NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 12, 2025

by | Feb 12, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 12, 2025

The latest 4 Nations Face-Off news, the QMJHL honors Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin prepares for the final stretch of the regular season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

LATEST 4 NATIONS FACE-OFF NEWS

NEW YORK POST: Islanders center Brock Nelson is carrying on his family’s legacy of skating for the United States in international play. Nelson’s great-uncle Gordon Christian played in the 1956 Winter Olympic Games. His grandfather Bill Christian and great-uncle Roger Christian won gold at the 1960 Games, and his uncle Dave Christian won gold in 1980.

Team USA center Brock Nelson (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nelson won the bronze medal playing for Team USA at the 2011 World Juniors and the 2015 Worlds.

TSN: Jordan Binnington was named the starter for Canada’s opening game at the 4 Nations Face-Off against Sweden on Wednesday in Montreal. Coach Jon Cooper said Binnington was “excited” and “confident” when informed of the decision. He gets the nod over Adin Hill and Sam Montembeault.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Binnington backstopped the St. Louis Blues to the Stanley Cup in 2019. He played for Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Championships, finishing with a 6-2 record with a 2.81 goals-against average and an .885 save percentage.

DAILY FACEOFF: Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz and Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros could take on prominent roles for Finland’s injury-battered roster. Defensemen Miro Heiskanen, Rasmus Ristolainen and Jani Hakanpaa withdrew from the tournament, putting pressure on the forwards and goaltenders.

SPORTSNET: Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm hopes to have a big impact for Team Sweden in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ekholm was part of Sweden’s gold-medal team at the 2018 World Championships with a goal and two assists in four games.

IN OTHER NEWS…

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) is renaming its Rookie of the Year trophy to the Sidney Crosby Trophy. It was known as the RDS Cup from 1996-97 to 2023-24. Crosby won the award in 2003-04 with the Rimouski Oceanic.

RG.ORG: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will be training with a “mystery partner” in Miami during the 4 Nations Face-Off to maintain his fitness level for the remainder of the regular season. Ovechkin is chasing Wayne Gretzky’s goal record of 894 while the Capitals are jockeying with the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the overall standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin needs 15 goals to break Gretzky’s record. He was coy about the identity of his training partner, saying that it’s a former player but it isn’t Ilya Kovalchuk.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Utah Hockey Club continues to evaluate goaltender Connor Ingram’s condition. After taking an Ovechkin slapshot off his mask, he left Sunday’s games against the Capitals.

TSN: Minnesota Wild center Ryan Hartman’s appeal of his 10-game suspension will be heard by NHL commissioner Gary Bettman on Friday. Hartman was suspended for roughing Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle during a Feb. 1 game between the two clubs.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Wild, they placed forward Devin Shore on waivers for the fourth time this season.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken invited two youth hockey referees pushed by a parent to an upcoming game. The incident occurred during a game on Sunday at the Kraken Ice Complex.

The parent came on the ice during a 12-and-under game and pushed each of the referees, 13 and 14, to the ice before quickly leaving. The parent has been charged with two counts of fourth-degree assault.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 11, 2025

by | Feb 11, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 11, 2025

The three stars of the week, updates on Sidney Crosby and Mikko Rantanen ahead of the 4 Nations Face-Off, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel, Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko, and Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Feb. 9, 2025.

Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby (NHL.com).

  TSN: Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby declared himself good to go for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. The status of the 37-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins center was in question after he suffered an upper-body injury last week. He was skating on a line with Mark Stone and Nathan MacKinnon during Canada’s practice on Monday.

SPORTSNET: Finland forward Mikko Rantanen is joining his compatriots in Montreal for the upcoming tournament. The 28-year-old Carolina Hurricanes winger missed Saturday’s game against the Utah Hockey Club with a lower-body injury.

TSN: Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews was centering a line with Tampa Bay Lightning winger Jake Guentzel and New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes during Team USA’s practice on Monday.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jesse Puljujarvi signed a tryout agreement with the Charlotte Checkers of the American Hockey League (AHL). Puljujarvi cleared unconditional waivers and agreed with the Penguins to terminate his NHL contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Checkers are the AHL affiliate of the Florida Panthers. Whether this tryout leads to him landing a role with the defending Stanley Cup champions remains to be seen.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators claimed Andreas Englund off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings.

