NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 21, 2024

by | Nov 21, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 21, 2024

Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho sets a franchise record, shutout victories for the Leafs, Sabres and Kraken, injury updates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho set a franchise record for game-winning goals in a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Aho netted his 58th career game-winner, surpassing Ron Francis for the most in team history. He and teammate Jalen Chatfield each finished with two points as the Hurricanes (14-4-0) took over first place in the Eastern Conference with 28 points. Ryan Poehling replied for the Flyers.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (NHL Images).

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll turned in a 31-save performance to shut out the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0. Rookie forward Fraser Minten opened the scoring with his first career NHL goal. William Nylander and Pontus Holmberg also scored for the Leafs and Mitch Marner collected two assists. Adin Hill stopped 23 shots for the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Leafs as forward Matthew Knies left the game in the second period following a high hit from Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud. There was no postgame update regarding Knies’ condition. Whitecloud was initially assessed a five-minute major but that was rescinded upon review. Instead, he got a two-minute penalty for roughing Leafs defenseman Samuel Benoit in the ensuing scrum.

Speaking of injuries, the Leafs placed forward Max Domi (lower body) on injured reserve.

The Buffalo Sabres blanked the Los Angeles Kings 1-0 as Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen turned in a 24-save shutout. Jason Zucker scored the only goal. Kings netminder David Rittich turned aside 18 shots.

Seattle Kraken goalie Joey Daccord kicked out 24 shots in a 3-0 shutout of the Nashville Predators. Daniel Sprong, Brandon Montour and Yanni Gourde were the goalscorers and Chandler Stephenson collected three assists. Juuse Saros stopped 33 shots for the Predators, who received a bench minor penalty 43 seconds into the game for submitting an incorrect starting lineup to officials.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is just another symptom of a season that’s going horribly wrong for the Predators. Meanwhile, the Kraken completed their six-game homestand with a record of 5-1-0. Speaking of the Kraken, rookie forward Shane Wright was a healthy scratch for the second straight game after netting two points in 18 games.

The Dallas Stars defeated the San Jose Sharks 5-2. Jason Robertson had a goal and two assists while Roope Hintz and Wyatt Johnston each had a goal and an assist for the Stars, who’ve won four of their last five games. Mikael Granlund had a goal and an assist for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars defensemen Ilya Lyubushkin, Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist left the game with injuries. Lyubushkin and Harley returned to action but Lundkvist did not.

HEADLINES

BLEACHER NATION: Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones will be sidelined with an injured foot for four weeks.

TSN: Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine skated with his teammate in practice for the first time since being sidelined by a sprained left knee during a preseason game in September. Laine wore a non-contact jersey and left the ice after 15 minutes. He’s expected to make his season debut with the Canadiens sometime in December.

RG.ORG: Speaking of the Canadiens, don’t expect to see promising prospect Ivan Demidov make his NHL debut later this season. His KHL team, SKA St. Petersburg, has no intention of terminating the 18-year-old winger’s contract if their season ends before the Canadiens’. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Demidov’s KHL contract won’t expire until May 31. Canadiens fans will have to wait for next season to potentially get their first look at the Russian winger in a Habs jersey.

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Hockey Club goaltender Connor Ingram is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. They’ve recalled netminder Jaxson Stauber from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners on an emergency basis.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets prospect Cayden Lindstrom underwent minor back surgery to address a herniated lumbar disc. He and the club remain hopeful he’ll return to action with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers. The Blue Jackets chose Lindstrom fourth overall in the 2024 NHL Draft.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Blue Jackets, they sent defenseman David Jiricek to their AHL affiliate in Cleveland to make room for center Kent Johnson to be activated from injured reserve.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jiricek’s demotion has made him the subject of trade speculation. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumors update.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 20, 2024

by | Nov 20, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 20, 2024

Recaps of Tuesday’s games, reaction to the Bruins firing head coach Jim Montgomery, and updates on Alex Ovechkin, Auston Matthews, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele tallied a hat trick in a 6-3 victory over the Florida Panthers. Morgan Barron scored two shorthanded goals and Connor Hellebuyck stopped 20 shots as the Jets set a franchise record for the most wins in their first 10 home games (9-1-0). Panthers forward Sam Reinhart scored his 14th goal to extend his points streak to 11 games.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (NHL Images).

