NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 16, 2021

by | Nov 16, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 16, 2021

Jarome Iginla and Marian Hossa are among the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2020 inducted on Monday, COVID-19 derails the Senators schedule, Alex Ovechkin tops the three stars of the week and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Jarome Iginla and Marian Hossa were among the six inductees of the Hockey Hall of Fame’s class of 2020 on Monday. Kevin Lowe and Doug Wilson were the other notable former NHL players to be inducted. Canadian women’s hockey star Kim St. Pierre was also inducted into the players’ category while Edmonton Oilers general manager Ken Holland was inducted into the builders’ category.

Jarome Iginla, Marian Hossa and Kevin Lowe are among the Hockey Hall of Fame’s Class of 2020. (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the HHoF Class of 2020. Their induction ceremony was delayed a year due to COVID-19. The pandemic also meant there would be no inductees for 2021 as the decision was made to allow last year’s class to enjoy the same ceremony as those of previous classes.

OTTAWA SUN: The NHL has postponed the Senators’ three games this week due to the outbreak of COVID-19 that has sidelined 10 players and assistant coach Jack Capuano. The expectation is the Senators will return to action next Monday against the Colorado Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL is the first major North American sports league to postpone games this season. This recent outbreak among the Senators reached the point where the club depleted their AHL affiliate calling up replacements. The San Jose Sharks endured a recent outbreak that sidelined seven players and head coach Bob Boughner but it didn’t reach the point where they could no longer call up replacements from the minors.

Everyone on the Senators and Sharks was fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Breakthrough infections, however, can still occur, especially among athletes in close contact with each other despite protocols to limit the spread. The NHL’s protocols had been loosened for this season as COVID restrictions eased throughout North America.

The Senators will make up those postponed games at later dates. Whether this leads to any tightening of the NHL’s COVID protocols remains to be seen.

Washington Capitals left winger Alex Ovechkin, Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy, and Anaheim Ducks winger Troy Terry were the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Nov. 14, 2021.

GAME RECAPS

Brayden Point had a goal and an assist and Victor Hedman collected two assists to give the Tampa Bay Lightning a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders, handing the latter their third straight loss. The Lightning has won six of their last 10 games while the Islanders (5-5-2) sit at the bottom of the Metropolitan Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been an uneven start for the Isles. They were projected to be a Stanley Cup contender after reaching the Eastern Conference Final in 2020 and the semifinal last season.

The Columbus Blue Jackets overcame 2-0 and 3-2 deficit to beat the Detroit Red Wings 5-3. Yegor Chinakhov tied the game for the Jackets with his first career NHL goal and Zach Werenski tallied the game-winner. Red Wings forwards Dylan Larkin and Lucas Raymond each had a goal and an assist.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Two days after returning from injury, Flyers defenseman Ryan Ellis is once again sidelined by a lingering lower-body injury. His status is listed as week-to-week.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche forward J.T. Compher will be sidelined for approximately a month with an upper-body injury.

WASHINGTON POST’s Samantha Pell reports Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby won’t face supplemental discipline for throwing Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary into the boards during Sunday’s game.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Golden Knights forward William Carrier entered COVID protocol while defenseman Alec Martinez remains sidelined after suffering a facial laceration requiring 50 stitches in last Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Wild.

ARIZONA REPUBLIC: Coyotes forwards Christian Fischer and Dmitrij Jaskin were placed on injured reserve while Johan Larsson entered COVID protocol.

TSN: The St. Louis Blues placed forward Kyle Clifford on waivers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 15, 2021

by | Nov 15, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 15, 2021

​Connor McDavid achieves a points milestone while Ryan Getzlaf is on the verge of reaching one of his own. Check out the details in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid became the sixth-fastest player to reach 600 points during his club’s 5-4 win over the St. Louis Blues. McDavid had a goal and an assist to reach that milestone in 421 games and now has 601 points. Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists and Kailer Yamamoto netted the game-winner with 28 seconds remaining in regulation. Robert Thomas collected three helpers for the Blues.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Drasaitl (31 points) opened a four-point lead over McDavid atop the NHL points leader board.

The Anaheim Ducks won their seventh straight game by downing the Vancouver Canucks 5-1. Trevor Zegras scored twice, Troy Terry (one assist) extended his points streak to 14 games, and Ryan Getzlaf collected two assists to reach 999 career points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Getzlaf had 17 points in 48 games last season. The 36-year-old center has the same number of points in just 16 games thus far this season.

