NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2022
The Oilers’ Connor McDavid and the Canucks’ J.T. Miller lead their respective teams to victory in Wednesday’s action, former Sabres captain Jack Eichel prepare for his first game in Buffalo, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Connor McDavid’s overtime goal lifted the Edmonton Oilers over the Washington Capitals 4-3. McDavid finished with two points to lead the league with 81 points, two up on teammate Leon Draisaitl. Washington center Nicklas Backstrom also had a goal and an assist to become the second player in franchise history to reach 1,000 career points. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was held scoreless and remains tied with Jaromir Jagr for third on the all-time goals list with 766.
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s the sixth consecutive season McDavid has scored 30 goals and 80 points. The win puts the Oilers (66 points) one behind the Dallas Stars for the final Western Conference wild-card spot. With 72 points, the Capitals hold the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference, sitting one back of the Boston Bruins.
Vancouver Canucks center J.T. Miller extended his points streak to 10 games with a goal and three assists in a 5-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Elias Pettersson and Bo Horvat each had a goal and an assist for the Canucks (64 points), who sit two points behind the Oilers. Canadiens forwards Artturi Lehkonen and Rem Pitlick each netted three points.
HEADLINES
THE BUFFALO NEWS: Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel claims he feels “no bitterness” against the Buffalo Sabres as he prepares to face his former club in Buffalo for the first time since being traded to Vegas last November. Eichel claimed he had a “phenomenal time” in Buffalo, adding the team and the city treated him and his family well.
It’s a slightly different tone from the one Eichel had in an interview filmed with ESPN a week ago in which he said he felt the Sabres were toying with him when they didn’t trade him last summer and stripped him of the captaincy in a phone call. However, he had already made his trade request and the club was trying to arrange a deal. He also wasn’t healthy enough to attend training camp due to his neck injury.
Pressed on those points, Eichel replied that he may have disagreed with some points over the way the situation was handled. He also said he felt a lot of pride in being the team captain and was unhappy over having the captaincy taken from him.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Eichel and the Golden Knights face off tonight against the Sabres with the latter planning a video tribute to him at some point during the game.
CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Flames winger Johnny Gaudreau is reportedly ok after being shaken up by a hit from Capitals winger Tom Wilson during Tuesday’s game between the two clubs.
THE ATHLETIC: Los Angeles Kings forwards Viktor Arvidsson and Brendan Lemieux and defenseman Mikey Anderson are all listed as week-to-week. Arvidsson and Lemieux are sidelined by lower-body injuries while Anderson has an upper-body injury.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Losing Arvidsson is a significant blow as he’s second among Kings scorers this season with 18 goals and 38 points in 50 games. His absence could send management into the trade market for help.
STLTODAY.COM: Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich has been sidelined for eight weeks by wrist surgery.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues were reportedly in the market for a defenseman before Perunovich went down. This news will only stoke that speculation.
TSN: The Winnipeg Jets placed defenseman Nathan Beaulieu (lower body) on injury reserve and recalled blueliner Ville Heinola.
The Toronto Maple Leafs signed forward Kyle Clifford to a two-year contract extension worth $762,500 per season. They also inked defenseman Carl Dahlstrom to a one-year, two-way deal.
NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks have brought back Norm Maciver as associate general manager. He’d previously been in the organization in various roles between 2006 and 2021 before departing to become director of player personnel for the Seattle Kraken.
MONTREAL GAZETTE: Hall-of-Famers Guy Lafleur, Lanny McDonald and Kim St-Pierre have been named to the Order of Hockey in Canada.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Lafleur, McDonald and St-Pierre for this well-deserved honor.
Congrats Guy, Lanny, Kim 👏👏👏
Oil v Caps… another game where Ovi gets away with stuff… are the refs afraid to call Ovi on ant penalty ? (Do the refs think Wilson will fight them)?
