NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 27, 2023

by | Dec 27, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 27, 2023

The three stars of the week and more as we catch up on the latest news following the league’s holiday break in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov, New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad, and Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane are the league’s three stars for the week ending Dec. 24.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (NHL Images).

The NHL returns to action following its three-day holiday break with fourteen games featuring the Toronto Maple Leafs facing off against the Ottawa Senators, the Tampa Bay Lightning squaring off against the Florida Panthers, the Dallas Stars meeting the St. Louis Blues, the Colorado Avalanche going up against the Arizona Coyotes, and the Winnipeg Jets versus the Chicago Blackhawks.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Blown leads and a recent scoring drought are among four issues the Bruins must address following the holiday break.

ESPN.COM: Anaheim Ducks rookie Leo Carlsson will be sidelined for four-to-six weeks with a sprained right knee ligament. The 19-year-old suffered the injury during Thursday’s game against the Calgary Flames when he became entangled with Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carlsson was fortunate to escape serious injury as his leg bent at an awkward angle. In 23 games, he’s fourth among rookie scorers with eight goals and 12th in points with 15 as the Ducks carefully managed his playing time and number of games played before his injury. Carlsson’s numbers might have been higher had he played as many games as most of his fellow rookies currently ahead of him in goals and points.

SPORTSNET: Columbus Blues Jackets forward Sean Kuraly is resting at home after undergoing tests for an abdominal injury suffered in the final minute of the first period during Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The tests came back negative but there’s no indication how long he’ll be sidelined.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kuraly left the ice on his own but paramedics were called in after he collapsed on his way to the Blue Jackets’ dressing room, resulting in play being briefly suspended. Fortunately, the injury didn’t appear to be serious but was taken to the hospital for tests as a precaution.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Carolina Hurricanes recalled goaltender Antti Raanta on Tuesday from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings placed forward Christian Fischer on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 23 and called up Jonatan Berggren, Austin Czarnik and Simon Edvinsson from their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids under emergency conditions.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators are continuing talks with the National Capital Commission for a lease at LeBreton Flats. However, they’re also studying other options in case a lease agreement with the NCC falls through.

ESPN.COM: All eyes will be on Team Canada center Macklin Celebrini during the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship currently underway in Gothenburg, Sweden. He’s projected to become the top prospect in the 2024 NHL Draft class but he will face competition from players such as Team USA’s Cole Eiserman and Finland’s Aron Kiviharju.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A prospect’s performance in the WJC can affect their value in the draft. It’ll be interesting to see how the potential Class of 2024 performs in this tournament.

DAILY FACEOFF: The WJC isn’t the only international tournament currently taking place. Mike Gould lists five former NHL players worth watching at the 2023 Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Young Russian NHL prospects could be staying in the KHL for four to five years before being allowed to join their NHL teams. Flyers prospect Matvei Michkov’s current KHL contract expires in 2026 but could end up staying beyond that if the KHL implements new rules that determine how long teenage prospects would have to stay and play in Russia. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was always the risk for NHL clubs drafting Russian players. The KHL currently has rules in place that prevent their best young players from bolting to the NHL soon after being drafted. If those rules change, the Flyers could wait another four or five years before Michkov finally joins their roster.










Happy Holidays!

by | Dec 23, 2023

Happy Holidays!

I’m taking my annual Christmas holiday break from Dec. 24 to Dec. 26. Updates will resume on Dec. 27, 2023. 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you. 

 via GIPHY










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 23, 2023

by | Dec 23, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 23, 2023

Recaps of Friday’s action, an update on David Perron’s suspension, Samuel Girard returns to the Avalanche, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: A four-goal third period lifted the Edmonton Oilers over the New York Rangers by a score of 4-3. Warren Foegele and Ryan McLead each had a goal and an assist for the Oilers as they improved to 15-15-1. Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider each had two points for the 22-8-1 Rangers, who remain in first place in the Eastern Conference with 45 points.

Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi extended his goal streak to five games while Nino Niederreiter scored twice and collected an assist in a 5-1 win over the Boston Bruins. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 24 shots as the Jets (20-9-3) regained first place in the Central Division with 43 points. Brandon Carlo scored for the 19-6-6 Bruins, who remain in second place in the Eastern Conference with 44 points.

Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane scored two goals and set up another and scored the winning goal in a shootout to nip the Philadelphia Flyers 7-6. Alex DeBrincat collected three assists for the Red Wings (16-13-4), who sit two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 36 points. Scott Laughton had a goal and an assist for the Flyers (18-11-4) as they sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 40 points.

The Montreal Canadiens overcame a 2-0 deficit in a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky and David Savard each had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens (15-13-5), who moved within three points of an Eastern wild-card spot with 35 points. Ryan Donato and Jason Dickinson tallied for the 10-21-1 Blackhawks.

HEADLINES

DAILY FACEOFF/TSN: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman upheld the six-game suspension levied on Red Wings forward David Perron by the league’s department of player safety. The NHL Players Association is expected to appeal to an arbitrator.

SPORTSNET: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard has been cleared to resume practicing as he enters the next phase of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: The Golden Knights signed defenseman Ben Hutton to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $975K. They also placed goaltender Adin Hill (leg) on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 17.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Fresh off signing a professional tryout offer with the Carolina Hurricanes, goaltender Aaron Dell will play for Team Canada in the upcoming 2023 Spengler Cup. The invitational tournament begins on Dec. 26 and ends on Dec. 31.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2023

by | Dec 22, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2023

A milestone game for the Avs’ Nathan MacKinnon, the Sabres rebound from a nine-goal loss with a nine-goal victory, the Canucks move into first place in the overall standings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scored four goals )including his 300th career tally) and collected an assist in a 6-4 win over the Ottawa Senators. MacKinnon extended his points streak to 17 games while Mikko Rantanen scored twice for the 20-11-2 Avalanche, who sit second in the Central Division with 42 points. Drake Batherson had a goal and an assist for the Senators (11-17-0) as they dropped their sixth straight game and their second under interim coach Jacques Martin.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 53 points, MacKinnon sits four behind Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov for the league scoring lead. Meanwhile, the constant losing by the Senators is frustrating team captain Brady Tkachuk. “It’s a pretty s****y feeling, and I don’t think I’ve felt worse in my life. This is not fun right now,” said Tkachuk.

After losing 9-4 to the Columbus Blue Jackets in their previous game, the Buffalo Sabres bounced back by thumping the Toronto Maple Leafs 9-3. Jeff Skinner scored two goals and set up another in his return from injury, Kyle Okposo tallied twice, Tage Thompson had a goal and two assists while Alex Tuch collected four helpers for the 14-17-3 Sabres. Auston Matthews netted his league-leading 26th goal of the season for the Leafs (16-8-6) as they sit second in the Atlantic Division with 38 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews called this loss “the worst game since I’ve been here”, calling his club’s performance “embarrassing.” It was a rough night for the Leafs goaltenders. Ilya Samsonov got the hook in the second period after giving up five goals on 19 shots. Martin Jones fared little better, allowing four goals and 15 shots.

Meanwhile, Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin was still fuming over Sabres fans chanting for head coach Don Granato to be fired during their last game. He considered that criticism of Granato unfair, blaming that lopsided loss on himself and his teammates. “We really wanted to back Donnie, that was the main focus today and he got way too much heat the other game, he didn’t deserve it,” said Dahlin.

An overtime goal by Matt Duchene lifted the Dallas Stars over the Vancouver Canucks 4-3. Duchene and Thomas Harley each finished with a goal and an assist for the Stars (19-8-4) as they vaulted over the Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets to regain first place in the Central. Conor Garland and Dakota Joshua each had a goal and an assist for the Canucks (22-9-3), who moved past the Vegas Golden Knights into first place in the overall standings with 47 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks have the same amount of points as the Golden Knights but hold first place as they have one more regulation win. Meanwhile, Dallas and Colorado also have the same amount of points (42) but the Stars hold two games in hand.

Canucks winger Andrei Kuzmenko was a healthy scratch for the second straight game. While his agent recently said his client loves playing in Vancouver and there’s a plan with the club to improve his game, his ongoing absence from the lineup will ensure the trade rumors keep swirling.

