NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 9, 2021
Alex Ovechkin ties Brett Hull for fourth on the all-time goal-scoring list, the Rangers hand the Panthers their first regulation loss, the Kings down the Leafs, the stars of the week are revealed & more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin tallied his 741st career goal in a 5-3 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Ovechkin moves into a tie with Brett Hull for fourth place on the all-time goal-scoring list. He also collected two assists in this contest while Tom Wilson scored twice and Evgeny Kuznetsov had three assists. The Sabres (5-5-2) have gone 0-4-1 in their last five games.
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).
The New York Rangers handed the Florida Panthers their first regulation loss this season by handing on for a 4-3 victory. The Blueshirts jumped to a 4-0 lead but needed a 42-save performance by Igor Shesterkin to get the win. Shesterkin is 8-0-0 when stopping 40-plus shots.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: So don’t worry about defense, Rangers, Shesterkin’s got your back. Kidding aside, the Blueshirts are fortunate to have a stellar young netminder between the pipes or this game would’ve had a different outcome. He was under siege in the third period as the Panthers outshot the Rangers 17-3.
Jonathan Quick kicked out 33 shots and Phillip Danault scored two goals and set up another as the Los Angeles Kings beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1. After going 1-5-1, the Kings have won five straight games.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Danault is no longer with the Montreal Canadiens but he continues to haunt the Leafs. His former club sorely misses his two-way skills as his departure is among the reasons the Habs are dreadful this season.
HEADLINES
NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl, Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell and Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Nov. 7, 2021.
LAS VEGAS SUN: Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel is looking forward to his upcoming artificial disc replacement surgery and resuming his career with his new club. Meeting with the press on Monday, he expressed relief that he can put the past eight months behind him.
Eichel also believes his standoff with the Buffalo Sabres over treatment for his injured neck could lead to changes in the collective bargaining agreement. Under the CBA, teams have the final say over the medical treatment of their players.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That change might have to wait until the next round of collective bargaining in 2026 or 2027 if it is extended for an additional year. Still, it’s a good bet the NHL Players Association will push for its members to have more say over decisions regarding hockey-related injuries.
TSN: In an interview with Rick Westhead, the mother of a former high school hockey player who was sexually assaulted by Bradley Aldrich was overcome with emotion watching Kyle Beach apologize to her son. She also thanked him for filing a police complaint against Aldrich, who allegedly sexually assaulted Beach during his tenure as the Chicago Blackhawks video coach in 2010.
Aldrich was allowed to step down from his job by the Blackhawks on his own terms with a positive reference letter from the club. While serving as a volunteer high school coach four years later, he pleaded guilty in Houghton, Michigan to sexually assaulting the high school player and served nine months in jail.
The player’s mother was also furious at NHL commissioner Gary Bettman for saying the league needed more information before it would commit to providing the same psychological counseling it is now providing for Beach. She called on Bettman to retire, accusing him of lacking empathy for kids and young players. “And if he needs more information, I got a whole folder full of it here for him he can read,” she said.
The player filed a lawsuit against the Blackhawks. The two sides are in settlement talks though the club is trying to have the suit dismissed.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The fallout from this scandal will continue to hang over the Blackhawks and the league for a long time. I also wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for Bettman’s retirement. I’ve also seen and heard calls from some pundits and one notable player agent demanding the 32 NHL team owners fire Bettman. That’s easier said than done because he only needs the support of eight team owners to remain in his job.
NORTHJERSEY.COM: New Jersey Devils forward Miles Wood is sidelined indefinitely after undergoing hip surgery on Monday.
OTTAWA SUN: The Senators canceled practice yesterday out of caution after two more players were placed on the COVID protocol list. Forwards Connor Brown and Dylan Gambrell joined winger Austin Watson, defenseman Nick Holden and associate coach Jack Capuano on the list.
Certainly don’t want to diminish the excellent play of Kings and Rangers as a team, but the big differences last night….
Quick definitely out-duelled Campbell while Leafs played crap Defensively; AND
Shesterkin completely Shestimied the Panthers and the youngster (Knight) certainly wants two givemies back
Loved the KM goal (good on him re interview after where he said “well I’ve been studying McDavid’s moves”)
Panthers still best team in the league IMHO; but I had only seen 3 Rangers games this year…. I have underestimated their talent; moxie; energy; drive
Metro Div , IMHO, toughest Div in league…. Sad for me as a fan of the decimated Pens… hoping for all (but Gino) back in next few days….. a few more 4 point losses and the gully just may be too deep to crawl out of
🙏🤞🙏🤞🙏🤞
He was studying Mcdavids moves as he absolutely undressed him and Trouba and 2 forwards on that goal last week?
This is one of the most eye-opening and tragic statements I have read about the NHL…. Re Bettman….
“ That’s easier said than done because he only needs the support of eight team owners to remain in his job.”
Are you kidding me? There can be a situation where 24 owners can absolutely hate him ; beg for his ousting…. And their wishes can be nixed by just 8 ?????
Holy crap
What kind of constitution is that?
1/3 decides over 2/3rds???
Transparancy here….I’m not a Bettman fan; haven’t been; won’t ever be
Set that aside….
1/3rd of owners dictate to 2/3rds ….. W O W ; U N B E L I E V A B L E
I am gobsmacked
Bettman insisted on it before going to battle with the NHLPA in the season-killing lockout of 2004-05. He didn’t want to risk a majority of owners second-guessing him during that standoff as they did in the 1994-95 lockout. They’ve been more than happy with him ever since thanks to his vanquishing the PA in 2005 and growing league revenue since then.
