NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 12, 2023
John Tavares and Jamie Benn reach personal milestones, the three stars of the week are named, while suspensions are handed down to David Perron and Erik Gudbranson. Details on these stories and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares had a goal and an assist to reach his 1,000th career NHL point in a 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders. Tavares collected his assist in the game-tying goal against his former club as the Leafs overcame a 3-1 deficit but Bo Horvat’s overtime goal gave the Islanders the victory. The Leafs (14-6-5) sit third in the Atlantic Division with 33 points while the Islanders (13-7-7) picked up their third straight victory and sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 33 points.
Toronto Maple Leafs captains John Tavares (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders fans lustily booed Tavares’ accomplishment. They still haven’t forgiven their club’s former captain for signing with the Leafs in 2018.
Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn collected his 500th career NHL assist as his club clipped the Detroit Red Wings 6-3. Miro Heiskanen scored two goals and set up another for the 16-8-3 Stars (35 points), who sit one point back of the first-place Colorado Avalanche in the Central Division. Shayne Gostisbehere picked up two assists for the 14-9-4 Red Wings, who dropped their third straight game and hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings were without winger David Perron following his six-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for a dangerous cross-check against Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the Red Wings placed captain Dylan Larkin, J.T. Compher and Klim Kostin on injured reserve and recalled Zach Aston-Reese, Jonatan Berggren and Austin Czarnik. Larkin was knocked unconscious following hits from Senators forward Mathieu Joseph and Parker Kelly, sparking the melee that led to Perron’s cross-check on Zub.
The Colorado Avalanche tallied three unanswered third-period goals to overcome a 5-3 deficit in a 6-5 win over the Calgary Flames. Nathan MacKinnon scored the game-winner to push his points streak to 12 games while teammate Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists for the 17-9-2 Avalanche. Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman each had a goal and an assist for the 11-14-3 Flames.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames also lost defenseman Chris Tanev early in the first period after being hit from behind into the boards by Avalanche forward Ross Colton, who was not penalized on the play. There was no postgame update on Tanev’s condition.
Buffalo Sabres forwards Kyle Okposo and Eric Robinson each had a goal and two assists to beat the Arizona Coyotes 5-2. Michael Carcone netted his team-leading 14th goal of the season for the Coyotes (13-12-2) as they cling to the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 28 points. The Sabres sit at 12-14-3.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sidelined Sabres forward Alex Tuch (hamstring) participated in his club’s morning skate but didn’t play in this game. He’s expected to be in the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Avalanche.
HEADLINES
NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl, and Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart are the league’s three stars for the week ending Dec. 10, 2023.
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson received a one-game suspension from the department of player safety for his retaliation on Florida Panthers forward Nick Cousins on Sunday. Gudbranson was hit from behind into the boards by Cousins, who initially received a five-minute major penalty that was reduced to a two-minute minor on review. Later in the game, Gudbranson grabbed Cousins, slammed him to the ice and rained six punches on the Panthers forward.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: None of this would’ve happened had the on-ice officials properly handled this situation from the outset. It’s part of what The Athletic’s Ian Mendes calls “a consistency problem” for NHL officials regarding hits from behind. Mendes fears it could lead to another Steve Moore-Todd Bertuzzi incident.
WINNIPEG FREE PRESS: Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Strome will not face supplemental discipline for a knee-on-knee hit on Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor on Sunday. It was determined that Strome had planted his foot and did not intentionally attempt to injure Connor, who underwent an MRI on his knee on Monday. No word yet from the Jets regarding Connor’s status. Strome received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct.
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins winger Bryan Rust is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas continues to support head coach Mike Sullivan as his club struggles through its lengthy slump.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubas may be sincere in his support of Sullivan but he’ll face growing calls to do something to snap the Penguins out of their current funk. If a trade isn’t possible because of salary cap constraints, a coaching change could be his only recourse.
TSN: Montreal Canadiens winger Tanner Pearson will miss four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury.
St. Louis Blues winger Jakub Vrana was not placed on waivers despite an earlier report indicating he was about to hit the waiver wire.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ll have more about Vrana in today’s Rumors update.
DAILY FACEOFF: The Chicago Blackhawks placed defenseman Jarred Tinordi (concussion protocol) on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 5.