Speaking of the Golden Knights, they dropped a 5-4 decision to the Tampa Bay Lightning as Nick Paul potted the game-winner late in the third period. Paul and Nikita Kucherov each had a goal and two assists, Brayden Point scored two goals and set up another while Victor Hedman had three assists for the 16-13-5 Lightning (37 points), who sit one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev missed this game as he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby’s shootout goal lifted his team past the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1. Crosby also scored in regulation while Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 23 shots for the win as the Penguins improved to 15-13-4. Teuvo Teravainen replied for the 17-12-4 Hurricanes.

An overtime goal by Alex Ovechkin gave the Washington Capitals a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Anthony Mantha scored twice for the Capitals (17-9-4) as they hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 38 points. Cole Sillinger and Yegor Chinakhov scored for the 11-17-6 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was Ovechkin’s first goal in 15 games. Emotions boiled over during the overtime period as Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins and Capitals winger Tom Wilson traded blows during a tangle-up in the Jackets net. The Capitals and Hurricanes have the same amount of points but the Capitals hold three games in hand.

The Edmonton Oilers tallied four unanswered goals led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in a 6-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils. McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had a goal and an assist while Ryan McLeod tallied twice for the 14-15-1 Oilers. Dawson Mercer had a goal and an assist for the 16-13-2 Devils.

St. Louis Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich scored two goals and set up another as his club downed the Florida Panthers 4-1. Robert Thomas collected three assists while Joel Hofer made 37 saves for the 16-15-1 Blues. Eetu Luostarinen scored for the Panthers (18-12-2), who’ve dropped four of their last five games but remain in third place in the Atlantic Division with 38 points.

The Nashville Predators doubled up the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 on two goals by Philip Tomasino, snapping the Flyers’ nine-game points streak. Juuse Saros turned aside 29 shots for the Predators (19-14-0) as they hold the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 38 points. Morgan Frost and Sean Couturier replied for the 18-11-3 Flyers as they sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 39 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators forward Yakov Trenin was ejected from this game for boarding Frost during the second period. Frost spent several minutes in the Flyers dressing room but returned to finish the game.

An overtime goal by Kirill Kaprizov gave the Minnesota Wild a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Kaprizov and Marco Rossi each finished with a goal and two assists for the 14-13-4 Wild while Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky each had a goal and an assist for the 14-13-5 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild played without forward Ryan Hartman as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom kicked out 25 shots to shut out the Anaheim Ducks 3-0. Elias Lindholm had a goal and two assists for the Flames (14-14-5) as they’ve won three straight games. The Ducks dropped to 12-20-0 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks welcomed back Mason McTavish and Jamie Drysdale following their lengthy absences due to injuries. However, they also lost rookie Leo Carlsson to what could be a serious injury to his right leg after he and Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar became entangled during the third period.

The Arizona Coyotes picked up their fourth straight win by downing the San Jose Sharks 5-2. Clayton Keller and Alex Kerfoot each had a goal and two assists for the 17-13-2 Coyotes, who hold the final Western wild-card spot with 36 points. Mackenzie Blackwood made 25 saves for the Sharks (9-21-3) as they made forward Alexander Barabanov a late scratch due to illness.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 21, 2023

by | Dec 21, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 21, 2023

Recaps of Wednesday’s games, the league reached an agreement with Diamond Sports Group to continue local broadcasts for this season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Seattle Kraken upset the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 as Joey Daccord matched a franchise record with 42 saves for the win. Brandon Tanev and Jordan Eberle scored for the 11-14-9 Kraken (31 points), who move within three points of a wild card berth in the Western Conference. Blake Lizotte replied for the Kings (18-7-4), who remain in third place in the Pacific Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Kraken announced that center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare will be sidelined for four to six weeks with a fractured leg bone suffered during their game against the Dallas Stars earlier this week.

Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi (NHL Images)

Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi scored for the fourth straight game and added two assists in a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. The win vaulted the Jets (19-9-3) one point over the Dallas Stars into first place in the Central Division with 41 points. Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist for the 15-13-4 Red Wings (34 points), but they’ve dropped four straight games and slipped two points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Despite missing 18 games with a knee injury, Vilardi has six goals and seven assists for 13 points in as many games. Meanwhile, Pierre-Luc Dubois (the player Vilardi was traded for this summer) has 12 points in 29 games in the first season of his eight-year, $68 million contract with the Kings.

