NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 31, 2025
Recapping Tuesday’s games, Sharks sophomore Macklin Celebrini could make Canada’s Men’s Olympic hockey team, Flames re-sign Devin Cooley, and more in the final NHL Morning Coffee Headlines for 2025.
RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S ACTION
NHL.COM: The injury-depleted Toronto Maple Leafs got a 33-save shutout from Joseph Woll to blank the New Jersey Devils 4-0. Bobby McMann and Nicolas Roy each had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs, who extended their points streak to four games (3-0-1) and improved their record to 18-15-6. Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom allowed three goals on 29 shots for the slumping Devils (20-17-2), who are winless in their last four contests (0-3-1).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Maple Leafs played without Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Chris Tanev, and Dakota Joshua, who are currently sidelined by injuries. Following the game, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe called out his players’ “lack of balls” after team captain Nico Hischier lost a lopsided scrap to Leafs power forward Matthew Knies in the third period.
Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (NHL Images).
Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki scored the tying and winning goals to lead his club to a 3-2 overtime victory over the Florida Panthers. Cole Caufield also scored for the Canadiens (21-12-6), who overcame a 2-0 deficit to extend their points streak to six games (4-0-2). Brad Marchand and Sam Reinhart tallied for the 21-15-3 Panthers.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers honored Marchand for his 1,000th career NHL regular-season game in a pregame ceremony. He also took a roughing penalty in overtime that led to Suzuki’s game-winning goal.
A shootout goal by Bo Horvat lifted the New York Islanders over the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 3-2. Horvat also scored in regulation, and rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer collected an assist for the 22-14-4 Islanders. Oliver Moore collected two assists for the Blackhawks, who slipped to 14-18-7.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shaefer’s assist made him the youngest defenseman in NHL history to reach 25 career regular-season points.
Goalie Stuart Skinner made 27 saves for his first win with the Pittsburgh Penguins as his club downed the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1. Anthony Mantha tallied two goals while Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, and Justin Brazeau each had two points for the Penguins (17-12-9). Mark Jankowski netted the only goal for the Hurricanes (24-12-3), who remain in first place in the Eastern Conference with 51 points.
The Philadelphia Flyers got two-point performances from Noah Cates, Bobby Brink, Trevor Zegras, and Travis Konecny in a 6-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. David Kampf and Drew O’Connor each had a goal and an assist for the Canucks, who dropped to 16-20-3. The Flyers (20-11-7) have won three of their last four games.
HEADLINES
SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: According to a report by ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, Sharks sophomore center Macklin Celebrini had made Canada’s Men’s Olympic hockey team. The formal announcement of Canada’s roster will be made on Dec. 31.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will be a well-deserved honor for Celebrini. The 19-year-old Sharks center is having an outstanding season, sitting third among NHL scorers with 60 points in 39 games. He’s on pace to eclipse Joe Thornton’s single-season franchise record of 114 points in 2006-07.
TSN: Darren Dreger reports that sidelined Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson will not be available for Sweden’s Men’s Olympic hockey team. He has been absent since Nov. 8 with a lower-body injury.
CALGARY SUN: The Flames signed goaltender Devin Cooley to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $1.35 million.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cooley’s been a solid backup for Dustin Wolf in the Flames’ crease this season. He has a record of 4-4-2 with a 2.40 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.
NEW YORK POST: The Rangers could get Adam Fox back in the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Washington Capitals. The 27-year-old defenseman has been sidelined since Nov. 29 with a shoulder injury.
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel could return to action against the Nashville Predators on Dec. 31. He’s missed six games with an illness and a lower-body injury.
SPORTSNET: The Los Angeles Kings activated goaltender Darcy Kuemper from injured reserve.
BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Sabres goalie Alex Lyon is being evaluated for a lower-body injury suffered on Monday against the St. Louis Blues.
Very interesting how all these NHL players with injuries are timing their rehabs to coincide with the upcoming Olympics. Owners of these teams must be bristling at the money they are paying out to their prized possessions to play in the other tournament! The players union flexed its muscles on this one insuring that their players get to play in this best on best competition.
As recently as the U.S. Thanksgiving on November 27, the New Jersey Devils, losers last night to the Leafs 4-0, were 1st in the Eastern Conference with a record of 23gp 31pts (.674) 72gf 69ga and a +3 differential. A month and 16 games later they’re 13th with a record 39gp 42pts (.538) 106gf 118ga and a -12 differential.
That slide is more than matched in the volatile Eastern Conference by the Ottawa Senators who, on Nov 27, ranked 4th with a record of 23gp 28pts (.609) and a +2 differential, and now, 15 games later, including a listless 4-1 loss at home the night before against Columbus, find themselves in 15th place with a record of 38gp 18 15 5 41pts (.539) and a +1 differential.
