NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 18, 2022
The Oilers get their fourth straight win under interim coach Jay Woodcroft, Martin St. Louis gets his first win as Canadiens coach, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Leon Draisaitl scored twice as the Edmonton Oilers picked up their fourth straight win under interim coach Jay Woodcroft by thumping the Anaheim Ducks 7-3. Draisaitl leads the race for the Rocket Richard Trophy with 35 goals. Connor McDavid, Evander Kane, Warren Foegele and Derek Ryan each had two points for the Oilers, who sit in third place in the Pacific Division with 57 points. The Ducks, meanwhile, dropped their third straight and remain behind the Los Angeles Kings for the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 55 points.
Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a game of two teams going in different directions. The Oilers are surging since their coaching change while the Ducks have slid out of a playoff spot and are in danger of falling further behind if they don’t reverse their fortunes soon.
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews tallied his 33rd goal of the season and Jack Campbell made 45 saves in a 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, handing the latter their first loss in their last seven road games. Matthews also picked up an assist and Mitch Marner collected two helpers. The Leafs (67 points) are three points back of the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division while the Penguins sit atop the Metropolitan Division with 70 points.
The Montreal Canadiens picked up their first win under interim coach Martin St. Louis by beating the St. Louis Blues 3-2 in overtime. Cole Caufield tallied the tying and winning goals as the Habs snapped a 10-game losing skid. The Blues (62 points) are one point behind the second-place Minnesota Wild in the Central Division.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens have a better chance of winning this year’s draft lottery than they have of reaching the playoffs. Nevertheless, they’ve been more competitive since St. Louis took over as coach. Caufield in particular has thrived under his new bench boss, scoring four goals in his last four games after managing just one in his previous 30.
Blake Wheeler and Kyle Connor each had a goal and an assist as the Winnipeg Jets beat the Seattle Kraken 5-3. Josh Morrissey scored the winning goal by snapping a 3-3 tie in the third period. With 52 points, the Jets moved within three points of the Kings for the final Western wild-card spot.
The Vancouver Canucks also reached 52 points as J.T. Miller’s overtime goal lifted them over the San Jose Sharks 5-4. Miller, Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes each had two points for the Canucks. Hughes returned to the lineup following a 10-day stint on the COVID protocol list. Sharks winger Timo Meier scored twice and picked up an assist.
Two third-period goals by Garnet Hathaway rallied the Washington Capitals to a 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Hathaway finished the night with three points as the Capitals (65 points) widened their lead over the Boston Bruins for the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference.
Speaking of the Bruins, they dropped a 4-1 decision to the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin made 26 saves for the win while Mathew Barzal, Brock Nelson and Noah Dobson each had a goal and an assist. The Bruins (58 points) hold the second Eastern wild-card berth.
The Detroit Red Wings kept their thin playoff hopes alive by defeating the New York Rangers 3-2. Thomas Greiss made 37 saves and Pius Suter scored the winner in the shootout. The Wings are six points behind the Bruins, who have three games in hand.
Patrik Laine tallied his first hat trick with the Columbus Blue Jackets in a 7-4 drubbing of the Chicago Blackhawks. Laine is riding an eight-game points streak.
Goaltender Craig Anderson lost to his former team as the Ottawa Senators defeated the Buffalo Sabres 3-1 on third-period goals by Austin Watson and Brady Tkachuk.
IN OTHER NEWS…
NHL.COM: Nashville Predators head coach John Hynes was fined $25,000.00 by the league for “inappropriate conduct” following Tuesday’s 4-1 loss to the Washington Capitals. Hynes was berating officials from the bench at the end of the game.
Calgary Flames forward Adam Ruzicka was fined $2,004.17 for elbowing Anaheim Ducks defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk on Wednesday.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: In the NHL, a coach telling off officials following a game is considered more egregious than a player attempting to injure an opponent.
