NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 1, 2024

by | Dec 1, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 1, 2024

The Capitals and Wild each get 10 wins in November, Lightning captain Victor Hedman reaches a franchise milestone, the Blue Jackets trade David Jiricek to the Wild, the Avalanche and Predators swap backup goalies, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Third-period goals within 10 seconds by Taylor Raddysh and Pierre-Luc Dubois enabled the Washington Capitals to hold off the New Jersey Devils 6-5. John Carlsson collected three assists as the Capitals (17-6-1, 35 points) vaulted over the Devils (19-9-2, 34 points) into first place in the Eastern Conference. Devils center Jack Hughes also had three assists.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (NHL Images).

An overtime goal by Jared Spurgeon lifted the Minnesota Wild to a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. Spurgeon and Kirill Kaprizov each had a goal and an assist as the Wild (16-4-4, 36 points) moved into a tie with the Winnipeg Jets (18-6-0, 36 points) atop the overall standings. Fedor Svechkov and Ryan O’Reilly scored for the Predators, who dropped their fourth straight game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals and Wild were the only teams to win 10 games in November. The Jets still hold first overall based on wins. Kaprizov scored his 61st career power-play goal, surpassing Mikko Koivu for the second-most PPGs in franchise history. Zach Parise holds the record with 69.

The Toronto Maple Leafs got two assists from Auston Matthews and a goal and an assist from Matthew Knies to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3. Lightning captain Victor Hedman collected two assists to pass Martin St. Louis for the most assists (590) in franchise history.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews missed nine games with an undisclosed injury while Knies missed two games with an upper-body injury. Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury. Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov missed this game with an undisclosed injury and is listed as day-to-day.

New York Rangers winger Kaapo Kakko scored with 24 seconds remaining in regulation to nip the Montreal Canadiens 4-3. Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist and Adam Fox collected two assists as the Rangers snapped a five-game losing skid. Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki each had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Missed calls on both teams sparked criticism of the officiating in this game. Meanwhile, the Canadiens placed forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard on waivers.

The Florida Panthers crushed the Carolina Hurricanes 6-0 to sweep their home-and-home series. Spencer Knight turned in a 20-save shutout, Aleksander Barkov had a goal and an assist, Matthew Tkachuk collected two assists and Sam Bennett scored for the third straight game.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang and forward Michael Bunting each had a goal and two assists in a 6-2 victory over the Calgary Flames. Alex Nedeljkovic made 30 saves as the Penguins picked up their third straight win. Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri each had a goal and an assist for the Flames, who are winless in their last four games (0-3-1).

An overtime goal by rookie winger Matvei Michkov lifted the Philadelphia Flyers over the St. Louis Blues 3-2. Michkov also had an assist while Aleksei Kolosov made 25 saves for the Flyers, who’ve won three straight to hold the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. Dylan Holloway and Jake Neighbours each scored for the Blues.

The Los Angeles Kings picked up their third straight win by dropping the Ottawa Senators 5-2. Anze Kopitar, Trevor Moore and Kevin Fiala each had a goal and an assist for the Kings. Senators center Tim Stutzle scored to extend his points streak to six games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings center Trevor Lewis left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury.

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves for his first shutout of the season in a 3-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, ending a three-game winless skid (0-2-1). Simon Holmstrom tallied twice and Anders Lee netted his 10th goal of the season.

The Edmonton Oilers beat the Colorado Avalanche 4-1. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist, Stuart Skinner stopped 27 shots and Kasperi Kapanen scored his first goal with the Oilers, who picked up their third straight win. Nikolai Kovalenko replied for the Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Avalanche acquired goalie Scott Wedgewood from the Nashville Predators in exchange for netminder Justus Annunen and a sixth-round pick in 2025. Wedgewood backed up Avs starter Alexandar Georgiev in this game.

The Avs hope the experienced Wedgewood will bring more stability to their goaltending, but he struggled with the Predators after signing a two-year contract with them during the summer.

Four first-period goals powered the Utah Hockey Club to a 6-0 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Jaxon Stauber made 29 saves for his first NHL shutout and Nick Schmaltz scored two goals for Utah, ending the Golden Knights’ five-game points streak.

