NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 29, 2023

by | Dec 29, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 29, 2023

The Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho achieves a franchise first in his club’s win over the Canadiens, a milestone game for Flyers coach John Tortorella, the latest injury updates, the Capitals finally sign Ethan Bear, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho collected four assists and Andrei Svechnikov tallied a hat trick in a 5-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Brent Burns set up three goals and Jesper Fast scored twice as the Hurricanes improved to 19-13-4 to move into third place in the Metropolitan Division with 42 points. Mitchell Stephens, Mike Matheson and Josh Anderson scored for the Canadiens as they slipped to 15-14-5.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Aho became the first player in Hurricanes/Whalers history to collect four points in consecutive games and the first player in the NHL to do so since Jeremy Roenick on Nov. 25-26, 1999.

A three-goal second period powered the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Joel Farabee had a goal and an assist while Samuel Ersson made 18 saves before leaving the game early in the third period with an undisclosed injury. The Flyers improved to 19-11-4 and hold second place in the Metro Division with 42 points. Teddy Blueger scored for the 23-10-3 Canucks as they remain in first place in the Western Conference with 49 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a milestone game for Flyers head coach John Tortorella as he moved into 10th place on the all-time wins list for NHL coaches with 723. The Flyers have the same number of points as the Hurricanes but sit ahead of them with two games in hand.

The Vegas Golden Knights snapped a four-game losing skid by holding off the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 3-2. Logan Thompson stopped 32 shots while Jack Eichel, Michael Amadio and William Karlsson scored for the Golden Knights (22-10-5) move into a tie with the Vancouver Canucks with 49 points. Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist while Trevor Moore also scored for the Kings (20-8-4) as they remain in third place in the Pacific Division with 44 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks still hold first in the West with one more victory as well as a game in hand.

A four-goal first period and 25 saves by goaltender Stuart Skinner gave the Edmonton Oilers a 5-0 shutout over the San Jose Sharks. Zach Hyman tallied his 20th of the season as the Oilers improved to 16-15-1. Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 17 of 18 shots in relief of Magnus Chrona for the 9-24-3 Sharks.

HEADLINES

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski is out with an undisclosed leg injury on a week-to-week basis.

SPORTSNET: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano returns to action on Friday against the Blue Jackets after missing a month with a broken finger.

CBS SPORTS: Nashville Predators blueliner Tyson Barrie is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

THE SCORE: The Washington Capitals officially signed Ethan Bear on Thursday to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.0625 million. The 26-year-old defenseman is returning to action following offseason shoulder surgery.

TSN: The Buffalo Sabres placed center Tage Thompson on their non-roster list as he is dealing with a personal issue.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils sent goaltender Akira Schmid to their AHL affiliate in Utica after recalling Nico Daws. They’re hoping Schmid can regain his rhythm after struggling this season.

DAILY FACEOFF: Detroit Red Wings goalie Michael Hutchison and Sabres forward Tyson Jost hit the waiver wire on Thursday.

Nikolai Khabibulin is returning to action as the 50-year-old goaltender signed a one-year deal with the KHL’s Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. His last professional game was on Nov. 16, 2013, with the Chicago Blackhawks.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former NHL defenseman Cody Franson has been hired as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Iowa Wild.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: A lawsuit alleges the Kraken violated the Seattle Metropolitans trademark with their Winter Classic jerseys.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 28, 2023

by | Dec 28, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 28, 2023

A record-setting performance by the Penguins’ Kris Letang, the Coyotes stage a four-goal comeback win over the Avalanche, Connor Bedard snipes an overtime winner for the Blackhawks, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: Kris Letang enjoyed a record-setting performance as his Pittsburgh Penguins crushed the New York Islanders 7-0. Five of Letang’s six assists came in the second period, which is a record for the most points in one period by an NHL defenseman. Evgeni Malkin and Jake Guentzel each scored two goals while Marcus Pettersson collected four assists for the 16-13-4 Penguins (36 points), who sit three points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. The Islanders (16-9-9) sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 40 points.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Letang also became the seventh defenseman in league history to record six assists in a game, joining such luminaries as Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey, Pat Stapleton and Gary Suter. Malkin also surpassed Sergei Fedorov for the second-most goals scored by a Russian NHL player with 484.

