NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2026

by | Mar 28, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2026

The Red Wings move closer to a wild-card berth, injury updates, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Detroit Red Wings regained some ground in the race for a wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference by defeating the Buffalo Sabres 5-2. Alex DeBrincat had a goal and two assists, Patrick Kane scored and picked up an assist, and John Gibson made 28 saves for the 39-25-8 Red Wings (86 points), who moved to within one point of the New York Islanders for the final Eastern wild card. Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin replied for the Sabres (44-21-8), who hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 96 points.

Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres missed an opportunity to take over sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference from the Carolina Hurricanes, who hold two games in hand. Red Wings goalie Cam Talbot missed this game with an undisclosed injury and is listed as day-to-day. The Wings called up Michal Postava to back up Gibson.

New York Rangers rookie goalie Dylan Garand stopped 27 shots for his first NHL win as his club beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-1. Rookie winger Adam Sykora tallied his first NHL goal, J.T. Miller had a goal and two assists, and Jonny Brodzinski tallied twice for the 29-35-9 Rangers. Nick Lardis scored for the 27-33-13 Blackhawks.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: The date for the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery was officially confirmed for Tuesday, May 5, 2026.

DAILY FACEOFF: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson suffered an upper-body injury during Thursday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. He is listed as week-to-week.

CALGARY SUN: Flames forward Samuel Honzek has returned to practice with his teammates for the first time since suffering an upper-body collision after colliding with teammate Mikael Backlund. However, the 21-year-old will not return to action this season.

TORONTO STAR: The Maple Leafs returned forward Bo Groulx to their AHL affiliate. If he played one more game with the Leafs, he couldn’t return to the Marlies without passing through waivers. The Leafs want Groulx to take part in this year’s Calder Cup playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Groulx played well during his brief call-up. The 26-year-old center had three goals and two assists for five points in nine games, which could earn him a permanent spot with the Maple Leafs next season. He has 50 points in 52 games with the Marlies.

CBS SPORTS: The Colorado Avalanche reassigned winger Gavin Brindley to their AHL affiliate. With the Avalanche finally sporting a healthy roster, Brindley had been a recent healthy scratch. He’ll get more playing time with their farm club.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Peter Chiarelli and Kevin Maxwell are leaving the St. Louis Blues organization. Chiarelli was their vice president of hockey operations, and Maxwell served as a pro scout.

Chiarelli is reportedly among the candidates to replace Barry Trotz as general manager of the Nashville Predators. Maxwell is returning to the Rangers in a management role.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars promoted Rich Peverley to assistant GM. He’d served as their director of player personnel.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2026

by | Mar 27, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2026

Connor McDavid reaches another milestone as he regains the scoring lead, the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin and the Ducks’ Mikael Granlund have hat-trick performances, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists to regain the lead in the scoring race in a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Evan Bouchard scored in overtime and collected an assist while Zach Hyman netted his 30th goal of the season for the 36-28-9 Oilers, who sit second in the Pacific Division with 81 points. Mark Stone tallied twice for the Golden Knights (32-26-15), who sit two points behind the Oilers in third place.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid is tied with Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov with 121 points, but he holds the lead with 41 goals. He also became the third-fastest player in NHL history to reach the 800-assist plateau, doing so in 785 regular-season games. He’s behind Wayne Gretzky (527 games) and Mario Lemieux (661 games)

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin set a league record by tallying a hat trick against his 21st NHL team to lead his club over the Utah Mammoth 7-4. Ivan Miroshnichenko scored two goals for the Capitals (36-28-9). Dylan Guenther tallied twice while Clayton Keller collected three assists for the 37-30-6 Mammoth, who hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 80 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 29 goals, Ovechkin is poised to reach the 30-goal mark for what will be a league-record 20th time. He also has 34 career hat tricks, passing Brett Hull for fourth place on the all-time list behind Gretzky (50), Lemieux (40), and Mike Bossy (39).

Mammoth forward Barrett Hayton missed this game as he’s considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Speaking of hat tricks, Mikael Granlund had one in the Anaheim Ducks’ 3-2 overtime win over the Calgary Flames. John Carlson picked up two assists for the 41-27-4 Ducks as they hold first place in the Pacific Division with 86 points. Blake Coleman and Matvei Gridin replied for the Flames (30-34-8).

