NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 24, 2024
The Panthers and Rangers take 2-0 series leads while the Avalanche and Predators tie their first-round series. Get the details and the latest on the other playoff clubs and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Carter Verhaeghe lifted the Florida Panthers to a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 of their best-of-seven opening-round series. Sam Bennett and Vladimir Tarasenko also scored for the Panthers, who hold a 2-0 series lead. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 34 shots and Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos replied for the Lightning. The series shifts to Tampa Bay for Games 3 and 4 with Game 3 on Thursday, Apr. 25 at 7 pm ET.
Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made an acrobatic stop on a backhander by Lightning defenseman Matt Dumba that could be considered an early favorite for “save of the playoffs.”
Bennett left this game in the second period after being struck in the hand by a slapshot from teammate Brandon Montour. There was no update on his condition following the game.
New York Rangers forwards Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck each had a goal and an assist as their club held off the Washington Capitals 4-3 to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series. Tom Wilson had a goal and an assist for the Capitals while teammate Alex Ovechkin was held without a point for the second straight game. The series moves to Washington for Games 3 and 4 with the third game set for Friday, Apr. 26 at 7 pm ET.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Special teams made the difference in this game as the Rangers got power-play goals from Zibanejad and Jack Roslovic and a shorthanded tally by K’Andre Miller. Meanwhile, Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said he felt Ovechkin was struggling to get scoring chances in part because of the Rangers’ shot blocks.
A four-goal second period carried the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-2 victory in Game 2 of their series with the Winnipeg Jets, tying their opening-round series at a game apiece. Miles Wood, Artturi Lehkonen, Zach Parise and Josh Manson were the second-period goal scorers while goaltender Alexandar Georgiev made 28 saves. David Gustafsson and Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets. Games 3 and 4 will be held in Denver with Game 3 on Friday at 10 pm ET.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was redemption for Georgiev following his brutal performance in Game 1. The Jets did themselves no favors with their sloppy defensive play in the second period.
The Nashville Predators tied their first-round series with the Vancouver Canucks at one apiece with a 4-1 win. Filip Forsberg and former Canuck Anthony Beauvilier each had a goal and an assist for the Predators while Nikita Zadrov scored for the Canucks. The series heads to Nashville for Games 3 and 4 with the third game starting at 7:30 pm on Friday.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Casey DeSmith suited up for Vancouver as starting goalie Thatcher Demko is out week-to-week with an undisclosed injury. Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said it is unrelated to the knee injury that sidelined Demko for 14 games this season. Nevertheless, the Canucks will be without their starting goalie for perhaps the remainder of this series.
Demko wasn’t the only Canuck on the shelf for this game. Defenseman Tyler Myers is sidelined with the flu.
DeSmith wasn’t to blame for the Canucks loss in this game. His teammates went 0-4 on the power play, had 32 shots blocked and missed the net 31 times.
PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK
TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe hinted it was possible William Nylander might return to action in Game 3 against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday in Toronto. The 27-year-old winger missed the first two games of this series with an undisclosed injury as the club has kept mum on his condition.
SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Bruins, defenseman Andrew Peeke is week-to-week with an upper-body injury (finger) suffered during Game 2 against the Leafs. The Bruins recalled defenseman Mason Lohrei from their AHL affiliate in Providence.
IN OTHER NEWS…
GOPHNX.COM: Craig Morgan reports Alex Meruelo has a steep hill to climb to convince anyone he should remain as owner of the Arizona Coyotes.
Public opinion of Meruelo in Arizona is at an all-time low. His method of operation has burned many bridges with local politicians, business leaders and community leaders. There is skepticism he can get a new arena built to meet the league’s five-year timeline to bring back the Coyotes as an expansion franchise.
Morgan also reported that Meruelo must reactive the franchise at least 18 months before the end of that five-year window. He can do it earlier but the new arena must be at least 50 percent completed at the time he reactivates.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I recommend reading Morgan’s report. He details the number of issues dogging Meruelo that raise questions about his efforts to construct a new arena and bring the NHL back to Arizona and his suitability as an NHL owner.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Remy Mastey looks at the potential consequences if Meruelo fails to meet the league’s timeline for arena construction.
Meruelo still technically owns the Coyotes as part of the recent agreement that relocates the franchise to Salt Lake City. The team is considered inactive until Meruelo gets a new NHL-suitable arena within five years.
NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told Craig Morgan that the NHL will not entertain competing bids for the Coyotes as long as Meruelo owns the rights. Once he no longer does, Arizona would become like any other expansion team.
Muruel intends to bid on a parcel of land for his new arena project at an auction on June 27. If he loses that auction he could have other options but it would be a significant setback for his plans.
DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports a record 11 NHL teams will carry salary-cap overages into 2024-25. Multiple teams are expected to carry over more than $2 million in penalties.
Some overages were pre-planned as the clubs knew the salary cap would significantly rise for next season. Other overages are due to younger players reaching their performance bonuses this season.
The Edmonton Oilers top the list with projected overage penalties of $3.45 million, followed by the Dallas Stars ($2.595 million) and the Washington Capitals ($2.252 million).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Click the link provided for the complete list. The flattened cap for this season put some of those teams into this bind regarding those players reaching their performance bonuses.
NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils forward Timo Meier underwent voluntary arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder yesterday. He’s expected to make a full recovery and be available for the start of the Devils’ training camp in September.
NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: The Flyers signed goaltender Ivan Fedotov to a two-year, $6.5 million contract extension. He appeared in three games with the Flyers this season after finally being allowed to leave the KHL to pursue his NHL career.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former NHL winger Jakub Voracek announced his retirement on Tuesday. The 34-year-old winger was in the final season of his contract but didn’t play due to concussion issues.
