NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 2, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 2, 2024

A four-point performance for the Panthers’ Aleksander Barkov in Finland, a hat trick for the Jets’ Nikolaj Ehlers, the three stars and rookie of the month for October are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov had a goal and three assists to lead his club over the Dallas Stars 6-4 in the first of two NHL Global Series games between the two clubs in Tampere, Finland.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (NHL Images).

Sam Reinhart scored twice and collected an assist and Aaron Ekblad picked up three assists for the Panthers. Esa Lindell had a goal and an assist for the Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barkov put on a show in his hometown before a sellout crowd of 12,786 fans at Nokia Arena. The second game of the series between the two clubs is Saturday starting at noon EDT.

Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers tallied a hat trick to lead his club to a 6-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey had a goal and an assist while teammate Kyle Connor collected an assist to extend his season-opening points streak to 11 games. Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins stopped 38 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The league-leading Jets are the first team to reach 10 wins this season.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov had two goals and an assist to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3. Wild forward Mats Zuccarello picked up two assists. Victor Hedman had two helpers for the Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaprizov is the first player to crack this season’s 20-point plateau (21). He also set a franchise record with his seventh straight multi-point game.

The Calgary Flames got a 22-save shutout from Dan Vladar to blank the New Jersey Devils 3-0, snapping a four-game losing skid. Blake Coleman scored two goals and Jonathan Huberdeau netted his fifth of the season. Devils netminder Jacob Markstrom made 29 saves in his first game against his former club since being traded to New Jersey in June.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Nathan Bastian left the game in the first period with a jaw injury following a fight with Flames forward Ryan Lomberg.

New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin kicked out 40 shots in a 2-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Artemi Panarin scored his seventh of the season and Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and an assist for the Rangers. Adam Gaudette scored for the Senators, who outshot the Rangers 41-18.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shesterkin was the difference-maker in this game as he continues to make the case to become the NHL’s first $12 million per season goaltender.

The New York Islanders ended a three-game losing streak by nipping the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. Isles forwards Bo Horvat and Maxim Tsyplakov each had a goal and an assist and Ilya Sorokin turned aside 32 shots for the win. Jason Zucker had a goal and an assist for the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders entered this game without forward Mathew Barzal, who returned home after suffering an upper-body injury. Blueliners Adam Pelech and Mike Reilly left this game with upper-body injuries.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar, Jets winger Kyle Connor and Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov were the league’s Three Stars for October 2024. Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov was named Rookie of the Month for October.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin skated with the club’s skill coach Toby Petersen and another staff member after the team finished its practice on Friday. Nichushkin can join his teammates in practice once he receives clearance from the league. He’s serving a six-month suspension as part of Phase 3 of the NHL-NHLPA player assistance program and could receive that clearance by mid-November.

THE PROVINCE: Thatcher Demko was on the ice before the Vancouver Canucks’ practice on Friday but continues to make slow progress recovering from a knee injury. Meanwhile, winger Dakota Joseph is close to returning to the lineup after recovering from offseason surgery for testicular cancer.

TSN: Former Ottawa Senators forward Alex Formenton has filed a $20.5 million lawsuit against Newports Sports Management Inc. and his former agent, Wade Arnott, alleging negligence, breach of contract, and breach of fiduciary duty. Formenton is among five former NHL players charged with sexual assault related to an alleged incident in London, Ontario, in 2018.

DAILY FACEOFF: NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh announced the formation of the union’s first-ever CTE Advisory Committee.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 1, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 1, 2024

In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines: a four-point performance for Martin Necas, multi-point nights for Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, Leon Draisaitl leads the Oilers over the Predators, and much more.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes got a four-point performance from Martin Necas (one goal, three assists) to crush the Boston Bruins 8-2. Andrei Svechnikov and Jack Roslovic each scored two goals as the Hurricanes picked up their fifth straight win. Brad Marchand and Hampus Lindholm scored for the Bruins, who’ve managed only two wins in their last eight games (2-5-1).

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Necas is on a tear to start this season, sitting among the league’s top-10 scorers with a team-leading 15 points in nine games. The Bruins, meanwhile, are at the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings.

