NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 15, 2024
The Rangers defeat the Capitals, the Red Wings rally to beat the Leafs, the head coaches for the 2024 All-Star Game are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: The New York Rangers snapped a four-game losing skid by holding off the Washington Capitals 2-1. Igor Shesterkin made 24 saves for the win while Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere scored for the 27-13-2 Rangers as they sit in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 56 points. T.J. Oshie scored and Charlie Lindgren turned aside 29 shots for the Capitals (20-15-6) as they sit three points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 46 points.
Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals played without captain Alex Ovechkin, who missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury.
Three unanswered third-period goals by Daniel Sprong, Andrew Copp and Lucas Raymond left the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Dylan Larkin had a goal and an assist while James Reimer stopped 29 shots for the 22-16-5 Red Wings, extending their points streak to six games and moving into the first Eastern wild-card spot with 49 points. Mitch Marner scored to collect his 600th career NHL point for the 21-12-8 Maple Leafs, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 50 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ilya Samsonov made 23 saves in his first game back with the Leafs since being recalled from their AHL affiliate. He couldn’t be blamed for the sloppy defensive play that contributed to the Leafs’ third-period collapse.
Detroit winger Patrick Kane left this game with a lower-body injury and will receive further evaluation. It’s not believed to involve the hip that he had a resurfacing procedure on last June. The Wings also activated forward Klim Kostin off injured reserve but he didn’t participate in this game.
HEADLINES
NHL.COM: Rick Bowness of the Winnipeg Jets, Jim Montgomery of the Boston Bruins, Peter Laviolette of the New York Rangers and Rick Tocchet of the Vancouver Canucks were named the head coaches for the 2024 NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 3 in Toronto.
The first 10 participants in the All-Star Skills competition were announced by the NHL. They are Toronto Maple Leafs forwards Auston Matthews and William Nylander, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar, Edmonton Oilers centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak, and Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The final two participants will be chosen by fan voting that concludes on Jan. 18.
THE ATHLETIC’s Jesse Granger reports the Vegas Golden Knights have placed center Jack Eichel on injured reserve.
TSN: Ottawa Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg will be sidelined by a groin injury until at least after the All-Star Game.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Columbus Blue Jackets activated forward Sean Kuraly off injured reserve. He’s missed the last eight games with an abdominal injury.
DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL forward Cody Hodgson is hoping to make a comeback after retiring eight years ago after being diagnosed with malignant hypothermia. The 34-year-old has been skating since the summer after receiving a clean bill of health.
THE MERCURY NEWS: Several NHL clubs have expressed an interest in former San Jose Sharks forward Sasha Chmelevski. He played 24 games with the Sharks in 2020-21 and 2021-22 before heading to KHL club Salavat Yulayev-Ufa. The Sharks still hold his NHL rights and the earliest he can return to the NHL is next season.
Also James Reimer received sweet revenge by getting the win against his former club and stopping 28 out of 30 shots! Take that Trono fans that rode him out of town!
Reimer left Toronto nearly eight years ago. He’s played on four different teams since then and has played the Leafs eight times, winning two of them. I doubt “sweet revenge” was on his mind. If anything, he was probably happy to have the start after riding the pine for the last seven games.
LOL
Change up the 4 lines. Yet on the power play you put the same 5 players out, over and over again. Just another reason to show Sheldon the door.
I thought Keefe was on the hot seat before the Leafs’ trip to California.
This week, on a three game losing streak, it’s western Canada and Seattle and every team playing well right now. Here comes the coach’s hot seat again.
Looking for opinions: During Boston – St. Louis game a tweet was sent by a bruins regular stating the present 4th line of Lauko-Beecher-Steen have not contribute in the last number of games (not the exact tweet) Jakub Lauko the bruins 4th line player mentioned in the tweet; liked the tweet during the intermission of the game.
Some fans were not happy that Lauko was tweeting or reading tweets during the game and said his focus should be on the game.
Personally i don’t know were i stand and i don’t really care but understand the concern.
If it affects how the player plays in the following period in a positive way… great; but if it’s the opposite then not so good.
I’m going to sound like an old guy here, but I am an old guy I guess.
No comment on the impact it may have on his in game performance, as I can’t read his mind.
But – seriously, put the flippin’ phone down, you can’t get through 3 hours during a game without checking out Twitter/X or whatever?
Get deprogrammed, your missing real life happening around you Mr. Lauko.
Good thing Lauko was not sitting next to Chris Kreider. That sequence from the playoffs in 22 then he grabbed the ipad from Zbad was classic.
It’s just ridiculous that a player would do that! Good thing he dosen’t play for “Torts”, he wouldn’t see any ice for a while? Probably, he would be in Lehigh Valley!!!
Everyone gets breaks during their workday and are probably on their phones checking out their social media. Why is it okay for them but not a hockey player to do the same during an intermission?
Kinda the same, kinda different KevJam. Not everyone checks SM during breaks. Some folks actually talk to each other instead.
But I get your point about his right to do it, go ahead I guess.
What I am saying is you play one game that lasts 3 hours, approximately every 2nd day, during the season, and it is literally the most important part of your job. By a mile. And you choose to check Twitter on a room surrounded by team mates/friends/coworkers or whatever term you choose?
I think it’s strange and sure as heck isn’t what I would be doing. Like I said, maybe I’m just old.
Well heck, why not build a little pocket in their pants to hold a phone. During a “break” between shifts they can twit or twat a “hot take” the world needs to know, or maybe do a little tik tok dance.
Re-Jakub Lauko & 4th line
and the Boston Coach lets him play on his phone….🤔
with that kind of performance/results if im the Coach 100% I would be changing up that 4th line…❗️
How long until Keefe gets the “bums rush”?