NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 3, 2025
Milestone performances for Auston Matthews and Sidney Crosby in Leafs-Penguins game, the latest on Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-5. William Nylander had a goal and an assist, including the game-winner in overtime. Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies each had a goal and an assist as the Leafs regained first place in the Atlantic Division with 78 points. Penguins forwards Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust each had a goal and two assists and Rickard Rakell scored two goals.
Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a milestone game for Matthews and Crosby.
Matthews scored his 390th regular-season goal to surpass Darryl Sittler as the second-leading goal scorer in Leafs history. Mats Sundin is the all-time leader with 420. The Leafs captain also reached the 700-point plateau.
Crosby picked up his 1,050th assist to move past Gordie Howe into 10th among the all-time assist leaders. Steve Yzerman is ninth with 1,063.
The Leafs played without defenseman Chris Tanev, who was placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury. Forward Connor Dewar was activated off IR for this game.
Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill made 25 saves for a 2-0 shutout of the New Jersey Devils. Mark Stone and Noah Hanifin scored for the Golden Knights, who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 78 points. Devils center Jack Hughes left the game late in the third period favoring his right arm after getting tangled up with Golden Knights center Jack Eichel and crashing into the endboards. The Devils sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 72 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe was ejected from the game after complaining to officials about what he felt was a non-call for interference by Eichel on Hughes. There was no postgame update regarding Hughes’ status. Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 22 saves in his first game since suffering a knee injury on Jan. 22.
New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick turned in a 34-save shutout in his 800th regular-season game to blank the Nashville Predators 4-0. Artemi Panarin and J.T. Miller each had a goal and an assist as the Rangers (64 points) moved within two points of the Detroit Red Wings for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Justus Annunen stopped 30 shots for the Predators.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers held winger Reilly Smith out of the lineup for “roster management purposes,” sparking speculation that another trade could be in the works. On Saturday, the Rangers shipped defenseman Ryan Lindgren and winger Jimmy Vesey to the Colorado Avalanche.
Rangers forward Matt Rempe could face supplemental discipline after elbowing Nick Blankenburg in the face while trying to check the Predators defenseman. Rempe was called for elbowing and received a fighting major for his subsequent scrap with Predators defenseman Andreas Englund.
Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston tallied three power-play goals in a 6-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Roope Hintz had a goal and three assists for the Stars as they hold second place in the Central Division with 80 points. Blues goaltender Joel Hofer got the hook after giving up three goals on nine shots but Joel Binnington was the losing goalie, allowing three goals on 12 shots. The Blues are one point behind the Calgary Flames for the final Western wild-card spot.
Speaking of the Flames, they dropped a 2-1 decision to the Carolina Hurricanes. Sebastian Aho scored the overtime winner for the Hurricanes, who hold sole possession of second place in the Metro Division with 74 points. Dustin Wolf made 31 saves for the Flames, who are 0-2-1 in their last three games but picked up a point to move ahead of the Vancouver Canucks into the final Western wild card.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames and Canucks each have 65 points but Calgary has 28 regulation wins to Vancouver’s 27.
The Minnesota Wild nipped the Boston Bruins 1-0 to end a three-game losing skid, Filip Gustavsson made 28 saves for the shutout and Frederick Gaudreau scored the only goal as the Wild hold third place in the Central Division with 74 points. David Pastrnak’s point streak ended at 17 games as his club remains two points behind the Red Wings.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins captain Brad Marchand missed this game with an upper-body injury suffered during his club’s 3-2 win over Pittsburgh on Saturday. The Wild played without defenseman Jonas Brodin, who is week-to-week with a lower-body injury.
IN OTHER NEWS…
FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers placed sidelined winger Matthew Tkachuk (lower body) on long-term injury reserve to free up salary-cap space to recall goaltender Chris Driedger. They had limited cap room after acquiring defenseman Seth Jones from the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.
Placing Tkachuk on LTIR prompted speculation that he could be sidelined for the rest of the regular season. That would free up salary-cap space for the Panthers to make more moves ahead of the March 7 trade deadline.
SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks rookie center Macklin Celebrini (lower body) is a game-time decision for Monday’s contest with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Defenseman Henry Thrun (upper body) has been ruled out for that game.
THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken recalled goaltender Philipp Grubauer from their AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley.
