NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 18, 2021
The Blackhawks win their fourth straight, the Canucks woes continue, plus the latest injury updates and supplemental discipline in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: The Chicago Blackhawks remain undefeated under interim coach Derek King, doubling up the Seattle Kraken 4-2 for their fourth straight win. Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat each had a goal and an assist while Marc-Andre Fleury made 31 saves to hold off a late rally by the Kraken.
Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks (5-9-2) still have a ways to go if they hope to climb out of the early-season hole they dug for themselves. Another lengthy losing skid could undo their progress and damage their postseason hopes. Nevertheless, there’s no question they’re a different team under King. They’re also getting better goaltending from Fleury and backup Kevin Lankinen, which has been crucial to their recent improvement.
Caleb Jones made his season debut after being sidelined by a wrist injury, joining Seth Jones as the fifth set of brothers to play for the Blackhawks simultaneously in the franchise’s history. The others were Bobby and Dennis Hull, Doug and Max Bentley, Brent and Rich Sutter as well as Steve and Jeff Larmer.
Three unanswered third-period goals by Nazem Kadri, Cale Makar and Gabriel Landeskog rallied the Colorado Avalanche to a 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, handing the latter their fifth straight loss. Nazem Kadri and Mikko Rantanen each had a goal and two assists for the Avs, who tallied all but one of their four goals on the power play.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks’ league-worst penalty kill was once again their undoing. Team owner Francesco Aquilini will reportedly remain patient with this club following a meeting on Tuesday with general manager Jim Benning, but a few more losses like this one will test his patience.
Washington Capitals goaltender Ilya Samsonov kicked out 34 shots to blank the Los Angeles Kings 2-0, snapping the latter’s eight-game points streak. Two late goals by Garnet Hathaway gave the Capitals the win.
HEADLINES
FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov is listed as week-to-week following a knee-on-knee collision with New York Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield on Tuesday. Head coach Andrew Brunette said Barkov won’t require surgery.
NEW YORK POST: Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock will be sidelined four-to-six weeks with a lower-body injury.
MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher was fined $2,500.00 by the NHL department of player safety for sucker-punching New York Rangers forward Barclay Goodrow on Tuesday. Head coach Dominique Ducharme said forward Mathieu Perreault will require a second surgery on his injured eye, pushing back his return date by a couple of weeks.
NHL.COM: Calgary Flames forward Mikael Backlund was fined $5,000.00 for cross-checking Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny on Tuesday.
CBS SPORTS: Vegas Golden Knights forward Michael Amadio entered COVID protocol on Wednesday.
TSN: Speaking of the Golden Knights, they claimed forward Adam Brooks off waivers from the Montreal Canadiens.
NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks hired Rob Cookson as an assistant coach and elevated Marc Crawford to associate coach.
THE DENVER POST: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews was saddened by the flooding that has devastated his hometown of Abbotsford, B.C. “People literally rescuing livestock from drowning is quite sad to see,” said Toews. “It’s a resilient community and I know the people will bounce back and figure it out. But it’s pretty unfortunate and sad to see some of these videos.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daily Hive News has a list of links and information if you want to help British Columbia residents affected by this week’s flooding.
The chicaco blackhawks win thanks to Philipp Grubauer allowing 3 goals on 18 shots (.833 save percentage).
It’s really as simple as that.
Thought perhaps this excerpt from Garrioch’s column in the Ottawa Sun this morning may serve as a heads up as to how fast things can change for a team when it comes to the pandemic and so, not to be surprised at probable game postponements happening at a faster rate:
“Coach D.J. Smith had noted before that none of the Senators who tested positive was asymptomatic and all were dealing with side effects of COVID-19.
Michael Del Zotto, 31, was a guest on TSN 1050 in Toronto on Wednesday morning and gave people a glimpse of how the players are feeling. “Some guys have had some loss of taste and smell, and I think that’s about as serious as it’s gotten, at least to my knowledge,” Del Zotto told First Up with Aaron Korolnek and Carlo Colaiacovo. “Everyone is vaccinated so that certainly helps, but it’s scary how quickly it can spread and how quickly it went through the team.
We’re shut down for this week and who knows what happens next week?” Del Zotto said. “The last little bit it’s been like almost every day there’s one or two guys dropping (positive) tests. We’re tested three times a day and it’s just crazy how things can change.
“You do your normal PCR test in the morning or your rapid test, and some guys are negative, and then you take one before the game and the next thing you know they’re positive. The lineup changes before the game and it’s been a lot of uncertainty.”
interesting tidbit i read today tweeted by JFresh
“Which player leads the NHL 5v5 on-ice expected goals against per 60 among defensemen with 150+ minutes played”
Yes you guessed it’s Pengy “Jack Johnson”
Goodrow flops to the ice, gloves to his face while looking back to the ref to see if he got the call, his grin visible through the gloves.
It was a dumb play, Gallagher goaded into reacting but as he said post-game he gets hit to the face with regularity in net front scrums and doesn’t drop to the ice.
Agree on that take HF30, will just add that Gallagher deserves what he gets in front of the net, and he would likely agree.
How about DeBrincat scoring a beauty and winning a scrap in the same game. Stocky bugger. Didn’t look like his first go either.
I love how filthy bs plays are minimized by fans of the offender, yet if it were Goodrow throwing a sucker punch , you’d be screaming for a 10 game suspension. Smh!
Aww come on Captain, that wasn’t a big deal. Penalty ya, fine sure, he got both.
Not like Goodrow doesn’t dish out all the time. And yes I would be saying the exact same thing if it was reversed.
Goodrow would do exactly what he did again and hope for the same result, in fact he likely will.
Didn’t Larkin get 2 games for the same exact offense?
It’s pretty ridiculous that some players (this week alone, hello Gallagher , Subban and Crosby!!! 2 of the 3 offenses against NY. One of them costing a player a season. ) Get away with bs that other players would get suspended for doing.
While we’re on Pittsburgh, I guess settling a suit out of court protects Lemieux, Guerrin etc, while coach Q and Bowman get exiled?
Beyond ridiculous! Call it one way or don’t call it all. Let the NHL become the wwe!
Maybe when Tom Wilson ends Crosbys career it will be okay because Crosby wants to slam heads off the boards?
Fingers crossed!
A lot to unpack with that one Captain.
Not sure what Lemieux, Coach Q have to do with Gallagher, so will leave that alone and gave my take on that a few times when it was a topic on here.
What Crosby did was sweet FA. It was not a dangerous play IMO. And yes I have watched it numerous times. It was a penalty, he should have got one.
I didn’t think Larkin should have been suspended either, the guy who hit him from behind into the boards should have been.
That is a dangerous play that can end careers and leave guys in a wheelchair.
Hitting from behind into the boards (Ovie), head shots, what Wilson did to the Rangers and does somewhat regularly, are all more dangerous than what Crosby and Gallagher did.
IMO
What’s is it about Adam Brooks that he so quickly disenchants teams that once valued him? Montreal claimed him off waivers from Toronto just last month. and now Vegas has claimed him from Montreal. Yet, he’s played only 22 NHL games, and with respectable numbers. That hardly seems enough time to fairly evaluate him.
Does it tell us something about Vegas’s team-building strategy that they now have claimed two centers off waivers (Michael Amadio and Adam Brooks) within a month? Perhaps these guys are the Golden Knights’ mitigation plan should Jack Eichel not return to play.