It pleases me greatly to hear the chorus of boo’s JT got in Long Island.
That next game between Ottawa and Detroit is gonna be a doozy. Ottawa thinks they got the worst of it, Detroit thinks they did. It’ll be a spicy little meatball.
This is exactly why the refs minimize the punishment for dirty hits. It sells a lot of tickets and improves viewership. Violence sells.
I would not be surprised to see the Wings go after some of Ottawas star players. Stutzle’s name comes to mind.
That’s intelligent!
NOBODY “went after” Larkin, whereas Perron visibly “went after” Zub – who had nothing to do with Larkin’s injury.
That was the result of a pushing and shoving scrum in front of the net of the type we see almost every game, without exception. Detroit players were just as diligent in the pushing and shoving with sticks as were the Ottawa players.
Unfortunately for Larkin, his injury history likely had as much to do with what happened to him as anything.
But if Detroit players do try and “run” Ottawa’s top players they’ll find that Stutzle is no shrinking violet. Nor is Tkachuk, Giroux, Batherson, Sanderson, Hamonic and especially MacEwen.
be careful of what you wish for.
I forgot – Joseph’s hit to Larkins head was just a hockey play.
No, I don’t think Detroit “goes after” anyone next time around – nor would I want them to. And Ottawa still has a bigger team than Detroit, and would fare better in a fully physical game.
I was wondering what the reaction would be if it had been the other way around, and it was someone like Stutzle who was knocked unconscious by two hockey play hits to the head.
Someone I know sent me a clip of Matthews hit to Dahlins head, which resulted in a 2 game suspension, along with Perrons actions against Zub – almost identical hits. I do support Perrons punishment – he earned every bit of it.
In any case, I think that the league is wrong in many of these player safety issues, and needs to change to better protect players. And yes, I think k a panel of some of the folks who write in here would do a better job.
I still think the league has let Larkin down, and I don’t know how the Wings can better protect him, since the NHL sure hasn’t.
I think the NHL DOPS deserves a suspension and or a fine for never punishing the aggressor and always getting the “2nd guy”. It must be a hockey thing. Never punish the rat, always punish the guy who does the job the refs and DOPS should have done.
If “we” – distant observers all – can see this as clearly as you state, then it can only be concluded that those in charge at NHL HQ – along with those highly-trained officials within three feet of each on-ice incident – have to be among the dumbest individuals on the face of the Earth for not being able to immediately delineate between perpetrator and victim during the course of one of the fastest and often most aggressive professional sports ever (not counting the gladiator “games” of Ancient Rome).
So, why not hire some of “us” and get rid the deadwood?
Honestly, I don’t know how a player is supposed to protect themselves when they go to the backboards to retrieve the puck and pass it up from their backhand along the boards like Evander Kane’s hit on Jonas Brodin.
As an Oilers fan, I was surprised there wasn’t a penalty called on that hit. I was even more surprised there was no suspension. The NHL’s DOPS defends their decision for no suspension because they said that Brodin shoulder-checked and should have seen the hit coming. IMO this is total BS. Brodin shoulder-checked to look for this teammate to pass the puck to. The NHL is supposed to have actually hockey people in place to see these things. As an observer of the game I can see this, so why can’t they?!
They did give Kane a warning though. LOL
@kevjam
the lesson for bodin and Gus is to not play the puck and brace for a hit the back!?!?!?
Gus literally skating straight back to the boards to chip the puck…Cousins could have put his stick the right to stop the chip pass….
So dmen should stop playing hockey and prepare to get hit up high instead…. good job NHL
George, I don’t think their dumb. I think the refs and the NHL DOPS make the calls that they make on purpose. That’s the way its always been, that’s the way it always will be kinda thing.
Well, George, Gudbranson got a game suspension and Cousins nada. Considering the totality of the incident, and the waaaay too many examples of the incompetence of the NHL Player Safety Department, there is an argument that some very dumb individuals are indeed in the employ of the league.
I won’t argue that LJ. It just seems amazing to me that there are some among “us” who genuinely consider ourselves to be more astute as to how events are to be interpreted than do those who played the game at the highest level.
Too bad we can never put that to the acid test and see how things would be different.
Fair point, George. I have family in the game and when we do talk hockey he sees things I don’t and his takes on things are way better than mine.