The Arizona Coyotes overcame a 4-0 deficit to defeat the Colorado Avalanche 5-4 on an overtime goal by Jack McBain. Sean Durzi had a goal and three assists for the Coyotes (18-14-2) as they hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 38 points. Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen each had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche (21-11-3) as they sit in first place in the Central Division with 45 points. MacKinnon’s point streak sits at 19 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If I’ve said it once I’ve said it a dozen times this season: don’t sleep on the Coyotes. They’ll bite you if you do. This is a club loaded with blossoming talent that has made steady improvement under head coach Andre Tourigny. One of those good young players is defenseman JJ Moser, who remains sidelined with an upper-body injury but is expected to return to action soon.

Chicago Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard became the third-youngest player in NHL history to score a regular-season overtime goal in a 2-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. The 18-year-old Bedard also scored in regulation while goaltender Petr Mrazek stopped 37 shots for the 11-22-1 Blackhawks. Morgan Barron replied for the 20-9-4 Jets, who sit one point behind the Avalanche in the Central standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You know, I think this Bedard kid’s gonna have a long and productive career (insert winky face emoji here).

The Carolina Hurricanes downed the Nashville Predators 5-2. Center Sebastian Aho had a goal and three assists to surpass the 500-point career milestone while Pyotr Kochetkov made 35 saves as the Hurricanes improved to 18-13-4 and hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 40 points. Ryan O’Reilly had a goal and an assist for the 19-16-0 Predators as they hold the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 38 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Aho is the fourth player in Hurricanes history to reach the 500-point plateau, joining Ron Francis (1,175), Eric Staal (775) and Kevin Dineen (544).

New York Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller had two goals and an assist in a 5-1 victory over the Washington Capitals. Mika Zibanejad collected two assists in his 800th career NHL game as the Rangers (24-8-1) moved past the idle Vancouver Canucks into first place in the overall standings with 49 points. Anthony Mantha scored for the 17-10-5 Capitals as they cling to the final Eastern wild-card spot with 39 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers captain Jacob Trouba left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury. An update on his status is expected on Thursday.

An overtime goal by Timo Meier lifted the New Jersey Devils over the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3. Dawson Mercer had a goal and two assists while Luke Hughes tied the game late in the third period for the Devils (18-13-2) with a spectacular end-to-end rush. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 31 shots for the 11-18-7 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils (38 points) are now one point out of an Eastern wild-card spot. They did so without forward Curtis Lazar as he’s listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Meanwhile, Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski left the game with a lower-body injury following a collision with Devils winger Ondrej Palat.

The Florida Panthers nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning by a score of 3-2. Sam Reinhart scored twice while Aleksander Barkov collected three assists for the 20-12-2 Panthers as they sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 42 points. Nikita Kucherov and Michael Eyssimont scored for the Lightning (17-14-5) as they sit behind the Capitals in the Eastern standings with the latter holding four games in hand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov remains the league’s leading scorer with 58 points but the Avs’ Nathan MacKinnon has cut his lead to two points.

Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson tallied twice as his club overcame a 2-0 deficit in a 4-2 upset of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Joonas Korpisalo kicked out 34 shots while Brady Tkachuk picked up his 300th career NHL point for the 13-17-0 Senators. William Nylander picked up an assist to extend his points streak to 12 games as the Leafs (17-9-6) sit third in the Atlantic Division with 40 points.

The Boston Bruins snapped a four-game losing skid with a 4-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Charlie Coyle netted two goals for the 20-7-6 Bruins as they sit second in the Eastern Conference with 46 points. Erik Johnson scored for the 14-18-4 Sabres, who were playing without Tage Thompson as he was absent from the club for personal reasons.

A four-goal third period carried the Minnesota Wild over the Detroit Red Wings 6-3. Marcus Johansson scored twice and collected an assist for the Wild (16-13-4) as they picked up their fourth straight win and sit two points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 36 points. Alex DeBrincat had a goal and an assist for the slumping Red Wings (16-15-4) as they sit three points out of an Eastern wild-card spot with 36 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Patrick Kane has been among the few bright spots for the Wings during their current slide. He scored in this game to extend his points streak to five games and now has 11 points in as many games, showing no ill effects thus far from his offseason hip resurfacing procedure.

