NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 25, 2024
The Rangers match their franchise record win streak, the Canucks regain first overall, the Leafs’ Tyler Bertuzzi nets a birthday hat trick, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NHL.COM: The New York Rangers tied a franchise record with their 10th straight win by downing the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1. Rookie forward Matt Rempe’s first career NHL goal was the game-winner as he snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period while Igor Shesterkin made 39 saves for the Rangers (39-16-3). With 81 points, they lead the Metropolitan Division and sit in second place in the overall standings. Tyson Foerster scored for the 30-21-7 Flyers as they remain in third place in the Metro with 67 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers winger Travis Konecny missed this game as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury. He’s not expected to be sidelined for long.
Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser tallied two goals, including the winner in overtime, to defeat the Boston Bruins 3-2 and reclaim first place in the overall standings with 82 points. The Bruins (34-12-13) jumped to a 2-0 lead on goals by Jesper Boqvist and Danton Heinen before the Canucks (38-16-6) staged their rally. The Bruins lead the Atlantic Division with 81 points and sit third in the overall standings.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins and Rangers have the same number of points but the latter holds a game in hand plus they’ve got more regulation wins.
Toronto Maple Leafs winger Tyler Bertuzzi (NHL Images).
The Toronto Maple Leafs picked up their seventh straight win by nipping the Colorado Avalanche 4-3. Tyler Bertuzzi celebrated his 29th birthday with a hat trick while William Nylander collected three assists for the 33-16-8 Leafs as they sit third in the Atlantic Division with 74 points. Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had three assists for the 35-19-5 Avalanche, who sit third in the Central Division with 75 points but have won only three of their last 10 games.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon sits second in the NHL scoring race with 96 points, two back of Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov.
Speaking of Kucherov, he had a goal and two assists for the Lightning in a 4-2 victory over the New York Islanders. Victor Hedman picked up three assists while Andrei Vasilevskiy made 32 saves for the Lightning (31-23-5), who hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 67 points. Anders Lee and Brock Nelson replied for the 23-20-14 Islanders.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield missed this contest with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day.
The Dallas Stars downed the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1 on goals by Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston. Joel Oettinger turned aside 20 shots as the Stars improved to 35-16-8 and sit atop the Central Division with 78 points. Sebastian Aho scored for the Hurricanes (34-18-5) as they’re perched in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 73 points.
An overtime goal by Gustav Forsling gave the Florida Panthers a 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals. Aleksander Barkov scored the tying goal late in the third period for the Panthers (38-16-4) as they sit second in the Atlantic Division and fourth in the overall standings with 80 points. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin played his 1,400th career NHL game but saw his 10-game points streak come to an end as his club’s record dropped to 26-21-9.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk missed this game with an undisclosed injury. Capitals forward Anthony Mantha left this game in the third period with an undisclosed injury.
A four-goal first period carried the Detroit Red Wings over the St. Louis Blues by a score of 6-1. Alex DeBrincat led the way with two goals and an assist while Patrick Kane and Michael Rasmussen each had a goal and an assist for the 31-20-6 Red Wings, who sit one point above the Lightning in the first Eastern wild-card spot with 68 points. Blues rookie Zachary Bolduc scored his first career NHL goal as his club dropped to 30-25-2 (62 points) and sit two points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings are on a roll of late, winning four straight and seven of their last 10 games. They’re looking like a playoff contender for the first time since 2015-16.
Speaking of the final Western wild-card spot, the Nashville Predators took over that spot with a 4-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. Kiefer Sherwood tallied twice while Juuse Saros made 23 stops for the 31-25-2 Predators (64 points) as they picked up their fourth straight victory. Mikael Granlund and Filip Zadina replied for the 15-36-5 Sharks.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic suffered an upper-body injury during practice on Friday and missed this game as a result.
The Calgary Flames kept their playoff hopes alive by dropping the Edmonton Oilers 6-3 in their ongoing Battle of Alberta. Noah Hanifin scored twice and collected an assist while Jonathan Huberdeau and Connor Zary each had two assists for the 28-25-5 Flames (61 points) as they’ve won three straight and sit three points behind the Predators. Zach Hyman scored two goals for the Oilers (33-20-2) as they sit third in the Pacific Division with 68 points but have won just four of their last 10 contests.
