NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 6, 2025

by | Jan 6, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 6, 2025

Milestone games for the Ducks’ John Gibson and the Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho, the Ducks re-sign Frank Vatrano, Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark sidelined again, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING SUNDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson kicked out 36 shots for his 200th NHL regular-season win in a 4-1 upset of the Tampa Bay Lightning, handing the latter their fourth straight loss. Frank Vatrano tallied twice and set up another and Troy Terry scored a goal and an assist as the Ducks picked up their fourth win in their last five contests. Jake Guentzel replied for the Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks signed Vatrano before the game to a three-year contract extension with an average annual value of $4,571,189.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson (NHL Images).

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports the 30-year-old forward will receive a base salary of $3 million annually with $9 million of his salary deferred until 2035, when he’ll receive $900k annually for 10 years, lowering the AAV from $6 million. Vatrano intends to reside outside California and its tax system by that point of his retirement.

Speaking of Gibson, he was part of the Ducks’ Quarter-Century Team, joining defensemen Chris Pronger and Francois Beauchemin and forwards Paul Kariya, Bobby Ryan, and Jakob Silfverberg on the Second Team. Forwards Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Teemu Selanne, defensemen Scott Niedermayer and Cam Fowle,r and goalie Jean-Sebastian Giguere comprised the First Team.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho’s overtime goal lifted his club over the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3, giving him his 600th NHL regular-season point. Aho also collected two assists while teammate Seth Jarvis scored twice and had an assist. Erik Karlsson scored a goal and an assist for the Penguins, who hold the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference with 41 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins activated defenseman Kris Letang off injured reserve for this game and placed winger Philip Tomasino (lower-body injury) on IR.

The Toronto Maple Leafs nipped the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on an overtime goal by Morgan Rielly. Matthews Knies and Oliver Ekman-Larsson also scored and Auston Matthews picked up two assists as the Leafs got their fifth win in their last six outings. Tyson Foerster and Scott Laughton scored for the Flyers, who’ve dropped seven of their last 10 contests (3-6-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Toronto (54 points) sits one point behind the Eastern Conference-leading Washington Capitals. Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe left the game in the first period after striking his head on the ice during a fight with Flyers winger Garnet Hathaway. An update on his condition is expected on Monday.

New York Islanders center Bo Horvat scored in overtime in a 5-4 upset of the Boston Bruins. The Isles took a 4-2 lead with Anders Lee scoring two goals but the Bruins rallied as David Pastrnak tallied twice in the third period to force the extra period. The Isles snapped a three-game losing skid while the Bruins are winless in their last four (0-3-1).

The New York Rangers picked up their second win in their last seven games by downing the Chicago Blackhawks 6-2. Filip Chytil scored two goals, Mika Zibanejad picked up his 400th regular-season assist, and Louis Domingue stopped 25 shots in his first start since Nov. 2023. Tyler Bertuzzi and Wyatt Kaiser scored for the Blackhawks, who’ve lost six of their last seven.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers winger Chris Kreider missed this game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Some folks wondered if he was being sat out as a prelude to a trade but he’s reportedly battled a back injury since November.

HEADLINES

DAILY FACEOFF: Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered on Dec. 22 against the Edmonton Oilers. Defenseman Travis Hamonic will be sidelined for two to four weeks with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators were on a six-game winning streak when Ullmark was sidelined. They’ve lost four of their last five and slipped out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken placed goaltender Joey Daccord (upper body) and center Yanni Gourde (lower body) on injured reserve.

SPORTSNET: Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett was fined $5,000.00 by the NHL department of player safety on Saturday for roughing Penguins forward Drew O’Connor during Friday’s game between the two clubs.

TSN: The Los Angeles Kings placed forward Arthur Kaliyev on waivers while the Utah Hockey Club claimed defenseman Nick DeSimone off waivers from the New Jersey Devils.

IIHF.COM: An overtime goal by Nashville Predators prospect Teddy Stiga gave Team USA a 4-3 victory over Finland in the Gold Medal Game at the 2025 World Junior Championship. It’s the first time the United States has won back-to-back WJC gold medals.