The Edmonton Oilers got three-point performances from Evan Bouchard, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to defeat the Ottawa Senators 5-2. McDavid had two goals and an assist while Bouchard and Draisaitl had a goal and two assists each. Tim Stutzle and Josh Norris replied for the Senators, who have just three wins in nine games thus far in November (3-5-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been a rough month for Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark. He’s given up five goals in three of his five starts since Nov. 5. Before this game, the Oilers claimed winger Kasperi Kapanen off waivers from the St. Louis Blues.

Speaking of the Blues, they dropped a 4-2 decision to the Minnesota Wild. Kirill Kaprizov scored twice to extend his points streak to six games. Scott Perunovich and Jake Neighbours replied for the Blues, who’ve dropped six of their last seven games (1-5-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues center Robert Thomas collected an assist in his first game since suffering a fractured ankle on Oct. 22.

New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider snapped a 3-3 tie midway through the third period to give his club a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Mika Zibanejad, Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko each had a goal and an assist for the Rangers. Canucks forward Elias Pettersson picked up two assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Canucks announced center J.T. Miller is taking an indefinite leave of absence as he deals with a nagging upper-body injury and the emotional toll it’s taken as he tried to play through the injury. Meanwhile, the Rangers learned that center Filip Chytil did not suffer a concussion after colliding with teammate K’Andre Miller last week. He remains listed as day-to-day but will join his teammates in Calgary as they prepare to face the Flames on Thursday.

The Tampa Bay Lightning got an overtime goal from Brayden Point as they overcame a 2-0 deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. The Lightning picked up their third straight win as Point finished the night with two goals in his first game since being sidelined by a lower-body injury on Nov. 3. Jesse Puljujarvi and Rickard Rakell scored for the Penguins, who have just two wins in their last eight contests (2-3-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby remains at 599 regular-season goals but collected an assist to surpass Joe Sakic for the sixth-most assists (1,017) with one franchise. He should pass Gordie Howe (1,023) and Mario Lemieux (1,033) to move into fourth place later this season. Passing Lemieux will also give Crosby the Penguins’ all-time assist record.

A shootout goal by Justin Kirkland lifted the Calgary Flames to a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Pierre Engvall opened the scoring for the Isles but Rasmus Andersson tied it in the third period. Dustin Wolf stopped 28 shots for the Flames while Semyon Varlamov made 30 saves for the Islanders, who have one win in their last five games (1-1-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov returned to action for the first time since being sidelined on Nov. 1 by an upper-body injury.

The Anaheim Ducks nipped the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2 as Leo Carlsson broke a 2-2 tie midway through the third period. Alex Killorn had a goal and an assist and Trevor Zegras collected two assists as the Ducks won their third straight game. Jason Dickinson tallied twice and Connor Bedard had two assists for the Blackhawks as they’ve dropped five of their last six.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks starting goalie Petr Mrazek missed this game for personal reasons.

HEADLINES

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The slumping Bruins (8-9-3) fired head coach Jim Montgomery on Tuesday. Associate coach Joe Sacco takes over on an interim basis. Hired in June 2022, Montgomery had a record of 120-41-23, reaching the playoffs twice and winning the Presidents Trophy in 2022-23 with an NHL record of 65 wins and 135 points. Montgomery won the Jack Adams Award as NHL Coach of the Year for 2022-23.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As the Bruins struggled through the opening weeks of this season, the rumblings for change grew. Given the lack of suitable options in the trade market and the Bruins’ limited cap space, a coaching change was the only move they could make.

Boston Hockey Now’s Andrew Fantucchio and Christopher Hurley singled out several notable players who contributed to the Bruins’ sputtering performance.

They include the declining play of 36-year-old captain Brad Marchand following three offseason surgeries, superstar winger David Pastrnak’s lower-than-expected production, Jeremy Swayman’s shaky goaltending after protracted contract negotiations kept him out of training camp, and the disappointing efforts from free-agent additions Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov.

The Bruins might rebound under Sacco. However, there’s a growing feeling in Boston that management’s inability to offset the departures of key players like Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, Zdeno Chara, Tuukka Rask, Linus Ullmark and Torey Krug since 2019-20 is the real reason behind the club’s decline. That could put general manager Don Sweeney on the hot seat if this club fails to improve under Sacco.

SPORTSNET: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is listed as week-to-week after suffering a lower-leg injury during Monday’s win over the Utah Hockey Club. He’ll undergo further evaluation on Wednesday in Washington. Ovechkin has 868 career goals, 26 behind Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894.

TSN: Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews is in Munich, Germany, seeking treatment for an upper-body injury from a doctor he’s previously worked with. Matthews has been sidelined for six games and remains listed as day-to-day. He’s been accompanied to Munich by a team physician.