A shootout goal by Chris Kreider gave the New York Rangers a 4-3 win over the New Jersey Devils. Rangers winger Kaapo Kakko picked up his first points of the season with a goal and an assist. Devils goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood left the game in the third period and entered concussion protocol. Rangers forward Sammy Blais suffered an injured leg following a collision with Devils defenseman P.K. Subban.

The Washington Capitals scored twice in the second period and two more in the third in a 6-1 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Alex Ovechkin, Tom Wilson, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Conor Sheary Garnet Hathaway and Daniel Sprong all collected two points. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was held scoreless in his first game since returning from COVID protocol. Earlier in the day, the Capitals announced center Nic Dowd signed a three-year contract extension worth an annual average value of $1.3 million.

A four-goal third period lifted the Boston Bruins over the Montreal Canadiens 5-2. Charlie McAvoy and Charlie Coyle each scored twice for the Bruins while teammate Taylor Hall had a goal and an assist. Earlier in the day, the Canadiens announced goaltender Jake Allen was listed as day-to-day with a head injury.

Calgary Flames goaltender Dan Vladar made 27 saves for his first career NHL shutout in a 4-0 win over the Ottawa Senators. Elias Lindholm and Sean Monahan each had two points. The Senators were playing with 10 regulars on COVID protocol as Drake Batherson was the latest to make the list yesterday.

The NHL department of player safety fined Minnesota Wild defenseman Alex Goligoski $5,000.00 for high-sticking Seattle Kraken winger Jordan Eberle on Saturday. Buffalo Sabres forward Evan Rodrigues was fined $2,500.00 for a dangerous trip of Ottawa Senators forward Zach Sanford.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 14, 2021

by | Nov 14, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 14, 2021

​Check out the recaps from Saturday’s action in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi had a hand in all of his club’s goals in a 4-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Josi scored two goals and assisted on two others. The Coyotes have lost 14 of their first 15 games of this season. Before the game, Coyotes winger Andrew Ladd entered COVID-19 protocol.

Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi (NHL Images).

A four-point performance by Drake Batherson (two goals, two assists) powered the depleted Ottawa Senators over the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3. Evan Rodrigues scored twice for the Penguins. Nikita Zaitsev was placed on COVID protocol before game time after coming off the list early Saturday. The Senators have nine players on the list. They also lost center Shane Pinto as he left the game during the second period with a possible shoulder surgery.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard scored a goal and set up three others in a 6-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Nazem Kadri had a goal and two assists for the Avs. Erik Karlsson and Timo Meier were among seven Sharks players to return to the lineup from COVID protocols. Earlier in the day, the Avs claimed forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel off waivers from the Philadelphia Flyers.

Rookie Rem Pitlick netted a natural hat trick as the Minnesota Wild doubled up the Seattle Kraken 4-2, handing the latter their fourth straight loss. Ryan Hartman collected assists on each of Pitlick’s goals.

Brad Marchand scored twice as the Boston Bruins downed the New Jersey Devils 5-2 to snap the latter’s four-game points streak. Charlie McAvoy collected three assists while Patrice Bergeron and David Pastrnak each had two points for the Bruins.

The New York Rangers scored three goals in 62 seconds in the second period to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-3. Rangers forward Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider each scored twice. Blueshirts goalie Igor Shesterkin left in the third period following a collision with Blue Jackets forward Alexandre Texier but got a clean bill of health after the game. Earlier in the day, the Rangers placed center Filip Chytil on injured reserve with an upper-body injury retroactive to Nov. 6.

Vegas Golden Knights forwards Jonathan Marchessault and Evgenii Dadonov both scored twice as their club rolled to a 7-4 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Vegas captain Mark Stone picked up an assist as he returned to action after several weeks on injured reserve. The Golden Knights have won three straight. Canucks forward Nils Hoglander scored twice and collected an assist.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin scored twice, including the winner in overtime to down the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. Canadiens goalie Jake Allen left the game with a concussion following a first-period collision with Larkin after the latter was shoved from behind by Habs defenseman Jeff Petry. Following the game, the Canadiens called up netminder Cayden Primeau from their AHL affiliate in Laval.

Mark Scheifele’s first goal of the season came in overtime in the Winnipeg Jets’ 3-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings, ending the latter’s seven-game win streak. Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 27 saves for the win.

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll made 23 saves to win his NHL debut 5-4 over the Buffalo Sabres. Morgan Rielly tallied the winning goal with 12 seconds remaining in the game. Rielly and John Tavares each had a goal and an assist. Jeff Skinner scored twice for the Sabres.

Brayden Point’s overtime tally lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers, extending the latter’s winless skid to four games. The Panthers overcame a 2-0 deficit to force the extra frame. The Lightning’s point streak is now at seven games.

