NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 15, 2023

by | Feb 15, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 15, 2023

The Bruins become the first club to reach 40 wins this season, the Devils become this season’s first club to reach 20 road wins, the Blue Jackets scratch Vladislav Gavrikov for trade-related reasons, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins are the first team this season to reach the 40-win plateau as they nipped the Dallas Stars 3-2 on David Pastrnak’s overtime goal. Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha each had a goal and an assist as the Bruins (40-8-5) sit atop the overall standings with 85 points. Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski each had two points for the Stars (30-14-11) as they sit on top of the Western Conference with 71 points.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

Ryan Graves’ goal with two seconds remaining in the third period lifted the New Jersey Devils over the Columbus Blue Jackets by a score of 3-2. Vitek Vanecek made 31 saves for the 35-13-5 Devils as they became the first team this season to win 20 road games as they sit third in the Eastern Conference with 75 points. Johnny Gaudreau scored for the Blue Jackets as they slipped to 16-34-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets played without Vladislav Gavrikov as the defenseman was a healthy scratch for trade-related reasons. The Hockey News’ Adam Proteau weighs in on this latest trend of teams holding players considered trade candidates out of the line, suggesting it shouldn’t be for any longer than a week.

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Washington Capitals 3-2 with Stefen Noesen snapping a 2-2 tie in the second period. Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen made 13 of his 34 saves in the third period as his club improved to 35-10-8 and sit second in the Eastern Conference with 78 points. Joe Snively had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (28-22-6) as they slipped down into the final Eastern wild-card berth with 62 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals played without captain Alex Ovechkin as he’s taken a leave of absence to deal with a family matter and the death of a loved one. He will miss the club’s Stadium Series against the Hurricanes on Saturday.

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Casey DeSmith stopped 38 shots while Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell each had three points in a 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Jake Guentzel also scored twice for the Penguins (27-17-9) as they vaulted over the Capitals into the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 63 points. Timo Meier replied for the 17-27-11 Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks winger Kevin Labanc revealed his father, Milan, had been in a medically induced coma for over two months after falling from a ladder while hanging Christmas lights during the American Thanksgiving weekend. Labanc said his father is now out of the woods and recovering. That explains why the winger’s on-ice performance has suffered in recent weeks leading to his being a healthy scratch in eight of the Sharks’ last 10 games.

The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 on a shootout goal by Steven Stamkos. Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 43 shots for the 35-16-2 Lightning as they moved past the Toronto Maple Leafs into second place in the Atlantic Division with 72 points. Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist for the 28-19-5 Avalanche as they cling to third place in the Central Division with 61 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche played without defenseman Erik Johnson as he’s sidelined indefinitely with a lower-body injury. He joins Cale Makar (head injury) and Josh Manson (lower body) among injured Avs blueliners though Manson could return to action for Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Wild.

Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois scored the game-tying goal and tallied in the shootout in a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken. David Rittich made 27 saves for the Jets as they improved to 34-19-1 and sit two points behind the Western Conference-leading Stars with 69 points. Philipp Grubauer stopped 38 shots for the 30-18-6 Kraken as they’ve dropped four of their last five games and sit third in the Pacific Division with 66 points.

Ottawa Senators goalie Kevin Mandolese kicked out 46 shots in his NHL debut to backstop his club over the New York Islanders 3-2. Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson scored in the shootout as the Senators improved to 26-24-3 (55 points) to sit seven points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth. Ilya Sorokin made 32 saves for the Islanders (27-23-7) as they sit one point behind the Capitals with 61 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau missed this contest as he’s listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

The St. Louis Blues kept their playoff hopes alive with a 6-2 victory over the Florida Panthers. Ivan Barbashev had a goal and two assists while Brayden Schenn tallied twice for the Blues (25-25-3). With 53 points, they’re eight points behind the Wild for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. The Panthers dropped to 27-24-6 and sit two points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot with 60 points.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jake Allen picked up his first shutout of the season with a 22-save performance to blank the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0. Jonathan Drouin collected three assists for the 23-27-4 Canadiens while the Blackhawks dropped to 16-31-5 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens played without Arber Xhekaj as the rookie defenseman is out indefinitely with an apparent shoulder injury. Blackhawks blueliner Jarred Tinordi left the game in the first period with an undisclosed injury.