Before this game, the Hurricanes announced that goaltender Frederik Andersen is week-to-week with a lower-body injury. They recalled Spencer Martin to back up Pyotr Kochetkov.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin had a goal and two assists in a 6-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Poitras each had a goal and an assist as the Capitals have won five straight home games. Canadiens winger Cole Caufield scored his 10th goal of the season, tying New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier for the league lead.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin has 858 career regular-season goals and needs 37 to surpass Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. The Capitals captain has five goals and 10 points in nine games this season.

This game was tied 3-3 heading into the third period when the Capitals scored three unanswered goals. Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis wasn’t pleased with his club’s meltdown in the final period, describing it as throwing up all over themselves.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby tallied twice, including the winner in overtime as his club nipped the Anaheim Ducks 2-1. Alex Killorn scored for the Ducks, who got a 44-save performance by goaltender Lukas Dostal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins activated forward Blake Lizotte off injured reserve for this game.

The Edmonton Oilers beat the Nashville Predators 5-1 with Leon Draisaitl scoring twice and collecting an assist. Oilers winger Zach Hyman sniped his first goal of the season. Filip Forsberg replied for the struggling Predators, who finished October with a record of 3-6-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl stepped up as the Oilers leader with captain Connor McDavid sidelined with an ankle injury for two to three weeks. He did the same thing during the 2019-20 season when McDavid was hampered by a quadriceps injury, winning the Art Ross Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award.

Predators forward Mark Jankowski was a late scratch from this game with an upper-body injury. He’s listed as day-to-day.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander scored twice and captain Auston Matthews had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. Joseph Woll stopped 24 shots for the Leafs to pick up his first win of the season. Eeli Tolvanen replied for the Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken were without their two top defensemen for this game. Vince Dunn remains sidelined with a mid-body injury until mid-November while Brandon Montour returned to Seattle to be with his wife for the birth of their second child.

San Jose Sharks rookie Will Smith scored his first two NHL goals, including the game-winner in a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Ryan Donato and Tyler Bertuzzi replied for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks have won three straight after opening the season with a record of 0-7-2.

The Philadelphia Flyers squeaked past the St. Louis Blues 2-1 as Bobby Brink snapped a 1-1 tie late in the third period. Garnet Hathaway also scored for the Flyers and Samuel Ersson made 20 saves for the win. Nathan Walker scored for the Blues.

HEADLINES

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is one win away from becoming the fastest netminder to reach 300 career regular-season victories. He can achieve that feat on Friday with a win over the Minnesota Wild. Vasilevskiy would reach that milestone in 487 games, shattering the current record of 521 games held by Jacques Plante.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators are open to signing Claude Giroux to a contract extension. The 36-year-old forward is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. Giroux is in the final season of a three-year contract with an average annual value of $6.5 million.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde wants a better effort from team captain Dylan Larkin. He believes the 28-year-old center is capable of elevating his game.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche hope to have winger Valeri Nichushkin join practice sessions ahead of his eligible reinstatement date of Nov. 13. Nichushkin, 29, is serving a six-month suspension as part of Phase 3 of the NHL-NHLPA player assistance program.

NHL.COM: Regarding the Avs, forward Mark Stienburg received a two-game suspension for charging Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak during Wednesday’s game between the two clubs.

DAILY FACEOFF: New Jersey Devils forward Curtis Lazar is sidelined indefinitely after undergoing surgery on his left knee.

ROTOWIRE: Former NHL forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare signed a one-year contract with HC Ajoie in Switzerland. He was on a professional tryout offer with the Avalanche during training camp but was released before the start of this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 39-year-old Bellemare spent 10 seasons in the NHL from 2014-15 to 2023-24 with the Flyers, Vegas Golden Knights, Avalanche, Lightning and Kraken, scoring 64 goals and 138 points in 700 regular-season games and 15 points in 85 playoff contests.

RG.ORG: James Murphy interviewed Boston College forward James Hagens, who is projected to become the first-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The 17-year-old Hagens said he always wanted to play the game like Patrick Kane and is looking forward to playing for Team USA in the World Juniors.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 31, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 31, 2024

Milestone games for Anze Kopitar and Kyle Connor, the latest valuations of the league’s 32 teams, an update on Connor McDavid’s injury status, the Leafs trade Timothy Liljegren,  and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar had a goal and two assists (including his 800th career assist) to lead his club to a 6-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke picked up three assists and Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist in his return to the lineup after being a healthy scratch from the Kings’ previous game. Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice for the Golden Knights, who remain winless on the road (0-3-1).