St. Louis Blues goalie Joel Hofer made a career-high 39 saves in a 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars. Jake Neighbours and Marco Scandella scored for the 18-15-1 Blues (37 points) as they’ve won three straight to move within a point of a Western Conference wild-card spot. Jason Robertson replied for the 20-9-4 Stars as they slipped to third place in the Central Division with 44 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars and Jets have identical records but the Jets have more regulation wins with 18.

The Seattle Kraken nipped the Calgary Flames 2-1. Goalie Chris Driedger stopped 37 shots in his first NHL game since May 1, 2022, while Alex Wennberg and Kailer Yamamoto scored for the 13-14-9 Kraken as they extended their points streak to seven games. Nazem Kadri replied for the 14-16-5 Flames.

A four-goal first period gave the Anaheim Ducks a 5-2 upset win over the Vegas Golden Knights. John Gibson made 30 saves while Brett Leason scored twice for the 13-21-0 Ducks while Mark Stone and Alec Martinez replied for the 21-10-5 Golden Knights, who sit second in the Pacific Division with 47 points.

The Los Angeles Kings beat the San Jose Sharks 5-1. Adrian Kempe scored twice for the Kings (20-7-4) as they sit third in the Pacific Division with 44 points. Fabian Zetterlund scored his 10th over the season for the 9-23-3 Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks goalie Mackenzie Blackwood missed this game with an illness while teammate Jacob MacDonald (lower body) was placed on injured reserve. Meanwhile, Kings defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov returned to action after missing five games with a lower-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 27, 2023

by | Dec 27, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 27, 2023

The three stars of the week and more as we catch up on the latest news following the league’s holiday break in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov, New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad, and Detroit Red Wings right wing Patrick Kane are the league’s three stars for the week ending Dec. 24.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (NHL Images).

The NHL returns to action following its three-day holiday break with fourteen games featuring the Toronto Maple Leafs facing off against the Ottawa Senators, the Tampa Bay Lightning squaring off against the Florida Panthers, the Dallas Stars meeting the St. Louis Blues, the Colorado Avalanche going up against the Arizona Coyotes, and the Winnipeg Jets versus the Chicago Blackhawks.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Blown leads and a recent scoring drought are among four issues the Bruins must address following the holiday break.

ESPN.COM: Anaheim Ducks rookie Leo Carlsson will be sidelined for four-to-six weeks with a sprained right knee ligament. The 19-year-old suffered the injury during Thursday’s game against the Calgary Flames when he became entangled with Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carlsson was fortunate to escape serious injury as his leg bent at an awkward angle. In 23 games, he’s fourth among rookie scorers with eight goals and 12th in points with 15 as the Ducks carefully managed his playing time and number of games played before his injury. Carlsson’s numbers might have been higher had he played as many games as most of his fellow rookies currently ahead of him in goals and points.

SPORTSNET: Columbus Blues Jackets forward Sean Kuraly is resting at home after undergoing tests for an abdominal injury suffered in the final minute of the first period during Saturday’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs. The tests came back negative but there’s no indication how long he’ll be sidelined.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kuraly left the ice on his own but paramedics were called in after he collapsed on his way to the Blue Jackets’ dressing room, resulting in play being briefly suspended. Fortunately, the injury didn’t appear to be serious but was taken to the hospital for tests as a precaution.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Carolina Hurricanes recalled goaltender Antti Raanta on Tuesday from the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings placed forward Christian Fischer on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 23 and called up Jonatan Berggren, Austin Czarnik and Simon Edvinsson from their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids under emergency conditions.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators are continuing talks with the National Capital Commission for a lease at LeBreton Flats. However, they’re also studying other options in case a lease agreement with the NCC falls through.

ESPN.COM: All eyes will be on Team Canada center Macklin Celebrini during the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship currently underway in Gothenburg, Sweden. He’s projected to become the top prospect in the 2024 NHL Draft class but he will face competition from players such as Team USA’s Cole Eiserman and Finland’s Aron Kiviharju.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A prospect’s performance in the WJC can affect their value in the draft. It’ll be interesting to see how the potential Class of 2024 performs in this tournament.

DAILY FACEOFF: The WJC isn’t the only international tournament currently taking place. Mike Gould lists five former NHL players worth watching at the 2023 Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Young Russian NHL prospects could be staying in the KHL for four to five years before being allowed to join their NHL teams. Flyers prospect Matvei Michkov’s current KHL contract expires in 2026 but could end up staying beyond that if the KHL implements new rules that determine how long teenage prospects would have to stay and play in Russia. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was always the risk for NHL clubs drafting Russian players. The KHL currently has rules in place that prevent their best young players from bolting to the NHL soon after being drafted. If those rules change, the Flyers could wait another four or five years before Michkov finally joins their roster.