IN OTHER NEWS…

VANCOUVER HOCKEY INSIDER: Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko denied rumors claiming he wanted to be traded. He said he had no idea where the speculation was coming from. Sidelined by a lower-body injury since early December, Demko said he’s focused on returning to action when he dresses as the Canucks backup in their game on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Demko rumors probably started innocently enough with a pundit musing over whether the Canucks might consider moving the netminder despite the three years remaining on his contract. Like the game of “Telephone”, the story changed as it bounced around the media and blogosphere and eventually morphed into Demko requesting a trade.

THE PROVINCE: Speaking of the Canucks, goaltender Spencer Martin cleared waivers yesterday and will be assigned to their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford, BC.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings placed winger Lucas Raymond on injured reserve and recalled winger Jakub Vrana from their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vrana’s future with the Wings was considered in doubt after he was demoted to the minors. Recent speculation even suggested we would never see him skating with the parent club again as talk of a trade or a contract buyout surfaced in the rumor mill. This is a golden opportunity for Vrana to silence his doubters and prove he still has a future in Detroit.

A TO Z SPORTS’ Alex Daugherty cited Nashville Predators general manager David Poile telling the “Robby & Rexrode” Show that he doesn’t believe his club will be a buyer by the March 3 trade deadline. He suggested he could become a seller if things don’t improve favorably for his struggling club.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 14, 2023

by | Feb 14, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 14, 2023

Tim Stutzle’s four-point performance sparks a Senators comeback win, Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun remains scratched for trade-related reasons, the three stars of the week are revealed and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Tim Stutzle capped a four-point performance for the Ottawa Senators forward in a 4-3 comeback win over the Calgary Flames. The Senators overcame a 3-1 deficit on goals by Drake Batherson and Alex DeBrincat to set the stage for Stutzle’s game-winner. With a record of 25-24-3 (53 points), the Senators are eight points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Dillon Dube scored twice for the Flames as they fell to 25-18-11 and cling to the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stützle (NHL Images).

The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Buffalo Sabres 5-2. Kings winger Adrian Kempe scored his seventh goal in the last three games while Phillip Danault and Viktor Arvidsson each collected three points as the Kings (30-18-7) sit one point behind the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights with 67 points. The Sabres dropped to 26-22-4 and sit five points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

Shootout goals by Anton Lundell and Aleksander Barkov gave the Florida Panthers a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 27 shots for the 27-23-6 Panthers as they moved to within one point of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Eastern playoff berth with 60 points. Kirill Kaprizov tallied his 30th goal of the season for the Wild as they hold third place in the Central Division with 61 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild winger Marcus Foligno left this game in the second period with a lower-body injury. There was no post-game update as to his condition.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin scored two goals for the second straight game in a 6-1 trouncing of the Vancouver Canucks. Ville Husso stopped 29 shots for the Red Wings (24-20-8) as they moved to within five points of the final Eastern wild-card spot. The Canucks are 21-29-4 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 50 points in 51 games in his contract year, Larkin is on pace to exceed his career-best single-season point total of 73. He’s proving his value to the Red Wings but the seeming lack of progress in his contract extension talks with Wings management has sparked speculation as the March 3 trade deadline approaches.

The Arizona Coyotes picked up their first road win in 19 games by doubling up the Nashville Predators 4-2. Lawson Crouse scored twice and Karel Vejmelka made 29 saves for the 18-28-8 Coyotes. The loss left the Predators (25-20-6) sitting five points behind the Flames with 56 points.

HEADLINES

TSN: Arizona Coyotes head coach Andre Tourigny said Jakob Chychrun will remain a healthy scratch for trade-related reasons for the remainder of this week. The 24-year-old defenseman has been a fixture in the trade rumor mill since last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chychrun’s been a healthy scratch since Saturday, prompting speculation that a trade was imminent. However, that might not be the case. I’ll have more in today’s Rumors update.

NHL.COM: New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin, San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson and Arizona Coyotes winger Clayton Keller are the league’s three stars for the week ending Feb. 12, 2023.

OTTAWA SUN: Actor Ryan Reynolds has partnered with Remington Group, a Toronto real-estate development corporation, to bid for the ownership of the Senators.

