NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 27, 2022

by | Dec 27, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 27, 2022

Catching up on the notable news coming out of the Christmas holiday in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The schedule resumes Tuesday with 11 games on tap. However, tonight’s game between the Buffalo Sabres and Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena in Columbus has been postponed due to inclement weather. No makeup date for the game has been announced yet.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, and Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson were named the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Dec. 25.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: In case you missed it, Ovechkin earned the star of the week honors by scoring twice during his club’s 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets on Dec. 23, moving him past Gordie Howe into second place on the all-time goal-scoring list. With 802 career goals, the Capitals winger has Wayne Gretzky’s 894 in his sights.

SPORTSNET: Ovechkin’s goal chase isn’t sitting well with critics of his support of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Luke Fox offers up a balanced take of this situation.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Capitals defenseman John Carlson is sidelined indefinitely after being struck in the face by a puck during Friday’s game against the Jets. He was transported to a hospital for evaluation and released into the care of the club’s medical personnel.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carlson’s absence will be keenly felt if he’s sidelined for a lengthy period. He’s their top defenseman and sits fifth among Capitals scorers with 21 points in 30 games.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers goaltender Carter Hart suffered an upper-body injury during Friday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. The team will issue an update on his condition on Tuesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The “upper-body injury” could be a concussion as Hart and Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis collided with each other after the latter was inadvertently pushed into the Flyers goalie by defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: George Richards examined the Panthers’ struggles thus far and the daunting task they face in securing a playoff berth by season’s end. “With three first-round picks already traded elsewhere (Montreal, Philadelphia and Calgary own them) and salary cap concerns, no one expected the Panthers to be serious buyers at this year’s trade deadline,” writes Richards. He speculates they could be sellers if they haven’t improved by deadline day.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers were Presidents’ Trophy winners last season. A depleted blueline is one factor behind their current difficulties, prompting speculation they could attempt to pursue such notables as the San Jose Sharks’ Erik Karlsson and the Arizona Coyotes’ Jakob Chychrun. Given those issues noted by Richards, I doubt they’ll be suitors for either guy this season.

SPORTSNET: New Jersey Devils defenseman John Marino is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury. He’s played a significant role in the Devils’ success thus far this season, averaging 21 minutes per game.

GOPHNX.COM’s Craig Morgan reported Arizona Coyotes rookie forward Matias Maccelli will miss six weeks with a lower-body injury. The 22-year-old winger sits second among this season’s rookie scorers with 22 points in 30 games.

STARTRIBUNE.COM: The NHL department of player safety suspended Minnesota Wild forward Mason Shaw for two games for kneeing San Jose Sharks forward Evgeny Svechnikov on Dec. 22.

NHL.COM: Happy belated birthday to Steve “Wochy” Wojciechowski, who turned 100 on Dec. 25. The former Detroit Red Wings forward is believed to be just the second NHL player to become a Centenarian.










Happy Holidays!

by | Dec 24, 2022

Happy Holidays!

First, I must acknowledge that hockey history occurred on Friday night.  Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored two goals in a 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets to move past Gordie Howe into second place on the all-time NHL goals list with 802. He sits 92 goals behind leader Wayne Gretzky. That game was one of 11 played on Dec. 23 before the NHL holiday break from Dec. 24 to 26.

I am also on my annual holiday break. The next update to this site will be Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022. Happy holidays, everyone!

 

Seasons Greetings GIFfrom Seasons GIFs










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 23, 2022

by | Dec 23, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 23, 2022

The Canucks’ Elias Pettersson had a five-point performance, the Hurricanes’ Brent Burns reaches a points milestone, another record falls to Alex Ovechkin and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NOTE: I will be taking my annual Christmas break from Dec. 24 to Dec. 26, 2022. The next update to this site following today will be Tuesday, Dec. 27, 2022.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Vancouver Canucks nipped the Seattle Kraken 6-5 on a shootout goal by Elias Pettersson, who also had a five-point performance (two goals, three assists) in regulation play, including his game-tying goal. The Canucks improved to 14-15-3. Daniel Sprong tallied twice for the 18-10-4 Kraken, who sit fifth overall in the Western Conference with 40 points.

Vancouver Canucks forward Elias Pettersson (NHL Images).