SPORTSNET: Loui Eriksson announced his retirement on Monday. The winger spent 16 NHL seasons with the Dallas Stars, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks, and Arizona Coyotes from 2006-07 to 2021-22, tallying 253 goals and 360 assists for 613 points in 1,050 regular-season games and 14 points in 44 postseason contests. His best performances were with the Stars, exceeding 70 points in three straight seasons from 2009-10 to 2011-12.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former Toronto Maple Leafs PA announcer Paul Morris passed away at age 86. He was with the Leafs from 1961 to 1999, calling 1,585 consecutive games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Morris’ low-key announcing style was an iconic part of the experience at Maple Leaf Gardens – my condolences to his family, friends, and the Leafs organization.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 10, 2025

by | Feb 10, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 10, 2025

Recapping Sunday’s games before the 4 Nations Face-Off Break, the latest on Quinn Hughes and Rasmus Ristolainen, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: A shootout goal by Nick Schmaltz lifted the Utah Hockey Club to a 5-4 upset of the Washington Capitals. Utah had a 4-2 lead heading into the third period but Capitals forwards Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson tied the game to force overtime and the shootout rounds. Dylan Guenther, Jack McBain and Josh Doan each had a goal and an assist and Karel Vejmelka made 30 saves for the win. Wilson had two goals and an assist and Alex Ovechkin collected three assists for the Capitals, who sit atop the Eastern Conference with 80 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vejmelka relieved Connor Ingram after the latter left the game in the first period after suffering an upper-body injury when he stopped an Ovechkin slap shot. Wilson is on pace for a career-best performance. The Capitals winger has matched his career high for goals (24) and is 10 points from his career-best 52 points in 2021-22.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman (NHL Images).

The Tampa Bay Lightning held off the Montreal Canadiens 5-3. Victor Hedman and Anthony Cirelli each had a goal and an assist while Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 32 shots for the Lightning, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 66 points. Brendan Gallagher scored twice for the Canadiens, who are 1-7-1 in their last nine.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov was a late scratch with an upper-body injury. Sam Montembault replaced Jakub Dobes in the Canadiens’ net after the latter gave up three goals on eight shots. Montembault stopped 11 of 12 shots.

LATEST 4 NATIONS FACE-OFF NEWS

NHL.COM: The schedule for the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off is as follows:

Feb. 12: Canada vs Sweden (8 PM ET),

Feb. 13: United States vs Finland (8 PM ET),

Feb. 15: Finland vs Sweden (1 PM ET), Canada vs United States (8 PM ET).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those games will be held at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Feb. 17: Canada vs Finland (1 PM ET), Sweden vs United States (8 PM ET),

Feb. 20: Championship Game (8 PM ET).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those games will be held at TD Garden in Boston.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes will not be playing for the United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off due to an oblique injury.

TSN: Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson will replace Hughes on the United States roster.

DAILY FACEOFF: Senators defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo will replace Philadelphia Flyers blueliner Rasmus Ristolainen on Team Finland. Ristolainen is out with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The status of Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby could be clarified as early as Monday. Crosby is the captain of Team Canada and traveled to Montreal but he’s still nursing an injured left arm.

Drew Doughty of the Los Angeles Kings replaced Alex Pietrangelo on Canada’s blueline. The Vegas Golden Knights defenseman recently announced he wouldn’t attend the tournament to treat a nagging ailment.

New York Rangers defenseman Urho Vaakanainen and Buffalo Sabres defenseman Henri Jokiharju were named as injury replacements for Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen and Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jani Hakanpaa on Team Finland.

Penguins winger Rickard Rakell and Flyers goalie Samuel Ersson are injury replacements for Golden Knights forward William Karlsson and New Jersey Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators signed defenseman Adam Wilsby to a two-year, $1.55 million contract extension. The average annual value is $775K and is a two-way deal in the first season and a one-way deal in the second.

DAILY FACEOFF: Washington Capitals prospect Cam Allen was charged with drunk driving, among other charges, following a single-vehicle collision in London, Ontario.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 9, 2025

by | Feb 9, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 9, 2025

Multi-point performances from Brandon Hagel, Ryan O’Reilly, Matthew Tkachuk, Matt Duchene, Sebastian Aho, and more highlight Saturday’s games in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: A four-goal first period carried the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 6-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, snapping the latter’s seven-game win streak. Brandon Hagel scored two goals and collected two assists while Nikita Kucherov picked up three assists as the Lightning moved into third place in the Atlantic Division with 64 points. Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat had a goal and two assists while Vladimir Tarasenko tallied his 300th NHL regular-season goal.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings remain in the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 61 points.

Nashville Predators forwards Ryan O’Reilly and Jonathan Marchessault each had four points in a 6-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres. O’Reilly collected four assists and Marchessault a goal and three assists. Filip Forsberg and Brady Skjei each scored twice for the Predators. Sabres winger Alex Tuch had a goal and two assists.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and assisted on two others as his club defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-1. Aleksander Barkov had a goal and an assist as the Panthers erupted for four goals in the second period. Matthew’s brother Brady Tkachuk scored for the Senators, who got a 43-save performance from Linus Ullmark.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 71 points while the Senators have lost three straight games, dropping into the first Eastern wild-card berth with 62 points.

