NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 3, 2020

by Lyle Richardson | Aug 3, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 3, 2020

Recaps of Sunday’s games plus updates on Mark Schiefele, Patrik Laine, Tuukka Rask, Dougie Hamilton, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Nazem Kadri scored with a fraction of a second remaining in the game to lift the Colorado Avalanche over the St. Louis Blues 2-1 in round-robin play. Ryan Graves also scored for the Avs while Philipp Grubauer made 31 stops. David Perron tallied the sole Blues’ goal while Jordan Binnington made 36 saves.

Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Binnington was outstanding in a losing cause for the Blues, especially in the first period when the Avs dominated his teammates. Their play improved as the game went on but the Avs still had better scoring chances.

WITH 0.1 SECONDS LEFT! ?

The @Avalanche take Game 1 thanks to Nazem Kadri (@43_Kadri). #StanleyCup Round Robin pic.twitter.com/OCkM41ViTO

— NHL (@NHL) August 3, 2020

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo made 28 saves to shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs 2-0 in Game 1 of their best-of-five qualifying round series. Cam Atkinson netted the game-winner and Alexander Wennberg got the insurance goal with an empty-netter. Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen turned aside 34 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets’ grinding style sucked the life out of the Leafs’ offense. Not that they didn’t get some quality chances but Korpisalo was superb, robbing Auston Matthews in the second period with a flashy glove save.

ROBBED! Look at this save by Korpisalo on Auston Matthews! #CBJ pic.twitter.com/yY46idimPl — Here’s Your Replay ⬇️ (@TheReplayGuy) August 3, 2020

Jared Spurgeon scored twice and set up the winning goal while Alex Stalock had a 28-save effort as the Minnesota Wild blanked the Vancouver Canucks 3-0 to take Game 1 of their qualifier. Kevin Fiala netted the game-winner with a power-play slapper in their first period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild’s experience came through in this game. They effectively neutralized the Canucks’ young guns while creating quality scoring chances of their own. Canucks winger Micheal Ferland could get a call by the NHL department of player safety after appearing to spear Ryan Hartman on the Wild bench.

Micheal Ferland spear on #mnwild bench. pic.twitter.com/MdFRyCyg7Q

— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) August 3, 2020

A three-goal second period powered the Philadelphia Flyers over the Boston Bruins 4-1 in round-robin play. Flyers goalie Carter Hart made 34 saves for his first-ever NHL postseason win. Michael Raffl had a goal and an assist but left the game in the third period with an apparent leg injury. Jaroslav Halak was in net for the Bruins as starter Tuukka Rask was deemed unfit to play. His status for Wednesday’s round-robin game against the Tampa Bay Lightning is uncertain.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers played as though this was a playoff game, while the Bruins seemed to treat it as an exhibition contest. Yes, it’s only a round-robin that determines final seeding for the playoffs, but that doesn’t excuse what seemed like a halfhearted effort by the Bruins.

Arizona Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper kicked out 40 shots in a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators. Christian Dvorak had a goal and an assist while Taylor Hall and Phil Kessel each collected two assists. Filip Forsberg scored twice for the Predators. The Coyotes lead the series 1-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Check out my take on this game here.

HEADLINES

TSN: Sara Orlesky reports a source claims Mark Scheifele’s apparent leg injury isn’t believed to be long-term. The Winnipeg Jets center was hurt during the first period of Game 1 of his club’s qualifier against the Calgary Flames following a collision with Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk. Scheifele left the game in obvious pain and didn’t return. He’s not expected to play in Game 2 tonight.

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets coach Paul Maurice doubled down on his accusation that Tkachuk deliberately injured Scheifele. Maurice also provided no update about the condition of winger Patrik Laine, who also left Game 1 with what appeared to be an injured hand. Per league protocols, the Jets can’t reveal the full details of their injuries.

CALGARY SUN: Flames coach Geoff Ward defended Tkachuk, claiming his winger was trying to finish his check but Scheifele’s sudden shift in direction caught the Flames winger off-balance as they collided into the boards.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is similar to the Matt Cooke incident with Erik Karlsson in 2013. Cooke’s skate blade accidentally sliced Karlsson’s Achilles tendon, but he was accused of purposefully injuring the blueliner.

