NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 6, 2026

by | Apr 6, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 6, 2026

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby reaches another scoring milestone, the Canadiens clinch a playoff spot, the Islanders replace Patrick Roy as head coach with Peter DeBoer, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF SUNDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists to defeat the Florida Panthers 5-2. Rickard Rakell tallied twice to extend his goal streak to five games for the 40-22-16 Penguins, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 96 points. Cole Schwindt and Carter Verhaeghe replied for the 37-37-3 Panthers.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby became the first player in NHL history to record 21 consecutive point-per-game seasons. Meanwhile, Penguins goaltender Stuart Skinner missed this game with an upper-body injury.

The New Jersey Devils blanked the Montreal Canadiens 3-0, snapping the latter’s eight-game win streak. Jacob Markstrom turned in an 18-save shutout while Timo Meier, Cody Glass, and Connor Brown scored for the Devils (40-34-8). Jacob Fowler stopped 17 of 19 shots for the 45-22-10 Canadiens, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 100 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Despite the loss, the Canadiens clinched a playoff berth because the Detroit Red Wings lost to the Minnesota Wild earlier in the day. Speaking of which…

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov tallied a hat trick to lead his club to a 5-4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Detroit stormed back from a 4-1 deficit to tie the game on a goal by Patrick Kane, but Kaprizov scored the winner on the power play with Kane in the penalty box. The Wild (44-21-12) sit third overall in the Western Conference with 100 points, two behind the second-place Dallas Stars. This loss leaves the 40-29-8 Red Wings (88 points) sitting two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild defenseman Zach Bogosian missed this game with a lower-body injury.

The Ottawa Senators maintained their hold on that final Eastern wild card by beating the Carolina Hurricanes 6-3. Team captain Brady Tkachuk tallied twice while Tim Stutzle, Shane Pinto, and Dylan Cozens each had a goal and an assist for the 40-27-10 Senators (90 points). Jackson Blake collected two assists for the Hurricanes (49-22-6), who hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 104 points.

Philadelphia Flyers rookie Porter Martone’s first NHL goal came in overtime to lift his club to a 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins. Christian Dvorak scored in regulation, and Dan Vladar stopped 18 shots for the Flyers (39-26-12), who moved into third place in the Metropolitan Division with 90 points. Pavel Zacha scored for the 43-26-9 Bruins (95 points), who hold a five-point lead over the Senators for the first Eastern wild-card spot.

The St. Louis Blues upset the Colorado Avalanche 3-2. Robert Thomas netted his first NHL hat trick while Jimmy Snuggerud collected three assists for the 33-31-12 Blues (78 points), who sit three points behind the Nashville Predators for the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Brent Burns had a goal and an assist for the 50-16-10 Avalanche, who hold first place in the overall standings with 110 points.

New York Rangers winger Will Cuylle scored his first NHL hat trick in an 8-1 drubbing of the Washington Capitals. Mika Zibanejad had three assists while Adam Fox scored and set up two others for the 33-36-9 Rangers. Connor McMichael replied for the Capitals (39-30-9), who are three points behind the Senators for that final Eastern wild card.

ISLANDERS FIRE ROY AS HEAD COACH, REPLACE HIM WITH DEBOER

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders fired head coach Patrick Roy on Sunday, replacing him with Peter DeBoer. This move came as the Isles struggle to clinch a playoff berth with only a handful of games remaining in the regular season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ethan Sears of the New York Post blames Roy for the Islanders’ recent struggles. While acknowledging management’s recent acquisitions of Brayden Schenn, Carson Soucy, and Ondrej Palat haven’t worked as intended, Sears believes that Roy “lost buy-in from the players,” pointing to his lineup tinkering, the disastrous power play, and the decline in their defensive play, putting the club in danger of missing the playoffs.

Roy has two years left on his contract. He has a record of 97-78-22 over nearly three seasons with the Islanders.