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets defenseman Dylan DeMelo is expected to return to the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Seattle Kraken after missing three games with a lower-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 13, 2023

by | Feb 13, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 13, 2023

The Golden Knights match a franchise record in a win over the Ducks, the Canadiens upset the Oilers, plus injury updates on Filip Forsberg, Logan Thompson and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights matched a franchise record for most goals in a single period in a 7-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Vegas scored five times in the third period with Jack Eichel, Phil Kessel and Shea Theodore among five Golden Knights to finish with a goal and an assist. With the win, Vegas improved to 32-18-4 to sit atop the Pacific Division with 68 points. The Ducks sank to 17-31-6 on the season. They also played without John Klingberg, who missed this game due to illness.

Seattle Kraken winger Jaden Schwartz tallied twice as his club held off the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 to snap a three-game losing streak. With a record of 30-18-5, the Kraken remain three points behind the Golden Knights in second place in the Pacific Division. Rasmus Ristolainen collected two assists for the 22-23-10 Flyers (54 points) as they remain seven points out of the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jordan Harris (NHL Images)

The Montreal Canadiens upset the Edmonton Oilers 6-2, ending a 15-game points streak by Oilers captain Connor McDavid. Jordan Harris scored twice to become the first Canadiens rookie defenseman to have a multi-goal game since P.K. Subban in March 2011. Jake Allen stopped 32 shots for the 22-27-4 Canadiens. Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane replied for the Oilers (30-19-5) as they remain in third place in the Pacific Division with 65 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Canadiens as rugged rookie blueliner Arber Xhekaj left the game with an apparent shoulder injury following a fight with Oilers defenseman Vincent Desharnais. An update on his condition could be made on Monday.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson collected three points in a 4-1 upset of the Washington Capitals. The Sharks (17-26-11) lost goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen in the second period following incidental contact with Washington center Evgeny Kuznetsov. Aaron Dell finished the game for the Sharks. Kuznetsov scored for the Capitals (28-21-6) as they remain in the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 62 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No word as to the severity of Kahkonen’s injury. The Sharks were playing without goalie James Reimer (illness) but he could return to action on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

HEADLINES

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury suffered during Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Forsberg is fortunate that it’s only day-to-day. He was left woozy after hitting his head on the ice following a check by Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and had to be helped from the ice.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: On Saturday, the Golden Knights announced that goaltender Logan Thompson is week-to-week with a lower-body injury suffered during Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Wild. They recalled Laurent Brossoit from their AHL affiliate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A lengthy absence by Thompson could have implications for the Golden Knights’ playoff hopes. They’re in a tight race right now in the Pacific Division. Adin Hill got the win for them on Sunday and will be relied on to carry the bulk of the load in Thompson’s absence.

DAILY FACEOFF: Ottawa Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg is out indefinitely with left and right knee MCL injuries. Meanwhile, Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson will be sidelined for at least two weeks with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could be the final nail in the coffin for the Senators’ slim playoff hopes.

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH: Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich is one step closer to making his season debut. Sidelined by a preseason shoulder injury, he’s been sent to the Blues’ AHL affiliate in Springfield on a conditioning assignment.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 12, 2023

by | Feb 12, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 12, 2023

Oilers captain Connor McDavid reaches a scoring milestone, the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin and the Kings’ Adrian Kempe each tally four goals, the Blues’ Ryan O’Reilly returns from injury with an overtime goal, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists in a 6-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. The Oilers (30-18-5) remain unbeaten in regulation in their last 11 games (9-0-2) and move one point behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific Division with 65 points. The Senators slipped to 24-24-3 on the season and sit 10 points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 51 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid joined Wayne Gretzky as the second player in NHL history with multiple-point streaks of 15-or-more games in the same season more than once in his career. Meanwhile, Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg was stretchered from the ice in the third period with a leg injury while defenseman Jake Sanderson also left in that period with an undisclosed injury.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin scored four goals (including a natural hat trick) and collected an assist to lead his club over the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 6-2. The Rangers (31-14-8) have won five straight and moved to within three points of the second-place New Jersey Devils in the Metropolitan Division with 70 points. The 34-10-8 Hurricanes remain atop the Metro with 76 points but their seven-game win streak has come to an end along with Sebastian Aho’s six-game goal streak.

