NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 30, 2025

by | Apr 30, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 30, 2025

The Hurricanes move on to the second round, the Senators stave off elimination again, the Oilers and Golden Knights are on the verge of advancing, the Norris Trophy finalists are revealed, Rick Tocchet won’t return as Canucks coach, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING TUESDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes are the first team in this postseason to reach the second round following a 5-4 double-overtime victory over the New Jersey Devils in Game 5 of their first-round series.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (NHL Images).

Sebastian Aho scored twice (including the game-winner) and collected an assist. Seth Jarvis and Shayne Gostisbehere each collected two assists and Pyotr Kochetkov made 31 saves for the Hurricanes, who won the series four games to one.

Jacob Markstrom kicked out 49 shots for the Devils, who blew 3-0 and 4-3 leads in this game. Stefan Noesen and Brett Pesce each had two assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Dawson Mercer got a double-minor for high-sticking Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi early in the second OT period. That was the turning point, setting the stage for Aho’s winning goal.

The Hurricanes had a horrible start to this game, but their poise and experience shone through as they rallied back. Their special teams made the difference in this game, as they had throughout the series, going two-for-six on the power play and killing off three penalties.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark stopped 29 shots to shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 in Game 5 of their first-round series. Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk each had a goal and two assists while Thomas Chabot and Dylan Cozens also scored for the Senators, who staved off elimination for the second straight game.

Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz gave up two goals on 17 shots. The Leafs hold a 3-2 series lead and can end it in Game 6 on Thursday, May 1, in Ottawa at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Collars are tightening for the Leafs and their fans. They are 1-13 in postseason elimination games since 2017.

The Edmonton Oilers took their first series lead in their first-round tilt with the Los Angeles Kings with a 3-1 win in Game 5, taking a 3-2 lead after starting this series down 2-0.

Evander Kane, Mattias Janmark and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored for the Oilers while Calvin Pickard stopped 21 shots for his third straight win in this series. Darcy Kuemper made 43 saves for the Kings.

The series returns to Edmonton for Game 6 on May 1 at 10 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s no mystery who’ll be the Oilers’ starting goalie for Game 6. Pickard’s steady goaltending has made the difference since replacing Stuart Skinner late in Game 2.

An overtime goal by Brett Howden lifted the Vegas Golden Knights to a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild, giving them a 3-2 lead in their first-round series.

William Karlsson and Mark Stone also scored, and Jack Eichel had two assists for the Golden Knights. Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy replied for the Wild. Game 6 is back in Minnesota on Thursday, May 1 at 7:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson left this game with an illness after the second period. Backup Marc-Andre Fleury stopped six of seven shots.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks, Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets are the finalists for the James Norris Memorial Trophy as this season’s top defenseman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes and Makar are former Norris Trophy winners. This is the first time Werenski’s been a finalist for this award. He was the Jackets’ best player this season.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman broke the news yesterday that Rick Tocchet will not return as head coach of the Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is another serious blow in a tumultuous season for the Canucks. They wanted to sign Tocchet to an extension, but he cited family reasons for his decision to move on and explore other options.

NHL.COM: The league announced the 2025 Draft Lottery will be on Monday, May 5. The San Jose Sharks have the best odds of winning the lottery for the second straight season, finishing last in the overall standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There is no clear-cut potential superstar prospect in this year’s draft class compared to 2023 (Connor Bedard) and 2024 (Macklin Celebrini) and no clear favorite as the top pick. The front-runner is defenseman Matthew Schaefer of the OHL’s Erie Otters.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW/TAMPA BAY TIMES: Panthers defenseman Aaron Eklad received a two-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for a high hit on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel during Game 4 of their first-round series. Hagel has been ruled out for Game 5 between the two clubs.

NHL.COM: Speaking of the Panthers, defenseman Niko Mikkola was fined $5,000.00 for boarding Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons in Game 4.

DAILY FACEOFF: Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi will return to the lineup for Game 5 of his club’s first-round series with the St. Louis Blues. Vilardi had been sidelined since late March with an upper-body injury.

Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury and will miss Game 5 against the Jets on Wednesday.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury and isn’t expected to be in the lineup for Game 5 against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday. Defenseman Alex Carrier (possible concussion) is also expected to miss that game. The Canadiens face elimination, down 3-1 in the series. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Backup Jakub Dobes will get the start as he did in Game 4. Jayden Struble is expected to replace Carrier on the Canadiens’ blueline.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings announced that assistant coaches Alex Westlund and L.J. Scarpace won’t return.

Former Red Wings forward Valtteri Filppula announced his retirement. He spent 16 seasons in the NHL from 2005-06 to 2020-21 with the Red Wings, Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders, scoring 197 goals and 530 points in 1,056 regular-season games, and 86 points in 166 playoff games. Filppula spent the past four seasons playing in Switzerland and Finland. 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 29, 2025

by | Apr 29, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 29, 2025

The Panthers and Stars are on the verge of advancing to the second round, the Vezina Trophy finalists are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers have taken a 3-1 stranglehold in their best-of-seven first-round series over the Tampa Bay Lightning following a 4-2 victory in Game 4.

Florida defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Seth Jones scored 11 seconds apart in the third period and winger Carter Verhaeghe scored an empty-netter to seal the win. The Lightning’s Mitchell Chaffee and Erik Cernak also scored 11 seconds apart in the first period after Anton Lundell opened the scoring for the Panthers.

The Panthers can win the series in Game 5 on Wednesday, Apr. 30, in Tampa Bay, starting at 7:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ekblad and Jones scored the fastest two goals by defensemen for one team in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

This game was also a physical contest between the Florida rivals. Ekblad could face supplemental discipline after knocking Lightning winger Brandon Hagel out of the game with a forearm to the head in the first period. There was no call on the play.

Panthers blueliner Niko Mikkola was ejected early in the third period for boarding Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons, who remained in the game.

The Dallas Stars are poised to eliminate the Colorado Avalanche following a 6-2 win in Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead in their first-round series.

Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston (NHL Images).

Wyatt Johnston scored twice, including the first nine seconds of the game, Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists, and Jake Oettinger stopped 26 shots for Dallas. Artturi Lehkonen and Nathan MacKinnon replied for the Avalanche.

Dallas can win this series in Game 6 in Denver on Thursday, May 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dallas put Colorado on the back foot early, running up an early 3-0 lead. The Avalanche made it interesting by cutting that lead to 3-2 before Johnston, Mason Marchment and Roope Hintz put the game away for the Stars.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets, Darcy Kuemper of the Los Angeles Kings, and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning are the finalists for the Vezina Trophy, honoring this season’s top goaltenders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck is the favorite here, leading the league in wins (47), goals-against average (2.00) and shutouts (eight), and finishing second in save percentage (.925) among goaltenders with at least 25 games played this season.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: Speaking of Hellebuyck, he admits he needs to improve after giving up a combined 11 goals in Game 3 and 4 of the Jets’ first-round series against the St. Louis Blues.

“I am going to be better,” said Hellebuyck. “I’ve studied goaltending extremely hard. I’ve probably studied the most out of anyone in this world, so I know what to do and how to get my best game.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets and Blues are tied at two games apiece. Game 5 is Wednesday in Winnipeg at 9:30 pm ET.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews will be expected to improve his performance in Game 5 of his team’s first-round series against the Ottawa Senators. The Leafs hold a 3-1 series but missed a golden opportunity to sweep the Senators in Game 4.

OTTAWA SUN: Veteran center Claude Giroux will try to help the Senators stay alive in their series with the Leafs. Giroux was part of the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers that overcame a 3-0 first-round deficit against the Boston Bruins to win that series in seven games.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas could suit up for Game 5 of his club’s first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens. Protas has been sidelined since Apr. 4 after suffering a skate cut to the foot. The Capitals hold a 3-1 series lead and can wrap things up with a win on Wednesday.