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scored twice to widen his lead in the goal-scoring race as his club downed the Winnipeg Jets 3-2. The Avalanche (48-13-10) extended its win streak to four games as they hold first place in the overall standings with 106 points. Mark Scheifele scored both goals for the Jets (30-30-12) as they sit five points out of the final Western wild-card spot with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon has 48 goals, sitting four ahead of Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield. With 117 points, he’s third in the race for the Art Ross Trophy behind McDavid and Kucherov. Meanwhile, Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen collected an assist as he returned to action after being sidelined for 11 games with an upper-body injury.

Speaking of Kucherov, he had an assist as the Tampa Bay Lightning dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to the Seattle Kraken. Defenseman Brandon Montour scored twice (including the game-winner) while Kaapo Kakko and Bobby McMann each had a goal and an assist for the 32-29-10 Kraken (74 points), who are three points out of the final Western wild card. Jake Guentzel had a goal and an assist for the Lightning (44-21-6), who hold second place in the Atlantic Division with 94 points.

The Montreal Canadiens nipped the Columbus Blue Jackets by a score of 2-1. Jayden Struble and Zach Bolduc snapped their lengthy scoring droughts for the Canadiens (40-21-10), who picked up their third straight win and sit third in the Atlantic Division with 90 points. Damon Severson replied for the 38-23-11 Blue Jackets, who hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens forward Alexandre Texier missed this game with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day.

New York Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer collected two assists in a 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars. Bo Horvat tallied his 30th goal of the season, and Calum Ritchie also scored for the 41-27-5 Islanders, who regained the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 87 points. Matt Duchene replied for the Stars (43-18-11), who remain in second place in the overall standings with 97 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders played without defenseman Tony DeAngelo, who will be out for one to two weeks with a lower-body injury.

A shootout goal by rookie forward Ben Kindel lifted the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Ottawa Senators 4-3. Rickard Rakell had two goals and an assist, and Erik Karlsson had a goal and two assists for the 36-20-16 Penguins, who moved back into second place in the Metropolitan Division with 88 points. Drake Batherson tallied twice for the Senators (38-24-10), as they slipped out of the final Eastern wild card by one point behind the Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby left this game early in the second period with a lower-body injury. There was no post-game update regarding his condition. Crosby recently returned to action after missing 11 games with a torn MCL in his right knee.

The Senators will be without Thomas Chabot for the next six to eight weeks after he suffered a broken forearm during Monday’s win against the New York Rangers.

Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek snapped a 2-2 tie with five seconds remaining in the third period to give his club a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers. Marcus Foligno and Ryan Hartman also scored for the Wild (41-20-12) as they hold third place in the Central Division with 94 points. Daniil Tarasov kicked out 47 shots, and Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist for the 35-33-3 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Foligno returned to action after missing the last 12 games with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues left this game after suffering a broken finger and could be out for the remainder of the season.

The New Jersey Devils doubled up the Nashville Predators 4-2, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Nico Hischier scored two goals, and Jesper Bratt had a goal and two assists for the 37-32-2 Devils. Steven Stamkos scored his 36th goal of the season for the Predators (34-29-9) as they cling to the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 77 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Arseny Gritsyuk is out for the rest of this week after suffering an undisclosed injury during their 6-4 win over the Stars on Tuesday.

Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper made 19 saves to shut out the Vancouver Canucks 4-0. Quinton Byfield and Trevor Moore each had a goal and an assist for the Kings (29-25-18), who remain one point behind the Predators. Kevin Lankinen stopped 34 of 37 shots for the 21-42-8 Canucks.

The Philadelphia Flyers kept their playoff hopes alive with a 5-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Alex Bump, Christian Dvorak, and Noah Cates each had a goal and an assist for the 35-24-12 Flyers (82 points), leaving them five points out of the final Eastern wild card. Connor Bedard netted his 30th goal of the season for the 27-32-13 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers forward Nikita Grebenkin missed this game as he’s out for at least a week with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Dylan Holloway gave the St. Louis Blues a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Holloway also collected the primary assist on Dalibor Dvorsky’s second-period goal for the 30-30-11 Blues. Alexander Wennberg scored for the Sharks (32-31-7), who are 0-5-1 in their last six games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues center Robert Thomas missed this game as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 26, 2026

by | Mar 26, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 26, 2026

The Bruins defeat the Sabres, the Rangers are officially eliminated from the playoff race, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Pavel Zacha lifted the Boston Bruins over the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists for the 40-24-8 Bruins, who hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 88 points. Jason Zucker tallied twice for the Sabres (44-20-8), who remain in second place in the conference standings with 96 points.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin’s fiancée, Carolina Matovac, attended her first Sabres game since her heart transplant last year. She’s spent the seven months recovering in the couple’s native Sweden.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll kicked out 40 shots in a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers, officially eliminating the latter from this season’s playoff race. Dakota Joshua had a goal and an assist for the 31-29-13 Maple Leafs. Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and two assists, and Mika Zibanejad tallied twice for the 28-35-9 Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers are the first Eastern Conference team, and the second overall, to be eliminated from the postseason chase. On Sunday, the Vancouver Canucks’ postseason hopes were ended.

