NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 26, 2023

by | Nov 26, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 26, 2023

The Rangers overtake the Bruins for first place in the overall standings while the Kings gain ground on the first-place Golden Knights in the Western Conference. Details and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider scored twice and set up another to lead his club to a 7-4 rout of the Boston Bruins. Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists as the Rangers (15-3-1) supplanted the Bruins for first place in the overall standings with 31 points. Charlie Coyle scored twice for the Bruins, who also have 31 points but slipped into second overall with a record of 14-3-3. It’s the first time this season they’ve lost two straight games.

New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, the NHL department of player safety fined Rangers captain Jacob Trouba $5,000.00 for high-sticking, which was actually a dangerous two-handed stick swing at Trent Frederic that struck the Bruins’ forward on his helmet. Frederic was fortunately not injured but Trouba should’ve received a suspension for his reckless action.

The Bruins, meanwhile, activated defenseman Matt Grzelcyk off long-term injury reserve and assigned rookie blueliner Mason Lohrei to their AHL affiliate in Providence.

The Los Angeles Kings blanked the Montreal Canadiens 4-0. Trevor Moore scored twice while Pheonix Copley turned aside 18 shots for the shutout as the Kings (13-3-3) moved into second place in the Western Conference standings with 29 points. Jake Allen stopped 26 shots for the Canadiens, who slipped to 9-10-2 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings are now one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights for first overall in the conference. The Vancouver Canucks also have 29 points and won one more game than the Kings but the latter played three fewer games. Speaking of the Canucks and Golden Knights…

Third-period goals by Mikael Granlund and Mike Hoffman enabled the San Jose Sharks to hold off the Canucks by a score of 4-3. Granlund and Hoffman each had two points while Tomas Hertl collected two assists for the Sharks (4-15-2), who remain at the bottom of the overall standings with 10 points. Brock Boeser scored twice, J.T. Miller had three assists and Quinn Hughes collected an assist to extend his points streak to 11 games for the 14-7-1 Canucks.

Arizona Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram turned in a 34-save shutout in a 2-0 win over the Golden Knights. Clayton Keller and Lawson Crouse tallied for the Coyotes (9-9-2) to snap a three-game losing skid. Logan Thompson made 16 saves for the 14-5-2 Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore missed this contest with an upper-body injury. His status should be considered day-to-day.

The New Jersey Devils crushed the Buffalo Sabres 7-2. Devils captain Nico Hischier had a goal and an assist in his first game since being sidelined on Oct. 27 with an upper-body injury. Teammate Tyler Toffoli scored twice as the Devils (9-9-1) ended a three-game losing streak. Jeff Skinner and Kyle Okposo replied for the 9-10-2 Sabres.

Second-period goals by Noel Acciari and Erik Karlsson lifted the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Tristan Jarry made 31 saves as the Penguins improved to 10-10-0. Tyler Bertuzzi and Matthew Knies scored for the Leafs as they fell to 10-6-3.

The Philadelphia Flyers shut out the New York Islanders 1-0 on a shootout goal by Tyson Foerster. Samuel Ersson made 25 saves for the win as the Flyers moved up to 11-9-1. Ilya Sorokin stopped 40 shots for the 8-6-6 Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers activated defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen (lower body) off LTIR as he made his season debut in this contest. Meanwhile, the Islanders placed blueliner Adam Pelech and forward Matt Martin on LTIR and claimed defenseman Mike Reilly off waivers from the Florida Panthers.

Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist as the Colorado Avalanche doused the Calgary Flames 3-1. Ivan Prosvetov stopped 29 shots for the Avalanche (14-6-0), who’ve won six of their last seven games and sit in first place in the Central Division with 28 points. Mikael Backlund scored for the Flames as they dropped to 8-10-3.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 25, 2023

by | Nov 25, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 25, 2023

The Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov matches a franchise scoring record as Andrei Vasilevskiy returns to action, the Kings extend their road win streak and a goalie mask brouhaha involving the Wild’s Marc-Andre Fleury. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Nikita Kucherov tied a franchise record for most points in a game with six as the Tampa Bay Lightning thumped the Carolina Hurricanes 8-2. Kucherov scored two goals and set up four others to take over the lead in the NHL scoring race with 35 points. Teammate Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 22 shots for the Lightning (10-6-5) in his season debut since undergoing back surgery in September. Brayden Point tallied a hat trick and added two assists. Michael Bunting had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes as they slipped to 11-8-0.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning lit up the Hurricanes on the power play, going four-for-five with the man advantage. Carolina goalie Antti Raanta gave up eight goals on 14 shots.