Just 2 illustrations as to how much an extended funk in overall performance over, say, a 10-game stretch (past 10 games – 4-5-1 9pts out of 20 for NJ and 5-4-1 11pts out of 20 for Ottawa) can drastically alter a team’s standings in the East.
Celebrini is certainly a no-brainer for Team Canada. I expect Suzuki to be there as well.
Marchand and Wilson are expected to be named to the team and for good reason. They contribute offensively and add the toughness that is necessary to win championships. What worries me is their penchant to take dumb penalties at the worst times. Marchands OT penalty last night was a boneheaded and unnecessary move that cost his team the game. I hope Paul Maurice had a few words for him after the game.
And may those words be: “keep doing that,” Howard. Anything to put the skids to the Panthers.
I expect Marchant to be named as well and will of course cheer for him.
But last night was Marchant in a nutshell: makes a great play, then makes a bone head play. All inclusive way to celebrate his career. That he picked the Habs game for his fete made it all the sweeter.
That is the Olympic question with those 2 guys Howard. Marchand has lost a step, and that can hurt in that tourney, but he can make plays in tight spaces, and that will be the case in this tourney.
Wilson has to be on that team, and I say that as a guy who thinks he was/is a cheap shot artist, some of his act has been downright dangerous.
But he is scoring, dominating possession and chances on the ice, on the PP and top PK unit. Plus he is obviously a physical force. Haven’t seen him in the news this year for stupid sh*t, so maybe he has changed. Have to think the Caps don’t want their best player in the box or suspended.
Have to wonder if one of the Tkachuk boys drop their mitts on the opening face off if they are lined up against Wilson? I will bet no.
Marchant has lost a step, Ray, but he is still more than a point per game player. Given the mini rink that awaits in Milan, his lack of speed should not be an issue.
Given that fighting in Olympic hockey is an automatic match penalty with further penalties possible not even the Tkachuks are dumb enough to fight.
I share you thoughts on Wilson, I just hope he isn’t dumb enough to make cheap hits. One bone head penalty can cost the gold in a tournament.
I think Suzuki has earned his way onto the Olympic team but I have mixed feelings. I’d rather he get the rest.
Ray Bark,check the rules for fighting in Olympic hockey. With Wilson finally getting some recognition Asa player,I Don t think he would be fighting!
His name is spelled Marchand and he is better right now than the USA,S Captain Matthews , Brad is a must for team Canada. I would also have taken Wilson and Bennett leaving Sam off is a huge mistake the guy is definition of gamer. Our goaltending is way below average but who knows maybe one gets hot. Not having Russia at either tournament is pure hypocrisy if every time a country was in a war United States would have never been able to play. 2001-2021 Afghanistan 2003- 2011 invasion of Iraq 2004-2018 northwest Pakistan. Let the boys play
Obe, I never start the political conversations, ever, but will jump in when I disagree.
I get the argument of not punishing the players /athletes for the decisions of their government. Kind of agree with it actually. But also complicating it for the Russians is the massive cheating they did when they hosted the Olympics.
But I gotta say, comparing the Afghan war with the unprovoked invasion of Ukraine is something I don’t understand. There was this thing that happen on Sept 11 if you recall. Did it turn into something more, yes it did.
Iraq is a little better comparison, but if you recall Sadam Hussein was a brutal dictator who gassed his own people. But agree a stupid war and the USA lost credibility. But then again, it was not a war of conquest, the US left, and while not perfect the Iraqi people are better off today.
Putin is another brutal dictator and war criminal who invaded a struggling democracy trying to get out from underneath the Russian beast. In reality they invaded in 2014, when the Ukrainians stood up, revolted, and ran the Russian stooge Yanukovych out of the country and chased him into Russia.
It is a war of conquest, big Fuq’n difference. He doesn’t want a democratic and successful Ukraine as it highlights his own failures, brutal dictatorship and corruption. He wants it part of Russia, full stop.
Kinda different don’t ya think?
Well said Ray.
And if and when those hockey “boys” were ever allowed to play, we should keep in mind that hundreds of other Russian boys – if not thousands – are dying or being maimed in battles that very few of them, I’d wager, wanted in the first place.
Yet another hypocritical face of a two-bit, brutal dictator.
And with that, guys, let’s keep the conversation on hockey. Happy New Year!
Heh. Off the rails again … sorry Lyle. Technically, though, that was still in 2025. I’ll try harder in 2026. Happy New Year!