Like Cooke, Tkachuk has a reputation for cheap shots, which could explain why Maurice felt that hit was a deliberate attempt to injure Scheifele. In this instance, however, I agree with Ward that it was an unfortunate accident.

TSN: Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos remains questionable for today’s round-robin game with the Washington Capitals. He’s still dealing with a lower-body injury suffered during Phase 2 training.

THE NEW & OBSERVER: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton remains sidelined with an undisclosed injury. He could be a week or so away from returning to the lineup.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Blackhawks forward Drake Caggiula received a one-game suspension for an illegal check on Edmonton Oilers winger Tyler Ennis during Game 1 of their qualifying-round series on Saturday.

← NHL Postgame Notebook: Nashville Predators vs Arizona Coyotes Game 1 NHL Rumor Mill - August 3, 2020 →

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 2, 2020

by Lyle Richardson | Aug 2, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 2, 2020

Recaps of the opening games of the qualifying round and much more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Chicago Blackhawks winger Dominik Kubalik scored twice and collected three assists in a 6-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Kubalik set a record for most points by a rookie in his first playoff game. Jonathan Toews also scored twice for the Hawks. Oilers forwards Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had a goal and two assists. Blackhawks forward Drake Caggiula will have a hearing on Sunday with the league’s department of player safety for an illegal hit to the head of Oilers winger Tyler Ennis.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Dominik Kubalik (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks feasted on the shaky play of Oilers goaltender Mike Smith and his teammates’ sloppy defensive play. Smith was replaced in the second period by Mikko Koskinen after giving up five goals on 23 shots. He could get the call for Game 2 on Monday.

The Montreal Canadiens upset the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on an overtime goal by Jeff Petry. Canadiens’ goaltender Carey Price made 39 saves while rookies Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Nick Suzuki picked up their first NHL playoff goals. Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust replied for the Penguins. Pittsburgh winger Conor Sheary and Montreal winger Jonathan Drouin failed to score on penalty-shot attempts.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins also missed several good scoring opportunities. Nevertheless, Price did a fine job rising to the occasion for his overmatched teammates. If he wasn’t in the heads of the Penguins before this game, he is now.

A 4-1 victory by the Calgary Flames over the Winnipeg Jets was overshadowed by the departure of Jets center Mark Scheifele early in the game with an injured left leg following a collision with Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk. The Flames got power-play goals by Johnny Gaudreau and Mikael Backlund and a shorthanded tally by Tobias Rieder. The Jets also lost winger Patrik Laine to an apparent hand injury in the third period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets coach Paul Maurice believes Tkachuk deliberately attempted to injure Schiefele, which the winger denied. There’s no question the loss of Scheifele affected his teammates, who seemed off-balance for most of the game. Maurice also indicated Scheifele and Laine will be examined by specialists, which suggests both could be sidelined for lengthy periods.

Sebastian Aho and Jaccob Slavin each had a goal and an assist as the Carolina Hurricanes edged the New York Rangers 3-2. Petr Mrazek picked up the win with a 24-save effort. Rangers netminder Henrik Lundqvist turned aside 34 shots while Mika Zibanejad also had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The score flattered the Rangers, who were dominated by the Hurricanes for most of this game. It would’ve been a more lopsided loss if not for Lundqvist, who got the call after Igor Shesterkin was a last-minute scratch. He’s listed as day-to-day. Rangers winger Jesper Fast left the game in the first period following a big hit by former teammate Brady Skjei.

Semyon Varlamov kicked out 27 shots while Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Anthony Beauvillier scored as the New York Islanders held on for a 2-1 win over the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 26 shots for the Panthers. Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk left the game in the second period following an illegal hit to the head from Panthers blueliner Mike Matheson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bobrovsky kept his teammates in this game but they couldn’t get the equalizer. No word on Boychuk’s status while Matheson only received a two-minute penalty.

HEADLINES

THE SCORE: Prior to Saturday’s Oilers-Blackhawks game, Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba made a moving speech on behalf of the Hockey Diversity Alliance and took a knee during the American National Anthem, flanked by Blackhawks goalie Malcolm Subban and Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse. Dumba is among the co-founders of the Hockey Diversity Alliance to eradicate racism and intolerance in hockey.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask is questionable for today’s round-robin game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Coach Bruce Cassidy said Rask wasn’t feeling well and was unfit to participate in yesterday’s practice.

