NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 5, 2021

by | Nov 5, 2021 | News, NHL | 26 comments

Patrice Bergeron and Brock Nelson each have four-goal performances, the aftermath of the Jack Eichel trade and much more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Patrice Bergeron had a natural hat trick (all on the power play) on his way to a four-goal performance as the Boston Bruins beat the Detroit Red Wings 5-1. Brad Marchand collected four assists for the Bruins (5-3-0). Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin missed this game for personal reasons as his club’s record fell to 4-5-2.

Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bergeron, 36, became the second-oldest player behind Johnny Bucyk to score four goals in a game. Bucyk was 38 when he had his final four-goal game back in 1974.

New York Islanders center Brock Nelson also tallied four goals as his club whipped the Montreal Canadiens 6-2. Anthony Beauvillier had three assists and Zach Parise had two for the Isles (4-2-2) while the hapless Habs fall to 3-9-0. Canadiens forward Jonathan Drouin (day-to-day) missed the game with a head injury.

Jordan Eberle tallied the first hat trick in Seattle Kraken history in a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Jaden Schwartz had a goal and two assists for the Kraken (4-6-1) while the Sabres 5-4-1 dropped their third straight game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken aren’t going to enjoy an inaugural season like the Vegas Golden Knights did but they’re off to a respectable start. They’re certainly not an easy two points.

The Florida Panthers extended their points streak to 10 games by nipping the Washington 5-4 on an overtime goal by Eetu Luostarinen. Aleksander Barkov scored twice for the Panthers (9-0-1), who blew 2-0 and 4-1 leads as the Capitals (5-1-4) battled back to force the extra frame. Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky left the game with an upper-body injury in the first period. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin had three points, including his 740th career goal to put him one behind Brett Hull for fourth on the all-time goal-scoring list.

John Tavares’ game-tying goal late in the third period set the stage for William Nylander’s overtime winner as the Toronto Maple Leafs (6-4-1) rallied to down the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1. Pat Maroon scored for the Lightning (5-3-2). The Leafs have won four straight. Tavares took exception to an illegal hit to the head by Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev on Mitch Marner, immediately coming to his teammate’s defense. Sergachev received a two-minute penalty. 

The Vegas Golden Knights improved their record to 5-5-0 by dropping the Ottawa Senators 5-1. Robin Lehner made 38 saves for the win and Jonathan Marchessault scored two goals. Brady Tkachuk replied for the Senators as their record slips to 3-6-1.

An overtime goal by Kris Letang lifted the Pittsburgh Penguins (4-3-2) over the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 to snap a three-game losing streak. Tristan Jarry picked up the win with a 36-save effort. The Penguins played without head coach Mike Sullivan as he entered the COVID protocol. Travis Konecny and Scott Laughton scored for the Flyers (5-2-2).

Jamie Benn scored in overtime as the Dallas Stars (4-4-2) broke a four-game skid to snuff out the Calgary Flames 4-3. Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen picked up three assists. The Flames (6-1-3) extended their points streak to nine games.

The St. Louis Blues extended their record to 7-1-1 with a 5-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Brandon Saad scored two goals for the Blues while Joel Hofer had a 23-save performance to win his NHL debut. The Sharks slip to 6-4-0.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: In an interview with Elliotte Friedman, Jack Eichel thanked Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams for trading him to a team where he can under disc replacement surgery to repair a herniated disc in his neck, as well as providing him an opportunity to continue his playing career elsewhere. The Sabres traded the 25-year-old center on Thursday to the Vegas Golden Knights.

Eichel admitted he initially requested a trade following the 2019-20 season after the Sabres failed to qualify for the playoff bubble. He felt the club was heading toward another rebuild but he didn’t want to be a part of that. The 25-year-old center expressed regret over the club’s inability to improve during his tenure. “I really wish that we had won more for the fans because I felt they really deserved it,” he said.

