NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 1, 2022
Mason Marchment has a 6-point night in a big Panthers win, more changes to NHL COVID protocols, the 3 stars of the week revealed, the wild re-sign Jordan Greenway and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Florida Panthers winger Mason Marchment scored two goals and set up four others in a six-point performance as his club doubled up the Columbus Blue Jackets 8-4. Teammates Anton Lundell collected five assists while Sam Reinhart tallied a hat trick and chipped in an assist. Patrik Laine scored twice for the Jackets while Elvis Merzlikins was pulled after giving up seven goals on 25 shots. The Panthers regained first place in the overall standings with 69 points.
Florida Panthers winger Mason Marchment (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jackets received bad news yesterday as defenseman Jake Bean is expected to be sidelined for four weeks with a groin injury. Bean already tallied career highs with four goals and 15 points this season.
Auston Matthews netted a hat trick during the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-4 comeback win over the New Jersey Devils. The Leafs overcame a 4-2 deficit with four unanswered third-period goals. Mitch Marner extended his goal streak to six games with a goal and two assists while Leafs goalie Jack Campbell was pulled after giving up three goals on nine shots. They remain in third place in the Atlantic Division with 59 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin missed this game with a concussion and is expected to remain sidelined for the remainder of this week. Devils coach Lindy Ruff missed this game and will miss the rematch tonight due to the recent passing of his father. My condolences to Ruff and his family.
An overtime goal by Tim Stutzle lifted the Ottawa Senators over the Edmonton Oilers 3-2. Goaltender Matt Murray picked up the win with a 37-save performance while Brady Tkachuk and Thomas Chabot each had two points. The Oilers (47 points) sit one point behind the Calgary Flames in the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Vancouver Canucks goaltender Jaroslav Halak made 20 saves for his first win since Dec. 30 in a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Brock Boeser tallied his 12th goal of the season as the Canucks (46 points) sit two points back of the Flames.
The Detroit Red Wings nipped the Anaheim Ducks 2-1. Jordan Oesterle scored in overtime while Dylan Larkin netted his 23rd of the season. Rickard Rakell replied for the Ducks, who sit in second place in the Pacific Division with 55 points.
HEADLINES
NHL.COM: The league and the NHL Players Association yesterday announced an update on their COVID-19 protocols. Among the notable changes is the removal of “enhanced measures” as they revert back to start-of-season protocols, removal of daily testing for fully-vaccinated individuals, removal of the requirement to test close contacts, and updated recommendations for the type of masks and steps to reduce community exposure.
Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri, Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen, and Calgary Flames winger Johnny Gaudreau are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Jan. 30.
DAILY FACEOFF: The skills competition for the upcoming 2022 NHL All-Star weekend in Las Vegas will feature events on the Las Vegas Strip and in the Belaggio Fountains.
TWINCITIES.COM: The Minnesota Wild signed winger Jordan Greenway to a three-year, $9 million contract extension. The 24-year-old winger was slated to become a restricted free agent this summer.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s a nice little pay bump for Greenway from the $2.1 million annual average value of his current deal. This also fits comfortably within the Wild’s salary-cap payroll for 2022-23. Cap Friendly indicates the Wild have $69.4 million invested in 13 players next season with Kevin Fiala, Alex Goligoski, and Kaapo Kahkonen among their notable free agents.
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins winger Danton Heinen is listed as day-to-day with an unspecified injury.
GOPHNX.COM: Arizona Coyotes center Johan Larsson could be facing surgery for a nagging groin injury.
NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Former Blackhawks Marian Hossa, Ed Olcyzk and Patrick Sharp will be part of the advisory committee that will select the club’s next general manager.
TORONTO SUN: Former Maple Leafs head coach Mike Nykoluk passed away at age 87. He spent 17 seasons as a player in the AHL but briefly played for the Leafs in 1956-57. He was their head coach from 1980 to 1984. As an assistant coach with the Philadelphia Flyers, he was part of their Stanley Cup championships in 1974 and 1975. He was also an assistant coach with the New York Rangers before joining the Leafs.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Nykoluk’s family, friends and to the Leafs, Flyers and Rangers organizations.
Oilers lose to the Sens who were missing their top 2 centers
Condolences out to the Nykoluk family
I certainly don’t remember his Leafs playing days, before I was born…. Was that before your time as well Old Blur Dog??