NEW YORK POST: Rangers defenseman Patrik Nemeth was placed on injured reserve due to lingering effects of COVID-19.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars defenseman Andrej Sekera was placed on IR with an upper-body injury.
TSN: The NHL and NHL Players Association met Thursday to discuss plans for staging a World Cup of Hockey in 2024.
THE PROVINCE: Former Vancouver Canucks forward Jake Virtanen has elected for a jury trial in his sexual assault case. He is currently playing for KHL team Spartak Moscow.
First 45 games: Petry had 48.9 CF% / 46 xGF%.
Last 4 games: 55.7 CF% / 55.7 xGF%.
First 45 games: Caufield had 46.8 CF% / 44.6 xGF%.
Last 4 games: 55.2 CF% / 52.4 xGF%.
NHL GM’s take notice – Jeff Petry still got game.
(source: Natural Stat Trick)
Petry also carries a $6,250,000 cap hit for 3 more seasons after this, during the last of which he turns 37 in December. That and his 15-team NTC and NMC are the roadblocks to a trade.
Yes, we all know that. The only new information is that ever since MSL took over as head coach, Jeff Petry’s game has improved and maybe he’s not as washed-up as previously thought. I still doubt he gets moved at the TDL, but I can see him getting moved in the off-season.
I think Georges point heavily outweighs a 4 game sample size of improvement.
That contract will be near impossible to move at that hit, that term and his age.
meh, the NTC and NMC are irrelevant if he really wants to go, he can accept any city he wants.
Turning 37 in the last year doesn’t make Petry old, particularly when he has been consistently playing more minutes and increasing his production.
Any GM trading for Petry will see this year as an outlier and see his contract as a bargain, OR wouldn’t touch him with a ten foot pole.
It only takes 1 🙂
This was a game the Habs don’t win under Ducharme. Obviously, their last several losses under him were not close, but they didn’t seem to have the desire and fight with him as coach. St. Louis has given them spark. They are certainly still a subpar team and the rebuild is at the start, not the end, but, nevertheless, a positive thing. Let’s hope they keep it up.
And I would venture to guess that St. Louis is the first coach to win his first game against a team from a city that shares his name.
Meh – we’ll see
Sweeney is the worst GM ever in the history of GMs.
Linus Ulmark is the worst free agent signing in the history of free agent signings.
If the Bruins keep this up, even the Habs will pass them in the standings!
Of course I don’t mean any of this. I’m just saving RWM some time this morning so maybe he has to turn on his brain to post something.
P.S. You can’t copy what I said, that’s just lazy. Haha
Lol. My morning chuckle. Thanks for that 😁
Nicely done. 🙂
That was solid Bruinsfan! When I read the first part I thought somebody changed their handle.
I’ll see your Sweeney and raise you, Peter Chiarelli. 😉
Is there any refuting who is the number one goalie now, it sure ain’t Ullmark. I mentioned Thursday if Linus starts the b’s will lose and they did. I think the only solution for this team right now is not to give up draft choices just sell, the days of buying are over at least for the next couple years too much to fix not enough assets to do it the window has closed. I guess the only good thing to come out this frustrating season is that Sweeney’s toast, he should have been let go after that blunder in 2015. Sea Bass will have to go and Cassidy, he seems to have lost the ability to communicate with this club
Well Rick, I could go back and paste the comments you made about Swayman not being ready, but don’t care enough to. Agree he is playing better than Ullmark right now.
Cassidy will give him most of the starts moving forward. But as we know with tenders, that can change as Ullmark was playing great a few weeks ago, so he is capable of doing it again and Swayman as a young player can have dips.
I don’t think many B’s fans on here consider them a true contender for the cup. Nor does anybody else who follows the game closely. But they are in a playoff spot today with an aging core, so will likely add as that is what teams do in this situation. Not like Sweeney doesn’t know all this too. Folks who suggest he is a fool sound foolish themselves IMO.
