NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 31, 2026

by | Mar 31, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 31, 2026

Recaps of Monday’s action, the Maple Leafs fire general manager Brad Treliving, the three stars of the week are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini became the sixth teenager in NHL history to record a 100-point season in a 5-4 win over the St. Louis Blues. Celebrini had two goals and an assist, and Adam Gaudette scored the winning goal with 22 seconds remaining in the third period for the 34-31-7 Sharks (75 points), who moved within two points of the Nashville Predators for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Jake Neighbours picked up two assists for the Blues (31-31-11), who are four points out of that wild-card spot.

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini joined Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby, Jimmy Carson, Mario Lemieux, Dale Hawerchuk, and Wayne Gretzky among the teenage 100-point players, with Crosby the only one to do it twice. Celebrini is also the third player in Sharks history to reach the 100-point plateau, joining Joe Thornton and Erik Karlsson.

An eight-goal second period between the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins resulted in the latter overcoming a 3-1 deficit for an 8-3 victory. Anthony Mantha scored twice and collected an assist, Rickard Rakell tallied two goals, and Justin Brazeau picked up three assists for the 37-21-16 Penguins, who vaulted over the Islanders into second place in the Metropolitan Division. Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist for the Isles (42-28-5), who sit one point behind the Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby picked up two assists in his return to action after missing a game with a lower-body injury. It was his 1,100th career regular-season assist, joining Hall of Famer Raymond Bourque as the only players to reach that milestone with one team.

A five-goal first period carried the Colorado Avalanche to a 9-2 drubbing of the Calgary Flames. Colorado center Nazem Kadri scored twice against his former club while Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, Martin Necas, Jack Drury, and Parker Kelly each collected three points for the Avalanche (49-14-10), who lead the league with 108 points. Brennan Othmann and Ryan Strome replied for the 31-35-8 Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Makar left this game after the second period with an upper-body injury. An update on his condition is expected on Tuesday.

The Vegas Golden Knights doubled up the Vancouver Canucks 4-2, giving interim coach John Tortorella his first win with his new club. Shea Theodore and Rielly Smith scored 1:17 minutes apart in the second period to give the 33-26-16 Golden Knights the win. With 82 points, they hold third place in the Pacific Division. Evander Kane scored in his 1,000th NHL regular-season game as the 21-44-8 Canucks sit last in the overall standings.

An overtime goal by John Tavares lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 5-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Tavares finished with two goals and an assist, and William Nylander had a goal and three assists for the Maple Leafs (32-30-13). Leo Carlsson tallied twice for the 41-28-5 Ducks, who sit in first place in the Pacific Division with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs forward Max Domi got a measure of revenge for sidelined captain Auston Matthews by beating Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas in a first-period fight. Gudas injured Matthews earlier this month with a knee-on-knee hit. The Ducks blueliner seemed resigned to his fate, not bothering to throw any punches while Domi landed 12. Maple Leafs forward Michael Pezzetta was handed a game misconduct in the second period for shoving a linesman.

Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier left this game midway through the first period with an upper-body injury. He will be reevaluated on Tuesday. Gauthier leads the Ducks with 38 goals and 65 points this season.

HEADLINES

TORONTO SUN: Before last night’s game, the Maple Leafs announced that they relieved Brad Treliving of his duties as general manager.

Treliving had been in the role since May 2023. He had a record of 139-92-27, and a 10-10 postseason record.

The fate of head coach Craig Berube is unknown, but it’s expected that Treliving’s replacement will want to hire their own bench boss.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Treliving was in the final season of his contract. Given the club’s disappointing downturn this season, it’s not surprising that he was given his walking papers.

The Maple Leafs’ decline this season was mostly Treliving’s fault. He failed to re-sign Mitch Marner, resulting in the winger’s departure last summer, and didn’t find any suitable replacement. He also didn’t improve the Maple Leafs’ defensive depth, especially on the right side of their blueline. 

