective teams. All three of those guys Dubas could have signed in the past via free agency. Why do the leafs keep putting out Dermott, when they can let few guys in the Marlies get their feet wet with the Leafs.

    • Hi Mike
      Leafs desperately need a goalie
      Ullmark is supposedly off the market …
      Campbell is well liked , unknown injury , will not stand up to intense playoff hockey …

      Anderson , hopefully LTIR …
      Something significant is hopefully, in the works !!

      I am a huge Marchand fan , If not the Leafs, than the Bruins !

  11. Habs acquired Jon Merrill for a 5th and a minor leaguer, I never heard of this guy, anybody following that division or Wings have something to share about him?

    A quick look shows him to be a depth third pairing stay at home D with experience.

    • Hi HabsFan30

      Was a little surprised at the move

      Could have gone for DelZ… lower cap hit; less in trade; better D-Man IMHO