The Los Angeles Kings crushed the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-0. Adrian Kempe tallied four goals, Anze Kopitar collected three assists while Pheonix Copley turned in a 25-save shutout as the Kings improved to 29-18-7 and sit third in the Pacific Division with 65 points. The Penguins (26-17-9) slipped to the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 61 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings got the win on the night they honored former captain Dustin Brown with a statue outside Crypto.com Arena and retiring his No. 23. Brown spent 18 seasons with the Kings, leading them to two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014. He’s also the franchise leader in games played with 1,296. Before the game, the Kings activated forwards Arthur Kaliyev and Trevor Moore off injured reserve.

St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly’s overtime goal lifted his club to a 6-5 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Pavel Buchnevich collected three assists and Sammy Blais scored his first goal for the 24-25-3 Blues since being reacquired from the New York Rangers. Nick Schmaltz had four points and Clayton Keller had three for the 17-28-8 Coyotes, who held defenseman Jakob Chychrun from this game for trade-related reasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly and Buchnevich returned to action following lengthy absences due to injuries. As for Chychrun, it appears he’s finally going to be traded following months of speculation stretching back to last season. I’ll have more about his situation in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. Dylan Larkin and Jonatan Berggren each scored two goals for the Wings (23-20-8) as they sit seven points out of the final Eastern playoff spot with 54 points. Anthony Beauvillier had a goal and an assist for the 21-28-4 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Beauvillier has two goals and an assist in four games since joining the Canucks from the New York Islanders in the Bo Horvat trade.

Calgary Flames winger Dillon Dube had a goal and three assists while rookie Jakob Pelletier scored his first NHL goal in a 7-2 drubbing of the Buffalo Sabres (26-21-4). The Flames improved to 25-18-10 and sit just outside the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 60 points. Sabres center Tage Thompson scored his 35th of the season as his club sits five points behind the Penguins for the final Eastern wild-card berth with 56 points.

The Montreal Canadiens got an overtime goal by Mike Matheson to upset the New York Islanders 4-3 to snap a four-game losing skid. Mike Hoffman had three assists for the 21-27-4 Canadiens. Brock Nelson had two points to extend his points streak to 10 games for the Islanders (27-23-6) as they sit one point out of the final Eastern playoff spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was the Canadiens’ first win in their powder-blue “reverse retro” uniform. Habs coach Martin St. Louis is no fan of the jersey, calling them an affront to the franchise’s history.

An overtime goal by Matt Duchene gave the Nashville Predators a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. It was a costly win for the Predators (25-19-6) as winger Filip Forsberg left the game after falling awkwardly to the ice following a hit by Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. The Preds sit four points out of the final Western playoff berth with 56 points. The Flyers (22-22-10) are seven points out of playoff contention in the East with 54 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was a scary-looking injury for Forsberg, who appeared dazed as he struggled to get up and had to be helped off the ice. There was no update about his condition following the game but it looked like a concussion to me.

Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli scored twice and chipped in an assist in a 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars. Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 28 shots for the win as the 34-16-2 Lightning moved to within two points of the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division with 70 points. Jamie Benn scored his 21st goal of the season for the Stars (30-14-10) as they remain atop the Western Conference standings with 70 points.

The Washington Capitals got goals from Nicklas Backstrom and Garnet Hathaway to hold off the Boston Bruins 2-1, handing the latter their fourth loss in five games. Darcy Kuemper made 27 saves for the 28-20-6 Capitals as they vaulted over the Pittsburgh Penguins into the first Eastern wild-card berth with 62 points. Nick Foligno scored for the Bruins (39-8-5) as they remain atop the overall standings with 83 points.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and collected an assist in a 5-3 victory over the Florida Panthers, snapping the latter’s three-game win streak. Alexandar Georgiev kicked out 42 shots for the win as the Avalanche (28-19-4) sit in third place in the Central Division with 60 points. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 45 shots for the 26-23-6 Panthers, who are three points out of an Eastern wild-card spot with 58 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a big win for the Avalanche but they lost defenseman Erik Johnson as he left the game in the first period after blocking a shot. They’re already playing without blueliner Cale Makar following a blindside hit by the Penguins’ Jeff Carter earlier in the week.

The Columbus Blue Jackets upset the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 4-3. Kent Johnson snapped a 3-3 tie in the third period as he, Kirill Marchenko and Boone Jenner each had a goal and an assist for the 16-33-4 Blue Jackets. Mitch Marner and William Nylander each had two points for the Leafs (32-14-8) as they sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 72 points.