The San Jose Sharks doubled up the Seattle Kraken 4-2 to sweep their home-and-home series. Mackenzie Blackwood kicked out 36 shots and Will Smith scored for the third straight game as the Sharks held off a late rally by the Kraken, who got goals from Jaden Schwartz and Jared McCann.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken defenseman Vince Dunn returned to action after missing 19 games with a mid-body injury.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE ATHLETIC: The Columbus Blue Jackets traded defenseman David Jiricek and a 2025 fifth-round pick to the Minnesota Wild for blueliner Daemon Hunt, a 2025 first-round pick (top-five protected), a 2027 second-round pick, and a 2026 third-round pick and fourth-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets were concerned about Jiricek’s skating, which is the key reason they were willing to part with the 21-year-old defenseman, the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. However, the Wild consider Jiricek worth the investment, hoping the big defenseman with the booming shot reaches his potential as a top-four NHL blueliner.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The NHL department of player safety fined Penguins center Evgeni Malkin $5,000.00 for slashing and Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov $5,000.00 for unsportsmanlike conduct during an incident between the two players in Friday’s game between their two clubs.

SPORTSNET: Winnipeg Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury suffered during Friday’s game against the Golden Knights. However, he hasn’t been ruled out for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Stars.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 30, 2024

by | Nov 30, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 30, 2024

Recapping the action of Friday’s 14 games in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF FRIDAY’S NHL GAMES

NHL.COM: Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny scored two goals as his club upset the New York Rangers 3-1. Bobby Brink also scored and Ivan Fedotov stopped 22 shots for the Flyers as they moved into the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference with 25 points (11-10-3). Vincent Trocheck replied for the Rangers, who’ve lost five in a row and hold the first Eastern wild-card spot with 25 points (12-9-1).

Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers look nothing like the dominant club that won the Presidents’ Trophy last season. General manager Chris Drury miscalculated if he felt that publicly shopping some of his veterans in the trade market would light a fire under this team. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumor Mill update.

Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon scored twice as his club overcame a 2-0 deficit for a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 20 saves as he remains unbeaten in regulation (5-0-1) this season. Ryan Donato tallied both goals for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Blackhawks announced backup goaltender Laurent Brossoit will remain sidelined for another six weeks after undergoing a second procedure on his right knee.

The Vancouver Canucks blew a 3-1 lead but got a 4-3 overtime victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Connor Garland had two goals (including the winning goal) and an assist and Kevin Lankinen turned aside 31 shots for the Canucks. Sabres forward Dylan Cozens had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres forward Sam Lafferty left this game with a lower-body injury.

Power-play goals by Dougie Hamilton, Timo Meier and Jack Hughes carried the New Jersey Devils over the Detroit Red Wings 5-4. Hamilton, Meier and Hughes each finished with two points. Red Wings forward Vladimir Tarasenko also had a goal and an assist while teammate Lucas Raymond scored to extend his goal streak to five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Tomas Tatar left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury. His status is unclear for Saturday’s game against the Washington Capitals. The Devils sit atop the Metropolitan Division with 34 points.

The Washington Capitals overcame a 4-2 deficit to defeat the New York Islanders 5-4 on an overtime goal by Jakob Chychrun. Tom Wilson had two goals, Dylan Strome scored a goal and two assists and Connor McMichael had three helpers for the Capitals. Simon Holmstrom scored twice and Anders Lee had a goal and two assists for the Islanders, who have only two wins in their last 10 games (2-4-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau was a last-minute scratch as he’s dealing with a lower-body issue.

Three unanswered third-period goals by A.J. Greer, Anton Lundell and Sam Bennett carried the Florida Panthers over the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 6-3. This was Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad’s 700th career NHL regular-season game. Seth Jarvis, Sean Walker and Eric Robinson scored for the Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The win moves the Panthers into first place in the Atlantic Division with 29 points, one ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Columbus Blue Jackets extended their points streak to five games (4-0-1) with a 5-2 upset of the Calgary Flames. Adam Fantilli scored two goals, and Kirill Marchenko had a goal and two assists for the Blue Jackets. Blake Coleman and Nazem Kadri replied for the Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski extended his points streak to seven games with a goal and an assist.

