NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 16, 2022

by | Dec 16, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 16, 2022

Recaps of Thursday’s games, the league could consider changing its schedule next season to encourage more rivalries and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Los Angeles Kings overcame a 2-0 deficit to upset the Boston Bruins 3-2 on a shootout goal by Trevor Moore. Adrian Kempe scored twice in the third period and Pheonix Copley made 33 saves for the Kings, who improved their record to 16-12-5. Taylor Hall and Brad Marchand tallied for the Bruins (23-4-2), who remain first overall with 48 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Kings announced Moore signed a five-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $4.2 million. The 27-year-old winger was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent and is earning $1.875 million on his current deal. He’s turned into a reliable second-line winger for the Kings with 18 points in 33 games this season.

A two-goal performance by Reilly Smith carried the Vegas Golden Knights to a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Logan Thompson made 24 saves for the win as the Golden Knights (22-9-1) moved one point ahead of the New Jersey Devils into second place in the overall standings with 45 points. Blackhawks winger Tyler Johnson reaggravated his left ankle and didn’t play in the third period as his club fell into last overall with a record of 7-17-4 (18 points).

The Devils, meanwhile, dropped a 2-1 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers. Travis Konecny broke a 1-1 tie in the third period while Carter Hart stopped 48 shots as they improved to 10-14-7. Jack Hughes scored for the 21-7-2 Devils. The Flyers played without Tony DeAngelo as he was placed on non-roster status for personal reasons due to the death of his grandmother.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to DeAngelo and his family.

New York Rangers winger Jimmy Vesey scored twice to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1. Vincent Trocheck had two assists while Igor Shesterkin stopped 22 shots to boost the Rangers’ record to 16-10-5. The Leafs (19-6-6) lost in regulation for the first time in 16 games while Mitch Marner’s points streak ended at 23 games.

The Dallas Stars rode a 45-save performance by Jake Oettinger to a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals. Jamie Benn and Colin Miller scored in the third period as the Stars improved to 18-8-5 on the season. Connor Sheary tallied for the Capitals (15-13-4) while Alex Ovechkin remains at 800 career goals, one back of Hall-of-Famer Gordie Howe.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Jake Guentzel scored two goals while Kris Letang had a goal and an assist to double up the Florida Panthers 4-2. Sidney Crosby collected two assists for the 18-8-4 Penguins. The Panthers (14-13-4) played without Matthew Tkachuk as the winger was sidelined by a non-COVID-related illness.

St. Louis Blues winger Jordan Kyrou (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins center Evgeni Malkin scored but left the game because the puck deflected in off his right knee, leaving him in considerable pain. However, he’s expected to be okay. Following the game, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan said the preliminary prognosis is positive.

A shootout goal by Jordan Kyrou lifted the St. Louis Blues to a 4-3 comeback win over the Edmonton Oilers. Kyrou scored and collected two assists in regulation as Robert Thomas and Vladimir Tarasenko scored two unanswered goals in the third period for the 14-15-1 Blues. Connor McDavid scored his league-leading 27th goal and become the first NHL player this season to reach 60 points but his Oilers dropped to 17-13-1.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel scored twice and added an assist in a 4-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Nikita Kucherov had three assists for the 19-9-1 Lightning while the Jackets fall to 10-17-2.

An overtime goal by Kyle Connor lifted the Winnipeg Jets over the Nashville Predators 2-1. Dylan DeMelo also scored for the Jets as they improved to 19-9-1. Filip Forsberg replied for the Predators (12-12-4) while teammate Juuse Saros stopped 39 shots. Jets defenseman Nate Schmidt left this game with an upper-body injury.

A 39-save performance by Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen gave the Buffalo Sabres a 4-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (14-14-2). Valeri Nichushkin collected two assists for the Avalanche (15-11-2). Colorado winger Evan Rodrigues returned to action for the first time since suffering a leg injury on Nov. 23.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Thompson sits second to McDavid with 24 goals on the season. Meanwhile, Sabres defenseman Owen Power missed this game after suffering a lower-body injury during the pregame warm-up.

The Carolina Hurricanes extended their points streak to nine games as they held off the Seattle Kraken by a score of 3-2. Andrei Svechnikov netted his team-leading 16th goal of the season for the Hurricanes (17-6-6). Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer kicked out 36 shots but his club dropped to 16-10-3.