Shootout goals by Mats Zuccarello and Frederick Gaudreau gave the Minnesota Wild a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils to snap a three-game losing skid. Filip Gustavsson got the win for the Wild (28-20-4) with a 27-save performance as they cling to the final Western wild-card spot with 60 points. Tomas Tatar tallied twice for the Devils (34-13-5) as they sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 73 points.

Winnipeg Jets winger Blake Wheeler scored two goals and assisted on another to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1. Josh Morrissey had a goal and an assist for the 33-19-1 Jets as they sit second overall in the Western Conference with 67 points. Tyler Johnson replied for the Blackhawks as they sank to 16-30-5.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 11, 2023

by | Feb 11, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 11, 2023

Penguins star Evgeni Malkin reaches a points milestone, Vladimir Tarasenko scored in his Rangers debut, the latest on Patrick Kane and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin collected two assists to become the third player in franchise history to reach 1,200 career points in a 6-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Pierre-Olivier Joseph scored twice and collected an assist as the Penguins (26-16-9) vaulted over the Washington Capitals into the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 61 points. Mason McTavish had a goal and an assist for the Ducks as they dropped to 17-30-6.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Ducks placed winger Troy Terry (upper body) on injured reserve.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored in his debut with the New York Rangers as they picked up their fourth straight win by down the Seattle Kraken 6-3. Vincent Trocheck, Kaapo Kakko and Ryan Lindgren each had a goal and an assist for the Rangers, who improved to 30-14-8 (68 points) and sit four points behind the second-place New Jersey Devils in the Metropolitan Division. Oliver Bjorkstrand and Vince Dunn each had two points for the 29-18-5 Kraken as they dropped their third straight game and slipped to third place in the Pacific Division with 63 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As expected, Tarasenko skated on the Rangers’ top line alongside Mika Zibanejad (who also scored in this contest) and Artemi Panarin (one assist). He indicated that he received no contract offer from the Blues prior to the trade to the Rangers.

Meanwhile, the Kraken and the Edmonton Oilers have identical records. However, the latter moved into second place in the Pacific with 27 regulation wins.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov turned in a 30-save shutout in a 3-0 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. John Tavares scored twice for the 32-13-8 Leafs (72 points) as they widened their lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning for second place in the Atlantic Division by four points. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 38 shots for the Blue Jackets (15-33-4) as they remain mired at the bottom of the overall standings.

An overtime goal by Caleb Jones lifted the Chicago Blackhawks over the Arizona Coyotes by a score of 4-3. Andreas Athanasiou had a goal and two assists for the 16-29-5 Blackhawks. Coyotes forward Clayton Keller also had a goal and two assists as his club dropped to 17-30-6.

HEADLINES

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane wasn’t pleased when he heard that the Rangers acquired Vladimir Tarasenko on Thursday. “It’s not like the happiest I’ve been to hear about a trade,” he said. Kane indicated the Rangers were a team he was interested in if he was going to be traded.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane’s comments are an indication that he’s leaning toward accepting a trade before the March 3 deadline. He and teammate Jonathan Toews are reportedly supposed to make a decision by mid-February whether they’ll waive their no-movement clauses. It sounds like Kane already has a list of preferred trade destinations with the Rangers probably at the top.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond could miss Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks after suffering a lower-body injury during practice on Friday. Defenseman Jake Walman is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning defenseman Ian Cole was fined $5,000.00 by the NHL department of player safety for kneeing Colorado Avalanche forward Andrew Cogliano during Thursday’s game.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens re-signed defenseman Jordan Harris to a two-year, $2.8 million contract extension. The average annual value is $1.4 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some Canadiens followers went on social media suggesting this was more than what Harris deserved. Perhaps they initially confused that $2.8 million as his new annual cap hit. On his current two-year contract (entry-level), the 22-year-old blueliner is earning an AAV of $842,500 (not counting performance bonuses). $1.4 million is a reasonable raise.

LA HOCKEY NOW: The Kings signed goalie Pheonix Copley to a one-year, $1.5 million contract extension.

