NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 7, 2025
The Panthers defeat the Oilers to tie the Stanley Cup Final, the Stars fire head coach Pete DeBoer, a plethora of other coaching moves, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines
PANTHERS DEFEAT OILERS IN GAME 2 OF THE STANLEY CUP FINAL
NHL.COM: A double-overtime goal by Brad Marchand lifted the Florida Panthers to a 5-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 2 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final, tying the series at a game apiece.
Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand (NHL Images).
The goal was Marchand’s second of the game, making the 37-year-old winger the second-oldest player in Stanley Cup playoff history to score in multiple overtime periods. Hall-of-Famer Igor Larionov was 41 when he tallied for the Detroit Red Wings in triple overtime of Game 3 in the 2002 Stanley Cup Final.
Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 42 shots, Seth Jones had a goal and an assist, and Nate Schmidt and Anton Lundell each collected two assists for the Panthers. Stuart Skinner made 37 saves, Evan Bouchard and Connor McDavid each had three points, and Leon Draisaitl had a goal and an assist for the Oilers.
This contest was a see-saw battle with the Oilers holding a 3-2 lead after the first period, only to see the Panthers dominate the second period to go up 4-3. The Oilers battled back with Corey Perry sending it to overtime with 18 seconds remaining in the third period, but the Panthers maintained their poise and are heading home having earned a split in Edmonton.
Game 3 is Monday in Florida at 8 pm ET.
HEADLINES
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars fired head coach Pete DeBoer on Friday. The move comes just over a week after they were eliminated from the Western Conference Final for the third straight year, and days after team owner Tom Gagliardi shot down reports from Canada that DeBoer was out. He has a year remaining on his contract.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: DeBoer did a fine job coaching the Stars into a Western Conference powerhouse, but failed to guide them past the Conference Finals. He seemed to lose his cool during the final game against the Oilers, creating confusion among his players after pulling goaltender Jake Oettinger early in the game, and blaming his players afterward for the club’s elimination.
Candidates to replace DeBoer are already being floated by pundits, with the usual suspects (John Tortorella, Peter Laviolette, Gerard Gallant, Jay Woodcroft) popping up. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pursue a former NHL bench boss, hire away an assistant coach from another club, promote from within, or bring in a coach from the minor league or junior ranks.
Speaking of coaching moves…
TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs hired former Detroit Red Wings head coach Derek Lalonde as an assistant coach.
COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Dan Hinote left the Avalanche’s AHL affiliate to join the Tampa Bay Lightning as an assistant coach. He was the associate coach of the Colorado Eagles this season. He previously spent four seasons as an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators and Columbus Blue Jackets.
THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken fired assistant coach Dave Lowry and goaltending coach Steve Briere.
THE PROVINCE: On Thursday, the Vancouver Canucks announced the hiring of Kevin Dean, Brett McLean and Scott Young as assistant coaches. They also announced assistant coach Yogi Svejkovsky, defensive development coach Sergei Gonchar, and video coach Dylan Crawford won’t be back.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Svejkovsky is reuniting with former Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet in Philadelphia as part of the Flyers’ coaching staff.
THE DENVER POST: Avalanche forward Logan O’Connor is expected to be sidelined for the next five to six months after undergoing hip surgery for the second time in two years.
SPORTSNET: Ottawa Senators defenseman Nick Jensen also underwent hip surgery. There is no timetable for his recovery.
The Rochester Americans are mourning the death of former AHL and NHL winger Scott Metcalfe, who passed away on Friday at age 58.
Metcalfe spent most of his 15-year professional career in the minor leagues. A first-round pick of the Edmonton Oilers in the 1984 NHL Draft, he played 19 games over three seasons (1987-88 to 1989-90) with the Oilers and Buffalo Sabres. Metcalfe spent nine seasons with the Americans, winning the Calder Cup in 1996. He was inducted into their Hall of Fame in 2006.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Metcalfe’s family, friends, former teammates, and the Americans’ organization.
The Little Ball Of Hate is creeping into Conn Smythe territory, and if he keeps coming through in the clutch over the rest of the series it wouldn’t surprise me to see him win it. Meanwhile – 2 games – 2 OTs.
Re the Senators and Nick Jensen’s hip surgery, at the annual charity golf tournament, GM Staios would only say that he is “doing very well and that he could likely “expedite his return” with his rehabilitation, adding “I don’t really have a timeline on it, but it certainly is something that I think we were hoping that he could get through.”
