NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 13, 2022
The Leafs honor Borje Salming, the Devils remain red hot, Cale Makar approaches a league record, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2. Jordie Benn completed the Leafs’ three-goal rally in the second period while Erik Kallgren made 27 saves to improve their record to 8-5-3. Bo Horvat and J.T. Miller scored for the Canucks as they fall to 4-8-3.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs honored Hall-of-Fame defenseman Borje Salming in a pregame ceremony. The 71-year-old Salming, who is battling ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), made the ceremonial puck drop assisted by his family following a video retrospective of his trailblazing 17-season NHL career, all but one of which was spent with the Leafs.
This was a touching, beautiful and heartfelt tribute by the Leafs to one of their greatest players. They also started the game with five of Salming’s Swedish countrymen – Kallgren, Timothy Liljegren, Rasmus Sandin, William Nylander, Pierre Engvall and Calle Jarnkrok – on the ice. That’s a testament to his legacy as a pioneer for Swedish (and European) players in the NHL.
Second-period goals by Jesper Boqvist and Dougie Hamilton lifted the New Jersey Devils to a 4-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes to extend their win streak to nine games. Tomas Tatar had a goal and an assist for the 12-3-0 Devils while Dylan Guenther and Clayton Keller replied for the 6-7-1 Coyotes.
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (NHL Images).
Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar scored two goals while teammate Mikko Rantanen had a goal and three assists to down the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1. The Avalanche’s record sits at 8-4-1. Jordan Staal scored for the 9-5-1 Hurricanes, who placed sidelined winger Teuvo Teravainan in injured reserve with an upper-body injury retroactive to Nov. 10.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Makar is closing in on a potential NHL record. With 196 career points in 191 games, he is poised to become the fastest defenseman in league history to reach 200 points, a record currently held by Sergei Zubov with 207 games played.
Edmonton Oilers superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each collected an assist as their club doubled up the Florida Panthers 4-2. Stuart Skinner picked up the win by kicking out 42 shots for the Oilers (9-7-0) while McDavid and Draisaitl extended their points streaks to 10 and 11 games respectively. Sam Bennett scored twice for the Panthers (8-6-1) while defenseman Aaron Ekblad returned to the lineup for the first time since suffering a groin pull on Oct. 17.
Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron scored twice and Keith Kinkaid stopped 30 shots in a 3-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Brad Marchand collected two assists for the Bruins as their record improves to 13-2-0. Tage Thompson had the only goal for the 7-8-0 Sabres, who played without captain Kyle Okposo due to what was described as “general soreness.”
The Ottawa Senators’ Claude Giroux collected three assists as his club snapped a seven-game winless skid by dropping the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1. Alex DeBrincat scored twice for the 5-8-1 Senators while Kevin Hayes netted the only goal for the 7-5-2 Flyers, who also lost defenseman Wade Allison in the second period with a lower-body injury.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was Giroux’s first game in Philadelphia since they traded him last March to the Florida Panthers. The Flyers honored their former captain with a pregame video tribute.
An overtime goal by Mike Hoffman lifted the Montreal Canadiens over the Pittsburgh Penguins by a score of 5-4. Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach and Kaiden Guhle each collected two points as the Canadiens improved to 8-6-1. Jason Zucker collected three assists and former Hab Jeff Petry had two points for the Penguins, who drop to 6-6-3.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The rebuilding Canadiens continue to exceed expectations over a month into this season. They’ll likely return to earth as the season wears on but young players like Suzuki, Dach and Guhle continue to provide Habs fans with the hope that a better future might not be as far away as originally thought.
The New York Islanders nipped the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 on an overtime goal by Zach Parise. Brock Nelson tallied twice for the Islanders (10-6-0) while Joonas Korpisalo made 42 saves to help the injury-ravaged Jackets (4-9-1) steal a point.
Two unanswered third-period goals by Ivan Barbashev and Ryan O’Reilly lifted the St. Louis Blues over the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2, improving their record to 5-8-0. Jordan Binnington made 34 saves (22 of those in the third period) for the win. Reilly Smith and Phil Kessel replied for the 13-3-0 Golden Knights.
The Calgary Flames ended a seven-game winless skid with a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Elias Lindholm and Adam Ruzicka each had a goal and an assist for the Flames to boost their record to 6-6-2. Connor Hellebuyck made 32 stops for the 8-4-1 Jets.
Nashville Predators netminder Juuse Saros kicked out 34 shots as his club held off the New York Rangers 2-1. Juuso Parssinen and Mark Jankowski tallied for the Predators while Filip Chytil scored for the Rangers. Nashville’s record now sits at 6-8-1 while the Rangers are 7-6-3. Predators forward Yakov Trenin missed this contest with a lower-body injury.
Los Angeles Kings defenseman Sean Durzi tallied twice in a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, improving the Kings’ record to 10-6-1. Dominik Kubalik and Filip Hronek each had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings, who fall to 7-5-3.