Team USA captain (and Washington Capitals prospect) Ryan Leonard was named tournament MVP and was named to the tournament All-Star Team.

Czechia nipped Sweden 3-2 in the Bronze Medal Game in a record-setting 14-round shootout. Seattle Kraken prospect Eduard Sale scored the game-winner.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 5, 2025

by | Jan 5, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 5, 2025

Five-point performances by Leafs forwards Matthew Knies and Mitch Marner, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin continues gaining ground on the goals record, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs forwards Matthews Knies and Mitch Marner each had five-point performances in a 6-4 victory over the Boston Bruins. Knies scored his first NHL hat trick and added two assists while Marner had a goal and four assists. Leafs captain Auston Matthews had a three-point night after missing six games with an upper-body injury. David Pastrnak tallied twice for the Bruins as they lost their third straight game.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews and Marner comprise part of the Leafs’ Quarter-Century Team, joining teammate Morgan Rielly, former captain Mats Sundin, defenseman Tomas Kaberle, and goaltender Ed Belfour on the First Team.

Current Leafs William Nylander and John Tavares joined goaltender Curtis Joseph, forward Phil Kessel, and blueliners Bryan McCabe and Dion Phaneuf as part of the Second Team.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 872nd NHL regular-season goal and collected an assist as his club defeated the New York Rangers 7-4. Dylan Strome had a goal and two assists as the Capitals (55 points) held a three-point lead over the Leafs for first place in the Eastern Conference. Rangers winger Chris Kreider scored his 13th goal as his club has lost five of its last six contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin’s been on a tear since returning from a broken left fibula on Dec. 28, collecting four goals and five points in five games. He’s within 23 goals of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894.

The Edmonton Oilers doubled up the Seattle Kraken 4-2. Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl extended his points streak to 14 games with a goal and an assist and Viktor Arvidsson had two helpers as the Oilers have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 contests. Chandler Stephenson and Jaden Schwartz replied for the Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl leads all NHL scorers with 29 goals this season. He’s poised to reach the 30-goal plateau for the seventh straight year. Kraken defenseman (and former Oiler) Adam Larsson left this game following the second period with an undisclosed injury.

Minnesota Wild forward Marco Rossi collected a career-high four assists in a 4-0 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Filip Gustavsson had a 21-save shutout while Matt Boldy and Mats Zuccarello each had three points as the Wild have won five of their last six contests. The Hurricanes have lost four of their last six (2-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rossi’s improved play silenced the trade rumors about the 23-year-old Wild center earlier this season. He’s sitting second among their scorers with 37 points in 40 games.

The Nashville Predators got a hat trick from Ryan O’Reilly to douse the Calgary Flames 4-1. Filip Forsberg and Fedor Svechkov collected two points each and Justus Annunen turned aside 31 shots for the Predators as they picked up their second straight victory. Mikael Backlund replied for the Flames as they dropped three of their last four games.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone scored to collect his 600th regular-season point in a 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist against his former team as the Golden Knights overtook the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the overall standings with 57 points. Jason Zucker scored for the Sabres as they go 0-2-1 in their last three contests.

Speaking of the Jets, they were upset by the Detroit Red Wings 4-2. Lucas Raymond had a goal and two assists while Dylan Larkin scored twice for the Wings as they picked up their fourth straight win. Josh Morrissey and Nikolaj Ehlers scored for the Jets as they’re winless in their last three (0-2-1).

The San Jose Sharks upset the New Jersey Devils 3-2. Cody Ceci scored the winning goal with 25 seconds remaining in the third period. Nikolai Kovalenko and Macklin Celebrini also scored for the Sharks as they picked up their second straight win. Nico Hischier and Paul Cotter scored for the Devils as their losing skid reached four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks activated William Eklund off injured reserve for this game and placed defenseman Jake Walman on IR. Meanwhile, the Devils placed defenseman Nick DeSimone on waivers.

Los Angeles Kings winger Adrian Kempe’s third-period goal gave his club a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Mikey Anderson also scored and Darcy Kuemper kicked out 34 shots as the Kings extended their winning streak to four games. Victor Hedman had the Lightning’s only goal as they’ve dropped three in a row.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings got a boost for this game as forwards Trevor Moore and Trevor Lewis came off injured reserve.