The Leafs also placed forward David Kampf (lower body) on injured reserve and called up forward Fraser Minten.

DAILY FACEOFF: New Jersey Devils forward Timo Meier (back) and defenseman Brett Pesce (undisclosed injury) are listed as day-to-day.

The Vegas Golden Knights placed defenseman Ben Hutton (upper body) on long-term injury reserve and winger Mark Stone (lower body) on IR.

TSN: The Montreal Canadiens assigned forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard to their AHL affiliate in Laval on a long-term injury conditioning loan. He underwent surgery in July for a broken leg.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 19, 2024

by | Nov 19, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 19, 2024

An injury to Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin overshadows his second straight multigoal game, a milestone game for Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored twice in a 6-2 victory over the Utah Hockey Club but left in the third period with an injured left leg following a knee-on-knee collision with Utah forward Jack McBain. Dylan Strome and Brandon Duhaime each had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (13-4-1), who moved into first place in the Eastern Conference with 27 points. McBain and Nick Bjugstad scored for Utah.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin tied Jaromir Jagr’s NHL record of most goaltenders scored on as Utah’s Connor Ingram became the 178th goalie to give up a goal to the Capitals captain. The 39-year-old Ovechkin leads all NHL scorers with 15 goals and sits at 868 career goals, putting him 26 goals behind Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894.

There was no update on Ovechkin’s condition following the game. Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said his captain was being evaluated and they’ll know more on Tuesday.

Off the ice, Utah had the highest single-day merchandise sale ever at the Delta Center. It was also the second-best single-game merchandise sale in NHL history.

San Jose Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini scored in overtime for his first NHL game-winning goal to nip the Detroit Red Wings 5-4. William Eklund tallied twice for the Sharks as they snapped a three-game winless skid (0-1-2). Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin had a goal and an assist as his club has dropped five of their last six contests (0-4-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks recalled goaltender Yaroslav Askarov to back up starter Mackenzie Blackwood in this contest. Backup Vitek Vanecek is still recuperating from an injury suffered during Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar sniped two goals as his club held off the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. Casey Mittelstadt had a goal and an assist as the Avs picked up their fifth win in their last seven games. Owen Tippett and Tyson Foerster scored for the Flyers as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Referee Mitch Dunning was stretchered from this game following a violent collision with Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson. He was taken to a hospital for precautionary reasons and his neurological functions were normal. Dunning was communicative and had control of his extremities.

The Montreal Canadiens got a 30-save shutout from Sam Montembeault in a 3-0 upset of the Edmonton Oilers. Brendan Gallagher, Kaiden Guhle and Jake Evans scored for the Canadiens, who’ve won three of their last four contests. Calvin Pickard turned aside 22 shots for the Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Oilers announced defenseman Darnell Nurse will be sidelined for five to 10 days after a hit to the head by Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves on Saturday. Reaves received a five-game suspension.

The Canadiens honored broadcaster Pierre Houde in a pregame ceremony to commemorate his recent induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Shorthanded goals by Mathieu Olivier and Justin Danforth powered the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 5-1 upset of the Boston Bruins. Elvis Merzlikins kicked out 28 shots for the Blue Jackets while teammate Sean Monahan collected two assists. Charlie Coyle had the only goal for the Bruins, who were booed off the ice by their unhappy fans. They have just two wins in their last seven contests (2-3-2).

Anaheim Ducks winger Brett Leason had a goal and two assists as his club doubled up the Dallas Stars 4-2. Lukas Dostal stopped 34 shots for the Ducks as they’ve won three of their last four games. Esa Lindell and Matt Duchene scored for the Stars as their three-game win streak is over.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment, and Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy were the league’s three stars for the week ending Nov. 17.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews continues to recuperate from an upper-body injury that has sidelined him since Nov. 3. The earliest he might return to action is Sunday against Utah.

TSN: Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok underwent groin surgery and is considered month-to-month. He has yet to play a game this season.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Islanders defenseman Mike Reilly will undergo heart surgery due to a preexisting condition that was discovered during treatment of a concussion suffered on Nov. 1 against the Buffalo Sabres. The heart condition is not related to the injury he suffered in Buffalo.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is listed as day-to-day due to illness.

THE SCORE: Chicago Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall admitted he was surprised to learn he was a healthy scratch for Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. He and head coach Luke Richardson have since spoken about the incident and cleared the air, with Richardson admitting he could’ve handled the situation better.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hall has struggled thus far this season with just six points in 17 games. He played only 10 games in 2023-24 before undergoing season-ending knee surgery.