I liked him as the Leafs coach
Re Leafs last night…. Always excellent to get a win; and come from behind victories show a “not giving up “ attitude…. But these getting behind games are coming more and more often. Very concerning! That type of game does not fair well in the playoffs.
Bobo goes 889 and gives up 4; but still wins…. That’s run support. And Marchment, Bennet and Lindell combine for 15 points….not really needing the top guys to pitch in last night…. ‘Nuff said
Beauty short side roofer (with almost zero space) in OT by Stutzle … kid can shoot👍👍
I was studying in Toronto when Nykoluk became Leafs coach. A fine hockey man as an assistant, a bad head coach. He was the guy in charge when the decline turned into disaster – completing the cycle from the championship 60s to the mediocre 70s to the disastrous 80.
Speaking of which, Happy Anniversary to all Leafs fans. My brother just texted me that today marks 20,000 days since the last Cup. May the next 20,000 be just as unpleasant.
Thanks
I think?
Pengy, thank God there’s still a couple standing who CAN score in Ottawa – 🙂 – they’re missing Norris, Batherson (their 2 leading point producers), Connor Brown, Zaitsev, Pinto and White – all considered regulars at the start of the season.
Please, you act as if it really matters … like the goon squad Sens are going anywhere???? They like to push around soft teams and turtle when they play big ones … let’s see, horrible goaltending, a porous defense and about three skill guys … and a loser coach … good luck with that …
And you act as if your opinion really matters. So, a saw-off?
Quite optimistic there Ed
Sens played well last night George despite being down key guys. They can skate and they battle and Murray looked good.
Time for Tippett to start shortening shifts for the big guys on the PP and especially in OT. Nurse was out for 2 minutes and 40 seconds when that goal was scored in OT and had multiple opportunities with possession to get off during that shift. Not acceptable and needs to stop.
Yeah, Ray, that was an exceedingly long shift and was especially noticeable due to the fewer skaters out there. They did the same kind of thing with Chabot for the past couple of seasons, up to about 2 months ago before cutting down his ice time – and he’s played much better.
What did you think of Kane’s game? Still “feeling his way” you think?
Gonna take a while for Kane. Hasn’t played an NHL game for months until this week.
Methinks 10 games or so until we see his top form. At least that is what the ex players around here say.
Didn’t think much of his game other than a couple flashes of his skill and physicality. But to be expected. Gives the Oil the depth to roll lines more and spread it around, just need Tippett to do it and the big guys to accept it.
I though OTT played really well last night, not sure if most games are like that but future is bright if they work and battle like that all the time. They were undermanned but earned it.
Ray, after a rough start. including 4 games played short-handed due to Covid picked up on a swing through Dallas, Minnesota and Chicago when they went 4 – 11 – 0 scoring 36 and giving up 52, they have at least played .500 at 10 10 4 scoring 73 and giving up 80. For the most part they hustle and getting decent goaltending from Murray-Forsberg has helped.
Those getting their chance due to the string of injuries have been making the best of it, but none among Gaudette, Sanford, Sokolov, etc. are anything close to natural scorers and so the losses of Batherson, Norris, Pinto, Connor Brown shows.
All they can do is hang in there, with several due back following the All-Star game when they play 4 in 6 nights to start making up for the rash of games postponed.
10,464 since any Canadian team has won the prize.
Yikes
Hi FD
Yikes is right
That number will likely climb another 500 or so games (to June of ‘23) as the best chance for a cup awarded to a Canadian franchise this year; seems to (at this point) lie with Leafs….. and they have to win 2 series vs FLA teams; then beat Metro winner ; and finally Avs or Knights…. It’s hard for me as a Leaf fan to see that as anything but a miracle run
Flames , or Oil or Jets could have a good stretch and finish season well…. But they have to go through Knights (who will have Handsome Jack back by then) and then Avs!!!!
That in itself would be a miracle (going through both Knights and Avs)…. But then likely either facing Bolts trying to 3-Peat or the extremely fast and furious Panthers…. again anything but a miracle run
Fingers crossed for me being wrong on that expectation
It was Sam Reinhart, not Sam Bennett, who scored the hat trick in the Florida game.
Hi David
Sorry… got confused on the Sams