NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 8, 2022
Auston Matthews reaches two goal-scoring milestones, the Hurricanes clinch a playoff berth, Roman Josi sets a Predators record, Doug Wilson steps down as Sharks GM, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Auston Matthews scored twice, including the winning goal in overtime, as the Toronto Maple Leafs downed the Dallas Stars 4-3. William Nylander had two points for the Leafs, who hold a five-point lead over the Boston Bruins for second place in the Atlantic Division with 98 points. Joe Pavelski and Jason Robertson each had two points for the Stars (82 points), who hold a two-point lead over the Vegas Golden Knights for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews broke the Leafs’ single-season goal-scoring record with his 55th goal while his 56th set the league record for most goals in a season by an American-born player. At this point, it’s a matter of when, not if, Matthews reaches the 60-goal plateau. He could reach 65 goals before the season ends.
The Carolina Hurricanes became the third team to clinch a playoff berth with a 5-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Jordan Staal scored twice as Carolina overcame a 3-2 deficit with three unanswered third-period goals. Sebastian Aho also tallied two goals for the Hurricanes, who hold a two-point lead over the New York Rangers for first place in the Metropolitan Division with 100 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sadly for the Sabres, they set an NHL record by missing the playoffs for the 11th straight season.
Roman Josi collected three assists to lead the Nashville Predators over the Ottawa Senators 3-2. Josi set Nashville’s single-season franchise record with 87 points. Matt Duchene scored his 37th goal of the season for the Predators as they sit two points up on the Stars in the first Western wild-card spot with 86 points. Senators forward Tim Stutzle missed this game with a lower-body injury.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Josi is running away with the scoring races for defensemen, sitting 12 points ahead of the Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar. With 12 games remaining in the season, the Predators’ captain has a legitimate shot at becoming the first blueliner to reach 100 points since Brian Leetch in 1991-92.
Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist to extend his points streak to 15 games in a 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Evan Bouchard has a goal and two assists for the Oilers (89 points) as they sit six points behind the first-place Calgary Flames in the Pacific Division. Kings forward Trevor Moore had a goal and an assist as his club remains three points behind the Oilers.
The Flames meanwhile got two goals from Elias Lindholm and a three-point performance from Matthew Tkachuk to double up the San Jose Sharks 4-2. Lindholm has 38 goals on the season and Tkachuk 34 while Dan Vladar got the win with a 31-save performance. Sharks netminder James Reimer left the game with an injury in the third period.
New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin stopped 30 shots to shut out the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-0. Mika Zibanejad picked up two assists as the Rangers sit two points behind the first-place Hurricanes in the Metro Division. Sidney Crosby, John Marino and Radim Zohorna missed this game with undisclosed illnesses as the Penguins are six points behind the Rangers.
The Vancouver Canucks kept their playoff hopes alive with a 5-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Bo Horvat and Elias Pettersson each had three-point performances while Jaroslav Halak kicked out 27 shots for the Canucks (78 points), who sit six points behind the Stars for that final wild-card spot in the West.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks have no room for error now as the Stars hold two games in hand.
Seattle Kraken netminder Philipp Grubauer had a 29-save shutout to blank the Chicago Blackhawks 2-0. Alex Wennberg and Jordan Eberle were the goal scorers.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: During the first TV timeout, the Blackhawks announced they will retire Marian Hossa’s No. 81 in 2022-23. Earlier in the day, Hossa signed a one-day contract to officially retire as a Blackhawk. He will become the eighth player in franchise history to have his number retired.
The Montreal Canadiens beat the New Jersey Devils 7-4 to pick up their first regulation win over the Devils since January 2017. Christian Dvorak, Chris Wideman and Kale Clague each had a goal and two assists. Jesper Bratt and Tomas Tatar both had a goal and an assist for the Devils.
Philadelphia Flyers goalie Martin Jones turned aside 26 shots and Travis Sanheim had two assists in a 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Philadelphia winger Cam Atkinson was held scoreless in his first game in Columbus since being traded to the Flyers last summer.
