NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 21, 2022
Recapping games from a busy Thursday night includes the Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin setting a league record, 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky scored his first goal, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin became the first defenseman in league history to score in each of his first four games of the season as his club doused the Calgary Flames 6-3. Alex Tuch tallied a hat trick while Eric Comrie kicked out 40 shots for the win. Flames winger Milan Lucic skated in his 1,100th career NHL game.
Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dahlin is off to a terrific start and leads all NHL blueliners in scoring. The Sabres’ speed made the difference in this one as they overcame an early 1-0 deficit with three first-period goals. They’re still giving up a lot of shots but their goaltending has been solid thus far.
Montreal Canadiens rookie (and 2022 first-overall draft pick) Juraj Slafkovsky scored his first NHL goal in a 6-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki scored a Pavel Datsyuk-like goal on a penalty shot while Jake Allen made 25 saves. Travis Boyd had a goal and an assist for the Coyotes.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The rout was on for the Canadiens as they grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first period. Rookie defenseman Arber Xhekaj endeared himself to the hometown crowd with a decisive win in a fight with Coyotes winger Zack Kassian.
Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had a goal and three assists to lead the Edmonton Oilers over the Carolina Hurricanes 6-4. Oilers goaltender Jack Campbell made 36 stops. Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov tallied a hat trick.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers rookie Dylan Holloway missed this game as he’s listed as day-to-day with a head injury.
Toronto Maple Leafs winger Nick Robertson scored two goals, including the winner in overtime, to drop the Dallas Stars 3-2. Ilya Samsonov made 26 saves for the Leafs while Stars goalie Scott Wedgewood stopped 40 shots.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson’s winner was the result of a smart defensive play on his part when he broke up a two-on-one by stripping the puck from Stars captain Jamie Benn and sending the play the other way. He finished it with a one-timer off a pass from Auston Matthews.
The Pittsburgh Penguins downed the Los Angeles Kings 6-1. Jeff Petry had a goal and Tristan Jarry kicked out 39 shots. It was a costly win for the Penguins as Jake Guentzel suffered an undisclosed injury late in the game.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins have scored six goals in three of their first four games this season.
Kirill Kaprizov’s overtime goal gave the Minnesota Wild their first win of the season as they dropped the Vancouver Canucks 4-3. Kaprizov finished with three points while Mats Zuccarello scored twice and added an assist. Wild defenseman Alex Goligoski played in his 1,000th career NHL contest while teammate Jordan Greenway left with a suspected shoulder injury. Greenway was making his season debut after recovering from off-season shoulder surgery.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks remain winless (0-3-2) to start the season. It was also the fifth straight game in which they blew a lead.
Ottawa Senators winger Drake Batherson tallied twice and Brady Tkachuk collected two assists as their club overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Washington Capitals 5-2. Darcy Kuemper made 39 saves in a losing cause for the Capitals while Alex Ovechkin was held scoreless. The Senators unveiled a banner to their late owner Eugene Melnyk in a pregame ceremony to honor his memory.
The San Jose Sharks picked up their first win of the season by nipping the New York Rangers 3-2 on an overtime goal by Erik Karlsson, who also collected an assist in this contest. Rangers winger Artemi Panarin scored to extend his points streak to five games. He also leads the league with 11 points.
Four unanswered third-period goals carried the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Nashville Predators 5-3. Johnny Gaudreau started and ended the rally with two goals.
New Jersey Devils winger Ondrej Palat tallied twice while teammate Nico Hischier had a three-point performance to beat the New York Islanders 4-1. Jesper Bratt collected two assists for the Devils. Anders Lee scored for the Islanders while teammate Ilya Sorokin made 39 saves.
Jack Eichel scored two goals, Alex Pietrangelo collected two assists and Adin Hill stopped 26 shots as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Winnipeg Jets 5-2. Eichel has five points in as many games.
A shootout goal by Taylor Hall lifted the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Hall also opened the scoring during the second period while Frank Vatrano replied for the Ducks.
IN OTHER NEWS…
CBS SPORTS: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews is being evaluated for an injury suffered during their 4-3 overtime loss on Wednesday to the Jets.
COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche also claimed winger Dryden Hunt off waivers from the Rangers.
FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Limited salary-cap space is preventing the Panthers from signing Eric Staal. The veteran forward attended training camp on a professional tryout offer and is still skating with them during practice as a non-roster player.
CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: The Flames signed backup goaltender Dan Vladar to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $2.2 million.
NHL.COM: The 32 NHL teams yesterday unveiled their “Reverse Retro” jerseys for this season.
Ullmark has been very good Swayman been ordinary.
Even when Charlie and Brad are back in the lineup. They are going to need more to be cup contenders.
Rinse and repeat
Linus Ullmark. The goalie you said was a bum. Why did Sweeney sign him? That goalie now you #1????? You flip flop like an old presidential candidate. Still sticking to your prediction of Bruins no make the playoffs. Lol 😂
I like the way Kassian plays…hard, in your face, tough…etc.