An overtime power-play goal by Brayden Point gave the Tampa Bay Lightning a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators. Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel also scored for the Lightning while Roman Josi netted both goals for the Predators, who’ve dropped three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nashville winger Steven Stamkos wasn’t pleased with his club’s work ethic against his former team. It’s been a difficult season for Stamkos with seven goals and 12 points in 24 games since signing with the Predators this summer.

Los Angeles Kings goaltender Erik Portillo turned aside 28 shots in his NHL debut to defeat the Anaheim Ducks 2-1. Alex Turcotte and Alex Laferriere scored for the Kings while Ryan Strome replied for the Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings placed center Akil Thomas (undisclosed) on injured reserve ahead of this contest. He was injured during Monday’s 7-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks.

San Jose Sharks rookies Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith each had a goal and an assist in an 8-5 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Ethan Cardwell tallied his first NHL goal for the Sharks and Jake Walman tallied twice. Kraken center Chandler Stephenson had a goal and two assists and teammate Shane Wright potted two goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks are still rebuilding and aren’t expected to be a playoff club this season. Nevertheless, promising youngsters like Celebrini, Smith and William Eklund and veterans like Mikael Granlund, Tyler Toffoli, Mackenzie Blackwood and Alexander Wennberg have turned this group into an entertaining team. It’s a refreshing change from the moribund bunch that floundered at the bottom of the standings in 2023-24.

The Pittsburgh Penguins got a game-winning goal from recently acquired winger Philip Tomasino to nip the Boston Bruins 2-1. Penguins winger Rickard Rakell also scored and Tristan Jarry got the win with a 31-save performance. Charlie Coyle scored for the Bruins as Jeremy Swayman stopped 33 shots.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Brett Howden scored twice, including the game-winner, in a 4-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets. It’s the first time Howden has reached 10 goals in a season. Ivan Barbashev also tallied two goals for the Golden Knights, who sit atop the Pacific Division with 33 points. Cole Perfetti scored twice for the Jets, who’ve dropped three of their last four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Winnipeg remains atop the overall standings with 36 points but they’ve cooled from their red-hot start of 17 wins in their first 20 games. The Jets activated defenseman Logan Stanley off injured reserve for this game.

Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment scored two goals and collected an assist as his club defeated the Colorado Avalanche 5-3. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin each had a goal and an assist for the Stars while Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar each had two points for the Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars center Roope Hintz returned to action after missing the club’s previous game with an undisclosed ailment. However, teammate Logan Stankoven missed this game with a minor injury and is listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins lifted the Edmonton Oilers over the Utah Hockey Club 4-3. His teammates Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each had a goal and an assist, Evan Bouchard had two assists and Calvin Pickard kicked out 28 shots for the win. Alexander Kerfoot, Logan Cooley and Lawson Crouse scored for Utah.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah defenseman Maveric Lamoureux missed this game as he’s sidelined for four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury suffered during Tuesday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs forwards Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies will return from injuries in Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

STLTODAY.COM: The St. Louis Blues activated defenseman Philip Broberg off injured reserve. He could return to action on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 29, 2024

by | Nov 29, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 29, 2024

Check out the latest on Auston Matthews, Mark Scheifele, Rasmus Dahlin and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TORONTO SUN: Steve Simmons reports Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews recently traveled to Germany to see Dr. Hans-Wilhelm Muller-Wohlfahrt. The physician is internationally recognized for his work with big-name athletes like sprinter Usain Bolt, San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey, former tennis star Boris Becker and celebrities like U2’s Bono and the late opera star Luciano Pavarotti.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

Matthews has been sidelined since Nov. 3 with an undisclosed upper-body injury. He traveled to Germany with Leafs team physician Dr. Noah Forman. The Matthews camp and the club declined to comment.

Simmons writes that Muller-Wohlfahrt is known for treating some injuries with conventional methods “and not-so-conventional methods to treat others”, earning praise and scorn.

