NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 30, 2022
The regular season ends for all but two teams, the opening-round playoff matchups are set, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Carey Price made 37 saves for his first win of the season as his Montreal Canadiens thumped the Florida Panthers 10-2. Montreal rookie Cole Caufield scored his first career NHL hat trick. The Canadiens finish last in the overall standings and have the best odds heading into the 2022 NHL Draft Lottery in May. The Panthers clinched the Presidents’ Trophy with the best overall record and rested several of their best players from this contest.
Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (NHL Images).
Speaking of hat tricks, Steven Stamkos picked up the 10th of his career to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning over the New York Islanders 6-4. The Lightning finished the season with 110 points and third place in the Atlantic Division. Zdeno Chara scored for the Islanders in what could be his final NHL game.
Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander tallied two goals in a 5-2 victory over the Boston Bruins. The Leafs have secured second place in the Atlantic Division with 115 points. Craig Smith had two assists for the Bruins (107 points) as they finish with the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth.
The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-3. Marcus Pettersson had a three-point game while Evgeni Malkin and Brian Boyle each had a goal and an assist. The Penguins finish the season in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 103 points.
Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov scored his 47th goal of the season in a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Jordan Greenway tallied twice for the Wild, who finished second in the Central Division with 113 points and hold home-ice advantage in their upcoming first-round series with the St. Louis Blues. The Avalanche, meanwhile, finish atop the Western Conference with 119 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild head coach Dean Evason was unhappy with Avalanche defenseman Kurtis MacDermid for a knee-on-knee hit that knocked Wild winger Marcus Foligno from the game. He also chided Avs forward Logan O’Connor for cross-checking Wild defenseman Dmitry Kulikov into the boards. MacDermid received a game misconduct.
The Blues, meanwhile, dropped a 7-4 decision to the Vegas Golden Knights. Jack Eichel scored twice for the Golden Knights, who were eliminated from playoff contention earlier in the week. Ryan O’Reilly scored two goals and added an assist as the Blues finish third in the Central Division with 109 points.
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves to backstop his club over the Calgary Flames 3-1. Matthew Tkachuk scored his 41st goal of the season as the Flames finished in first place in the Pacific Division with 111 points.
The New York Rangers beat the Washington Capitals 3-2 on Dryden Hunt’s game-winning goal in the third period. Kaapo Kakko and Braden Schneider each had two assists for the Rangers, who finished in second place in the Metropolitan Division. The Capitals lost their final four games of the regular season but hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 100 points.
A shootout goal by Devin Shore gave the Edmonton Oilers a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. The Oilers finished in second place in the Pacific Division with 104 points and rested superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl from this contest. Conor Garland had a goal and an assist for the Canucks while teammate J.T. Miller scored to finish the season with a team-leading 99 points.
Dallas Stars sophomore winger Jason Robertson scored his 41st goal of the season as his club clinched the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 98 points in a 4-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks pressed emergency backup Thomas Hodges into action when goalies John Gibson and Anthony Stolarz both went down with injuries. Hodges, a 28-year-old insurance salesman by day, stopped two of the three shots he faced in the third period and received praises from his teammates and the Stars following the game.
The Nashville Predators finished the season in the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 97 points after blowing a 4-0 lead to fall 5-4 to the Arizona Coyotes. Shayne Gostisbehere scored twice and Harri Sateri got the win in relief of Coyotes starter Karel Vejmelka by stopping all 27 shots he faced in the game.
Buffalo Sabres center Casey Mittelstadt’s overtime goal lifted his club to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Following the game, the Sabres and their fans honored long-time play-by-play man Rick Jeanneret as he signed off for the final time as he retires after 51 seasons with the club.
Seattle Kraken goaltender Chris Driedger finished the season with a 24-save shutout to blank the San Jose Sharks 3-0. Yanni Gourde, Adam Larsson and Victor Rask were the goal scorers.
Detroit Red Wings goaltender Magnus Hellberg made 20 saves to win his first NHL game in five years by downing the New Jersey Devils 5-3. Michael Rasmussen had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings.
Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk scored his 30th goal of the season as his club doubled up the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2. Tkachuk’s teammate Josh Norris netted his 35th.
IN OTHER NEWS…
NHL.COM: The opening-round series of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs are now set and will begin on Monday, May 2.
