NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 23, 2025

by | Jan 23, 2025 | News, NHL | 14 comments

Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli nets his first career hat trick against the Leafs, the Devils unveil their Quarter-Century Team, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING WEDNESDAY’S NHL GAMES

NHL.COM: Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli collected his first NHL hat trick to upset the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1. Elvis Merzlikins made 28 saves and Luca Del Bel Belluz had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets, who hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 53 points. Toronto captain Auston Matthews scored his 20th of the season, extending his goal streak to five games as his club’s three-game win streak ended. The Leafs hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 62 points.

Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs also lost winger Matthew Knies to an upper-body injury in the second period. They placed winger Max Pacioretty (upper body) on injured reserve earlier in the day.

An overtime goal by Neal Pionk propelled the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Gabriel Vilardi tallied his 20th of the season, Josh Morrissey collected two assists and Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 25 shots for the Western Conference-leading Jets (67 points), who moved within two points of the league-leading Washington Capitals. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar scored for the Avalanche, who are 1-2-1 in their last four and hold the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 58 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: NHL linesman Jonny Murray left the game with an injury following a collision with Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews. Earlier in the day, the Avs announced winger Valeri Nichushkin suffered a setback in his return from a lower-body injury and is listed as week-to-week. Meanwhile, the Jets played without captain Adam Lowry, who is week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered during Monday’s game against the Utah Hockey Club.

The New Jersey Devils defeated the Boston Bruins 5-1. Devils captain Nico Hischier led the way with a goal and two assists and Dawson Mercer scored twice as the Devils snapped a four-game win streak and sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 60 points. Morgan Geekie scored for the Bruins, who sit outside the final Eastern wild-card spot with 52 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Devils as goaltender Jacob Markstrom left this game in the second period with an injured left leg following a collision with Bruins forward Justin Brazeau. Following the game, Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said Markstrom could miss some time.

Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period as his club nipped the Florida Panthers 2-1. Samuel Helenius also scored and Darcy Kuemper made 27 saves as the Kings sit third in the Pacific Division with 57 points. Evan Rodrigues scored and Spencer Knight stopped 26 shots for the Panthers (59 points), who remain three points behind the Leafs in the Atlantic Division.

HEADLINES

The New Jersey Devils unveiled their Quarter-Century Team.

Forwards Patrik Elias, Jack Hughes and Zach Parise, defensemen Scott Niedermayer and Scott Stevens, and goaltender Martin Brodeur comprised the First Team.

The Second Team featured goaltender Cory Schneider, defensemen Andy Greene and Brian Rafalski, and forwards Scott Gomez, Jamie Langenbrunner and Travis Zajac.

THE SCORE: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov and defenseman Jared Spurgeon are expected to return from injuries on Thursday against the Utah Hockey Club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be the first time since late December that Kaprizov and Spurgeon have been in the lineup together. Kaprizov missed 12 games and Spurgeon nine games with lower-body injuries. The Wild won seven of those 12 games but dropped four of their last six contests.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators winger David Perron will return to action on Thursday against the Bruins. He missed the last 26 games with a back injury. Meanwhile, forward Josh Norris is out for the weekend with an upper-body injury suffered during their 5-0 loss to the New York Rangers on Tuesday.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Vancouver Canucks placed defenseman Noah Juulsen on injured reserve.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: The Flyers’ three-goalie system for this season has ended as Aleksei Kolosov has been sent to their AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley.







14 Comments

  1. Awesome game by the Jackets. Fantilli gets the hat trick with his parents literally 30 feet (thats like 10 meters, ha) away. Del Bell Belluz, who has one of the coolest names ever, scores in front of 50 family and friends in his 5th or 6th NHL game, and Ryan Reaves found out what a mouthful of Mathieu Oliveir’s knuckles taste like.

  2. Markstroms injury could affect the Habs. As a result of the Jake Allen trade, the Devils are sending a 3rd in this year’s draft to the Habs. But it becomes a 2nd if he plays 40 games this season and the Devils make the playoffs. He’s played 15 so far but will obviously get the bulk of the playing time as long as Markstrom is out.

    • At this point I don’t think the Habs are too concerned…

  3. Brazeau is an interesting player, undrafted despite a massive final Junior year. Big guy who uses his body well and not a dirty player, the collision was bad but it seemed like he was taken off balance by the Devil.

    He’s a guy a lot of contending teams would want in the playoffs.

    • Yes he is HF30, UFA at end of the season too. Big dude with soft hands around the net, and goes there regularly.

      I was in Calgary watching my then 5 yr old grandson play hockey last year and he had played a few games in Boston by then. I met his cousin from the same small town in Ontario who brought him up as I was wearing a Bruins cap. She was their watching her son play. Small hockey world.

      She said a lot of very good things about him and his family, and how he always kinda knew he would make it and obviously never gave up.

      Seems like a guy who will stick, and guessing get a nice raise after this season, wherever he ends up, hopefully it’s still in Boston.

      Would fit in EDM as a reasonably costing addition to their bottom 6, and move up in case of emergency due to injury, or just want to give it a go.

    • Habfan30 I watched Brazeau play the other night and he has been playing on the 4th line! Can’t understand it since he is either 4-5 th in goals on that team!Needs to play with some offensive players to utilize his size and soft hands!

  4. Colorado vs Winnipeg is serious big boy hockey. Hardly any whistles, speed and hitting,good hockey, goaltending, goals that were eye brow raising. And of course MacKinnon in OT losing his man as usual the puck winds up in our net. The guy is clueless despite his greatness. Really baffling that he can’t figure that out. I was a season ticket holder in 2018-19 and quickly noticed that habit of his. 2025 now and time and time again, this guy doesn’t pay attention? I don’t get it, thoughts? To me this is the teams biggest issue.? They’re are lax in relation to the little simple things. The Avalanche can beat anyone in the league but they will give up such easy goals in critical times that has nothing to do with goaltending. Please Nate dogg spend time in the off-season working on your defensive approach to the game !!!!

    • I associate lemaire with his playing days on those great Montreal Canadians teams. To me the best teams I have seen in my lifetime : gainey, lemaire, cornouyer, Robinson, lafluer, schutt, mondou,savard & lapointe. Dryden in net. Holy mackerel!!! Congratulations to him and devils. I remember when he coached those teams against the Avalanche. Minnesota, too!

      • As a coach Lemaire either invented – or applied with vigor – the zone trap defense. Bo-ring to a fault … but effective!

      • Lemaire used Scotty’s left wing trap in NJ.
        Lemaire slowed the game down to a crawl frustrating the opposition while boring fans to sleep.

        Scotty had Lafleur, Shutt and an offensive juggernaut to go up ice after choking opponents.

  5. I’m surprised that Ilya Kovalchuk didn’t make the devils 25 year team. He dragged that team to a cup final in (07?), pretty sure he was the captain too.

    • Kovalchuk was in the 2012 Cup final with the Devils where they lost to LA.

      He was captain in Atlanta but never New Jersey.

  6. Jack Hughes over Scott Gomez feels like a stretch but hey keep the kids who’s playing happy I guess

  7. George O/ habfan30 I remember that didn’t he say when he asked them ” I learned that @ the university of Montreal” ? He was one great hockey player. You couldn’t beat that team especially the bruins couldn’t until Ray bourque , cam Neely . The flyers couldn’t beat them either or rangers!