Happy Holidays!

by | Dec 23, 2023

Happy Holidays!

I’m taking my annual Christmas holiday break from Dec. 24 to Dec. 26. Updates will resume on Dec. 27, 2023. 

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to all of you. 

 via GIPHY










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 23, 2023

by | Dec 23, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 23, 2023

Recaps of Friday’s action, an update on David Perron’s suspension, Samuel Girard returns to the Avalanche, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: A four-goal third period lifted the Edmonton Oilers over the New York Rangers by a score of 4-3. Warren Foegele and Ryan McLead each had a goal and an assist for the Oilers as they improved to 15-15-1. Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider each had two points for the 22-8-1 Rangers, who remain in first place in the Eastern Conference with 45 points.

Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi extended his goal streak to five games while Nino Niederreiter scored twice and collected an assist in a 5-1 win over the Boston Bruins. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 24 shots as the Jets (20-9-3) regained first place in the Central Division with 43 points. Brandon Carlo scored for the 19-6-6 Bruins, who remain in second place in the Eastern Conference with 44 points.

Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane scored two goals and set up another and scored the winning goal in a shootout to nip the Philadelphia Flyers 7-6. Alex DeBrincat collected three assists for the Red Wings (16-13-4), who sit two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 36 points. Scott Laughton had a goal and an assist for the Flyers (18-11-4) as they sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 40 points.

The Montreal Canadiens overcame a 2-0 deficit in a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Nick Suzuki, Juraj Slafkovsky and David Savard each had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens (15-13-5), who moved within three points of an Eastern wild-card spot with 35 points. Ryan Donato and Jason Dickinson tallied for the 10-21-1 Blackhawks.

HEADLINES

DAILY FACEOFF/TSN: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman upheld the six-game suspension levied on Red Wings forward David Perron by the league’s department of player safety. The NHL Players Association is expected to appeal to an arbitrator.

SPORTSNET: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard has been cleared to resume practicing as he enters the next phase of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: The Golden Knights signed defenseman Ben Hutton to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $975K. They also placed goaltender Adin Hill (leg) on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 17.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Fresh off signing a professional tryout offer with the Carolina Hurricanes, goaltender Aaron Dell will play for Team Canada in the upcoming 2023 Spengler Cup. The invitational tournament begins on Dec. 26 and ends on Dec. 31.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2023

by | Dec 22, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2023

A milestone game for the Avs’ Nathan MacKinnon, the Sabres rebound from a nine-goal loss with a nine-goal victory, the Canucks move into first place in the overall standings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scored four goals )including his 300th career tally) and collected an assist in a 6-4 win over the Ottawa Senators. MacKinnon extended his points streak to 17 games while Mikko Rantanen scored twice for the 20-11-2 Avalanche, who sit second in the Central Division with 42 points. Drake Batherson had a goal and an assist for the Senators (11-17-0) as they dropped their sixth straight game and their second under interim coach Jacques Martin.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 53 points, MacKinnon sits four behind Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov for the league scoring lead. Meanwhile, the constant losing by the Senators is frustrating team captain Brady Tkachuk. “It’s a pretty s****y feeling, and I don’t think I’ve felt worse in my life. This is not fun right now,” said Tkachuk.

After losing 9-4 to the Columbus Blue Jackets in their previous game, the Buffalo Sabres bounced back by thumping the Toronto Maple Leafs 9-3. Jeff Skinner scored two goals and set up another in his return from injury, Kyle Okposo tallied twice, Tage Thompson had a goal and two assists while Alex Tuch collected four helpers for the 14-17-3 Sabres. Auston Matthews netted his league-leading 26th goal of the season for the Leafs (16-8-6) as they sit second in the Atlantic Division with 38 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews called this loss “the worst game since I’ve been here”, calling his club’s performance “embarrassing.” It was a rough night for the Leafs goaltenders. Ilya Samsonov got the hook in the second period after giving up five goals on 19 shots. Martin Jones fared little better, allowing four goals and 15 shots.