The German physician is an advocate for the controversial drug Actovegin, which is not approved for use in North America but is available in Europe and not on the IOC’s list of banned substances. Simmons writes there is “no evidence to suggest Actovegin was used in any of Matthews’ unknown treatments in Germany.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews’ lengthy absence and the cone of silence he and the Maple Leafs have placed on this situation generates growing speculation about his condition from pundits and fans. The Leafs captain resumed practicing with the teammates this week and could return to action on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Carter Brooks believes Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele is nursing an upper-body injury. It’s unclear when this happened but Brooks speculates it may have occurred during a fight with Florida Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad.

Brooks pointed out Scheifele hasn’t scored a goal since his hat trick against the Panthers on Nov. 19, firing five shots on net over his last four games and taking no faceoffs during his last two games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 26 points in 23 games (netting 24 in his first 19 games), Scheifele’s been a significant factor in the Jets’ dominant performance since the start of the season. After going 17-3 through their first 20 games, they’ve dropped two of their last three with Scheifele collecting an assist during that stretch. An injury to their first-line center would explain the recent drop in his production.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin left practice yesterday for what head coach Lindy Ruff called “a little bit of maintenance.” His status is uncertain for Friday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Canucks, blueliner Filip Hronek could be sidelined for a while after suffering an upper-body injury during Wednesday’s 5-4 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. He went shoulder-first into the end boards after a hit by Penguins blueliner Jack St. Ivany in the game’s final minute.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks placed forward Barclay Goodrow (upper body) on injured reserve and recalled forward Ethan Cardwell.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche placed forward Miles Wood (undisclosed) on IR and recalled forward Chris Wagner.

ROTOWIRE: The Edmonton Oilers recalled forward Drake Caggiula on Thursday.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 28, 2024

by | Nov 28, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 28, 2024

Jordan Binnington sets a Blues record, a hat trick performance for the Blackhawks’ Taylor Hall, Hurricanes forward Martin Necas takes over the league scoring lead, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington set a franchise record with his 152nd win by making 31 saves to shut out the New Jersey Devils 3-0. Robert Thomas opened the scoring just nine seconds in to tie the second-fastest goal in franchise history. Dylan Holloway scored the other two goals. Jacob Markstrom stopped 17 shots for the Devils.

St. Louis Blue goaltender Jordan Binnington (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich left the game early with an injury to his right leg after getting knocked to the ice by Devils forward Paul Cotter. He’ll be reevaluated on Thursday with an update expected on Friday.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall netted his first hat trick since Dec. 2013 in a 6-2 upset of the Dallas Stars. Connor Bedard snapped a 12-game goalless drought and Tyler Bertuzzi collected two assists. Colin Blackwell and Matt Duchene replied for the Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars center Roope Hintz missed this game with an undisclosed injury.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas collected two assists to take over the NHL scoring lead with 37 points in a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers, handing the latter their fourth straight loss. The Hurricanes got unanswered third-period goals from Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jackson Blake for the win. Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin stopped 26 shots while teammate Brett Berard scored his first NHL goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Necas sits two points ahead of Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon atop the scoring race. Rangers forwards Filip Chytil and Chris Kreider missed this game due to injuries. Kreider and teammate Jacob Trouba are the subject of trade rumors after reports emerged they were among several Rangers veterans made available by management. He said he’s spoken with general manager Chris Drury and admitted there’s “frustration, angst, tension” in the dressing room. “Let’s go through this s**t now and figure out who we are,” he said.

The Minnesota Wild got a 39-save shutout from Filip Gustavsson to blank the Buffalo Sabres 1-0, ending the latter’s three-game win streak. Kirill Kaprizov scored his 14th goal of the season. Ukko-Pekka Luukonen turned aside 28 shots for the Sabres.

An overtime goal by Lucas Raymond lifted the Detroit Red Wings to a 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames. Cam Talbot stopped 24 shots and Alex DeBrincat scored for the Red Wings while Connor Zary replied for the Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings goalie Alex Lyon missed this game after suffering an undisclosed injury during the morning skate. Teammate Patrick Kane missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury.