The Anaheim Ducks blew a 2-0 lead but netted three unanswered third-period goals to beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-2. John Klingberg tallied twice for the Ducks (8-20-3) as they snapped a nine-game road losing streak. Cole Caufield tallied both goals for the 14-14-2 Canadiens.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTICO: The NHL is said to be considering overhauling its schedule for next season to create more games between geographical rivals in the hope of generating more revenue. It could result in those rivals playing as many as eight times in a season.

TSN: Chris Johnston reports he’s told it’s “not accurate” that teams will meet as much as eight games in a season. While some teams would like to face rivals more often, Johnston said there’s only so much that can be done if teams are going to play in all 32 arenas in a season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The league has increased games among rivals with mixed results.

While some rivalries are long-standing and popular among their supporters, it comes at the cost of seeing stars from other clubs less often. For example, increasing the number of regular-season meetings between the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers would mean fans in other NHL cities would see less of a superstar like Connor McDavid, who can be a good box-office draw for struggling clubs.

Another problem with staging more games against rivals is when one of the teams is among the league’s top clubs while the other is rebuilding. Fans want intense, evenly-matched games in those series. It takes the shine off those match-ups if one of the teams is dominating the other.

The New York Islanders have placed sidelined defenseman Adam Pelech (upper body) on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 6.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 15, 2022

by | Dec 15, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 15, 2022

Recaps of Wednesday games, the Rangers once again top Forbes’ annual franchise value rankings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Second-period goals by Shane Pinto, Drake Batherson and Brady Tkachuk enabled the Ottawa Senators to hold off the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. Alex DeBrincat assisted on all three Senators’ goals as they’ve won seven of their last 10 games and improved to 13-14-2. Kirby Dach and Christian Dvorak replied for the Canadiens, who sit at 14-13-2.

Ottawa Senators winger Alex DeBrincat (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators learned earlier in the day that center Tim Stutzle will be sidelined for at least a week by a shoulder injury. Meanwhile, winger Alex Formenton will play this season in Switzerland after failing to reach an agreement on a new contract with the Senators by the Dec. 1 deadline. He is ineligible to play in the NHL for the remainder of this season.

As for the Canadiens, Jonathan Drouin returned to the lineup after missing 13 games with an upper-body injury.

The Vancouver Canucks blew a 2-0 lead, rallied to tie the game at 3 and went on to defeat the Calgary Flames 4-3 on a shootout goal by Andrei Kuzmenko. Bo Horvat scored his 21st goal of the season while Spencer Martin kicked out 35 shots for the Canucks, who’ve won four of their last five and risen to 13-13-3. Dillon Dube collected two assists for the 13-11-6 Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks winger Brock Boeser missed this game with a non-COVID-related illness.

Minnesota Wild center Frederick Gaudreau scored twice in a 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Wild winger Mats Zuccarello scored to extend his points streak to eight games for the 16-11-4 Wild. The Wings (13-10-6) dropped their fourth straight game and lost defenseman Filip Hronek to an upper-body injury after a thunderous hit by Wild winger Ryan Reaves.

HEADLINES

FORBES: The New York Rangers top Forbes’ annual ranking of NHL franchises for the eighth straight year.

The Rangers are valued at $2.2 billion, up 10 percent from last season. The Toronto Maple Leafs ($2 billion), Montreal Canadiens ($1.85 billion), Chicago Blackhawks ($1.5 billion) and Boston Bruins ($1.4 billion) round out the top five as 14 teams are valued at $1 billion or higher.

Sitting at the bottom of the list is the Arizona Coyotes ($450 million), with the Florida Panthers ($550 million), Buffalo Sabres ($610 million), Columbus Blue Jackets ($620 million), and Carolina Hurricanes ($640 million) round out the bottom five. The Winnipeg Jets are the lowest-valued Canadian franchise at $650 million.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins winger Jason Zucker is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The oft-injured Zucker was off to a good start to this season with 20 points in 27 games before his latest mishap.

CBS SPORTS: The Anaheim Ducks moved goaltender Anthony Stolarz (lower body) to injury reserve.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Former Red Wings captain Henrik Zetterberg will be enshrined in the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Hall of Fame. Zetterberg won the Conn Smythe Trophy during the Red Wings’ 2008 Stanley Cup championship. He also helped Sweden win gold at the 2006 Winter Olympics and the 2006 IIHF World Championship. Zetterberg retired in 2018 due to a back injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A well-deserved honor for one of Sweden’s greatest players.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 14, 2022