HEADLINES

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning captain Victor Hedman has taken a temporary leave of absence from the club for personal reasons. He missed the last three games with an ailment.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Another member of the Panthers has been sidelined by an injury. Center Anton Lundell could miss the rest of this season with an injured rib. He’s not expected to require surgery, but his recovery time could be between two and six weeks.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators might have to continue their playoff push without Thomas Chabot. The 29-year-old defenseman suffered an injured arm after being cross-checked by New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller on Monday. It’s speculated that Chabot could be out of the lineup for six weeks.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins winger Anthony Mantha is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings signed defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $1.6 million.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Jacob Winterton, brother of Kraken forward Ryan Winterton, died Tuesday at age 25 following a battle with cancer. Jacob spent two seasons in the OHL from 2018-19 and 2019-20 with the Flint Firebirds and Oshawa Generals, followed by four seasons playing for the University of Guelph

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to the Winterton family and Jacob’s friends and former teammates.

THE ATHLETIC: Harman Dayal recently examined why NHL goaltending has become one of the most volatile positions in all major sports.

Several reasons explain this problem. One is that offenses have improved while goalies haven’t caught up. There’s also been a generational loss of workhorse goalies in recent years, as stars such as Roberto Luongo, Henrik Lundqvist, Carey Price, and Marc-Andre Fleury have retired.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dayal’s column is behind a paywall, but it’s well worth the read if you have access to it.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 25, 2026

by | Mar 25, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 25, 2026

​Oilers captain Connor McDavid reaches two scoring milestones, the Blue Jackets, Senators, and Predators keep climbing in the playoff standings, the Panthers’ Paul Maurice reaches a coaching milestone, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Connor McDavid scored twice to reach his 400th career regular-season goal and his 1,200th career regular-season point in a 5-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth. Jack Roslovic also tallied two goals while Evan Bouchard collected three assists for the 35-28-9 Oilers, who sit second in the Pacific Division with 79 points. Alexander Kerfoot and Lawson Crouse replied for the Mammoth (37-29-6), who hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 80 points.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid is the third-fastest player to reach the 1,200-point plateau, doing so in 784 games. Wayne Gretzky is the fastest (504 games), followed by Mario Lemieux (593 games).

As for the Mammoth, they signed prospect forward Caleb Desnoyers to a three-year entry-level contract on March 23. The 18-year-old center was chosen fourth overall by the Mammoth in last year’s draft. He’s hoping to earn a spot on their roster and one day play a top-six role.

The Columbus Blue Jackets (38-22-11) rose to second place in the Metropolitan Division (87 points) by holding off the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. Zach Werenski and Mason Marchment each had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets, who are 19-3-4 since hiring Rick Bowness as head coach on Jan. 12. Sean Couturier and Jamie Drysdale replied for the 34-24-12 Flyers (80 points), who remain five points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Couturier, Denver Barkey, and Luke Glendening returned to the Flyers lineup after being sidelined by injuries.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Carter Yakemchuk had a goal and an assist in his NHL debut in a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Brady Tkachuk also had a goal and an assist, and Linus Ullmark stopped 32 shots as the Senators (38-24-9) have won 15 of their last 20 games to move into the final Eastern Conference wild card with 85 points. Dominik Shine and Dylan Larkin each scored for the struggling Red Wings (38-25-8), who’ve dropped two games in a row and sit one point behind the Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Larkin was returning from a seven-game absence with a lower-body injury.

The Nashville Predators widened their lead for the final Western Conference wild card by defeating the San Jose Sharks 6-3. Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists while Jonathan Marchessault collected three assists for the 34-28-9 Predators (77 points), who picked up their fifth straight win. Will Smith had two goals for the fading Sharks (32-31-6), who’ve lost five straight games.