Eichel also spoke about the impasse with the Sabres over his preferred choice of treatment for his injury. The club preferred a spinal fusion over disc replacement because the latter had never been done on an NHL player before. He understood the Sabres’ rights within the CBA giving them the final say but felt it was his body and thus his decision. He hopes to undergo the surgery next week.

Vegas Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon expects Eichel will be sidelined three-to-five months recovering from the disc replacement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some fans have criticized Eichel for not doing more to make the Sabres a better club during his tenure but I think that’s an unfair assessment. He led all Sabres with 355 points in 375 games during his tenure, averaging 0.95 points per game.

The fault lies with the Sabres front office. Three general managers failed to surround Eichel with a strong supporting cast while four different head coaches led to constantly changing systems that hurt some players’ development.

TSN: The New York Islanders traded the rights to defenseman Johnny Boychuk to the Sabres in exchange for future considerations. The move enables the Sabres to remain above the $60.2 million salary-cap minimum after trading Eichel yesterday. Boychuk is on permanent LTIR due to a career-ending eye injury and carries an cap hit of $6 million for this season.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes claimed goaltender Scott Wedgewood off waivers from the New Jersey Devils.

TSN: The executive board of the NHL Players Association voted to approve an independent investigation into the union’s handling of sexual assault allegations by Kyle Beach in 2010 against former Chicago Blackhawks video coach Bradley Aldrich. Beach said he informed the PA of the details of the allegations and blamed Donald Fehr, the union’s executive director, for turning his back on him.

NHL.COM: Marian Gaborik officially announced his retirement from the NHL after 17 seasons. He scored the first goal in Minnesota Wild history and went on to tally 407 goals and 815 points in 1,035 career games with the Wild, New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings and Ottawa Senators. He also netted 58 points in 84 career playoff games. He helped the Kings win the Stanley Cup in 2014.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Injuries hampered Gaborik throughout his career and ultimately brought his playing days to a close. When healthy, he was a talented scorer, tallying 30-plus goals seven times, including three seasons with 40-or-more goals. Best wishes to Gaborik and his family in their future endeavors.







26 Comments

  1. Well done, St. Patrice. Well done.
    Marchand is as good as any center in the league when it comes to puck distribution.
    It was nice to see the Bruins play again. Once that pp starts clicking, it’ll be the among the best in the league.

    • Hi SOP

      Didn’t see the game; good on PB

      Is your post a typo or am I reading/interpretting it incorrectly…. Marchand now playing centre?

      Or is the inference….. Marchand the winger, is as good as any centre….

      Note: I’ve not had my Tims yet this morning

      • Hey, Pengy. I was comparing Marchand the winger to be as good at play making as any center in the league.

      • Cheers and thanks SOP

        Was my non caffeinated brain asking the Q

    • While not as flash as 4 goals, it was also pretty incredible that Bergeron won 16 of 19 faceoffs last night…truly one of the most complete players in the league.

      • DoubleMinor– How true. If Bergeron were the standard, agents would never use comparables to argue for pay raises for their player clients.

  2. Leafs win 👍👍

    Pens win 👍👍

    Question out to Chrisms (as a Pens fan AND being in the medical field) and to any local Pens fans (in Pitt area…. I’m in the GTA)…

    With so many Pens getting Covid…. making their collective percentage below efficacy rates (for the gen pop) and these are toned athletes and all vaccinated…. Is there another variant that is now super strong in the Pitt area causing so many breakthrough cases?

    I haven’t found anything on-line yet about that

    Have you heard anything on it?

    Was thinking of heading down and just wanted to reach out to see if any of you knew

    Thanks in advance

    • The hospital I work at hasn’t seen any spike in cases from a bunch to a ton….

      • Your courage, selflessness and dedication is humbling after what has transpired over the last couple years Chrisms.

        Thanks dude !

      • Thanks Chrisms (re response)

        And ditto FD’s response…. Kudos out to all in your field, all first responders during this trying times
        👍👍👍

      • Obliged gentlemen. Unfortunately it’s just sorta become the norm. Another day in the “office”

      • Cheers to you!