The Los Angeles Kings extended their season-opening road win streak to nine games with a 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Kevin Fiala tallied twice, Drew Doughty collected two assists and Cam Talbot stopped 29 shots as the Kings improved to 12-3-3. Radko Gudas and Alex Killorn replied for the 9-11-0 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After riding a six-game win streak to a 7-4-0 start the Ducks have plummeted back to earth, losing seven of their last nine contests.

The Colorado Avalanche (13-6-0) nipped the Minnesota Wild by a score of 3-2. Kurtis McDermid broke a 2-2 tie in the third period with the winning goal while teammate Valeri Nichushkin scored to extend his goal streak to six games. Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and an assist for the struggling Wild as they dropped to 5-9-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was overshadowed by the news that the league wasn’t going to allow Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to wear a custom mask before this game for the club’s Native American Heritage Night.

Fleury wanted to honor his wife Veronique, who is an Indigenous woman. However, the league threatened to fine him for violating their policy prohibiting players from wearing specialty gear, jerseys or hockey tape for theme nights.

Allan Walsh, Fleury’s agent, said his client was willing to pay whatever fine the NHL would hand down for wearing the mask. The league then threatened to levy an “additional significant fine” on the Wild if he did.

Fleury wore the mask during the warmup.

Good on Fleury and good on the Wild for supporting his decision. This was another example of how the NHL continuously shoots itself in the foot with its tone-deaf policies.

Meanwhile, Avalanche defenseman Sam Girard has entered the NHL/NHLPA Players Assistance Program. He released a statement through his agency that he is seeking treatment for severe anxiety and depression that led to alcohol abuse. Best wishes to Girard in his recovery.

Detroit Red Wings forwards Alex DeBrincat and JT Compher each had a goal and an assist to defeat the Boston Bruins 5-2, handing the latter just their second regulation loss. Ville Husso picked up the win with a 25-save performance for the 10-6-3 Red Wings. Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen replied for the Bruins (14-2-3), who remain atop the overall standings with 31 points.

The New York Rangers got two goals from Mika Zibanejad and 36 saves from Igor Shesterkin in a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. It was the 12th win in the last 14 games for the 14-3-1 Rangers, who hold first place in the Metropolitan Division with 29 points. Sean Couturier scored for the Flyers as they dropped to 10-9-1.

An overtime goal by Kevin Korchinski lifted the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-3 upset of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jason Dickinson had a hat trick as the Blackhawks (6-12-0) overcame a 3-1 deficit. William Nylander’s season-opening 17-game points streak came to an end as the Leafs sit at 10-5-3 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nylander had a golden opportunity to win the game on an overtime breakaway but his backhander struck the post and the crossbar and ricocheted away.

Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins kicked out 37 shots to nip the New Jersey Devils 2-1. Eric Robinson’s tie-breaking goal in the first period held up as the game-winner for the 6-11-4 Blue Jackets, who’ve won two straight following a nine-game losing skid. Alexander Holtz scored for the struggling Devils (8-9-1), who’ve dropped six of their last seven contests.

The Nashville Predators (9-10-0) picked up their fourth straight victory with an 8-3 romp over the St. Louis Blues. Filip Forsberg and Luke Evangelista each had two goals and an assist while Ryan O’Reilly scored in his first game in St. Louis against his former club since being traded to Toronto last February. Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich each had a goal and an assist for the 10-8-1 Blues.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had four assists, Leon Draisaitl had two goals and an assist and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins got a goal and two assists to blank the Washington Capitals 5-0. Stuart Skinner turned in a 25-save shutout for the 6-12-1 Oilers. Charlie Lindgren stopped 30 shots for the 10-5-2 Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals forward T.J. Oshie left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury and won’t be traveling with the club during their upcoming road trip.