Dumb dumb Dumbas
You should have retained 50% and traded Karllsson right after 4 Nations Cup when he was on a performance high and had interested parties; and Pens would have maximized a return.
After yesterday when he was a “Jack Johnson” Doppelgänger causing 3 goals and almost 3 more; we might have to give up 2 firsts , a prospect and retain 50% just to get him out the door.
Kudos to Crosby (3 points, almost 2 more, and moving past two hockey legends [Howe for assists, Bobby Hull for goals] in the same game).
He still must be devastated on the implosion the team is having; and the next 2 years will be worse!!
I will not (and I hope all Pens fans won’t either) blame him or be mad at him, if he chooses to move on.
Not a way that a guaranteed 1st ballot HHoFer wants to spend his last 2 + years of his career.
Guaranteed golf in the 2nd week of April is no consolation for a competitor like him.
Dumb dumb Dumbas
Just for you
https://triblive.com/sports/penguins-havent-asked-defenseman-erik-karlsson-to-waive-his-no-movement-clause/
Yes I know
Dubas should have asked him to waive his NMC the very moment the buzzer went in Sweden’s last game.
Dubas continues to not only sit on his butt ; but also his thumb , which is stuck… well you know where
no matter how good Erik Karlsson looked for Team Sweden (4NF), his bad contract and term still scared teams away. Pens would probably have to eat a lot of that contract to get rid of him, or even buy him out
No challenge on retention responsibility by Pens
Dubas should have got the NMC waived right after 4 Nations; retained 50%, and moved him
There would certainly have been takers at 50% after 4NC
After yesterday…. Ouch
Not sure making that type of deal is as easy as it sounds 87. Asking a vet like Karlsson to waive a NMC with 2 years after this one remaining is not a small thing either. It’s an agreed upon deal and a contract after all. Ya just get him to waive, move his family, and eat $10M +, easy peezy.
Walking into ownership and asking them to eat $5M a year on a contract he traded for isn’t easy either. Any one who thinks it is has never been responsible for a companies money.
The issue in PIT is the same as it has been for 2 years – what is the strategy?
Keep trying to stay competitive with “retools” or down to the studs rebuild. Those are the choices as the Pens ain’t winning sh*t.
I would suggest the latter needs to happen, and if the players are being honest with themselves would agree, regardless of what they say publicly. If they wanted to get traded, they would say what Seth Jones did publicly, or go just tell management that. They haven’t.
That strategic conversation happens with ownership first, it’s their call, then Mr Crosby. Then players can decide to stay or leave. And if Crosby says he’s staying, so might the other guys, at least Malkin and Letang IMO.
So does ownership (not Dubas) want to keep Crosby around, and keep trying to not suck or not? Or just stay the course, keep the vets, honor the commitments they made, and accumulate as many young assets as you can until they retire, and then suck for 7 years.
Not trolling when I say that either, it will take that long, at least that is the average. Will PIT fans support the team for 7 years of suck? Ownership is asking themselves that question, I would bet my truck on it.
The jones trade showed it could happen and without needing to hold half. And fans will keep the team viable though a rebuild so long as the ownership doesn’t gaslight them like they did last time. So long as Rico fata Milan Kraft ramzi abid and konstantin koltsov arnt sold to the fans as superstars it will still be painful but workable. Id suggest taking a page outta the rangers playbook and just tell fans it’s going to be a tough few years. But that ultimately didn’t work out for them either.
Ray Malkin did an interview a few days ago on Sportsnet, where he said he won`t waive his NMC. He plans on finishing his NHL career in Pittsburgh and then maybe play 1 year for Magnitogorsk and then call it a career. Just to make life a little easier for Dubas, Malkin`s contract is an actual 35+ contract because of the signing bonus next year
Hi Ray
Certainly not saying it’s easy
But Karllsson will be 37 at the end of this contract and zero cups if he stays here
Getting him to waive to a contender; should not be the issue
Getting Management to eat $5 M /year:
First, cash amount is less than Cap
Retaining 50% for the balance of the contract would be about $8.25 M total
They aren’t actually eating that
Right now its $16.5 M expense; with zero chance at playoffs until at least 27/28 (post Karllsson, Crosby, Malkin’s terms)
Instead, cut the commitment in 1/2 ; get youth in return; add Cap room for other moves; snd have at least a glimmer of playoff hopes before Crosby retires
Karllson at 50% (of remaining ) retained; right after 4NC ; and s reasonable return happens. Accepting s $4 M – $5 M underperforming dumped on Pens in the deal; return is at least a 1st and prospect.