Meanwhile, Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin was still fuming over Sabres fans chanting for head coach Don Granato to be fired during their last game. He considered that criticism of Granato unfair, blaming that lopsided loss on himself and his teammates. “We really wanted to back Donnie, that was the main focus today and he got way too much heat the other game, he didn’t deserve it,” said Dahlin.

An overtime goal by Matt Duchene lifted the Dallas Stars over the Vancouver Canucks 4-3. Duchene and Thomas Harley each finished with a goal and an assist for the Stars (19-8-4) as they vaulted over the Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets to regain first place in the Central. Conor Garland and Dakota Joshua each had a goal and an assist for the Canucks (22-9-3), who moved past the Vegas Golden Knights into first place in the overall standings with 47 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks have the same amount of points as the Golden Knights but hold first place as they have one more regulation win. Meanwhile, Dallas and Colorado also have the same amount of points (42) but the Stars hold two games in hand.

Canucks winger Andrei Kuzmenko was a healthy scratch for the second straight game. While his agent recently said his client loves playing in Vancouver and there’s a plan with the club to improve his game, his ongoing absence from the lineup will ensure the trade rumors keep swirling.

Speaking of the Golden Knights, they dropped a 5-4 decision to the Tampa Bay Lightning as Nick Paul potted the game-winner late in the third period. Paul and Nikita Kucherov each had a goal and two assists, Brayden Point scored two goals and set up another while Victor Hedman had three assists for the 16-13-5 Lightning (37 points), who sit one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev missed this game as he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby’s shootout goal lifted his team past the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1. Crosby also scored in regulation while Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 23 shots for the win as the Penguins improved to 15-13-4. Teuvo Teravainen replied for the 17-12-4 Hurricanes.

An overtime goal by Alex Ovechkin gave the Washington Capitals a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Anthony Mantha scored twice for the Capitals (17-9-4) as they hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 38 points. Cole Sillinger and Yegor Chinakhov scored for the 11-17-6 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was Ovechkin’s first goal in 15 games. Emotions boiled over during the overtime period as Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins and Capitals winger Tom Wilson traded blows during a tangle-up in the Jackets net. The Capitals and Hurricanes have the same amount of points but the Capitals hold three games in hand.

The Edmonton Oilers tallied four unanswered goals led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in a 6-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils. McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had a goal and an assist while Ryan McLeod tallied twice for the 14-15-1 Oilers. Dawson Mercer had a goal and an assist for the 16-13-2 Devils.

St. Louis Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich scored two goals and set up another as his club downed the Florida Panthers 4-1. Robert Thomas collected three assists while Joel Hofer made 37 saves for the 16-15-1 Blues. Eetu Luostarinen scored for the Panthers (18-12-2), who’ve dropped four of their last five games but remain in third place in the Atlantic Division with 38 points.

The Nashville Predators doubled up the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 on two goals by Philip Tomasino, snapping the Flyers’ nine-game points streak. Juuse Saros turned aside 29 shots for the Predators (19-14-0) as they hold the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 38 points. Morgan Frost and Sean Couturier replied for the 18-11-3 Flyers as they sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 39 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators forward Yakov Trenin was ejected from this game for boarding Frost during the second period. Frost spent several minutes in the Flyers dressing room but returned to finish the game.

An overtime goal by Kirill Kaprizov gave the Minnesota Wild a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Kaprizov and Marco Rossi each finished with a goal and two assists for the 14-13-4 Wild while Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky each had a goal and an assist for the 14-13-5 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild played without forward Ryan Hartman as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom kicked out 25 shots to shut out the Anaheim Ducks 3-0. Elias Lindholm had a goal and two assists for the Flames (14-14-5) as they’ve won three straight games. The Ducks dropped to 12-20-0 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks welcomed back Mason McTavish and Jamie Drysdale following their lengthy absences due to injuries. However, they also lost rookie Leo Carlsson to what could be a serious injury to his right leg after he and Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar became entangled during the third period.

The Arizona Coyotes picked up their fourth straight win by downing the San Jose Sharks 5-2. Clayton Keller and Alex Kerfoot each had a goal and two assists for the 17-13-2 Coyotes, who hold the final Western wild-card spot with 36 points. Mackenzie Blackwood made 25 saves for the Sharks (9-21-3) as they made forward Alexander Barabanov a late scratch due to illness.