NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 9, 2022
Mitch Marner extends his points streak in the latest Leafs win, Johnny Gaudreau talks about his decision to leave Calgary for Columbus, the latest salary cap update for 2023-24 and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner extended his franchise-best points streak to 21 games as his club blanked the Los Angeles Kings 5-0. Marner scored his 11th goal of the season while Ilya Samsonov made 29 saves for the shutout as the Leafs (17-5-6) sit three points behind the league-leading Boston Bruins with 40 points. The Kings dropped to 14-11-4.
Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Toronto defenseman T.J. Brodie returned to the lineup after missing 12 games with a strained oblique. However, forward Nick Robertson is expected to miss significant time after suffering a shoulder injury in the first period. The Leafs are on a roll, going 10-0-3 since dropping a 4-2 decision to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 11.
Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point scored twice and Steven Stamkos picked up two assists in a 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. Stamkos extended his points streak to 12 games while Brian Elliott kicked out 34 shots. The Lightning improved to 16-9-1 while the Predators fall to 12-10-2.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning honored defenseman Ryan McDonagh with a video tribute. He spent five seasons with the Bolts before being traded to the Predators in the offseason.
Winnipeg Jets forward Pierre-Luc Dubois scored two goals and picked up an assist to defeat the St. Louis Blues by a score of 5-2. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 29 shots for the Jets (17-7-1) as they’ve won seven of their last 10 games. The Blues (12-15-0) have dropped seven of their last 10.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets sit in fifth place in the overall standings with 35 points. Defenseman Logan Stanley returned to action after being sidelined since Oct. 24 with a fractured foot. Jets forward Saku Maenalanen left this game with an upper-body injury.
An overtime goal by Tyler Seguin lifted the Dallas Stars to a 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Miro Heiskanen tallied twice for the Stars (15-7-5), who sit in second place in the Central Division behind the Jets. The Senators sit in last place in the Atlantic Division with a record of 10-14-2.
The Florida Panthers defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-1. Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist while Sergei Bobrovsky made 19 saves as the Panthers improved to 13-10-4. The Red Wings sit at 13-8-5.
HEADLINES
THE SCORE: Johnny Gaudreau wants Calgary Flames fans to know that he didn’t string them or the team along before signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets. “It was one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever had to make,” said the former Flames winger. He said it ultimately came down to being able to play closer to home and spend more time with his family.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames were offering more money on a long-term team deal but Gaudreau left that cash on the table to accept a slightly lesser offer with the Blue Jackets.
TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the salary cap for 2023-24 will be the prime topic at next week’s NHL Board of Governors meetings. The cap could rise by $3.5 million or more over the current $82.5 million if the players repay their remaining cap debt from the pandemic to the owners by the season’s end. If they don’t finish paying it off, and a lot of observers believe they won’t, the cap will only rise by $1 million.
LeBrun and Darren Dreger said there could be a third option whereby the NHL Players Association ask the players if they want the cap to rise by between $2 million and $3 million for next season. From a player’s perspective, it must not impact escrow. So far, there’s been no discussions on that issue between the league and the PA but they’ll have to have that conversation before early summer.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see how they would work that out if the players are willing to find a way for a bigger bump in next season’s cap. LeBrun and Dreger didn’t indicate how the league and the PA could “massage the cap” in a way that won’t affect escrow payments.
COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Some good news for the injury-ravaged Avalanche as winger Valeri Nichushkin could return from ankle surgery for Friday’s game against the New York Rangers.
CBS SPORTS: John Klingberg will return to the Anaheim Ducks lineup Friday against the San Jose Sharks. He’s missed the last seven games with a lower-body injury.
AM NY: New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Blackhawks forward Sam Lafferty is ready to return to action after missing the last six games with a back injury.
GOPHNX.COM: The Arizona Coyotes have loaned forward Dylan Guenther to Team Canada for the upcoming World Junior Championships.
Ran across this … thought it was an interesting comparison of the actual “action” when it comes to the 4 main North American sports
https://www.facebook.com/wheelhousehockey/photos/a.2096363877086297/6044273825628596/
I read that same article George. Interesting that the action minutes for football is the same as one of my high school teachers pointed out to us over 50 years ago. And this explains why I have lost most interest in other sports except hockey…there is more action in each period than in a whole baseball or football game.
