NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 22, 2026
The Canadiens win the opening game of the Eastern Conference Final, injury updates for the Ducks and Sabres, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NHL.COM: A four-goal first period powered the Montreal Canadiens to a 6-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final.
Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky (NHL Images).
Alexandre Texier’s first-period goal was the game-winner. Juraj Slafkovsky scored twice and collected an assist, Nick Suzuki had three assists, and Jakub Dobes made 25 saves for the Canadiens.
Seth Jarvis and Eric Robinson scored for the Hurricanes. Frederik Andersen gave up five goals on 21 shots. Game 2 of this series is on Saturday, May 23, at 7 pm ET.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens deserve credit for adjusting to the Hurricanes’ aggressive forecheck and smothering defense following their long second-round series against the Buffalo Sabres. They responded quickly to Jarvis’ game-opening goal 33 seconds into the first period with Cole Caufield’s game-tying snipe coming 27 seconds later.
The Habs set a franchise record for the fastest four goals (11:32) to start a playoff road game. The Hurricanes gave up more goals in this game than they did in the entirety of their previous series against the Ottawa Senators and Philadelphia Flyers.
Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin shouldered the blame for this loss after being on the ice for three of the Canadiens’ first four goals. “Personally, I think I handed them the game,” Slavin said. “I’ve got to be better.”
Slavin didn’t have a good game, but he wasn’t the sole culprit for the Hurricanes’ loss. The entire team was rusty following a 12-day layoff between series.
That issue was apparent during the first period, resulting in odd-man rushes for Montreal. They played better in the second period, slowing the Canadiens’ movement through the neutral zone and mounting sustained pressure in the offensive zone. However, they failed to sufficiently break through the Habs’ solid defense and Dobes’ goaltending.
The Canadiens should expect a better effort from the Hurricanes for Game 2.
BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: The Sabres provided end-of-season injury updates for several players.
Defenseman Owen Power suffered a Grade 3 ankle sprain in Game 5 of their series with the Canadiens. Center Tage Thompson was dealing with “some lower-back stuff” for most of the postseason.
Defenseman Logan Stanley dealt with an undisclosed injury and was scratched from the final four games of the second round. Forward Sam Carrick returned too early from a left-arm injury that sidelined him for the final 15 games of the regular season. He played briefly in Game 3 against the Canadiens and sat out the final four games.
Forward Justin Danforth was close to returning from a broken kneecap suffered during the fourth game of the regular season. Forward Noah Ostlund suffered a lower-body injury during Game 5 of their first-round series against the Boston Bruins. He would’ve been ready to play later in the Eastern Conference Final had the Sabres advanced.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: These players are expected to be ready for training camp in September.
DAILY FACEOFF: Anaheim Ducks winger Troy Terry will undergo surgery for a chronic hip impingement during the offseason, and it’s questionable if he’ll be ready to start next season.
Winger Cutter Gauthier suffered a transverse process fracture late in the regular season.
Center Ryan Poehling suffered a concussion after a hit from Brayden McNabb in Game 5 of their second-round series against the Vegas Golden Knights. He’s since been cleared of symptoms.
Defenseman Pavel Mintyukov suffered an MCL sprain late in the season. He is expected to be ready for the start of next season.
Blueliner Radko Gudas was dealing with a sprained ankle.
DAILY FACEOFF: The Boston Bruins have parted ways with assistant coach Jay Leach.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Washington Capitals hired Ray Bennett as an assistant coach, replacing Kirk Muller. Bennett previously served as an assistant coach with the New York Islanders.
RATINGS.ORG: Marco D’Amico profiled Vancouver Giants center Mathis Preston, who struggled with adversity this season, including health issues and a trade from the Spokane Chiefs. However, a solid performance in the U-18 World Championship could boost his stock in the 2026 NHL Draft.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Preston was projected to be a top-10 pick, but his struggles sent his stock tumbling. Nevertheless, he could be a good pickup later in the first round or early in the second.
Habfan30, yesterday in an exchange with Owen you pointed out that the Habs won all 3 regular season games against Carolina by an average of roughly 5-3 per game, even while being out shot in all 3.
Well, that more or less continued last night with a 5-2 final if you discount the empty-netter, with Montreal out-shot 27 – 21.
As I posted the other day, if the Habs wind up taking both games to open the series, Carolina had better become totally dominant in all facets of the game the rest of the way if they don’t want to see a repeat of their failures against Florida.
Playoff hockey is such an enigma at times. The advantage you seek can turn into an early disadvantage as well. You want to get in and take the series in a few as games as possible to rest and heal and ready for the next series.
But often times that 1st game appears to favor the team with less wait time between rounds, not the rested team.
Great execution by Montreal in the first and to bend but not break in the 2nd. They are a fun team to watch.
I think we all knew this was Habs best chance to get a win against a too well rested team……. Canes 2nd period dominance was what I expect in game 2
BUT Montreal stayed poised and kept Canes from controlling rebounds and getting in dirty areas.
This could be a series
Ya whomever called the Habs win yesterday in these forums nailed it.
I thought it would be a low scoring affair. The only one I was worried about rust was Anderson. And he did look rusty. The issue for Ottawa and Philly in the first two series is they couldn’t get to him. Montreal sure did—and he couldn’t stop shyt.