In the Eastern Conference, the Florida Panthers will face off against the Washington Capitals, the Toronto Maple Leafs will meet the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Carolina Hurricanes tangle with the Boston Bruins and the New York Rangers square off against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Western Conference sees the Colorado Avalanche face the Nashville Predators, the Minnesota Wild take on the St. Louis Blues, the Calgary Flames going up against the Dallas Stars and the Edmonton Oilers battling the Los Angeles Kings.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the link above for the dates, timings and broadcast networks for each series.
NHLPA: The NHL Players’ Association executive board has voted in favor of forming a search committee to lead the search for a new executive director to eventually replace Donald Fehr. The committee will provide a progress report to the executive board during its summer meeting in Toronto in July.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This comes in the wake of an independent investigation that cleared Fehr and his staff of fault over their handling of Kyle Beach’s allegations that he was sexually assaulted by the former video coach of the Chicago Blackhawks in 2010.
It’s uncertain at this point if those findings – and the questions and criticism that were subsequently raised – played a role in this decision by the board. There had been previous reports raising concerns over the 73-year-old Fehr’s succession plan before the next round of collective bargaining in 2026. The results of the Beach investigation may have hastened things.
Let us get ready to rumble
My humble predictions for 1st
Rd
Panthers , bolts, bruins. Nyr
Avs. Oil, wild. Flames
Congrats to The Montreal Canadians, being the 1st NHL team to finish 32nd overall.
My was William Nylander passed last night, tried multiple times to get on the ice with Boston goalie pulled.
When he finally did, we wanted the empty netter to get his hat trick.
Unfortunately for Nylander his teammate fired it into the empty net. Nylander skated by him to make sure he knew he was angry.
It was his teammates’ 15 goal of the season, that is a nice number. Can’t blame him. 15 sounds much better than 14.
Tyler Bertuzzi was going for his 30th last night. Stayed out on the ice for most of the final 2 minutes with an empty. He was a man possessed. In this case his teammate, Sam Gagner passed up the shot and feed Tyler the puck for his 30th.
I saw that as well, Caper. Had me wondering.
What an odd comment. You’re no fan but maybe a bit butt hurt over the two goals he scored on you that a soft player can’t score? As for his reaction with the EN goal, I think he congratulated him for scoring and understanding that a pass to Nylander was expected and was the decoy there.
Ron Moore what an odd comment indeed; extremely sensitive are you? Really don’t care how many goals Nylander has. Take the blinders off for a moment and watch the highlight of the glare Nylander gives.
Listen to Ray Ferraro commenting how many times Nylander tried to get on the ice and his comment about the look.
Game meant nothing to no one, better toughen up the skin with the playoffs about to start.
Gaslight !
Whereas Stamkos hit 40 (and 41, and 42) the old fashioned way. Cliche to be most repeated during the playoffs: “Your best players have to be your best players.”
Were Ritich AND Sarros both injured ?… why play Ingram ??
Did/do Predz think they have a better shot v Avs (over Flames) ????
Felt sorry for Johannson (Cats 3rd sitringer)….. obviously no point in pulling and putting Knight or Bobo (not sure which was back up last night) in… thus risking injury and they are needed in the playoffs.
Congrats Thomas Hodges… if you could have also driven the Zamboni , you would have won 🤪😂🤪😂
Does anybody else here think Dean Evanston looks like Creed (from the Office)??
Re “ The NHL Players’ Association executive board has voted in favour of forming a search committee to lead the search for a new executive director”…. too bad the owners can’t do the same re a New Commissioner (NOTE 8 over-rule 24)….. then League; all players; 31 owners would massively benefit from the first order of Biz from new Commish….. exodus from a 5,000 seat barn with bench seating and very poor television sight lines and set up… NOTE for a minimum of 4 years….to filling a Relo arena (Houston ?? QC?? 2nd GTA franchise ??) for the next 4 years min; and at higher avg. seat prices; AND massively increasing TV revs (and overall HRR) and fan base
If Fredericks out the bruins if he manages to get back after a games have to go with Carolina. They way things stand now Bruins in 7
You mean Anderson?
Tough draw for the Bruins, Canes all around game will be a challenge …. Got Canes at 11/1 for $200 to win the SC