NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 26, 2025
The Canadiens, Devils and Oilers pick up big wins in their first-round series. Check out the recaps plus the latest news in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
RECAPPING FRIDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION
NHL.COM: Three unanswered third-period goals by Christian Dvorak, Juraj Slafkovsky and Alex Newhook gave the Montreal Canadiens a 6-3 victory over the Washington Capitals in Game 3 of their best-of-seven first-round series.
Newhook and Cole Caufield finished with a goal and an assist each. Connor McMichael, Jakub Chychrun and Alex Ovechkin replied for the Capitals, who hold a 2-1 lead in the series. Game 4 is Sunday, Apr. 27, at 6:30 pm ET.
The two teams lost their starting goaltenders to injuries during this contest. Canadiens starter Sam Montembeault suffered an undisclosed injury in the second period and made way for Jakub Dobes. Capitals netminder Logan Thompson injured his left knee following a third-period collision with teammate Dylan Strome and was replaced by Charlie Lindgren. There were no post-game updates regarding their conditions.
Montreal Canadiens winger Josh Anderson (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the most complete game I’ve seen the Canadiens play this season. After being dominated in the first two games in Washington, they fed off the energy in the Bell Centre, outshooting the Capitals 40-19, winning 53.7 percent of the faceoffs, going two-for-five on the power play, and outhitting the Caps 45-26.
Winger Josh Anderson didn’t collect any points, but made his presence felt as Montreal’s physical leader, dishing out six hits and battling Washington winger Tom Wilson in a scrap at the end of the second period that spilled into the Capitals bench. Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj made his playoff debut and led all blueliners with four hits.
Canadiens winger Patrik Laine missed this game with an upper-body injury. That might explain his subpar performances in the first two contests.
New Jersey Devils defenseman Simon Nemec scored in double-overtime as his club nipped the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in Game 3 of their first-round series.
The Devils had a 2-0 lead on goals by Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer, but the Hurricanes got two unanswered third-period goals by Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho to tie it. Game 4 is Sunday at 3:30 pm ET, with the Hurricanes holding a 2-1 series lead.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A big win for New Jersey after two lifeless losses to the Hurricanes in Carolina. Nemec set the franchise record as the youngest player (21 years, 69 days) to score a playoff overtime goal.
Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler returned to action after being sidelined by a lower-body injury in early February. However, blueliner Johnathan Kovecevic left the game with an undisclosed injury.
The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Kings 7-4 in Game 3 of their series. Evander Kane and Evan Bouchard scored the tying and winning goals 10 seconds apart in the third period.
Bouchard and Connor Brown each had two goals and Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists for the Oilers. Adrian Kempe and Drew Doughty each had a goal and an assist for the Kings, who lead the series two games to one. Game 4 is Sunday in Edmonton at 9:30 pm ET.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane’s tying goal came under automatic review for a kicking motion. It was determined he did kick the puck, but then knocked it into the net with his stick, making it a good goal.
Kings head coach Jim Hiller challenged for goaltender interference but the call went against him, leading to a delay-of-game penalty with Bouchard’s winning goal on the subsequent power play.
HEADLINES
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: The Vegas Golden Knights need more production from their top line of Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Ivan Barbeshev if they hope to defeat the Minnesota Wild in their first-round series. The trio has yet to register a point in the series, with the Wild leading two games to one.
THE DENVER POST: Gabriel Landeskog has been promoted to the Colorado Avalanche’s second line and their top power-play unit. After being sidelined for the past three seasons by knee surgeries, the 32-year-old winger returned to action in Game 3 of their series with the Dallas Stars. The Stars have a 2-1 series lead over the Avalanche.
FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel received a one-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for a late hit on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov in Game 2 of the series between the two clubs on Thursday.
Barkov left that game and remains questionable for Game 3 on Saturday.
NHL.COM: The league also fined the Ottawa Senators $25,000.00 for unsportsmanlike conduct and Senators forward Nick Cousins $2,083.33 for unsportsmanlike conduct for an incident during warm-ups for Game 3 of their series with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cousins’ offense was shooting a puck down the ice at Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: A mistrial was declared by the presiding judge in the Hockey Canada sexual assault case. A new trial will begin once new jurors are selected, which was expected to occur on Friday.