As for the slumping Red Wings, they placed goaltender Ville Husso on injured reserve and signed netminder Michael Hutchinson to a one-year, two-way contract before the start of the holiday roster freeze on Dec. 20.

An overtime goal by Dylan Strome lifted the Washington Capitals over the New York Islanders 3-2. Darcy Kuemper stopped 30 shots while Hendrix Lapierre had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (16-9-4) as they moved into the final Eastern wild-card spot with 36 points. Hudson Fasching and Anders Lee scored for the Islanders (15-8-9) as they sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 39 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of the Capitals, they’re expected to sign defenseman Ethan Bear once the holiday roster freeze is lifted on Dec. 28. Bear participated in their optional morning skate yesterday.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: The NHL reached an agreement with Diamond Sports Group to continue local broadcasts to the end of 2023-24. This affects 11 franchises: the Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning.

It also ends those clubs’ agreements with Diamond, which filed for bankruptcy in March. The deal is similar to the one reached between Diamond and the NBA

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: cited a report in the Wall Street Journal indicating Amazon is discussing possible investment with Diamond Sports Group. If an agreement is reached, Amazon Prime Video would become the streaming home for regional broadcasts, including those of the Blue Jackets.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Dish Network has dropped the Golden Knights’regular-season games on channel Vegas 34 because of a carriage dispute. Those games are still available on other means, including the team’s streaming service KnightTime+.

Speaking of the Golden Knights, goaltender Logan Thompson is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lighting defenseman Mikhail Sergachev missed practice yesterday nursing an injured left foot. It’s uncertain if he’ll be able to participate in Thursday’s game against the Golden Knights.

DAILY FACEOFF: Edmonton Oilers winger Connor Brown is expected to be a healthy scratch for Thursday’s game against the New Jersey Devils.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Ex-Flyers forward Nolan Patrick has not retired from hockey. He was listed as a “Retired pro with significant NHL experience” in his profile with The Power Play, a hockey coaching and mentorship program. The site has since edited his profile to read that he’s a “4X NHL Pro with significant experience.”










NHL Rumor Mill – December 20, 2023

by | Dec 20, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – December 20, 2023

The Rangers hold onto first place in the Eastern Conference, Nikita Kucherov adds to his lead in the scoring race and Quinn Hughes becomes the first defenseman to reach 40 points this season. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The New York Rangers downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2, improving their record to 22-7-1 and holding onto first place in the Eastern Conference with 45 points. Mika Zibanejad scored two goals, Erik Gustafsson collected three assists and Igor Shesterkin stopped 31 shots for the Rangers. Auston Matthews scored twice to take over sole possession of the league goal-scoring lead (25) but his Leafs dropped to 16-7-6 and sit second in the Atlantic Division with 38 points, ending their nine-game points streak.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov scored twice in a 6-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. With 54 points, he holds a six-point lead over Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon for first place in the league scoring race. Steven Stamkos and Nick Paul each had three points for the Lightning (15-13-5) as they hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 35 points. Justin Faulk scored for the 15-15-1 Blues (31 points) as they sit three points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

The Vancouver Canucks extended their points streak to seven games by downing the Nashville Predators 5-2. Quinn Hughes collected two assists to become the first defenseman to reach 40 points this season (41) as his Canucks improved to 22-9-2 (46 points) and sit one point behind the league-leading Vegas Golden Knights. Predators goaltender Juuse Saros got the hook after giving up five goals on 19 shots as his club sits at 18-14-0, holding the first Western wild-card spot with 36 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks made winger Andrei Kuzmenko a healthy scratch. It’s the third time since November that he’s been scratched from the roster, which could stoke the trade rumors that have swirled about him in recent weeks.