Hey george….I wonder if that Mathis Preston kid will still be on the board when the Sens pick last.
Could be, Dark G. He is projected to go anywhere from 30th to 40th. At 5’ 11” 173lbs he needs to put on some beef but, hey, he only turns 18 in July.
The two I’m hoping to see still available at 32 are 6’1” 205lbs LW Adam Novotny of Czechia who plays with the Peterborough Petes of the OHL, and 5’ 11” 180lbs RD Ryan Lin of the Vancouver Giants of the WHL.
Even better would be to see 6’ 4” 200lb left-shot C Maddox Dagenais of the Quebec Remparts fall from his projected 17th-19th spot to 32 – OR, a deal made before the draft to get a pick in that range. But I ain’t holding my breath there.
With the goaltending depth severely depleted (I think Merilainen is history here) there is also growing speculation that Staios could use the 32nd to take the best goalie available, and to that end here is an assessment of that position at the draft:
https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/news/2026-nhl-draft-10-goaltenders-you-need-to-know-knowling-orsulak-trejbal
GEORGE o – What about Mads? I know his stats are not great but that seldom tells the whole story…he had a pretty good showing at the Olympics did he not? Has the ship sailed on him as well or might be still be something there?
Obviously I’m speaking longer term as an nhl goalie…not suggesting he fills the back up position next season.
After listing all the injuries to players as the teams exits the playoffs the league has to look at the schedule especially during an Olympic year. Every team that made the playoffs has almost one third of its players with many serious injuries. This is not good for the game or the longetivity of players careers.Lyles injury updates have become standard procedure in his daily column.
First, the NHL cares about revenue, not player injuries. Consider the Player Safety Committee for instruction.
Second, the player agreed to go to the Olympics knowing it would mean more games. Indeed, they have agreed to an 84 game schedule starting next year. They know this will make for increased fatigue and injuries.
Every team has players with injury after any regular season. But you say 1/3 of players with serious injuries, Sr? I know many of your comments are click bated designed to get a response, but that is hyperbole.
1Oilerfan, there is nothing emanating from any source connected to the team that might corroborate my views on Meriläinen and Sogaard, which stems purely from my perspective as a frustrated fan and an “armchair GM.” “Frustrated” because, for two years running now, their inconsistent performances when called upon as injury replacements always seem to involve tight games in which they play well over stretches, and then let in a soft, bench-deflating goal at often the worst possible time.
Admittedly – and realistically – I should concede that, being just 24 in August (Merilainen) and 26 in December (Sogaard) are still considered as active parts of Ottawa’s goaltending depth chart even though they continue to bounce between the NHL and AHL. Merilainen, especially, seems to be still highly regarded by Staios and his staff and so I expect, as an RFA, he’ll be re-upped at some point. The 6’ 7” 239lb Sogaard, however, is a Group 6 UFA so there may be some doubt there as to whether he’s worth re-signing again.
As for Sogaard’s Olympic performance, he made just the one appearance with Denmark during which – before being forced to leave the game with under 9 minutes to go due to an injury – he had stopped 32 of 37 shots fired at him by Team U.S.A. in a 6-3 loss, some of them eye-opening stops.
Thanks for the insight George O.
The only surprise last night was Brind’Amour’s failure to gameplan for the Habs.
The players are very good, no doubt about it, they executed the plan as drawn up.
Habs took Carolina’s strengths and sucked it out, turning it on them. The aggressive forecheck to pressure the D was negated by short touch passes.
The commitment to swarm allowed for quick odd man counters.
Carolina was chasing the play most of the night and being directed where to go, so you constantly had 2 men pressuring 1 getting in the hit but a puck already gone.
Game 2 should look different but the change in philosophy might be more than they can handle. His system is based on being the hunter MSL just baits them in then strikes. Are the Canes able to switch to a more passive forecheck to get better coverage??
I think most of you guys are seeing what Hab fans have seen growing, a change in the way the game is played, the new disrupters using skill and speed.
I don’t expect a repeat of last night’s game. The Canes will (have to be) better. On several goals, two Canes were trying to cover one Habs player, leading to two breakaway goals. Probably not going to happen again, although I do agree Brind’Amour may consider revising his two forwards in forecheck.
The big winner last night was Geoff Molson, as the win last night guarantees revenue from at least 9 playoff games. That’s at least 36 million net, according to the sometimes reliable A I.
LJ,
The 2-1-2 is a staple of Carolina’s game, be it on dump ins or forechecking. Their identity is predicated on relentless pressure forcing turnovers and mistakes, they have played this way for years.
I expect he will try and do it better, harder, coaxing more emotion out of his players…..and make more glaring turnovers and odd-man play against.
It’s difficult to change your system that you have been winning with for so long, he ad time to study film, saw what the Habs did regular season, saw what was done in the playoffs.
He had 2 weeks time to work on things in practice in the eventuality of a Montreal series.
Old school coaches who believe in pressure just want to turn it on more and MSL takes advantage of it. There’s a great video dissecting the game last night:
https://youtu.be/i05h_8qtrYk?si=64nYOLpavjxJnWno
Let s hope Carolina does better. They are 0-14 in their last 14 Eastern Conference Finals Games!