NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 31, 2025

by | Mar 31, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 31, 2025

Alex Ovechkin reaches 890 goals, the Jets widen their lead in the overall standings and the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth changes hands again. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is five goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals. He scored his 890th goal in an 8-5 loss to the Buffalo Sabres and also collected two points to finish the game with three points. Sabres forwards Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch each scored two goals for the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Washington holds first place in the Eastern Conference with 103 points but has gone 0-2-1 in their last three games. Capitals head coach Spencer Carberry shook up his top-two in the third period, saying his team needs more from its top-six forwards amid a three-game skid.

The Winnipeg Jets widen their lead in the overall standings with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Kyle Connor had a goal and an assist and Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves for the Jets (106 points), opening a three-point lead over the Capitals. Pius Suter scored for the Canucks (81 points), who remain six points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (NHL Images).

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki scored the winning goal and picked up two assists to double up the Florida Panthers 4-2. Rookie defenseman Lane Hutson set up three goals and Juraj Slafkovsky had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens, who regained the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 77 points. Sam Reinhart and Seth Jones replied for the Panthers as they sit third in the Atlantic Division with 91 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hutson leads all rookies this season with 59 points. The Canadiens have the same points total as the New York Rangers but hold the wild card with a game in hand. Meanwhile, the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning are tied in points but the latter holds second place in the division with 37 regulation wins.

The Toronto Maple Leafs opened a three-point lead atop the Atlantic Division (94 points) with a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Steve Lorentz broke a 2-2 tie, Mitch Marner scored his 23rd goal of the season, and Joseph Woll stopped 29 shots for the Leafs. Leo Carlsson tallied his 20th of the season for the Ducks.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis scored two goals as his club downed the New York Islanders 6-4. Sebastian Aho had a goal and two assists for the Hurricanes, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 94 points. Pierre Engvall tallied twice for the Islanders, who’ve gone 0-3-2 in their last five contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes are on a roll, winning 11 of their last 13 games. Meanwhile, the Islanders are three points behind the Canadiens for the final Eastern wild-card spot.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby’s overtime lifted his club to a 1-0 blanking of the Ottawa Senators. Tristan Jarry kicked out 31 shots for his first shutout of the season. Anton Forsberg turned aside 34 shots for the Senators (84 points) as they collected a point to sit seven points ahead of the Canadiens in the first Eastern wild-card position.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins played without forward Boko Imama as he underwent surgery on Friday to repair a torn bicep. His recovery timeline is four-to-six months.

Los Angeles Kings forwards Adrian Kempe and Warren Foegele each scored two goals to crush the San Jose Sharks 8-1. Team captain Anze Kopitar collected three assists as the Kings moved ahead of the Edmonton Oilers into second place in the Pacific Division standings with 91 points. Sharks rookie Cam Lund scored for the second straight game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kopitar notched his 316th multipoint game, moving ahead of Sergei Fedorov into ninth place all-time among NHL players born outside North America. Jaromir Jagr is the leader with 540.

Utah Hockey Club forward Alex Kerfoot had a goal and two assists in a 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Mikhail Sergachev had a goal and an assist for Utah while Ryan Donato netted his 29th of the season for Chicago.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah defenseman Robert Bortuzzo returned to action after missing 35 games with a lower-body injury.

IN OTHER NEWS…

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers captain Connor McDavid (lower-body injury) will not travel with his teammates as they begin their four-game road trip. There is a slight chance he could rejoin the club before their road trip ends in Anaheim on April 7.

