NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 10, 2025
The Jets tied their series with the Stars, the Panthers got their first win in their series with the Maple Leafs, seven more skaters are added to the Quarter-Century Team, the latest on a new franchise in Atlanta, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
RECAPS OF FRIDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION
NHL.COM: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebucyk made 21 saves to shut out the Dallas Stars 4-0, tying their best-of-seven second-round series at a game apiece.
Nikolaj Ehlers had two goals and an assist, Dylan DeMelo collected two assists, and Josh Morrissey picked up an assist as he returned to action after missing Game 1 with an injury. Stars goalie Jake Oettinger stopped 21 shots.
Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. (NHL Images).
The series shifts to Dallas for the next two games. Game 3 is 4:30 pm ET on Sunday, May 11.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a solid bounce-back performance by the Jets after dropping the first game on the strength of Dallas winger Mikko Rantanen’s hat trick. They dominated the Stars, doing an outstanding job neutralizing Rantanen and his teammates in this contest. Hellebuyck struggled with consistency in the first round, but his Game 2 performance should silence his critics for a little while. However, he must build on it if the Jets are to win this series.
An overtime goal by Brad Marchand lifted the Florida Panthers to a 5-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 3 of their second-round series.
Marchand is the leader among active NHL players with 14 game-winning goals in the playoffs.
Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers, who narrowed Toronto’s lead in the series to 2-1. John Tavares tallied twice and Matthew Knies had a goal and an assist for the Leafs.
Game 4 will be Sunday, May 10, at 7:30 pm ET.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs looked poised to take a commanding 3-0 series lead when they got early goals from Knies and Tavares. Aleksander Barkov made it 2-1 but Tavares restored the two-goal lead early in the second. However, Reinhart and Verhaeghe quickly scored to tie it and Jonah Gadjovich gave the Panthers the lead.
It then became a game of bounces involving Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly. His game-tying goal in the third deflected off Florida goalie Sergei Bobrovsky’s blocker, striking his defenseman Seth Jones, and bounced into the Panthers’ net. Marchand’s goal deflected into the Leafs’ net as Rielly was jostling with Panthers center Anton Lundell.
The hockey gods giveth, and the hockey gods taketh away.
HEADLINES
NHL.COM: Seven skaters who debuted in the NHL between 2000 and 2010 were named to the league’s Quarter-Century Team.
The new players are former Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron, former Detroit Red Wings forward Pavel Datsyuk, former Chicago Blackhawks and current Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane, Pittsburgh Penguins centers Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, Washington Capitals left wing Alexander Ovechkin, and former Tampa Bay Lightning and current Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprises here. They were/are the most impactful players of their era. Datsyuk is already in the Hockey Hall of Fame, Bergeron will soon join him, and the others are all future first-ballot Hall-of-Famers once their playing careers are over.
The league will reveal the six skaters who debuted since 2010 on Saturday.
THE ATHLETIC: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league’s two failed attempts to house a franchise in Atlanta would prevent the possibility of a third attempt to bring an expansion team to that market.
Bettman’s comments come days after prospective Atlanta owner Paul Krause said his group was getting closer to making a formal expansion pitch. The commissioner said there is interest in a potential expansion to Atlanta, but no formal timetable.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I predict the league will expand to Atlanta and Houston by the end of this decade, expanding to 34 teams.
Like it or not, billionaires are willing to pony up the increasingly rising expansion fee (likely to be $2 billion) to own an NHL expansion franchise in the United States.
Sorry, Quebec City, you have a devoted fan base and a proper NHL-ready arena, but your market is too small compared to those in the United States, and that’s where the money is. Your best bet is to become an emergency relocation destination for a failing American team like Winnipeg was for the Atlanta Thrashers in 2011.
NHL.COM: Vegas Golden Knights forward Nicolas Roy was fined $7,812.50 for cross-checking Edmonton Oilers forward Trent Frederic during Game 2 of the teams’ second-round series on Thursday.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The league explained they fined Roy instead of suspending him because he was reckless with his stick rather than intentionally trying to injure Frederic when he cross-checked the Oilers forward in the face. Frederic remained in the game, which explains why Roy escaped harsher discipline.
NEW YORK POST: Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller underwent surgery for an undisclosed injury suffered toward the end of the regular season. He is expected to be ready for training camp in September.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Whether that’s with the Rangers or another team remains to be seen. Miller is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights coming off a difficult season. He could receive an offer sheet from a rival club if negotiations stall with the Rangers. Miller could also be a trade candidate if management decides he no longer fits into their long-term plans.
NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils have parted ways with assistant coaches Ryan McGill and Chris Taylor.
DAILY FACEOFF: Former WWE star Brock Lesnar’s son was recently drafted by the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers. Duke Lesnar, 14, is a 5’11”, 168-pound forward chosen 115th overall by the Tigers.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This isn’t NHL news, but I’m a pro wrestling fan, so this was interesting to share here.
Marchand was one of the best players on the ice last night! Fla. continues to try to bully Toronto.Wonder if doubt starts to creep into the minds of the Leafs? Solid recovery for Winnepeg.
Why should doubt be a factor Sr? The Ottawa series went 6 and Florida, over an 82-game season, was exactly 1 point better than Ottawa.
No one predicted 4-0 sweeps for the Leafs (or anyone else where these playoffs were concerned) so it figures the eventual losing teams are going to win at least 1 in each series.
I don’t think the doubt factor happens until series goes back tied to Toronto Then ghosts of playoffs past will be back
GeorgeO you know as well as I do that Fla. played the last 25 games to get guys healthy and end player suspensions to get ready for the playoffs? They also had more players in the 4 nations tournament than any other NHL team.That is why Fla. had only one more win than Ottawa.Don t forget Montreal made the playoffs because they had more OT losses that they gained a point than Columbus.
It’s supposed to be hard, right, George?
I didn`t see anybody predicting a sweep in the series. A lot of weird bounces in the playoffs this year. The game could`ve went either way. Toronto`s goal is to win one of the games in Florida, but they`re still in the drivers seat if they don`t win any in Florida, they have home ice advantage. One thing that`s certainly changed from previous years, Berube over Keefe. He`s even got Marner buying into the team play and that alone is impressive. The one question is when does Matthews catch fire, he`s getting his chances
But Sr, these are not the same Leafs we saw perform under Keefe or his immediate predecessor /// Berube has them looking very different and committed to a 2-way effort. That might also explain Matthews not scoring at the same rate as in previous years … but he’s also showing as much effort in picking up his checking assignments … it’s a trade-off, and with everyone tuned in to his system it got them a Divisional title and, most importantly, home-ice advantage throughout.
GeorgeO and Yogi you make good points ,but the Leafs had 2 goal lead that they could not hold on to,and if they went up 3-0 that series would have been over.
Sr. now you`re just trolling, there isn`t a team in the NHL that hasn`t lost a game after leading 2-0, nevermind that Florida won the cup last year and are still a dam good hockey club
Atlanta – get the right owner and put the rink in the right location. I went to two Thrashers games in the early 2000’s – the barn was full, but the hockey was terrible. One playoff appearance in 11 years and they were swept.
The WHL may want to ban the F-5 brother.
And no one wants a trip to suplex city!
Good thing I wore my Ehlers jersey to the game last night, it clearly motivated him.