NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 7, 2021
The Golden Knights tie their series with the Avalanche, the Canadiens take a commanding lead over the Jets, the Selke Trophy finalists are announced, Canada wins gold at the World Championships, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
NHL.COM: A hat trick by Jonathan Marchessault powered the Vegas Golden Knights to a 5-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. William Karlsson collected three assists as the Golden Knights tied their second-round series at two games apiece. Game 5 goes Tuesday in Colorado.
Vegas Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vegas began outplaying the Avalanche midway through Game 2. Despite losing that one in overtime, they have been in control of this series over the last two games.
The Golden Knights dominated Game 4, prompting one Denver columnist to call upon Colorado head coach Jared Bednar to shuffle his lineup for Game 5. If the Avs don’t do something to regain the momentum they’ll be hitting the golf course before the end of this week.
The Montreal Canadiens took a commanding 3-0 series lead over the Winnipeg Jets with a 5-1 win. Joel Armia scored two goals and collected an assist while Carey Price made 26 saves. The Canadiens have won six straight stretching back to their first-round series with the Toronto Maple Leafs. They can complete the sweep tonight in Game 4 at the Bell Centre.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Winnipeg tried to get off to a fast start but their game plan was quickly derailed when Corey Perry opened the scoring for Montreal in the first period. The Jets sagged like a slowly leaking balloon after that, looking nothing like the team that swept the Edmonton Oilers from the first round.
The Canadiens didn’t emerge unscathed from Game 3 as defenseman Jeff Petry spent the third period on the bench with a hand injury. An update on his status is expected later today.
Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron, and Vegas Golden Knights winger Mark Stone are this year’s finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy.
BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins center David Krejci was fined $5,000.00 by the NHL department of player safety for spearing New York Islanders center Mathew Barzal in the groin during Game 3 on Saturday.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The initial call was a five-minute major for spearing but was changed to a two-minute minor for…slashing. Yet another puzzling call in a postseason that’s seen more than its share.
TSN: The Canadian government has issued a travel exemption to allow the winner of the North Division and their American opponents to cross the border during the semifinals and Stanley Cup Final. The NHL’s plan, approved by the provincial governments of Alberta, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec, includes a number of rules and protocols players and teams must abide by, including pre-and post-departure COVID-19 screenings whenever teams cross the border.
The restrictions include American teams playing in Canada and the Canadian team playing in the US to quarantine in designated hotels, allowed only to visit the arena where they’re playing. There are also restrictions on who the players can interact with.
SI.COM/THE HOCKEY NEWS: Ottawa Senators forward Nick Paul scored in overtime as Canada defeated Finland 3-2 to win the 2021 World Championship in Riga, Latvia. Senators forward Connor Brown was the tournament’s leading scorer with 16 points while Calgary Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane was named tournament MVP.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was an impressive victory for Canada, which dropped its first three games in the tournament before roaring back to win it all. Canadian head coach Gerard Gallant will likely draw even more interest from NHL clubs seeking new bench bosses during the offseason. Gallant is reportedly on top of the New York Rangers’ wish list.
THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: Flyers assistant coach Ian Laperriere was named head coach of their AHL affiliate in LeHigh Valley.
Well now we see George if political careers are destroyed or not.
The protocols are, on the surface, much more rigid than those applied to others … but if there’s an upswing traceable to them, the questions will start …
And why can’t the same protocols apply to baseball?
George it is obvious. It s because the Expos don’t play in Montreal.
LOL. Probably a LOT of truth in that Old Blue Dog.
If bruins don’t win tonight they’ll be heading for that faraway farway. Should have won game four have to score more than one or two goals. Need some goals attention Jake, Coyle etc. Get it done!!
Trade everybody …
The old adage … you can’t trade everyone but you can fire the coach. It’s overdue.