THE ATHLETIC’s Michael Russo reports Minnesota Wild forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek practiced for the first time yesterday, but their return to action remains to be determined.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Boston Bruins placed Patrick Brown and Vinni Lettieri on waivers. The Wild did the same with Brendan Gaunce and Devin Shore. If they are claimed off waivers, they will be ineligible to play in the postseason with their new teams following the trade deadline.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning must free up salary-cap space to sign prospect Isaac Howard to an entry-level contract.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 30, 2025

by | Mar 30, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 30, 2025

The Stars clinch a playoff berth, the Rangers regain the final Eastern wild-card spot, Oilers star Leon Draisaitl reaches the 50-goal plateau, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Dallas Stars joined the Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets among the teams that have clinched playoff berths with a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken, officially eliminating the latter from postseason contention. Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists for the Stars, who have won five straight games and sit second in the Central Division with 100 points, four behind the league-leading Jets. Eeli Tolvanen tallied his 22nd goal of the season for the Kraken.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin and defenseman Adam Fox each scored twice in a 6-1 rout of the San Jose Sharks. The win moved the Rangers into the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot for the first time since March 17 with 77 points, two ahead of the Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets. Sharks center Cam Lund scored his first NHL goal.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl returned from a four-game absence in dramatic fashion, scoring the tying and winning goals to nip the Calgary Flames 3-2 in overtime. Draisaitl also collected an assist and became the first player this season to reach the 50-goal plateau. Nazem Kadri had two assists for the Flames (80 points) as they sit seven points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot. The Oilers are third in the Pacific Division with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With a league-leading 51 goals, Draisaitl has reached the 50-goal single-season milestone four times. He joins Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin as the only active players with at least four 50-goal seasons.

The first period of this game was paused for nearly 10 minutes for an emergency medical situation in the stands. A person collapsed on the steps behind the Oilers bench and was taken to a hospital. No update was provided.

Before this game, the Flames announced that center Connor Zary was week-to-week with a lower-body injury believed to be his left knee. It’s not as serious as the injury to the same knee that sidelined him for two months earlier this season.

The red-hot St. Louis Blues picked up their ninth straight victory by beating the Colorado Avalanche 2-1. Pavel Buchnevich broke a 1-1 tie in the third period and Robert Thomas collected two assists as the Blues hold the second Western wild-card spot with 87 points, six ahead of the Vancouver Canucks. Nathan MacKinnon scored his 30th goal of the season for the Avalanche, who are third in the Central Division with 93 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon extended his home points streak to 24 games. He has 109 points this season with eight games remaining in the Avalanche’s regular-season schedule.

A hat trick by team captain Nico Hischier powered the New Jersey Devils to a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild. Jesper Bratt set up two goals for the Devils, who sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 85 points. Marcus Foligno had a goal and an assist for the Wild, who hold the first Western wild card with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild and Blues are tied in points but the former holds that wild-card berth with a game in hand. They also have 41 wins to the Blues’ 40.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists for the second straight game as his club beat the New York Islanders 5-3. Brayden Point tallied twice for the Lightning (91), tying them with the second-place Florida Panthers in the Atlantic Division. Ryan Pulock, Marc Gatcomb and Tony DeAngelo replied for the Islanders (74 points), who are three points behind the Rangers for the final Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov has the same point total as MacKinnon (109) but holds the lead in the race for the Art Ross Trophy with a game in hand. Draisaitl is third with 104 points but has a nine-goal lead in the race for the Maurice Richard Trophy.

The Toronto Maple Leafs got two third-period goals from John Tavares in a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings, snapping the latter’s 15-game home points streak. Leafs captain Auston Matthews scored a shorthanded goal and picked up an assist as the Leafs hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 92 points. Alex Laferriere scored for the Kings, who sit second in the Pacific Division with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings and Oilers are tied in points but the former holds their place in the Pacific standings with a game in hand.

Third-period goals by Reilly Smith and Brett Howden lifted the Vegas Golden Knights over the Nashville Predators 3-1. Jack Eichel extended his points streak to six games with a goal and an assist as the Golden Knights have won six straight, sitting first in the Pacific Division with 98 points. Ryan O’Reilly scored for the Predators, who lost forward Colton Sissons in the first period after injuring his left leg. There was no immediate update on his condition following the game.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark kicked out 29 shots in a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ridly Greig had a goal and an assist for the Senators, who hold the first Eastern wild-card berth with 83 points. Boone Jenner and Kirill Marchenko scored for the Blue Jackets, who sit two points out of the final Eastern wild card.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators hold a six-point cushion over the Rangers and are eight points up on the Blue Jackets and Canadiens. With 10 games remaining, they are tantalizingly close to clinching their first playoff berth in eight years.