by | Dec 14, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 14, 2022

Alex Ovechkin tallies his 800th career goal, Mitch Marner’s point streak continues, notable news from the latest Board of Governors meetings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin joined Wayne Gretzky and Gordie Howe in the NHL’s 800-goal club in a 7-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Ovechkin tallied a hat trick with the third goal reaching the milestone, finishing the night with four points as his Capitals improved to 15-12-4. Tyler Johnson scored for the Blackhawks (7-16-4) after missing 20 games with an ankle injury while teammate Petr Mrazek (23 saves) returned to the lineup after being sidelined for three games with a groin injury.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin was congratulated by Blackhawks stars Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews following the game. The Capitals superstar needs just two goals to surpass Howe (801) for second place on the all-time list. He’s currently 94 goals behind Gretzky.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner extended his points streak to 23 games by collecting two assists in a 7-0 drubbing of the Anaheim Ducks. Alex Kerfoot scored two goals, Conor Timmins and Pontus Holmberg each collected three assists and Ilya Samsonov had a 28-save shutout for the Leafs (19-5-6) as they’ve gone 12-0-3 over their last 15 games. Ducks goaltender John Gibson left the game in the second period with an undisclosed injury as his club fell to 7-20-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks forward Adam Henrique left in the first period after being struck in the face by a Mark Giordano shot but got stitched up and returned to finish the game.

The Edmonton Oilers rose to 17-13-0 on the season by defeating the Nashville Predators 6-3. Leon Draisaitl (five points), Connor McDavid (four points) and Zach Hyman (four points, including a hat trick) combined for 13 points, with McDavid extending his points streak to 10 games. Roman Josi collected two assists for the Predators, who drop to 12-12-3.

Shootout goals by Jake DeBrusk and David Pastrnak lifted the Boston Bruins over the New York Islanders by a score of 4-3. DeBrusk also scored twice and collected an assist in regulation as the Bruins (23-4-1, 47 points) open a three-point lead over the New Jersey Devils for first place in the overall standings. Noah Dobson and Josh Bailey each had a goal and an assist for the Islanders (17-12-1), who’ve dropped five of their last seven games.

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Craig Anderson made 40 saves to blank the Los Angeles Kings 6-0. Tage Thompson scored two goals and Dylan Cozens collected three assists for the Sabres (13-14-2) while the Kings drop to 15-12-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Anderson joined Hall-of-Famer Johnny Bower as just the second goaltender in NHL history with a 40-save shutout at age 41 or older.

The Dallas Stars improved to 17-8-5 with a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Roope Hintz broke a 1-1 tie while Scott Wedgewood kicked out 35 shots. The Devils (21-6-2) have lost three games.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault scored two straight power-play goals in the third period as his club held off the Winnipeg Jets 6-5. Chandler Stephenson collected four assists for the 21-9-1 Golden Knights as they hold a four-point lead (43 points) over the Stars for first place in the Western Conference. Mark Scheifele picked up a hat trick for the 18-9-1 Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights were without defenseman Shea Theodore and Zach Whitecloud. Theodore is week-to-week with a lower-body injury while Whitecloud (lower body) is month-to-month.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos extended his points streak to 14 games in a 6-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. Stamkos scored his 497th career goal, Nikita Kucherov collected three assists and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 36 shots for the Lightning (18-9-1) while the Kraken (16-9-3) have lost four of their last five contests.

The Colorado Avalanche held off the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 3-2. Artturi Lekhonen and J.T. Compher each had a goal and an assist as the Avalanche improved to 15-10-2 while the Flyers (9-14-7) lost four straight games.

Carolina Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov picked up his second straight shutout in a 1-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Kochetkov made 27 stops while Brady Skjei scored in the first period as the Hurricanes rise to 16-6-6 while the Red Wings fall to 13-9-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red wings captain Dylan Larkin injured his right hand blocking a shot and will miss Wednesday’s game against the Minnesota Wild.

The Florida Panthers downed the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0 as Sergei Bobrovsky made 22 saves for his first shutout of the season. Sam Reinhart had a goal and two assists while Matthew Tkachuk scored and collected an assist for the Panthers (14-12-4). The Blue Jackets fell to 10-16-2.

San Jose Sharks forward Nick Bonino scored for the fourth straight game and added an assist in a 3-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Karel Vejmelka stopped 30 shots for the 9-14-4 Coyotes while the Sharks improved to 10-16-5.

HEADLINES

TSN: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman told reports the salary cap for 2023-24 is expected to rise by $1 million to $83 million following the second and final day of the league board of governors meetings. He said that figure was based on current revenue projections but didn’t rule out the possibility that revenue could exceed projections and the cap could be higher.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The players are still paying off their share of the debt incurred from shutting down the 2019-20 regular season due to COVID-19 followed by the pandemic-shortened 2020-21 campaign.