The Islanders reportedly signed DoBoer to a four-year contract. They will be the sixth NHL team he’s coached after stints with the Florida Panthers, New Jersey Devils, San Jose Sharks, Vegas Golden Knights, and Dallas Stars since 2008-09. He guided the Devils to the Stanley Cup Final in 2012 and the Sharks to the Cup Final in 2016. DeBoer also coached the Stars to three straight Western Conference Finals from 2023 to 2025.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 5, 2026

by | Apr 5, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 5, 2026

The Sabres and Lightning clinch a playoff berth, the Panthers are eliminated from postseason contention, a milestone game for Penguins stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin, and more from a busy Saturday in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Despite a 6-2 loss to the Washington Capitals, the Buffalo Sabres (46-23-8) clinched their first playoff berth for the first time since 2011 when the New York Rangers defeated the Detroit Red Wings 4-1 earlier in the day.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres’ 14-year playoff drought was the longest in league history. Their long-suffering fans can finally rejoice as this long nightmare is finally, mercifully over. Anyway, back to the recap of this game…

Logan Thompson kicked out 37 shots while Jakob Chychrun, Connor McMichael, and Aliaksei Protas each had a goal and an assist for the 39-29-9 Capitals (87 points), who sit one point out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Rasmus Dahlin had a goal and an assist for the Sabres, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 100 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Not to rain on the Sabres’ parade, but they have struggled over their last seven games. They were the hottest team in the league from mid-December to mid-March, riding that momentum from the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings to challenging the Carolina Hurricanes for first overall in the conference. However, they’re 2-3-2 in their last seven contests.

Meanwhile, the Red Wings’ late-season slide continues with their loss to the 32-36-9 Rangers, who sit last in the Eastern Conference. Gabe Perreault sniped his first NHL hat trick while Jonathan Quick turned aside 32 shots for the Blueshirts. David Perron replied for the Red Wings (40-28-8), who sit just outside the final Eastern wild-card spot with 88 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings have dropped three of their last four games and have only seven wins in their last 18 contests. They can still clinch a playoff spot, but they’re jockeying with the Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Capitals for that berth.

Speaking of the Senators, they dropped a 4-1 decision to the Minnesota Wild. Ryan Hartman tallied twice while Jesper Wallstedt made 33 saves for the 43-21-12 Wild, who remain in third place in the Western Conference standings with 98 points. Drake Batherson scored for the Senators (39-27-10) as they cling to that final Eastern wild card with 88 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators hold that berth because they have 33 regulation wins this season. Defenseman Jake Sanderson returned to their lineup after missing 13 games with a shoulder injury. However, they played without blueliner Tyler Kleven, who is out indefinitely with a facial injury.

The Tampa Bay Lightning scored three unanswered goals to beat the Boston Bruins 3-1, clinching a playoff berth for the ninth straight season. Darren Raddysh set a single-season franchise record for defensemen by scoring his 21st of the season for the Lightning (48-22-6) as they hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 102 points. Casey Mittelstadt scored for the 43-26-8 Bruins, who hold the first Eastern wild-card berth with 94 points.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (NHL Images).

There will be a new Stanley Cup champion as the Florida Panthers were officially eliminated from the 2026 postseason race after being thumped by the Pittsburgh Penguins 9-4. Evgeni Malkin netted a hat trick and collected an assist, and Erik Karlsson had a goal and three assists for the 39-22-16 Penguins, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 94 points. A.J. Greer had a goal and an assist for the 37-36-3 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a milestone game for Malkin and teammate Sidney Crosby. Malkin crossed the 1,400 NHL regular-season point plateau, while Crosby collected two assists to surpass Hall of Famer Steve Yzerman and move into seventh on the all-time points lead with 1,756.