A shootout goal by Jesse Ylonen gave the Montreal Canadiens a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. Cole Caufield had a goal and an assist while Cayden Primeau stopped 31 shots for the 9-9-2 Canadiens as they overcame a 2-0 deficit. William Eklund had a goal and an assist for the Sharks (3-15-2), who remain at the bottom of the overall standings with just eight points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens recalled forward Joel Armia and placed sidelined defenseman Arber Xhekaj (upper body) on injured reserve. Meanwhile, San Jose winger Filip Zadina left this game with an undisclosed injury. Earlier in the day, the Sharks announced defenseman Jan Rutta is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

The Buffalo Sabres overcame a 2-0 deficit to down the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres, who improved their record to 9-9-2. Sidney Crosby netted his 13th goal of the season as the Penguins fell to 9-10-0.

New York Islanders forwards Kyle Palmieri and Oliver Wahlstrom each had a goal and an assist in a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators. The Isles (8-6-5) have won three straight games. Drake Batherson tallied twice for the 8-8-0 Senators.

The Winnipeg Jets got a 32-save shutout from Connor Hellebuyck to defeat the Florida Panthers 3-0. Nino Niederreiter, Nikolaj Ehlers and Adam Lowry scored for the 12-5-2 Jets as they picked up their fifth straight victory. Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 28 shots for the 12-7-1 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets head coach Rick Bowness returned behind the bench following a leave of absence to care for his ailing wife Judy, who is recovering from a seizure she suffered last month in Winnipeg.

The Panthers, meanwhile, placed defenseman Mike Reilly on waivers, sparking some speculation over whether this move is being made to clear a roster spot for Patrick Kane. The free-agent forward has been linked to the Panthers and is expected to reach a decision next week on where he’ll sign.

A four-goal third period carried the Calgary Flames to a 7-4 win over the Dallas Stars. Blake Coleman, Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund and Nazem Kadri were the goal scorers as the Flames overcame a 4-3 deficit to improve their record to 8-9-3. Wyatt Johnston scored twice for the Stars as they slipped to 12-5-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After stumbling through October and at one point finding themselves near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, the Flames (19 points) are just two points out of a wild-card berth.

The Vancouver Canucks defeated the Seattle Kraken 5-1. Connor Garland picked up two assists while Quinn Hughes had an assist to extend his points streak to 10 games for the 14-6-1 Canucks (29 points), who sit one point back of the Western Conference-leading Vegas Golden Knights. Tye Kartye scored for the 8-9-5 Kraken, who lost forward Brandon Tanev during this game to a lower-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 24, 2023

by | Nov 24, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 24, 2023

Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin believes he and Penguins captain Sidney Crosby “saved the NHL”, the Blackhawks’ Taylor Hall is done for the season while the club is silent over Corey Perry’s absence. Details on these and other stories and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NOTE: There were no NHL games on Thursday due to the American Thanksgiving holiday. Action resumes on Friday with 15 games.

THE ATHLETIC: Reflecting on his long NHL career, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin believes he and Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby saved the league as it emerged from a season-killing lockout.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images)

“We saved the NHL,” said Ovechkin. He noted that today’s generation of superstars hasn’t yet overshadowed his accomplishments and those of his longtime rival Crosby.

“We saved the league. Now they come in and I guess we’re old news,” said Ovechkin. “But we saved it. It’s up to those guys to come in and prove me wrong that we’re not the best.”

Crosby’s response was more understated. “Hopefully, we’re still a little bit away from being pushed out of the way,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL was in a bad place entering the 2005-06 season. Fans and pundits were disgusted by the lockout that cost an entire season. The league no longer had a national US cable TV contract with ESPN. Wayne Gretzky, hockey’s greatest star, was long retired. His rival, Mario Lemieux, lasted just 26 games into the ’05-’06 campaign before retiring for the second and final time.

Ovechkin and Crosby entered the NHL at the same time that season, sparking a rivalry as they quickly became the league’s biggest stars. They helped the NHL not only recover but thrive and grow, adding two new clubs since 2017, returning to ESPN two years ago, setting an attendance record last season (22.4 million), and tapping into other lucrative new revenue streams.

