Recaps of Monday’s games, Nikita Kucherov explains why he’s requested a trade, the three stars of the week, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S ACTION

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins blew a 2-0 lead to the Vegas Golden Knights but won 3-2 on David Pastrnak’s shootout goal. James Hagens and Morgan Geekie scored for the Bruins (11-4-1), who lead the Atlantic Division with 23 points. Mark Stone and Trevor Connelly replied for the 9-5-2 Golden Knights.

Boston Bruins forward James Hagens (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hagens currently leads this season’s NHL rookie class with six goals and 12 points. Toronto Maple Leafs winger Gavin McKenna sits second with 11 points, and Connelly is third with 10 points.

Golden Knights forward Braeden Bowman was ejected early in the first period for an elbow to the head of Bruins forward Matthew Poitras, who left the game but returned later in the period sporting a full bubble shield.

Detroit Red Wings forward Michael Brandsegg-Nygard and defenseman Justin Faulk each had a goal and an assist for a 5-3 victory over the Florida Panthers. Carter Mazur scored his first NHL goal for the 7-5-3 Red Wings. Jacob Markstrom stopped 24 shots for the Panthers (8-5-2) as he returned to action after missing five games with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brandsegg-Nygard is the fourth-leading rookie scorer with 10 points.

Colorado Avalanche forwards Jaden Schwartz and Nazem Kadri each scored twice as their club rallied from a 2-0 deficit for a 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. T.J. Hughes collected two assists as the Avalanche (9-5-1) extended their win streak to three games. Wyatt Kaiser and Roman Kantserov scored for the Blackhawks (4-10-1), who’ve lost six of their last seven games (1-5-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury. He’s expected to miss the next two games.

Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog wasn’t happy with Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov for elbowing Avalanche blueliner Cale Makar in the head during the first period.

Makar wasn’t injured and Levshunov received a minor penalty, but the latter also absorbed some punches from Makar’s teammate Martin Necas. Landeskog pursued Levshunov for the rest of the game and leveled the Blackhawks blueliner with a hip check while he was in midair.

The Calgary Flames nipped the San Jose Sharks 2-1. Dustin Wolf made 26 saves, Adam Klapka scored and added an assist, and William Stromgren tallied his first NHL goal for the 7-8-0 Flames. Sam Dickinson scored for the Sharks (7-8-1).

HEADLINES

TSN: Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov spoke with the media on Monday for the first time since his trade request was reported on Friday.

Kucherov, 33, is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. He said Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois only had two conversations with him about an extension over the past four months.

“I think, it was never about the money for me,” Kucherov said. “It was more poor communication and respect.” He added that BriseBois “made it clear that I’m free to walk on July 1.”

Kucherov informed management that he would not sign an extension and asked to be traded.

“For now, I’m part of this team. I’ll do anything I can to help my teammates win.” Asked if there was any chance he might stay with the Lightning after this season, he replied, “I made my (trade) request.”

BriseBois released a statement on Friday indicating the Lightning “unequivocally” has no intention of trading Kucherov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Over the weekend, it was reported that Lightning management might be hoping for cooler heads to prevail and perhaps allow Kucherov time to change his mind. Based on his comments, that ship has sailed.

Lightning head coach Jon Cooper and players like Brandon Hagel aren’t concerned that Kucherov’s situation will be a distraction or that he won’t give his best for the team. Nevertheless, it seems this season is Kucherov’s last in Tampa Bay, and it will end by July 1 unless the Lightning change their minds about not trading him.

Some observers have lumped Kucherov in with other players who made trade requests this year, like Brady Tkachuk, Connor Hellebuyck, and Dylan Larkin. However, Kucherov isn’t seeking a trade while in the middle of his contract because he thinks he can’t win with his current team. He wants out because he feels management hasn’t treated him with respect during their contract extension talks.

I’ll have the latest Kucherov trade speculation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

NHL.COM: Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson, Edmonton Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry, and Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson are the league’s three stars for the week ending Nov. 1.

NEW YORK POST: Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer dedicated a support room at the R.J. Zuckerberg Cancer Center at the Northwell Health Center in Lake Success in honor of his late mother Jennifer Schaefer, who died of breast cancer in 2024.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Speaking of the Islanders, they signed free-agent defenseman Ben Hutton to a professional tryout offer.

SPORTSNET: Anaheim Ducks forward A.J. Greer (upper body) was placed on injured reserve after absorbing a high hit from Ottawa Senators forward Dylan Cozens.

OTTAWA SUN: The National Capital Commission revealed new details about a new 16,000-seat arena for the Senators in downtown Ottawa that will open in the “mid-2030s”.