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar (NHL Images).

Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor also had a goal and two assists (including his 500th career assist) as his club defeated the Detroit Red Wings 6-2. Neal Pionk tallied twice for the league-leading Jets (9-1-0, 18 points). Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond each collected two assists for the Red Wings.

New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom stopped 20 shots to shut out the Vancouver Canucks 6-0. Devils captain Nico Hischier scored his league-leading 10th goal and picked up two assists as his team moved atop the Eastern Conference standings (7-4-2, 16 points). Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs was in net for all six Devils goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Not to take anything away from the Devils’ dominant performance but the Canucks made it easy for them. They were a listless bunch in this game.

The Tampa Bay Lightning got a goal and two assists from Nikita Kucherov to beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-2. Jake Guentzel scored twice and Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 33 shots for the Lightning. Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar each collected two points to extend their season-opening points streaks to 11 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The injury-battered Avalanche played without forwards Ross Colton (broken foot, out six to eight weeks) and Miles Wood (upper-body injury, out seven to 10 days). They did get some good news as sidelined forward Artturi Lehkonen is expected to return to action next Tuesday against the Seattle Kraken. He’s been recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.

Another player with a goal and two assists was Mikhail Sergachev, leading the Utah Hockey Club to a 5-1 win over the Calgary Flames. Connor Ingram made 30 saves for the win while Nick Schmaltz and Dylan Guenther each collected two assists. Anthony Mantha scored for the Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Calgary captain Mikael Backlund played in his 1,000th career regular-season game.

Since winning five of their first six games, the fizzling Flames have dropped four straight.

Columbus Blue Jackets netminder Elvis Merzlikins turned in a 26-save shutout to blank the New York Islanders 2-0, handing the latter their fourth loss in their last five games. Damon Severson and Justin Danforth were the goal scorers as the Blue Jackets end their October schedule with a record of 5-3-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s a testament to the Blue Jackets’ character that they’ve played as well as they have considering everything they’ve endured since late August.

Meanwhile, the Islanders have been shut out in four of their first 10 games. As of Oct. 30, their goals per game average (2.10) is last in the league.

HEADLINES

SPORTICO: released their annual evaluation of all 32 NHL franchises. All of them saw significant increases in their value since last year, with the average being 37 percent.

The top five were the Toronto Maple Leafs ($3.66 billion), New York Rangers ($3.25 billion), Montreal Canadiens ($2.93 billion), Boston Bruins ($2.67 billion) and Los Angeles Kings ($2.5 billion).

The Utah Hockey Club ($1.2 billion), Ottawa Senators ($1.14 billion), Buffalo Sabres ($1.13 billion), Winnipeg Jets ($1.1 billion) and Columbus Blue Jackets ($1.06 billion) made up the bottom five. Utah HC saw the biggest increase (78 percent) because of its relocation from Arizona.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s James Mirtle explained the reasons behind these significant increases. The current CBA with its hard salary cap, robust revenue sharing with smaller markets, and the expansion into Las Vegas and Seattle are among the notable factors.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers captain Connor McDavid will be sidelined with an injured ankle for two to three weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid could miss up to 12 games during that period. Nevertheless, the Oilers are probably breathing a sigh of relief that he’ll only miss at most three weeks.

TORONTO SUN/NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: The Toronto Maple Leafs traded defenseman Timothy Liljegren to the San Jose Sharks for blueliner Matt Benning, a conditional third-round pick in 2025 and a sixth-rounder in 2026.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Liljegren is signed through next season with an average annual value of $3 million. Benning’s contract also runs through 2025-26 and has an AAV of $1.25 million. The move frees up $1.75 million in much-needed salary-cap space for the Leafs. It also clears room for Jani Hakanpaa’s impending debut with the Leafs.

Liljegren struggled to establish himself as a top-four puck-moving defenseman with the Leafs. He’ll get a better opportunity to do so with the rebuilding Sharks, away from Toronto’s harsh spotlight.