The Montreal Canadiens blew a 3-0 lead but recovered to nip the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on a shootout goal by Oliver Kapanen. Cole Caufield collected two assists for the red-hot Canadiens (45-21-10), who picked up their eighth straight win to move into second place in the Atlantic Division with 100 points. Jack Hughes and Timo Meier each had a goal and an assist for the 39-34-3 Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the first time the Canadiens reached the 100-point plateau since 2016-17. They only need a point to clinch a postseason berth. Meanwhile, Ivan Demidov scored in this game to become the first rookie this season to reach the 60-point plateau.

Speaking of promising young players, Canadiens prospect Michael Hage is set to return from an injury and rejoin the Michigan Wolverines for the upcoming NCAA Frozen Four tournament in Las Vegas. Once that tournament ends, he’s expected to sign an entry-level contract and join the Canadiens for the remainder of this season.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis scored twice and added an assist in a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders. K’Andre Miller collected two assists for the 49-21-6 Hurricanes, who have won three straight games, and hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 104 points. Marc Gatcomb, Max Shabanov, and Anders Lee replied for the Islanders (42-31-5), who have lost four straight but still cling to third place in the Metropolitan Division with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders rookie defenseman collected an assist to record his 58th point, surpassing Phil Housley for the most points by an 18-year-old NHL defenseman.

The Colorado Avalanche are the first team to reach the 50-win plateau this season as they blanked the Dallas Stars 2-0. Scott Wedgewood made 17 saves for the shutout, Martin Necas had a goal and an assist, and Nathan MacKinnon scored his league-leading 51st goal of the season for the 50-15-10 Avalanche, who sit first in the overall standings with 110 points. Casey DeSmith stopped 21 of 22 shots for the Stars (45-20-12), who hold second place in the overall standings with 102 points.

Two goals by Kyle Connor lifted the Winnipeg Jets to a 2-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Mark Scheifele collected two assists for the 33-31-12 Jets (78 points), who moved within three points of the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Ivan Provorov scored for the struggling Blue Jackets (38-27-12), who have dropped three straight games, and sit behind the Senators for that final Eastern wild card with 88 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets held a players-only meeting following this game. They’ve cooled off significantly from that hot streak that saw them rise from the bottom of the conference in mid-January to jockeying for second place in the Metropolitan Division by early March.

The Vegas Golden Knights extended their points streak to five games by defeating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1. Carter Hart stopped 31 shots, and Jack Eichel collected three assists for the Golden Knights (35-26-16), who hold third place in the Pacific Division with 86 points. Evan Bouchard replied for the 39-29-9 Oilers as their five-game win streak ended, leaving them clinging to first place in the Pacific Division with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers played without winger Zach Hyman, who could miss the remainder of the regular season with a nagging injury.

Utah Mammoth captain Clayton Keller had a hat trick to lead his club to a 7-4 thrashing of the Vancouver Canucks. Dylan Guenther and Lawson Crouse each had a goal and an assist for the 40-30-6 Mammoth, who picked up their third straight victory and hold the first Western wild card with 86 points. Linus Karlsson scored two goals for the 22-46-8 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mammoth defenseman MacKenzie Weegar and forward Jack McBain missed this game with injuries. Weegar (upper body) is day-to-day, while McBain (lower body) is week-to-week. Canucks goaltender Kevin Lankinen was a late scratch from this game.

The Nashville Predators regained possession of the final Western wild card by defeating the San Jose Sharks 6-3. Filip Forsberg had two goals and an assist for the 36-31-9 Predators (81 points). Nick Leddy had a goal and an assist for the Sharks (36-32-7), who are two points behind the Predators.

An overtime goal by Quinton Byfield gave the Los Angeles Kings a 7-6 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Adrian Kempe had two goals and two assists while Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists for the Kings (31-26-19), who sit behind the Predators with 81 points. Matthew Knies had two goals and two assists for the 32-31-14 Maple Leafs.

