NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 20, 2022

by | May 20, 2022 | News, NHL | 32 comments

The Lightning takes a 2-0 series lead over the Panthers, the Blues tie their series with the Avalanche, the Jack Adams Award finalists are announced, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Tampa Bay Lightning took a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven second-round series over the Florida Panthers with a 2-1 victory in Game 2. Ross Colton snapped a 1-1 tie with 3.8 seconds remaining in the third period on a terrific behind-the-back pass by Nikita Kucherov from behind the Panthers’ net. Corey Perry opened the scoring for the Lightning in the first period but Eetu Luostarinen tied the game in the second. Andrei Vasilevskiy made 35 saves for the win while Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 26 shots for the Panthers. The series shifts to Tampa Bay for Game 3 on Sunday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning have done an outstanding job neutralizing the Panthers’ vaunted offense, limiting the league’s high-scoring team in the regular season to just two goals thus far. They’re doing it with solid physical defensive play and strong goaltending from Vasilevskiy.

Like it or not, the Lightning are a great team, and great teams find a way to win. The Maple Leafs learned that lesson in the first round. Now, it’s the Panthers’ turn, and if they don’t address this issue soon, they’ll be joining the Leafs on the golf course next week.

St. Louis Blues winger David Perron (NHL Images).

A two-goal performance by David Perron led the St. Louis Blues to a 4-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 2 to tie their second-round series at a game apiece. Pavel Buchnevich collected two assists while Jordan Binnington kicked out 30 shots for the win. Gabriel Landeskog tallied the Avs’ lone goal. The series heads to St. Louis for Game 3 on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Game 1 was all about the Avalanche’s dominance. It was a different story in Game 2, thanks again to Binnington’s goaltending but also head coach Craig Berube shuffling his lines. Buchnevich was moved to the first line with Perron and Ryan O’Reilly, Robert Thomas centered the second line with Jordan Kyrou and Brandon Saad, while Vladimir Tarasenko was moved to the third line alongside Brayden Schenn and Ivan Barbashev.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers’ Andrew Brunette, the New York Rangers’ Gerard Gallant, and the Calgary Flames’ Darryl Sutter are the finalist for the Jack Adams Award as the NHL’s top coach in 2021-22.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gallant won the award as coach of the Vegas Golden Knights in 2017-18 and was a finalist with the Florida Panthers in 2015-16. It’s the second time Sutter has been named a finalist and the first time for Brunette.

Sutter shrugged off the nomination. He said he’d rather see it go to younger coaches or to Gallant, who he felt got a raw deal with the Golden Knights and Panthers over the way he was let go by those clubs.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Bruins president Cam Neely told reporters on Thursday that the club intends to extend the contract of general manager Don Sweeney. However, he was vague over the future of head coach Bruce Cassidy, suggesting the club needs some changes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maybe a coaching change will improve the Bruins next season. On the other hand, replacing Cassidy would make him appear the scapegoat for the front office’s inability to address the roster’s weaknesses, especially at the second-line center position.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Sweeney indicated he intends to open contract extension talks with David Pastrnak as soon as possible. The 25-year-old winger is eligible next summer for unrestricted free agent status.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s no indication that Pastrnak would entertain hitting the open market next summer. I expect the Bruins will try to get him signed to an eight-year extension worth between $8 million and $9 million annually.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Mike Smith will return in goal for the Oilers in Game 2 tonight against the Calgary Flames. He got the hook early in the first period of Game 1 after giving up three goals on 10 shots.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Capitals winger T.J. Oshie faces some decisions over his recovery and healing from different ailments suffered over the course of this season. The 35-year-old winger was limited to 44 games this season by multiple injuries.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Aging bodies don’t bounce back as quickly from injuries. Oshie might also have to change the way he conducts his offseason training.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Anaheim Ducks forward Dominik Simon confirmed an altercation with Detroit Red Wings defenseman (and Czechia teammate) Filip Hronek during the ongoing World Championships led to his recent decision to leave the Czechia team and return home. Simon took responsibility for the incident, citing emotions from a recent game and from his personal life that led to his attempt to provoke a fight with Hronek.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Stu Cowan laments the deluge of sports betting ads on Hockey Night in Canada during the Stanley Cup playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I understand why the NHL and HNiC are pushing gambling given the league’s recent tapping into the lucrative sports betting market. However, they’re going overboard with the neverending ads during commercial breaks and the constant huckstering by the HNiC staff. I also share Cowan’s unease over the effect it could have on compulsive gamblers and their families.