Former NHL players Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, Carter Hart and Cal Foote face one charge each of sexual assault for an alleged incident that occurred in 2018 while members of Canada’s World Junior team. McLeod faces an additional charge as a party to the offense.
2025 round 1 Habs v Caps game 3 was legendary. I hope both goaltenders are okay in the long run. Thompson’s injury looked awful and I really feel for him and Strome. That was Anderson’s best game. Actually his entire line played great. Very impressed with Caulfield’s play (1g 1a, 11 shots, and 1 big hit). Duhaime did not have a good game. I fully expect the Caps to be better in game 4. Go Habs Go!
When was the last time both starting goalies left the game with injury, regular season or playoffs?
I hope that doesn’t end up defining the series, as both Monty and Thompson have been excellent.
I wonder how the linesman who was trying to pry Wilson and Anderson apart is doing. He earned his pay last night.
I expect the Caps to be better Sunday as well. Should be another intense game, great development for the Habs young players.
A few years ago Tomas Tatar named Josh Anderson “power horse” and he got back to that game this year it was exemplified last night.
Xhekaj in the lineup had the desired impact, put a few inches and pounds on Habs players who became the hunters not the prey.
It’s only one game but the Habs dominated and played three periods of hockey the right way, the tpe of hockey we have seen a lot of this year.
Suzuki-Caufield-Slafkovsky continue to impress, so young and keep performing through every game plan to disrupt them.
Hope both goalies recover and their injuries aren’t as bad as they look.
We have a series.
With every good team their goaltender needs to be great. Time for goalie upgrades in Edmonton.
Watching McDavid shake his head on the bench after a Kings player scored a goal with one hand on the stick and while fighting off a defensemen was a microcosm for McDavid’s entire time in Edmonton. The Oilers *must* upgrade their goaltending or they are done and the last 20 years has been a waste.
Ya everydayboots, their tending has not been good. Surprisingly not even the worst in the playoffs as when you watch those games it’s hard to imagine worse.
Both Vas and Ullmark have been worse, and WPG, and Vegas are right their with the Oil.
I get why they didn’t do anything this off season as both guys were overall pretty good last playoffs. Skinner had a couple tough games but bounced back and had some great games. He might again.
Not much available on UFA market as far as proven starters. I would take a chance on Vladar. Upside in his game.
They may want to consider trading one of their quality young guys like Broberg, Holloway or McLeod to address it!
If the Oil play tomorrow like last night, they tie the series. Their team defense has been brutal as well, although last night was a bit better. So not all on the goalies, but they have contributed.
Ray Bark. Trading Broberg or Holloway? Do I sense sarcasm there?
Yes, that was sarcasm
Ray, re your “Surprisingly not even the worst in the playoffs as when you watch those games it’s hard to imagine worse. Both Vas and Ullmark have been worse …”
Ullmark 0 3 65sa 53saves .815 save % 3.93gaa
Skinner 0 2 58sa 47saves .810 save % 6.11gaa
Pickard 1 0 31sa 26saves .839 save % 4.32gaa
How, exactly, has Ullmark been worse?
I was looking at the team stats George, so Ullmark worse than the Oiler tandem.
The Sens have been better defensively than the Oil as well, fewer chances and high danger chances. Oilers have been leaky as F.
I know the officiating is different in the playoffs, but it should be equitable. It has not been. In almost all the games I’ve seen, aggression is a good strategy, as the first post whistle hit or questionable hit is let go, but if a team defends itself they are likely to go to the sin bin. If you aren’t gonna call the first infraction, OK, but don’t all the second either — otherwise you are simply issuing a license for the high skill players, like McDavid, to get beat up. Teams must be able to protect thier stars if you are going to allow marginally legal defence against them.
Very interesting to watch the heavy weight battle between Wilson and Andersen. Couldn’t t help but notice Leonard and Hutson on the outside of the scrum. Must have been an interesting conversation.
I’m pretty sure people aren’t aware of what precipitated the Anderson skirmish with Wilson .as the players were leaving the ice
van Riemsdyk got in front of Dobes, as Dobes tried skating around him van Riemsdyk tried getting in his face again. It was attempted intimidation and the Habs responded.
Habs put it away in the 3rd period so that attempted intimidation backfired in a big way.