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice reached the 2,000-game coaching milestone in a 5-4 win over the Seattle Kraken. The Panthers (35-32-3) blew a 4-1 lead, but got the win on a shootout goal by Vinnie Hinostroza. Jordan Eberle had a goal and an assist for the 31-29-10 Kraken (72 points), who sit five points back of the Predators.

The league-leading Colorado Avalanche got two goals from Martin Necas to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-2. Scott Wedgewood made 30 saves for the win while Nathan MacKinnon tallied his league-leading 46th goal of the season for the 47-13-10 Avalanche, who hold a seven-point lead over the Dallas Stars in the overall standings with 104 points. Egor Chinahkov and Rickard Rakell scored for the Penguins (35-20-16), who slipped to third place in the Pacific Division with 86 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins defenseman Kris Letang picked up an assist to reach 800 career regular-season points. He’s the highest-scoring blueliner in franchise history, sitting fifth among their all-time points leaders. Teammate Evgeni Malkin missed this game as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Avalanche forward Logan O’Connor made his season debut after being sidelined by offseason hip surgery and an undisclosed issue.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes kicked out 41 shots in a 5-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Ivan Demidov each had a goal and an assist for the 39-21-10 Canadiens, who hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 88 points. Nikolaj Ehlers and Jordan Staal scored for the Hurricanes (45-20-6), who hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 96 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Caufield tallied his 44th goal of the season, sitting two behind MacKinnon in the race for the Maurice Richard Trophy as this season’s top goal scorer.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Erik Cernak, Brandon Hagel, and Pontus Holmberg gave the Tampa Bay Lightning a 6-3 win over the Minnesota Wild. Darren Raddysh had a goal and two assists for the Lightning (44-21-5) as they sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 93 points. Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and an assist for the 40-20-12 Wild, who sit third in the Central Division with 92 points.

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes scored two goals as his club held off the Dallas Stars 6-4. Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist for the 36-32-2 Devils. Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson each had three-point performances for the Stars (43-17-11), who sit second in the West with 97 points.

Anaheim Ducks center Mason McTavish scored his first goal in 15 games to snap a 3-3 tie as his club went on to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 5-3. Mikael Granlund tallied twice for the 40-27-4 Ducks, who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 84 points. Center Elias Pettersson and defenseman Filip Hronek each had two assists for the 21-41-8 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas returned to action after serving a five-game suspension for kneeing Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, who is out for the season as a result. Gudas expressed remorse for injuring Matthews, claiming he “felt terrible about the outcome.”

Actions speak louder than words, and Gudas’ actions definitely speak louder than his empty words. The fact that he got off with a five-game suspension remains a disgraceful decision by the league’s so-called “department of player safety”.

Meanwhile, the Canucks are raising ticket prices for next season by 10 percent. Teams charge what they believe their market will bear, but they might be unwilling to bear that increase when the team is coming off a dreadful season as they rebuild their roster.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 triumph over the Vegas Golden Knights. Kyle Connor had a goal and an assist for the 30-29-12 Jets, as they sit five points back of the Predators with 72 points. Rasmus Andersson scored for the 32-26-14 Golden Knights, who hold third place in the Pacific Division with 78 points.

The Toronto Maple Leafs (30-29-13) got two goals from Matthew Knies to double up the Boston Bruins 4-2. Anthony Stolarz made 18 saves in his return to action after being struck in the throat by a puck during warmups on Saturday. Elias Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy replied for the 39-24-8 Bruins, who hold the first Eastern wild card with 86 points.

Chicago Blackhawks rookie Anton Frondell collected an assist in his NHL debut as his club upset the New York Islanders 4-3. Nick Lardis had a goal and two assists for the 27-31-13 Blackhawks. Anders Lee, Simon Holmstrom, and Calum Ritchie scored for the Islanders (40-27-5), as they slipped out of the final Eastern wild card with 85 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators hold that wild card with a game in hand. Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer set an NHL record for the most single-game ice time by a teenager at 31:59. Isles defenseman Tony DeAngelo left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury.

A shootout goal by Yegor Sharangovich lifted the Calgary Flames to a 3-2 upset of the Los Angeles Kings. Olli Maatta and Zayne Parekh scored in regulation for the 30-34-7 Flames. Quinton Byfield netted both goals for the Kings (28-25-18), who set three points behind the Predators.