Treliving made a pair of short-sighted moves at last year’s trade deadline that will hamper the Leafs’ efforts to restock their prospect pipeline. He shipped top prospect Fraser Minten and the Leafs’ 2026 first-round pick to Boston for struggling defenseman Brandon Carlo at last year’s trade deadline. He gave up the Leafs’ 2027 first-rounder to Philadelphia as part of the return for Scott Laughton, who now plays for the Los Angeles Kings.

It’s rumored that the Maple Leafs could attempt to woo Doug Armstrong away from the St. Louis Blues. He’s indicated that he intends to hand over the management role to Alexander Steen and remain with the Blues as team president.

NHL.COM: Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes, Boston Bruins center Pavel Zacha, and Anaheim Ducks defenseman John Carlson are the league’s three stars for the week ending March. 29, 2026.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 30, 2026

by | Mar 30, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 30, 2026

Recaps of Sunday’s games, the Golden Knights replace Bruce Cassidy as head coach with John Tortorella, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING SUNDAY’S ACTION

NHL.COM: The Tampa Bay Lightning moved into first place in the Eastern Conference by defeating the Nashville Predators 3-2. Jake Guentzel had a goal and two assists, and Corey Perry snapped a 2-2 tie for the 46-21-6 Lightning (98 points). Filip Forsberg scored his 34th goal of the season while rookie Joakim Kemell tallied his first NHL goal as the Predators (34-31-9) have lost three straight as they cling to the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 77 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes each have the same record and points, but the former hold first place in the conference with 37 regulation wins. The Buffalo Sabres also have 98 points, but sit third with a record of 45-21-8.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (NHL Images).

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they dropped a 3-1 decision to the Montreal Canadiens. Nick Suzuki tallied twice and collected an assist, Cole Caufield sniped his 46th goal of the season, and Jakub Dobes stopped 34 shots for the 42-21-10 Canadiens, who have won five straight games, sweeping their season series with Carolina to sit third in the Atlantic Division with 94 points. Andrei Svechnikov scored for the Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Caufield is two goals behind Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon in the race for the Maurice Richard Trophy as this season’s leading goal scorer.

Caufield’s quest for 50 goals overshadowed Suzuki becoming the first Canadien to exceed 90 points in a season since Pierre Turgeon and Vincent Damphousse in 1995-96. Suzuki has 91 points, and is on pace to become the first Hab to tally 100 points since Mats Naslund in 1985-86.

The Boston Bruins overcame a 3-0 deficit to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 on a shootout goal by Viktor Arvidsson, who also collected three assists in regulation. Pavel Zacha had two goals and an assist as the Bruins (42-24-8) picked up their third straight victory to hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 92 points. Mason Marchment had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets, who sit in the final Eastern wild-card berth with 88 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Mason Lohrei missed this game with an upper-body injury. Blue Jackets forward Mathieu Olivier left this contest in the second period with an upper-body injury, likely a result of his first-period fight with Bruins forward Mark Kastelic.

The Blue Jackets had been on a tear since Rick Bowness took over as head coach in mid-January, surging up the Eastern Conference standings. However, they’ve cooled off lately, sporting a record of 1-3-1 in their last five contests.

An overtime goal by Trevor Zegras lifted the Philadelphia Flyers to a 2-1 upset of the Dallas Stars. Travis Konecny scored in regulation, and Samuel Ersson stopped 17 shots for the 37-24-12 Flyers (86 points), who are now two points behind the Blue Jackets for that final Eastern wild card. Arttu Hyry scored his first NHL goal for the Stars (44-18-12), who sit second in the overall standings with 100 points, but have dropped five of their last six games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers also made news on Sunday by signing top prospect Porter Martone to a three-year entry-level contract. Chosen sixth overall in last year’s draft, the 19-year-old winger is expected to join the Flyers for the remainder of this season.

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes scored twice and collected two assists in a 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Nico Hischier had two assists for the Devils (38-33-2). Frank Nazar tallied two goals, and Anton Frondell had two assists for the 27-34-13 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov suffered a fracture to his left hand last Tuesday and is out for the remainder of the season.

