NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2025
Alex Ovechkin reaches a points milestone on his path to breaking the all-time goals record, Zach Werenski breaks a Blue Jackets record, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored to become the 11th player in NHL history to reach the 1,600-point milestone in a 4-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. Ovechkin’s goal was his 886th, putting him nine away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. Connor McMichael had a goal and an assist for the Capitals, who have won four straight games to sit first in the overall standings with 92 points. Shane Wright and Jordan Eberle replied for the Kraken.
Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).
Carolina Hurricanes newcomers Mark Jankowski (two goals) and Logan Stankoven (one goal) powered their club over the Winnipeg Jets 4-2. It was the pair’s first points since being acquired by Carolina at the trade deadline. The Hurricanes are second in the Metropolitan Division with 80 points. Alex Iafallo and Adam Lowry scored for the Jets as they dropped into second overall with 92 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals hold the lead over the Jets because they hold a game in hand.
The Columbus Blue Jackets thumped the New York Rangers 7-3. Adam Fantilli tallied a hat trick and Zach Werenski picked up two assists for the Blue Jackets, who hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 70 points. Vincent Trochek had two assists for the Rangers (68 points), who remain one point behind the Ottawa Senators for the final Eastern wild-card spot.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Werenski moved past Rick Nash to set the franchise record for the most assists with 260.
Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe, Warren Foegele and Brandt Clarke each had a goal and an assist as the Los Angeles Kings held on for a 6-5 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Tomas Hertl tallied a hat trick for the Golden Knights, who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 82 points. The Kings sit third in the division with 75 points.
The Dallas Stars got three unanswered goals by Mikael Granlund, Jason Robertson and Mikko Rantanen to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 4-1. Matt Duchene and Cody Ceci each collected two assists for the Stars, who sit second in the Central Division with 86 points. Derek Forbort scored for the Canucks (69 points) as they remain one point behind the Calgary Flames for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars forward Roope Hintz missed this game as he’s still being evaluated after being struck in the face by a puck during Saturday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. He’s listed as day-to-day.
New Jersey Devils forward Erik Haula had a goal and an assist and trade-deadline acquisition Cody Glass scored as their club beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-1, handing the latter their fourth straight loss. Jamie Drysdale scored for the Flyers. The Devils sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 74 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Overshadowed by the recent trade deadline was the Devils signing defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic to a five-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $4 million.
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored twice to lead his club to a 3-1 upset of the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury made 19 saves for the Wild in what was likely his final game against his former club. The Wild have lost two straight games but hold the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 76 points.
The Anaheim Ducks defeated the New York Islanders 4-1. Sam Colangelo tallied twice to extend his goal streak to four games. Tony DeAngelo replied for the Islanders (65 points), who sit four points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders backup goaltender Semyon Varlamov is likely done for the season. He’s been sidelined since late November with a lower-body injury.
THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: Utah Hockey Club goaltender Connor Ingram entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.
Ingram released a statement indicating he’d been struggling since returning to action following the death of his mother to breast cancer. He’d been away from the team from the end of November until mid-January for family reasons.
It’s the second time Ingram has entered the program dealing with mental health issues. He opened up about his obsessive compulsive disorder and its effect on his mental health. Ingram won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy last season.
If Columbus reaches the playoffs Dean Evason deserves some love for the Jack Adam’s award.
When you consider the team on paper atthe start of the season…and the tragedy…and all of the injuries (have they had a healthy roster once this year?) It is quite remarkable what they have done there.
Two players to highlight after today’s article, 1. Cal Ingram let s hope and pray for his recovery so he can have a healthy life and return as a professional hockey player and 2. Zach Werenski who has battled injuries in his career but stayed loyal to the CBJ when most of there young stars wanted out! He should be this years Norris trophy winner!
Good thoughts out for Connor
Hope he finds the program to be successful; and he returns.
Apologizes to Connor! Senior moment!
Good on Kovacevic to get that deal. I was sad to see him let go by the Habs as part of the numbers game on D. Too old to be a young gun and too young to be a vet.
He was very well liked in the room.
Couldn’t agree more HF30. Under appreciated in Montreal and as you correctly state, his age left him in no man’s land. Now he has $20 million reasons to be happy! Had he stayed in Montreal this year, very likely they are in a wild card position today.