Bettman indicated there would have to be a discussion with the NHL Players Association to amend the 2020 Memorandum of Understanding to increase the cap for next season beyond the agreed-upon rate of $1 million. Some observers believe the league is open to that but they’re waiting for the PA to approach them about it.

Bettman also said that there are more than a dozen potential buyers interested in purchasing the Ottawa Senators. He and deputy commissioner Bill Daly have met with actor Ryan Reynolds to discuss his interest in the franchise.

The commissioner said the league’s investigation into an alleged sexual assault involving Canada’s 2018 World Junior team is nearing completion. They are awaiting the results of the London, Ontario police investigation.

Bettman continues to have no interest in a change to the current playoff format that would allow for a four-team “play-in” round.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun conducted an informal poll of 12 NHL governors and they were unanimous in supporting a play-in round. However, they didn’t want to go on the record for fear of running afoul of Bettman. The commissioner considers expanding the playoff format as trying to fix a non-existent problem.

IN OTHER NEWS…

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens winger Cole Caufield escaped serious injury from his collision with Calgary Flames forward Trevor Lewis on Monday. He traveled with the team to Ottawa and is expected to be in the lineup for tonight’s game with the Senators.

The Canadiens also revealed center Sean Monahan and defenseman David Savard will be sidelined for another two-three weeks.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins defenseman Jeff Petry has been placed on the long-term injured reserve list with an undisclosed injury.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets claimed winger Karson Kuhlman off waivers from the Seattle Kraken.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 13, 2022

by | Dec 13, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 13, 2022

Evgeni Malkin achieves a Penguins franchise milestone, Marc-Andre Fleury and Jordan Binnington reach career milestones, the three stars of the week are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin scored with 35 seconds left in the third period to down the Dallas Stars by a score of 2-1. It was Malkin’s 79th career game-winner, moving him past Jaromir Jagr into second place on the all-time franchise list. Sidney Crosby is the current leader with 83 game-winning goals. Pierre-Olivier Joseph also scored for the Penguins (17-8-4) while Roope Hintz tallied for the 16-8-5 Stars.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (NHL Images).

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 20 shots while Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist in a 2-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Fleury recorded his 18th season with at least 10 wins, making him the fourth goaltender in NHL history to achieve that feat. Zach Hyman replied for the Oilers (16-13-0) as Connor McDavid’s points streak ended at seven games. The Wild improved their record to 15-11-2.

St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington turned in a 25-save shutout for his 100th career victory in a 1-0 win over the Nashville Predators. Brayden Schenn tallied the winner in overtime as the Blues improved to 13-15-1. The Predators have lost three straight and fall to 12-11-3.

An overtime goal by Filip Chytil lifted the New York Rangers over the New Jersey Devils 4-3. Third-period goals by Vincent Trocheck and Kaapo Kakko seven seconds apart rallied the Rangers (15-10-5) and set the stage for Chytil’s game-winner. Dawson Mercer had two points for the Devils (21-5-2), giving them 44 points. They sit one point behind the first-overall Boston Bruins.

Shootout goals by Nick Suzuki and Kirby Dach gave the Montreal Canadiens a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. Josh Anderson scored the game-tying goal for the Canadiens as they move to 14-12-2. Jonathan Huberdeau opened the scoring for the Flames (13-11-5) and also tallied in the shootout.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Injuries took a toll on both teams in this game. Canadiens winger Cole Caufield left this contest in the second period with an upper-body injury following a hit from Calgary’s Trevor Lewis while Flames defenseman Chris Tanev was struck in the head by a Suzuki slap shot while killing a penalty. The Flames were also without forward Elias Lindholm (upper-body injury) and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar (non-COVID-related illness).

Ottawa Senators goaltender Cam Talbot kicked out 32 shots to blank the Anaheim Ducks 3-0. Alex DeBrincat scored twice and Parker Kelly also scored for the Senators (12-14-2). The Ducks fall to 7-19-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ottawa center Tim Stutzle left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury following a collision with the Ducks’ Brett Leason. Senators forward Tyler Motte was also sidelined by an upper-body injury in the first period. Before the game, the Senators formally inducted former defenseman Wade Redden into their Ring of Honour.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren, Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson and Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Dec. 11, 2022.

TSN: The Vegas Golden Knights placed center Jack Eichel on injured reserve with a lower-body injury and placed defenseman Zach Whitecloud (lower body) on long-term injured reserve.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken claimed winger Eeli Tolvanen off waivers from the Nashville Predators.