Meanwhile, according to Garrioch,.team owner Andlauer began his availability (to the media at the tournament) with a staunch denial that Senators forward Drake Batherson may be on the trade block. “It’s not right,” he said.” Staios added his confirmation, saying “There’s no truth to that” and toild reporters that he’d “spoken to Batherson to reassure him.”
Of course, none of that will deter those who dismiss what is actually said and continue with their own interpretations, including the “secret” wish of Brady Tkachuk to become a Bruin or a Ranger. LOL.
Wednesday, George O. predicted two or three overtime games during Stanley Cup Finals. First two games – two overtime games – nice prediction George O.!
Thanks Speed Kills … but it was based strictly on the almost identical team stats developed over 82 games:
EDMONTON – 3rd in the Pacific Division – 6th in the Western Conference – 48 29 5 101pts .616 – 259gf (3.2gpg) 236ga (2.9gapg) +23 Home: 25 13 3 (.646) Away: 23 16 2 (.585)
FLORIDA – 3rd in the Atlantic Division – 5th in the Eastern Conference – 47 31 4 98pts .598 – 252gf (3.1gfpg) 223ga (2.7gapg) +29 Home: 27 12 2 (.683) Away: 20 19 2 (.512)
And the way this is shaping up, it wouldn’t surprise me to see it go 7 and every flipping game become an OT affair.
Does anybody know what the fans were chanting prior to the anthems in last nights game?
“Ser-gei” – they were trolling the panthers goalie.
HarryO, it was “Sergei” – a rather lame taunt aimed at trying to unsettle Sergei Bobrovsky, and probably orchestrated over the scoreboard by some twit in the control booth.
Pather fans should mimic that chant before game 3! 😁
Bet on it happening, JohnnyZ – “Stu-ie”
Hell of series so far. Great for hockey fans of any team. 63 is clutch and has been a perfect fit with panthers cheering for him to win the cup
63 is finding out that there is life outside of Boston and having Patrice Bergeron mentoring him. Whoever is his agent did him a major disservice in Boston.His worth is showing by playing with a talented group. Did anyone know this version of Nate Schmidt existed?Fla. keeps coming up with veteran defensemen who thrive under there system.
Defensemen who play D rather than O are far more valiable in the playoffs where games are usually tight and few PP exist. Same goes for depth forwards who play solid 2 way games. Offense might excite people and casual fans but generallyit still holds that defense wins championships
This from the Web:
In the NHL regular season, the average number of penalties per team per game is around 3.48, with an average of 8.15 penalty minutes per game. This number has been declining in recent years, with averages being lower than previous seasons.
Here’s a more detailed look at the data:
• Average penalties per game: 3.48
• Average penalty minutes per game: 8.15
• Recent trends: The average penalty calls per team per game are at their lowest levels for an 82-game season in the last 20 years.
• Comparison to past seasons: In 2014-15, the average penalty calls were 4.03 and the average penalty minutes were 9.86.
Where the playoffs are concerned, check this one out
https://thehockeynews.com/news/news/a-breakdown-of-penalties-during-the-stanley-cup-playoffs
which contains this passage:
“When compared to the last several years of playoff hockey, this year, penalty calls are up. Last year, each team averaged 3.8 penalties per game in the playoffs. This year, teams are averaging 4.7. The per game average of 4.7 is actually the highest it’s been in the playoffs since the 2013-14 post-season.”
What a game last night. I knew the oiler were in trouble after a sequence where Kap didn’t score, then they missed too many men…then they called offside on mcdavid that wasn’t.
Not getting to heavy on officiating cause I have a heavy bias and I know it lol but we all know when sequences like that start piling up something bad is going to happen soon and sure enough the wide shot comes off the board a bit funny. Then Drai had a great back check does his best but I also think that led to a wobbly puckand Skinner getting beat. Maybe he gets beat anyway but I don’t think that was how Marchand was drawing it up.
But laments aside. Wow. It’s too bad one of these teams are going to lose. What fun.
What pictures of whose wife is Sam Bennett holding?
Unbelievable the amount of “accidents” he is given the benefit of the doubt for.
Allowing his goal in a final is embarrassing. They allow Bennett to not only guide the stick to the corner out of ekholms hands but then two more touches before sending it to the blue line , opening up the lane for the pass and goal. He “accidentally” touches it 5 times as Ekholm reaches and skates after it. Embarrassing. If he just swats it initially in to the corner , fine , 5 touches and sending it to blue line !? Come on man
Julien..Cassidy..Montgomery all were Jack Adams Award Winners .. combined for a 66.2 Win % as HC of Bruins … Strum should’ve got a no fired clause
Joe,so why is the GM still there? Isn t he responsible for the players on those teams?