Below are links to a couple of projections indicating that it will take 92 points to make the playoffs in the East and 91 in the West.
https://moneypuck.com/predictions.htm
https://www.hockey-reference.com/friv/playoff_prob.fcgi
In the East both WC spots still look to be achievable by – perhaps – upwards of 7 teams, while in the West there appears to be just the 2nd WC slot open for grabs to – also admittedly stretching it a bit – 5 teams.
Using the remaining points available to each team – which ranges from 34 to 40 for the Eastern teams, and 34 to 38 for those in the West – and showing their current point-percentage pace – here’s the % pace they will need to play at the rest of the way to get to 92 in the East and 91 in the West. So, for your team of choice, the question becomes “are they capable of doing that”
East
Ottawa – 40 pts left – .556 – need to play .575
Columbus – 38 pts left – .556 – need to play .579
NYR – 36 pts left – .531 – need to play .667
Detroit – 38 pts left – .524 – need to play .684
Montreal – 38 pts left – .524 – need to play .684
NYI – 38 pts left – .516 – need to play .711
Boston – 34 pts left – .508 – need to play .765
Barring some miraculous finish by a team from NYR down to Boston, it would appear Ottawa and Columbus are headed for the dance and, in that event, it would mean that just one of the “Original Six” will be in the playoffs. I wonder if we’ve ever seen a playoff with NO “Original Six” representation?
West
Calgary – 38 pts left – .556 – need to play .553
Vancouver – 38 pts left – .548 – need to play .579
St. Louis – 34 pts left – .531 – need to play .677
Utah – 38 pts left – .524 – need to play .658
Anaheim – 38 pts left – .500 – need to play .737
It would seem only Vancouver remains a threat to Calgary locking up the 2nd WC spot.
OK George, I’ll give it a go, but hard to predict or pick a team to get on a heater down the stretch, or a team that will slide. Barring injuries to key players.
In the West I keep waiting for Calgary to hit the wall, but they keep plugging along and winning enough to hold their spot. So hard to predict it doesn’t simply continue. So somebody needs to catch them.
I thought maybe VCR get’s it going once the drama over who gets traded was over, but hasn’t happened.
So I will go with Utah. They were missing a couple of 20 minute veteran D men for a long stretch, they’re back, maybe they go on a heater. Plenty of young talent on that team.
In the east, I think your right OTT and CLB keep it going and get in. But to pick a team to get on a heater and get in, I’ll stay with the younger team I’ll stay with DET. Mrazek is about as streaky as it gets. If he gets hot, they can get on a roll. That or the Rangers, as their roster is too good to be where it is, maybe they get it together for a final push.
Total guesses.
I hear ya, Ray. The other factor definitely in the mix is the number of teams you have to catch and pass in order to get there, at the same time having them cooperate by all losing more than they win.
In the East, neither Ottawa nor Columbus need to catch and pass anyone – as of this morning 🙂 – the Rangers need to pass just 1, Detroit 2, Montreal 3, Boston 4, NYI 5, while out West Vancouver has just the 1, St. Louis 2 and Utah 3 – so it gets exponentially tougher down the line.
But as you say – things like injury, sudden individual scoring droughts, goalies going cold – or hot – all will play into it.
That’s why they play the games! LOL
And for Utah it starts off tough tonight as they host a Leafs team probably determined to stop their 2-game losing skid in its tracks.
George, I haven’t seen you mention this, but CBJ and OTT have not even played each other yet. They play 3 games in 9 days against each other starting at the end of the month. That little scheduling quirk will make things real interesting.
Wow, thanks Pupinabox. No, I hadn’t really tipped to that. That is a strange scheduling quirk!
And will make those games like a best-of-three series.
Hopefully they scratch each other’s back and make sure each game becomes a 3-pointer 🙂
The west is loaded with great Teams..
Winnipeg, Vegas, Dallas, Colorado, Edmonton, Los Angeles (Don’t sleep on them) just beat Vegas.
East Florida, Tampa Bay, Toronto, Washington, Carolina
Playoffs should be must watch….
Just a few more en goals for Ovi to pass 99
And he tripped a player (no call) just before that!
Ya MB4, starting to look like he gets there this year pretty easily.
The fact that the Caps are playing so well, after not so much last year, and are one of the favorites for the cup, makes it even better. It shuts down any talk of it being a side show or cheapening it somehow of him hanging on too long, just for the record.
