NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 21, 2019

by | Jan 21, 2019

Yesterday’s game recaps and some injury updates in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane each had five points leading the Chicago Blackhawks to an 8-5 victory over the Washington Capitals, handing the defending Stanley Cup champions their fifth straight loss. All of Washington’s goals came from defensemen, with John  Carlson scoring twice.

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews tallied a hat trick in an 8-5 win over the Washington Capitals (Photo via NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maybe the Capitals haven’t fully shaken off the dreaded “Stanley Cup hangover”?  Over the last couple of weeks, they’ve looked like a club in need of a rest.  

New York Islanders goaltender Robin Lehner made 19 saves to earn a 3-0 shutout over the Anaheim Ducks. Cal Clutterbuck scored two first-period goals for the Islanders, who picked up their fifth straight victory.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With the win, the Isles (62 points) opened a three-point lead for first place in the Metropolitan Division over the Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets. So, Lou Lamoriello for GM of the year and Barry Trotz for coach of the year? 

The Vancouver Canucks moved ahead of the Ducks and Minnesota Wild into the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference by edging the Detroit Red Wings 3-2. Canucks rookie sensation Elias Pettersson celebrated his return to action after missing five games with a knee injury with a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks are definitely giving their fans something to cheer about this season. Their playoff chances will improve if Pettersson can stay healthy the rest of the way.

Vinnie Hinostroza’s third-period goal proved to be the game-winner as the Arizona Coyotes doubled up the slumping Toronto Maple Leafs, who’ve won just three of their last 10 contests. Leafs winger Andreas Johnsson left the game in the second period with a concussion following a hit by Coyotes defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs (60 points) sit second in the Atlantic Division but the Boston Bruins and Montreal Canadiens are nipping at their heels with 59 points. 

Nino Niederreiter scored his first two goals since joining the Carolina Hurricanes in a 7-4 drubbing of the Edmonton Oilers. Lucas Wallmark also scored twice for the Hurricanes while Leon Draisaitl tallied twice for the Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers managed to make a game of it by cutting a 6-1 lead to 6-4 but Wallmark’s second goal of the game late in the third snuffed out Edmonton’s comeback attempt. Gotta wonder how much longer the Oilers will stumble along before general manager Peter Chiarelli makes a trade, provided he’s not fired first. 

NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: The San Jose Sharks placed defensemen Erik Karlsson and Marc-Edouard Vlasic on injured reserve. Karlsson’s undisclosed injury could jeopardize his participation in the upcoming NHL All-Star Game in San Jose.

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 20, 2019

by | Jan 20, 2019

Game recaps plus updates on Erik Karlsson, Mikko Rantanen, Tuukka Rask, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines. 

NHL.COM: The Anaheim Ducks picked up their second straight win following a 12-game losing skid by edging the New Jersey Devils 3-2. Goaltender John Gibson made 29 saves and rookie Troy Terry collected his first two NHL points, including a goal. Daniel Sprong also had a goal and an assist. Earlier in the day, Devils winger Kyle Palmieri was named as Taylor Hall’s replacement in the upcoming NHL All-Star Game while Miles Wood (lower body) was placed on injured reserve. 

A six-goal second period powered the Colorado Avalanche to a 7-1 drubbing of the Los Angeles Kings. Avs winger Mikko Rantanen scored twice but also left the game as a precautionary measure due to a lower-body injury. Tyson Barrie collected three assists. 

St. Louis Blues rookie goalie Jordan Binnington made 28 saves to pick up his fourth win in five stars in a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators. The Blues also activated forward Alex Steen off injured reserve but winger David Perron is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. 

The Dallas Stars snapped a four-game losing skid by doubling up the Winnipeg Jets 4-2. Ben Bishop made 27 stops while blueliners John Klingberg and Esa Lindell each collected two assists. 

New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist is now sixth on the NHL’s all-time wins list. (Photo via NHL Images)

New York Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist backstopped his club to a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins. It was his 446th career victory and moved Lundqvist into sixth on the all-time wins list. Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask suffered a concussion following a first-period collision with Rangers forward Filip Chytil. Mika Zibanejad scored twice for the Blueshirts. 

Two third-period goals by Nolan Patrick helped the Philadelphia Flyers down the Montreal Canadiens 5-2. Flyers rookie goalie Carter Hart turned aside 33 shots. 

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos scored twice and set up another to lead his club to a 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. Evander Kane scored twice for the Sharks while teammate Erik Karlsson was a late scratch due to a nagging lower-body injury. 

Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Eklad scored a goal and added an assist in a 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. It was Ekblad’s 62nd career goal, setting a franchise record for defensemen. 