A shootout goal by Trevor Moore gave the Los Angeles Kings a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Drew Doughty and Kevin Fiala each had a goal and an assist for the Kings (29-17-10) as they hold the first Western wild-card spot with 68 points and have won seven of their last 10 games. Goaltender John Gibson kicked out 48 shots for the 20-34-3 Ducks.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Kings placed winger Viktor Arvidsson (lower body) on long-term injury reserve and announced that defenseman Mikey Anderson is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.
Another team keeping their postseason chances alive is the Minnesota Wild as they defeated the Seattle Kraken by a score of 5-2. Kirill Kaprizov has two goals and an assist while Mats Zuccarello collected four assists for the 28-24-6 Wild (62 points) as they sit two points behind the Predators. Vince Dunn and Jordan Eberle replied for the Kraken (24-22-11), who are five points back of the Predators.
The Ottawa Senators upset the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 on a shootout goal by Tim Stutzle. Josh Norris and Thomas Chabot each had a goal and an assist for the 25-27-3 Senators, who are 7-1-2 in their last 10 games. Chandler Stephenson scored two goals for the Golden Knights (32-19-7) as they sit second in the Pacific Division with 71 points.
New Jersey Devils winger Timo Meier had a goal and an assist in a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Tyler Toffoli collected two assists for the 29-24-4 Devils (62 points), who sit five points behind the Lightning for that final Eastern wild-card berth. Nick Suzuki scored twice for the 22-28-8 Canadiens as their losing streak reached a season-high five games.
I couldn’t be happier for Bertuzzi
Best hockey Leafs have played during this past streak , in a long , long time !
Question is , not only me asking , is how this changes Trelivings plans at the trade deadline ?
Is their defense still a concern?
Does it need tweaking
Do they need additional “grit” up front to get past Florida …
They are definitely firing on all cylinders !!!
Bertuzzi , finding his game , the elevation of the team , as a whole since Reilly’s finale against Ottawa !!!
Is the Stanley Cup finally where it belongs !!!
It belongs where the team that wins it located. If you’re implying that it belongs in Toronto, it doesn’t. It has to be won and they haven’t won it in how many years now?
Going on 67! Sort of the anniversary of their last cup in terms of years.
Oops, sorry. Going on 57 – 10 short of any anniversary.
Bertuzzi finally woke up! He has been in a coma all year! His agent bet on a one year prove it contract! At this point he has lost his bet!
What is it with the Bruins and the 3rd period ? They played a good clean game then it all goes down the drain happen to many times this year … 13 OTL … the team D is a disaster even before the Lindholm injury … I know 1st place team …that will most likely get bounced in the 1st rd of playoffs
Joe ask the coach. Why did he have his team sit back the whole third period?
Ask him why, he didn’t give Lohrie a shift in the final 8 minutes?
Monty doesn’t know how to coach when there is adversity.
The amount of times he changes the lines.
The third period and yes I know it was there third game in 4 nights, that was some of the worst hockey I’ve seen.
If it wasn’t for Swayman the game wouldn’t have gotten to OT.
Nobody outside McAvoy is willing to hit anyone.
This morning I’m feeling annoyed!
Me too … and another get rid of do nothing DeBrusk
And another thing … Cassidy is a better bench coach than Monty ..
And guess who was the player responsible for the to many men on the ice penalty that the Bruins got in OT?
Caper, if you thought that was bad, you must have missed Edmonton’s first period against the Flames.
GO LEAFS GO !!!
Well, here we are approaching March again, and once again the Senators will start teasing their fans by inching up the standings – finally displaying some consistency of effort that has been absent for 3/4 of a season where, based upon previous late-season spurts of ultimately no consequence, had the faithful finally sensing a playoff berth after 6 years absence.
Nope. It’ll be 7 … and counting …
This latest spurt of false hope has them with a 7-2-1 record over the past 10 during which they beat the likes of Nashville, Detroit, Toronto, Tampa, Dallas and Vegas, losing in OT to Florida after eliminating a 209 deficit … but losing to co-dregs Anaheim (at home) and Chicago.
In so doing they have climbed out of the Atlantic Division cellar, now occupied by Montreal and their (yikes) -46 goal differential, 3 b/o Buffalo but with 2 games in hand, 14 b/o of Tampa, with 4 in hand and 15 b/o Detroit, with 2 in hand.