The New York Rangers defeated the Florida Panthers 3-1. Igor Shesterkin turned aside 26 shots while Adam Fox had a goal and an assist for the 30-35-9 Rangers. Mackie Samoskevich replied for the 35-35-3 Panthers.

HEADLINES

LAS VEGAS SUN: The Vegas Golden Knights fired head coach Bruce Cassidy on Sunday, replacing him for the remainder of this season with John Tortorella.

Cassidy had been behind the Golden Knights bench since 2022-23, guiding them to the Stanley Cup that season. They reached the playoffs in each of the last two seasons and hold a playoff berth in the Pacific Division.

However, the Golden Knights have struggled since the Olympic break with a record of 5-10-2, being outscored by an average of 3.2 to 2.4 goals per game. For the first time in franchise history, they will finish with more defeats than victories.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights are ruthless and are unafraid to make bold moves to shake things up and remain in Stanley Cup contention. However, replacing Cassidy is unlikely to spark a significant improvement.

Ed Graney of the Las Vegas Review-Journal believes Cassidy is being made the fall guy, calling it a desperate move by the struggling club. Jesse Granger of The Athletic pointed out that the Golden Knights have chipped away at their defensive depth in recent years, their core is aging, and their goaltending has been subpar.

As Graney and Granger observed, the team’s difficulties this season are primarily due to management’s construction of this team. By acquiring big-ticket players in trades and free agency, they gutted the defensive and goaltending depth that played a key role in their 2023 Stanley Cup run.

TSN’s Chris Johnston doesn’t believe Cassidy will be unemployed for long. Given his success with the Golden Knights and the Boston Bruins, he’ll have plenty of suitors this summer, with the Toronto Maple Leafs likely at the front of the line.

As for Tortorella, he’s joining his sixth team as he begins his 24th season as an NHL head coach. He’s a two-time winner of the Jack Adams Award and coached the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup in 2004. “Torts” also has a reputation as a no-nonsense bench boss. However, the Golden Knights must improve considerably from their current level for Tortorella to earn an extension beyond this season.

CBC NEWS: Former Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets forward Bill Riley died of cancer on March 29 at age 75.

Born in Amherst, Nova Scotia, Riley was the third Black player in NHL history. He played with the Capitals from 1974-75 to 1978-79 and the Jets in 1979-80. In 139 games, he had 31 goals and 30 assists for 61 points.

Riley also spent four seasons in the AHL, captaining the New Brunswick Hawks to the Calder Cup in 1981-82. Following his playing career, he coached the QMJHL’s Moncton Wildcats and the Amherst Ramblers of the Maritime Hockey League.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Riley’s family, friends, former teammates, and the young players that he coached.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 29, 2026

by | Mar 29, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 29, 2026

Check out the recaps from a 15-game Saturday night in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: A hat-trick performance by Owen Tippett carried the Philadelphia Flyers to a 5-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Tippett finished with four points, and Dan Vladar made 32 saves for the 35-24-12 Flyers (82 points), who are five points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Patrick Kane and Moritz Seider each had two assists for the Red Wings (39-25-8), who are one point out of that wild card with 86 points.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Owen Tippett (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers have been hot of late, with a record of 7-1-1 in their last nine games.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Emil Lilleberg had a goal and two assists as his club overcame a 2-0 deficit to double up the Ottawa Senators 4-2. Brandon Hagel and Charle-Edouard D’Astous each had a goal and an assist for the 45-21-6 Lightning, who sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 96 points. Dylan Cozens and Jordan Spence scored for the Senators (38-25-10), who sit one point out of the final Eastern wild-card with 86 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning forwards Nikita Kucherov and Nick Paul missed this game due to illness.

Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield sniped his 45th goal of the season in a 4-1 victory over the Nashville Predators. The Canadiens’ second line of Ivan Demidov, Oliver Kapanen, and Alex Newhook each had a goal and an assist as the Habs (41-21-10) picked up their fourth straight win and sit third in the Atlantic Division with 91 points. Zachary L’Heureux scored for the 34-30-9 Predators, who cling to the final Western wild card with 77 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson collected an assist to become the third defenseman in NHL history to record multiple 60-assist seasons before the age of 23, joining Hall of Famers Paul Coffey (three seasons) and Bobby Orr (two seasons).