    • Hey Pengy,

      I live in the metro Pittsburgh area. The Covid spike affecting the Pens does not seem to be affecting the general population, the Steelers, or the Pitt Panther NCAA football team. The Pirates are unaffected, but that’s because they stink and never make the playoffs.

      Seems as if the Penguins are just unlucky at the moment. Sid has the worst luck with health ailments. Remember when he got the mumps? Who gets the mumps, i mean, seriously?

      • Thanks Randino

        Absolutely re Sid…. Very unlucky

        I’d forgotten that he’d been hit with the mumps

        Geesh, when it rains it pours

        Has he had his Typhoid shot?

  3. Interesting about Gaborik.
    Weren’t the Sens the last team “holding the bag” on that contract? I’m guessing it pays him next to nothing in this final year or he’d still be on LTIR?

    Also, thank you for not recapping that Vegas game. They played some AHL team last night, with a Junior B coach.

    • You got that right Dark G. Smith, for some reason, insists on having “veteran” D around – last season it was Coburn and Gudbranson who spent more time on the ice as spectators and helped in no small way to dig an early hole, and now it’s Del Zotto and Holden (a combined -4 last night) who should pay for tickets.

      Mind you, the disinterest among the Fs in back-checking helped make them look even worse in no small way.

      No one expects them to surge into playoff contention this season, but for crying out loud get some bodies in there on the back end who can at least SKATE – like Bernard-Docker, Thompson and Brannstrom.

      If Smith objects show him the bloody door.

      • Hi Dark G

        He rec’d his final cheque (insurance company) a couple of months ago for his $3.1 M owed for last year (not sure if that is parsed back by escrow…. Anybody??)

        If he came back at 39 claiming his itch is gone…. All he’ll would follow via the media

        That’s why I’ve said before re Weber and notion of retiring…. Why give up sure money from insurance payouts

      • Hey Pengy, I think it was Hossa with the allergies…

      • Hi Flying V

        Yes I did mix the two up ….doh!

        Thanks

        Their commonality lies in retiring on LTIR, both Slovakian; both forwards…. That’s about it

        Both got insurance cheques up to a couple of months ago…

        20-21 Hossa earned $1.0 M; Gaborik $3.1 M (for both I’ve no idea re escrow and whether in’s company keeps that amount from their cheques and sends the escrow to the teams??)

  4. Watched the hit by Sergachev on Marner; is there a suspension coming? Or because Marner got back up and help setup the ot winner; nothing to see here.

    • Hi Caper

      Accuracy on guessing correctly on what Parros does/doesn’t do is at an all time low

      Trips with player getting right back up are warranting action by Parros; while Ovi has done full force ; completely on the numbers ; hit from behind; massive impact into the boards …. Nothing

      Don’t get me started re Wilson

      Parros is just not right for the job

      My guess is that Serg gets anything from a high five from Parros to a 20 game suspension

      Parros is warming up the magic 8 ball for consultation on this

      Perhaps Parros is calling up the late Richard Dawson on this…..

      “survey says….”

      • Pengy i’ve seen a couple of the cross checks by Ovie and most definitely suspension worthy; a 5 minute major would also be nice.

      • Hi Caper

        Even a 2 min penalty would be nice

        He skates Scott free on infractions so very very often

  5. It’s going to be rough for the Lightning to continue on without their cup MVP Gaborik!

    I wonder if they’ll raise the Cup banner and Gaboriks number the same day?

  6. Having watched the Sergachev hit over and over, Marner’s head did snap back but he got hit in the chest.
    Marner’s chest “the principle point of contact” and his head wasn’t hit at all.

    Hitting an unsuspecting opponent? Yes. but that rarely gets called.

    Then again, DOPS never fails to surprise

    • You were right about the Sunban slewfoot on Reaves. He’s done that same sneaky move several times since.