NORTH JERSEY.COM: New Jersey Devils play-by-play announcer Steve Cangialosi is stepping down after 11 seasons.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: The Savannah Ghost Pirates will be the ECHL affiliate of the Vegas Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Love the name of the franchise and the logo. I’ll have to look into buying a Ghost Pirates hat or a jersey at some point.







32 Comments

  1. If Bruce Cassidy is the Bruins’ biggest problem, they should be fine next year. Boston is a well-coached team.

    • I agree BC. Coaching in Boston is just fine. It is, rather, a front office failure. There simply isn’t enough talent available. Swayman, McAvoy, Carlo, Marchand, Pasternak, and Hall are very good, Debrusk less so. Bergeron is still serviceable, but Father Time and years of NHL service are taking a toll. And there is little talent in the pipeline to add to the roster. Throwing Cassidy under the bus seems a lot like Vegas doing the same to cover for front office mismanagement.

    • A coach being made a scapegoat for poor management decisions? Come on, that’s never happen!

      • You’re right Howard….how silly of me to suggest that it has.

  2. So Neely gave Sweeney a clean bill of health as far job security is concerned, trouble is who gave Neely the same ?!? Obviously the Jacob’s. Man how many times does this franchise have to take a free fall in the post season before Jacob’s wakes up and realize these two morons have crippled the franchise. You are gonna entrust the bruins most crucial rebuild with Sweeney and Neely?! LOOK WHAT THEY’VE DONE THUS FAR FOR CS!!!! Then in Neely’s press conference he throws Bruce under the bus, what gives? Frustrated…I may have to take sabbatical from all this. What a mess!

    • It could be worse Ricky insofar as frustration goes … you could have evolved as a Leafs fan.

      • Hey look who just slithered out of the birthday coffin “hey George how are those memory pills working.?” …..I forgot you’re 84 “H-O-W A-R-E T-H-O-S-E. M-E-M-O-R-Y P-I-L-L-S W-O-R-K-I-N-G?”

      • True George…So less insufferable and less like a really bad broken record?

      • Dubya is a whiner of the First Order who functions (and on that only barely) under the delusion that he’s funny.

      • And Ron, if ANY fan has a right to being frustrated it has to be a Leafs fan (and player). I know my grandson and daughter-in-law certainly are. Always so damned close in a series, including OTs where, if a bounce here or a deflection there, the monkey’s off their backs.

    • How many teams have been better than the Bruins since Sweeney too over after missing the playoffs?
      You can count them on one hand and not use all your fingers.

      Ya, he sucks.

      2015 draft, 2015 draft, 2015 draft, blah blah blah.

      Whatever perfect

      • Ray. Not many. But they need to reload fire everyone. Change cities change coach gm pres owner sell off 63 71 no resign 37 Oh. Sorry was thinking I was someone else. Lol. Have a great long weekend

      • I will MB4! You too.
        Here’s hoping the Oil show up before it’s 3-0 after 6 minutes.

      • Yeah well okay… let’s all just stand pat and let the chips fall were they may, you lambs are all the same between you , George and on site adjudicator Mr Bruin ( Scott) your iq’s are just slightly below. grass foliage. Sweeney and Neely should be fired they haven’t done anything.. draft, free agent signings. Horrible.

      • Says the walking embodiment of the adage that complainers like complaining almost as much as they enjoy knowing they can’t do diddley-squat about it – except bitch – repeatedly – ad nauseam

      • Rick, did Sweeney stand pat this past deadline?
        How about last off season?
        TDL before that?
        Off season before that?
        TDL before that?

        Did I mention the Bruins were one of the most successful franchises in the NHL during his time as GM? I think I did.

        Their window is closing or already closed. I would say the latter is true. Accept it.

        Give me one team in history that has intentionally blown up the roster after finishing 27 points of the 9th place team?

        Waiting….

        Waiting….

        Oh yeah, there isn’t any. B’s won’t either until it become obvious they need to. When they miss the playoffs. Just like everybody else. Just like they sold some assets after they missed the playoffs last time.