I’m sure swayman could pump in a hatty
The Jets, who looked like serious contenders in that 4 game sweep of Edmonton, suddenly look like the Jets who couldn’t get out of their own way during that long late season funk. Dubois looks useless.
Does anybody remember when there was a strike at the CBC and the games were shown without commentators just ice level microphones.
I think it was the French CBC, so you could watch it in English with commentators or in French with the microphones.
I left English CBC then, watching it with the swish of blades, thwack of sticks and the yelling on the ice felt like being at the game.
The Torontocentric media needs a reality check and they make it as hard as that Jack from Boston. TBH if he’s announcing a game I just put it on mute.
I was shocked but admittedly not surprised when they suggested that Hellebuyck should begin to embellish and draw penalties.
Really?? Commentators and panelists on supposedly National TV stating that Hellebuyck embellish to draw penalties??
Considering that the Habs have scored more shorthanded goals than the Jets have on the powerplay their wishful thinking might get a huge dose of Karma.
Craig Simpson is the worst in the business.
Hughson, although he can call a good game, is also terribly biased.
Yes these commentators are the reasons so many have warped opinions about players. I remember that time there was just the on ice sounds and no talking….it was like being there. No one talking nonsense that distracts you from the action because, like you guys, can’t beleive they said something sooooo dumb. It’s refreshing to see them wreck other teams games with poor commentary and not just every Leafs game they broadcast.
What needs to happen, someone needs to drop Perry likes there is no tomorrow.
Winnipeg is making it far to easy for the Habs
caper,
Stanley has tried, two elbows to Perry’s face that knocked him to his butt, both uncalled!
Perry replied with a goal and assist. 🙂
Jets aren’t making it easy, they are being outplayed.
The fourth game is the hardest to win and I expect the Jets to go down fighting
The jets are being heavily outplayed the habs are just the better team.
HF30,
They’re less a group of homers than they used to be.
I still remember the astute comment that it wouldn’t matter so much if they would only wear their team jerseys (Toronto and Boston) up front on the show.
It this comment was Kelly Hrudey after all, and he was the only one.
Further, you could hardly call him a “commentator” on the basis of observation quality.
rich
rich,
I said commentators and panelists.
Hrudey said he embellished all the time and the other panelists agreed it was a strategy Hellebuyck .
At minimum they should have said no to it and mentioned he could/would be penalized for it.
Congratulations to Gallant and Team Canada for a great comeback from an 0-3 series start to win it all. Nice (for me anyway 🙂 ) to see a couple of Senators be instrumental in the win, especially Connor Brown
agreed George , I was especially happy for Max Comtois after all the grief he took when the Canadian Jr team did not medal in 2019.
& George I was wrong about Paul , I know you have been high on him for a couple of years. He used to skate like a kid wearing his older brothers skates that were 2 sizes too big but he has really worked on his game and it shows. He is still not graceful but he works hard , very good positionally and plays both ways. He learned from Stone’s time in Ottawa , lots of stick checks and take away’s ( raked 15th )
Fergy22 – Paul is a classic example of a player who had to develop his game – and learn to use his size – in all situations in the AHL. I’m hoping for the same result from Logan Brown. And that guy can skate to go along with his size. But he must learn to use both effectively and consistently.
Good observation on Comtois, Fergy.
Team Canada struggled in the round robin, barely backed into the medal round and then got hot and won it all. This gives us Habs fans more hope.
Finally I scroll down and see posts that acknowledge Team Canada’s remarkable comeback win for gold!
One reason I like watching our national teams is that I put away my partisan view of opposition players and get to enjoy them on their own merit.
Magiapane went from a little gnat to a very good player just by a change of uniform. Marchant went from a weasel to a player whose skill I admire. And yes, I look forward to Scheifele in a Team Canada jersey at the Olympics.