Zach Parise’s 20th goal of the season was also the game-winner as the Minnesota Wild nipped the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1. 

Vegas Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault tallied a hat trick in a 7-3 thumping of the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was the ninth win in 11 games for the Golden Knights, who also welcomed back defenseman Colin Miller off injured reserve. 

The Calgary Flames extended their points streak to eight games (7-0-1) by defeating the Edmonton Oilers 5-2. Flames captain Mark Giordano had a goal and two assists. 

NBC SPORTS: The concussion lawsuit settlement deadline for NHL players has been extended. It’s not immediately clear what the new deadline is for the 318 players who had sued the league claiming it failed to protect them or warn them about the dangers of head injuries. 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 19, 2019

by | Jan 19, 2019

Game recaps, Ryan Johansen suspended, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines. 

NHL.COM: Thomas Greiss made 19 saves as the New York Islanders blanked the Washington Capitals 2-0. During a break in the first period, the Capitals honored Islanders bench boss Barry Trotz, who coached the Capitals to the Stanley Cup last season. With the win, the Islanders take over first place in the Metropolitan Division and extend their win streak to four games. 

Vancouver Canucks rookie goalie Thatcher Demko made 36 saves in his season debut to backstop his club to a 4-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Canucks forwards Brock Boeser and Bo Horvat each had two points for the Canucks (50 points), who vaulted over the Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks into the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference. 

Two power-play goals by Sam Bennett helped the Calgary Flames defeat the Detroit Red Wings 6-4 (Photo via NHL Images).

Three power-play goals and a shorthanded tally carried the Calgary Flames to a 6-4 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Sam Bennett netted two of their power-play goals. Red Wings center Dylan Larkin also scored twice. The Flames sit first overall in the Western Conference with a three-point lead over the Winnipeg Jets.  Flames defenseman Travis Hamonic returned to action after missing two games tending to his daughter, who became seriously ill last weekend and was rushed to the Alberta Children’s Hospital. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to the Hamonic family as their daughter recovers from her illness. 

The Florida Panthers snapped a seven-game losing streak by downing the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1. Panthers forward Vincent Trocheck made his return after missing 27 games to an ankle injury and assisted on Mike Matheson’s game-winning goal. 

Montreal Canadiens forwards Tomas Tatar and Joel Armia each scored twice in a 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Canadiens goaltender Carey Price made 34 saves as his club won its fourth straight contest while ending the Jackets four-game win streak. 

The Ottawa Senators collected their fourth win in their last five games by beating the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1. Anders Nilsson kicked out 33 shots for the win. 

Phil Kessel scored in overtime as the Pittsburgh Penguins edged the Arizona Coyotes 3-2. 

The NHL Department of Player Safety suspended Nashville Predators center Ryan Johansen for two games for high-sticking Jets center Mark Scheifele on Thursday. 

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Bruins forward Anders Bjork underwent season-ending surgery on his left shoulder on Friday. His recovery will last five-to-six months. 

NBC SPORTS: Former Buffalo Sabres forward Patrik Berglund told a Swedish publication he’s at peace with his decision to quit the club just a little over two months into this season. He claimed he lost some of his passion for hockey after being traded by the St. Louis Blues last summer. He added his emotions had nothing to do with playing in Buffalo and he apologized to Sabres fans for betraying them. 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 18, 2019

by | Jan 18, 2019

Game recaps, Wild trade Nino Niederreiter to Carolina, plus updates on Evgeni Malkin, Brandon Dubinsky, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines. 

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask made 28 saves and tied a franchise record with his 252nd career victory in a 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. After being a healthy scratch in the Bruins previous game, David Backes returned to the lineup and tallied the game-tying goal that set the stage for his club’s victory. Blues defenseman Carl Gunnarsson returned to action after missing three games with an illness.

First-period goals by Anders Lee, Michael Dal Colle, and Jordan Eberle powered the New York Islanders to a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. For Dal Colle, it was his first NHL goal. 

New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist picked up his 445th career victory in a 4-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks (Photo via NHL Images)

New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist moved into a tie with Terry Sawchuk for sixth on the NHL’s all-time wins list (445) as his club edged the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3. Teammate Chris Kreider had a goal and an assist. The loss dropped the Blackhawks into the bottom of the Western Conference standings.  

Frederik Andersen kicked out 36 shots as the Toronto Maple Leafs doubled up the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. Patrick Marleau and Nazem Kadri each had a goal and an assist while Mitch Marner scored in his fourth straight game. 

The Winnipeg Jets extended their winning streak to four games by defeating the Nashville Predators 5-1. Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 37 shots and Brendan Lemieux tallied two goals. 