The Winnipeg Jets are getting closer to a Western Conference wild-card spot with a 4-2 upset of the league-leading Colorado Avalanche. Cole Perfetti snapped a 2-2 tie in the third period while Gabriel Vilardi had a goal and an assist for the 31-30-12 Jets (74 points), who moved within three points of the Predators. Brock Nelson and Parker Kelly replied for the 48-14-10 Avalanche (106 points).

A five-goal second period vaulted the New York Islanders over the Florida Panthers by a score of 5-2. Brayden Schenn had a goal and two assists for the Islanders (42-27-5) as they moved into second place in the Metropolitan Division with 89 points. Matthew Tkachuk scored both goals for the 35-34-3 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers center Sam Bennett missed this game with an undisclosed injury.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists as his club held off the Anaheim Ducks 4-2. Zach Hyman had a goal and an assist while Jack Roslovic tallied his 20th goal of the season for the 37-28-9 Oilers, who hold second place in the Pacific Division with 83 points. Beckett Sennecke and Cutter Gauthier tallied for the Ducks (41-28-4), who hold first place in that division with 86 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks winger Troy Terry returned to the lineup after missing one game with a lower-body injury. Teammates Radko Gudas and Pavel Mintyukov missed this contest with lower-body injuries.

Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist after missing 15 games with a lower-body injury in a 6-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Mavrik Bourque scored twice and picked up an assist, and Jason Robertson had a goal and an assist for the Stars (44-18-11), who remain in second place in the overall standings with 99 points. Erik Karlsson had a goal and an assist for the 36-21-16 Penguins, who are clinging to third place in the Metropolitan Division with 88 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins played without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin as both are day-to-day with injuries.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak collected two assists to extend his points streak to 12 games to help his club beat the Minnesota Wild 6-3. Pavel Zacha and Elias Lindholm each tallied twice for the 41-24-8 Bruins, who hold the first Eastern wild-card berth with 90 points. Mats Zuccarello and Ryan Hartman each had a goal and an assist for the Wild (41-21-12), who sit third in the Central Division with 94 points.

The Carolina Hurricanes scored five straight goals in a 5-2 win over the New Jersey Devils. Nikolaj Ehlers and Shayne Gostisbehere each had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes (46-20-6), who hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 98 points. Timo Meier and Evgenii Dadonov replied for the 37-33-2 Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gostisbehere returned from a nine-game absence with a lower-body injury.

San Jose Sharks rookie winger Igor Chernyshov scored twice (including the game-winner) for his first NHL multi-point game to nip the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2. Macklin Celebrini had a goal and an assist for the 33-31-7 Sharks (74 points), who snapped a six-game skid to sit four points out of the final Western wild card. Denton Mateychuk and Cole Sillinger scored while Elvis Merzlikins stopped 33 shots for the Blue Jackets (38-24-11), who slipped into the final Eastern wild card with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets forward Dmitri Voronkov left this game after the second period with an upper-body injury.

The Buffalo Sabres overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Seattle Kraken 3-2 on a shootout goal by Tage Thompson. Rasmus Dahlin scored his 100th career NHL regular-season goal while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen turned aside 32 shots for the 45-21-8 Sabres, who remain in first place in the Atlantic Division with 98 points. Chandler Stephenson and Bobby McMann each had a goal and an assist for the Kraken (32-29-11) as they sit two points out of the final Western wild card with 75 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres rookie Noah Ostlund could be sidelined longer than expected with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Kraken center Shane Wright left this game in the first period with an undisclosed ailment.

Utah Mammoth forwards Alexander Kerfoot and Logan Cooley each tallied two goals to defeat the Los Angeles Kings 6-2. Mikhail Sergachev collected four assists as the Mammoth (37-30-6) remains in the first Western wild card with 80 points. Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe scored for the 29-25-18 Kings (76 points), who are one point out of the final Western wild-card berth.