Bruins winger Ondrej Kase finally rejoined his teammates after missing all of the Phase 3 training camp. He isn’t expected to be in today’s lineup and it could be a few games before he returns to action.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cassidy’s remarks about Rask doesn’t sound as though his status is COVID-related.

NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON: Capitals defenseman John Carlson returned to practice Saturday for the first time since leaving Wednesday’s exhibition game with an undisclosed ailment. It’s yet to be decided if he’ll play in tomorrow’s round-robin game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

← NHL Rumor Mill - August 1, 2020 NHL Rumor Mill - August 2, 2020 →

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 1, 2020

by Lyle Richardson | Aug 1, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 1, 2020

The puck drops on the qualifying rounds, updates on Dougie Hamilton and Tony DeAngelo, the league makes a ruling on conditional picks in the Neal-for-Lucic trade, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: The road to the Stanley Cup begins as the best-of-five qualifying rounds of the return-to-play plan opens with five games today.

The New York Rangers face off against the Carolina Hurricanes at noon ET, followed by the Chicago Blackhawks meeting the Edmonton Oilers at 3 pm ET and the Florida Panthers vs the New York Islanders at 4 pm ET.

This evening sees the Montreal Canadiens square off with the Pittsburgh Penguins (7 pm ET), followed by the Winnipeg Jets tangling with the Calgary Flames (10:30 pm ET).

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Check your local listings. I always wanted to say that.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton is listed as unfit to play for Game 1 against the Rangers. He missed several recent practice sessions with an undisclosed ailment. Hamilton resumed skating on Friday and coach Rod Brind’Amour indicated the blueliner is feeling better.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hamilton missed the second half of the regular season with a broken leg. He’s fully recovered but it’s assumed he suffered a lower-body injury during Phase 3 training camp. Brind’Amour isn’t ruling out Hamilton returning to play later in this series.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers blueliner Tony DeAngelo will be a game-day decision.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As per league protocols, the Rangers cannot elaborate as to why DeAngelo could be held out of the lineup today.

SPORTSNET: The NHL has issued rulings on three trades involving conditional draft picks during this season.

The most noteworthy is the Edmonton Oilers having to transfer their third-round pick in 2020 or 2021 to the Calgary Flames to complete the transaction that sent Milan Lucic to the Flames last July for James Neal. The Oilers have until the start of the third round in this year’s draft to decide which pick they’ll move.

The league also ruled on the trade that saw the Toronto Maple Leafs acquire goaltender Jack Campbell and forward Kyle Clifford from the Los Angeles Kings. The Leafs will owe the Kings a 2021 second-round pick if they win their qualifying-round series against the Columbus Blue Jackets, and if Campbell records two-or-more victories, or if Clifford re-signs with the Leafs.

A more complicated ruling involved the deal that saw the New Jersey Devils send Sami Vatanen to the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline. A conditional fourth-rounder was part of the return for the Devils.

If the Hurricanes eliminate the Rangers in their qualifying-round series and Vatanen plays 70 percent of those games, the Devils receive the Canes’ third-round pick in 2020. If Vatanen plays less than 70 percent but appears in two contests and the Canes eliminated the Rangers, the Devils get Carolina’s 2020 fourth-rounder. If he appears twice and the Rangers win the series, the Hurricanes choose whether to move their 2020 or 2021 fourth-rounder. If Vatanen doesn’t play against the Rangers, the Devils don’t get a pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Clifford re-signing condition will be among the last in which conditional picks are attached to trades depending on the player re-signing with his new team. That’s now prohibited under the recent CBA extension.

THE SCORE: The NHL recorded no positive COVID-19 tests since the players’ arrival last Sunday in the two hub cities of Edmonton and Toronto. Over 1,500 tests have been conducted daily in each city.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman explained why Flyers mascot Gritty can’t be in Toronto with the team. “I don’t think we have a nasal swab that goes up his beak that far,” chuckled Bettman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The real reason, of course, is furry discrimination. Kidding aside, each club could only bring 52 personnel (including 31 players) to their bubble city. With no fans in attendance, team mascots are considered non-essential personnel. Gritty will have to watch the games on TV like the rest of us.