That was as at just after 4NC
Now; after the crap show yesterday. Ahhhhh 😢
Re Retool or rebuild
100% this should have been a retool. Literally what Dubas committed to Crosby that he’d do
He didn’t
Is s retool this TDL plus this summer possible?
I’d say a few GMs could definitely do it
Dubas just can’t
He didn’t very poorly with Leafs
Way worse with Pens
If it was me as GM and ONLY thinking about the Team’s future and not with my heart:
I’d be asking ALL of the 30+ crowd, including Crosby to waive their NMCs and/Or partial trade clauses
I obviously would be very sad to see Sid go but would in no way blame him
Instead of 50% retained on Karllsson ($8.25 M investmen) and as at now (post yesterday’s debacle) very very little interest;
Retaining 50% of Crosby’s balance (about $9 M investment) AND taking back a crap $4 M ‘ish contract ; and the return is 2 firsts and an NHL ready player
Dubas has screwed the pooch on this big time
87, I don’t know Sid and neither do you.
I don’t know what was said to Crosby when they negotiated a new deal, other than what Sid has said publicly and that he wants to retire a Penguin. Hardly a shock.
You don’t know either.
Yogi mentions below that Malkin has said the same regarding his NMC. Not surprising considering the success these guys have had together and how close that relationship must be.
Can folks change their mind? Of course.
I would think Crosby understands the competitive balance of the NHL, where the Pens are in that, and the business of hockey more than anyone on this site. And he knows this will be the 3rd consecutive year they miss the playoffs.
He also knows they are 15 out of 16 in the East. He knows the age of the core in Pittsburgh, and knows their game.
I would also think Dubas will not approach Crosby to waive. Crosby will need to go to Dubas.
I would also be shocked if Dubas promised anything to Crosby other than to try and improve the team. These are both professionals who know what reality is. My guess is they will talk again after the TDL if deals are made. If not then, at the end of the season.
Karlsson doesn’t suck as bad as some say, and yes he was directly responsible for a goal last night, and should get some blame for a bad line change on another after he was gassed deep in his own end. If teams are interested they are scouting him, as they sure as heck did at 4 nations. Last night won’t change their opinion, nor will a single tourney.
He is for sure a tradable asset at $5M, 50/50 at $7M, but I think somebody might. That return? I dunno. But he can still play IMO, needs the right fit to have it make sense.
Whether he and his wife want to pickup and move along with 2 young children, I have no idea.
You can’t reason with the fella Ray. But thanks for trying. I think Dubas might need a restraining order at some point. Overall he’s done a decent job with the expectations that he has to deal with from management. Crosby resigned knowing full well what he’s getting in to.
Ya chrisms agree on Crosby, obviously.
I think the Pens fans will be patient for a while, heck they will probably get some lottery luck the next time a generational player becomes available anyway.
The Pens have built up some collateral in that city have to think. And I totally get why Crosby, Malkin and Letang would want to stay and play with a team and buds they have won 3 cups with and battled with for all this time. Bonds that will last their lifetimes.
Plus their families have been there for such a long time, can’t be easy to just pick up and leave.
Is what it is, while a couple of those contracts were for too long, stick tap to the Pens management for being a class act and treating their players right. That matters too in the long run, as much as some fans would disagree with me on that. That’s how it works in the real world and real people. Players pay attention and know whether they play in Pittsburgh or not.
Dubas is starting to correct some of the issues created by both Hextall and the tail end of Rutherford’s tenure. Tough position for any GM in Pitt, do you put the organizations future before one player? Thats what Dubas needs to do immediately. Guy needs to move out all the aging assets he has and go full on rebuild. Stop complaining about EK’s contract, think about retaining 50% of Crosby’s contract. Can you imagine the return? I would imagine you move out Crosby, then Malkin, Letang, will quickly lift their NMC’s and the rebuild really kicks into gear. There is no secondary scoring in Pitt, The defense is god awful and the goalie situation is a mess. Time to to roll the whole roster.