The Calgary Flames upset the Anaheim Ducks 5-3. Morgan Frost scored twice, Joel Farabee had a goal and an assist, and Devin Cooley made 36 saves for the 32-36-8 Flames. Beckett Sennecke, Leo Carlsson, and Mason McTavish replied for the Ducks (41-31-5), who sit second in the Pacific Division with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers lead the Ducks in the division with 30 regulation wins.

The Chicago Blackhawks doubled up the Seattle Kraken 4-2. Rookie forward Sacha Boisvert scored his first NHL goal, while Ilya Mikheyev had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks (28-35-14). Jaden Schwartz had a goal and an assist for the 32-32-11 Kraken.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 4, 2026

by | Apr 4, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 4, 2026

The Flyers and Blues move closer to wild-card berths, Sharks center Macklin Celebrini deserves Hart Trophy consideration, Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns will reach a notable career milestone, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov had a goal and two assists as the Philadelphia Flyers defeated the New York Islanders 4-1. Alex Bump and Travis Sanheim each had a goal and an assist while Dan Vladar made 21 saves for the 38-26-12 Flyers, who are in a four-way tie for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 88 points. Jean-Gabriel Pageau replied for the Islanders (42-30-5), who cling to third place in the Metropolitan Division with 89 points.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The playoff race in the East has gotten even more interesting. The Flyers join the Ottawa Senators (39-26-10), Detroit Red Wings (40-27-8), and the Columbus Blue Jackets (38-26-12). The Senators currently hold that wild card with 33 regulation wins and a game in hand.

The St. Louis Blues kept their playoff hopes alive with a 6-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Dylan Holloway tallied two power-play goals while Robert Thomas had a goal and two assists for the 32-31-12 Blues (76 points), who sit three points behind the San Jose Sharks for the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Ryan Poehling had a goal and an assist for the Ducks (41-30-5), who slipped to second place in the Pacific Division with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks are 0-3-1 in their last four. They have the same amount of points as the Edmonton Oilers, but the latter now holds first place with 30 regulation wins.

Speaking of the Ducks, they signed 2025 first-round pick Roger McQueen to an amateur tryout contract earlier this week.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: Eric Stephens makes the case for San Jose Sharks Macklin Celebrini to receive consideration for the Hart Memorial Trophy as this season’s most valuable player to his team. The 19-year-old sophomore center has carried the rebuilding Sharks into playoff contention while establishing himself among the league’s elite players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini is my choice for the Hart. The Sharks have a roster of up-and-coming talent, but he’s the main reason they’ve exceeded expectations this season. A glance at their stats is all you need to make the case. Without Celebrini, they’d be closer to the bottom of the standings than they would be to a wild-card berth.

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Brent Burns will play in his 1,000th consecutive regular-season game on Saturday against the Dallas Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Phil Kessel holds the “Ironman” record for consecutive regular-season games with 1,064. Burns, 41, could overtake Kessel if he plays in 2026-27. Given his performance this season, it’s a good bet that he will.

TSN: Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk was fined $2,500 by the NHL’s department of player safety for unsportsmanlike conduct towards an opponent while on the bench during Thursday’s game against the Buffalo Sabres.

OTTAWA SUN: Speaking of the Senators, sidelined defenseman Jake Sanderson could return to action this weekend. Meanwhile, rookie blueliner Carter Yakemchuk was placed in concussion protocol after being elbowed in the head by Noah Gregor of the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.

The Senators agreed to a 12-year contract extension with Bell Media for their English and French broadcast rights.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson is done for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery on Apr. 2.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins defenseman Caleb Jones underwent season-ending shoulder surgery this week.

TSN: Former NHL superstar Jaromir Jagr hasn’t officially retired, but he no longer sees himself continuing the grind of professional hockey. The 54-year-old future Hall of Famer’s final NHL season was in 2017-18 with the Calgary Flames. He’s since been playing for the Kladno Knights in Czechia.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jagr appeared in only six games for Kladno this season. After 38 years of pro hockey, he could finally hang up his skates. He may not have officially retired, but that announcement could come later this year.