But watching Xhekaj manhandle him was reminiscent of what Chara did to McCabe a few years back!
Unfortunately, Kassian hasn’t been the same after falling and hitting his head on the ice after a couple of fights last season and the season before.
Habs are over .500. Didn’t think I’d be saying that even 5 games into the season.
Went to see the Isles at UBS last night. They really looked flat. Not much atmosphere.
‘Flat’ is very generous, awful, just awful…except for Sorokin and Lee, everybody took a day off.
Leafs got plenty of help from officials 8 power plays to 4.
Ya there were some bad calls, especially on the reversed call, it’s actually in the rule book, see rule 69.1
It describes exactly what happened and why the goal was originally waved off.
In the end, both teams played meh, but if it wasn’t for Matthews’ not Robertson’s although he did break up a pass that would of resulted in a sure goal moments earlier, 200ft game and defensive play and finally a good pass to see the young rookie pot his second was nice.
Above notes say Petry scored a goal, give the guy some love he also had two helpers.
David Pastrnak and Taylor Hall fall down way to easily.
Boston is off to a better start then I expected but lets not go crazy, the early schedule has been in their favor.
Yes Montreal defense is unproven, but I always thought they had some very good forwards and dont expect them to be the basement dwellers that most are predicting. No im not ready to say their a playoff teams.
What is the media now saying about Kevyn Adams? Last year he was in over his head and has no experience and just a figure head for the owner.
Never would have bet on BUF sweeping Alberta Caper. Can’t speak on the Flames game, but in EDM Comrie stood on his head, plus the Oil turned it over at the wrong times early.
But, the Sabre’s are a young, fast, skilled team. Dahlin looks to be a true #1. Big, skilled, poised, skates and defended well in the game I watched. Dominant player at times.
Still too young to be a playoff team quite yet IMO, but if not this year, in the next 2 for sure if they keep progressing.
As a die-hard Habs fan, I am enjoying watching the kids in Montreal having fun.
Watching Caufield feed water to Captain Nick from the bench after he scores on his penalty shot.
Watching Xhekaj skating away from giving Kassian a beat down, pumping up the crowd.
Watching Xhekaj & Slafkovsky point & yell F*#K YOU at Josh Brown on the Slafkovsky goal after Brown rocked Slafkovsky at the blueline causing Xhekaj to make a bee-line for him. Brown seeing Xhekaj bearing down on him, throws the puck away to Slafkovsky which ends up in the back of the net.
Fun times in Montreal right now.
I just hope that the emotion does not show as much when this little taste of success ends. No sulking, just play through it & learn from the inexperienced mistakes.
Wonder where our friend LJ is.
I recall him saying less than a month ago that both Nick Robertson and Sandin are useless assets and worth nothing in a trade.
We are all quite capable of saying really dumb things.
One game doesn’t prove much but obviously success is better than not. In this game they proved their worth but for how long can they keep it up, and no, not expecting Nicky to score every game but do expect to bring that puck hound play every game though. It was quite the statement game, winder what the brass will do.
Ottawa seems to have matured into a team that can come back after a poor start. Behind 2:0 after the first, they put on a show for the rest of the game. Outshot Washington by something like 25 shots in the last two periods, all 4 lines clicking and the defence showing lots of steadiness. Zub and Sanderson were especially solid. There is certainly no need to overpay for Chychrun.
Got some hand lotion that might cool that down for you.
Meaning what? Exactly?
That Hossa heat. Burning hands.
No?
LOL. I wasn’t even considering his nick – I thought you were posting in reference to something in his text … couldn’t figure out the connection. Good one.
Hossa-Heatley
It’s so much fun watching the youngsters in Buffalo. Those guys are really something! Geez, even my Sharks looked good last night.
Buffalo could make a run for the playoffs, depending on how Boston and Toronto fare.
So Paul, the Sens don’t factor in or what? Just TO and/or Boston is your take?
PB
Would not surprise me at all if Bruins win Atlantic not that it matters. Just be healthy for playoffs and we gave a good chance .
really concerned about the Avalanche injuries, especially Landeskog. Now, Towes “being evaluated” don’t like at all! Not much good news for the Avalanche lately. Stupid retro jersey’s to boot. Am I alone when these stupid marketing decisions keep being made to gather more revenue are taking away from the game? What are the Avalanche uniforms, the alternate one, the quebec Nordiques one, the retro one? I wish they would just stick to the Avalanche burgundy/blue, home and away with our logo on it! There losing me as a fan but I’m sure they don’t give a rat’s ass as long as the register keeps churning. And we’re still blacked out due to Altitude Sports/Comcast dispute? I have to listen to games on the radio can’t even watch on my computer anymore. WTF!!!! Greed is incredible. GO AVS!!!!!!!