Now in the twilight of their careers, Ovechkin and Crosby aren’t playing at the dominating level of their playing prime but they’re still among the league’s best. Ovechkin’s 42 goals last season were among the league’s top 10 as he continues his chase of Gretzky’s goal record. Meanwhile, Crosby was among the top 20 in points with 93. While younger stars are now outperforming them, the duo remains the NHL’s most recognizable stars.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall will miss the remainder of this season as he undergoes surgery on his right knee.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hall played just 10 games this season with two goals and four points. He has one season remaining on his contract and will be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in July 2025.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Speaking of the Blackhawks, they’re keeping silent as to why winger Corey Perry was a healthy scratch and Wednesday and his absence from Thursday’s practice. Head coach Luke Richardson said the reason was an internal decision for now and wouldn’t answer any more questions about the matter.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks are getting scolded in some corners of social media for their lack of transparency. Here’s hoping Perry’s absence isn’t anything serious.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs placed defenseman John Klingberg on long-term injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. The move allows them to activate blueliner Conor Timmins off LTIR. Klingberg underwent double hip surgery in 2014 and there’s speculation he’s hindered by the same issue. It’s unclear if he’ll return to action this season.

SPECTOR’S NOT: The Leafs will have over $3.375 million in trade deadline cap space if Klingberg is indeed done for the season.

CBS SPORTS: The Tampa Bay Lightning placed goaltender Matt Tomkins on waivers as starter Andrei Vasilevskiy is expected to return to action on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes.

SPORTSNET’S Greg Balloch shared an announcement from Vaughn Custom Sports that former NHL goaltender Andy Moog has been diagnosed with cancer. Moog asked them to share the news with the hockey community.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Moog played 713 regular-season games with the Edmonton Oilers, Boston Bruins, Dallas Stars and Montreal Canadiens from 1980-81 to 1997-98, winning 372 games as well as three Stanley Cups with the Oilers and the Jennings Trophy with the Bruins in 1989-90. Here’s hoping he makes a full recovery.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 23, 2023

by | Nov 23, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 23, 2023

Cale Makar outduels Quinn Hughes as the league’s top defensemen face off for the first time this season, the Bruins and Golden Knights each reach 30 points, the Oilers continue to flounder, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Cale Makar and his Colorado Avalanche defeated Quinn Hughes and his Vancouver Canucks 5-2 in this season’s first meeting between the NHL’s top-two defensemen. Makar had a goal and an assist to extend his points streak to eight games for the Avalanche as they improved to 12-6-0 while Hughes collected an assist for the 13-6-1 Canucks. Mikko Rantanen, Valeri Nichushkin and Jonathan Drouin also each had a goal and an assist for the Avs.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes remains the current league scoring leader with 31 points while Makar is third with 29 points. They each tallied 20 points thus far in November.

Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had x-rays following this game after blocking a shot with his right leg midway through the third period. Teammate Josh Manson received a game misconduct during the second period for cross-checking Canucks winger Brock Boeser. Meanwhile, Canucks defenseman Mark Friedman left the game in the second with an undisclosed injury.

The Boston Bruins were one of two clubs to reach 30 points this season by downing the Florida Panthers 3-1. Linus Ullmark made 27 saves while Charlie Coyle, John Beecher and Jake DeBrusk scored for the 14-1-3 Bruins, who sit atop the overall standings with 31 points. Anton Lundell replied for the 12-6-1 Panthers.

An overtime goal lifted the Vegas Golden Knights to a 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars. Adin Hill stopped 31 shots while Michael Amadio also scored for the Golden Knights (14-4-2), who sit atop the Western Conference and second in the overall standings with 30 points. Roope Hintz tallied for the 12-4-2 Stars (26 points) as they hold a two-point lead over the Avalanche on top of the Central Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez missed this game with a lower-body injury.

A four-goal first period powered the Carolina Hurricanes over the Edmonton Oilers 6-3. Seth Jarvis and Teuvo Teravainen each had two points for the 11-7-0 Hurricanes while Pyotr Kochetkov made 13 saves as he replaced Antti Raanta in the first period when the latter was pulled for precautionary reasons with an undisclosed ailment. Zach Hyman scored twice for the Oilers (5-12-1) while Stuart Skinner was replaced in net by Calvin Pickard. Mattias Janmark returned to the Oilers lineup after missing nearly a month with a shoulder injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Porous goaltending and sloppy defense once again doomed the Oilers, whose brief lift following their recent coaching change has evaporated after three straight losses. The pressure is mounting for Oilers management to do something to acquire a goalie. I’ll have more in today’s Rumors update.