The Detroit Red Wings kept their playoff hopes alive by downing the Boston Bruins 2-1. Cam Talbot stopped 20 shots while Marco Kasper and Lucas Raymond tallied for the Red Wings (74 points), who sit three points behind the Rangers in the wild-card race. Morgan Geekie replied for the Bruins as their losing skid reached eight games.

Rookie winger Matvei Michkov scored two goals as the Philadelphia Flyers rolled to a 7-4 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, picking up their second straight win since Brad Shaw became interim head coach on Thursday. Ryan Poehling had two goals and an assist for the Flyers. Jack Quinn scored two goals and an assist for the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin was a late scratch due to an illness, leaving him one game shy of reaching the 500-game plateau.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 29, 2025

by | Mar 29, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 29, 2025

The Blue Jackets regain the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth, Brad Marchand gets a point in his debut with the Panthers, Jets stars Connor Hellebucyk and Mark Scheifele set franchise records, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF FRIDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Columbus Blue Jackets regained the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth, overcoming a 5-3 deficit to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 7-6 on a shootout goal by Kent Johnson. Boone Jenner and Dante Fabbro each had three points for the Blue Jackets (75 points), who hold that wild card for the first time since March 14. Aatu Raty scored twice and Kiefer Sherwood and Pius Suter collected three assists each for the Canucks (81 points), who sit four points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

Columbus Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jackets have won two straight in a shootout after going 1-7-1 over their previous nine games.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Jackson Blake had a goal and two assists to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 4-1. Second-period goals by Taylor Hall and Sebastian Aho gave the Hurricanes the win. They sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 92 points. Josh Anderson scored for the Canadiens (75 points), who’ve dropped out of the final Eastern wild-card spot after going 0-3-2 in their last five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carolina winger Andrei Svechnikov scored in his first game since missing the last seven games with an upper-body injury. Hurricanes defenseman played in his 915th consecutive NHL regular-season game, moving into fourth place on the league’s all-time Ironman list.

An overtime goal by Mason McTavish lifted the Anaheim Ducks to a 5-4 win over the New York Rangers. Leo Carlsson had a goal and three assists as the Ducks a 4-2 deficit to force the extra frame. J.T. Miller, Adam Fox and Alexis Lafreniere each had a goal and an assist for the Rangers (75 points), who have one win in their last six games (1-5-1) to sit outside the Eastern wild card.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets, Canadiens and Rangers each have 75 points, but the Jackets hold the wild card with a game in hand over the Canadiens and two games in hand over the Rangers. The New York Islanders are one point back and the Detroit Red Wings are three points back.

Brad Marchand set up Sam Bennett’s overtime goal in his debut with the Florida Panthers as they nipped the Utah Hockey Club 2-1. Bennett scored both goals for the Panthers as they picked up their seventh straight home win, regaining first place in the Atlantic Division with 91 points. Sean Durzi scored for Utah.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebucyk made 24 saves for his league-leading seventh shutout in a 4-0 win over the New Jersey Devils. Alex Iafallo tallied twice for the Jets, who’ve overtaken the Washington Capitals for first place in the overall standings with 104 points. New Jersey defenseman Luke Hughes was a late scratch for precautionary reasons with a lower-body injury. The Devils are third in the Metropolitan Division with 83 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets are the first team to reach the 50-win plateau this season. Hellebucyk’s shutout set a single-season franchise record. Scheifele also set a franchise record for the most multi-point games with 201, surpassing former teammate Blake Wheeler.

The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3. Victor Olofsson scored two goals and William Karlsson had three assists for the Golden Knights, who sit atop the Pacific Division with 96 points. Blackhawks forward Ryan Donato tallied his first NHL hat trick.

HEADLINES

DAILY FACEOFF: Anthony Di Marco provides a breakdown of what led the Philadelphia Flyers to fire head coach John Tortorella on Thursday, citing a source claiming a series of consistent events since the March 7 trade deadline culminated in his dismissal.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Cam York and the Flyers are moving past a reported incident that led to his benching on Thursday against the Canadiens. He said he took full responsibility for his actions.

The benching was described as for disciplinary reasons. The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reported Friday that an incident occurred between York and Tortorella during Tuesday’s 7-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli claimed the incident was a heated verbal exchange between the two men.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: General manager Daniel Briere said it wasn’t any one thing that prompted the decision to replace Tortorella. Nevertheless, the incident with York contributed to their decision to make a coaching change following the incident. 

THE ATHLETIC: Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet has been suggested by some pundits as a full-time replacement for Tortorella behind the Flyers bench. However, Thomas Drance cited a team source saying the club fully intends to use their club option next season to retain Tocchet. They also prefer to negotiate a contract extension for Tocchet this summer.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich returns to action on Saturday against the Colorado Avalanche after missing four games with an illness. The Blues also signed top prospect Jimmy Snuggerud to an entry-level contract.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning will honor Ryan McDonagh for reaching the 1,000-game plateau during a ceremony before Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders. McDonagh reached the milestone on Thursday against the Utah Hockey Club.

RG.ORG: Ryan Lindgren is enjoying his fresh start with the Colorado Avalanche after being traded by the New York Rangers before the March trade deadline. The 27-year-old defenseman is due to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 but his current focus is on helping the Avalanche win.

TSN: Minnesota Wild defenseman David Jiricek is out for the season with a lacerated spleen. He suffered the injury playing for their AHL affiliate in Iowa and is expected to fully recover before the start of next season.

DAILY FACEOFF: Matt Larkin looks at whether last month’s 4 Nations Face-Off adversely affected the overall performance of the players who participated in the tournament.

THE ATHLETIC: NHL attendance is seeing nearly league-wide gains heading into the final stretch of the 2024-25 regular season. The biggest gainers include the Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers, Washington Capitals and San Jose Sharks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2025

by | Mar 28, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2025

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby sets a notable offensive record, Nikita Kucherov leads the Lightning with a four-point game, the Blues strengthen their hold on the final Western wild card, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING THURSDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby broke Wayne Gretzky’s record of consecutive seasons averaging a point-per-game in a 7-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Jiri Kulich scored twice for the Sabres while Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Rasmus Dahlin, Bowen Byram and Peyton Kreb had two points each.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby has 20 consecutive seasons averaging a point-per-game. That’s an impressive display of offensive consistency, especially at this stage of his career on a team rebuilding its roster.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 saves to shut out the Utah Hockey Club 8-0. Victor Hedman had a goal and two assists while Jake Guentzel and Oliver Bjorkstrand each scored twice for the Lightning (89 points), who moved within one point of the first-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning are tied with the Florida Panthers in points but the latter holds a game in hand.

Speaking of the Maple Leafs, they overcame a 5-3 deficit in regulation to the San Jose Sharks but fell 6-5 on shootout goals by Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini. Tyler Toffoli scored twice and picked up an assist for the Sharks. William Nylander tallied twice and Mitch Marner collected three assists for the Leafs, who sit atop the Atlantic Division with 90 points.

The St. Louis Blues strengthened their hold on the final Western Conference wild-card berth by nipping the Nashville Predators 3-2, picking up their eighth straight win. Dylan Holloway scored two goals, including the game-winner in the third period. Robert Thomas had two assists for the Blues (85 points), opening a five-point lead over the Vancouver Canucks. Fedor Svechkov and Brady Skjei scored for the Predators, who’ve been officially eliminated from the playoff race.

Minnesota Wild forward Frederick Gaudreau scored twice and Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals. Filip Gustavsson stopped 28 shots for the Wild, who remain two points ahead of the Blues for the first Western wild card. Matt Roy and Brandon Duhaime replied for the Capitals, who remain in first place in the overall standings with 103 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was held off the score sheet and remains six goals from breaking Gretzky’s all-time goals record of 894. Following the game, Ovechkin led his teammates in a handshake lineup for Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who is expected to retire following this season.