League-wise they also have games in hand on Seattle, NYI, Calgary, Washington, Minnesota, st. Louis, NJ – all theoretically catchable – but only to put them closer to middle-pack when it comes to the draft and nowhere near a playoff spot.
Their upcoming games see them in Washington, Nashville, home to Arizona (which they’ll likely lose based upon seasonal trends) at Philadelphia, Anaheim, L.A. and San Jose.
For the record, in terms of team goal differentials, here are the 10 worst in the league:
SJ -97; Chicago -84; Anaheim -54; Montreal -46; Columbus -42; Washington -31; NYI -28; Arizona -21; St. Louis -11; NJ -9.
At the other end of the scale you have Vancouver +52; Florida +51; Boston +38; Winnipeg +38; NYR +36; Dallas +36; Toronto +35; Edmonton +31; Carolina +29; Colorado +28.
Re; Oilers & Flames Game last night
did not get to see the whole game caught part of it
The oilers look like the team from the start of the season playing No Defence again last night
dont know whats going on hear……❓
Flames look more like a playoff team than the Oilers did… they played like they wanted to Win
Oiler’s looked again like they did not care….🙈
@George
Your Trudeau Senators have a new GM and coach !
There is a great foundation there to build around, I am sure you will see a “major” change of consistency moving forward and into next year and playoff bound !
I don’t have to tell U that anyways George , U R well aware !
As for the Bruins , overtime losses , collapses in the third period – Leaf fans are well aware of their own , and hopefully finally – figure it out !
A significant trade – switch up of lines , character as per Reilly , something finally clicks and the team finally finds their game ..
Bruins have always been a character team , but in a “funk” still holding their own in first place though!!
Ken, the problem is, we’ve been waiting for that consistency of effort for going on 3 seasons now.
As for coaching, I doubt Martin goes beyond the rest of this season as head coach – he’s going on 74. He’ll be retained in some capacity, but by the start of next season they’ll have a new presence behind the bench. Alfredsson? We’ll see.
Every year Boston experiences a bit of funk (if 3-3-4 over their past 10 can be called a “funk”) and their fans get their knickers in a knot. They are still a force and I’m sure will be involved in some shoring up at the trade deadline. Lindholm, who didn’t need surgery, should be back well before the playoffs.
I would not want to meet them in round 1.
P.S., with Woll back in action at the AHL level he’ll soon be recalled to join a team that has really seemed to have turned a corner after that fiasco in Ottawa. Bertuzzi, Domi, Knies all playing well among the bottom 6, steady goaltending and a D corps that is taking care of business in front of the net, this looks like a team on a mission.
Leafs haters will demure (I’m NOT one – I’m a Toronto-centric media hater 😉 ), but this, too, is a team I wouldn’t want to meet in round 1.
My grandson and daughter-in-law could be happy at last.
@George
YES, WOLL, I am hoping this the keeper Leaf fans have been anxiously awaiting , a “stellar” force in the net – none to be found since Eddie the Eagle Balfour !
George – were you watching hockey back than – Leafs – Ottawa – LOL !!!
Balfour stoned the Senators !!!!
The team to beat now though , Florida Panthers – modern day brood street bullies – not quite as bad , but annoying to say the least
Give Maple Leafs credit for winning but the Avalanche gave you that game “on a silver platter”. That’s what the Avalanche do this year consistently is give games away; otherwise they would have easily 10 more points on the year. If they could somehow figure that out, watch out. GO AVS!!!!
Tommy I doubt any team, especially the Avs are serving up wins on silver platters. It’s hard to imagine but any NHL team can beat any team on any given night.
All teams suffer from flaws, great teams overcome their own weaknesses and exploit their rival’s flaws. And like last night, when two good teams meet up, that’s what you’ll witness.
Ron you obviously don’t watch the Avalanche play?
No I don’t but could say that for most fans of another team also wouldn’t watch many Avs games. I guess my point is when two top teams play each other, it’s a battle and forced and unforced mistakes will happen. For example both the Leafs and Avs 3rd goal had a similar stench to them. Maybe you haven’t seen many Leafs games but serving up stinkers is part of Leafs hockey DNA. That 3rd period that ice sure looked tilted in the Avs favor and as a Leafs fan, it was only a matter of time before the Avs would have gained the lead. Thank god the Leafs pp is lethal and that pass by that bum Nylander was a beauty. Truly a difference maker.