The Anaheim Ducks snapped a 12-game losing skid by blanking the Minnesota Wild 3-0. John Gibson turned in a 37-save shutout while Brandon Montour collected two assists. 

Jack Campbell made 29 saves as the Los Angeles Kings nipped the Dallas Stars 2-1. Carl Hagelin scored his first goal since joining the Kings in a trade from Pittsburgh on Nov. 14. 

HEADLINES

NBC SPORTS: The Minnesota Wild traded winger Nino Niederreiter to the Carolina Hurricanes for center Victor Rask.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was two teams swapping players who could need a fresh start. Niederreiter is a three-time 20-plus goal scorer who saw his production decline (nine goals in 46 games) and his playing time reduced this season. Rask has two 40-plus point seasons on his resume but he’s struggled since returning from hand surgery in late-November.

Both are in their mid-20s with three years left on their contracts. This was the second trade made this week by the Wild, having acquired winger Pontus Aberg from the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 16.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Penguins center Evgeni Malkin blames a lack of confidence for his recent struggles. Though he’s been tinkering with new equipment, Malkin feels the problem “is in my head.” He’s unhappy with his play of late, losing pucks that result in turnovers. The issue appears to be that he’s trying too hard to do too much and the coaching staff wants him to simplify his play. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Just goes to show that even a future Hall-of-Famer like Malkin can sometimes lose their poise. By the way, Malkin also has 10 points in seven games this month. 

CBS SPORTS: Columbus Blue Jackets center Brandon Dubinsky (hamstring) is expected to return to action tonight against the Montreal Canadiens. 

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators have removed goaltender Craig Anderson from injured reserve. 

CBS SPORTS: The Colorado Avalanche reassigned center Tyson Jost to the AHL’s Colorado Eagles. 

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres traded forward Justin Bailey to the Philadelphia Flyers for forward Taylor Leier. Both have spent this season in the minors. 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 17, 2019

by | Jan 17, 2019

Game recaps, Ducks made three trades, Flames to retire Iginla’s number, no World Cup of Hockey in 2020, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines. 

NHL.COM: The Ottawa Senators defeated the Colorado Avalanche 5-2. Former Avalanche center Matt Duchene scored twice and set up another goal against his former team. 

Sean Couturier’s natural hat trick gave the Philadelphia Flyers a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins (Photo via NHL Images)

Sean Couturier netted a natural hat trick and teammate Claude Giroux picked up his 500th career assists as the Philadelphia Flyers edged the Boston Bruins 4-3. Bruins call-up Peter Cehlarik scored his first two NHL goals. 

The Buffalo Sabres snapped the Calgary Flames’ five-game win streak as an overtime goal by Jack Eichel gave them a 4-3 victory. Flames winger Johnny Gaudreau picked up his 28th goal of the season. 

A shootout goal by Alex Chiasson gave the Edmonton Oilers a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. The Oilers are now tied with the Minnesota Wild (49 points), though the latter holds the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference as they hold a game in hand. The Canucks are right behind them with 48 points. 

The Arizona Coyotes beat the San Jose Sharks 6-3 to end the latter’s seven-game winning streak. Coyotes goalie Darcy Kuemper made 26 saves while Christian Fischer and Lawson Crouse each had a goal and an assist. Sharks forward Kevin Labanc had a goal and two assists.

NBC SPORTS: The Anaheim Ducks swung a trio of trades yesterday.  First, they shipped winger Pontus Aberg to the Minnesota Wild for center Justin Kloos. They followed that by sending defenseman Luke Schenn and a seventh-round pick in 2020 to the Vancouver Canucks for blueline Michael Del Zotto. Their final move saw them send minor-league center Joseph Blandisi to the Pittsburgh Penguins for center Derek Grant.  These moves come just two days after the Ducks traded veteran winger Andrew Cogliano to the Dallas Stars for center Devin Shore.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I wouldn’t call this a fire sale by Ducks general manager Bob Murray as he’s bringing in players who could contribute to his roster this season. Nevertheless, it’s not a major roster shakeup, probably because his club is still close to a wild-card spot despite their 12-game losing skid. 

Murray’s giving up some offense in Aberg, who has 11 goals in 37 games, but Kloos led the AHL’s Iowa Wild with 30 points and could get a shot with the Ducks at some point. The Wild, meanwhile, receive a speedy, affordable winger who could provide them with a bit of a scoring boost as they jockey for playoff contention.

The Canucks moved Del Zotto, a frequent healthy scratch, to make room for rookie star Elias Pettersson, who’s returning from injury. Schenn spent this season with the Ducks’ AHL affiliate and will report directly to the Canucks’ farm club in Utica. Del Zotto, an unrestricted free agent this summer, could become a rental depth addition for the Ducks.