The Dallas Stars got a 46-save performance by backup goalie Casey DeSmith to beat the Calgary Flames 5-2. Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Mikko Rantanen, Matt Duchene, Mikael Granlund and Mason Marchment each collected two points for the Stars, who picked up their fourth straight win to sit second in the Central Division with 98 points. Nazem Kadri scored both goals for the Flames (79 points), who sit six points back of the surging Blues in the Western wild-card race.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames had two goals disallowed, leaving them feeling like the referees robbed them. They also lost forward Connor Zary as he left the game early in the third period favoring his left knee after colliding with Rantanen.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark turned aside 31 shots as his club held off the Detroit Red Wings for a 4-3 victory. Michael Amadio scored what proved to be the game-winner as the Senators (81 points) opened a six-point cushion over the Montreal Canadiens in the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Lucas Raymond had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings, who remain three points behind the Canadiens with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game featured two teams going in different directions. The Senators have won eight of their last 11 games while the Red Wings have only three wins in their last 14 contests.

Meanwhile, the Canadiens (75 points) blew a golden opportunity to expand their lead in the final Eastern wild-card spot by dropping a 6-4 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers, who had fired head coach John Tortorella earlier in the day. Sean Couturier and Matvei Michkov each had two goals and an assist for the Flyers, who got their first win under interim coach Brad Shaw. Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson picked up two assists, becoming the first rookie defenseman since 1985-86 to have 50 assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, Flyers general manager Daniel Briere spoke to the media about the decision to fire Tortorella. He claimed a number of reasons led to the decision, not just Tortorella’s comments on Tuesday expressing frustration over the club’s losing skid in recent weeks. He declined to get into the specifics, saying it wouldn’t be fair to his former coach.

Flyers defenseman Cam York was benched for the entire game against the Canadiens. Shaw claimed it was for disciplinary reasons but didn’t go into detail.

The last rookie defenseman to reach the 50-assist plateau was Gary Suter with the Calgary Flames. He went on to win the Calder Memorial Trophy that season.

Colorado Avalanche goalie Mackenzie Blackwood had 22 saves to blank the Los Angeles Kings 4-0. Martin Necas scored twice and picked up an assist while Nathan MacKinnon had an assist to extend his home points streak to 23 games. The Avalanche sit third in the Central Division with 93 points, while the Kings are second in the Pacific Division with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon (108 points) holds a three-point lead over Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov atop the points race. Kings forwards Alex Turcotte and Tanner Jeannot missed this game as they’re day-to-day with undisclosed injuries.

A five-goal second period carried the Seattle Kraken to a 6-1 upset of the Edmonton Oilers. Jaden Schwartz scored twice and Joey Daccord kicked out 36 shots for the Kraken. Zach Hyman scored for the Oilers, who remain third in the Pacific Division with 87 points.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins defenseman Michael Callahan was fined over $2,000.00 by the department of player safety for cross-checking Anaheim Ducks forward Jansen Harkins on Wednesday.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers forward Matt Rempe is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2025

by | Mar 27, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2025

Recaps of Wednesday’s games, the Flyers fire head coach John Tortorella, an update on Brad Marchand, Dylan Cozens is thriving since being traded to the Senators, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Dallas Stars got a natural hat trick from Jason Robertson as they held off the Edmonton Oilers 4-3. Roope Hintz collected three assists and Jake Oettinger stopped 41 shots for the Stars, who’ve won their third straight game and sit second in the Central Division with 96 points. Corey Perry and Adam Henrique each had a goal and an assist for the Oilers, who lost goaltender Stuart Skinner following a third-period collision with Stars winger Mikko Rantanen. The loss leaves the Oilers in third place in the Pacific Division with 87 points.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Skinner will not be traveling with the Oilers to Seattle after being struck in the head by Rantanen’s knee. His teammates’ tepid response to the incident sparked criticism of the club’s toughness.

Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood scored twice and picked up an assist in a 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders. Thatcher Demko made 26 saves while Pius Suter and Drew O’Connor had two assists each for the Canucks (80 points), who sit three points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Casey Cizikas had a goal and an assist for the Islanders (74 points), who remain one point back of the Montreal Canadiens for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

The Boston Bruins’ fading playoff hopes took another hit with a 6-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. Leo Carlsson tallied twice and Jackson LaCombe had a goal and an assist for the Ducks. David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie replied for the Bruins (69 points), who’ve lost seven straight games and remain six points behind the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov missed this game to return to Boston to deal with a family matter.

New Jersey Devils forward Dawson Mercer scored two goals to lead his club over the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3. Luke Hughes collected three assists as the Devils ended a three-game losing skid. They’re third in the Metropolitan Division with 83 points. Tyler Bertuzzi and Ilya Mikheyev replied for the Blackhawks, who’ve dropped eight of their last nine games.

HEADLINES

**UPDATE** The Philadelphia Flyers relieved John Tortorella of his coaching duties. 

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Brad Marchand is inching closer to his debut with the Panthers. Head coach Paul Maurice said the plan is for the 36-year-old winger to participate in a full team practice on Thursday and be in the lineup for Friday’s game against Utah.

The Panthers acquired Marchand from the Bruins at the March 7 trade deadline. He’s been sidelined with an upper-body injury since March 1.

SPORTSNET: Dylan Cozens has been thriving with the Ottawa Senators. Acquired from the Buffalo Sabres on March 7, he has three goals and five assists for eight points in nine games. The Senators have gone 6-3-0 during that stretch.

THE ATHLETIC: Matthew Fairburn believes the Sabres’ long playoff drought is testing the limits of their fans’ patience. The club is seeing thousands of empty seats in their arena this season, with some season-ticket holders opting not to renew for 2025-26.

Fairburn points out the Sabres are 30th in attendance by average capacity with 84 percent. They’re 27th in average raw attendance with 16, 070. He believes the constant losing hurts the club’s bottom line.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres have been floundering for nearly 15 years under team owner Terry Pegula. Sabres fans are long-suffering but their patience could be nearing the breaking point. Buffalo is a hockey town with a rich history, However, if fan support keeps dwindling, whispers of franchise relocation won’t be far behind.

SPORTSNET: Eric Francis reported on some details for the Calgary Flames’ new arena. Construction began on the 18,400-seat venue eight months ago and is expected to open midway through 2027.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators CEO Cyril Leeder said the club is expected to remain in its current arena for at least five years. Talks are ongoing between the Senators and Ottawa’s National Capital Commission (NCC) to construct a new arena at LeBreton Flats.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 26, 2025

by | Mar 26, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 26, 2025

The Jets clinch a playoff berth, Alex Ovechkin moves closer to the all-time goals record, Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov and Sabres coach Lindy Ruff reach notable career milestones, the Capitals re-sign Jakob Chychrun, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets became the first Western Conference team to clinch a playoff berth as they defeated the Washington Capitals 3-2 on an overtime goal by Nikolaj Ehlers. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 27 shots for the Jets (102 points), who sit one point back of the league-leading Capitals. Washington captain Alex Ovechkin tallied his 889th regular-season goal, putting him six away from breaking the all-time goal record held by Wayne Gretzky.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals signed defenseman Jakob Chychrun to an eight-year, $72-million contract extension earlier in the day. The average annual value is $9 million and is a considerable raise over his current AAV of 4.6 million.

Chychrun’s been a terrific addition to the Capitals blueline with 18 goals and a career-best 44-point performance (and counting) this season. The 26-year-old’s new contract reflects the cost of signing top-four defensemen with the salary cap projected to rise significantly in the coming years. It will affect comparable blueliners like Edmonton’s Evan Bouchard who are due for new contracts this summer.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two assists to pass the 100-point milestone in a 6-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Anthony Cirelli tallied twice for the Lightning as they sit third in the Atlantic Division with 87 points. Bryan Rust replied for the Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov is the 21st player in NHL history to reach the 100-point plateau five times. It’s the most for a Russian-born player, with Washington’s Alex Ovechkin doing it four times and Pittsburgh’s Evgeni Malkin three times. Meanwhile, Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak left this game in the first period with an undisclosed injury.