That game for sure shouldn’t have gone to OT…. As the play-by-play and colour discussed… that Ovi hook preventing a Hyman EN goal would have been called in the 80’s let alone now
Add another Ovi hook earlier, two picks and a numbers only hit into the boards…. Ovi seems to be exempt from penalization
Kudos on the McD pass to Yamamoto
Pengy, yesterday when you posted “Leafs are not cream of the crop… very good team; but built to do just well enough (in ATL ) to be in top 3 come playoffs, but not built well enough to get through any of Cars, Bolts, Canes, Avs…. and they have to take at least two of those in a series to win the cup …” it got me curious as to how they do head-to-head against the Top 15 (currently) in the overall standings vis-a-vis the 6 close to entering the Top 15 and the Bottom 10.
When I finished looking it up it was way too late to post in yesterday’s thread, so I kept it for today.
Leafs current overall record:
57gp 37W 16L 4OT/SOL 78pts 213gf 171ga
The current Top 15 (excluding themselves of course, are Colorado, Carolina, Florida, T.B., NYR, Pitt, Cgy, Bost, Wash, StL, L.A., Minn, Nash, Vegas and Dallas. The Leafs have yet to play Florida and Dallas – so far their record against this opposition is
25gp 14W 9L 2OT/SOL 30pts 80gf 81ga
The current 6 pushing to enter the Top 15 are Edm, Van, Ana, Wpg, Clb, S.J. and against this group the Leafs record is 12gp 7W 4L 1OT/SOL 15pts 47gf 40ga
The Bottom 10 are Det, NYI, Chic, NJ, Pha, Ott, Buff, Seat, Ariz, Mtl and against this section the Leafs record is 20gp 16W 3L 1OT/SOL 33pts 96gf 50ga
This tends to substantiate your observation.
Thanks George
Great analysis
I wasn’t delving that deep
I’ve watched every Leafs game; and I’ve seen many of Bolts and Panthers games and probably 10 Avs and 10 Canes games… just from that sample… I had put forth that I have trouble seeing Leafs win one series against any of them, let alone 4
If (as my sample above and eye test) is somewhat accurate… Leafs have at best a 30% chance of winning round one… and winning round one AND round two…. well you get it….
With that… and with the likelihood more that they are out in 1 …. Most trade focus (if any) should be on next year … and bigger moves this summer
Regarding Blues:
Perunovich is considered the top prospect for St. Louis and was considered by many as their most valued trade piece. His surgery will certainly impact the trade options available for Armstrong.
Hi IP
Who are the next couple of Blues trade prospects available?
P,
I would expect that Klim Kostin and Jake Neighbors would get a bit of interest. I also think Ville Husso is an attractive piece, but I would rather lose Binnington, and resign Husso.
Eichel had every reason to react the way he did, I feel the same way every time I have to scroll through another long winded meaningless post by MB. Debrusk forged his own destiny in comparison with Eichel’s unfortunate situation. Much as I would like to see Chychrun on the b’s that ain’t Gonna happen as long as Mr. Screwup never do anything ( Sweeney) is steering the ship. If the B’s can’t get Chychrun, Go for Manson he’s better than his dad not as mean but good defensively and not too shabby offensively.
Iowa Prince,
I think the Blues are stuck with Jordan Binningham for for 5.5 more years he has a NTC
This year is $4. mill in Salary, Next year its $6. Mil
the next 2 after that, are $7.5 mill….❗️
Villi Husso is a UFA, just turned 27 last week, I hear the Edmonton Oilers have been down in St Louis to watch him… and we all know they need a Starter is the missing link there…. and that what Husso wants to be the #1 Starter……🤔
Eichel had every reason to react the way he did, I feel the same way every time I have to scroll through another long winded meaningless post by RWM Debrusk forged his own destiny in comparison with Eichel’s unfortunate situation. Much as I would like to see Chychrun on the b’s that ain’t Gonna happen as long as Mr. Screwup never do anything ( Sweeney) is steering the ship. If the B’s can’t get Chychrun, Go for Manson he’s better than his dad not as mean but good defensively and not too shabby offensively
Lyle . Great cleaning up of yesterdays posts ( Some of mine included) much appreciated Keep up the great work
If you can’t beat the hawks tonight time to pack the vessel primes and book some time on Nantucket
Quote of the day.
If you can’t beat the hawks tonight time to pack the vessel primes and book some time on Nantucket