ESPN.COM: Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis said his team won’t rebuild with Alex Ovechkin on the roster. He said he promised his captain that the club will remain competitive while the winger chases Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record of 894. Ovechkin currently has 797 career goals. The Capitals have just 10 players under contract for 2023-24 with John Carlsson as the only defenseman signed beyond this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise there. Leonsis wants to ensure Ovechkin has the roster support to help him reach the record. The Capitals captain’s contract expires in 2026, after which he’ll likely retire. The club could then commence a rebuild depending on the caliber of younger players they bring into the roster through trades and the draft.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks activated goaltender James Reimer off injured reserve. He’d been sidelined since Nov. 25.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi received 50-100 stitches after being struck in the face by the skate of Winnipeg Jets forward Michael Eyssimont on Friday. He returned to that game in the second period wearing a face shield.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators settled a lawsuit launched by Capitals Sports Management Inc against former partners in the LeBreton Flats arena project. League sources said the lawsuit would not affect the sale of the Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Recent reports indicate there is considerable interest among several groups in purchasing the club.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 12, 2022

by | Dec 12, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 12, 2022

Hat trick performances by the Avalanche’s Mikko Rantanen and the Coyotes’ Clayton Keller, a four-point game for the Blue Jackets’ Jack Roslovic, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Colorado Avalanche nipped the St. Louis Blues 3-2 in overtime with Mikko Rantanen scoring all three goals. Pavel Francouz made 30 saves as Colorado overcame a 2-1 deficit in the dying seconds of regulation. The Avalanche snap a five-game winless skid and improve to 14-10-2. Vladimir Tarasenko and Brandon Saad tallied for the Blues as they drop to 12-15-1.

Colorado Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen (NHL Images).

Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller scored in overtime to complete his hat trick in a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Morgan Frost had a career-high four points in this contest for the Flyers (9-13-7) while the Coyotes are 9-13-14 on the season.

A four-point performance by Jack Roslovic helped the Columbus Blue Jackets defeat the Los Angeles Kings 6-5. Johnny Gaudreau had three points (including the winning goal in overtime) while linemate Patrick Laine had a goal and two assists for the Jackets (10-15-2). Anze Kopitar tallied twice for the 15-11-5 Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings defenseman Drew Doughty missed this game with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day.

Third-period goals by Jake DeBrusk and Charlie Coyle lifted the Boston Bruins to a 3-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Linus Ullmark stopped 30 shots as the Bruins took over sole possession of first place in the overall standings with a record of 22-4-1 (45 points). Mark Stone scored for the Golden Knights (20-9-1) as they remain in first place in the Western Conference.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 797th career goal in a 5-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Charlie Lindgren made 29 saves as the Capitals (14-12-4) picked up their fourth straight win. Adam Lowry and Pierre-Luc Dubois replied for the Jets (18-8-1), who were without sidelined forward Saku Maenalanen (lower body) and defenseman Logan Stanley (upper body). Both were placed on injured reserve earlier in the day.

The Seattle Kraken snapped a three-game losing skid by defeating the Florida Panthers 5-2. Matty Beniers and Yanni Gourde each had a goal and an assist while Martin Jones kicked out 23 shots for the 16-8-3 Kraken. Eric Staal and Chris Tierney replied for the Panthers as they drop to 13-12-4.

IN OTHER NEWS…

DAILY FACEOFF: The Nashville Predators placed winger Eeli Tolvanen on waivers. The 23-year-old has two goals and four points in 14 games this season. He was chosen 30th overall by the Predators in 2017.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tolvanen was once considered a promising prospect expected to become a top-six winger with the Predators. He’s struggled to play up to those expectations. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets plucked off waivers later today.

THE TENNESSEAN: Speaking of the Predators, forward Michael McCarron has entered the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program. He will continue to be paid while receiving treatment and will return to the lineup once he’s cleared for on-ice competition by the program administrators.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Over $65,000.00 has been raised for former Red Wings defenseman Vladimir Konstantinov to defray costs he and his family will incur due to changes in Michigan’s automobile insurance laws. Konstantinov was permanently disabled in a limo crash following the Wings’ 1997 Stanley Cup championship.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those interested in contributing can do so by following the directions in the above link. For a $50.00 donation, you will receive a signed photo of Konstantinov. For $75.00, you receive a 1997 Stanley Cup Final puck autographed by Konstantinov or former Wings head coach Scotty Bowman. A $200 donation garners a signed Konstantinov Red Wings jersey.