TSN: The Capitals and Canadiens were fined $25,000 each by the league for unsportsmanlike conduct during warm-ups before Game 4. Montreal defenseman Arber Xhekaj and Capitals blueliner Dylan McIlrath received individual fines for unsportsmanlike conduct during those warmups.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch is staying coy about naming his starting goaltender for Game 5 of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings. However, it’s expected Calvin Pickard will get the call following back-to-back wins in Games 3 and 4.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 28, 2025

by | Apr 28, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 28, 2025

The Penguins part ways with head coach Mike Sullivan, Oilers and Blues tied their playoff series while the Capitals and Hurricanes took stranglehold leads in their respective postseason rounds. Check out the recaps and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

**BREAKING NEWS**

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas announced this morning that the club and head coach Mike Sullivan have agreed to part ways. Sullivan took over as head coach in December 2015. He guided them to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sullivan had a year remaining on his contract and had intended to honor it. It’ll be interesting to learn what brought about this development and where Sullivan’s next coaching job will be. It’s rumored the New York Rangers could be interested if he became available. 

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl scored his first NHL playoff overtime goal as his club overcame a 3-1 deficit to beat the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 in Game 4 of their opening-round series, tying it at two games apiece.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard (NHL Images).

The Kings opened a 2-0 lead on goals by Trevor Moore and Warren Foegele and Kevin Fiala made it 3-1 after Corey Perry got Edmonton on the board. Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard scored two unanswered third-period goals to set the stage for Draisaitl’s OT winner. Calvin Pickard made 38 saves for the Oilers while Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper stopped 44 shots.

Game 5 of this best-of-seven series is Tuesday, Apr. 29, at 10 pm ET in Los Angeles.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bouchard has been clutch for the Oilers in this series. The puck-moving blueliner had three assists in Game 1 as the Oilers’ rally fell short in a 6-5 loss. He also scored twice (including the winning goal) in Game 3.

The St. Louis Blues scored three unanswered second-period goals en route to a 5-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 4 of their first-round series, tying it at two games apiece.

Jake Neighbours led the way with a goal and two assists and goaltender Jordan Binnington kicked out 30 shots for the Blues. Kyle Connor scored for the Jets, who replaced Connor Hellebuyck with Eric Comrie early in the third period after Hellebuyck gave up five goals on 18 shots.

Game 5 of this series returns to Winnipeg on Wednesday, Apr. 30, at 9:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the second straight game Hellebuyck gave up five goals. Jets followers are worried that the two-time Vezina Trophy winner could suffer another meltdown like last year against the Colorado Avalanche and in 2023 against the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Blues are getting plenty of production from their defensemen in this series. Cam Fowler picked up an assist in Game 5 for his team-leading eighth point. Colton Parayko had two assists and Justin Faulk scored, giving them three points each in four games.

Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker left this game after injuring his right leg (knee?) in the second period. There was no immediate postgame update, but he could miss the remainder of this series.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov scored his second NHL playoff hat trick to lead his club over the New Jersey Devils 5-2 in Game 4 of their first-round series.

Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns also scored for the Hurricanes, who took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series. Nico Hischier and Timo Meier replied for the Devils.

The Hurricanes can wrap this up in Game 4 on home ice in Raleigh on Tuesday, starting at 7:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Svechnikov is the only player in Hurricanes/Hartford Whalers history to score hat tricks in the postseason.

Canes goaltender Frederik Andersen left this game in the second period with an undisclosed injury following a collision with Meier. He was replaced by Pyotr Kochetkov, who stopped 14 of 15 shots. Andersen will be evaluated on Monday and an update on his status should soon follow.

The Washington Capitals scored four unanswered third-period goals (two of them empty-netters) for a 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens in Game 4 of their series.

Andrew Mangiapane snapped a 2-2 tie for Washington with 3:37 remaining in the third period. Forward Brandon Duhaime tallied twice for the Capitals. Juraj Slafkovsky and Cole Caufield scored on the power play for the Canadiens while rookies Lane Hutson and Ivan Demidov each collected two assists.

The series returns to Washington for Game 5 with the Capitals holding a 3-1 lead. They can wrap it up on Wednesday starting at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals forward Tom Wilson’s physical play made the difference in this contest. His thunderous (but clean) bodycheck on Montreal defenseman Alexandre Carrier in the third period resulted in a turnover that led to Duhaime’s tying goal. It also knocked Carrier out of the game with an undisclosed injury, leaving the Canadiens without their best all-around defenseman at a critical juncture in the game.