Unless of course they go on a slide leading up to TDL, or injuries to key players, then all bets are off. But I think they start playing better again when they get their best offensive player back.
I will just enjoy watching them give it another go see what happens.
Terrible display of Hockey by the Bruins last night , they just didn’t come to play … outhit 37-19 . That D just doesn’t need a LD they probably in need of two top 4 DMen … 10 million per for the duo of Ullmark and Foligno
Lyle, as to Hynes being fined substantially more than Ruzicka, correct me if I’m wrong, but I do believe that fines levied on players for on-ice incidents are determined under the CBA while there’s no CBA for coaches. Am I correct?
I believe that’s correct, Howard.
The only protection coaches have are great goalies.
There’s a bit of mystery surrounding Nemeth. Not sure it’s Covid related or not. Gallant has been very vague in his pressers. He had also taken some “personal time” away from team recently.
Missed a few days, so don’t want to miss posting…. congrats Sid on 500…. Atta go Sid!!!!
Leafs-Pens last night:
Was hoping for an OT game…. Didn’t happen
For those that didn’t see the game, don’t get fooled by the Pens almost doubling Leafs in shots (46-29)….Soupy did play very well but Pens were discombobulated and not putting up great chances.
Leafs were efficient and striking quickly on mistakes and turnovers. Nice AM goal only 21 seconds in ; Reilly nice end-to-ender; MM was making great plays.
On the Pens side, Letang had his worst game this year by far. Sully juggled lines in the hopes of generating offence from mid 6. They did get shots, but couldn’t bury them. Maybe it will take a couple of games.
I really like the effort that Soupy had. Of late he has been much weaker than the start of the year
Both Leafs and Pens have tough next games (Blues and Canes respectively)
Re Oil… certainly clicking, long way to go to get deep in playoffs, but certainly showing very well….having the top 2 NHL point getters (and one is the RR award leader) certainly helps. New coaching seems to have helped. Adding Kane (4-4-8 and +8 in 9 games) for no assets given up certainly helps. Winning while playing with 4 young D (Niemelainen, Bouchard, Laeggessen, Broberg )who combined have less than 140 NHL games ; certainly is a great sign. Note Neimelainen and Laeggessen were both +3 last night.
Re “In the NHL, a coach telling off officials following a game is considered more egregious than a player attempting to injure an opponent.”…. Love the sarcasm Lyle… but you are so very very bang on . That just destroys the repeated adage of many a mother’s chant from the 60’s and 70’s….”sticks and stones will break my bones but words will never hurt me”
A $25,000 fine for a coach berating an official is just plain nuts. I guess the NHL must need the money. The refs must be a bunch of pansies if they can’t take a butt chewing from a coach. If a player injures another player he gets what ….a $5,000 fine. The league should have a system in place that rates these refs and they should get fined for making bad calls. Some calls are so bad that they should be reviewed just like in baseball. I know that things will never change because this is the same league that thinks playing in front of 5,000 fans in Arizona is going to be a good thing. O.K. – enough of that !!
I had the New York Islanders feed last night and I thought this comment by Butch was very poignant.
The Bruins pulled the goalie for an extra attacker and the play behind the Rangers net the puck comes to the front of the net and no one is there.
BUTCH “The Bruins with 6 attackers on the ice and not one in front of the net.”
This team is soft way to often.
Lot of us Bruin fans have been saying that all season… some more than others … Soft Bruins
Patrick Laine 10 goals 16pts in his last 8 games.
A once thought the Bruins were a clinch for a playoff spot; now have both Detriot and Columbus sneaking up from behind.
Hard to believe the Bruins rely so much on one player but they do and that player is Brad Marchand.
He needs to recognize his value and importance to the team and stay on the ice and out of the principle office.
Glad to see Matthews back after he tried to kiss a girl named a net. (just a bizzare encounter imo) I thought for sure he’d be out for longer than he was….whew. Worst post ever! am i right? 😉