The Dallas Stars overcame a 2-0 deficit to thump the San Jose Sharks 8-3. Matt Duchene scored twice and collected an assist for the second straight game while Jamie Benn, Wyatt Johnston and Thomas Harley each had a goal and an assist. William Eklund, Fabian Zetterlund and Walker Duehr scored for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars sit second in the Central Division with 72 points. Sharks forward Klim Kostin returned to action after missing 12 games with a lower-body injury.

Carolina Hurricanes forwards Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis each scored twice in a 7-3 win over the Utah Hockey Club. Aho finished with three points and Jarvis with four while Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 36 shots as the Hurricanes remain in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 70 points. Clayton Keller scored twice for Utah.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a milestone game for Aho, joining Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, Detroit’s Patrick Kane, and Toronto’s John Tavares and Auston Matthews as the only active NHL players to score 20 goals in each of their first nine seasons. Ovechkin leads that group with 20 seasons. Meanwhile, Hurricanes winger Mikko Rantanen missed this contest with a lower-body injury.

The Philadelphia Flyers held off the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 to end a five-game losing skid. Travis Konecny had a goal and an assist while Samuel Ersson made 31 saves for the Flyers while the Penguins got goals from Erik Karlsson and Anthony Beauvillier. Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen missed this game with an injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury. His status for Team Canada in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off remains uncertain.

Meanwhile, the Penguins placed winger Bryan Rust on injured reserve, recalled goaltender Tristan Jarry from the AHL affiliate, and placed winger Jesse Puljujarvi on unconditional waivers as they are granting his request to terminate his contract. Puljujarvi intends to explore other options in Europe.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal kicked out 43 shots in regulation and overtime to nip the Los Angeles Kings 2-1. Trevor Zegras and Leo Carlsson scored in the shootout rounds to give the Ducks their third straight win. Kings forward Adrian Kempe tallied his 25th of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of the 4 Nations Face-Off, Kings defenseman Drew Doughty was named to Canada’s roster as Alex Pietrangelo’s replacement. The Kings recalled goalie Pheonix Copley on an emergency basis and placed defenseman Mikey Anderson on injured reserve.

Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy scored twice and picked up an assist as his club overcame a 3-1 deficit for a 6-3 win over the New York Islanders. Filip Gustavsson turned aside 31 shots for the Wild as they sit third in the Central Division with 70 points. Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri each had a goal and an assist as the Islanders (57 points)dropped their second straight game and sit four points out of the final Eastern wild card.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders also announced that forward Mathew Barzal underwent a procedure on his injured left kneecap on Thursday. He could be sidelined for six weeks.

The New York Rangers got two unanswered third-period goals from Urho Vaakanainen and Will Cuylle for a 4-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jonathan Quick stopped 22 shots as the Rangers (58 points) sit three points out of the final Eastern wild card. Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski collected an assist to extend his home points streak to 21 games as his club remains out of that wild-card spot with 60 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers starting goalie Igor Shesterkin will be sidelined for one-to-two weeks with an upper-body injury. He could be ready to return to action by the end of the upcoming two-week 4 Nations Face-Off.

The New Jersey Devils got a 34-save shutout from Jake Allen to blank the Montreal Canadiens 4-0, handing the latter their seventh loss in their last eight contests. Devils forwards Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt each had a goal and an assist as their club sits two points back of the Hurricanes in third place in the Metro Division. With 55 points, the Canadiens join the Flyers and Penguins sitting six points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was talk a week ago of the Canadiens hanging onto pending UFAs like David Savard, Joel Armia, Jake Evans and Christian Dvorak as “own rentals” for a playoff run. Their recent skid makes it more likely that those four will be peddled by the March 7 trade deadline.

St. Louis Blues forward Radek Faksa scored in the 10th round of the shootout to give his club a 6-5 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Robert Thomas, Philip Broberg and Mathieu Joseph each had a goal and an assist for the Blues while Ilya Mikheyev had a goal and two assists for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues defenseman Ryan Suter became the third American player in league history to play 1,500 regular-season games.

A third-period goal by Tomas Hertl with 1:10 remaining lifted the Vegas Golden Knights over the Boston Bruins 4-3. Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Shea Theodore each collected two points for the Golden Knights as they sit second in the Pacific Division with 72 points. Brad Marchand scored his 20th goal while Nikita Zadorov had a goal and an assist as the Bruins remain one point behind the Red Wings for the final Eastern wild card.

Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser scored in the third period in a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Filip Hronek also scored while Kevin Lankinen stopped 21 shots for the win following Thatcher Demko’s departure in the first period with an undisclosed injury. Morgan Rielly scored for the Leafs (68 points), who sit three points behind the Panthers in second place in the Atlantic Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vancouver head coach Rick Tocchet said Demko’s injury isn’t considered serious and confirmed he didn’t reinjure his knee. The Canucks sit in the final Western wild-card berth with 63 points.

An overtime goal by Matty Beniers completed a three-goal comeback for the Seattle Kraken to defeat the Calgary Flames 3-2. Shane Wright and Andre Burakovsky also scored for the Kraken while Morgan Frost and Nazem Kadri tallied for the Flames, who sit three points behind the Canucks for that final Western wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour left this game following the first period with an undisclosed injury. There was no postgame update on his status.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 8, 2025

by | Feb 8, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 8, 2025

Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon widens his lead in the points race while Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl becomes the first player this season to reach 40 goals. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche forward Martin Necas’ third-period goal lifted his club to a 5-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and three assists while Cale Makar tallied twice and collected an assist as the Avalanche have won four of their last five games, holding the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 68 points. Leon Drasaitl and Corey Perry each scored two goals for the Oilers, who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 72 points.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon opened a four-point lead over Draisaitl in the points lead with 87 while Draisaitl is the league leader in goals with 40. He’s on pace to eclipse his career-high of 55 goals.

The Winnipeg Jets defeated the New York Islanders 4-3, tying a franchise record with their eighth straight win. Connor Hellebuyck made 32 saves while Gabriel Vilardi scored two goals and picked up an assist as the Jets hold sole possession of first place in the overall standings with 81 points. This was the first loss for Islanders goalie Ilya Sorokin since Jan. 16. With 57 points, the Isles are four points behind the Detroit Red Wings for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck remains on pace to become the first goalie to win the Vezina Trophy for the third time since Martin Brodeur in 2006-07. He’s also making a strong case to become the first netminder to win the Hart Memorial Trophy since Carey Price in 2014-15. He leads the league with 34 wins, a 2.06 goals-against average and six shutouts and is second in save percentage (.925).

Los Angeles Kings forward Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist in regulation and scored the only goal in the shootout rounds to beat the Dallas Stars 5-4, giving the Kings their third straight win. Matt Duchene scored twice and added an assist for the Stars, who hold second place in the Central Division with 70 points. The Kings sit third in the Pacific Division with 64 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin missed this game with an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day.

The Pittsburgh Penguins got three second-period goals by Blake Lizotte, Rickard Rakell and Philip Tomasino to hold off the New York Rangers 3-2. Bryan Rust collected two assists for the Penguins, who were playing without captain Sidney Crosby in this contest due to an upper-body injury. Vincent Trocheck had a goal and an assist for the Rangers (56 points), who sit five points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby participated in practice on Friday but there is no timetable for his return. This game was a golden opportunity for the Rangers to take advantage of the struggling, injury-battered Penguins and gain ground on the Red Wings for that wild-card spot. They can’t afford many more losses like that if they hope to bounce back from their first-half collapse and clinch a postseason spot.

Chicago Blackhawks forward Ryan Donato scored twice and picked up two assists in a 6-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. Connor Bedard, Seth Jones and Frank Nazar each had a goal and an assist and Petr Mrazek stopped 31 shots for the Blackhawks as they ended a three-game losing skid. Colton Sissons and Tommy Novak replied for the Predators, who have dropped six straight.

IN OTHER NEWS…

MSN: The Vegas Golden Knights placed center William Karlsson on long-term injury reserve. Karlsson hasn’t played since Jan. 20 when he suffered a lower-body injury. There’s no timeline yet for his return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The conspiracy theorists will immediately claim the Golden Knights are shutting Karlsson down for the regular season to free up his $5.9 million cap hit and put the savings toward acquiring a player at the trade deadline. However, Karlsson is expected to return before the end of this season.