Head coach Lindy Ruff collected his 600th regular-season win with the Buffalo Sabres as his club nipped the Ottawa Senator 3-2. Tage Thompson tallied the tie-breaker early in the third period for the Sabres. Brady Tkachuk and David Perron scored for the Senators, who hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ruff is the second coach in league history to have 600 wins with one franchise. Al Arbour holds the record (740) with the New York Islanders.

This was the first game between Buffalo and Ottawa since Dylan Cozens was shipped to the Senators for Josh Norris and Jacob Bernard-Docker at the March 7 trade deadline. Bernard-Docker scored against his former club while Cozens picked up an assist. Norris has missed the Sabres’ last five games with an undisclosed injury.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel had a hat trick to beat the Minnesota Wild 5-1. Mark Stone and Noah Hanifin each had two assists for the Golden Knights, who have won four straight games and hold first place in the Pacific Division with 94 points. Marcus Johansson scored for the Wild, who hold the first Western wild-card spot with 85 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vegas defenseman Shea Theodore picked up an assist in his first game since Feb. 8. It was the 500th regular-season game of his career.

The St. Louis Blues got their seventh straight win with a 6-1 drubbing of the Montreal Canadiens. Robert Thomas and Philip Broberg each had a goal and three assists as the Blues (83 points) maintained a four-point lead over the Calgary Flames for the final Western wild-card berth. Nick Suzuki replied for the Canadiens, who cling to the final Eastern wild card (75 points) but are winless in their last three games (0-1-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues are red hot and could overtake Minnesota for the first Western wild-card berth.

An overtime goal by Nazem Kadri gave the Calgary Flames a 4-3 win over the Seattle Kraken. Kadri finished the night with two goals while Jonathan Huberdeau and Matt Coronato each had two assists as the Flames (79 points) remain four points behind the Blues.

Los Angeles Kings winger Kevin Fiala tallied two goals to defeat the New York Rangers 3-1, extending their franchise-best home points streak to 15 games. Darcy Kuemper stopped 22 shots for the Kings, who’ve won four straight and sit second in the Pacific Division with 89 points. J.T. Miller scored for the Rangers (74 points), who remain one point behind the Canadiens.

Toronto Maple Leafs forwards William Nylander and John Tavares each scored twice to crush the Philadelphia Flyers 7-2. Nylander reached the 40-goal plateau for the third consecutive season as the Leafs moved into first place in the Atlantic Division with 89 points. Ryan Poehling and Sean Couturier replied for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Florida Panthers also have 89 points, but the Leafs have the edge with 42 regulation plus overtime wins compared to the Panthers’ 38.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist to extend his home points streak to 22 games in a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Devon Toews had a goal and two assists to sit third in the Central Division with 91 points. J.T. Compher had a goal and an assist for the faltering Red Wings (72 points), who’ve dropped three of their last four to remain three points out of the final Eastern wild card.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With Petr Mrazek and Cam Talbot sidelined, the Wings recalled goalie Sebastian Cossa on an emergency basis to back up starter Alex Lyon.

The Nashville Predators upset the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1. Luke Evangelista scored twice and Juuse Saros turned aside 34 shots for the Predators. Taylor Hall scored for the Hurricanes, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 90 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Tennessean’s Alex Daugherty reported Monday that the Predators won’t release any information on sidelined Predators captain Roman Josi until after the season ends. “There is zero chance he plays any games the rest of this season.”

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: The 2025 NHL Draft Lottery is expected to be held on May 5 or 6, depending on the playoff schedule.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Blackhawks forward Jason Dickinson will miss the remainder of the regular season with an injured wrist.