SPORTSNET: Former NHL superstar Jaromir Jagr collected two assists as the 50-year-old forward made his season debut for the Kladno Knights in the Czech Extraliga.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 11, 2022

by | Dec 11, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 11, 2022

Kris Letang returns to the Penguins following a stroke, the Leafs and Mitch Marner continue their streaks, the Lightning’s Steven Stamkos extends his points streak, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Buffalo Sabres 3-1 as defenseman Kris Letang returned to their lineup for the first time since suffering a minor stroke 12 days ago. Letang was held pointless but played a team-leading 22:14 of ice time while Sidney Crosby scored two goals and collected an assist for the Penguins, who’ve won five straight and improved their record to 16-8-4. Peyton Krebs replied for the Sabres as they dropped to 12-14-2.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres played without winger Jeff Skinner. He’s serving a three-game suspension for cross-checking Penguins winger Jake Guentzel in the face during their game on Friday.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner extended his franchise-record points streak to 22 games in a 5-4 overtime victory over the Calgary Flames. Marner scored the game-winner and collected an assist on one of William Nylander’s two goals as the latter reached a single-game personal best of five points. The Leafs (18-5-6) are unbeaten in their last 14 games (11-0-3). Noah Hanifin tallied twice for the Flames as they slipped to 13-11-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs (42 points) are one point behind the league-leading Boston Bruins. Before the game, Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said forward Nick Robertson could miss six-to-eight weeks with a shoulder injury. He is not expected to undergo surgery.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Brayden Point, Mikhail Sergachev and Steven Stamkos lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Florida Panthers 4-1. Stamkos extended his points streak to 13 games while the Lightning boosted their record to 17-9-1. The Panthers dropped to 13-11-4.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson made 35 saves to shut out the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 3-0. Matt Boldy, Connor Dewar and Sam Steel were the goal scorers as Minnesota sits at 14-11-2. Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov was held scoreless, bringing his 14-game points streak to an end. The Canucks dropped to 12-13-3.

Detroit Red Wings forward David Perron scored in his 1,000th career NHL game but his club dropped a 3-2 decision to the Dallas Stars. Nils Lundkvist got the winner in overtime as the Stars improved to 16-7-5 while the Wings sit at 13-8-6.

The Carolina Hurricanes blanked the New York Islanders 3-0 on a 16-save shutout by Pyotr Kochetkov. Paul Stastny, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jordan Staal scored for the Hurricanes (15-6-6) while the Islanders are 17-12-0 on the season.

First-period goals by Anze Kopitar and Viktor Arvidsson 19 seconds apart enabled the Los Angeles Kings to double up the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 and improve their record to 15-11-4. Cole Caufield tallied his 16th goal of the season for the Canadiens (13-12-2) as they’ve dropped three of their last four contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Canadiens moved sidelined winger Brendan Gallagher to injured reserve. Winger Mike Hoffman returned to the Habs lineup after missing eight games with a lower-body injury.

The Ottawa Senators got third-period goals by Alex DeBrincat and Drake Batherson to hold off the Nashville Predators by a score of 3-2. The Senators improve to 11-14-2 while the Predators slide to 12-11-2.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Former Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa still had more to say about former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara claiming the Canucks were practicing passing around the Stanley Cup before Game 3 of the 2011 Cup Final between the two clubs. Chara made that claim recently on the “Games with Names” podcast.

Now a Hockey Night in Canada analyst, Bieksa previously told colleague Jeff Marek that the incident never happened nor did the Canucks contact the league to ask how many family members would be allowed on the ice when they won the Cup.

During Saturday’s HNiC telecast, Bieksa called Chara’s comments “one of the dumbest things we’ve ever heard.” He pointed to the fact that there was no record of this supposed incident despite the plethora of media coverage of that series.

Bieksa also noted that Chara seemed to walk back his comments during the podcast. He believed the former Bruins captain was showing a lack of respect toward the Canucks and their leaders at the time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bieska made a valid point about the lack of substantiation of Chara’s claims. So far, there’s been no response from the former Bruins star.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak received a three-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for a hit to the head of Washington Capitals defenseman Alexander Alexeyev.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek hopes to return to the lineup on Tuesday to face the Capitals. He’s missed the last three games with a minor groin injury.

THE SCORE: The Edmonton Oilers will host the Calgary Flames at the 2023 Heritage Classic.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former NHL player Chris Therien has released a book chronicling his life and career, including his struggle with alcoholism and his subsequent decade of sobriety.