He is the leading scorer, while missing quite a few games, on the #1 team in the NHL. Super impressive what he is doing at 39 yrs of age.
You can’t argue that at all he is simply a beast after his slow start I thought it would be next season. Pretty dam impressive
Go Ovie! and I bet most opposing goalies are hoping the record-setting goal isn’t an empty-netter, since it would be their entry into the record books regardless of their personal record 🙂
GeorgeO with your projections it looks like Detroit and Montreal with just miss out on the playoffs! Both teams stood Pat at the deadline! Do you think this was good strategy!
In Montreal’s case – yes.They are early into their re-structuring and there was absolutely no sense in peddling off good young assets to bring in someone who MIGHT make a difference in getting to A WC slot – or not.
Detroit is something else as they will become the second-longest playoff drought at 9 back of Buffalo’s 1 4! What they did do was hard to figure with that trade to bring in a third goalie. Why?
Now, they could give themselves a confidence boost with a win in Ottawa tonight and, who knows? Maybe they start Mrazek in his old haunt (he played Junior with the Ottaaa 67’s) and he stonewalls the Senators. Stranger things have happened.
In Detroit, maybe Stevie Y doesn’t think the players have earned the team giving up assets to make a push? Even if they get in, what are they winning?
If I was him, I would want to see which of the core guys step up down the stretch and play well, and who doesn’t. Perhaps some changes coming in the off season.
The cavalry isn’t coming boys, up to you now.
Mr Bruin4 with the Caps putting so much team emphasis on Ovie breaking the record can you see them not handling the playoffs well and could get knocked off in the 1st round! There seasonreminds me of the Bruins record breaking season and first round loss to Fla! They haven t played meaningful games for a long time!
MB4, I can just see the big celebration if Ovie breaks the record with an empty netter.
Despite all the EN goals, he and the Caps have had a sensational season.
Good win for Pens
Really great job for Jarry
But we need to lose as many as possible now.
Roster is frozen, so our goals until end of season are to drop as best as possible in standings for best lottery odds/pick and motivate Rangers to finish just out of playoffs but no worse than 19th in final league standings (we have their pick which is top 13 protected).
Play Nedjelkovic for rest of season and continue Sully’s spasmodic line and D-pairing juggling; that should drop us to bottom 4.
So, in essence, pull an “Eddie Johnston?” There’s no Mario Lemieux available this time around. Or a Sidney Crosby to fall into their lap.
We obviously would prefer a lottery win in ‘26 (McKenna) and/or ‘27 (Dupont); but top 4 this year would be excellent!
Goaltending like last night for rest of year gets us in the 9th-12th spot; not good enough
Well, as long as Dubas doesn’t storm into the dressing room between periods where his goalie is pitching a SO and scream “what the Hell are you doing?” And then send him to the minors for the affront to his “strategy.”
Again
Giving Dubas too much credit for even thinking of that
He just has to tell Sully to playout with Nedjelkovic
@ 8787 Yes it is a wonderful win and the new Penguins looked good.
But to tank is stupid and weak..we already have two first round picks this year…
Connor Timmins, Connor Deward, Tommy Novak, Vladislav Kolyachonok all brought physicality and spirit and energy to the team.
Nest years third pair D
Vladislav Kolyachonok 23 / Conner Timmins 26 solid physical pair
Novak will be the new third line center good solid physical & skilled two way player .
We have two first round picks 7 and 14
the farm is way better with guys like
Ville Koivunen 19 goals
Tristan Brox 18 goals
Austin Hayes 18 goals
Emil Benstrom 21 goals
Rutger McGroarty 12 goals 35 points 52 GP
Plus Dubas has $26 million in off season cap space to sign a couple solid UFAS to bolster the line up and we can retool quickly just like Washington did this year no one expected them they hit and retooled Penguins can too..
Montreal has taken the next step already this year and the team is playing meaningful games and are still in the mix.
Losing two games by a goal that could have gone either way doesn’t make the WC out of reach.
A heater or a team crumbling under pressure changes everything.
The Habs are taking a look at how players perform down the stretch in order to map out the off season additions and subtractions.
All fair, HF30.
But I am with George on this, the Habs have to play better now for longer than they have all season, without Dach; Dach has been disappointing but he was still needed on a team that gets scoring from Suzuki’s line only. Losing two game by one goal with the crunch on highlights their scoring paucity.