TSN: The Florida Panthers signed defenseman Josh Mahura to a one-year, one-way contract extension. Cap Friendly indicates his new deal is worth $925K.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 10, 2023

by | Feb 10, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 10, 2023

The Lightning blank the Avalanche in their first game since the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, Dougie Hamilton sets a franchise record for Devils defensemen, Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky reaches a career milestone and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy turned in a 30-save performance to shut out the Colorado Avalanche 5-0 in the first game between the two clubs since the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. Brandon Hagel scored twice and collected an assist and Alex Killorn had three assists for the Lightning (33-16-2) as they move within two points of the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division with 68 points. The 27-19-4 Avalanche cling to third place in the Central Division with 58 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche played without defenseman Cale Makar as he’ll be sidelined for the remainder of their road trip with an upper-body injury following a blindside hit by Pittsburgh Penguins center Jeff Carter on Tuesday. Carter wasn’t penalized on the play and received no supplemental discipline. Lighting forward Nick Paul missed this game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton (NHL Images).

The New Jersey Devils got two power-play goals by Dougie Hamilton in a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken. MacKenzie Blackwood stopped 33 shots for the 34-13-4 Devils as they move two points ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs into third place in the Eastern Conference standings with 72 points. Adam Larsson replied for the Kraken (29-17-5) as they remain in second place in the Pacific Division with 63 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hamilton (51 points) set a record for Devils defensemen for the fewest games to reach 50 points in a season (51 games). The previous record was 55 games by Bryan Rafalski in 2006-07. The Devils played this game without leading scorer Jack Hughes as he’s week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky picked up his 350th career win with a 33-save performance to beat the San Jose Sharks 4-1. Sam Reinhart and Eric Staal each tallied twice for the 26-22-6 Panthers as they moved within one point of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 58 points. Alexander Barabanov replied for the 16-26-11 Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bobrovsky sits 25th overall in career wins among NHL goaltenders.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist in a 5-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. It was a costly win for the Golden Knights as goaltender Logan Thompson was helped from the ice in the third period with an apparent left-leg injury. Vegas improved their record to 31-18-4 to open a three-point lead over the Kraken in the Pacific Division with 66 points. Kirill Kaprizov replied for the Wild (27-20-4) as they’ve dropped three straight games and cling to the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 58 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said Thompson was moving around and will undergo an MRI on Friday morning. He’s hopeful that the injury isn’t serious.

The Vancouver Canucks overcame a 4-2 deficit to nip the New York Islanders 6-5. Former Islander Anthony Beauvillier tallied the game-winner while former Canucks captain Bo Horvat also scored in this game. Brock Boeser had a four-point night and Elias Pettersson had three points for the Canucks (21-27-3). Mathew Barzal had a three-point game as the Islanders (27-23-5) remained behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders and Penguins each have 59 points but the latter holds five games in hand. Canucks defenseman Luke Schenn missed this game with an upper-body injury.

Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart kicked out 34 shots to upset the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 on a shootout goal by James van Riemsdyk. Kevin Hayes opened the scoring for the Flyers (22-22-9), who sit six points out of the final Eastern playoff spot with 53 points. Evander Kane replied for the 29-18-5 Oilers, who hold third place in the Pacific Division with 63 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected an assist to extend his points streak to 14 games.

The Detroit Red Wings kept their slim playoff hopes alive with a 2-1 upset of the Calgary Flames. Ville Husso stopped 35 shots while Filip Zadina netted the game-winner as the Wings (22-20-8) sit seven points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth with 52 points. Blake Coleman scored for the Flames (24-18-10) as they sit just outside the final Western playoff spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames are tied in points with the Wild but the latter holds that final wild-card berth with a game in hand. Calgary defenseman Rasmus Andersson missed this game after being struck by a vehicle while riding a scooter in Detroit on Wednesday evening. He was taken to a hospital, underwent a battery of tests and was released. Andersson was rattled by the accident but is otherwise ok.

HEADLINES

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray has returned to the injured reserve list as he remains sidelined by an ankle injury suffered in late January. The Leafs also announced the signing of defenseman Conor Timmins to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $1.1 million.

THE TENNESSEAN: In a recent interview, Nashville Predators general manager David Poile gave a vote of confidence to head coach John Hynes, saying he’s absolutely not in jeopardy of losing his job. The Predators are currently battling for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

THE PROVINCE: Speaking of coaches, former Canucks bench boss Bruce Boudreau is returning to NHL Network as a TV analyst. He previously worked with the network from August 2020 until hired by the Canucks in December 2021.

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets forward Mason Appleton will return to action on Saturday against the Chicago Blackhawks. He’s been sidelined by a broken wrist since mid-November.