Shootout goals by Cole Caufield and Kirby Dach lifted the Montreal Canadiens to a 2-1 upset of the Colorado Avalanche. Caufield also scored the tying goal in regulation and rookie goalie Jakub Dobes stopped 23 shots for his second straight win in as many games. Mikko Rantanen scored for the Avalanche as their six-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Montreal forward Patrik Laine (illness) and defenseman David Savard (upper-body injury) missed their second straight game. The Canadiens (39 points) have won seven of their last 10 games and sit one point behind the Ottawa Senators for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

The Dallas Stars nipped the Utah Hockey Club 3-2 on an overtime goal by Thomas Harley. Joel Oettinger made 33 saves while Matt Duchene and Wyatt Johnston each picked up two assists for their club’s fourth straight victory. Matias Maccelli tallied both goals for Utah as they’d lost six of their last seven games (1-4-2).

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Dmitri Voronkov tallied two goals while Sean Monahan and Ivan Provorov had three assists each in a 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Blues. With the win, the Blue Jackets are one point out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Jordan Kyrou scored a goal and two assists for the Blues, who sat two points out of the final Western wild-card position.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 4, 2025

by | Jan 4, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 4, 2025

A big night for Blues winger Brandon Saad, Oilers star Leon Draisaitl extends his points streak, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF FRIDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: St. Louis Blues winger Brandon Saad tallied a natural hat trick as his club blanked the Ottawa Senators 4-0. Goaltender Jordan Binnington turned in a 20-save shutout for the Blues (42 points), who’ve won four of their last five to move within two points of the final Western Conference wild-card berth. The Senators (40 points) have dropped four of their last five but still cling to the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

St. Louis Blues winger Brandon Saad (NHL Images).

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl extended his point streak to 13 games by scoring the winning goal with 1:35 remaining in the third period in a 3-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse had a goal and an assist. Brett Leason and Jackson LaCombe replied for the Ducks as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl leads the league with 28 goals. Oilers captain Connor McDavid saw his 12-game points streak end.

The Nashville Predators got a 27-save shutout by Juuse Saros to end a three-game losing skid by downing the Vancouver Canucks 3-0. Steven Stamkos, Gustav Nyquist and Colton Sissons were the goal scorers, with the last two being empty-net goals. Canucks netminder Kevin Lankinen stopped 16 of 17 shots as his club has lost three of their last four (1-2-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vancouver starter Thatcher Demko missed this game due to back spasms, forcing them to recall goalie Arturs Silovs on an emergency basis. The Canucks (44 points) hold a one-point lead over the Calgary Flames for the final Western wild-card spot.

Shootout goals by Sam Reinhart and Anton Lundell lifted the Florida Panthers to a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Gustav Forsling and Matthew Tkachuk scored in regulation while Spencer Knight made 29 saves for the Panthers. Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell replied for the Penguins, who are tied with the Senators with 40 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators hold the final Eastern wild-card berth with two games in hand and two more victories (19 to 17) than Pittsburgh. Penguins forward Philip Tomasino left the game in the third period with an undisclosed injury.

The Chicago Blackhawks snapped a five-game losing skid by doubling up the Montreal Canadiens 4-2, ending the latter’s three-game win streak. Arvid Soderblom kicked out 38 shots and Nick Foligno tallied two goals for the Blackhawks. Canadiens winger Cole Caufield netted his 20th of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens were the dominant team for most of this contest but Soderblom was outstanding and Foligno was clutch for the Blackhawks. Pat Maroon lost a scrap with Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj in the first period but got the last laugh in the third with the game-winning goal.

The Blackhawks called up Colton Dach for this game. It was the first time he and his brother (Canadiens forward Kirby Dach) faced each other in NHL action.

HEADLINES

RG.ORG: Philadelphia Flyers rookie winger Matvei Michkov admits he’s still learning to adapt mentally and physically to the grind of his first NHL season. He said his English is improving and he is learning a lot from head coach John Tortorella despite the language barrier.