The Boston Bruins overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 3-2. Nick Foligno broke a 2-2 tie in the third period as the league-leading Bruins improved to 26-4-2 (54 points). They sit six points ahead of the second-place Carolina Hurricanes in the overall standings. The Jets (21-11-1, 43 points) sit one point behind the Central Division-leading Dallas Stars.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they improved to 21-6-6 (48 points) by dropping the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on an overtime goal by Jaccob Slavin. Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns’ assist on Slavin’s goal was his 800th career point. Sidney Crosby tallied his 19th goal of the season for the Penguins (19-9-5), who sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 43 points.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin collected two assists in a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Marcus Johansson scored the game-winner in overtime while Ovechkin set an NHL record for career shots-on-goal with 6,211. The Capitals improved to 18-13-4 while the Senators dropped to 14-16-3.

The Toronto Maple Leafs held off the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 with William Nylander scoring a goal and collecting two assists. The Leafs (21-7-6) are unbeaten at home in their last 10 games (8-0-2). They also sit third overall in the overall standings with 48 points as the Hurricanes hold a game in hand. Travis Konecny and Tony DeAngelo each had two points for the 11-16-7 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Maple Leafs placed defenseman Rasmus Sandin (neck) on injured reserve.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson had a goal and three assists to lead his club to a 5-2 upset of the Minnesota Wild. Tim Meier had a goal and an assist for the Sharks (11-18-6). The Wild (19-12-2) remain three points back of the Jets in the Central Division with 40 points.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Barclay Goodrow, Kaapo Kakko and Vincent Trocheck lifted the New York Rangers over the New York Islanders 5-3. Goodrow had a three-point night for the Rangers (19-11-5) as they sit fourth in the Metropolitan Division with 43 points as the Penguins hold a game in hand. Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist for the 18-14-2 Islanders.

An overtime goal by Adrian Kempe gave the Los Angeles Kings a 4-3 win over the Calgary Flames. Gabriel Vilardi and Blake Lizotte each had a goal and an assist for the Kings (19-12-5) as they sit second in the Pacific Division with 43 points. The Flames dropped to 15-12-7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings activated Brendan Lemieux off injured reserve but he didn’t play in this game.

IN OTHER NEWS…

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins announced yesterday that they’ve completed their independent review of their vetting process in the aftermath of the botched Mitchell Miller signing on Nov. 4. The review revealed “no misconduct” by team executives but provided a list of specific recommendations to be implemented to prevent a recurrence of the same mistake.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli observed, the “independent review” was hardly independent since it was initiated and funded by the Bruins. He also noted that the exact findings and substance of the review were not publicly released, as other teams have done following internal reviews.

As Seravalli’s colleague Matt Larkin observed back in November, the Bruins embarrassed themselves and insulted our intelligence with the Miller affair.

NHL.COM: The Columbus Blue Jackets activated defenseman Adam Boqvist and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo off injured reserve and placed center Cole Sillinger (upper body) on IR.

The New Jersey Devils placed winger Nathan Bastian on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 26.

The NHL has postponed Friday’s games between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Buffalo Sabres and the Detroit Red Wings versus the Ottawa Senators due to extreme weather conditions. Both games have been rescheduled for the new year.

DAILY FACEOFF: Canada has revealed its roster for the upcoming Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland. It features such former NHL players as Tyler Ennis, David Desharnais, Brett Connolly, Cody Eakin, Riley Nash and Michael Hutchinson. This is the first Spengler Cup tournament to be staged since 2019 as COVID-19 led to the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 tournament.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2022

by | Dec 22, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2022

Roman Josi becomes the Predators’ all-time leading scorer, Golden Knights captain Mark Stone makes franchise history, Oilers captain Connor McDavid extends his points streak, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi became his club’s all-time leading scorer in a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Josi scored the game-winning goal and collected an assist to reach 567 career points, surpassing David Legwand’s 566 points. Juuse Saros made 37 saves for the win as the Predators improved to 14-13-4. Connor Murphy had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks (7-20-4), who remain last overall in the standings.

Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone made franchise history in his club’s 5-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Stone became the first Golden Knights player to score a power-play goal and a shorthanded goal in the same game as he finished the night with three points. Vegas (23-11-1) sits in first place in the Western Conference and second in the overall standings with 47 points.

The New Jersey Devils snapped a five-game losing skid with three unanswered third-period goals to double up the Florida Panthers 4-2. Jesper Bratt scored twice and Mackenzie Blackwood made 34 saves in his first start since Nov. 3. The Devils (22-9-2) sit in third place in the Eastern Conference with 46 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said winger Patric Hornqvist could remain sidelined long-term as he continues to recover from a concussion suffered on Dec. 3 against the Seattle Kraken.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Warren Foegele, Connor McDavid and Mattias Janmark lifted the Edmonton Oilers over the Dallas Stars 6-3. Janmark scored twice, McDavid extended his points streak to 14 games and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a three-point performance for the Oilers (18-14-2). Mason Marchment had two assists for the 19-9-6 Stars, who hold a one-point lead with points over the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the Central Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars were without winger Denis Gurianov, who’s on an indefinite leave of absence for family reasons.