A late goal by Brendan Smith gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Sebastian Aho, Andrei Svechnikov and Tony DeAngelo each collected two points for the Hurricanes while Robert Thomas had two assists for the Blues.

The Dallas Stars picked up their first regulation victory of the season by defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2. Roope Hintz and Luke Glendening each had a goal and an assist for the Stars while Anton Khudobin kicked out 31 shots for the win. Kevin Hayes and Ryan Ellis returned to the Flyers lineup after injuries sidelined them for several weeks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 13, 2021

by | Nov 13, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 13, 2021

​Alex Ovechkin moves up again on the all-time goal-scoring list, Jack Eichel undergoes surgery, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Alex Ovechkin tallied his 742nd career NHL goal while Conor Sheary scored the game-winner late in the third period as the Washington Capitals defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3. Ovechkin overtook Brett Hull to move into fourth place on the all-time goal-scoring list. Garnet Hathaway netted two goals for the Capitals while Sean Kuraly replied for the Jackets with two goals.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin now sits 24 goals behind Jaromir Jagr for third place. At his current rate of production (12 goals in 14 games), the Capitals captain could surpass Jagr by mid-January.

The Buffalo Sabres upset the Edmonton Oilers 3-2 thanks to two goals by Dylan Cozens and a 33-save performance by Dustin Tokarski. Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl tallied twice to lead the league with 14 goals and 28 points while teammate Connor McDavid collected an assist to extend his season-opening points streak to 13 games. The Sabres improve their record to 6-5-2.

An overtime goal by Auston Matthews lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 2-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. William Nylander set up both goals by the Leafs, who’ve won seven of their last eight contests. The Flames are winless (0-2-1) in their last three games.

Carter Hart turned aside 39 shots to backstop the Philadelphia Flyers over the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1. Joel Farabee and Zack MacEwen netted third-period goals to give the Flyers the win.

The Chicago Blackhawks have three straight wins under interim head coach Derek King as they nipped the Arizona Coyotes 2-1 on Dylan Strome’s game-winner in the third period. Patrick Kane collected two assists as the Blackhawks improve their record to 4-9-2. The Coyotes, meanwhile, have just one victory (1-12-1) thus far.

HEADLINES

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel underwent successful artificial disk replacement surgery in Denver on Friday. He’s expected to spend three weeks in Denver recovering before returning to Las Vegas for the remainder of his expected three-month rehab.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators will play the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight in Kanata and the Calgary Flames on Sunday despite their COVID-depleted roster. Nine Senators are currently on the COVID protocol list.

The league instructed the club to cancel practice for the third time this week on Friday to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The Senators had hoped to convince the NHL to postpone several games until some of the players are well enough to return to action.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: According to the report, the league sympathizes with the Senators’ plight but hopes to avoid rescheduling games until the club has almost no more players left to recall from their AHL affiliate.

While I understand the league’s reluctance to face rescheduling games as they did last season, they’re not doing the Senators any favors here by forcing them to ice a significantly depleted lineup. There’s also the risk of spreading the virus among themselves or their opponents. The good news (so far) is no other players have tested positive since Thursday.

Speaking of the Senators, defenseman Erik Brannstrom will be sidelined for up to eight weeks with a broken hand suffered during Thursday’s loss to the Los Angeles Kings.

SPORTSNET: Seven San Jose Sharks players (Erik Karlsson, Timo Meier, Marc-Edouard Vlasic, Kevin Lebanc, Jake Middleton, Matt Nieto and Radim Simek) and head coach Bob Boughner have returned to the active roster since being placed in COVID protocol on Oct. 30.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Karlsson, Middleton and Boughner described how their contracting COVID-19 affected their families. They were among the first of five others on the club to recently test positive for the coronavirus.

Karlsson said his wife and two-year-old daughter also tested positive. While his daughter is doing well, his wife is still dealing with symptoms. Middleton, meanwhile, had to put his girlfriend and their dog into a hotel during the 10 days he was in COVID protocol. Boughner’s parents were visiting when he got his positive test. He immediately quarantined himself into a hotel while his parents returned to Canada safe and sound.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report also indicated the Sharks organization is fully vaccinated. Neither Karlsson, Middleton or Boughner know where or when they were exposed to COVID.

NHL.COM: The department of player safety suspended Vancouver Canucks defenseman Tucker Poolman for two games for high-sticking Colorado Avalanche forward Kiefer Sherwood on Thursday.