DAILY FACEOFF: Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

RG.ORG: An in-depth analysis of the relationship between faster players and elite offensive production in the NHL. Unlike the past where size and shot mechanics were determining factors, faster players in today’s NHL are more likely to become elite stars, though it is no guarantee of stardom. The Colorado Avalanche appear to have tapped into that, sitting third over the past three seasons in total points (335) and winning the Stanley Cup in 2021-22.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 30, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 30, 2024

Alex Ovechkin continues his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s goal record, Penguins fans salute Marc-Andre Fleury in his last game in Pittsburgh, the Red Wings ship Olli Maatta to Utah, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin continued to pursue Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record, tallying twice in a 5-3 victory over the New York Rangers. Aliaksei Protas has a goal and two assists for the Capitals, who improved their record to 6-2-0. Igor Shesterkin made 41 saves for the Rangers, who were outshot 46-19 by the Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury. Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery mentioned a little concern in his postgame press conference but didn’t know the extent of the injury.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (NHL Images).

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves as his club beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 in what is likely his final game in Pittsburgh. Frederick Gaudreau scored twice and collected an assist and Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists for the Wild. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby had three assists and teammate Rickard Rakell scored two goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury began his NHL career in Pittsburgh, playing 13 seasons for the Penguins and helping them win three Stanley Cups. He intends to retire at the end of this season. The fans chanted Fleury’s name following the game as he saluted the crowd to a standing ovation.

Pittsburgh has lost six straight (0-5-1) and sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. They also announced winger Bryan Rust is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury suffered during Saturday’s loss to the Vancouver Canucks.

The Seattle Kraken thumped the Montreal Canadiens 8-2. Brandon Montour led the way with his first career hat trick and added an assist while Chandler Stephenson had two helpers for the Kraken. Montreal goaltender Sam Montembeault got the hook after giving up five goals on 10 shots. Canadiens winger Cole Caufield sniped his ninth goal, tying New Jersey’s Nico Hischier for the league goal-scoring lead.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Montour and Stephenson came to Seattle as free agents this summer. Their performance against the Canadiens puts them among the Kraken’s leading scorers.

Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle scored two goals and collected two assists as his club crushed the St. Louis Blues 8-1. Brady Tkachuk and Adam Gaudette each scored twice and Linus Ullmark turned aside 26 shots. Blue goalie Joel Hofer was pulled after giving up five goals on 21 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The start of this game was briefly delayed by a power outage at Canadian Tire Centre due to electrical storms in the area. Blues winger Kasperi Kapanen left this game with an upper-body injury in the second period. There was no postgame word regarding his condition. Before the game, the Blues announced forward Alexey Toropchenko agreed to a one-year contract extension worth $1.7 million. 

Philadelphia Flyers netminder Samuel Ersson made 23 saves to shut out the Boston Bruins 2-0. Tyler Foerster and Joel Farabee were the goal scorers. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 17 shots for the Bruins (4-5-1) as they slipped into last place in the Atlantic Division.

The San Jose Sharks doubled up the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 to pick up their second straight win after starting the season 0-7-2. Jake Walman had a goal and two assists and Vitek Vanecek made 26 saves for Los Tiburones. Akil Thomas and Alex Laferriere replied for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings forward Kevin Fiala was a healthy scratch for missing a team meeting. Meanwhile, the Sharks placed Ty Dellandrea (upper body) on injured reserve

Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal kicked out 40 shots, including 17 in the first period, in a 3-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Frank Vatrano and Mason McTavish each had two points for the Ducks. Mathew Barzal scored for the Isles.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

HEADLINES

MLIVE.COM: The Detroit Red Wings traded defenseman Olli Maatta to the Utah Hockey Club in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah needed to add some experienced depth to their injury-battered blueline with Sean Durzi and John Marino out for months recovering from surgeries. The 30-year-old Maatta has averaged over 18 minutes of ice time per game in his 11 NHL seasons and won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers called up forwards Noah Philp and Drake Caggiula from their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield as they await word on the severity of Connor McDavid’s leg injury. The Oilers captain was sidelined on Monday after falling awkwardly into the boards during the opening shift against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

SPORTSNET: The NHL’s department of player safety fined Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin $5,000 for high-sticking Florida Panthers forward Anton Lundell.