TSN: There was another Friday trade but not a blockbuster compared to the Mikko Rantanen move two weeks ago and last week’s J.T. Miller deal. The Vancouver Canucks traded defenseman Mark Friedman to the Predators for future considerations.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 7, 2025

by | Feb 7, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 7, 2025

Another goal for Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin in his ongoing quest for the all-time goals record, a milestone game for Leafs winger Mitch Marner, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF THURSDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 879th regular-season goal as his club nipped the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3. Jakob Chychrun had a goal and an assist for the Capitals as they regained their hold on first overall with 79 points. Matvei Michkov tallied twice for the Flyers, who’ve dropped seven of their last eight games.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin sits 16 goals from Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. The Capitals and Winnipeg Jets have 79 points but the Caps have a game in hand.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner collected his 500th career assist in a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Anthony Stolarz made 26 saves for the win in his first game since being sidelined by a knee injury on Dec. 12. Eeli Tolvanen replied for the Kraken as they’ve lost five of their last six games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marner also returned to action after missing Tuesday’s game against the Calgary Flames with a lower-body injury. He’s second among this season’s assist leaders with 55. The Leafs sit second in the Atlantic Division with 68 points.

The Colorado Avalanche doubled up the Calgary Flames 4-2. Martin Necas scored twice and collected an assist, Nathan MacKinnon had three assists, and Cale Makar tallied his 20th goal of the season. Flames rookie goaltender Dustin Wolf made 30 saves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon regained the lead in the points race with 83, sitting two ahead of Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl. The Avalanche holds the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 66 points while the Flames (59 points) are two out of the final Western wild-card spot. Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson missed this game with a lower-body injury and is expected to miss Friday’s game against the Oilers.

A penalty shot goal by Drew O’Connor lifted the Vancouver Canucks to a 2-1 overtime victory over the San Jose Sharks. Dakota Joshua also scored and Thatcher Demko stopped 33 shots for the Canucks (61 points) as they regained the final Western wild card. Tyler Toffoli scored his 20th goal for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks captain Quinn Hughes remained sidelined with a lower-body injury. 

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk scored with 12 seconds remaining in the third period to beat the St. Louis Blues 3-2. Tkachuk finished the night with two goals and an assist as the Panthers hold a one-point lead over the Maple Leafs for first place in the Atlantic Division. Zack Bolduc had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who are 1-5-1 in their last seven contests.

The Vegas Golden Knights ended a four-game losing skid with a 3-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Nicolas Roy, Shea Theodore and Jack Eichel scored for the Golden Knights as they sit in second place in the Pacific Division with 70 points. Ondrej Palat replied for the Devils, who are third in the Metropolitan Division with 66 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: New Jersey goalie Jake Allen made 37 saves in this game. The Devils also placed captain Nico Hischier on injured reserve retroactive to Jan. 25.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point had a goal and two assists to down the Ottawa Senators 5-1. Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov picked up two assists for the Lightning, who moved ahead of the Senators into third place in the Atlantic Division. Michael Amadio scored for the Senators as they dropped into the first Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning and Senators each have 62 points but the Lightning have three games in hand. Senators forwards Shane Pinto and Josh Norris and Lightning forward Anthony Cirelli missed this game due to injuries.

The Minnesota Wild got a 37-save performance by Filip Gustavsson to squeak by the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1. Yakov Trenin and Vinnie Hinostroza were the goal scorers for the Wild, who sit third in the Central Division with 68 points. Sebastian Aho replied for the Hurricanes, who hold second place in the Metropolitan Division with 68 points but have dropped three straight games.

An overtime goal by Dylan Guenther lifted the Utah Hockey Club to a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Lawson Crouse and Olli Maatta also scored for Utah while Justin Danforth and Ivan Provorov replied for the Blue Jackets, who sit one point out of the final Eastern wild-card spot with 60 points.

IN OTHER NEWS…

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The short-term outlook for Penguins captain Sidney Crosby as he nurses an injured left arm/shoulder. He mostly worked out on his own during practice on Thursday and rarely shot the puck. Crosby was injured during Tuesday’s loss to the New Jersey Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby is also the captain for Canada in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off. His injury raises questions over whether he’ll participate in the tournament.

SPORTSNET: The availability of Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes for the 4 Nations tournament remains uncertain. Hughes is part of Team USA’s roster but he’s been nursing a lower-body injury.

THE SCORE: Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard is ignoring criticism of his play as he struggles through a sophomore slump. “I’m not watching broadcasts or anything. I’m playing hockey…I couldn’t really care less, to be honest, what people on the outside think of me or of us.”

Former NHLer Paul Bissonnette and Hall of Famer Mark Messier criticized Bedard’s recent performance. Bissonnette said he looked like he was playing pond hockey during a recent game against the Edmonton Oilers while Messier said the lack of consequences for his poor play would hurt team morale.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard’s in a tough spot this season, playing on a rebuilding club showing no sign of improvement. Meanwhile, opponents have adjusted to his style of play since last season. As the face of the franchise, Bedard is shouldering the burden of their offense and the expectations of Blackhawks fans. That’s a hell of a weight to carry for a 19-year-old.