Still, one good thing about this site is we (me!) can shoot our mouths off but never have to live with the application of our opinions.
“then it can only be concluded that those in charge at NHL HQ – along with those highly-trained officials within three feet of each on-ice incident – have to be among the dumbest individuals on the face of the Earth”
I disagree. Plenty of other possibilities could be concluded from my original statement. Jumping to conclusions is really never the right approach, is it?
Hey George,
You missed out on the Sens New big guy who just came up from the AHL…😀
They call him the “The Czech Hulk”
A BIG Physical Winger who like to hit and play Physical
Jiri Smejkal was called up Saturday from Belleville @6.ft 4 & 224lbs 😡
Read up on him Jiri Smejkal
Oh, I know about him. He’s a career AHLer who’s up right now while Kastelic remains on LTIR.
As soon as he’s back – and he’s due to come off any day – Smejkal will be back in Belleville.
The Senators were giving Belleville players a little taste of the NHL while Greig and Kastelic were recovering from high-ankle sprains. Robie Jarventie was up for Greig but he’s back now so Jarventie is back in the AHL.
Islander fans are pure class
Every team’s fans boo players. Heck, Gretzky got booed in Edmonton.
But then you talking about a city that prides in themselves on being jerks. LOL
I was tickled with glee watching. As an Isles fan. They did me proud. I would have been singing and boo’ing the songs right along with them.
Back to George’s point. If they review all 5 minute majors to make sure they got them right, why not back up the tape 30 seconds to see the pinball effect that Joseph and Parker Kelly inflicted on Larkin. I think that’s what irks the Red Wings fans the most. Was it mostly an accident, not really. One guy hit him one way (two glove push to the back of the head) the other guy was coming in the other way and caught him with glove and butt end of stick.
To mitigate the whole thing a 4th liner like Kelly easily could have been given 5 to match the five Perron got. Perron’s still getting suspended but maybe things settle down a bit. A little common sense.
Wow 1000 pts and going for JT! And to do it in front of the fans of the team that drafted him into the NHL and that after 5 yrs still boos him is, really special! You can say all you want about those booing fans but to boo a guy for 5+yrs now is a testament of how great a player these fans really believe he is, and they are correct. Not many heartless, soft or can’t skate players get close to 1000 pts and just over 1000 games to boot. But what do I know, I’m just an anonymous average hockey fan posting a comment.
BTW Lyle, Captain John Tavares is more proper than center John Tavares…😑
Why are Leafs fans so sensitive about this? They are only booing and singing. It’s not like they are throwing things at Tavares. The NYI fans loved the guy and then he ripped their hearts out and left. NYI fans feel like Tavares betrayed them, and rightfully so IMO. I’m sure they would show him more respect if he was traded out.
Islanders fans had to endure cat-calls from MSG fans who blamed one of the greatest players ever – Denis Potvin – for an ankle injury suffered by one of their players who got his skate caught in an ice rut after taking a legitimate hit from Potvin, who then had to endure “Potvin sucks” chants for decades after the event … right up to and including his appearances after retirement as a commentator.
But when you count modern-day Stanley Cups I suppose he had the last laugh.
https://www.blueshirtbanter.com/the-story-behind-the-famous-potvin-chant-new-york-rangers-ulf-nilsson-denis-potvin/
The captain of their team left becuase he had pajamas, as a child, supporting another team. I hate the isles. I respect their reasoning in this instance.
hot dark garbage
So let me get this straight DOP. Nick Cousins can do whatever he pleases as long as he turtles if someone retaliates
I think Gudbranson sees this as a well-worth-it suspension. He got his shots in on Cousins and made Cousins look like a fool.
When Tkachuk thought it was a good idea to take a couple of runs at Kassian, Kassian got 2 games for rag-dolling Tkachuk. Now Florida is known to have the 2 biggest turtles in the NHL, and it’s not a good look on them. They are quickly getting a bad reputation in the NHL. This isn’t their first game that got out of hand this month. The Sens also have a beef with them as well.
Paul Bowles, what’s your take on this article by Garrioch in the Sun speculating on possible front-office changes in Columbus:
https://ottawasun.com/sports/hockey/nhl/blue-jackets-struggles-could-lead-to-front-office-changes