CALGARY SUN: Flames captain Mikael Backlund is scheduled to play in his 1,000th career NHL regular-season game when his club faces Utah HC on Wednesday.

SPORTSNET: The Toronto Maple Leafs sent forward Fraser Minten to their AHL affiliate.

RG.ORG: Hockey Hall-of-Famer Sergei Zubov believes Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov and Montreal Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov represent the future of Russian Hockey. Zubov praised Michkov’s focus on goal scoring and Demidov’s growth playing alongside veterans like former NHL center Evgeny Kuznetsov.

TORONTO SUN: Steve Simmons ponders the mystery of Alexander Mogilny’s exclusion from the Hockey Hall of Fame.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Simmons isn’t the only person wondering why the HHoF continues to snub Mogilny. The Sun scribe says he’s asked several Hall of Fame voters about it but they’re sworn to secrecy about the selection process.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 29, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 29, 2024

The Leafs end the Jets’ win streak, the Sharks long losing skid is over, the Lightning honor former captain Steven Stamkos, and Oilers captain Connor McDavid suffers an injury against the Blue Jackets. Get the details on these and other stories in the NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs downed the Winnipeg Jets 6-4, ending the latter’s season-opening win streak at eight games. John Tavares had a hat trick while William Nylander and Max Pacioretty each picked up three points for the Leafs. Jets winger Kyle Connor had two goals and two assists.

Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs outshot the Jets 36-23, including 19-6 in the first period. Winnipeg made it interesting as Mark Scheifele and Connor scored third-period goals to cut the Leafs lead to 5-4 before Tavares put it out of reach with an empty-net goal.

The Leafs announced defenseman Jake McCabe agreed to a five-year contract extension with an average annual value of $4.51 million. McCabe, 31, was slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. He’s earning an AAV of $4 million on his current deal.

The cap hit is alright from the Leafs’ point of view. However, the concern is whether McCabe will still be worth that AAV in the latter years of the contract. He’ll be 32 when it goes into effect next season and will soon reach his mid-thirties when a player’s skills usually decline.

The San Jose Sharks snapped a nine-game losing skid with a 5-4 victory over the Utah Hockey Club on an overtime goal by Alexander Wennberg. They overcame a 4-1 deficit with three unanswered third-period goals by Fabian Zetterlund, Mikael Granlund and Tyler Toffoli to force the extra frame. Zetterlund finished with two goals and Granlund with three points. Matias Maccelli tallied twice for Utah.

An overtime goal by Nick Paul lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning past the Nashville Predators 3-2. Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel each had two points and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 35 shots for the win. Predators forward Steven Stamkos picked up two assists against his former club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was an emotional return to Tampa Bay for Stamkos. The Lightning honored his 16 seasons with the club with a three-minute video tribute as he took to the ice acknowledging the crowd, who greeted him with a lengthy standing ovation.

The Columbus Blue Jackets thumped the Edmonton Oilers 6-1. Sean Monahan scored twice and Cole Sillinger had a goal and two assists for the Blue Jackets. Oilers captain Connor McDavid left the game after suffering a lower-body injury during the opening shift.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid injured his left foot falling awkwardly into the boards as he was tripped while chasing the puck. He skated off and was on the bench for several minutes before leaving. McDavid returned to Edmonton for treatment and will miss the remaining two games of the Oilers’ current road trip.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov returned from a lower-body injury with a two-point performance in a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe also had two points in this contest for the Panthers. Jason Zucker and Rasmus Dahlin replied for the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Sabres placed forward Zach Benson (lower body) on injured reserve.

The Chicago Blackhawks ended a four-game losing skid by beating the Colorado Avalanche 5-2, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Ryan Donato led the way for the Blackhawks with two goals and an assist. Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar each picked up a point to extend their season-opening points streaks to 10 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche forward Ross Colton will miss some time recovering from a lower-body injury after blocking a shot in the first period. He played through the second period before leaving this contest.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho scored in overtime for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Martin Necas had a goal and an assist as the Hurricanes took a 3-1 lead before the Canucks battled back to tie it on third-period goals by Quinn Hughes and Pius Suter.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen missed this game dealing with an undisclosed injury. It is unrelated to the blood clots that sidelined him for most of last season.