The Washington Capitals overcame goalie Charlie Lindgren accidentally scoring into his own net to nip the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4. Lindgren’s own goal in the third period gave the Lightning a 4-3 lead and was credited to Brayden Point, giving him a hat trick. However, Lindgren’s teammates John Carlson and Tom Wilson subsequently scored to give their team the win.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wilson, Aliaksei Protas and Dylan Strome each had a goal and an assist for the Capitals.

Florida Panthers winger Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and two assists as his club ended a four-game losing skid with a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, snapping the Leafs’ four-game winning streak. Panthers forward Sam Reinhart tallied his league-leading 17th goal while Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett each had a goal and an assist. Leafs winger Mitch Marner scored to extend his points streak to five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reinhart wasn’t expected to score at the same pace that netted him a career-high 57 goals last season. He could exceed that mark at his current level of production. Meanwhile, Panthers center Anton Lundell missed this game after taking a puck to the face during Monday’s game against Washington.

The Boston Bruins got two goals from Pavel Zacha and Brad Marchand to defeat the New York Islanders 6-3. Elias Lindholm and David Pastrnak each collected three assists for the Bruins. Brock Nelson had two goals and an assist for the Islanders, who are 1-4-1 in their last six games.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust tallied twice, including the winning goal, as his club held off the Vancouver Canucks 5-4. Rust finished with three points and teammate Erik Karlsson had three assists. Quinn Hughes had a goal and two assists and Elias Pettersson a goal and an assist for the Canucks. The Penguins snapped a three-game winless skid.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Penguins demoted winger Valtteri Puustinen and activated Blake Lizotte off injured reserve.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki’s overtime goal gave his club a 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky ended a 14-game goalless drought and collected an assist while teammate Cole Caufield scored his 13th goal. Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski extended his points streak to six games with a Gordie Howe hat trick after fighting Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason was furious over the Suzuki goal, believing the Canadiens captain should’ve received a holding penalty on Kent Johnson seconds before.

Philadelphia Flyers captain Sean Couturier scored in overtime as his club overcame a 2-1 deficit for a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. Morgan Frost scored the tying goal with 12 seconds remaining in regulation to set the stage for Couturier’s game-winner. Roman Josi and Ryan O’Reilly scored for the Predators, who’ve won only three games in their last 12 contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Predators announced defenseman Jeremy Lauzon is sidelined week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Colorado Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin scored the tying goal in the second period and the winner in a shootout to beat the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1. Pavel Dorofeyev scored for the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo returned to action after missing three games with an upper-body injury. Teammate William Karlsson also returned after missing the previous game to attend the birth of his second child. Before the game, the Avalanche announced that winger Jonathan Drouin was out week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

The Los Angeles Kings downed the Winnipeg Jets 4-1. Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe each had a goal and an assist while goaltender David Rittich made 13 saves for his 100th NHL win. Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 29 shots and Gabriel Vilardi scored his club’s only goal.

Anaheim Ducks netminder John Gibson kicked out 42 shots in a 5-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. Trevor Zegras, Alex Killorn and Cutter Gauthier each had a goal and an assist for the Ducks. Eeli Tolvanen and Oliver Bjorkstrand replied for the Kraken.

Ottawa Senators forward Adam Gaudette tallied twice and Tim Stutzle collected three assists in a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks despite being limited to 11 shots. Sharks rookie Will Smith had a goal and an assist while teammate Macklin Celebrini scored his sixth point in the last four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks forward Barclay Goodrow left this game with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 27, 2024

by | Nov 27, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 27, 2024

Recaps of Tuesday’s games plus the latest on Auston Matthews, Tage Thompson, Timo Meier, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Vancouver Canucks got a 32-save shutout from Kevin Lankinen to blank the Boston Bruins 2-0. Jake DeBrusk tallied the winning goal in his first game against his former club since signing with the Canucks this summer. Connor Garland had a goal and an assist for the Canucks. Jeremy Swayman made 13 saves for the Bruins as they suffered their first loss under interim coach Joe Sacco.

