NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 2, 2024
The Coyotes end a 14-game losing skid, the three stars and rookie of the month for February are revealed, the Avalanche and Devils make a trade, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: The Arizona Coyotes snapped a 14-game losing skid by downing the Ottawa Senators 5-3. Matias Maccelli had a goal and two assists as the Coyotes (24-31-5) snapped a 3-3 tie with two third-period goals for their first win since Jan. 22. Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk left the game in the third period after being shaken up following a hit by Coyotes forward Liam O’Brien. The Senators’ record sank to 25-30-3 as they were booed off the ice by their fans at the end of the game.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Senators placed center Josh Norris on long-term injury reserve with an upper-body injury. It’s not confirmed whether he’s reinjured his surgically repaired shoulder.
Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal (NHL Images).
Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal set a franchise record for most saves in a win by a goaltender with 52 as he backstopped his club to a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Dostal ensured the win by stopping Devils forward Jack Hughes on a penalty shot with three seconds remaining in the third period. Frank Vatrano tallied twice for the 22-35-3 Ducks. Hughes and Tyler Toffoli each had a goal and an assist for the Devils (30-26-4) as they remain six points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 64 points.
The Washington Capitals scored five straight goals to keep their playoff hopes alive with a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Dylan Strome had a goal and two assists for the Capitals (28-22-9) as they’re five points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Owen Tippett had a goal and an assist for the 31-23-7 Flyers, who remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 69 points.
HEADLINES
NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, and New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin are the three stars for February 2024. Carolina Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov was named Rookie of the Month.
THE DENVER POST/NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Colorado Avalanche traded defenseman Kurtis MacDermid to the New Jersey Devils on Friday in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft (originally acquired from the Nashville Predators) and forward Zakhar Bardakov.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a salary dump by the Avalanche to free up salary-cap space leading up to the March 8 trade deadline. MacDermid carried an annual cap hit of $987,500. Clearing that sum from their books gives them over $2.2 million in cap room with 21 players on the roster. Expect them to acquire a player with a trade between now and March 8.
As for the Devils, they add some grit and size to their blueline in MacDermid. He’s unlikely to be much help as they continue to struggle in the Eastern playoff race.
TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Dallas Stars won’t place Tyler Seguin on long-term injury reserve. He’s week-to-week with a lower-body injury and carries an average annual value of $9.85 million. He is expected to return to the lineup before the playoffs.
NHL.COM: Speaking of the Stars, they loaned Logan Stankoven back to their AHL affiliate.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: He might not be on the farm for long. The 21-year-old forward is one of their top prospects and had three goals and an assist in his four games with the Stars.
TSN: Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello and Nashville Predators forward Michael McCarron were each fined $2,000.00 by the department of player safety for unsportsmanlike conduct during Thursday’s game between the two clubs.
SPORTSNET: The day before the Calgary Flames honor Miikka Kiprusoff by raising his jersey to the rafters, he was reintroduced to “Mini-Kipper”, the young kid who used to dress up as the netminder for every Flames home game from 2005-06 to 2008-09.
Brendan Peters, now 27, paints goalie masks for a living. On Friday, he presented Kiprusoff with a custom mask he designed for his hero.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Has it been nearly twenty years since Kiprusoff was in his prime with the Flames and his biggest fan used to emulate his warmup movements in the stands before every home game? Time is passing way too fast!
Post-game, Jacques Martin is quoted as saying “We had some guys that weren’t ready to play.”
That has to go down as THE most repeated under-statement of the year.
Pathetic. Professionals my Royal Canadian Arse.
Too bad they could not play that way against the Wings……but that ship has sailed.
I’m sure there are Leafs fans with the same wish.
lol dude, seriously! This team would be in the playoffs if they just imagined every game to be against the wings or leafs.