The Detroit Red Wings scored four goals in the third period in a 7-4 romp over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Michael Rasmussen scored twice and added two assists while Dylan Larkin tallied twice as the Red Wings (14-11-7) snapped a six-game winless skid. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist for the Lightning (20-11-1) as they sit in third place in the Atlantic Division with 41 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the NHL department of player safety fined Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev $5,000.00 for slashing Toronto Maple Leafs winger Michael Bunting during Tuesday’s game between the two clubs.

An overtime goal by Mikko Rantanen lifted the Colorado Avalanche to a 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Artturi Lehkonen scored the tying goal for the Avs (18-11-2) as they hold the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference with 38 points. Jake Allen made 34 saves for the 15-15-3 Canadiens.

Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. The Wild (19-11-2) sit in third place in the Central Division with 40 points, three behind the second-place Winnipeg Jets. Lukas Dostal stopped 38 shots for the 9-22-3 Ducks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators signed Artum Zub to a four-year contract extension. The 27-year-old defenseman will earn an average annual value of $4.6 million starting in 2023-24.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zub is completing a two-year deal with a $2.5 million AAV. He’s become an invaluable part of the Senators’ defense corps. Injuries have limited him to 14 games so far this season but he netted 22 points in 81 games in 2021-22.

The Senators’ blueline is better with a healthy Zub in the lineup. One could quibble over the AAV on his new contract but it’s not extravagant and the term of the contract is reasonable.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov is sidelined by a high ankle sprain. The club announced he will miss approximately six weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chinakhov is the 11th Blue Jackets regular currently sidelined by injuries. Among the notables are Zach Werenski, Jakub Voracek, Boone Jenner and Elvis Merzlikins.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The Islanders placed forward Cal Clutterbuck on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 16.

NHL.COM: The Tampa Bay Lightning-Buffalo Sabres game scheduled for Dec. 23 has been postponed due to inclement weather expected for Buffalo on that day. It has been rescheduled to March 4, 2023.

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: The Flyers game with the Sabres scheduled for March 4 has been rescheduled to Jan. 9, 2023.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 21, 2022

by | Dec 21, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 21, 2022

Game recaps feature the Hurricanes, Leafs and Jets moving upward in the standings, Phil Kessel’s Ironman streak could soon come to an end, injury updates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes stretched their points streak to 12 games by topping the New Jersey Devils 4-1, extending the latter’s winless skid to six games (0-5-1). Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 37 shots while Jordan Staal scored what proved to be the game-winning goal as the Hurricanes (20-6-6) moved ahead of the Devils into first place in the Metropolitan Division and second place overall in the Eastern Conference with 46 points. The Devils sit at 21-9-2 with 44 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After riding a 13-game win streak from late October to late November, the Devils are 5-6-2 in their last 13 contest. Their defense has been sloppy and they’re not cashing in on the power play, sitting 25th overall with a PP percentage of 19.2.

Third-period goals by Pierre Engvall and William Nylander gave the Toronto Maple Leafs a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Nylander finished the night with a goal and an assist as the Leafs (20-7-6) snapped the Lightning’s five-game win streak and move into third overall in the Eastern Conference with 46 points. The Lightning dropped to 20-10-1.

Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes and Leafs have the same number of points but the former has a game in hand. Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin left the game late in the second period with a neck injury. He’ll undergo further evaluation today.

Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor and defenseman Josh Morrissey each extended their points streaks to 10 games with a 5-1 thrashing of the Ottawa Senators. Connor had two goals and an assist while Morrisey scored and collected an assist as the Jets (21-10-1, 43 points) sit one point behind the first-place Dallas Stars in the Central Division. The Senators slipped to 14-16-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck missed this game with a non-COVID illness. Earlier in the day, the Jets placed winger Blake Wheeler on injured reserve as he recovers from groin surgery.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored the game-winner as his club held off the New York Rangers by a score of 3-2, snapping the latter’s seven-game win streak. Tristan Jarry stopped 26 shots as the Penguins improved to 19-9-4. Chris Kreider tallied twice for the 18-11-5 Rangers.

The Seattle Kraken improved to 18-10-3 with a 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Ryan Donato scored to extend his goal streak to four games while Morgan Geekie and Brandon Tanev each had two points for the Kraken. Pavel Buchnevich and Colton Parayko replied for the Blues (16-16-1) as their four-game winning streak comes to an end.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues winger Jordan Kyrou missed this game with an upper-body injury suffered during Monday’s win over the Vancouver Canucks.

Calgary Flames forwards Jonathan Huberdeau, Elias Lindholm and Tyler Toffoli each collected three points in a 7-3 thumping of the San Jose Sharks. Toffoli and Dillon Dube set a franchise record by scoring within the first 30 seconds as the Flames improved to 15-12-6 on the season. The Sharks fell to 10-18-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames activated defenseman Chris Tanev off injured reserve but placed blueliner Dennis Gilbert on IR. Meanwhile, Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro returned to action after missing 10 games with an injured foot. Earlier in the day, the Sharks announced that winger Luke Kunin underwent season-ending knee surgery.

The Los Angeles Kings picked up their third win in a row by downing the Anaheim Ducks 4-1. Adrian Kempe collected two assists while Pheonix Copley kicked out 24 shots for the 18-12-5 Kings. Lukas Dostal made 37 saves for the Ducks as they slide to 9-21-3.

Philadelphia Flyers forwards Travis Konecny and Owen Tippett each scored twice and Carter Hart made 30 saves in a 5-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Flyers improved to 11-15-7 while the injury-depleted Blue Jackets (10-20-5) suffered their fifth straight defeat.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: Phil Kessel’s Ironman streak (1,016 games) could be in jeopardy. He’s seeing declining ice time with the Vegas Golden Knights as he’s struggled of late, especially in his defensive play.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: At 35, Kessel’s best days are behind him. The veteran winger could become a healthy scratch in the near future if his play doesn’t improve. Nevertheless, his consecutive games record won’t be falling anytime soon. The active player closest to him is 37-year-old Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns at 711 games.

YARDBARKER: Ryan McDonagh will return to the Nashville Predators lineup on Wednesday against the Chicago Blackhawks. He’s missed the last seven games with a facial injury.

NESN: The Boston Bruins assigned winger Craig Smith to their AHL affiliate in Providence on Monday afternoon after he cleared waivers. The move frees up $1.125 million in cap space for the Bruins. It’s unclear if he will actually report to Providence.

CBS SPORTS: Colorado Avalanche winger Andrew Cogliano will miss the next two games with a shoulder injury.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: One of the victims in a condo shooting in Vaughan, Ontario, on Sunday was the maternal grandfather of Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Victor Mete. Five people were killed in the mass shooting.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Mete and his family as well as the families of the other victims.

OTTAWA SUN: NHL sources said it could take until March before we learn who the new owner of the Senators will be due to the league’s stringent vetting process of potential owners.

SB NATION: Former NHL defensemen Alex Biega and Brendan Guhle have announced their retirements.

Biega tallied 42 points in 243 career NHL games from 2014-15 to 2021-22 with the Vancouver Canucks, Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs. Guhle had 14 points in 65 games with the Buffalo Sabres and Anaheim Ducks from 2016-17 to 2021-22. He is the older brother of Montreal Canadiens blueliner Kaiden Guhle.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to both players in their future endeavors.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 20, 2022

by | Dec 20, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 20, 2022

Game recaps feature a four-point game for Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron, the three stars of the week are revealed, two trades go down before the holiday freeze goes into effect, the Oilers re-sign Stuart Skinner and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins extended their home points streak to 19 games by dumping the Florida Panthers 7-3. Boston captain Patrice Bergeron scored twice and collected two assists while Brad Marchand collected three assists as the Bruins (25-4-2) opened a seven-point lead over the Vegas Golden Knights for first place in the overall standings with 52 points. Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe each had two points for the 15-14-4 Panthers.

Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins are showing no signs of cooling off from their hot start to this season as they approach the holiday season. They’re widening their lead over the teams chasing them in the overall standings.

Speaking of the Golden Knights, they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Buffalo Sabres. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 41 saves to hold off Vegas while Tage Thompson tallied his 26th goal of the season as the Sabres improved to 16-14-2. Chandler Stephenson and Reilly Smith replied for the Golden Knights (22-11-1) as they hold a one-point lead over the Dallas Stars for first place in the Western Conference with 45 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin returned to the lineup after missing nine games with a lower-body injury.

The Stars (19-8-6), meanwhile, nipped the Columbus Blue Jackets by a score of 2-1. Jake Oettinger made 27 saves while Wyatt Johnston and Jason Robertson were the goal scorers. Kent Johnson replied for the Blue Jackets, who have lost four in a row and dropped to 10-19-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov left this game with an upper-body injury. The Jackets also played without captain Boone Jenner as he’s sidelined for four weeks with a broken thumb.

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev turned in a 26-save shutout and Evan Rodrigues scored the only goal in a 1-0 shootout victory over the New York Islanders. Ilya Sorokin stopped 46 shots for the 18-13-2 Islanders. The Avalanche improved to 17-11-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar provided a fine example of sportsmanship by telling the referees not to call a tripping penalty on Isles center Mathew Barzal. The call was reversed after Makar told the official that he wasn’t tripped by Barzal but merely slipped and fell down.

Before the game, Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello said goaltender Semyon Varlamov (lower-body), Cal Clutterbuck and Kyle Palmieri (upper body) are day-to-day. Defenseman Adam Pelech remains sidelined with an upper-body injury but it’s not believed to be long-term. The Isles also terminated the contract of Nikita Soshnikov.

An overtime goal by Alexander Carrier lifted the Nashville Predators over the Edmonton Oilers 4-3. Juuse Saros kicked out 30 shots for the Predators (13-13-4) as they end a six-game skid. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored twice and Connor McDavid (two assists) extended his points streak to 13 games. The Oilers sit at 17-14-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Oilers announced they’ve signed goaltender Stuart Skinner to a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $2.6 million. Skinner has outplayed Jack Campbell ($5 million AAV) and taken over the starter’s job from the struggling Campbell.

Washington Capitals defenseman Dmitry Orlov’s overtime goal gave his club a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Nic Dowd scored twice in 11 seconds during the second period for the Capitals as they move to 17-13-4 on the season. Ville Husso made 38 saves for the 13-11-7 Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals goalie Darcy Kuemper returned to the lineup after missing seven games with an upper-body injury. He backed up Charlie Lindgren for this contest.

A hat trick by Jordan Kyrou carried the St. Louis Blues over the Vancouver Canucks 5-1. Vladimir Tarasenko collected three assists and Jordan Binnington made 33 saves for the Blues as they improved to 16-15-1. Ilya Mikheyev scored for the Canucks as they drop to 13-15-3.

An overtime goal by Mike Hoffman gave the Montreal Canadiens a 3-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Sam Montembeault stopped 37 shots while Cole Caufield netted his 19th goal of the season for the Canadiens (15-15-2). Nick Schmaltz and Matias Macelli replied for the Coyotes as they slide to 10-15-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Canadiens announced they’ll honor former Habs defenseman P.K. Subban prior to their Jan. 12 game at the Bell Centre against the Nashville Predators. Subban played for both clubs but he spent seven of his 13 NHL seasons with the Canadiens, winning the Norris Trophy in 2012-13. He retired before the start of this season.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson and Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello are the three stars for the week ending Dec. 18, 2022.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers winger Cam Atkinson’s season is over before it had a chance to begin. He’ll undergo neck surgery on Dec. 21 and is expected to make a full recovery.

Meanwhile, Flyers center Kevin Hayes didn’t believe he deserved to be a healthy scratch for the club’s 6-3 loss to the Islanders on Saturday. “I wasn’t happy but it’s not my decision,” said Hayes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tensions appear to be rising between Hayes and Flyers coach John Tortorella. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumor Mill update.

NHL.COM: The department of player safety suspended San Jose Sharks forward Tomas Hertl for two games for high-sticking Calgary Flames forward Elias Lindholm during Sunday’s game between the two clubs.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs traded forward Denis Malgin to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for forward Dryden Hunt.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks acquired defenseman Michael Del Zotto in a three-team trade involving the Detroit Red Wings and Florida Panthers. Del Zotto was traded first by the Panthers to the Red Wings for blueliner Giavani Smith. The Wings then flipped him to the Ducks for center Danny O’Regan. All three will be reporting to their new minor-league teams.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks activated Alex Stalock from injured reserve and sent Arvid Soderblom to their AHL affiliate in Rockford. They also placed Jarred Tinordi (facial fracture) on IR retroactively to Dec. 18.

NHL.COM: Former NHL goaltender Andrew Hammond has announced his retirement. He spent six seasons with the Ottawa Senators, Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens and New Jersey Devils from 2013-14 to 2021-22 with a record of 31 wins, 20 losses and 7 overtime losses. He had a career goals-against average of 2.56 and a .916 save percentage with four shutouts.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hammond is best remembered for his 20-1-2 run with the Senators to carry the club into the 2015 playoffs. Best wishes to “The Hamburglar” in his future endeavors.