Capitals starting goaltender Logan Thompson returned to action in this contest after an injury forced him to leave Game 3 in the third period. Canadiens starter Sam Montembeault remained sidelined by a lower-body injury suffered in Game 3 and is considered day-to-day. Jakub Dobes took his place in Game 4, stopping 21 shots.

One bright spot for the Canadiens was the performance of their top power-play unit of Slafkovsky, Hutson, Demidov, Caufield and Nick Suzuki. Those young guns continue to give their fans a tantalizing glimpse at a promising future for this club.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 27, 2025

by | Apr 27, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 27, 2025

The Senators stave off elimination, the Avalanche and Golden Knights tie their respective series, the Lightning get a much-needed win against the Panthers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING SATURDAY’S NHL PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: The Ottawa Senators avoided being swept by the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 4 of their best-of-seven first-round series.

Jake Sanderson tallied the winning goal and collected an assist to finish the night with two points. Tim Stutzle and Shane Pinto joined Sanderson in scoring their first-ever playoff goals, and Linus Ullmark stopped 31 shots for the win. John Tavares, Matthew Knies and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored as the Leafs overcame 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to force overtime.

This series returns to Toronto for Game 5 on Tuesday, Apr. 29, at 7 pm ET with the Leafs holding a 3-1 lead.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: An entertaining game filled with drama as the Senators live to play another day. The Leafs remain firmly in control of this series and could wrap it up on Tuesday, but they’re now 1-12 in series-clinching games since 2017.

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog scored his first goal in three years to lead his club over the Dallas Stars 4-0 in Game 4 of their opening-round series, tying it at two games apiece. Game 5 will be in Dallas on Monday, Apr. 28, at 9:30 pm ET.

Landeskog also picked up an assist and Mackenzie Blackwood turned in a 23-save shutout. Logan O’Connor, Nathan MacKinnon and Samuel Girard were the other scorers for the Avalanche. Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger gave up three goals on 34 shots before being replaced late in the second period by Casey DeSmith.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche outplayed the Stars in this contest, outshooting them 48-23. They also got a big lift from Landeskog’s performance as he continues his remarkable comeback after losing three seasons to knee surgeries.

The Vegas Golden Knights tied their series with the Minnesota Wild at two games apiece following their 4-3 win in Game 4. Ivan Barbeshev scored in overtime and collected an assist and Adin Hill made 29 saves. Tomas Hertl and Nicolas Roy also each had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights. Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson kicked out 42 shots.

This series returns to Las Vegas for Game 5 on Tuesday, Apr. 29, at 9:39 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights did a good job neutralizing Minnesota forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. The duo had multi-point performances in the first three games, but Boldy was held scoreless while Kaprizov managed one assist. Wild forward Marcus Johansson missed this game with a lower-body injury.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Jake Guentzel had a goal and two assists as his club picked up its first victory of this postseason by dropping the Florida Panthers 5-1 in Game 3 of their series. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 33 shots and Nikita Kucherov collected three assists for the Lightning. Matthew Tkachuk scored for the Panthers, who hold a 2-1 lead in this series. Game 4 is Monday, Apr. 28, at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk could face supplemental discipline after being ejected from this game late in the third period for a late hit on Guentzel. Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov played in this game after leaving Game 2 with an undisclosed injury following a late hit by Lightning forward Brandon Hagel, who received a one-game suspension for his actions.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Montreal Canadiens winger Josh Anderson and Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson were each fined $5,000.00 for unsportsmanlike conduct in Game 3 of their series on Friday.

Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault is questionable for Game 4 on Sunday against the Capitals. He left Game 3 in the second period favoring his left leg. The Habs had no update on his condition as he was still being evaluated on Saturday. Backup Jakub Dobes could get the call to start Game 4 if Montembeault remains unavailable.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery had no update on the condition of starting goalie Logan Thompson, who left Game 3 in the third period with an injured left leg following a collision with teammate Dylan Strome. Backup Charlie Lindgren is expected to get the start for Game 4.