Hi Brian
agree that rebuild MUST happen
But: “Dubas is starting to correct some of the issues created by both Hextall and the tail end of Rutherford’s tenure”
Starting???
Eller move; and Ruhweedel (who was a UFA) are his (Dubas’) limited run of punting the aged
Karllsson trade: massive overpayment at the time and that trade looks even worse now
Freidman… I’d say he list that deal; but that’s me; no one will say he won it
Pitlick-lost that deal
Butcher- minor deal; call it even
Nylander-lost at the time; TBD now
Guentzel deal- absolutely throttled on that deal
Ruhweedel: I’ll call that a fair deal
Hellberg-lost that deal
Hayes- OUCH! and more OUCH
Smith (25% retention): 2nd (3 years down the road) and 5th (1 year down the road) – that’s $1.15 M to buy those assets. Seems pretty steep a price. TBD on that trade
Glass deal… Win. Good one Doobie!
McGroarty/Yager- lost for sure. McGroarty was NOT signing with Chevy. Chevy HAD to sell. Dubas didn’t have to deal. Should have got something (ANYTHING) extra in deal. Lost that deal
Eller – most in Media projected 2nd and prospect. He traded within Div AND got 3rd (3 years down the road) and a 5th. Lost that deal.
Timasino- very big win. Atta go Doobie!
P.O Joseph for free . Win. That said; he should have re-upped him in the first place. This way he saved about $200 K. Give Dubas a surreptitious slight win on that
Pettersson deal. Definite win for sure.
Andonovski… call that a draw????
Overall, definitely not a winning track record
Add to that his failed promise to Crosby (to get him to sign) to make team much better and have it compete for a playoff spot. That he has miserably failed at. I truly believe he had zero intentions of doing so and was boldly lying to Crosby at thr time.
Crosby would have known that playoffs this year were a relative long shot but with some luck and the improvements Dubas promised; MAYBE attainable. However, Crosby certainly would have expected with Dubas’ promise that playoffs in 25/26 and/or 26/27 were a reasonable expectations.
Now due to Dubas’ promise failure; there is zero chance for Crosby as a Pen, to ever play NHL playoff hockey again.
This IS on Dubas.
8787 understand your frustration, but is this about Crosby or the Pens? If its just about the Pens, then move out Crosby, Letang, Malkin, etc. Start rebuilding that organization. Holding out hope that EK is going to return something is fools gold. Crosby on the other hand returns a boat load and gets the ship moving forward.
Some good advice from Mark Twain that I try to follow in life and when posting on here:
“It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you in trouble. It’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so”.
Dallas has said no interest in Erik Karlsson.
Crosby plays 3 more years at 60 assists which he is doing he will vault to third all time in assists.
Washington turned it around in 1 year they were horrible last year and this year terrific.
Penguins can too..
Playoff teams,take your pick of Bruins with extensive playoff experiences!Here s your menu,Marchand,Frederic,Brazeau,Poitras,Peeke,Carlo,Beecher,Koepke,Korpisalo,Wotherspoon,Mitchell and in the blockbuster category Swayman!Group in need of a culture change! Also Sweeney and Neeley available!
Thanks Sr.
Not sure the Blues are a playoff team, but we’ll take Frederic.
IP
After watching last night’s game, The Blues outplayed the Stars for over 40 minutes of that game. I think that with Calgary and Vancouver playing as they have been for over a month, the Blues could definitely achieve that 2nd Wildcard spot in the West… They looked solid (except on the PK)… but there were some bad calls that put them on the PK too.
On a side note.. Do you think that Army throws in the towel and trades Schenn?
IP,how about Frederic for Neighbours?
Rather sign Frederic in the off season when he is a UFA.
Brian Boston was waiting for Hanifan last year for him to be a UFA andsignwith his home town Bruins and Vegas swept in,traded for him and then signed him to a long term contract!
I’m just a little tired of the excuse used for Matt Rempke. He’s just so tall. He’s not the only tall player in the NHL. He is a big hack that will put some player out of hockey. He probably will not be suspended for this one but should be. If he isn’t he will be before the end of the season.
Sounds like the terrible lost to 8787 hated leafs fueled up this latest … rant? Sometimes the reality of players is that they are real people not just figures on your cards. Think about that before you spew out rubbish.