A goal by Jarred Tinordi late in the third period lifted the Chicago Blackhawks over the Anaheim Ducks 3-2. Tinordi had two goals on the night while Arvid Soderblom got the wing for the 6-5-3 Blackhawks with a 39-save performance. Troy Terry had a goal and an assist for the 4-10-1 Ducks.
IN OTHER NEWS…
WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Capitals winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel received a three-game suspension from the NHL department of player safety for an illegal check to the head of Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Cal Foote on Friday.
TSN: Capitals forward Garnet Hathaway and Lightning forward Pat Maroon were both fined for unsportsmanlike conduct stemming from Aube-Kubel’s hit on Foote. Hathaway was tagged for over $4,000.00 while Maroon will pay over $2,700.00
DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Lightning, they claimed forward Rudolfs Balcers off waivers from the Florida Panthers.
For a LW taken 142nd overall in the 5th round in 2015 by SJ, and whose production over 167gp is best described as “modest” (27g 34a 61 pts (82-game averages of 13g 17a 30 pts) Rudolphs Balcers must have some attributes that keep him afloat in the NHL.
Part of the 2018 Karlsson trade, his time in Ottawa included missing most of 2019-20 with a torn MCL and by the time he was waived before the opening of the 2020-21 season he had a record of 6g 11a 17pts in 51gp. San Jose plucked him back off waivers and signed him to a 2-year deal where, in totals, he had a decent 19g 21a 40 pts in 102gp, before they, too, waived him for the purpose of buying out the remainder of his deal. Florida then took him off waivers where he played just 14 games, producing 2g 2a 4 pts.
Now Tampa Bay has decided to give him a look.
What I remember from his time here in Ottawa were brief periods where he looked like he might have been the “steal” of the Karlsson deal, but longer stretches where he looked like someone skating around in a daze, unsure of where to go and what to do.
But he keeps getting a job somewhere. Any SJ fans have a theory as to why?
A little off topic, but does anyone else feel it is time to drop the point teams are given for losing in OT???
Parity throughout the league is as tight as it has ever been, I think it is time to drop the attempt to inflate the parity numbers.
Soccer has the best system imo – three points for a win, one point for a tie, no overtime. A strong incentive to play for the win in a tie game.
Gets rid of 3-on-3 and the shootout which has worn out its welcome imo.
For what it’s worth Uwey, I for one – as a long-time fan – never liked the 3-point game – and I absolutely detest the shoot-out.
If they must, keep the 4 on 4 OT and if it’s tied after that, each gets a point. Leave it at that.
i agree 110%%
3 pts for a regulation win
2 pts for overtime/SO win
1 pt for overtime/SO loss
0 pts for regulation loss
Therefore all games count the same (3pts available for every game). Unlike the ridiculous scenario now where certain games are worth more.
Plus, maybe teams might actually try to win in the last 5 minutes.
I’ve been harping on this for years. Maybe someone eventually notices.
Intriguing concept Whalercane.
The only drawback I can see for the 3pt regulation win would be in those divisions where, at any given season, there would be a real bad team (or more) which means the better teams in that division would have more games against those weak sisters, giving them what some would surely see as an unfair advantage in the overall points standings.
And the howls would be heard even more from any division where all 8 teams are competitive.
IMO you have to have the point for end of regulation if you are going to change the rules for OT. Which you have to, or the games take too long. Fans didn’t like not having a winner so often, fair enough.
I am all for the system Whalecane posted. I know the schedule won’t be balanced and the same for each team each year, but you can rotate who you play in different years. May help you this year, hurt you the next.
I think the extra point would make the final 10 minutes of regulation more offensive, especially at the back end of a season when teams push for position.
Right, George, I should have said that the English Premier League has a balanced schedule- home and away against every other team.
Tough to do in hockey although a 62 game regular season sounds good to me.
What would an
Erik Karlsson trade look like coming back to Ottawa❓
The Trade
Ottawa sends
-1 A first rd pick,
-2 RD Nikita Zaitsev’s $4,500,000 for this yr and next
-3 LW Alex Formenton or is it a Prospect d/man
Or is it Both ..?
4- A Goaltender in the swapp….
San Jose sends
1- RD Erik Karlsson @ 40% salary retained
and
2- Goaltender.. James Reimer….🤔
Both teams get what they ned to move forward
Or
Do the Sen’s do a Clean Trade a 1st pick for
Ducks RD man John Klingberg’s and 50% Salary Retaned $7,000,000 = to $3.5M…..
I don’t like the designation of “loser point”, its 1 point for a tie.
The 3 on 3 followed by shootout are gimmicks and skill competitions IMO akin to deciding baseball games with homerun derby or basketball games with three point shots.
The season is long and gruelling enough as it is.
Defence wins championships and Stanley Cups, the hot goalie and stingy big D-men are key when the games count.