Thanks Lyle
That just adds fuel to my ire over this
He demanded (and got ) this insane clause…. Owners only have themselves to blame for this
I can maybe understand the “majority” stance over-ruling him…. But 8 over-ruling 22 (then)
Fairer and more logical for owners ; should have been a slight minority backig him…. Say 45% (at that time 14 owners over 16)
Even 40%….. at that time would mean 12 over-rule 18
But now 8….. have complete control over 24…, it is pure insanity
He can’t be ousted, no matter what
He’s got 8 or 9 that are buddy buddies with him that will never go against him
This is almost the positions that Kings had in Medieval times…. Impossible to speak out against and/or usurp; no matter what the King does or says
😢😢👎👎🤬🤬💩💩
I read some major sponsors are closely watching this and are not happy with how things are being handled Andrew he optics of this.
If say a major sponsor pulls themselves out I think Bettmans days will be numbered because his inaction, besides being despicable and is not seen favorable in this case, will cost the league millions.
Unfortunately, it’s a vail threat.
8 of 32, That would be 1/4 minority and 3/4 outraged majority
2.0
100%….. and insane and ludicrous
22 owners 17 years ago; need to have their heads examined
I guess the NHL Board of Governors operates like the US Senate.
All kidding aside, I agree that after nearly 30 years, and with birthday number 70 approaching, it’s time for Bettman to retire. Lyle talks about growing league revenues. Firstly, it’s debatable whether it’s attributable to Bettman. Revenues for all of the major sports leagues have increased dramatically, pandemic notwithstanding. That would have happened without him.
More importantly, it cannot be all about money. The NHL is in the middle of a serious crisis now. In dealing with it, Bettman has come off as a clueless relic of the past. It’s time for new leadership in the NHL. And that’s not necessarily a knock on Bettman. The time comes when we all have to ride into the sunset.
Agree 100 % Howard
Time to move on
And increase in Revs can in no way be attributable to one man and his decisions
As I told Howard, the NHL team owners will disagree with you, Pengy. Granted, it’s not all Bettman’s ideas, but he’s the one who spearheaded that revenue growth and why he’s still in the job today after nearly 30 years.
Howard, the majority of NHL owners will disagree with your assessment of Bettman. There are two reasons why he’s been in the job for nearly 30 years: the revenue growth during his watch and his crushing the NHLPA. Those facts are indisputable and why none of them are in any hurry to push him out of the job.
I guess that leaves it up to the people with the real power. We the fans. If we demand accountability in the former of empty seats and TV sets set elsewhere, maybe we’ll get some. But I’m not holding my breath. We’re all addicts.
Not happy with his statement here but bettman still remains one of the best things to happen to nhl in its history as a league. Miss handling this gives him a black eye but doesn’t warrant taking out back and being put down.
True Chrisms, and that makes it preposterous for someone to suggest that the owners are blaming themselves for retaining Bettman as commissioner. If a 25% owner vote were all that was required to oust Bettman, he’d probably still have his job. Because of him him, Don Fehr may be closer to losing his.
I wish they’d get rid of Bettman forever he’s turned a once proud sport into the National Honeysuckle league. The guy’s wrecked the league.I’d to see to see Gar given a one way ticket to lower slobovia.
“Eichel also believes his standoff with the Buffalo Sabres over treatment for his injured neck could lead to changes in the collective bargaining agreement.”
Like everything in this saga a premature marker is being put out there with absolutely nothing behind it other than entitlement.
I don’t wish ill on anybody but if his surgery of choice fails and he never plays hockey again or becomes a plug how much will players choice matter?
Its a contract issue, the team’s right to protect an investment while incurring all the associated monetary costs.
My body my right is a red herring, just ask any woman wanting an abortion.
and Habfans30 he has a full recovery and becomes the elite C that he can be; what will you say then.
I understand your point but in all reality the Eichel situation itself, is a vary rare one.
please stick to hockey
Uh Caper, isn’t Eichel a hockey player. That was habfan’s topic.
Caper,
Which part of premature are you missing?
When he or the players have a leg to stand on they could state a case, and that would revolve around cost and redistribution of expenses and responsibilities etc etc.
“please stick to hockey”
My quote comes directly from the coffee headlines and that is what we comment on n’est-ce pas?
habfan30 no issue with discussing Eichel and his decision and what the fallout maybe.
My stick to hockey comment was in regards to your last sentence, which has nothing to do with hockey.
The best folks at assessing risk, of all kinds, are the insurance companies.
Many don’t care for them, and I get that, but that is what they do all day everyday.
If the insurance company is fine with it, the team should be. Because after all, they would be the ones paying the salary if he can’t play again.
So if you are looking for an arbiter, I think we already have one in this dispute.
Ii would not think that this would be a big issue. If an agreement cannot be reached between team and player on the type of treatment to be done, put together a panel of 5 experts in the field of sports medicine (not affiliated with the NHL in any way) and let them decide what gives the player the best chance of being healthy again. This disagreement kept one of the best players in the league off the ice for a lot longer than need be (hoping/assuming that he returns healthy)
I tend to agree with Rick Tochett I really don’t want Gretsky’ s record to be broken, certainly not by Ovey.
If Boston can’t beat the lowly Senators tonight, better stick to the NCA ..National Crocheting Assoctiaion.