HEADLINES
NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: Doug Wilson announced yesterday he is stepping down as general manager of the San Jose Sharks after 19 seasons. Under his management, the Sharks reached the playoffs 14 times. He is currently on medical leave but hopes to continue his NHL career in the future. Wilson was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame as a player in 2020.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: During Wilson’s tenure as general manager, the Sharks topped the Pacific Division five times, won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2009, reaching the Western Conference Finals four times and the Stanley Cup Final in 2016. He was responsible for drafting such notable Sharks as Joe Pavelski, Logan Couture, Tomas Hertl, Timo Meier and Marc-Edouard Vlasic and acquiring Joe Thornton and Brent Burns via trades. Best wishes to Wilson for a full recovery.
TWINCITIES.COM: Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba will not play in tonight’s game against the St. Louis Blues with an apparent shoulder injury. However, he remains with the club on their current road trip.
TSN: Former Hockey Night in Canada play-by-play man Bob Cole will receive a lifetime achievement award from the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television at the 2022 Canadian Screen Awards show. Cole joined the CBC in 1969 and called his final game in 2019. He received the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Cole for this recognition of his outstanding work over his long career.
Without David and Hampus easy win for Tampa.
Maybe Ullmark will steal one for us tonight.
Ullmark has been playing better then Swayman in the last few starts Will be hard without Lindholm and. Pasta. But not impossible. They beat them without 37 last time
Wrong again. What a surprise
Re “Doug Wilson steps down as Sharks GM” – be interesting to see who they choose to replace him … whoever it is has his work cut out for him. That is a cap nightmare he’s left behind.
George do you think he read your comments/ breakdown from yesterday lol
LOL – I doubt he delves into our thoughts Swany – but maybe, just maybe, reviewing what lays in store is at the root of whatever ails him.
I realize there are some who believe that there will always be a GM out there who will take on another GM’s long-term mess – and with all the weird stuff that has gone on with respect to transactions over the years, who knows? – they may well be right.
But the way I look at it, in order to get another team to gamble on Couture, Karlsson, Vlasic and/or Burns (and perhaps Hertl at some point down the road), it’s going to take some significant sweeteners included with each deal, a huge % of the cap withheld – or combination of both – or a deep swallow followed by another long-term buyout similar to the situation that is soon going to handcuff Guerin in Minnesota.
And, as is rumored in Minnesota, they too could soon be forced to deal away some of their better cost-effective players approaching RFA status simply because they can’t afford to retain them, instead opting for minimum-cost prospects/picks in return.
Not an enviable position for whoever takes over.
Ya, Wilson left a Minnesota sized mess in SanJose. I did always like how Wilson seemed realize the Ottawa 67’s were a very secret untapped resource for quality draft picks. I wonder what the illness is.
Bob Cole deserves the award. I hope he accepts it in his Curtis Joseph autographed Leaf Jersey
A guest on TSN 1260 a couple weeks ago said cancer.
Also said he was doing OK, whatever that means.
With regards to SJ and how they approach things is they try to make the playoffs every year and won’t tank for picks.
One reason might be that when they are not competitive, folks don’t show up.
If the playoffs were to start today , wishful thinking
U would have SOP as CEO
RWM as COO
Commanding officers leading their beloved Bruins into action against Leafs Nation!
SOP’s snarl and growl , RWM’s enthusiasm ..
A series to be remembered with “2” elite commanders at the helm
LMFAO !!!
WTF…
I very very worried about the bruins with all the injuries. I’m afraid they will fail. Although their record is good as of late there are signs. Great ball of gravy
Stutzle missed the game after a knee on knee from Suzuki.
Interesting that after the Montreal Ottawa game, that Gallagher whined about Stutzle calling him a faker and that he laid there pretending to be hurt. Clown.
Gallagher is a wanna-be Marchand – not even close. What he is is an expensive distraction.
I mean who are you to say who is better
@mrgumball
What injuries r u referring to on the Bruins
SOP
Not to worry about my warped sense of humour ..
Just a dull moment
Lol !