The Washington Capitals blew a 3-0 lead but rallied from a 4-3 deficit for a 5-4 shootout victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Dylan Strome scored the tying goal and the winner in the shootout for the 36-28-9 Capitals. Jack Eichel had a goal and two assists for the Golden Knights (32-26-16), who have lost six of their last seven games but remain third in the Pacific Division with 79 points.

St. Louis Blues winger Dylan Holloway had a goal and an assist in a 5-1 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jordan Kyrou and Jake Neighbours each had two assists for the 31-30-11 Blues (73 points), who sit four points out of the Western wild-card spot. Jake McCabe replied for the 31-30-13 Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues center Robert Thomas returned to action after missing one game with an upper-body injury.

The Calgary Flames pounded the Vancouver Canucks 7-3. Matt Coronato and Morgan Frost each had a goal and two assists for the 30-34-8 Flames. Center Elias Pettersson picked up two assists for the 21-42-8 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames defenseman Joel Hanley’s season is over as he suffered an undisclosed injury on Thursday against the Anaheim Ducks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2026

by | Mar 28, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2026

The Red Wings move closer to a wild-card berth, injury updates, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Detroit Red Wings regained some ground in the race for a wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference by defeating the Buffalo Sabres 5-2. Alex DeBrincat had a goal and two assists, Patrick Kane scored and picked up an assist, and John Gibson made 28 saves for the 39-25-8 Red Wings (86 points), who moved to within one point of the New York Islanders for the final Eastern wild card. Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin replied for the Sabres (44-21-8), who hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 96 points.

Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres missed an opportunity to take over sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference from the Carolina Hurricanes, who hold two games in hand. Red Wings goalie Cam Talbot missed this game with an undisclosed injury and is listed as day-to-day. The Wings called up Michal Postava to back up Gibson.

New York Rangers rookie goalie Dylan Garand stopped 27 shots for his first NHL win as his club beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-1. Rookie winger Adam Sykora tallied his first NHL goal, J.T. Miller had a goal and two assists, and Jonny Brodzinski tallied twice for the 29-35-9 Rangers. Nick Lardis scored for the 27-33-13 Blackhawks.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: The date for the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery was officially confirmed for Tuesday, May 5, 2026.

DAILY FACEOFF: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson suffered an upper-body injury during Thursday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. He is listed as week-to-week.

CALGARY SUN: Flames forward Samuel Honzek has returned to practice with his teammates for the first time since suffering an upper-body collision after colliding with teammate Mikael Backlund. However, the 21-year-old will not return to action this season.

TORONTO STAR: The Maple Leafs returned forward Bo Groulx to their AHL affiliate. If he played one more game with the Leafs, he couldn’t return to the Marlies without passing through waivers. The Leafs want Groulx to take part in this year’s Calder Cup playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Groulx played well during his brief call-up. The 26-year-old center had three goals and two assists for five points in nine games, which could earn him a permanent spot with the Maple Leafs next season. He has 50 points in 52 games with the Marlies.

CBS SPORTS: The Colorado Avalanche reassigned winger Gavin Brindley to their AHL affiliate. With the Avalanche finally sporting a healthy roster, Brindley had been a recent healthy scratch. He’ll get more playing time with their farm club.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Peter Chiarelli and Kevin Maxwell are leaving the St. Louis Blues organization. Chiarelli was their vice president of hockey operations, and Maxwell served as a pro scout.