Vancouver Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins have tightened up defensively in their three games under Sacco (2-1-0) but they’ve managed only three goals during that stretch. Meanwhile, Canucks winger Brock Boeser was held scoreless in his return to action after missing seven games with a concussion.

An overtime goal by Mikhail Sergachev lifted the Utah Hockey Club to a 3-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Dylan Guenther and Jack McBain scored in regulation for Utah while Jayden Struble and Alex Newhook tallied for the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson was a late scratch with a lower-body injury. The Habs also announced Patrik Laine will accompany them on their upcoming three-game road trip as he works his way back from a sprained knee.

HEADLINES

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews was a full-practice participant on Tuesday. He’s been sidelined since Nov. 3 with an upper-body injury.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Sabres center Tage Thompson is expected to be in the lineup when his club faces off against the Minnesota Wild on Wednesday. He missed the last five games with a lower-body injury.

NHL.COM: New Jersey Devils forward Timo Meier received a one-game suspension for cross-checking Nashville Predators forward Zachary L’Heureux on Monday.

SPORTSNET: The Ottawa Senators placed defenseman Artem Zub (fractured foot) on long-term injury reserve and called up defenseman Donovan Sebrango from their AHL affiliate in Belleville.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The move enables the Senators to exceed the $88 million salary cap by over $3.7 million. They could use that space to pursue a replacement for Zub via the trade market, but if he returns to the lineup before the end of this season, they would have to be cap-compliant.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov is listed as day-to-day with a concussion. He won’t play in Wednesday’s game against the New York Rangers but could return during the weekend.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carolina netminder Frederik Andersen is sidelined for eight to 12 weeks recovering from knee surgery. There’s speculation the Hurricanes are shopping around for goaltending depth. I’ll have more in today’s Rumor Mill.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets center Cole Sillinger will miss Wednesday’s game against the Canadiens with an upper-body injury.

THE SCORE: The San Jose Sharks assigned goaltender Yaroslav Askarov to their AHL affiliate as veteran netminder Vitek Vanecek returns from an upper-body injury.

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins placed winger Valtteri Puustinen on waivers. He was a healthy scratch in 13 of the Penguins’ 23 games this season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 26, 2024

by | Nov 26, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 26, 2024

A record night for Lightning winger Brandon Hagel, Hurricanes winger Martin Necas sits on top of the scoring race, the three stars of the week are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel collected a career-high five assists in an 8-2 drubbing of the Colorado Avalanche. Hagel tied an NHL record with four assists in the first period. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two assists and Jake Guentzel tallied twice for the Lightning. Ivan Ivan scored two goals for the Avalanche as their three-game win streak ended.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel (NHL Images).

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas had a goal and an assist to take over first place in the NHL scoring race (35 points) as his club downed the Dallas Stars 6-4. The Hurricanes got a goal and three assists from Sebastian Aho plus a goal and two assists from Seth Jarvis. Tyler Seguin, Mason Marchment and Miro Heiskanen each had a goal and an assist for the Stars as they blew a 3-1 lead.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov missed this game with a concussion. There is no timetable for his return. They’re also missing starter Frederik Andersen as he’s sidelined until January recovering from knee surgery. The Canes are making do with call-ups Spencer Martin and Yaniv Perets but there’s speculation they could turn to the trade market.

The Winnipeg Jets got a 43-save performance from goaltender Connor Hellebuyck for a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. Alex Iafallo scored twice and Neal Pionk picked up two assists as the Jets (18-4-0) sat atop the overall standings with 36 points. Jake Middleton scored for the Wild, who sit second in the Central Division with 30 points, six behind the Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov was held scoreless in this game as he returned to action after missing a game with a lower-body injury. Teammate Jakub Lauko left the game with a lower-body injury.

New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier snapped a 10-game goalless drought with his first NHL hat trick, leading his club over the Nashville Predators 5-2. Filip Forsberg and Zachary L’Heureux replied for the Predators. The Devils have won five of their last six games and hold first place in the Metropolitan Division with 32 points. Predators goaltender Juuse Saros was pulled in the second period after giving up four goals on 30 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Timo Meier received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct in the third period for cross-checking L’Heureux in the face. L’Heureux immediately left the game for treatment.