Voracek spent 15 seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers, scoring 223 goals and 583 assists for 806 points in 1,058 regular-season games. He also had 28 points in 49 playoff contests.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Voracek’s contract was traded last year to the Coyotes. He returned to Czechia and has taken up coaching there.
TORONTO SUN: Former Maple Leafs goaltender Ed Chadwick has passed away at age 90. He spent five seasons with the Leafs from 1955-56 to 1961-62, including back-to-back 70-game seasons. In 184 career games, he had a record of 57 wins, 92 losses and 35 ties with a 2.94 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. From 1982 to 2001, he was a scout with the Edmonton Oilers.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Chadwick’s family, friends and former teammates.
Could Meruelo purchase the Gila River Arena, renovate it and re-establish the Yotes there as option B?
No. It is now called the Desert Diamond Arena but is still owned by the city of Glendale. They gave Meruelo and the Coyotes the heave-ho two years ago over unpaid bills (among other financials issues).
Makes you wonder why anyone in Salt Lake City thinks Meruelo will suddenly assume financial responsibility for any debts incurred there.
Problem is with the Gila River Arena
is its out in the boonies
( Glendale is a small city )
is about the 7th largest city in the Phoenix area with about 250,000 , ball park
The Seating at Gila River holds about 17,000 last time i was there 7-8 years back
Thats the bigest problem & they Hate the Owner. city of Glendale
The Tempe area deal would have been PERFECT for a team……👍
Where they were looking at building in the North Mesa is also out in the boonies‼️👎👎
Does Winnipeg need a change in nets? there i said it.
Hellebuyck has given up 10 goals in 2 games with a .870 sv%
I listen to fans who claim that maybe one soft goal?
After winning the first game against Vegas last playoff here is Hellebuyck stats
4 goals allowed .871 2024
6 goals allowed .870 2024
4 goals allowed .840 2023
3 goals allowed .897 2023
5 goals allowed .896 2023
5 goals allowed .876 2023
Hellebuyck routinely makes the save he isn’t suppose to and maybe the team is taking unnecessary risk because they think Hellebuyck is going to bail them out.
Winnipeg isn’t going to make a goalie change but that doesn’t mean they shouldn’t.
What other better option do they have. Key word is better.
Considering Hellebuyck is most likely going to win the Vezina, one could argue their isn’t a better option in the league.
The playoff numbers don’t lie.
Laurent Brossoit 2.00 gaa and .927 sv% is the option.
No Winnipeg won’t make a change.
Rangers-Caps officiating been inconsistent on both sides. but the real issue for me is that during the scrum after the Panarin/Oshie hit…..Tom Wilson was able to come off the bench and skate to the scrum without any talks from the refs
I will add Wilson used the cover of helping the trainer out to Oshie..not sure how legit that is
So, with 2 series game 2s to go tonight, we have 3 teams (Toronto, Colorado and Nashville) taking away home-ice advantage from Boston, Winnipeg and Vancouver), and 3 teams (Carolina, Florida and NYR still with the possibility of a 4 game sweep – although I doubt we’ll see that in any of those series (with the possible exception of the NYR-Washington one if Ovechkin doesn’t get going).
Dallas has already lost home-ice advantage to Vegas and, if they don’t pull even tonight, my early favourite to go all the way could be in big trouble.
Another pick of mine – L.A. – needs a total checking effort tonight if they want to eventually win that series.
As a Tampa fan I have to tip my hat to Florida and Bob–they are playing amazing hockey right now.
I do hate that with all the crap that gets let go momentum in this game swung early on a dive that was called. But that’s not why the Bolts lost. On the plus side they are maturing enough young players and showing enough that a fan can reasonably hope they’ll avoid the ‘half decade with no playoffs’ rebuild and have a few more runs in the back half of Vasy’s career. Think the Russian national team has some goaltending?
We watched 2 Great Games last night NYR & Caps,
OV looked very tired and out of Gas as the game went on last night❓
NYR look like they could wrap it up in 4…
The Tampa & Florida game was also very good
end to end with Great saves from both goaltenders last night
Verhaeghe is Mr. OT ……👌
Florida could wrap this up in 5-6 games…..
The chances Meruelo actually pulls this off are 0%. It’s a 5 year ego stroke for a man baby.
100% Brock👍
That was a miserable call by the Bolts to review goalie interference on the 1st goal.
It dug them a quick hole and likely cost them the game.
Major error… it wasn’t even a borderline call.
This is the year the Leafs could get by the B’s in a playoff series goaltending aside the Leafs have a better roster right now and yet even with the Bruins playing on the road it’s a pick game ….Tonight I’m putting $1 on the Leafs…. See if this works
Joe, if past history means anything, the Leafs will come out like a house on fire in the 1st period, with tenacious offensive-zone checking.
Boston, if they want to get home-ice advantage back, will have to weather that storm AND do it without taking stupid penalties.
If they can d that – this could be a dandy of a game as it wears on. If not, the Leaf s are on their way to 6-game win.
I don’t know Joe. Both teams aren’t really playing well and the Bs coach has the ear of the team and has them playing better despite what people think of them.
As for the start of the game, I hope the Leads come out banging and score but I think it will be the Leafs who will have to weather the storm the first 10mins or so because one thing that has been consistently bad with the Leafs is poor starts and closing out games/periods. Their success will fall on whether or not they over come this flaw.
George O. Agree the Leafs will have a Big push beginning of game and it’s a must the Bruins can’t give the Leafs PP they will score