New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick collected his 60th career NHL shutout in a 1-0 blanking of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Quick kicked out 32 shots while Alexis Lafreniere netted the only goal as the Rangers (13-3-1) sit in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 27 points. Tristan Jarry stopped 35 shots for the 9-9-0 Penguins.

The Columbus Blue Jackets snapped a nine-game winless skid (0-7-2) with a 7-3 drubbing of the Chicago Blackhawks. Zach Werenski collected four assists while Boone Jenner scored twice for the 5-11-4 Blue Jackets. Blackhawks center Connor Bedard scored his 10th goal of the season to lead all NHL rookies.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks winger Corey Perry was a healthy scratch from this contest. Teammate Taylor Hall missed this game dealing with an undisclosed injury.

A three-goal first period carried the Detroit Red Wings over the New Jersey Devils 4-0. Lucas Raymond, Dylan Larkin, Robby Fabbri and Moritz Seider tallied for the Red Wings (9-6-3) while goalie Alex Lyon made 16 saves for the shutout. Vitek Vanecek stopped 24 shots as the struggling Devils slipped to 8-8-1 (17 points) on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After going 7-3-0 in their first 10 games, the Devils have dropped five of their last six and sit 14th in the Eastern Conference standings.

The Winnipeg Jets nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on an overtime goal by Adam Lowry. Josh Morrissey and Mark Scheifele also scored while Connor Hellebuyck stopped 31 shots as the Jets won their fourth straight and improved to 11-5-2. Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point replied for the Lightning (9-6-5) as they overcame a 2-0 deficit to force the extra frame.

Speaking of overtime wins, the Washington Capitals downed the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. Dylan Strome scored the winner and collected an assist while John Carlsson had two helpers for the 10-4-2 Capitals. Sabres rookie Zach Benson netted his first career NHL goal as his club slipped to 8-9-2 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov missed his second straight game due to illness.

The New York Islanders downed the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 to snap the latter’s five-game win streak. Brock Nelson tallied twice while Ilya Sorokin turned aside 34 shots as the Isles improved to 7-6-5. Cam York and Joel Farabee replied for the 10-8-1 Flyers.

St. Louis Blues center Kevin Hayes snapped a 5-5 tie in the third period to give his club a 6-5 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Shorthanded goals by Nick Leddy and Alexey Toropchenko in the second period helped the Blues improve their record to 10-7-1. Matias Maccelli, Nick Bjugstad and Michael Carcone each had two points as the Coyotes dropped to 8-9-2.

The Nashville Predators picked up their third straight win by doubling up the Calgary Flames 4-2. Juuse Saros made 24 saves while Ryan McDonagh picked up two assists for the 8-10-0 Predators. Jacob Markstrom kicked out 41 shots for the 7-9-3 Flames.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault made 30 saves and Alex Newhook scored twice to hold off the Anaheim Ducks 4-3. Mason McTavish scored two goals and added an assist as his club overcame a 3-1 deficit before Newhook’s winning goal late in the third period. The Canadiens (8-9-2) snapped a four-game losing streak while the Ducks (9-10-0) have dropped four straight.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Montembeault was the hero for the Canadiens in this one as he made several big saves for the win in this contest.

The Seattle Kraken crushed the San Jose Sharks 7-1. Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and three assists while Eeli Tolvanen scored twice and collected an assist as the Kraken improved to 8-8-5. Mike Hoffman scored for the Sharks as they remain at the bottom of the overall standings with a record of 3-15-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks winger Kevin Labanc missed this game with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 22, 2023

by | Nov 22, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 22, 2023

The lack of games on Tuesday explained, Blue Jackets star Patrik Laine embarrassed by being a healthy scratch, Milan Lucic enters the Players’ Assistance Program, plus the latest injury updates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: The upcoming American Thanksgiving was the reason why there were no NHL games scheduled on Tuesday.

Only three arenas were available (Calgary, Vancouver and Arizona) and with more American teams requesting home games for Thanksgiving week, that took Calgary and Vancouver out of the equation. Arizona, meanwhile, didn’t wish to play back-to-back games as they face the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday.