Michkov indicated he has a good relationship with his rival, Chicago Blackhawks star Connor Bedard. “He’s a good player and a good guy,” said the Flyers winger. “It’s exciting to watch players like him.”

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton was fined $2,000.00 for embellishment by the department of player safety. The incident occurred during a game against the New York Rangers on Dec. 23.

THE SCORE: The Colorado Avalanche hope goaltender Scott Wedgewood will only be sidelined for a couple of weeks. He suffered a lower-body injury on Thursday against the Buffalo Sabres. Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said Wedgewood is still being evaluated.

SPORTSNET: Winnipeg Jets center Mason Appleton (lower body) was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 28.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: The Bruins signed forward Mark Kastelic to a three-year contract extension. The average annual salary is $1.567 million.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs signed defenseman Phillipe Myers to a two-year deal worth $850K per season.

SPORTS MEDIA WATCH: Tuesday’s NHL Winter Classic between the Blackhawks and Blues at Chicago’s Wrigley Field averaged 920,000 viewers, the smallest TV audience in the annual outdoor game’s history.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The game involved two opponents not considered among this season’s elite teams. The Blackhawks are rebuilding while the Blues are battling for a wild-card spot. It was a lopsided affair with the Blues winning 6-2.

The league also staged this game on New Year’s Eve rather than New Year’s Day as it used to and did a poor job publicizing the event.

NHL.COM: Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk and Hall-of-Fame goaltender Roberto Luongo highlighted the Florida Panthers’ Quarter-Century Team.

Joining Barkov, Tkachuk and Luongo on the First Team are winger Jonathan Huberdeau and defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Gustav Forsling.

Hall-of-Fame winger Pavel Bure joined forwards Sam Reinhart and Olli Jokinen, defensemen Jay Bouwmeester and Robert Svehla and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky on the Second Team.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 3, 2025

by | Jan 3, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 3, 2025

Recaps of Thursday’s action and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

RECAPS OF THURSDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Colorado Avalanche overcame a 5-3 deficit to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 6-5 on an overtime goal by Devon Toews, who finished with three points. Nathan MacKinnon collected three assists, including setting up Jonathan Drouin for the tying goal with eight seconds remaining in the third period. Sabres winger Jason Zucker scored a hat trick and added an assist while Tage Thompson had three helpers.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads the league with 64 points and is the first player this season to reach the 50-assist plateau. The Avalanche have won six straight games.

Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood suffered a lower-body injury in the third period following a collision with Sabres forward Zach Benson, who scored to make it 4-2. Avs head coach Jared Bednar was visibly angry with the officials for not whistling the play dead when it was apparent Wedgewood was hurt before Benson scored. Mackenzie Blackwood replaced Wedgewood for the rest of the game.

The Avalanche also played without winger Valeri Nichushkin. He’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Anaheim Ducks winger Troy Terry scored his second goal in overtime as his club upset the Winnipeg Jets 4-3. Terry finished with three points and Radko Gudas had a goal and an assist as the Ducks picked up their third straight victory. Mark Scheifele tallied his 23rd goal of the season while Alex Iafallo had a goal and an assist for the Jets, who remain in first place in the overall standings with 56 points.

The Vegas Golden Knights picked up their seventh win in their last eight games with a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Mark Stone, Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin each collected two points for the Golden Knights as they sit one point behind the Jets in the overall standings. Tyson Foerster and Travis Konecny replied for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights placed winger Ivan Barbashev on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 17.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 871st regular-season goal but his club fell 4-3 to the Minnesota Wild. Matt Boldy scored the winner in a shootout and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 28 shots as the Wild have won four of their last five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin is 24 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 regular-season goals. His Capitals picked up a point and hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 53 points. Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury suffered by a slew-foot from Nashville Predators forward Zachary L’Heureux, who received a three-game suspension for his actions.