HOCKEY 24/7: Michigan Wolverines forward T.J. Hughes, Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs winger Max Plante, and Denver Pioneers defenseman Eric Pohlkamp are the finalists for the 2026 Hobey Baker Award.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators and FanDuel Sports Network will officially part ways at the end of this season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 3, 2026

by | Apr 3, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 3, 2026

Mitch Marner, Jack Hughes, and Jesper Bratt each have five-point games, the Hurricanes and Wild clinch playoff berths, Red Wings forward Patrick Kane becomes the highest-scoring American player, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Mitch Marner tallied a hat trick and collected two assists to lead the Vegas Golden Knights over the Calgary Flames 6-3. Ivan Barbashev had a goal and two assists for Vegas (34-26-16), who picked up their second straight win under interim coach John Tortorella. With 84 points, the Golden Knights are third in the Pacific Division. Blake Coleman scored twice for the 31-36-8 Flames.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights goaltender Carter Hart stopped 19 saves in his return to action after being sidelined by a leg injury since Jan. 8.

New Jersey Devils forwards Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt each had five points in a 7-3 win over the Washington Capitals. Hughes had two goals and three assists while Bratt had a goal and four assists for the Devils (39-34-2). Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and an assist for the 38-29-9 Capitals (85 points), who sit three points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Devils announced that rookie forward Arseny Gritsyuk will undergo season-ending surgery for an upper-body injury.

The Carolina Hurricanes clinched a playoff berth with a 5-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Logan Stankoven scored two goals while Taylor Hall and Sebastian Aho each had two assists for the 48-21-6 Hurricanes, who hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 102 points. Denton Mateychuk scored for the Blue Jackets (38-26-12), who are 0-4-1 in their last five games. They sit outside the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 88 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal played in his 1,400th NHL regular-season game.

The Minnesota Wild punched their ticket to the postseason by defeating the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. Matt Boldy scored two goals, including his 40th of the season, and collected an assist while Ryan Hartman also tallied twice for the Wild (41-21-12), who sit third in the Central Division with 96 points. Tom Wallinder and Jake DeBrusk replied for the 22-45-8 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the first game between the two clubs since the Canucks traded Quinn Hughes to the Wild in December. Hughes collected an assist against his former club. This loss ensured the Canucks will finish last in the overall standings, improving their odds of winning the draft lottery next month.

Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane had a goal and two assists in a 4-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Alex DeBrincat had two goals for the 40-27-8 Red Wings, who sit out of the Eastern wild-card spot with 88 points. Tyson Foerster and Travis Konecny scored for the Flyers (37-26-12), who are two points behind the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 1,393 regular-season points, Kane surpassed Hall of Famer Brett Hull (1,391 points) to become the league’s all-time leading American scorer. Earlier this season, he overtook Mike Modano (1,374 points) to become the highest-scoring American-born scorer.

Foerster was playing in his first game after missing 49 games recovering from arm surgery.

The Ottawa Senators reclaimed the final Eastern wild card by beating the Buffalo Sabres 4-1. Lars Eller scored the winning goal, Ridly Greig had a goal and an assist, and Linus Ullmark stopped 21 shots for the Senators (39-26-10), who have 88 points and hold the wild card over the Red Wings with 33 regulation wins. Mattias Samuelsson scored for the 46-22-8 Sabres, who sit second in the Atlantic Division with 100 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres missed an opportunity to clinch a playoff berth for the first time in 14 years. They’ll get another chance to do so when they face the Washington Capitals on Saturday. Sabres forward Sam Carrick didn’t play as he’s week-to-week with an injured left arm. Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven was absent from this game with an upper-body injury.

A hat trick by Anthony Cirelli carried the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 6-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two assists for the 47-22-6 Lightning, who sit in first place in the Atlantic Division with 100 points. Egor Chinahkov scored twice for the Penguins (38-22-16), who are second in the Metropolitan Division with 92 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Lightning placed defenseman and team captain Victor Hedman on long-term injury reserve. He hasn’t played since March 19.

Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield scored twice, including the winning goal, as his club nipped the New York Rangers 3-2. Nick Suzuki collected two assists while Jacob Fowler made 22 saves for the Canadiens (44-21-10), who hold third place in the Atlantic with 98 points. Adam Fox and Will Cuylle replied for the Rangers (31-36-9).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Caufield has 49 goals, sitting one back of Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon in the race for the Maurice Richard Trophy.

The Florida Panthers got a 28-save performance from Sergei Bobrovsky (including 15 in the third period) in a 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins. Mackie Samoskevich and Sam Bennett scored for the Panthers (37-35-3). Fraser Minten had the only goal for the 43-25-8 Bruins, who hold the first Eastern wild-card berth with 94 points.

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger made 22 saves to shut out the Winnipeg Jets 3-0. Matt Duchene, Arttu Hyry, and Adam Erne were the goal scorers for the 45-19-12 Stars, who hold second place in the Western Conference with 102 points. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 18 of 21 shots for the 32-31-12 Jets (75 points), who are three points behind the San Jose Sharks for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets defenseman Elias Salomonsson left this game midway through the second period after a high hit from Stars winger Jason Robertson.

Speaking of the Sharks, they regained the final Western wild card with a 4-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Collin Graf scored his 20th goal of the season while William Eklund and Zack Ostapchuk each had a goal and an assist for the Sharks (36-31-7), who’ve won four straight games and now have 79 points. John Tavares scored for the 32-31-13 Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With the loss, the Maple Leafs have been officially eliminated from the postseason race for the first time in 10 years. Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson missed this game with a lower-body injury.

Nashville Predators winger Luke Evangelista scored in the eighth round of the shootout to defeat the Los Angeles Kings 5-4. The Predators (35-31-9) had a 4-1 lead, but the Kings (30-26-19) stormed back to tie the game. Both clubs sit behind the Sharks with 79 points each.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks have more wins than the Predators and Kings, and they also have a game in hand over both clubs.

The Edmonton Oilers picked up their fifth straight win by downing the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1. Adam Henrique, Matt Savoie, and Vasily Podkolzin scored for the 39-28-9 Oilers, who hold second place in the Pacific Division with 87 points. Nick Lardis scored for the 27-35-14 Blackhawks, who were officially eliminated from the playoff race for the sixth straight season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers are tied with the Anaheim Ducks, but the latter holds first place with two more wins and a game in hand.

Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley scored two goals and picked up an assist in a 6-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Dylan Guenther had a goal and two assists for the Mammoth (39-30-6), who hold the first Western wild card with 84 points. Jordan Eberle and Bobby McMann replied for the 32-31-11 Kraken, who have dropped seven of their last eight games to sit four points behind the Sharks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 2, 2026

by | Apr 2, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 2, 2026

Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon reaches the 50-goal plateau, Macklin Celebrini leads the Sharks closer to a wild-card berth, the three stars and the Rookie of the Month for March are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon is the first player to reach 50 goals this season, but his club dropped an 8-6 decision to the Vancouver Canucks. Brock Boeser tallied a hat trick and picked up an assist, Teddy Blueger scored two goals, and Marcus Pettersson had a goal and two assists for the 22-44-8 Canucks, who sit last in the overall standings. Sam Malinski had two goals and an assist for the Avalanche (49-15-10), who are first overall with 108 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon sits three goals ahead of Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield in the race for the Maurice Richard Trophy as the league’s top goal scorer. The Avalanche played without Cale Makar, who is expected to miss some time with an upper-body injury, but will return before the playoffs begin on Apr. 18.

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (NHL Images).

