NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 7, 2022
Jason Robertson makes Dallas Stars history, the Lightning set a franchise record, questionable calls prove costly for the Senators and Sharks, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Jason Robertson became the first player in Dallas Stars history to tally a hat trick in consecutive games to lead his club over the Minnesota Wild 6-3. Jake Oettinger made 34 saves for the win. The Stars (67 points) have won four straight games and moved ahead of the Nashville Predators into the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference. Kirill Kaprizov scored two goals for the Wild, who’ve dropped eight of their last 10 and cling to third place in the Central Division with 67 points. They activated defenseman Matt Dumba off injured reserve for this game and placed winger Jordan Greenway on IR.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson is also the second player in franchise history to net back-to-back hat tricks, as Bill Goldsworthy did it with the Minnesota North Stars in 1971. The Stars sophomore is a rising talent, with 100 career points in 101 games.
The Tampa Bay Lightning got a franchise-record three goals in 32 seconds by Victor Hedman, Corey Perry and Mikhail Sergachev in a 6-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Hedman finished the game with two goals and Sergachev with three points. Blackhawks forwards Patrick Kane, Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Strome each had a goal and an assist. The Lighting (80 points) sit three points behind the first-place Carolina Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference.
Speaking of the Conference-leading Hurricanes, they extended their home points streak to 11 games by downing the Seattle Kraken 3-2. Carolina winger Teuvo Teravainen scored the game-tying goal in his 500th career NHL game while Martin Necas netted the winner in the third period. Antti Raanta made 28 saves for the win.
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin kicked out 45 shots in a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. New York winger Chris Kreider scored twice to reach 38 goals and sits one back of Toronto’s Auston Matthews for the goal-scoring lead. The Rangers are tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins with 77 points and hold second place in the Metropolitan Division with a game in hand.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets (58 points) are eight points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.
Jack Eichel scored on a power play with five seconds remaining in the third period as the Vegas Golden Knights squeaked past the Ottawa Senators 2-1. The goal was the result of a questionable tripping call on Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot with 46 seconds remaining in the period. Vegas holds third place in the Pacific Division with 68 points. Robin Lehner made 39 saves for the Golden Knights while the Senators’ Anton Forsberg stopped 40 shots.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Forsberg got the call as the Senators placed Matt Murray on injured reserve before yesterday’s game.
The Los Angeles Kings got two goals by Andreas Athanasiou and a 19-save shutout by Cal Petersen to blank the Buffalo Sabres 3-0. The win keeps the Kings one point ahead of the Golden Knights in second place in the Pacific Division. Sabres forward Alex Tuch left the game with an injury in the third period.
An overtime goal by Rickard Rakell gave the Anaheim Ducks a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Cam Fowler, Troy Terry and Adam Henrique each had two points for the Ducks (63 points) as they sit three points out of a Western wild-card spot. The Sharks have dropped 11 of their last 13 games.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks head coach Bob Boughner wasn’t happy over Rakell’s goal, claiming the Ducks had too many men on the ice at the time. “It’s a complete, disastrous blown call,” said Boughner, who also chastised the officiating crew for racing off the ice without coming over to the Sharks bench to explain the call.
The New Jersey Devils upset the St. Louis Blues 3-2 on an overtime goal by Dougie Hamilton. Jordan Kyrou and Vladimir Tarasenko each had two points for the Blues, who sit second in the Central Division with 71 points.
HEADLINES
NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Blackhawks forward Tyler Johnson is pain-free for the first time in four years after undergoing artificial disc replacement surgery (ADR) in December to address ongoing neck pain. It’s the same procedure Jack Eichel underwent last November following his trade to the Vegas Golden Knights from the Buffalo Sabres. Johnson returned to action on March 3.
NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON/WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Capitals winger Carl Hagelin underwent surgery last Tuesday after suffering an eye injury during practice. He’ll be sidelined indefinitely amid concern his vision could be affected by the injury. Meanwhile, winger Joe Snively underwent wrist surgery and will be sidelined for four-to-six weeks.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Here’s hoping Hagelin makes a full recovery.
TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jason Zucker and defenseman Mike Matheson have resumed skating at the club’s practice facility. No timetable is set for the sidelined players to return to action.
EDMONTON JOURNAL: With goalie Mike Smith suffering from stomach flu, the Oilers have recalled Stuart Skinner.
ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes signed forward Liam O’Brien to a two-year contract extension. Cap Friendly indicates the annual average value is $775K.
THE SCORE: The Detroit Red Wings claimed defenseman Olli Juolevi off waivers from the Florida Panthers while the New York Islanders claimed forward Austin Czarnik from the Seattle Kraken.
I see Matt Murray is back in his second home on IR Street. They HAVE to buy him out at the first opportunity. As for that call on Chabot – asinine.
Hi George… agree recall after we saw it in slow mo… but as I said below…. Real time and from angle both refs had… different story… too bad this can’t be challenged
Definitely a questionable trip call… we get to see it in slow-mo to realize it was questionable… looked like a possible toe-pick
In real time and from the angle the ref saw it… I can understand the call…. too bad these are not challengeable
I thought Sens were doing quite well for the game , especially in the third
Forsberg looked great…. I looked up his stats and I was surprised that he is 920 save percentage this year…. UFA…. Only $900 K….trade???
He’s not on the TSN trade bait board, and the 5 goalies on there all have lower save percentages and are on teams higher in the standings, and cost more (cash and cap)
Georgiev (8th on board; RFA ; $2.4 M)….867
Holtby (19th, UFA, $2 M) ….912
Samsonov (26th, RFA, $2M)…901
The Flower (27th, UFA, $7 M)….911
Korp (41st, UFA, $2.8)….881
Are the Sens for sure re-upping Forsberg?
Forsberg was drafted 10 years ago and hasa total of 82 games played.
Hardly a body of work to be judged on.
So, what’s the “magic number?”
So, what’s the “magic” number?
Tim Thomas was drafted by the Nordiques in 1994 and didn’t get to play an NHL game until the 2002-03 season when he played in all of 4.
He then didn’t play again until 2005-06 when he appeared in 38 games with a 0.917 save % and a 2.77 gaa. Eleven years after being drafted.
In 2006-07 they deemed that good enough to play him in 66 games – 0.905 save % and 3.13 gaa, following which he became their # 1 for the next 5 seasons. Thirteen years after being drafted.
Forsberg has been playing behind a “system” that makes their goalies feel like they’re the targets in a shooting gallery (not coincidentally concocted by a coach who learned his trade at the NHL level under Keefe in Toronto). I’d say those stats are, as a result, damned revealing as to his abilities.
A questionable call against the Senators? Slow news day …
I just took a look at Rakell’s OT GWG. Was not too many men. Not even close. I’m certainly not one to make excuses for the refs, but when a team is struggling, falling out of playoff contention and the coach is feeling the heat and worried about losing his job, he tends to lash out at someone.
Any Dallas fans on here? Watching Jason Robertson play, the kid looks like he is having a ton of fun.
His hatty against Winnipeg, he drained the tank to get to that puck and was absolutely spent after the goal. Just laying on the ice trying to catch his breath.
Last night gets the empty netter for the hat trick and Foligno slight cross check to his back after the goal; by looking at the big smile on Jason face, it was like he was oblivious to the cross check. More of that please.
29 goals in 47 games drafted 39th overall, looks like a steal of a pick so far.
When it comes to bad calls, Gallagher is the eye of the storm.
The Edmonton game had Yamamoto sitting on the bench dangling his stick over the boards, touching the ice.
Gallagher skates by and smacked the stick out of the play area and gets an unsportsmanlike penalty, Yamamoto gets nothing.
The hockey gods spoke and the Habs got a short handed goal.