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Florida Panthers 3-1. Jaccob Slavin snapped a 1-1 tie and Martin Necas added an empty-netter to seal the win. Anton Lundell scored for the Panthers, who got a 37-save performance from goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. They’ve lost three of their last four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes forward Tyson Jost missed this game as he was sent back to Raleigh for treatment for an injury suffered during Tuesday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz tallied twice in a 4-2 win over the Ottawa Senators. Matt Duchene had a goal and an assist while goalie Jake Oettinger faced only 13 shots as the Stars picked up their third straight win. Senators captain Brady Tkachuk had a goal and an assist as his club has dropped three of their last four contests and cling to the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 40 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators welcomed back defenseman Artem Zub as he returned to action after missing 16 games with a broken foot.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann scored twice as his club nipped the New York Islanders 2-1. McMann got the tiebreaker with 2:59 remaining in the third period while Joseph Woll stopped 32 shots as the Leafs lead the Atlantic Division with 50 points. Scott Mayfield scored for the Islanders as they’ve lost four of their last five games.

The Vancouver Canucks regained the final Western Conference wild-card spot (44 points) with a 4-3 shootout victory over the Seattle Kraken. J.T. Miller scored the winning goal for the Canucks while Kevin Lankinen replaced Thatcher Demko after the latter left the game with back spasms in the second period. Matty Beniers and Vince Dunn each collected two points, including goals as the Kraken overcame a 3-1 deficit to tie the game in the third period.

Utah Hockey Club forward Lawson Crouse netted two goals in a 5-3 win over the Calgary Flames, who slipped one point behind the Canucks in the Western wild-card race. Blake Coleman had a goal and an assist for the Flames. The win was Utah’s first in five games (0-4-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah forward Matias Maccelli missed this game due to illness.

New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick kicked out 32 shots for his 399th career NHL win to backstop his club over the Boston Bruins 2-1. Mika Zibanejad and Brett Berard scored for the Rangers as they snapped a four-game losing skid. Elias Lindholm scored for the Bruins, who’ve dropped three of their last four contests.

The San Jose Sharks upset the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1. Yaroslav Askarov turned aside 24 shots for the win while Tyler Toffoli and Mario Ferraro scored for the Sharks as they snapped an eight-game losing streak. Anthony Cirelli replied for the Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic made his season debut after being sidelined with an upper-back injury since training camp.

Detroit Red Wings forward Jonathan Berggren scored with 36 seconds remaining in the third period in a 5-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Alex DeBrincat had a goal and two assists while Dylan Larkin and Patrick Kane scored a goal and an assist each for the Wings, who’ve won three straight. James van Riemsdyk and Zach Werenski each collected three points for the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets Quarter-Century Team was unveiled yesterday.

Werenski, Seth Jones, Rick Nash, Artemi Panarin, Cam Atkinson and Sergei Bobrovsky were named to the First Team. Johnny Gaudreau, Boone Jenner, Nick Foligno, David Savard, Fedor Tyutin and Steve Mason made up the Second Team.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 2, 2025

by | Jan 2, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 2, 2025

The Kings defeated the Devils in the first game of the New Year, the three stars and rookie of the month are revealed, plus updates on Auston Matthews, Kirill Kaprizov, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

KINGS SHUT OUT DEVILS

NHL.COM: Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper made 33 saves to shut out the New Jersey Devils 3-0 in 2025’s first NHL game. Andre Lee’s first-ever NHL goal was also the first goal of the New Year while Quinton Byfield and Adrian Kempe also scored for the Kings, who picked up their eighth straight home victory. Jake Allen stopped 21 shots for the Devils as they dropped their third consecutive game.

Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils (51 points) remain second overall in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Washington Capitals. The Kings have won three straight and sit second in the Pacific Division with 49 points.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, and New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom are the NHL’s three stars for December 2024. Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson is the league’s Rookie of the Month for December.

Forwards Shane Doan, Clayton Keller, and defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson highlight the Arizona Coyotes’ quarter-century team.