The St. Louis Blues got a 21-save shutout from Joel Hofer in a 3-0 win over the Washington Capitals. Jimmy Snuggerud, Otto Stenberg, and Jordan Kyrou scored for the Blues (29-30-11). Logan Thompson stopped 24 of 26 shots for the 35-28-9 Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals center Pierre-Luc Dubois received a match penalty for a deliberate attempt to injure Blues center Robert Thomas. The two collided, and Dubois appeared to grab Thomas as they fell to the ice, with the latter’s head striking the ice. The Blues center left the game, but head coach Jim Montgomery said afterwards that Thomas was fine and had passed the concussion protocol.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 24, 2026

by | Mar 24, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 24, 2026

The Senators move closer to a wild-card berth, Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad reaches a career milestone, the three stars of the week are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Ottawa Senators moved closer to an Eastern Conference wild-card berth with a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers in the only NHL game on Monday. Shane Pinto and Warren Foegele scored for the 37-24-9 Senators (83 points), moving within two points of the New York Islanders for the final wild card. Conor Sheary replied for the Rangers (28-34-9), who honored forward Mika Zibanejad for playing in his 1,000th career NHL regular-season game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators have been on a tear of late, going 14-3-2 in their last 19 games. They’ll have to maintain that pace and hope for one or two of the clubs ahead of them to falter down the stretch to clinch a playoff berth. This win proved costly as defensemen Thomas Chabot and Lassi Thomson left the game injured. 

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg, and Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield are the league’s three stars for the week ending March 22.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of the focus in the scoring race has been on Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, but the 32-year-old Kucherov has overtaken both and could win the Art Ross Trophy for the third straight season and the fourth time in his career.

Kucherov is also emerging as a strong candidate to win the Hart Memorial Trophy as the league MVP. He won the award in 2018-19 and has been the main reason why the aging Lightning remain a force in the Eastern Conference.

The Carolina Hurricanes and Seattle Kraken will face off in two games in Helsinki, Finland, as part of the 2026 NHL Global Series. Those games will be held in Veikkaus Arena on Nov. 12 and Nov. 14, 2026.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Speaking of the Kraken, defenseman Adam Larsson will play in his 1,000th career NHL regular-season game when he and his teammates face off against the Panthers in Florida on Tuesday.

TSN: Kraken forward Ryan Winterton has taken a leave of absence from the team to attend to a family matter.

Meanwhile, the Kraken ownership group has taken full possession of its home arena, Climate Pledge Arena.

THE PROVINCE: On Sunday, the Vancouver Canucks became the first team to be officially eliminated from this season’s playoff race. They sit last overall with a record of 21-40-8 (50 points) with 13 games remaining in their schedule.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz is out of the hospital and feeling better after being accidentally struck in the throat by a shot from teammate William Nylander during warm-ups on Saturday. He was hospitalized for precautionary reasons on Saturday night and released the following day. The Maple Leafs recall goalie Dennis Hildeby on an emergency basis on Monday, but Stolarz could return to action as early as Tuesday when the Leafs face the Boston Bruins.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers defenseman Niko Mikkola won’t require surgery on his injured left knee. However, his season appears to be over as he’ll be sidelined for four to six weeks undergoing rehab.

DAILY FACEOFF/SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks forward Ryan Reaves is listed as week-to-week with an injured finger. Meanwhile, sidelined goaltender Yaroslav Askarov, defenseman Vincent Desharnais, and forwards Tyler Toffoli and Igor Chernyshov have resumed practice and could return to the lineup this week.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators signed forward Fedor Svechkov to a two-year, $2.5 million contract extension.

THE ATHLETIC: The Detroit Red Wings have sent young defenseman Axel Sandin-Pellikka to their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. He’d been a healthy scratch for the past seven games, coinciding with the Red Wings’ acquisition of defenseman Justin Faulk from the St. Louis Blues at the trade deadline.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins signed top prospect Jame Hagens to an amateur tryout agreement.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 23, 2026

by | Mar 23, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 23, 2026

Alex Ovechkin reaches 1,000 combined career goals, the Stars clinch a playoff berth, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING SUNDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 1,000th career goal (regular season and playoffs combined), but his club dropped a 3-2 decision to the league-leading Colorado Avalanche. Brock Nelson scored in overtime, and Martin Necas collected two assists for the 46-13-10 Avalanche (102 points). Justin Sourdif also scored for the Capitals (35-27-9).

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin joins Hall of Famer Wayne Gretzky as the only players to score 1,000 combined NHL goals. Gretzky has 1,016, which the 40-year-old Ovechkin could break if he returns next season. Meanwhile, Capitals forward Ethen Frank left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury.

Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog scored in his first game since being sidelined on March 6 when he was struck in the groin by a puck. “I took a 96-mile-per-hour slapshot in the nuts, and it hurt,” Landeskog said. “So yeah, had a quick surgery to fix some things and we’re good to go”.

The Dallas Stars clinched a playoff berth despite a 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Wyatt Johnston set the single-season franchise record for power-play goals with 23 for the Stars (43-16-11), who sit in second place in the overall standings with 97 points. Brayden McNabb, Ivan Barbashev, and Reilly Smith scored for the 32-25-14 Golden Knights, who moved ahead of the Edmonton Oilers into second place in the Pacific Division with 78 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars clinched a postseason berth because the Utah Mammoth defeated the Los Angeles Kings. Speaking of which…

Utah Mammoth forward Nick Schmaltz tallied twice, including the overtime winner, to nip the Los Angeles Kings 4-3. Lawson Crouse scored two goals and collected an assist while Karel Vejmelka stopped 33 shots for the 37-28-6 Mammoth, who hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 80 points. Quinton Byfield had a goal and an assist for the Kings (28-25-17, 73 points), who are two points behind the Nashville Predators for the final Western wild card.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Mammoth recently re-signed forward Michael Carcone to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $1.75 million.

Speaking of the surging Predators, Filip Forsberg also had a two-goal game with an overtime winner in a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Forsberg collected an assist on Steven Stamkos’ game-tying goal for the Predators (33-28-9, 75 points), who’ve won four straight games. Nick Lardis and Connor Bedard scored for the 26-31-13 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks defenseman Matt Grzelcyk suffered an upper-body injury during the first period of this game. He will miss the club’s upcoming four-game road trip.

The Anaheim Ducks blew a 4-2 lead, but recovered for a 6-5 win over the Buffalo Sabres on an overtime goal by Troy Terry, who finished this game with two goals. Chris Kreider, Beckett Sennecke, and Jackson LaCombe each had a goal and an assist for the 39-27-4 Ducks, who sit in first place in the Pacific Division with 82 points. Zach Benson and Owen Power each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (44-20-7), who hold first place in the Atlantic Division and second place in the Eastern Conference with 95 points.

Meanwhile, the Eastern Conference-leading Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1. Seth Jarvis had a goal and two assists, and Nikolaj Ehlers had a goal and an assist for the 45-19-6 Hurricanes (96 points). Egor Chinakhov replied for the Penguins (35-19-16), who cling to second place in the Metropolitan Division with 86 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea missed this game with a facial injury suffered during Saturday’s win over the Winnipeg Jets. Earlier in the day, the Penguins announced they’ve signed 2025 first-round pick Bill Zonnon to a three-year entry-level contract.

The New York Islanders got a 26-save shutout from Ilya Sorokin to blank the Columbus Blue Jackets 1-0, snapping the latter’s 12-game points streak. Bo Horvat scored for the Islanders (40-26-5) as they moved into the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 85 points, one point ahead of the Detroit Red Wings. Jet Greaves made 21 saves for the 37-22-11 Blue Jackets, who are in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 85 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets sit ahead of the Islanders because they hold a game in hand.

An overtime goal by Ryan Strome lifted the Calgary Flames to a 4-3 upset of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Devin Cooley stopped 32 shots for the 29-34-7 Flames, who’d held a 3-1 lead before Tampa Bay rallied on goals by Darren Raddysh and Pontus Holmberg. The Lightning (43-21-5) holds second place in the Atlantic Division with 91 points.

The Winnipeg Jets downed the New York Rangers 3-2 on a shootout goal by Kyle Connor. Adam Lowry and Gabriel Vilardi scored for the 29-29-12 Jets (70 points), who are five points out of the final Western wild-card spot. Mika Zibanejad tallied his 30th goal of the season, and Dyland Garand made 35 saves in his NHL debut for the 28-33-9 Rangers

IN OTHER NEWS…

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers forward A.J. Greer received a three-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for boarding Flames forward Connor Zary.

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild reporter Jessi Pierce, 37, died Saturday, along with her three children, in a fire at her home.

“The entire National Hockey League family sends our prayers and deepest condolences to the Pierce family on the passing of Jessi Pierce and her three children,” the league said in a statement. “Jessi loved our game and was a valued member of the NHL.com team for a decade. We will miss her terribly.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I send my sincere condolences to Jessi’s family, friends, co-workers, and the NHL.com team.