Hey Gorge
Thats seams to be a thing in Ottawa with some of the players, as professionals there need to be Expectations, they need a Tough Coach in Ottawa
The Trade deadline could be the Right time to move these guys that are not performing and Re-tool in the Summer
Its time for Big changes on the Ice for the Sen’s
Requirements to Re-tool/Build
1) Get a Real proven Starting Goaltender
like a 28 yr old Saros or a 30 yr old Ullmark in a Trade at the Draft, maybe its a 1st pick & A Chabot or a Norris going out with Korpasalo….❓
both Goaltenders will be looking for $8+M…Range
2) Move out a top LD/man like Chabot Or Centre Norris for a RD/man to play Top 4 with
RD, Zub, and LD, Chychrun, LD, Sanderson
3) Trade out players that are not working hard enough the Sen’s are not making the Playoffs
4) Go after RD man Chris Tanev for the 2nd or 3rd pair RD on July 1st
Go after a Older Forward 28 to 31 to help develope the young Sen’s forwards
5) Trade out one of the Goaltender Now before the Trade deadline Korpasalo $4.M going be a hard sell But maybe a top prospect or 1st pick to Clean it all up LA Kings need Something in Net…. ❓
and
So do NJ but they are still looking at Markstrom🤔
Norris – through no fault of his own – has become untradeable with that long-term close to $8 mil per contract and what has become, clearly, a chronic issue with his shoulder.
Ottawa is trending to becoming the next Calgary! All the inmates looking to play elsewhere! Most in the states!
Hope they don’t let the door hit their sorry butts on the way out. And take the franchise south with them.
George,
Maybe under a New Tougher Coach, and they put both Norris & Chabot on a majior conditions Stint over the summer..🤔 and get them to put some Weight/Mussel on that may help them bot regarding all there injurys they consistantly get.
Norris @ 24 yrs old could be a Great #1 or 2 Centre on Nashville team thats going to Re-build…..
With Centre Pinto comimg back (15 points ) in 17 games he could sild into the #2 Centre Role and young Ridly Greig gets some playing time as a 2nd/3rd line as a LW then moves back to Centre in a couple of years time…..
Maybe its an older 3rd line centre they need to pick up up front like ( A Scott Laughton $3M.) that sounds like he is avalable for a pick from Philly….
They should ask Claude about him….❓
Ottawa is becoming the next Calgary! All the players are running to play in the states!
Incoming……trade for Avalanche!!! McDermid good teammate. I’m not so sure how much he can help NJ but his teammates will love him. I guess he will probably take on Rempe the young beast for the Rangers? One thing he does well is keep it simple, like go to the net. So, NJ may reap some benefits but don’t know how much ice time he will get? Wish him luck. But incoming it sounds like for the Avalanche; hopefully a 2C.
I wouldn’t get too excited but I could see them adding someone like Wennberg. Not sexy but would be an upgrade over Joey in most ways, not the least of which would be skating and being in the play more. Also isn’t going to cost a ton.
I was particularly annoyed by the Ottawa Sun article that stated that Forsberg could be excused because he did not know he was starting until 25 minutes before game time. Forsberg did no say that, the columnist did. As a professional, a goalie has to be ready to play AT ALL TIMES. What if the starter gets injured in the first minute? The back up is the guy the team looks to. Essentially both situations are the same. As a professional you have a responsibility to be ready to play at all times.
Exactly. And, as professionals, they are expected to at least put in a complete effort. If an owner tried to dock pay for lack of effort the NHLPA would die from terminal apoplexy.
Ottawa.hasn’t cornered the market of players not ready at the first puck drop. Detroits game on Thursday against the Islanders was another example of a team unprepared to compete. And Jeff Blashill used that excuse often when he coached here.
I think most teams have multiple “Coasters”.
Re; The Sen’s could pick in the June 28th Draft between
#4 pick and the #7 Pick in the 1st round of this years draft….
There are some Dandys in there to chose from D/men & Wingers that Ottawa could use
maybe even a RD/Man……
like Artyom Levshunov 6.ft2 & 200lb with great mobility, playmaking and shot
or
Konsta Helenius RW 6ft,185 lb Winger putting up Great number in the Finish league with Team Jukurit again this year….❓
That’s as things stand now, williew … but they haven’t finished nose-diving
Peters paints goalie masks for a living? That’s an actual job?
Yes, it is, Howard, and it can be lucrative for those who do it well.
https://flameforthought.com/2023/12/13/kipper-kid-brendan-peters/