Doan, Keller, Ekman-Larsson, bluliner Keith Yandle and goaltender Mike Smith were part of the Coyotes’ First Team. Hall-of-Famer Jeremy Roenick, forwards Nick Schmaltz and Martin Hanzal, defensemen Teppo Nunminen and Zbynek Michalek and netminder Ilya Bryzgalov formed the Second Team.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews is uncertain that his nagging upper-body injury will be sufficiently healed before the end of this season. That could affect Matthews’ participation in the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews missed nine games in November and five straight since Dec. 20. He’s resumed skating with his teammates but there’s no timetable for his return to action. I’ll have more about this situation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

PUCKPEDIA: Speaking of the Leafs, they placed defenseman Jani Hakanpaa (lower body) on long-term injury reserve.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (lower body) was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 23.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Marc-Edouard Vlasic has been practicing since mid-November but there’s no timetable for his return. The long-time Sharks defenseman has been sidelined since the beginning of training camp with an upper-back injury.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. He’s already missed 13 games this season because of a nagging lower-body injury but it’s uncertain if this injury is related to the previous one.

SPORTSNET: Nashville Predators forward Zachary L’Heureux will have a hearing for his slew-foot of Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon on Tuesday.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers defenseman Zac Jones vented his frustration over being a healthy scratch in four of the last five games. “It f***ing sucks,” said Jones, adding that he felt like he was “rotting away a little bit.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jones’ remarks could lead to him getting traded if the Rangers become sellers by the March 7 trade deadline.

COLORADO AVALANCHE: placed defenseman Oliver Kylington on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 27.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL superstar Jaromir Jagr will need dental work after losing several teeth in a recent game for Rytiri Kladno against Mountfield HK in the Czech Extraliga. Jagr, 52, also had two assists as Kladno won the game 4-2.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 1, 2025

by | Jan 1, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 1, 2025

The Blues defeat the Blackhawks in the Winter Classic, both clubs reveal their quarter-century teams, the Rangers get bad news about Igor Shesterkin and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: St. Louis Blues defenseman Cam Fowler scored two goals in his 1,000th NHL regular-season game, leading his club to a 6-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2025 Winter Classic at Wrigley Field before a sellout crowd of 40, 933 fans.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Cam Fowler celebrates a goal at the 2025 NHL Winter Classic (NHL.com).

Justin Faulk had a goal and two assists for the Blues (40 points), moving within three points of the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Taylor Hall and Tyler Bertuzzi replied for the Blackhawks as their losing skid stretched to five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hall was among several Blackhawks who apologized to their fans for their poor performance in this game.

No offense to Chicago or the Blackhawks but I hope we don’t see them in any more Winter Classics for a while, or at least until they’re a competitive team again. This was their seventh appearance and the worst thus far.

The Winter Classic has become an afterthought. The league must consider new locations, teams, or formats to reinvigorate their annual New Year’s Eve outdoor game. They should also consider scaling back some of its annual Stadium Series games to focus more on the Winter Classic.

Edmonton Oilers superstars Connor McDavid collected two assists and Leon Draisaitl scored in a 4-1 victory over the Utah Hockey Club. McDavid and Draisaitl extended their points streaks to 12 games while McDavid moved past Mark Messier into third place on the Oilers’ all-time points list with 1,036. Jaxson Stauber stopped 34 shots for Utah.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah sent goaltender Connor Ingram to their AHL affiliate in Tucson on a conditioning stint. He’s working his way back from a lower-body injury that has sidelined him for 18 games.

The Washington Capitals remained in first place in the Eastern Conference by defeating the Boston Bruins 3-1. Aliaksei Protas scored two goals and Tom Wilson had two assists for the Capitals (52 points), who sit one point up on the New Jersey Devils. Justin Brazeau scored for the Bruins.

Speaking of the Devils, they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Strome tallied the tie-breaker with 3:24 remaining in the third period, finishing the night with two points. Lukas Dostal made 32 saves for the Ducks. Jonas Siegenthaler and Timo Meier were the Devils’ goal scorers as they’ve lost two in a row.

The Montreal Canadiens picked up their third straight victory by upsetting the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2, snapping the latter’s seven-game win streak. Vegas took a 2-0 lead on goals by Zach Whitecloud and Noah Hanifin but the Canadiens stormed back with unanswered goals from Cole Caufield, Emil Heineman and Kirby Dach.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights sit second in the Western Conference standings with 53 points. Meanwhile, the Canadiens have won six of their last seven and sit three points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

Colorado Avalanche center Casey Mittelstadt scored the winning goal in a 5-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. It was Mittelstadt’s first goal in 19 games. Jonathan Drouin picked up two assists in his return from injury as the Avalanche collected their fifth straight win. Rasmus Kupari and Gabriel Vilardi scored and Eric Comrie stopped 33 shots for the league-leading Jets (55 points) as their win streak ended at four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin left this game in the second period with a lower-body injury.