Grant played for the Ducks in 2017-18, enjoying his best season with 12 goals and 24 points in 66 games. He signed with the Penguins as a free agent but didn’t enjoy the same measure of success. Murray could be hoping Grant rediscovers his form. The Penguins remove Grant’s $650K cap hit and could be setting the stage for a larger move. 

TSN: Speaking of the Ducks, veteran center Ryan Kesler has no plans to waive his no-movement clause. 

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens forward Paul Byron received a three-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for charging Florida Panthers defenseman MacKenzie Weegar during Tuesday’s game. 

SPORTSNET: The NHL and NHLPA released statements yesterday ruling out the possibility of staging a World Cup of Hockey tournament in 2020. While the tournament was linked to recent talks regarding a possible extension of the CBA, the two sides intend to meet again soon to continue discussions aimed at avoiding another work stoppage. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The league and the PA have the option of exercising their early-out clause in September, which would bring the current CBA to an end in September 2020. Recent reports indicate a seeming willingness on both sides to implement a new deal without going through another round of contentious collective bargaining. We’ll find out by this September if that apparent cooling in tensions between the two sides results in a new deal. 

CALGARY SUN: The Flames will honor former captain Jarome Iginla by retiring his No. 12 prior to their March 2 game against the Minnesota Wild. Iginla announced his retirement last July 

NBC SPORTS: Former NHL winger Brandon Bollig announced his retirement yesterday. He spent five seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks and Calgary Flames, winning a Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 2013. In 241 career games, Bollig had 10 goals, 23 points and 392 penalty minutes. He also had three goals, four points and 75 PIMs in 35 playoff contests. 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 16, 2019

by | Jan 16, 2019

Game recaps and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines. 

NHL.COM: Tomas Hertl tallied a hat trick and Joe Thornton scored in his 1,000th game with the San Jose Sharks in a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, picking up their seventh straight win. Sharks forward Joonas Donskoi returned to action after leaving Saturday’s game against Ottawa with an upper-body injury. 

Tomas Hertl’s hat trick powered the San Jose Sharks to a 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. (Photo via NHL Images)

Viktor Arvidsson’s hat trick powered the Nashville Predators to a 7-2 drubbing of the Washington Capitals. Nick Bonino also scored twice for the Predators. 

An overtime goal by Valtteri Filppula gave the New York Islanders a 2-1 win over the St. Louis Blues, handing Blues rookie goalie Jordan Binnington his first NHL defeat. The Blues sit four points out of a wild-card spot in the Western Conference. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given up for dead a few weeks ago, the Blues have slowly climbed back into the playoff race as a couple of ahead of them in the standings (Edmonton and Anaheim) have struggled. Binnington played a significant role in the Blues’ recent improvement, with a 3-0-1 record in his four NHL starts. 

The Anaheim Ducks suffered their 12th consecutive defeat, falling 3-1 to the Detroit Red Wings. Ducks forwards Ryan Kesler (undisclosed) and Jakob Silfverberg (lower body) left the game with injuries. Earlier in the day, the Wings placed forward Michael Rasmussen (hamstring) on injured reserve. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks remain only two points out of a playoff berth but they’re in danger of tumbling much further down the Western Conference standings. This tailspin could also ramp up pressure on general manager Bob Murray to do something to arrest this skid. 

New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad scored twice and set up two others in a 6-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Pavel Buchnevich and Tony DeAngelo also tallied two goals each for the Rangers. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets extended their winning streak to four games by beating the New Jersey Devils 4-1. Backup Joonas Korpisalo has three of those victories and kicked out 29 shots in this one. 

Montreal Canadiens backup Antti Niemi made a career-high 52 saves to backstop his club to a 5-1 victory over the Florida Panthers. Shea Weber had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens, who extended their win streak to three games and moved into the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. 

The Minnesota Wild snapped a three-game losing skid as they edged the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 on a shootout goal by Jason Zucker. 

Winnipeg Jets backup Laurent Brossoit turned aside 43 shots and teammate Kyle Connor scored twice in a 4-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. 

Andrei Vasilevskiy turned in a 35-save shutout as the Tampa Bay Lightning blanked the Dallas Stars 2-0. It was the Stars third straight loss and captain Jamie Benn wasn’t pleased over his club’s poor performance on the power play. “Our power play was s**t and that was the difference,” he said. They were 0-6 with the man advantage.

NBC SPORTS: The Philadelphia Flyers placed winger Dale Weise on waivers. 

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers claimed center Colby Cave off waivers from the Boston Bruins. 

TSN: A film about NHL Hall-of-Fame goaltender Terry Sawchuk is slated to hit screens in March.