You should check out Aussie Rules Football. My son and I started watching it a couple of years ago. It’s pretty much non-stop action with zero commercial breaks during the game. It takes a bit to figure out some of the rules, there are still a couple of things I can’t figure out, but it has a lot of action. Their season starts around the time hockey season ends and ends around the time the hockey season starts.
I always thought that Iago when I played football waaaay back, along with other sports like hockey, baseball, basketball and lacrosse. That last was much like hockey – something happening at about or even above that of hockey as shown in that chart.
From the time the ball was snapped in football to a whistle, except for long runs/passes which could take upwards of 45 seconds to a minute (in rare cases), the “action” was over in less than 30 seconds.
Basketball, to me anyway , has become a joke, especially in the College game. I remember a couple of years back following March madness in a game involving Gonzaga it took 14 minutes to play the final 52 seconds what with time-outs and commercial breaks. Asinine.
Wow
Knew the NFL was running time… but 49 minutes (of 60 game clock) running time seems weird (erroneous)
How do they deem “action” in Baseball? Between consecutive pitch-swing-misses is sometimes 45- 50 seconds; but actual time pitch to catcher’s mitt…. Fraction over a second????
Great to see hockey # 1
KevJam,
There is no accurate way to explain Aussie Rules to the uninitiated. I’ve tried, after having lived near Melbourne for 10 years and having spent many a fun few hours @ the MCG. But why wait until April? There are hundreds of clips, and even a few full games, on YouTube. Just enter Aussie Rules or one of the team names in the search.
Thanks for that! I will definitely do that.
An interesting article at TSN.ca by Travis Yost about the standings at the Christmas break and their predictive value for the playoffs.
According to past history, five teams are guaranteed to make the playoffs this year based on their current standings: Boston, Jersey (shocking), Toronto, Vegas and Winnipeg.
Nice thought for Jets fans.
The real shock comes from the current percentages for teams on the bubble.
The Avalanche sit at 39% and the Wild at 44%, based on historical data. It just shows how injuries can devastate even the best of teams.
Of course we all remember St. Louis’s run to the Cup when they were basically dead and buried.
It can happen but it is really, really hard.
Hi BCLeafsFan
Read that as well…. was not surprised re top 5 at Christmas all getting in over last two decades
WAS surprised with the lower end probs
Great Jets in that “secured” 5th (100%) group… but those stats are at Christmas break…. 9 more teams within 4 points of Jets; all with at least 6 games before break…. So that 5th place may change
No matter what… if Jets go at least 4-4 (I think they have 8 games before Christmas)…. Excellent shot at Playoffs
I have always liked Marner. IMO he is the MVP of that team. If you look at Tavares and Matthews stats, their ups are when Marner is their winger, and their downs are when Marner is off their wing. Yet when things are going bad for the team Marner is the first guy (maybe second to Nylander) who the fans want gone. Earlier this season is a good example. After a bad game where Marner had a couple of bad turnovers, Leafs fans were calling to trade the guy.
Last season Matthews wouldn’t have gotten to 60 goals without Marner. He may have gotten close to 50, but 60 wouldn’t have been in the conversation.
If you were just looking at the score, you might think Winnipeg had an easy game against the Blues with a 5-2 victory.
The Blues out played Winnipeg and had the majority of the quality shots.
Connor Hellebuyck is back to Vezina form.
The jets got 5 goals on 20 shots and one was real stinker and energy killer for St.L
Third period was score effects. First 2 periods Jets even strength corsi 31-28 and 5-1 high danger chances.
CBJ
have had a run of bad injuries this year, They also
Dont have a #1 Centre to play with
Johnny Gaudreau & Patrik Laine…..⁉️
they almost have $23.M in salaries out of there line up injured !!
Maybe they are hopping now to pick in the top 5 in the Draft next year…. and get the A Top Centre… Like Connor Bedard Or Big Adam Fantilli Or Leo Carlsson…..🤔
Goaltending has also be bad, Im sure they will trade there 4 UFA,
most they would get is a 2nd rd pick, the rest would be mid to late picks….
D/men, Vladislav Gavrikov & Bayreuther
Goaltender Joonas Korpisalo
forward Gustav Nyquist
and maybe a salary Dump in Jack Roslovic $4.M ….❓
To help with there re-tool