        Relax man, everything will be OK.

  3. The idea that limiting the number of gambling commercials will help ease the pain of potential addicts, no offense, is a hilarious notion. Why not extend this theory to food or sex advertising? Gambling advertising is just new. Give it a few months an you’ll get used to it. Kinda like the advertising splashed over every bit of screen when I visit some websites…

    • Hi Randino

      They are annoying, no doubt

      You get forced into watching them if viewing live

      If people can “mentally” afford viewing delayed…. Either PVR and start watching an hour later, and FFWD through commercials; or view via NHL LIVE, but start 2 hours late… and hit the 30 Second “jump” button when commercials come on; and intermission

      I also use the NHL LIVE… start watching first game a couple of hours late…. And get to watch a 60 minute game in just over an hour; then watch another game when I get up in the morning (as I did last night and this morning)….. got two whole games in, in just over two hours total of my time

      Wayne walking out on fake ice , was driving me nuts

      For the SCF games ….I’ll have to suck it up and watch in real time

    • Sex ads!!!? Where and for what? You talking about boner pill ads? Those are sex ads but the other ad type we are bombarded with, drug ads… so far we got ads for drugs, gambling, and what else money – banking/credit cards?

      The one thing I’ve noticed and really find shameful is all the odds and betting shows/pod casts and segments there is now all under the guise of sports journalism.

      Randino, compliancy or worse yet, willfully compliant or willfully ignorant is a slippery slide down to hell.

      • If there’s concern about the effect on families how’s comes I ain’t seen no flak round these parts bout beer commercials?

      • For one, beer commercials are appearing endlessly at every possible commercial break like those gambling ads. For another, you don’t have the on-air talent opening shilling beer during the broadcasts.

      • I concede point number two Lyle. They ain’t swillin molson or bud light while they perform.

      • Lyle, you do make a good point regarding the on air talent shilling for gambling sites but honestly don’t see the frequency of commercials as being a real problem. IMO, they are either there or their not.

  4. Brunette, Gallant, Sutter as top 3 for Adams Award…. No argument here…. Excellent choices

    Re: Last night’s games….

    Cats/Bolts….That was a real kick to the “Mommy and Daddy button “:(said in the voice of Mike Meyers) with 4 seconds left. Ouch! Excellent pass out… bonehead move by D…. Bolts up 2-0 in series coming “home” (bus ride?? LOL)

    Blues/Avs…. Has Berube figured out the magic formula for beating Avs? Looked very good last night!!

    • The Avalanche better look at themselves in the mirror, they let the Blues dictate the game!. This series is big boy hockey and the Avalanche better get off the mat and bring it in St. Louis. Kuemper was great. GO AVS!!!!

      • TB

        After watching the Blues last night, Berube may not deserve “Coach of the Year”, but he sure deserves coach of the night–on to St. Louis.

        IP

      • tommyboy, the Avalanche are solid top to bottom and should bring home the bacon – but they aren’t going to win every series 4-0 – there will be losses from here on, including some at home. Hey, it could be worse – they could be in Florida’s position!

  5. What works in the regular season doesn’t always work in the playoffs. Playoff series are won in the trenches. The leafs have found that out over the years and the Panthers are finding that out now.
    Tampa was there to be beaten in Round One. As often happens with strong teams, the start can be the most difficult. But once they get over the hump, they get into a real groove. I’m not saying they’ll win the Cup but it would surprise no one.

    • Agree Howard

      It’s certainly looking more and more that Bolts are on a trajectory to at least GET to the SCF

  6. Couldn’t agree more with Cowan about the sports betting adds. They have reached pandemic levels.
    Isn’t it funny how money changes opinions so fast NHL.
    Now instead of getting some useful and interesting hockey talk I get a 2 or 3 minute lesson on odds. I don’t like it

    • We haven’t yet reached ads littering jerseys, but remember this was floated not long ago. We all understand that pro sports is a business like everything else and revenue is the prime motivator.

      But it also proves the lie to the unctuous Bettman who when he talks in loving tones about “our fans” he really means “our ATMS.”

  7. Incredible play by Mackinnon. Helmet got knocked off and he picked it up and put it back on! How many players can do that?