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the New York Islanders 3-1. Steven Lorentz ended a 23-game scoreless drought with the game-winner while Joseph Woll made 30 saves to give the Leafs the win. Jean-Gabriel Pageau replied for the Islanders, who are 2-5-0 in their last seven contests. Isles forward Simon Holmstrom missed this game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders head coach Patrick Roy surprised everyone by pulling goalie Ilya Sorokin with 42.3 seconds while the faceoff was in his own zone. The Isles failed to clear the zone and John Tavares scored an empty-netter to seal the win for Toronto. Leafs captain Auston Matthews missed his fifth straight game as he deals with a nagging upper-body injury.

Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi tallied twice and collected an assist while goalie Filip Gustavsson kicked out 43 shots in a 5-3 victory over the Nashville Predators. Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov missed his third straight game with a lower-body injury. Colton Sissons, Jonathan Marchessault and Ryan O’Reilly scored for the Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predator forward Zachary L’Heureux received a match penalty for slew-footing Wild captain Jared Spurgeon during the second period. Spurgeon crashed heavily into the end boards and left the game with a lower-body injury.

The Dallas Stars doubled up the Buffalo Sabres 4-2. Jason Robertson led the way with a goal and two assists as the Stars are 6-3-1 in their last 10 and sit in the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 45 points. Jason Zucker and Beck Malenstyn replied for the Sabres as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars defenseman Matt Dumba returned to action after missing eight games with an upper-body injury. They loaned blueliner Lian Bichsel back to their AHL affiliate.

Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri snapped a 1-1 tie and Jonathan Huberdeau netted the insurance goal to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 3-1. Brock Boeser tallied his 14th goal for the Canucks, who are winless in five of their last six games (1-2-3). The win vaults the Flames (43 points) over the Canucks into the final Western wild-card berth.

Shootout goals by Kent Johnson and Adam Fantelli lifted the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-3 upset of the Carolina Hurricanes. Kirill Marchenko scored two goals, Sean Monahan had three assists and Elvis Merzlikins made 33 saves for the Blue Jackets as they’ve won three of their last four games. Sebastian Aho collected two assists for the Hurricanes, who are 1-2-1 in their last four contests.

Third-period goals by J.T. Compher and Dylan Larkin gave the Detroit Red Wings a 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was their second straight victory under new head coach Todd McLellan, who collected his 600th NHL win. Drew O’Connor netted two goals for the Penguins (39 points), who remain one point behind the Ottawa Senators for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins activated defenseman Marcus Pettersson (lower body) off injured reserve for this game and placed blueliner Kris Letang (lower body) on IR.

The Philadelphia Flyers blanked the San Jose Sharks 4-0, handing the latter their eighth straight loss. Samuel Ersson and Aleksei Kolosov combined for the shutout when Ersson left the game after the second period with an undisclosed injury. The goal scorers were Nick Seeler, Ryan Poehling, Travis Konecny and Egor Zamula. Alexandar Georgiev stopped 30 shots for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The win puts the Flyers two points behind the Senators for that wild-card spot in the East. The Sharks placed forward William Eklund (upper body) on injured reserve.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: The Blackhawks and Blues revealed their quarter-century teams on Wednesday.

Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith were among the Blackhawks’ First Team selections while Hall-of-Famer Marian Hossa made their Second Team. Hall-of-Fame defenseman Chris Pronger and former Blues Vladimir Tarasenko and Alex Pietrangelo highlight those who made the Blues’ First Team with Hall-of-Fame defenseman Al MacInnis among those on their Second Team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the links provided for the full lists. Many were no-brainers but there were a few interesting selections as well.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers placed goaltender Igor Shesterkin on IR with an upper-body injury. The move ensures they’ll be without their starting goaltender for the next three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could be the death blow to the free-falling Rangers’ fading playoff hopes if Shesterkin is sidelined for a lengthy period.