Speaking of the Golden Knights, they dropped a 6-3 decision to the Carolina Hurricanes. Michael Bunting had a goal and two assists while Sebastian Aho collected three assists for the Hurricanes (17-12-3), who own the first Eastern wild-card berth with 37 points. William Carrier tallied twice for the 21-7-5 Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov scored in his first game after missing six contests with an upper-body injury.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko scored a natural hat trick within a span of 8:07 as his club spanked the Buffalo Sabres 9-4. Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and two assists for the 11-17-5 Blue Jackets while Rasmus Dahlin and Dylan Cozens each had a goal and an assist for the 13-17-3 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Buffalo winger Jack Quinn was held scoreless in his season debut as he returned from offseason Achilles tendon surgery. Sabres head coach Don Granato is feeling the heat from unhappy Buffalo fans as they were chanting for him to be fired during this contest. Kyle Okposo and Tage Thompson spoke up following the game to defend Granato but those fans calling for his firing could get their wish if this club doesn’t turn things around soon.

The Minnesota Wild upset the Boston Bruins 4-3. Kirill Kaprizov scored twice, including the winning goal in overtime, while Marc-Andre Fleury picked up his 549th career victory with a 40-save performance as the Wild improved to 13-13-4. David Pastrnak netted two goals and Pavel Zacha collected two assists for the Bruins (19-5-6) as they sit one point back of the Eastern Conference-leading Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury needs three more wins to surpass Patrick Roy for second place on the all-time list for wins by NHL goalies. The Wild played without Mats Zuccarello as he’s week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Zacha and defenseman Charlie McAvoy returned to the Bruins lineup after missing multiple games with upper-body injuries.

An overtime goal by Owen Tippett lifted the Philadelphia Flyers over the New Jersey Devils 3-2 as they extended their points streak to nine games. Ryan Poehling scored two goals for the Flyers (18-10-3) as they hold second place in the Metropolitan Division with 39 points. Michael McLeod and Jesper Bratt replied for the 16-12-2 Devils (34 points) as they sit one point behind the Lightning for the final Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Former Flyers center Nolan Patrick has retired to work with a hockey coaching and mentorship program founded by former NHL player Jayce Hawryluk. Patrick, 25, was chosen second overall by the Flyers in the 2017 NHL draft but his playing career was derailed by concussions and a migraine disorder. He last played in 2021-22 with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Second-period special teams goals by Anders Lee, Bo Horvat (both on the power play) and Simon Holmstrom (shorthanded) gave the New York Islanders a 3-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. With the win, the 15-8-8 Islanders (38 points) sit one point behind the Flyers in third place in the Metro Divison. The Oilers, meanwhile, have lost three straight and dropped to 13-15-1.

The Chicago Blackhawks upset the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 as Tyler Johnson snapped a 2-2 tie in the third period. Connor Bedard had two assists and Ryan Donato potted a goal and an assist for the 10-20-1 Blackhawks. Valeri Nichushkin scored twice and Nathan MacKinnon collected an assist to extend his points streak to 16 games for the 19-11-2 Avalanche, who remain in second place in the Central Division with 40 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews called out his teammates following this game. “I think we’ve got some guys who think they’re playing well, and I think they’re kidding themselves at this point,” he said, adding, “It’s tough to play in this league when you don’t know where your teammates are gonna be.”

Coach Jacques Martin’s return behind the Ottawa Senators bench didn’t go well as his club blew a three-goal lead to fall 4-3 to the Arizona Coyotes. The Senators ran up a 3-0 lead in the first but collapsed in the third period with Michael Kesselring netting the game-winner for the 16-13-2 Coyotes, who hold the final Western wild-card spot with 34 points. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 34 shots for the Senators, who’ve lost five straight and remain at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a record of 11-16-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This wasn’t the homecoming Senators defenseman Jakob Chychrun would’ve liked. It was his first game against his former team in Arizona since his trade to Ottawa last season.

The Los Angeles Kings downed the San Jose Sharks 4-1. Kings captain Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist as his club improved to 18-6-4 and sit third in the Pacific Division with 40 points. Kaapo Kahkonen turned aside 35 shots for the 9-20-3 Sharks as they slipped back into last place in the overall standings with 21 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks defensemen Calen Addison and Jan Rutta missed this game. Addison is dealing with a lower-body injury while Rutta has an undisclosed illness.