NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 21, 2026
Canada and the United States advance to the Olympic Men’s gold-medal game, Finland and Slovakia to meet for the bronze medal, and the latest NHL news in today’s Morning Coffee Headlines.
OLYMPIC MEN’S HOCKEY NEWS
NHL.COM: Nathan MacKinnon scored with 35.2 seconds remaining in the third period to lift Canada over Finland by a score of 3-2.
Team Canada center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL.com)
Finland held a 2-0 lead early in the second period on goals by Mikko Rantanen and Erik Haula. However, they inexplicably went into a defensive shell for the rest of the game, allowing Canada to tie the game on goals by Sam Reinhart and Shea Theodore, setting the stage for MacKinnon’s game-winner.
Canada will face the United States in the gold-medal game on Sunday at 8 AM ET.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the second straight comeback victory for Canada, and like their game against Czechia on Wednesday, it had its share of controversy.
Before Theodore’s goal, Canadian winger Brad Marchand collided with Finnish goaltender Juuse Saros after he appeared to be pushed by Haula. Both players quickly got to their feet, and Saros was back in position for Theodore’s shot, which deflected off his shoulder into the net.
Saros protested to the officials that it was goaltender interference, but there was no challenge from his coach. Some observers questioned that decision, but had that challenge failed (and it likely would’ve), the Finns would’ve been assessed a delay of game penalty with the score tied at two.
It should be noted that Saros was outstanding for Finland. With his teammates trying to sit on their two-goal lead, the Nashville Predators’ goaltender made 36 saves. If not for him, the Canadians lead would’ve been wider.
Finland challenged MacKinnon’s goal, claiming Canadian winger Macklin Celebrini was offside on a zone entry about a minute beforehand. However, the video review showed Celebrini was onside, albeit barely.
Canada got the win without team captain Sidney Crosby, who is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury suffered against Czechia. Connor McDavid took over the captaincy for this game. Crosby could return to action in the gold-medal game on Sunday.
McDavid continues to be an offensive force for Canada. The Edmonton Oilers center set the Olympic men’s hockey single tournament points record with 13, breaking the previous mark of 11 points jointly held by Teemu Selanne and Saku Koivu in the 2006 Winter Olympics.
Celebrini is also shining for Canada. The 19-year-old San Jose Sharks superstar sits second in points with 10 and leads all scorers in this tournament with five goals. He logged a team-leading 25:53 of ice time against Finland and also led Canada in shots and scoring chances.
The United States punched its ticket to the gold-medal game with a 6-2 victory over Slovakia.
Jack Hughes scored twice, Zach Werenski collected three assists, and Jack Eichel, Brady Tkachuk, and Tage Thompson each had a goal and an assist. Juraj Slafkovsky and Pavol Regenda replied for Slovakia, who will face Finland on Saturday in the bronze-medal game at 2:30 PM ET.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Slovakia exceeded expectations in this tournament by getting this far, but this underdog club was no match for the powerful Americans, who held a 5-0 lead after two periods.
Thompson left this game after the second period with an undisclosed injury for precautionary reasons. An update on his status could be announced on Saturday.
The stage is now set for the rematch of the 4 Nations Face-Off final that everyone knew was coming. If Canada wins, they’ll become the first nation to win 10 gold medals in Olympic Men’s hockey. If the United States takes gold, it’ll be their third, and the first since the Miracle on Ice in 1980.
The Americans are looking forward to that game. Like Canada, they’re undefeated in this tournament. They feel they’re peaking as a team at the right time, but they’re not taking their Canadian opponents lightly.
NHL NEWS
THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks center Filip Chytil is sidelined indefinitely with a facial fracture after a puck struck him during practice on Wednesday.
NEW YORK POST: Rangers center Matt Rempe will undergo a second procedure on his left thumb and will be placed on injured reserve. No timeline was given for his return.
TSN: Gavin McKenna collected eight points to lead Penn State to an 11-4 rout of Ohio State, breaking the school’s previous single-game record of five points. McKenna is the projected top prospect in this year’s NHL Draft.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: McKenna was recently charged with misdemeanor simple assault, disorderly conduct, and harassment following an alleged altercation in January. A felony charge of aggravated assault was subsequently dropped. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 11.
Filip Chytil Has lots of luck but unfortunately for him it is all bad. The Canada USA game should become a classic if it is anything like several other games in this Olympics
Has anyone had worse luck in their career than Chytil. There is a cloud over him. In reference to Rempe you live by the sword you die by the sword. I Don t care how big you are there is always a dragon slayer out there waiting for you.
What is it within the coaching fraternity that makes it mandatory, after building up a 2-0 lead, to abandon the approach that got them the lead and go into the infamous Katy-Bar-The-Door style. Especially since it seems to backfire a LOT more than it leads to success.
Small wonder Don Cherry once called it “the worst lead in hockey.”