TSN: Braydon Coburn announced his retirement yesterday after 16 NHL seasons. The 37-year-old defenseman tallied 234 points in 983 games with the Atlanta Thrashers, Philadelphia Flyers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Ottawa Senators and New York Islanders. He won the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2020.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Coburn and his family in their future endeavors.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 12, 2021

by | Nov 12, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 12, 2021

​Leon Draisaitl powers the Oilers to a comeback win, the Kings and Ducks extend their winning streaks, the Blue Jackets set to honor Rick Nash and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Leon Draisaitl scored twice in the third period as the Edmonton Oilers overcame a 3-2 deficit to defeat the Boston Bruins 5-3. Draisaitl leads all NHL scorers with 12 goals and also collected an assist. Teammate Connor McDavid collected an assist to extend his points streak to 12 games. David Pastrnak and Patrice Bergeron each had two points for the Bruins.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 26 points, Draisaitl sits two points ahead of McDavid atop the NHL scoring race.

A 34-save shutout performance by Jonathan Quick carried the Los Angeles Kings to a 2-0 win over the Ottawa Senators. Anze Kopitar and Andreas Athanasiou were the goal scorers as the Kings (8-5-1) extended their win streak to seven games. The Senators have nine players on the COVID protocol list, including Matt Murray, Alex Formenton and Nikita Zaitsev going on the list yesterday. Sens defenseman Artem Zub left the game with an upper-body injury in the first period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That could be the last game the Senators play for a while if more of their players end up on the COVID list over the next couple of days. The league is monitoring their situation closely and could postpone several upcoming games.

Anaheim Ducks winger Troy Terry scored twice and collected an assist to extend his points streak to 13 games in a 7-4 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Ryan Getzlaf collected two assists as the Ducks (8-4-3) have won six in a row. Jared McCann tallied twice for the slumping Kraken (4-9-1), who’ve dropped three straight games.

Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists while defensemen Cale Makar, Devon Toews and Samuel Girard each had two points as the Colorado Avalanche thumped the Vancouver Canucks 7-1. The Avs scored three times in the first period and another three in the second to put the game out of reach. Colorado blueliner Bowen Byram left the game in the first period after taking an elbow to the face from Canucks center Bo Horvat. Canucks defenseman Tucker Poolman was ejected in the third period for swinging his stick at the head of Avs forward Kiefer Sherwood.

The New Jersey Devils blanked the New York Islanders 4-0 with goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood kicking out 42 shots for the shutout. Dougie Hamilton led the way with a goal and an assist.

Zach Fucale made 21 saves to become the first goalie in Washington Capitals history to notch a shutout in his first NHL game in a 2-0 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Dmitry Orlov and Lars Eller were the goal scorers. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin collected an assist but remains tied with Brett Hull for fourth place on the all-time goal-scoring list with 741.

Shootout goals by Bryan Rust and Jeff Carter gave the Pittsburgh Penguins a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers. Tristan Jarry got the win by stopping 36 shots. Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov scored to extend his points streak to eight games. After getting off to a 10-0-1 start, the Panthers are 0-2-1 in their last three contests.

Matt Duchene tallied two goals, including the game-winner to lead the Nashville Predators over the St. Louis Blues 4-3. Mikhail Granlund collected four assists for the Predators while Jordan Kyrou scored twice for the Blues.

The Winnipeg Jets tallied four straight goals to beat the San Jose Sharks 4-1. Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and an assist while Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 26 shots for the win.

Vegas Golden Knights goalie Laurent Brossoit made 24 saves as his club held on for a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild, snapping the latter’s four-game win streak. Golden Knights forwards Paul Cotter and Jonas Rondbjerg each scored their first-ever NHL goals.

Nick Suzuki snapped a 2-2 tie in the third period as the Montreal Canadiens doubled up the Calgary Flames 4-2 to end the latter’s five-game road winning streak. Suzuki and Brendan Gallagher each had a goal and an assist.

HEADLINES

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Rick Nash will become the first player in Blue Jackets history to have his number retired in an on-ice ceremony before their March 5, 2022 game against the Boston Bruins. The first-overall pick by the Blue Jackets in 2002, Nash is their franchise leader in games played (674), goals (289), assists (258) and points (547).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nash deserves that honor. He was a true franchise player but the Jackets management wasted most of his nine-season tenure in Columbus by failing to build a solid supporting cast around him.

SPORTSNET: Lawyers representing the Chicago Blackhawks sent a letter to Kyle Beach’s attorney requesting mediation in their lawsuit settlement negotiations. In the letter, the club’s lawyers called Beach’s initial demand “extraordinary”. Beach’s lawyer replied the Blackhawks did not make a counteroffer. The former player is suing the team over its handling of his allegations of sexual assault against former video coach Bradley Aldrich.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers goaltender Mike Smith has suffered a setback in his recovery from a lower-body injury suffered 23 days ago. He’s unlikely to rejoin the club for the remainder of their current road trip.