The Washington Capitals snapped a two-game losing skid with a 4-1 victory over the Florida Panthers, handing the latter their sixth loss in their last seven games. Jakob Chychrun scored the go-ahead goal and picked up two assists while Lars Eller tallied twice. Niko Mikkola had the only goal for the Panthers.

St. Louis Blue head coach Jim Montgomery got his first win with his new club as they defeated the New York Rangers 5-2. Zack Bolduc scored two goals, Brayden Schenn had a goal and an assist and Dylan Holloway collected two assists for the Blues. Igor Shesterkin stopped 38 shots for the struggling Rangers as they dropped their third straight game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers winger Chris Kreider missed this game with an upper-body injury, resulting in the recall of Matt Rempe from their AHL affiliate in Hartford.

The Rangers’ slump has sparked plenty of trade rumors amid reports general manager Chris Drury has informed his 31 NHL counterparts that he’s open for business. I’ll have more in today’s Rumor Mill.

A shootout goal by Jack Eichel lifted the Vegas Golden Knights over the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 5-4. Eichel also had a goal and an assist in regulation as did teammate Ivan Barbashev as their club sits in first place in the Pacific Division with 30 points. Morgan Frost had a goal and an assist for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights played without Zach Whitecloud (upper-body injury) and William Karlsson (personal reasons).

San Jose Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini had his first three-point game (two goals, one assist) in a 7-2 upset of the Los Angeles Kings. Fellow Sharks rookie Will Smith picked up two assists and rookie netminder Yaroslav Askarov stopped 22 shots for his first win with the Sharks. Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe each had two points for the Kings, who’ve dropped five of their last eight contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks forward Nico Sturm scored in his return to action after missing five games with an upper-body injury.

The Ottawa Senators nipped the Calgary Flames 4-3. Senators forwards Drake Batherson and Brady Tkachuk each had a goal and an assist to snap a five-game winless skid (0-4-1). Jonathan Huberdeau, Yegor Sherangovich and Nazem Kadri scored for the Flames as their four-game winning streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators Defenseman Artem Zub was sidelined by a broken foot suffered during Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks and could be out for a while. Teammate David Perron missed this game with an upper-body injury.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond and Simon Edvinsson lifted the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-2 victory over the New York Islanders. Anders Lee and Kyle Palmieri were the goalscorers for the Islanders, who’ve dropped six of their last eight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Isles defenseman Alexander Romanov missed this game due to an illness and is listed as day-to-day.

The Seattle Kraken got a goal and an assist from Shane Wright to beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2. Joey Daccord picked up the win with a 21-save performance. Trevor Zegras and Frank Vatrano replied for the Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks center Mason McTavish was held scoreless as he returned to the roster after missing six games with an upper-body injury. Ducks center Leo Carlsson left the game with an upper-body injury in the second period following a hit from Kraken forward Tye Kartye. Before the game, the Ducks placed Brock McGinn (lower body) on injured reserve.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, Colorado Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen, and Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll were the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Nov. 24, 2024.

SPORTSNET: Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser could return to action on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins. He’s missed the last seven games with a concussion.

Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine participated fully in his club’s practice on Monday. It’s an encouraging sign that Laine is making strides in his recovery from a sprained knee but he’s not expected to return before the end of this week.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators traded forward Philip Tomasino yesterday to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

Tomasino was a first-round pick of the Predators (24th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft. General manager Barry Trotz explained that he shipped out the 23-year-old center because of a lack of production over the past two seasons. He believed it was time for a change.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tomasino could have a better shot of becoming an NHL regular with the retooling Penguins as they transition younger players into their lineup.

NEW YORK POST: Former NHL player turned analyst Paul Bissonnette was assaulted by six individuals at a restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona on Sunday evening. He said he was trying to intervene after seeing a group of drunken golfers being abusive to the restaurant staff.

Five of the six men face misdemeanors while a sixth faces a felony. Bissonnette said he took a few shots but gave more. He went to the hospital to get checked out following the melee but said he was “all good”, thanking the restaurant staff and the responding police offers.