Finland could very well have been playing for Gold tomorrow had they just kept up with the ferocious fore-checking that got them the lead in the first place.
Maybe, George. But one of the Finns said it hard when pinned in your own end for 30 seconds and then go on offence.
And while the Finns played well I wouldn’t call their early game forecheck ferocious. The Finns bottled up the neutral zone and collapsed 5 players in front of their net just like every other team Canada played. This was easily foreseen with a narrower rink, making it easier to defend against a superior opponent.
LJ, maybe not “ferocious” … but at least consistent and taking advantage of opening it created, jumped to that 2-0 lead. Why not maintain it? You change your game so that a team with that kind of scoring power can start coming to you and it will wind up biting you in the ass.
George,
You know very well why they do it, the accepted practice for a weaker team to beat a stronger one is to play a left wing lock and hope for a lead and then adjust it a neutral zone trap.
The Finns had a lead but it was, it wasn’t on account of intense forechecking, it was capitalizing on turnovers.
The NHL has tried reversing the trend by pulling the goalie with up to 3-4 minutes o play and it’s that extra player that usually is the difference.
Yeeeahh … but from my days as a Habs fanatic when they were racking up 5 straight cups and later 4, as well as the Islanders and their 4 straight, it was a;ways “pedal to the metal” from start to finish. If they got up 2 they wanted to make it 3, then 4, then 5. No change in their game.
Same, to some degree, with the “prevent defense” in football. Start that crap too early against a Joe Montana and he’d pick you to pieces. Again, it fails more often than it succeeds … at least in my memory. Then gain, maybe I’m just getting too bloody old. LOL.
George,
Might I remind you that the SC winners led by Bowman perfected the left wing lock for their string.
His protege Lemaire ran the league to the ground with his adjusted neutral zone trap
Only the Oilers were pedal to the metal in those days.
But Toe Blake didn’t in the 5-straight wins.
AI Overview
“Based on historical accounts of the 1956-1960 Montreal Canadiens dynasty, they rarely, if ever, resorted to “Katy-bar-the-door” (purely defensive, trap) hockey.
Instead, that team, coached by Toe Blake, was renowned for its high-powered offense, speed, and dominant puck possession, consistently outscoring opponents rather than relying on defensive shutdowns.”
How bout those devils teams winning with the trap. NHL had to change the rules of the game over that muck.
To be fair, Finland got their goals off of a horrible play by Bennet and a lucky bounce for a short handed goal. I’m not saying Finland didn’t park the bus, but it could be that Canada was that much better. I think the better team won and I think the two best teams throughout the tournament are meeting to play for gold. Should be a good one.
Nothing to do with hockey, but I see where Bill Mazeroski died at age 89. I’ll never forget that walk-off HR in game 7 of the 1960 World Series when the long-suffering Pittsburgh Pirates knocked off the hated NY Yankees.
R.I.P. man.
Appreciate the shout out as a yinzer but that was so far before I was born. Keep on truckin George.
Just for the Hell of it, I Googled the question “do Katy-bar-the-door in hockey and “prevent defense” in football backfire more often than succeed” and got this AI overview:
“Yes, “Katy-bar-the-door” (ultra-defensive) hockey and prevent defense in football are widely perceived to backfire more often than they succeed, largely due to abandoning the aggressive playstyle that built the lead.
While designed to protect a lead by conceding small gains to consume time, these strategies often allow opposing offenses to find a rhythm, resulting in high-stakes, last-minute comebacks.
Prevent Defense in Football (The “Prevent Winning” Theory)
Why it Backfires: Coaches often shift to a prevent defense too early, allowing disciplined offenses to “dink and dunk” down the field. It gives up critical yards to prevent big plays, but modern offenses can efficiently move the ball underneath, often getting into field goal range.
Statistical Impact: Studies indicate that switching to a prevent defense can lead to a 4-10% decrease in win probability. Opponents often see an increase in scoring efficiency, with success rates on drives rising when facing prevent defenses.
The Exceptions: It is considered effective only when a team is up by two or more scores with less than two minutes remaining.
“Katy-bar-the-door” Hockey
The “Worst Lead”: Similar to football, taking a 2-0 or 3-1 lead in hockey often leads to a shift to passive play, which is often considered the “worst lead in hockey” because it allows the opponent to dominate possession.
Why it Backfires: By collapsing around their own net, teams often stop attacking, giving the opponent momentum and confidence.
The Risk: It often fails because it turns a fast-paced team into a passive one, enabling opponents to capitalize on turnovers and gain zone pressure.
Psychological and Analytical Factors
Confirmation Bias: While these strategies often fail, coaches continue to use them. It is argued that such failures are more memorable (the “100s of games lost” feeling) compared to the numerous times they succeed and the game ends uneventfully.
Alternative Strategies: Instead of “parking the bus” or playing prevent, modern analytics often favor continuing with the aggressive approach that created the lead in the first place.”
At least it seems I’m not the only one thinking the way I do. LOL