Also, the four teams that recently participated in the NHL Global Series in Sweden (Minnesota, Detroit, Ottawa and Toronto) were unavailable.

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Patrik Laine (NHL Images).

The schedule resumes on Wednesday with 14 games on the card.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine wasn’t pleased about being a healthy scratch for the first time in his NHL career on Sunday against the Philadelphia Flyers. “It’s probably, over my career, the most embarrassing thing that’s happened to me,” said Laine, adding he’s focused on playing.

Head coach Pascal Vincent said embarrassing Laine wasn’t his intention when he scratched him from the lineup and acknowledged his unhappiness over the decision. “There is never a reason behind our decisions to embarrass any of our people. Ever.”

Laine will be back in the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laine is trying to return to form after missing nine games due to a concussion. Injuries have hampered his performance since joining the Blue Jackets in January 2021.

Laine isn’t the only reason why the Blue Jackets have dropped nine straight games and find themselves at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. There’s plenty of blame to go around.

Nevertheless, Laine’s overall play hasn’t been up to expectations as one of the team’s biggest and highest-paid stars. He may be feeling embarrassed about being scratched but how it affects his game is what matters right now assuming that he’s fully recovered from his latest injury. They need him at his best to keep their fading playoff hopes alive.

TSN: Speaking of the Blue Jackets, defenseman Damon Severson will miss six weeks with an oblique injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Boston Bruins winger Milan Lucic will be entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. Meanwhile, he entered a plea of not guilty to one count of assault and battery on a family member in Boston Municipal Court on Tuesday and was released on his recognizance. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Jan. 19.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rickard Rakell has been placed on long-term injury reserve with an undisclosed injury. Defenseman Chad Ruhwedel has been sidelined on a week-by-week basis with an undisclosed ailment and placed on injured reserve while winger Bryan Rust is being evaluated for an unspecified injury. Defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph (lower body) remains on injured reserve.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken starting goaltender Philipp Grubauer is being evaluated for an “undisclosed physical setback.” Chris Driedger could be an emergency backup for Wednesday’s game against the San Jose Sharks.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Nashville Predators center Cody Glass was placed on injured reserve and is considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Canadiens defenseman Jordan Harris will be sidelined indefinitely with a lower-body injury. Forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard will miss six to eight weeks with a lower-body injury.

NHL.COM: Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Hoglander was fined $2,864.00 by the department of player safety for slew-footing San Jose Sharks forward Kevin Labanc.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils named Sergei Brylin as the second inductee into their Ring of Honor. A pregame ceremony will be held on Saturday, Jan. 20. Brylin joins Dr. John J. McMullen, the Devils’ first own who brought the team to New Jersey.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 21, 2023

by | Nov 21, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 21, 2023

Recaps of Monday’s action featured a milestone for the Canucks’ Quinn Hughes, plus the three stars of the week, a proposal for a four-nation tournament in 2025 instead of a World Cup of Hockey, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes had a goal and an assist in a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Hughes became the first player to reach 30 points this season and only the third to do so in less than 20 games, joining Hall-of-Famers Bobby Orr and Al MacInnis. The Canucks improved to 13-5-1 (27 points) to sit one point behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference standings. Tomas Hertl replied for the Sharks as they remain at the bottom of the overall standings with a record of 3-14-1.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks forward Nils Hoglander received a match penalty for slew-footing Sharks forward Kevin Labanc during the second period.

The Florida Panthers overcame 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 5-3. Kevin Stenlund scored the winning goal and collected two assists while Niko Mikkola tallied twice for the Panthers as they improved to 12-5-1 on the season. Connor McDavid scored twice for the struggling Oilers as they fell to 5-11-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers started call-up goaltender Calvin Pickard for this game but he didn’t fare any better than Stuart Skinner or the demoted Jack Campbell. To be fair, however, he was let down by the porous defense in front of him. I’ll have more regarding the Oilers’ search for a goaltending upgrade in today’s Rumors update.

An overtime goal by Bradon Hagel lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-4 victory over the Boston Bruins. Hagel finished the night with two points as did Steven Stamkos, who netted the tying goal with five seconds left in regulation to force the extra period for the 9-6-4 Lightning. Jeremy Swayman stopped 41 shots while David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist for the Bruins (13-1-3), who remain in first place in the overall standings with 29 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was a prime example of why the Bruins won’t split up their goalie tandem of Swayman and Linus Ullmark. They’ve helped their club pick up points despite their teammates’ sometimes shaky defensive play in recent weeks.

