NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 6, 2021
Oilers stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl enjoy multi-point performances against the Rangers, Carey Price will soon return to the Canadiens, Brady Tkachuk named captain of the Senators, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Connor McDavid’s game-tying goal set the stage for Leon Draisaitl’s overtime winner as the Edmonton Oilers overcame 4-1 and 5-4 deficits to defeat the New York Rangers 6-5. McDavid, Draisaitl and Tyson Barrie each finished the night with a goal and two assists while Jesse Puljujarvi tallied twice and Darnell Nurse collected three assists for the Oilers. Mika Zibanejad scored two goals for the Rangers. Before the game, the Oilers honored former defenseman Kevin Lowe by retiring his No. 4 jersey.
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid’s highlight-reel goal was another example of why he’s the best hockey player in the world right now. He stickhandled through four Rangers inside the New York blueline at high speed before tucking the puck past a sprawling Alexandar Georgiev. Draisaitl (23 points) and McDavid (22) are currently the NHL’s leading scorers.
Unanswered goals by Matt Duchene and Philip Tomasino lifted the Nashville Predators to a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Predators goalie Juuse Saros made 26 saves while teammate Mikael Granlund picked up two assists. Brock Boeser and Nils Hoglander scored for the Canucks.
The Winnipeg Jets downed the Chicago Blackhawks 5-1. Andrew Copp collected three assists while Kyle Connor and Nikolaj Ehlers each had a goal and an assist. The Jets (6-2-2) are off to their best start since relocating to Winnipeg in 2011 while the sad-sack Blackhawks fall to 1-9-2.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Something’s gotta give for the Blackhawks soon. It could be a trade or a coaching change but this is a team badly in need of a shakeup. Another month of this and they can kiss their already fading playoff chances goodbye. Then again, whatever they do will probably already be too late to reverse their fortunes this season.
Anaheim Ducks goaltender Anthony Stolarz made 28 saves to backstop his club over the Arizona Coyotes 3-1. Adam Henrique had a goal and an assist for the Ducks, who honored team captain Ryan Getzlaf before the game for becoming the highest-scoring player in team history. The Coyotes have yet to win a game this season, sitting 0-10-1.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game highlighted two rebuilding clubs going in different directions. The Ducks (5-4-3) are off to a better than expected start while the Coyotes are feeling the effects of management’s offseason teardown moves that depleted the club’s depth, especially in goal. The Ducks still aren’t guaranteed to reach the playoffs but they’re showing early signs of becoming more competitive. The Coyotes, meanwhile, are going to endure a very long and difficult season.
The Los Angeles Kings nipped the New Jersey Devils 3-2 on an overtime goal by Alex Iafallo. Adrian Kempe and Arthur Kaliyev also scored for the Kings while Jesper Bratt and Pavel Zacha replied for the Devils.
HEADLINES
MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens goaltender Carey Price will rejoin the club on Monday following a 30-day stint in the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. However, there’s no timetable for when he’ll return to action.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Price was recovering from offseason knee surgery prior to entering the program. It will likely take some time, perhaps several weeks, before he’s ready for game action. Nevertheless, it’s good to see that Price feels well enough mentally to make this first step toward resuming his career.
OTTAWA SUN: The Senators named Brady Tkachuk as their new captain on Friday. The Senators also placed winger Auston Watson in COVID protocol.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators haven’t had a team captain since trading Erik Karlsson to the San Jose Sharks in 2018. It’s an unsurprising choice as it had been speculated Tkachuk or Thomas Chabot would be named captain at some point this season. He leads by example on the ice and has become the face of the franchise.
Brady’s brother, Calgary Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk was fined $5,000.00 for high-sticking Dallas Stars defenseman John Klingberg.
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets winger Patrik Laine will be sidelined for four-to-six weeks with a strained oblique.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A tough setback for Laine, who was off to a good start with 10 points in nine games before the injury. He had just 21 points in 45 games with the Jackets last season.
NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON: Capitals forward Anthony Mantha is sidelined indefinitely after undergoing shoulder surgery.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Injuries continue to plague Mantha, who’s been sidelined in recent years with an injured lung, a broken hand, a fractured finger and a groin injury.
STLTODAY.COM: The St. Louis Blues placed Torey Krug and Niko Mikkola in COVID protocol and announced center Brayden Schenn will be sidelined for two games with an upper-body injury. Ryan O’Reilly has come out of COVID protocol.