Carbery said forward Aliaksei Protas could make his series debut in Game 4. He’s been sidelined since Apr. 4 after suffering a skate cut to the foot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Protas’ return should boost the Capitals’ offense. The 6’6”, 247-pound center finished third among their leading scorers this season with 30 goals and 66 points.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi is a game-time decision for Game 4 on Sunday against the St. Louis Blues. He’s been sidelined since March 23 with an upper-body injury.

SPORTSNET: The Carolina Hurricanes officially registered an entry-level contract for Alexander Nikishin with the league. The 23-year-old defenseman could make his debut in Game 4 of their series with the New Jersey Devils.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: University of Denver head coach David Carle has withdrawn his name from consideration for the Blackhawks’ head-coaching position.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 26, 2025

by | Apr 26, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 26, 2025

The Canadiens, Devils and Oilers pick up big wins in their first-round series. Check out the recaps plus the latest news in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: Three unanswered third-period goals by Christian Dvorak, Juraj Slafkovsky and Alex Newhook gave the Montreal Canadiens a 6-3 victory over the Washington Capitals in Game 3 of their best-of-seven first-round series.

Newhook and Cole Caufield finished with a goal and an assist each. Connor McMichael, Jakub Chychrun and Alex Ovechkin replied for the Capitals, who hold a 2-1 lead in the series. Game 4 is Sunday, Apr. 27, at 6:30 pm ET.

The two teams lost their starting goaltenders to injuries during this contest. Canadiens starter Sam Montembeault suffered an undisclosed injury in the second period and made way for Jakub Dobes. Capitals netminder Logan Thompson injured his left knee following a third-period collision with teammate Dylan Strome and was replaced by Charlie Lindgren. There were no post-game updates regarding their conditions.

Montreal Canadiens winger Josh Anderson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the most complete game I’ve seen the Canadiens play this season. After being dominated in the first two games in Washington, they fed off the energy in the Bell Centre, outshooting the Capitals 40-19, winning 53.7 percent of the faceoffs, going two-for-five on the power play, and outhitting the Caps 45-26.

Winger Josh Anderson didn’t collect any points, but made his presence felt as Montreal’s physical leader, dishing out six hits and battling Washington winger Tom Wilson in a scrap at the end of the second period that spilled into the Capitals bench. Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj made his playoff debut and led all blueliners with four hits.

Canadiens winger Patrik Laine missed this game with an upper-body injury. That might explain his subpar performances in the first two contests.

New Jersey Devils defenseman Simon Nemec scored in double-overtime as his club nipped the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in Game 3 of their first-round series.

The Devils had a 2-0 lead on goals by Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer, but the Hurricanes got two unanswered third-period goals by Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho to tie it. Game 4 is Sunday at 3:30 pm ET, with the Hurricanes holding a 2-1 series lead.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A big win for New Jersey after two lifeless losses to the Hurricanes in Carolina. Nemec set the franchise record as the youngest player (21 years, 69 days) to score a playoff overtime goal.

Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler returned to action after being sidelined by a lower-body injury in early February. However, blueliner Johnathan Kovecevic left the game with an undisclosed injury.

The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Kings 7-4 in Game 3 of their series. Evander Kane and Evan Bouchard scored the tying and winning goals 10 seconds apart in the third period.

Bouchard and Connor Brown each had two goals and Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists for the Oilers. Adrian Kempe and Drew Doughty each had a goal and an assist for the Kings, who lead the series two games to one. Game 4 is Sunday in Edmonton at 9:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane’s tying goal came under automatic review for a kicking motion. It was determined he did kick the puck, but then knocked it into the net with his stick, making it a good goal.

Kings head coach Jim Hiller challenged for goaltender interference but the call went against him, leading to a delay-of-game penalty with Bouchard’s winning goal on the subsequent power play.

HEADLINES

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: The Vegas Golden Knights need more production from their top line of Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Ivan Barbeshev if they hope to defeat the Minnesota Wild in their first-round series. The trio has yet to register a point in the series, with the Wild leading two games to one.

THE DENVER POST: Gabriel Landeskog has been promoted to the Colorado Avalanche’s second line and their top power-play unit. After being sidelined for the past three seasons by knee surgeries, the 32-year-old winger returned to action in Game 3 of their series with the Dallas Stars. The Stars have a 2-1 series lead over the Avalanche.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel received a one-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for a late hit on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov in Game 2 of the series between the two clubs on Thursday.