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini scored twice and set up two others to nip the Anaheim Ducks 4-3. Will Smith had a goal and two assists, Alexander Wennberg scored the winning goal, and Yaroslav Askarov made 28 saves for the 35-31-7 Sharks (77 points), who are one point behind the Los Angeles Kings for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Ryan Poehling, Alex Killorn, and Troy Terry scored for the Ducks (41-29-5), who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini is fourth among this season’s NHL scoring leaders with 105 points. The 19-year-old Sharks superstar also moved into second place among the Sharks’ all-time single-season scorers. Joe Thornton has the single-season points record with 114.

The Ducks played without defensemen Radko Gudas and Pavel Mintyukov, who are sidelined with lower-body injuries.

Speaking of the Kings, they moved into the final Western wild-card spot by defeating the St. Louis Blues 2-1 on an end-to-end overtime goal by Trevor Moore. Adrian Kempe also scored for the 30-26-18 Kings (78 points). Robert Thomas replied for the 31-31-12 Blues, who sit four points behind the Kings.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson, and Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha are the league’s Three Stars for March 2026. St. Louis Blues winger Jimmy Snuggerud was named the Rookie of the Month.

DAILY FACEOFF: Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel and Scott Sabourin are sidelined day-to-day with undisclosed injuries.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers recalled defensemen Tobias Bjornfot and Mikulas Hovorka to replace sidelined blueliners Aaron Ekblad and Dmitry Kulikov.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers signed defenseman David Jiricek to a two-year, $1.5 million contract extension.

TORONTO SUN: Former NHL forward Mikhail Grabovski has been accused of assaulting a hockey coach following an Ontario Minor Hockey Association playoff game in Markham.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 1, 2026

by | Apr 1, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 1, 2026

No April fooling here, as the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin reaches another scoring milestone, the Sabres reclaim first place in the Eastern Conference, the Stars re-sign general manager Jim Nill, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin tallied twice to reach the 30-goal plateau for the 20th time in a 6-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Tom Wilson also scored two goals, Pierre-Luc Dubois collected four assists, and Jakob Chychrun had a goal and two assists for the 38-28-9 Capitals (85 points), who are three points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Travis Sanheim and Christian Dvorak each had a goal and an assist for the Flyers (37-25-12), who are two points out of that Eastern wild-card spot.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin tied Gordie Howe and Teemu Selanne for the third-most goals (31) by a player age 40 or older. He’s behind Howe (44 goals) and Johnny Bucyk (36) for the most goals by a player in that age category.

The Buffalo Sabres reclaimed first place in the Eastern Conference by holding off the New York Islanders by a score of 4-3. Tage Thompson and Jack Quinn each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (46-21-8), who reached the 100-point plateau for the first time since 2009-10. Bo Horvat picked up three assists, and Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist for the 42-29-5 Islanders, who cling to third place in the Metropolitan Division with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres forward Sam Carrick left this game with an injured left arm after a fight with Islanders captain Anders Lee in the third period. The Islanders played without forward Simon Holmstrom, who suffered an upper-body injury during Monday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield netted his 47th goal of the season and collected an assist in a 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Juraj Slafkovsky and Mike Matheson each had a goal and an assist while Jakub Dobes stopped 36 shots for the 43-21-10 Canadiens, who picked up their sixth straight victory and remain in third place in the Atlantic Division with 96 points. Jake Guentzel replied for the Lightning (46-22-6), who are two points up on the Canadiens in the Atlantic.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Caufield sits two goals behind Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon in the race for the Maurice Richard Trophy as this season’s top goal scorer. Canadiens defenseman Alexandre Carrier missed this game as he’s out two to four weeks with an upper-body injury.

A four-goal third period by the Boston Bruins lifted them to a 6-3 victory over the Dallas Stars. Viktor Arvidsson had a hat trick while David Pastrnak had three assists for the Bruins (43-24-8), who got their fourth straight win to sit two points behind the Canadiens in the first Eastern wild-card spot. Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson each had two points for the 44-19-12 Stars, who have dropped six of their last seven games but continue to hold second place in the Western Conference with 100 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Stars announced the signing of general manager Jim Nill to a two-year contract extension. He’s held the job since April 2013 and is the reigning holder of the Jim Gregory GM of the Year Award, which he’s won three consecutive times as the Stars reached the Western Conference Final in each of those seasons.