TAMPA BAY TIMES: The NHL department of player safety handed down a two-game suspension to Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev for an illegal hit to the head of Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner on Thursday.
NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: The San Jose Sharks reassigned winger William Eklund to his Swedish Hockey League club, Djurgardens IF, to save a year of the 19-year-old rookie’s contract.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a difficult decision by the Sharks. Eklund collected four assists in nine games and show considerable potential. The youngster is disappointed by the move but I expect he’ll be back full-time with the Sharks next season.
McD’s goal was just sick
Even if the rink was 50% smaller he looks sick
That was just something to watch over and over
Yep. That was a great goal by a very special player. Brought me outta my chair!
If the Oil can upgrade thier goalie situation, I wouldn’t bet against them coming out of the West.
Seems like both McDavid and Leon do as they please, whenever they please.
I don’t like the Oilers, but I sure as hell tune in whenever they’re playing. They’re giving fans what we want…….. Entertainment.
That was pure entertainment
Brought you outta your chair… I knocked Mrs Pengy out of bed… and I was in the family room
Oh yeah? Mrs. Shoreorrpark called me to ask what the ruckus was all about, and roughly 973km from her.
LOL
Sergachev suspension….
I don’t have issues with suspending for dangerous hits; unsuspecting hits etc
I do take issue with Parros and his maniacal inconsistencies
Trips are getting fines
Ovi is consistently over-looked for full tilt , full numbers, hit from behind; recipient face plant to the boards…. Not even a call from Parros
Don’t get me started on how Parros completely ignores the wrath of Wilson
Sergachev’s hit was unsuspecting (to Marner) , was blindside, was while he was being hooked; BUT… Marner was the puck carrier, hit was to the shoulder (inertia of hit snapped head back); Marner not injured … one game IMHO would have been appropriate
Per Parros …. And this is a direct quote from DOPS … “It is important to note that Marner’s head is the main point of contact on this hit.”
It wasn’t… not at all
I’ve watched this clip no less than 20 times. Full speed looks awful; and if Parros makes that statement from one look at full speed ….. then that’s bad, but his statement wouldn’t be a lie (as he’d fully believe it to be a hit to the head)…. Parros of corse in that case would be grossly adjucticating w/0 further and closer review
However that is NOT the case. DOPS per mandate must review (over and over in slow mo)
Slow mo clearly shows shoulder; continuing through front of chest, inertia driving head back…. So out and out fabricated statement by Parros
Had the big man actually had hit Marner in the head…. Marner wouldn’t jump back up
Again the issue is NOT what suspension Sergachev got; it’s not Parros fining for trips
2 games for Sergachev; 1 game for Sergachev; 4 games for Sergachev…. NOT the issue
It IS about Parros being completely inconsistent and when he ignores the obvious…. He ignores it big time; and does so repeatedly
It IS about Parros stating things that actually didn’t happen
It IS about Parros blatant favouritisms and his inconsistent wish-washy delving out of fines and/or suspensions
Wilson could very well end someone’s career (heaven forbid their life); and Parros would have culpability IMHO (legally culpable in the courts…. Not with a good lawyer behind him… but in reality his inconsistencies and his complete “turning a blind eye” to Wilson , to me, makes him partially to blame)
Wow what a goal .
Wow George Parros needs to go
Wow as a Hab fan glad to see Carey is doing better
Connor will go down as one the greatest of all time Even as a bruins fan I like watching other players, and that goal by Mcdavid, well he just beat the entire team on that rush. Scotty Bowman says Connor reminds him of Bobby Orr he ‘s never seen anyone so fast & dominant on the ice.
I don’t disagree with your Parros comment but what made you comment on him today?
FD it is just the inconsistent fines , suspensions . I have no problem with 2 games for Sergachev per say but if that was against someone not considered a top point producer it would not even been a fine . George just seems to spin a wheel most days is how it seems
Hi FD
I’ve been posting re Parros and his inconsistencies for over a year; and twice before this week
Post today as suspension was mentioned in Spectors post today
Parros HAS to go
Watched the Hawks last night to see if they are really that bad….yep, they’re really that bad!
Collington was just fired. There that should fix everything.
In light of the recent spate of Jack Eichel news, McDavid’s play seems eerily reminiscent of Jack’s end-to-end rush and score against the Canadiens, shown in a highlight film on the NHL.com Jack Eichel page. Maybe Jack’s goal wasn’t quite the equivalent of McDavid’s but it was good enough to show why the Golden Knights were so all-out for Jack .Not many can do that.