The Vegas Golden Knights blanked the Calgary Flames 5-0. Keegan Kolesar and Nicolas Roy each had three points and Adin Hill made 16 saves for the shutout. Dan Vladar turned aside 33 shots for the Flames, who’ve dropped three straight games after starting the season 5-0-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames are mourning the passing of former equipment manager Gus Thorson, who died in Calgary on Saturday at age 65. Thorson was the Flames head equipment manager from 1999 to 2010. My condolences to Thorson’s family, friends and the Flames organization.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone, Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros and Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene are the league’s three stars for the week ending Oct. 27.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is preparing for his final game in front of Pittsburgh Penguins fans. Fleury, 39, intends to retire at the end of this season. He spent the first 13 seasons of his NHL career with the Penguins, helping them win three Stanley Cups. The Wild face the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Penguins, winger Bryan Rust was still be evaluated on Monday for an injured right leg suffered during Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.

CBS SPORTS: The Montreal Canadiens placed defenseman Kaiden Guhle (upper body) on injured reserve.

STLTODAY.COM: The Blues will send forward Mathieu Joseph back to St. Louis to receive treatment for a lower-body injury suffered during Saturday’s game against the Canadiens.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers recalled forward Matt Rempe from their AHL affiliate in Hartford.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 28, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 28, 2024

Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar extend their points streaks, anticipating Steven Stamkos’ return to Tampa Bay on Monday for the first time with the Predators, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar extended their season-opening points streaks to nine games as the Colorado Avalanche held off the Ottawa Senators 5-4. MacKinnon had a goal and an assist while Makar collected an assist. Casey Mittelstadt also had three assists for the Avalanche, who’ve won five straight games. Senators forward Claude Giroux tallied twice for the Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A skate blade issue forced Ottawa goalie Anton Forsberg to leave the game twice for repairs. The Senators also announced that center Shane Pinto is week to week with an undisclosed injury. Pinto last played in Tuesday’s 4-0 win over the Utah Hockey Club.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl treated himself on his 29th birthday, scoring twice (including the winning goal) and picking up an assist in a 3-2 overtime win over the Detroit Red Wings. Andrew Copp and Patrick Kane each had two points for the Red Wings.

For the first time this season, the Montreal Canadiens won their second straight game as they hung on for a 4-3 victory against the Philadelphia Flyers. Nick Suzuki and Brendan Gallagher each had a goal and an assist and Cole Caufield sniped his eighth goal of the season. Travis Sanheim scored twice and picked up an assist for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Philadelphia made it interesting with two late goals but couldn’t get the equalizer. Flyers goalie Alexei Kolosov made history, becoming the first Belarusian-born netminder to start an NHL game. Forward Garnet Hathaway was fined $5,000 by the league’s department of player safety for elbowing Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek on Saturday.

A four-goal second period lifted the New Jersey Devils over the Anaheim Ducks 6-2. Stefan Noesen tallied two goals and Devils captain Nico Hischier scored his league-leading ninth goal. Ryan Strome had a goal and an assist for the Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Curtis Lazar left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury following a hip check from Ducks defenseman Radko Gudas. After the game, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe said Lazar will likely miss some time.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Steven Stamkos returns to Tampa Bay on Monday for the first time since signing with the Nashville Predators. The 34-year-old forward spent 16 seasons with the Lightning, leading them to two Stanley Cup championships and a Presidents’ Trophy.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The former Lightning captain will receive a warm welcome from Tampa Bay fans. He’s their single-season goal leader (60) and all-time leader with 1,082 games played, 555 goals and 1,137 points.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Sabres forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel will return to the lineup after missing eight games with a knee sprain. Defenseman Owen Power is dealing with an illness and remains questionable for Monday’s game against the Florida Panthers.

CBS SPORTS: Pittsburgh Penguins forward Bryan Rust left Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No word on Rust’s status since the incident. An update is expected before the Penguins face the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday.

Speaking of the Canucks, they sent defenseman Erik Brannstrom and forward Arshdeep Bains to their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford.