NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 1, 2022

by | Dec 1, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 1, 2022

Mitch Marner ties a Leafs points-streak record, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is sidelined indefinitely following a minor stroke, Canucks to honor Roberto Luongo and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner scored an empty-net goal to tie the franchise record for consecutive points (18) in a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Pierre Engvall snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period while Ilya Samsonov made 23 saves in his first game since being sidelined by a knee injury on Nov. 5. The Leafs improve to 15-5-5 (35 points) to sit three points behind the league-leading Boston Bruins while the Sharks fall to 8-14-4.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok left this game in the second period with a groin injury.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist to become the first player to reach 40 points as his club held off the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 5-4. Leon Draisaitl scored twice, including what proved to be the game-winner for the Oilers (13-10-0) while Max Domi tallied twice for the 6-12-4 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Domi’s been among the few bright spots in what’s becoming a difficult season for the rebuilding Blackhawks. He’s second in points with 16 in 22 games and could become a valuable trade chip for them if he’s still playing well leading up to the March 3 trade deadline.

The Buffalo Sabres blew a three-goal third-period lead but defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 on a shootout goal by Jack Quinn. Dylan Cozen scored twice while Craig Anderson made 41 saves for the win as the Sabres improved to 10-12-1. Oskar Sundqvist tallied twice for the 11-6-5 Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings winger Tyler Bertuzzi left this game after being struck on the left hand by a shot from teammate Ben Chiarot. Wings head coach Derek Lalonde had no update on Bertuzzi’s condition following the game.

New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren collected three assists as his club defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-1. Jaroslav Halak stopped 34 shots for his first win with the Rangers (11-9-4) as they snapped a three-game winless skid. Shane Pinto scored for the 8-13-1 Senators.

HEADLINES

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is sidelined indefinitely after suffering a minor stroke on Monday. General manager Ron Hextall said Letang’s stroke is “much less severe” than the one he suffered in 2014 that sidelined him for several months.

Letang visited his teammates following their game against the Carolina Hurricanes to reassure them about his condition. He’s undergoing further testing but so far he’s doing okay. However, there is no timetable for his return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Letang for a swift recovery and his return to the Penguins lineup. Thankfully, his condition isn’t considered career-threatening.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks intend to honor former goaltender Roberto Luongo by inducting him into the club’s Ring of Honour next season. The newly-inducted member of the Hockey Hall of Fame is the franchise leader in single-season wins (47), games played (76) and shutouts (nine) as well as their leader in career wins (252) and shutouts (38).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’m surprised they’re not retiring Luongo’s number but at least they’re recognizing the achievements of his eight seasons in Vancouver.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: After Boston Bruins’ NESN broadcaster Jack Edwards mocked Pat Maroon’s weight during a recent game, the Lightning winger took the high road by donating $2,000.00 in Edwards’ name to a local non-profit that helps people struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Boston Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy observed that Edwards’ bizarre comments didn’t go down well with fans and pundits around the NHL. However, he doesn’t anticipate an apology from Edwards or NESN, who have supported their sometimes controversial play-by-play man for his flippant comments in the past.

 

DAILY FACEOFF: The Los Angeles Kings placed goaltender Cal Petersen on waivers yesterday. The 28-year-old has struggled since signing a three-year, $15-million contract last season. He has a 5-3-2 record thus far this season with a .868 save percentage and a 3.78 goals-against average. The club had no comment yesterday about the move.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a surprising move. It wasn’t that long ago that Petersen was considered the heir apparent to Kings starter Jonathan Quick. I doubt any club will claim him given his $5 million average annual value. If he clears waivers as expected he could be sent to the Kings’ AHL affiliate to work on his game.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 30, 2022

by | Nov 30, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 30, 2022

Alex Ovechkin sets a goal-scoring record, the Kraken and Kings play the highest-scoring game thus far this season, the Stars re-sign Roope Hintz to a lucrative new contract, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Alex Ovechkin scored twice to surpass Wayne Gretzky for the most career road goals (403) in a 5-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Darcy Kuemper made 31 saves for the Capitals and Anthony Mantha collected two points for the Capitals (10-11-3). Nil Hoglander replied for the Canucks as they fall to 9-11-3.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gretzky scored 402 road goals during his career. Ovechkin now has 793 total career goals and needs just nine more to move past Gordie Howe (801) in second place on the all-time list. He currently has 13 goals in 24 games this season.

An overtime goal by Andre Burakovsky lifted the Seattle Kraken over the Los Angeles Kings 9-8 in the highest-scoring game of the season thus far. Burakovsky, Jared McCann and Matty Beniers each scored twice while Jordan Eberle collected four assists for the Kraken (14-5-3) as they picked up their sixth straight win. Kevin Fiala had four assists, Drew Doughty collected three helpers and Gabriel Vilardi tallied twice as the Kings drop to 12-9-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a record-setting game for the Kraken, winning their franchise-best sixth consecutive game, scoring the most goals in one game and the most combined goals.

Winnipeg Jets winger Blake Wheeler collected a hat trick and picked up an assist as his club blanked the Colorado Avalanche 5-0. Connor Hellebuyck turned in a 40-save shutout while Mark Scheifele and Cole Perfetti collected three points each as the Jets improved their record to 14-6-1. Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev gave up five goals on 23 shots as his club fell to 12-7-1.

The Boston Bruins regained first place in the overall standings with a 3-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, extending their league-record season-opening home wins streak to 13 games. Taylor Hall scored two goals while Jeremy Swayman kicked out 27 shots for the win. Steven Stamkos scored to pick up his 999th career point as his Lightning dropped to 13-8-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins (19-3-0) are tied with the New Jersey Devils (38 points) but have a game in hand and have lost one fewer game. Before the game, they activated defenseman Derek Forbort and demoted Anton Swayman to their AHL affiliate.

Calgary Flames winger Dillon Dube had a goal and two assists while goalie Dan Vladar stopped 31 shots to defeat the Florida Panthers 6-2 and improve their record to 10-9-3. Sam Reinhart and Nick Cousins replied for the 10-9-4 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Matthew Tkachuk’s first game in Calgary since forcing a trade to the Florida Panthers during the offseason. He was honored by the Flames with a video tribute and a standing ovation by most Calgary fans but was booed every time he touched the puck in this contest.

An overtime goal by Brett Pesce gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 3-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Martin Necas and Andrei Svechnikov also scored for the Hurricanes (12-6-5) while Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel replied for the 11-8-4 Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins were furious following the game as an uncalled boarding penalty by Carolina winger Seth Jarvis on Bryan Rust led to Pesce’s goal.

The Philadelphia Flyers snapped their 10-game winless skid by downing the New York Islanders 3-1. Kevin Hayes tallied two goals and Carter Hart turned in a 23-save effort for the 8-10-5 Flyers. Noah Dobson replied for the Islanders as they drop to 15-9-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers winger Scott Laughton returned to the lineup following a four-game absence with an upper-body injury.

Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi’s scored in overtime as his club nipped the Anaheim Ducks by a score of 2-1. Colton Sissons also tallied for the Predators as they improved to 10-9-2. John Gibson made 39 saves and Troy Terry scored for the Ducks, who hold the league’s worst record at 6-15-2.

The San Jose Sharks blanked the Montreal Canadiens 4-0. Tomas Hertl scored twice and Kaapo Kahkonen made 28 saves for the shutout as the Sharks improve to 8-13-4. The Canadiens went 0-6 on the powerplay and drop to 11-10-1 on the season.

NOTABLE NEWS

DALLAS HOCKEY NOW: The Stars signed center Roope Hintz to an eight-year, $67.6 million contract extension. The average annual value is $8.45 million and goes into effect for the 2023-24 season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a big increase for Hintz over the $3.15 million AAV of his current contract. The 26-year-old was slated to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights in July and would’ve also been a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility.

Hintz earned that big payday centering the Stars’ top line with wingers Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski since 2020-21. He had 43 points in 41 games despite being hampered by injury during that COVID-shortened season. The Finnish center enjoyed a career-best 72-point performance last season and has 24 points in 22 games thus far in this campaign.

The Stars now have young core players like Hintz, Robertson, defenseman Miro Heiskanen and goaltender Jake Oettinger signed for at least the next two seasons.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Tempe City Council voted 7-0 in favor of the Arizona Coyotes’ proposed 16,000 arena proposal. The next (and potentially final) step will be a referendum by Tempe citizens to be held on May 16, 2023.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed the Coyotes are willing to sign a 30-year non-relocation agreement if the arena proposal goes forward. The league will also bring an NHL draft or an all-star game to the new arena.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 29, 2022

by | Nov 29, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 29, 2022

The Devils and Golden Knights each collect their 10th road win of the season, Mitch Marner and Jason Robertson extend their points streaks, the three stars of the week are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The New Jersey Devils picked up their 10th road win of the season with a 5-3 victory over the New York Rangers. Yegor Sherangovich scored two goals and Vitek Vanecek stopped 35 shots as the Devils (19-4-0) take over first place in the overall standings with 38 points. Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck replied for the 10-9-4 Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers’ struggles this season can be tied in part to Igor Shesterkin’s difficulties between the pipes. He seems to have lost the form that earned him the Vezina Trophy last season and shouldered the blame for the loss against the Devils.

A shootout goal by Paul Cotter lifted the Vegas Golden Knights to their 10th road win as they dropped the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2. William Karlsson and William Carrier gave Vegas a 2-0 lead but the Jackets rallied on goals by Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner. The Golden Knights (17-6-1) sit in first place in the Western Conference with 35 points while the Blue Jackets (7-12-2) remain mired at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils and Golden Knights are the first clubs to reach 10 road wins this season. Vegas defenseman Alex Pietrangelo missed this game for personal reasons.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner scored to extend his points streak to 17 games as his club doubled up the Detroit Red Wings by a score of 4-2. Matt Murray kicked out 44 shots while Auston Matthews and Rasmus Sandin each had a goal and an assist for the Leafs (14-5-5), who are unbeaten in the last nine games (7-0-2). The Red Wings (11-6-4) got goals from Moritz Seider and Adam Erne.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson extended his points streak to 16 games in a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Robertson tallied his league-leading 19th goal of the season while Jamie Benn and Wyatt Johnston each had two points for the 13-6-4 Stars. Brandon Saad replied for the Blues as they fall to 11-11-0. They played without center Robert Thomas, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Leon Draisaitl gave the Edmonton Oilers a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers. Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman each had three points for the Oilers as they improve their record to 12-10-0. Matthew Tkachuk remains a thorn in the Oilers’ side with his new team as he tallied a goal and collected an assist for the 10-8-4 Panthers.

The Tampa Bay Lightning got an overtime goal by Steven Stamkos to beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-5. Stamkos scored twice and collected an assist for the Lightning (13-7-1) as he now sits two points shy of 1,000 career points. Nikita Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev had three assists for the Bolts. Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist for the 9-12-1 Sabres.

HEADLINES

Stars winger Jason Robertson, Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey and New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Nov. 27, 2022.

SPORTSNET: The Philadelphia Flyers placed winger Travis Konecny (upper body) on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 17.

THE SCORE: Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark has been cleared to play after suffering an apparent arm injury on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: The Bruins also placed defenseman Anton Stralman on waivers as they prepare to make room for blueliner Derek Forbort’s return from injury.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks have placed goaltender James Reimer on IR with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day. Defenseman Mario Ferraro has a foot injury that could sideline him on a week-to-week basis.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche signed winger Alex Galchenyuk on a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level.

TWINCITIES.COM: The Minnesota Wild sent struggling rookie forward Marco Rossi to their AHL affiliate in Iowa.

TSN: Hall-of-Famer Scott Niedermayer has been added to Team Canada’s staff for the upcoming Spengler Cup next month.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 28, 2022

by | Nov 28, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 28, 2022

The Kraken keep rising in the standings, the Canucks are clawing their way back into playoff contention, plus the latest on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Daniel Sprong lifted the Seattle Kraken to a 5-4 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Matty Beniers had a goal and two assists for the Kraken (13-5-3) as they pick up their fifth straight win. Mason McTavish and Adam Henrique scored in the third period for Anaheim to force overtime as their record falls to 6-15-1). Ducks forward Trevor Zegras collected three assists.

Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With the win, the Kraken moves one point ahead of the Dallas Stars for second place in the Western Conference standings with 29 points. Beniers leads all NHL rookies this season with 18 points. Meanwhile, Ducks goaltender John Gibson left the game in the third period with an undisclosed injury.

Vancouver Canucks forward Andrei Kuzmenko scored in overtime to nip the San Jose Sharks 4-3. Kuzmenko, Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller each collected two points as the Canucks (9-10-3) have won five of their last six games. Luke Kunin scored twice and Erik Karlsson picked up two assists for the 7-13-4 Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks have overcome a poor start to this season. With 21 points, they’re one point out of a wildcard berth in the Western Conference. Kuzmenko’s been a key part of that improvement. After netting just two points in his first seven NHL games, he now has 19 points in his last 14 contests, including two game-winning goals.

The Winnipeg Jets thumped the Chicago Blackhawks 7-2. Pierre-Luc Dubois and Saku Maenalanen each scored twice while Kyle Connor and Josh Morrissey each had three-point performances as the Jets improved to 13-6-1. Taylor Raddysh and Jujhar Khaira replied for the Blackhawks (6-11-4) as their winless skid reached seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Since their 4-2-0 start, the Blackhawks have won only twice in their last 15 games. Jets forward Morgan Barron collected an assist as he returned to action for the first time since being sidelined by an injury on Oct. 30. With 27 points, the Jets are fourth in the Western Conference.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists as his club held off the Arizona Coyotes by a score of 4-3. Joel Eriksson Ek collected two assists for the Wild (10-9-2) while Matias Macelli also picked up two assists as the Coyotes slid to 7-10-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Macelli sits second among this season’s rookie scorers with 13 points but he’s their leader in assists with 12.

The Ottawa Senators downed the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 on an overtime by Claude Giroux. Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle and Thomas Chabot each had two points as the Senators boosted their record to 8-12-1. Arthur Kaliyev scored both goals for the Kings (12-9-3) as they’ve dropped four of their last five contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a big win for the struggling Senators as they salvage four points from this four-game western road trip.

HEADLINES

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov will be sidelined for the next two games with a non-COVID-related illness.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers placed forwards Kailer Yamamoto and Ryan McLeod on injured reserve.

WGR 550: The Buffalo Sabres placed forward Riley Sheahan on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract after he declined to report to their AHL affiliate in Rochester.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former Canucks coaching staff member Rachel Doerrie filed a complaint with the British Columbia Human Rights Tribunal last week. She alleges she was discriminated against by the team and assistant general manager Emilie Castonguay for her mental and physical disabilities.

Doerrie, who has PTSD and a heart condition, was hired by the Canucks in January as an analyst and promoted to the coaching staff on Aug. 1. She indicated she had revealed her medical conditions to Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford during the hiring process. She was terminated from her position in September.

The Canucks issued two statements saying they “strongly disagreed” with Doerrie’s allegations.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 27, 2022

by | Nov 27, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 27, 2022

The Devils’ Lindy Ruff reaches a coaching milestone, the Leafs’ Mitch Marner and the Stars’ Jason Robertson maintain their points streaks, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff picked up his 800th career NHL win as his club defeated the Washington Capitals 5-1. Jack Hughes tallied his first career hat trick and Vitek Vanecek made 37 saves as the Devils (18-4-3) move into a tie for first place in the overall standings with the Boston Bruins. John Carlson replied for the Capitals as they fall to 9-11-3.

New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ruff is the fifth NHL coach to reach the 800-win milestone. He’s also the leader in wins among active coaches. As for the overall standings, the Bruins hold a game in hand over the Devils. It will be interesting to see if these two clubs can maintain their strong performance through the first quarter over the remainder of the schedule.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner extended his points streak to 16 games with a goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Auston Matthews had a goal and two assists while William Nylander had a goal and an assist as the Leafs (13-5-5) are 6-0-2 in their last eight games. Rickard Rakell tallied for the 11-8-3 Penguins.

A 41-save performance by Alexandar Georgiev carried the Colorado Avalanche over the Dallas Stars by a score of 4-1. Josh Manson had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche (12-6-1). Dallas winger Jason Robertson collected an assist on Joe Pavelski’s goal to extend his points streak to 15 games but his Stars fall to 12-6-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Avalanche announced winger Evan Rodrigues will be sidelined for two-to-four weeks with a lower-body injury.

Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser stretched his points streak to nine games with a goal in a 5-1 upset of the Vegas Golden Knights. J.T. Miller had a goal and two assists while Spencer Martin stopped 26 shots as the Canucks improved to 8-10-3. Jonathan Marchessault replied for the 16-6-1 Golden Knights, who hold a five-point lead over the Stars for first place in the Western Conference with 33 points.

The Edmonton Oilers got four unanswered goals in the third period to defeat the New York Rangers 4-3. Evan Bouchard scored twice, Dylan Holloway scored his first career NHL goal and Leon Draisaitl tallied the winning goal as the Oilers rise to 11-10-0. Ryan Lindgren collected two assists for the 10-8-4 Rangers.

Speaking of comebacks, the St. Louis Blues also scored four unanswered goals in a 5-4 win over the Florida Panthers. Jordan Kyrou tallied twice, including the winner in overtime, as the Blues improved to 11-10-0. Sam Reinhart had two assists for the Panthers (10-8-3), who were playing without captain Aleksander Barkov as he was sidelined by a non-COVID-related illness.

The New York Islanders also staged a four-goal rally as they dumped the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2. Zach Parise scored twice, Ryan Pulock collected four assists and Semyon Varlamov stopped 26 shots for the 15-8-0 Islanders. Lukas Sedlak and Joel Farabee scored for the Flyers (7-10-5) as their winless skid extends to 10 games.

A third-period goal by Brett Pesce lifted the Carolina Hurricanes (11-6-5) to a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames, ending their winless skid at five games. Dan Vladar made 30 saves for the 9-9-3 Flames but they’ve dropped three straight games. Flames defenseman Michael Stone returned to the lineup after missing 10 games with a non-disclosed injury.

HEADLINES

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck wants a rule change for an immediate stoppage of play when a netminder’s mask is knocked off or comes off during play. Hellebuyck lost his mask during a collision in Friday’s game against the Dallas Stars and was lying prone and shaken up on the ice with no stoppage of play, enabling the Star to score an empty-net goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL situation rule allowed the Stars’ goal to stand. Hellebuyck was able to resume playing but he and teammate (and NHLPA representative) Adam Lowry would like clarity on this issue. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek suggest this could lead to a new directive from the league.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Friday’s 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. No word as to the seriousness of his undisclosed injury but he will be sidelined for at least a week.

THE ATHLETIC’S Michael Russo tweeted the Wild have recalled goaltender Zane McIntyre as a precautionary measure after one of their goalies had an issue at practice on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Netminder Filip Gustavsson apparently left practice early.

CBS SPORTS: Tampa Bay Lightning forward Rudolfs Balcers is expected to miss the club’s upcoming three-game road trip with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 26, 2022

by | Nov 26, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 26, 2022

The Bruins set a season-opening wins record, the Kraken continues to win through November, the Stars’ Jason Robertson takes over the goal-scoring lead, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins became the first team in league history to open the season with 12 straight home victories by overcoming a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 on an overtime goal by David Pastrnak. David Krejci scored twice as the Bruins (18-3-0) sit in first place in the overall standings with 36 points. Stefen Noesen and Jesperi Kotkaniemi scored for the Hurricanes, who drop to 10-6-5.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Bruins as goaltender Linus Ullmark left the game in the third period with an apparent injury to his right arm. Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said the goalie had full range of motion in his arm and is “pretty confident” Ullmark is ok. For now, he’s considered day-to-day.

Seattle Kraken winger Andre Burakovsky scored twice as his club doubled up the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2. Adam Larsson collected two assists for the Kraken (12-5-3), who’ve won eight of their last 10 games to sit third overall in the Western Conference with 27 points. Nicolas Roy and Phil Kessel replied for the Golden Knights, who sit atop the west with a record of 16-5-1 and 33 points. Vegas center Brett Howden missed this game with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Josh Morrissey lifted the Winnipeg Jets over the Dallas Stars by a score of 5-4. The Stars rallied to tie the game on two straight third-period goals by Jason Robertson, who takes over the NHL goals-scoring lead with 18. The Stars (12-5-4) sit second in the West with 28 points while the 12-6-1 Jets are fifth overall with 25 points.

The New Jersey Devils picked up their ninth straight road victory with a 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. All the scoring took place in the second period with Jack Hughes, Jesper Boqvist and Tomas Tatar tallying for the Devils (17-4-0) while Victor Olofsson replied for the 9-12-0 Sabres. With 34 points, the Devils are two behind the first-place Bruins in the Eastern Conference.

William Nylander scored what proved to be the game-winner as the Toronto Maple Leafs held off the Minnesota Wild 4-3. John Tavares collected two assists for the 12-5-5 Leafs while Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello each had a goal and an assist for the Wild as they drop to 9-9-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs wore shoulder patches on their sweaters to honor Borje Salming, who passed away on Thursday from ALS. Nylander dedicated his winning goal to his late countryman.

The Tampa Bay Lightning got two goals from Brayden Point and three assists from Nikita Kucherov to down the St. Louis Blues by a score of 5-2. The Lightning (12-7-1) has won five of their last six contests. Pavel Buchenich and Jordan Kyrou were the goal scorers for the Blues as they fall to 10-10-0.

A two-goal performance by Ryan Poehling powered the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Teddy Blueger collected three helpers while Sidney Crosby also scored for the Penguins (11-7-3). Kevin Hayes had the lone goal for the Flyers (7-9-5), who are now winless in their last nine contests.

Washington Capitals goaltender Darcy Kuemper made 32 saves to shut out the Calgary Flames 3-0. Alex Ovechkin and TJ Oshie each had a goal and an assist, Sonny Milano picked up two assists and Evgeny Kuznetsov scored for the Capitals, who improve to 9-10-3 while the Flames drop to 9-8-3.

A third-period goal by Brock Nelson lifted the New York Islanders to a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Mathew Barzal collected two assists for the Isles (14-8-0) as they’ve won three straight games. Johnny Gaudreau and Kent Johnson each had two points for the 7-12-1 Blue Jackets.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Filip Hronek extended his goal streak to four games as his club defeated the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 on a shootout goal by Dylan Larkin. Lucas Raymond and Tyler Bertuzzi each had two assists for the Wings (11-5-4). Jakob Chychun scored his first of the season for the 7-9-3 Coyotes.

The Los Angeles Kings got a goal and an assist from Viktor Arvidsson and Jaret Anderson-Dolan in a 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. Jonathan Quick made 29 saves and Phillip Danault tallied his seventh goal of the season for the 12-9-2 Kings. James Riemer stopped 24 shots for the Sharks as they fall to 7-13-3.

Montreal Canadiens winger Kirby Dach scored the winning goal in a shootout over his former club in a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Nick Suzuki and Joel Edmundson had two goals and Sean Monahan collected two assists for the Canadiens as they improve to 11-9-1 while Caleb Jones and Taylor Raddysh replied for the 6-10-4 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens rookie Juraj Slafkovsky left the game in the third period following a high hit by Jason Dickinson. He would later return to the bench but didn’t see any further action in this game. As for the Blackhawks, they announced earlier in the day that forward Sam Lafferty will miss several games with an upper-body injury.

The Ottawa Senators snapped a three-game losing skid with a 5-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Derick Brassard and Mathieu Joseph led the way as they each had a goal and two assists for the Senators (7-12-1). Max Jones had the lone goal for the 6-14-1 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators goalie Anton Forsberg didn’t dress for this game as he’s listed as day-to-day with a minor lower-body injury.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Colorado Avalanche-Nashville Predators game scheduled for yesterday was postponed due to a water main break at Bridgestone Arena. The game will be rescheduled for a later date.