The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-1. Egor Chinakhov had a goal and an assist while Anthony Mantha reached the 30-goal plateau for the first time for the 38-21-16 Penguins, who sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 92 points. Dylan Larkin replied for the struggling Red Wings (39-27-8), who remain two points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Evgeni Malkin collected an assist as he returned to action since being sidelined on March 22 with an injured hand. Before the game, the Red Wings announced that prospect goaltender Trey Augustine had signed a three-year entry-level contract and reported to their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids for the remainder of the season.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Nikolaj Ehlers scored the game-winning goal and picked up two assists in a 5-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, who are 1-4-1 in their last six games. Andrei Svechnikov had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes (47-21-6), who hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 100 points. Kirill Marchenko had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets (38-25-12), who cling to the final Eastern wild card with 88 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes and Sabres are tied in points, but the former holds first place in the conference based on a game in hand. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets are struggling to regain the winning form that propelled them from last place in the conference in mid-January into second place in the Metropolitan Division by March 25.

The Florida Panthers scored five straight goals in the first period to defeat the Ottawa Senators 6-3. Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and three assists while Carter Verhaeghe scored twice and collected an assist for the 35-32-3 Panthers. Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark was pulled in the first period after giving up those five goals as his club remains two points behind the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers forward Noah Gregor set a franchise record for the fastest game-opening goal as he found the back of the net in the first eight seconds. Gregor also received a match penalty in the third period for knocking Senators rookie defenseman Carter Yakemchuk out of the game with a high hit.

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Connor Ingram made 27 saves to shut out the Seattle Kraken 3-0. Max Jones, Kasper Kapanen, and Connor McDavid scored for the 38-28-9 Oilers, who sit in second place in the Pacific Division with 85 points. Philipp Grubauer stopped 21 of 23 shots for the Kraken (32-30-11), who are two points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 75 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken center Shane Wright missed this game with an upper-body injury.

The Winnipeg Jets moved one point behind the Nashville Predators (77 points) for the final Western wild card by nipping the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 on an overtime goal by Kyle Connor. Mark Scheifele collected three assists for the Jets (32-30-12). Tyler Bertuzzi scored two goals for the 27-34-14 Blackhawks, who overcame a 3-1 deficit to force overtime.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Blackhawks announced that defensemen Artyom Levshunov and Matt Grzelcyk have been sidelined by injuries for the remainder of the season.

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin made 22 saves for a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. J.T. Miller scored what proved to be the game-winner for the 31-35-9 Rangers. Connor Brown replied for the 38-34-2 Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The main highlight of this contest was a third-period fight between Shesterkin and Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom, which Shesterkin won handily.

HEADLINES

TORONTO STAR/TORONTO SUN: Keith Pelley, the President and COO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, met with the media yesterday to outline his plans to find a new general manager for the Maple Leafs, and the club’s plans going forward.

Among the notable points from Pelley’s word salad of a press conference is the intention to build a new hockey department in time for the NHL Draft combine in early June. He expects the next GM will be required to make data-driven decisions.

Meanwhile, Pelley expects the club to build around foundational players Auston Matthews, William Nylander, John Tavares, and Matthew Knies.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Basically, the roles of team president and general manager will not be held by one person; they’re focusing more on analytics, and they will be retooling around their foundation rather than tearing everything down and rebuilding.

I’ll have more about the potential candidates for the role of Maple Leafs general manager in today’s Rumor Mill.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar’s injury isn’t considered serious. However, he’ll likely miss a few games over the remainder of this season to ensure he’s ready for the upcoming playoffs.

DAILY FACEOFF: Anaheim Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Forward Jansen Harkins underwent surgery on his hand and is expected to be out for four weeks.