Barkov left that game and remains questionable for Game 3 on Saturday.

NHL.COM: The league also fined the Ottawa Senators $25,000.00 for unsportsmanlike conduct and Senators forward Nick Cousins $2,083.33 for unsportsmanlike conduct for an incident during warm-ups for Game 3 of their series with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cousins’ offense was shooting a puck down the ice at Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: A mistrial was declared by the presiding judge in the Hockey Canada sexual assault case. A new trial will begin once new jurors are selected, which was expected to occur on Friday.

Former NHL players Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, Carter Hart and Cal Foote face one charge each of sexual assault for an alleged incident that occurred in 2018 while members of Canada’s World Junior team. McLeod faces an additional charge as a party to the offense.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 25, 2025

by | Apr 25, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 25, 2025

Recapping Thursday’s playoff action and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF THURSDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES

NHL.COM: St. Louis Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich tallied a hat trick and an assist and defenseman Cam Fowler had a goal and four assists to thump the Winnipeg Jets 7-2 in Game 3 of their best-of-seven first-round series.

St. Louis Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich (NHL Images)

Center Robert Thomas set up four goals for the Blues while David Gustafsson and Neal Pionk replied for Winnipeg. Jets backup goaltender Eric Comrie replaced starter Connor Hellebuyck after the latter gave up six goals on 25 shots. Game 4 is Sunday, Apr. 27, in St. Louis at 1 pm ET. The Jets lead the series two games to one.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues did a fine job smothering the Jets’ top offensive players with their physical plan. Mark Scheifele had five points in the first two games and Kyle Connor had four, but both were held scoreless in this contest. Winnipeg defenseman Dylan DeMelo was a late scratch due to an illness.

An overtime goal by Simon Benoit gave the Toronto Maple Leafs a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators in Game 3 of their first-round series. Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews also scored for Toronto while Claude Giroux and Brady Tkachuk replied for the Senators, who find themselves on the brink of elimination down 3-0 in this series. The Leafs can wrap things up in Game 4 on Saturday, Apr. 26 at 7 pm ET in Ottawa.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the second straight game the Senators suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime defeat. Their lopsided loss in Game 1 aside, they’ve played well against the Leafs, but the latter’s depth and experience have been the difference thus far. Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz has been terrific between the pipes throughout this series.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov scored two goals for the second straight game to beat the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2. Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi each had a goal and an assist, and goalie Filip Gustavsson stopped 30 shots as the Wild took a 2-1 lead in the series. Alex Pietrangelo and Reilly Smith scored for the Golden Knights. Game 4 is Saturday, starting at 4 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights are having difficulty containing the Wild’s two leading scorers. Kaprizov is tied for the postseason lead with seven points, while Boldy is right behind him with six points. The Wild probably wouldn’t have struggled down the stretch had “Dollar Bill Kirill” been healthy during that period.

The Florida Panthers blanked the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 in Game 2 of their series. Sergei Bobrovsky made 19 saves for the shutout while Nate Schmidt and Sam Bennett were the goal scorers as the Panthers took a 2-0 series lead. Game 3 is Saturday, starting at 1 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly victory for the Panthers as team captain Aleksander Barkov left the game in the third period with a possible upper-body injury following a big hit from Lightning forward Brandon Hagel, who received a five-minute major penalty for interference. There was no post-game update on Barkov’s condition.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen remains day-to-day with a knee injury. He participated in two-on-two drills during practice on Wednesday. Heiskanen’s been sidelined since suffering the injury on Jan. 28.

The Stars hold a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven series with the Colorado Avalanche. Game 4 is Saturday, starting at 9:30 pm ET.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Barring a last-minute change of heart, the Oilers will start backup goalie Calvin Pickard on Friday against the Los Angeles Kings, who hold a 2-0 lead in their series. Pickard replaced struggling starter Stuart Skinner after he gave up five goals on 28 shots in Game 2. Skinner also allowed six goals on 30 shots in Game 1.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen underwent surgery on March 26 to repair a right tricep rupture. His recovery is six months, meaning he’ll likely miss training camp in September.