Chiarelli is reportedly among the candidates to replace Barry Trotz as general manager of the Nashville Predators. Maxwell is returning to the Rangers in a management role.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars promoted Rich Peverley to assistant GM. He’d served as their director of player personnel.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2026

by | Mar 27, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2026

Connor McDavid reaches another milestone as he regains the scoring lead, the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin and the Ducks’ Mikael Granlund have hat-trick performances, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists to regain the lead in the scoring race in a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Evan Bouchard scored in overtime and collected an assist while Zach Hyman netted his 30th goal of the season for the 36-28-9 Oilers, who sit second in the Pacific Division with 81 points. Mark Stone tallied twice for the Golden Knights (32-26-15), who sit two points behind the Oilers in third place.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid is tied with Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov with 121 points, but he holds the lead with 41 goals. He also became the third-fastest player in NHL history to reach the 800-assist plateau, doing so in 785 regular-season games. He’s behind Wayne Gretzky (527 games) and Mario Lemieux (661 games)

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin set a league record by tallying a hat trick against his 21st NHL team to lead his club over the Utah Mammoth 7-4. Ivan Miroshnichenko scored two goals for the Capitals (36-28-9). Dylan Guenther tallied twice while Clayton Keller collected three assists for the 37-30-6 Mammoth, who hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 80 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 29 goals, Ovechkin is poised to reach the 30-goal mark for what will be a league-record 20th time. He also has 34 career hat tricks, passing Brett Hull for fourth place on the all-time list behind Gretzky (50), Lemieux (40), and Mike Bossy (39).

Mammoth forward Barrett Hayton missed this game as he’s considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Speaking of hat tricks, Mikael Granlund had one in the Anaheim Ducks’ 3-2 overtime win over the Calgary Flames. John Carlson picked up two assists for the 41-27-4 Ducks as they hold first place in the Pacific Division with 86 points. Blake Coleman and Matvei Gridin replied for the Flames (30-34-8).

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scored twice to widen his lead in the goal-scoring race as his club downed the Winnipeg Jets 3-2. The Avalanche (48-13-10) extended its win streak to four games as they hold first place in the overall standings with 106 points. Mark Scheifele scored both goals for the Jets (30-30-12) as they sit five points out of the final Western wild-card spot with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon has 48 goals, sitting four ahead of Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield. With 117 points, he’s third in the race for the Art Ross Trophy behind McDavid and Kucherov. Meanwhile, Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen collected an assist as he returned to action after being sidelined for 11 games with an upper-body injury.

Speaking of Kucherov, he had an assist as the Tampa Bay Lightning dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to the Seattle Kraken. Defenseman Brandon Montour scored twice (including the game-winner) while Kaapo Kakko and Bobby McMann each had a goal and an assist for the 32-29-10 Kraken (74 points), who are three points out of the final Western wild card. Jake Guentzel had a goal and an assist for the Lightning (44-21-6), who hold second place in the Atlantic Division with 94 points.

The Montreal Canadiens nipped the Columbus Blue Jackets by a score of 2-1. Jayden Struble and Zach Bolduc snapped their lengthy scoring droughts for the Canadiens (40-21-10), who picked up their third straight win and sit third in the Atlantic Division with 90 points. Damon Severson replied for the 38-23-11 Blue Jackets, who hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens forward Alexandre Texier missed this game with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day.

New York Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer collected two assists in a 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars. Bo Horvat tallied his 30th goal of the season, and Calum Ritchie also scored for the 41-27-5 Islanders, who regained the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 87 points. Matt Duchene replied for the Stars (43-18-11), who remain in second place in the overall standings with 97 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders played without defenseman Tony DeAngelo, who will be out for one to two weeks with a lower-body injury.

A shootout goal by rookie forward Ben Kindel lifted the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Ottawa Senators 4-3. Rickard Rakell had two goals and an assist, and Erik Karlsson had a goal and two assists for the 36-20-16 Penguins, who moved back into second place in the Metropolitan Division with 88 points. Drake Batherson tallied twice for the Senators (38-24-10), as they slipped out of the final Eastern wild card by one point behind the Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby left this game early in the second period with a lower-body injury. There was no post-game update regarding his condition. Crosby recently returned to action after missing 11 games with a torn MCL in his right knee.

The Senators will be without Thomas Chabot for the next six to eight weeks after he suffered a broken forearm during Monday’s win against the New York Rangers.

Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek snapped a 2-2 tie with five seconds remaining in the third period to give his club a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers. Marcus Foligno and Ryan Hartman also scored for the Wild (41-20-12) as they hold third place in the Central Division with 94 points. Daniil Tarasov kicked out 47 shots, and Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist for the 35-33-3 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Foligno returned to action after missing the last 12 games with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues left this game after suffering a broken finger and could be out for the remainder of the season.

The New Jersey Devils doubled up the Nashville Predators 4-2, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Nico Hischier scored two goals, and Jesper Bratt had a goal and two assists for the 37-32-2 Devils. Steven Stamkos scored his 36th goal of the season for the Predators (34-29-9) as they cling to the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 77 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Arseny Gritsyuk is out for the rest of this week after suffering an undisclosed injury during their 6-4 win over the Stars on Tuesday.

Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper made 19 saves to shut out the Vancouver Canucks 4-0. Quinton Byfield and Trevor Moore each had a goal and an assist for the Kings (29-25-18), who remain one point behind the Predators. Kevin Lankinen stopped 34 of 37 shots for the 21-42-8 Canucks.

The Philadelphia Flyers kept their playoff hopes alive with a 5-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Alex Bump, Christian Dvorak, and Noah Cates each had a goal and an assist for the 35-24-12 Flyers (82 points), leaving them five points out of the final Eastern wild card. Connor Bedard netted his 30th goal of the season for the 27-32-13 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers forward Nikita Grebenkin missed this game as he’s out for at least a week with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Dylan Holloway gave the St. Louis Blues a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Holloway also collected the primary assist on Dalibor Dvorsky’s second-period goal for the 30-30-11 Blues. Alexander Wennberg scored for the Sharks (32-31-7), who are 0-5-1 in their last six games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues center Robert Thomas missed this game as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 26, 2026

by | Mar 26, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 26, 2026

The Bruins defeat the Sabres, the Rangers are officially eliminated from the playoff race, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Pavel Zacha lifted the Boston Bruins over the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists for the 40-24-8 Bruins, who hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 88 points. Jason Zucker tallied twice for the Sabres (44-20-8), who remain in second place in the conference standings with 96 points.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin’s fiancée, Carolina Matovac, attended her first Sabres game since her heart transplant last year. She’s spent the seven months recovering in the couple’s native Sweden.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll kicked out 40 shots in a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers, officially eliminating the latter from this season’s playoff race. Dakota Joshua had a goal and an assist for the 31-29-13 Maple Leafs. Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and two assists, and Mika Zibanejad tallied twice for the 28-35-9 Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers are the first Eastern Conference team, and the second overall, to be eliminated from the postseason chase. On Sunday, the Vancouver Canucks’ postseason hopes were ended.

HEADLINES

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning captain Victor Hedman has taken a temporary leave of absence from the club for personal reasons. He missed the last three games with an ailment.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Another member of the Panthers has been sidelined by an injury. Center Anton Lundell could miss the rest of this season with an injured rib. He’s not expected to require surgery, but his recovery time could be between two and six weeks.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators might have to continue their playoff push without Thomas Chabot. The 29-year-old defenseman suffered an injured arm after being cross-checked by New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller on Monday. It’s speculated that Chabot could be out of the lineup for six weeks.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins winger Anthony Mantha is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings signed defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $1.6 million.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Jacob Winterton, brother of Kraken forward Ryan Winterton, died Tuesday at age 25 following a battle with cancer. Jacob spent two seasons in the OHL from 2018-19 and 2019-20 with the Flint Firebirds and Oshawa Generals, followed by four seasons playing for the University of Guelph

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to the Winterton family and Jacob’s friends and former teammates.

THE ATHLETIC: Harman Dayal recently examined why NHL goaltending has become one of the most volatile positions in all major sports.

Several reasons explain this problem. One is that offenses have improved while goalies haven’t caught up. There’s also been a generational loss of workhorse goalies in recent years, as stars such as Roberto Luongo, Henrik Lundqvist, Carey Price, and Marc-Andre Fleury have retired.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dayal’s column is behind a paywall, but it’s well worth the read if you have access to it.