NHL.COM: The department of player safety fined Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Anthony DeAngelo $2,000.00 for diving and embellishment in a recent game against the Florida Panthers.

The Arizona Coyotes announced assistant coach Phil Housley has been placed on the COVID protocol list.

ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski cites a source saying the NHL is in talks with Las Vegas officials about staging two new skills competition events outdoors on the Las Vegas Strip during the 2022 All-Star weekend (Feb. 4-5, 2022).










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 11, 2021

by | Nov 11, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 11, 2021

​Bob Murray resigns as Ducks general manager, recaps of Wednesday’s games, plus updates on Nathan MacKinnon, Andrew Mangiapane, Leo Komarov and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

MURRAY RESIGNS AS DUCKS GM

SPORTSNET: Bob Murray resigned last night as general manager of the Anaheim Ducks and intends to enter a treatment program for alcohol abuse. This news comes a day after Murray, 66, was placed on administrative leave by the club amid an independent investigation into his workplace conduct.

Former Anaheim Ducks general manager Bob Murray (NHL.com).

Murray had been with the Ducks since 2005 and had been their general manager since 2008. He was the NHL GM of the Year in 2015.

The club hasn’t released details of the investigation but an anonymous source said it was prompted by complaints of verbal abuse by Murray toward team employees. Team owners Henry and Susan Samueli will pay for his treatment program.

Jeff Solomon, who recently joined the Ducks front office, replaces Murray on an interim basis. He will be in charge of finding a full-time replacement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Give credit to the Ducks organization for taking swift action when complaints about Murray were made via the league’s hotline to report abusive behavior. It’s indicative of the culture change underway in the NHL in the wake of the Chicago Blackhawks’ sexual assault scandal.

It appears Murray’s behavior was exacerbated by alcohol but that doesn’t excuse his alleged treatment of his subordinates. His NHL career is probably over but he’ll hopefully learn from this experience, get the proper treatment he needs for his alcohol abuse and becomes a better person going forward.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Jack Campbell made 36 saves and William Nylander scored twice as the Toronto Maple Leafs blanked the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0. It’s the first time a Leafs goalie has shut out the Flyers since Ed Belfour did it on Nov. 29, 2002. Toronto captain John Tavares was a late scratch with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

The Nashville Predators are 6-1-1 in their last eight games after a 4-2 victory over the Dallas Stars. Predators goalie Juuse Saros kicked out 25 shots while teammate Tanner Jeannot had a goal and an assist. Stars forward Roope Hintz picked up his first goal of the season.

Minnesota Wild winger Kevin Fiala had a goal and two assists as his club dropped the Arizona Coyotes 5-2. The Wild have won four straight to improve their record to 9-3-0. Shayne Gostisbehere had a goal and an assist for the sad-sack Coyotes, who sit 1-11-1 on the season.

IN OTHER NEWS…

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators are battling a COVID-19 outbreak that has sidelined six players and led to the second day of canceled practice as Canadian Tire Centre was closed to the public. The league is monitoring the situation and hopes to avoid rescheduling games if at all possible but maintains its top concern is the health of everyone in the dressing room.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The league might not have much choice but to reschedule some of the Senators games if the case numbers keep growing. The Sens are scheduled to face the Los Angeles Kings tonight at the CTC.

THE DENVER POST: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon is expected to miss around three weeks with a lower-body injury. Injuries have depleted the Avs roster this season, contributing to their 4-5-1 start.

CALGARY SUN: Flames winger Andrew Mangiapane was surprised to learn he’s on Team Canada’s 50-player long list of players who could make up their 25-man roster for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. The list won’t be publicly revealed but Mangiapane confirmed he’s on it.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mangiapane is worthy of consideration. He’s steadily developed into a reliable top-six forward for the Flames and played a crucial role in Canada winning gold at the 2021 World Championships. He currently has eight goals and 10 points in 12 games this season.

DAILY FACEOFF: Leo Komarov’s nine-season NHL career is coming to a close. The New York Islanders are expected to place him on unconditional waivers today to terminate his contract. He will then join KHL club SKA St. Petersburg. In 491 games, Komarov had 63 goals and 170 points but saw action in just one game this season with the Isles.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak is out indefinitely with an apparent injury to his left arm suffered during their overtime loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Blackhawks forward Brandon Hagel will miss approximately two weeks with a shoulder injury.