Mangiapane, is a very good player. Congrats to Team Canada on their Gold Medal and to Mangi for winning the MVP
I don’t think Gallants coaching in this years iihf will have much impact on him getting offers. I’m still waiting to hear that Hartley has interviewed with Rangers. Drury played for him in Colorado. His resume shows championships in AHL,nhl, and khl. And coached Latvia in 1st game that Canada lost
The IIHF would have had even less of an impact had they continued the weak 0-3 start, including a loss to Latvia and a hammering by the U.S. (some pundits were calling it the “worst IIHF team ever assembled by Canada ….”).
@Caper: Since “someone needs to drop Perry likes there is no tomorrow,” should that person avoid responsibility and whine and cry about how the suspension is excessive like Scheifele? Should he complain about criticism to his family while having no concern, remorse or apology for the damage this person does to Perry or to PERRY’S family (like Scheifele did)?
I hear about the loss of Scheifele to the Jets lineup but have not heard about the loss of Evans to the Habs lineup (and Evans was the victim here, NOT Scheifele – Scheifele created his own fate, Evans did NOT.)
Nasdaq40 you should Habfan30 reply. It’s well said.
Why are you still whining about Scheifele, his absence has made it easier for the Habs.
Everyone hopes for a speedy recovery for Evans.
My comment knocking Perry on his @ss isn’t about trying to injure him, it about making life difficult for him.
If he wants to wave his stick at Hellebuyck, a good slash to the ankles would be nice, a couple of crosschecks that he likes to throw and not get penalized for would also be nice.
Do Corey Perry to Corey Perry.
It’s been done to him many times by many teams. But unlike a lot of players who can’t take that sort of contact/intimidation, Perry just shrugs it off as part of the game … and carries on without any change in his approach. He’s been doing that since he joined the league.
Evans needs to keep his head up if he wants a NHL career. Front of the net, you know someone’s coming, safe play is putting the puck in the corner and eating the clock. Hitting will need to be banned if guys are no longer required to protect themselves.
It’s a shame (Joe Sakic) that the Avs don’t have someone that could take that smug cocky look off of Ryan Reaves’ face …
The pace of that game last night between the Avs and Knights was incredible …
and my sincere apologies to Ducharme who I wrote earlier looked like a deer in headlights … he has pushed all the right buttons and has his team looking to sweep the dirty Jets …
Habs or Jets will be overwhelmed in next round. Vegas and Colorado both are flying can’t see anyone skating with those two teams. Governments decision on allowing hockey players to cross border but not their own citizens shows you it’s not about your health it’s about control.
Obe finally you said some right! “it’s about control”, correct of a disease that’s deadly and as we’ve seen, unless you had you head in the sand, uncontrollable. See how you were right there?
I watched the Avs last night. Didn’t look like they were flying. But I do agree that either of those teams would be heavily favored in the next round.
Maybe if we wear our favorite teams hockey jersey the will allow us to cross the border to visit loved ones…
Montreal has been playing truly amazing. Truly riding a momentum and playing their game, implementing a system, and dictating the pace. Yes, Price is also helping in a big way, but the Habs are keeping the shots low. I figured this would be a fast exist to the Jets … now I don’t expect to see the Habs in the Cup finals … but I don’t think that Vegas/Coloardo will have a cake walk with that team.
They are easily the story of the playoffs thus far! I think we could have easily said they were the worst team that qualified and it wouldn’t be a stretch at all.
Tru dat, JJB. The Habs all but fell backwards into the playoffs.
There is no way they will win the Cup. And it is possible even if unlikely the Jets can come back. I am keeping my head down, my mouth shut (mostly 😉 and enjoying the ride. The Habs are playing with house money and it is great developmental experience for their young guns.
I like Gallagher’s comment on the Staal, Perry, Armia line.
“Probably on the board, they’re listed fourth, but they’re definitely not a fourth line. They’re playing big-boy hockey. ”
That’s a team built for playoff hockey.
I don’t know what will happen in the next series but I look forward to it.
Those already writing them off could be in for a big surprise – including Colorado or Vegas.