I am back. Back to tell you all hockey know it all(s), what I have been preaching in the past. Prepare the parade route, prepare a statue, prepare to embrace the new HOCKEY ICON: AUSTON MATHEWS the HOLY ONE. We are living in a most glorious times as a hockey fans. We are witnessing many greats the likes of Sid the Kid, Alexander the Great Ovechkin, Nathan McKinnon, Mitch the Wizard Marner, Leon Drasitle, Connor the King McDavid, and the one and only the HOLY one, the son of Hockey GOD himself the one and only Auston Mathews. Auston is a PERFECT specimen, he is a little bit of Gretzky, Lemieux, Hull, Yzerman, Sakic, Crosby, Ovi, and McDavid all morphed into ONE perfect HUMANOID made to dominate hockey. Toronto Maple Leafs will win the Lord Stanley this year. Gather all your assets right now and invest it in Toronto Maple Leafs to win the cup this year. Sell your house, car or whatever you have and go to Vegas and buy whatever the odds the Vegas gives you for Toronto to win the cup…you will make fortune. Auston will bring the the Lord Stanley home where it belongs. He will end the CURSE, which his former alumni couldn’t do…He will end 55 years of agony the Leafs Nation had to endure. Just like his the Goal record of 55 by a leaf player, he will end the 55 years drought. Sundin, Gilmour, Clark, Salming, Vaive, and Sittler couldn’t do…our new MESSIAH…Auston Mathews will end the suffering and lift all members of the Leafs Nation to the gates of hockey heaven. Although we are not worthy to be blessed and be in the presence of such holy figure as Auston Mathews, we graciously embrace this gift to the hockey world…Long live the HOLY one… Mr. Auston Mathews and may you bless our belove it Toronto Maple Leafs and all the die hard fans all over the universe and beyond. Go Leafs Go.
Some Leaf fans are weird.
Uh yeah!
I feel sorry for Mike. If he takes his own advice his poor family won’t even have their car to live in. LOL
YES Mike
We were calling for you !!!!
Keep up the hype !!
Leafs Nation Needs You !!
Playoff hockey fast approaching !!
Matthews squaring off against Bruins Elite Commanders !!!!
Would be the ideal
We can go on and sweep the banged up Avalanche , as they will be banged up, having to play the modern day , “brood street bullies” – Minnesota
You just jinxed it.
One player you missed when describing Mathews;
Inge Hammarstrom.
He can go into the corners with a pocketful of eggs and not break any of them!
Wow Duchene is having a great season for the Kraken, oops, I mean Predators.
To add to your note regarding Matthews record breaking night, in addition to having scored the most goals for the Leafs in a single season and more than any other American born player – quite a feat in its own right, on Saturday, against the Habs, if he scores, he’ll join the 50 in 50 club who only include these following great players: Maurice Richard, Mike Bossy, Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Brett Hull.
Will he do it?
I don’t think he will as the 50 in 50 pertains to the first 50 games does it not?
Yes it does. Matthews missed a bunch due to injuries and suspension. I think he still would technically score 50 goals in 50 games if he does score tomorrow.
Matthews scored 37 goals in his first 50 games this season. He has already played 66 games this season.
Matthews has already played 66 games. The 50 in 50 club all did it in 50 or fewer games played from the start of the season.
FYI, Matthews isn’t doing anything that this generation hasn’t seen already. Right now Matthews sits in 54th in the most goals in a season. Yes, he has accomplished something great, but to a non-Leafs fan, Matthews isn’t doing anything special.
McDavid might get 50.
Sits at 42 with 10 games left.
He has 12 in his last 14
So 54th of all time goals scored by a player in his 5th season? Anyone else see that Matthews is not doing anything special?
Do you really think that or is it because you can’t see past your feelings?
Cam Neely scored 50 in 44.
It was his first 44, teams 66th game.
93/94 season.
Ron, it likely wasn’t on your list for the same reason that the the NHL “officially” only recognizes the feat in the first 50 games of the season. I didn’t know they had an “official” stance on this.
As far as how special his season is – he will be the 3rd guy to score 60 (if he does but seems likely) in the last 15 years. 10 years since Samkos did it. So special? I dunno, depends how you define special I guess.
Best goal scorer in the NHL is special IMO, and he is that.
Ron,
Ovechkin scored 52 goals and 106 points in his rookie season. In his third season, Ovechkin had 64 goals and 112 points season.
Draisaitl scored 50 goals and 105 points in his 4th NHL season. This season is the third season in his career where he has scored 50 goals and 100 points in a season.
So what Matthews is doing is great, but it’s nothing that we haven’t seen from current NHL players.
I see your point.
Despite missing the playoffs, the Sabres look like they are finally headed in the right direction.
no Pasta no Hampus no win. 6-0 Tampa