The Dallas Stars overcame a 2-0 deficit with six straight goals to down the New York Rangers 6-3, ending the latter’s 11-game points streak and Artemi Panarin’s 15-game points streak. Roope Hintz had a goal and two assists for the Stars (12-4-1) as they hold a three-point lead over the Colorado Avalanche atop the Central Division with 25 points. Jacob Trouba collected two assists for the 12-3-1 Rangers (25 points), who hold a four-point lead over the Philadelphia Flyers for first place in the Metropolitan Division.

Goals by Filip Forsberg and Yakov Trenin late in the third period carried the Nashville Predators to a 4-3 upset of the Colorado Avalanche. Forsberg finished the night with two goals for the 7-10-0 Predators. Cale Makar had three assists for the 11-6-0 Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators center Cody Glass left this game in the third period with an apparent upper-body injury. There was no postgame update regarding his status.

Meanwhile, the Dallas Stars announced they will honor Hall-of-Famer and former captain Mike Modano with a statue outside American Airlines Center to be unveiled on March 16. He spent 16 seasons with the Stars and helped them win their only Stanley Cup in 1999.

The Los Angeles Kings extended their season-opening road win streak to eight games by dropping the Arizona Coyotes 4-1. Trevor Moore tallied twice while Pheonix Copley made 30 saves for the 11-3-3 Kings. Lawson Crouse netted his eighth of the season for the 8-8-2 Coyotes.

An overtime goal by Rasmus Andersson gave the Calgary Flames a 4-3 win over the Seattle Kraken. Andersson finished with three points while Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and an assist for the Flames (7-8-3), who’ve won three of their last four games. Vince Dunn had a goal and an assist for the 7-8-5 Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames captain Mikael Backlund collected an assist to reach his 500th career NHL regular-season point. Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer left this game in the first period after giving up two goals on seven shots. It’s uncertain if he was nursing an injury.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander and Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby are the three stars for the week ending Nov. 19.

ESPN.COM: The NHL and the NHL Players Association intend to stage a scaled-down international tournament in February 2025 before the Winter Olympics in 2026. It will feature just four teams representing Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States and will not be called the World Cup of Hockey.

The league has struggled with how to incorporate Russian-born players into an international tournament given the hockey world’s backlash to their country’s invasion of Ukraine. The next attempt at staging the World Cup of Hockey is expected to be in 2028.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I can understand the difficulties regarding Russian players as the league has ended all business ties with that country. They’re also banned from international competition by the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF). The report indicated the league looked at having Russian players take part in a World Cup tournament under a neutral name and flag but other participating countries were against it.

However, it makes no sense whatsoever for stars from other countries (such as Germany’s Leon Draisaitl, Switzerland’s Roman Josi and the Czech Republic’s David Pastrnak) not to be allowed to participate in this tournament.

In 2016, there was a “Team Europe” comprised of the best European stars who didn’t have a national team in the tournament along with “Team North America” comprised of the best under-23 North American players. Unless the players are against it, I see no reason why they shouldn’t use that format again.

Otherwise, they should just scrap this event for 2025 and focus on the Olympics the following year. That’s the only international tournament that truly matters to the players.

THE ATHLETIC: Aaron Portzline reports Columbus Blue Jackets president of hockey operations John Davidson said no rash moves are coming for his struggling club. He remains supportive of general manager Jarmo Kekalainen and head coach Pascal Vincent. Despite the club’s difficulties, he believes they must “retain their senses and not at all panic.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets are past the point of panic. They face very long odds attempting to overcome their horrific start. If things don’t improve soon there will be big changes which could start with Davidson and Kekalainen. They’ve built this club and installed the coaching staff. The buck stops with them.

CAROLINA HOCKEY NOW: The Hurricanes released goaltender Jaroslav Halak from his professional tryout offer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maybe he’ll get a call from the beleaguered Oilers. They can’t seem to find a suitable option to improve their goaltending in the trade market. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

SPORTSNET: The Montreal Canadiens placed forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard (lower body) on injured reserve.