STLTODAY: The Blues placed winger Kasperi Kapanen on waivers Monday afternoon. This move could signal one of their sidelined players is ready to rejoin the lineup.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils placed forward Nathan Bastian on long-term injury reserve and moved forward Curtis Lazar to injured reserve.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: The Sabres have sent goaltender Devon Levi to their AHL affiliate in Rochester and announced winger Jordan Greenway is week-to-week with a middle-body injury.

ROTOWIRE: The Winnipeg Jets removed defenseman Ville Heinola from injured reserve and sent him to their AHL affiliate for a conditioning stint. An ankle injury has sidelined him since training camp.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 18, 2024

by | Nov 18, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 18, 2024

Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin nets a hat trick, Hurricanes forward Martin Necas moves up in the scoring race, Leafs forward Ryan Reaves is suspended, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin netted a hat trick in a 5-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson stopped 40 shots against his former team while Dylan Strome and Aliaksei Protas each had two assists. Brett Howden and Keegan Kolesar replied for the Golden Knights.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 39-year-old Ovechkin became one of the oldest players in NHL history to tally a hat trick. He’s tied with Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl and Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart atop the goal-scoring leaderboard with 13 goals. The Capitals captain has 866 career regular-season goals, putting him 29 goals from overtaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894.

I made a preseason prediction that Ovechkin would have one more 40-goal season left. That prediction doesn’t look so crazy now.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas had a hand in each of his team’s goals to defeat the St. Louis Blues 4-1. The red-hot Necas scored twice and collected two assists to extend his points streak to 13 games. Teammate Eric Robinson had a goal and two assists. Jake Neighbours tallied for the Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Necas has 30 points and sits third among the points leaders. The Hurricanes (13-4-0, 26 points) sit first in the Eastern Conference.

The New York Rangers blanked the Seattle Kraken 2-0. Rangers goalie Jonathan Quick made 24 saves for his second straight shutout while Alexis Lafreniere and Zac Jones were the goal scorers. Philipp Grubauer stopped 21 shots as the Kraken’s four-game win streak ended.

Nashville Predators winger Steven Stamkos tallied two power-play goals in a 5-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Rookie forward Zachary L’Heureux opened the scoring for the Predators with his first NHL goal and Juuse Saros made 24 saves for the win. Elias Pettersson scored for the fifth time in seven games for the Canucks, who’ve dropped seven of their last 10 home games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks center J.T. Miller was benched for all but two shifts in the third period. Before the game, the Canucks placed defenseman Derek Forbort (lower body) on injured reserve. This win for the Predators was their third in their last 11 games (3-5-3).

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The department of player safety handed down a five-game suspension to Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves for an illegal hit to the head of Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the longest suspension of Reaves’ career after getting three games in 2016, one game in the 2020 playoffs, and two games in the 2021 playoffs.

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk received a $5,000.00 fine for clipping Florida Panthers forward Jesper Boqvist on Saturday.

SPORTSNET: The Colorado Avalanche placed goaltender Alexandar Georgiev on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Anaheim Ducks placed center Mason McTavish (upper body) on IR retroactive to Nov. 8.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings goaltender Jack Campbell was cleared to return from the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program on Sunday. The Wings placed him on waivers because they have no room for him on their NHL roster. When they signed Campbell, they originally intended to have him serve as a mentor for promising Sebastian Cossa with their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report indicates they have no room for Campbell with their AHL affiliate because Ville Husso is now paired with Cossa in Grand Rapids. Campbell is on a one-year contract with a cap hit of $775,000.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 17, 2024

by | Nov 17, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 17, 2024

Check out the recaps of Saturday’s games in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers got a 27-save shutout from Sergei Bobrovsky to blank the Winnipeg Jets 5-0, handing the latter consecutive losses for the first time this season. Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov had a goal and two assists while Sam Reinhart collected three assists. Jets goalie Connor Hellebucyk stopped 26 of 31 shots.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets remain atop the overall standings (15-3-0, 30 points) but must take their game to another level against the defending Stanley Cup champions, who were well-prepared for this contest.

Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 29 shots in a 4-0 shutout of the New Jersey Devils. Victor Hedman and Anthony Cirelli each had a goal and an assist while Nikita Kucherov collected two assists to extend his points streak to seven games. Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom made 23 stops.

An overtime goal by Mitch Marner lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Marner’s goal was the 200th of his career and he also collected an assist on one of Bobby McMann’s two goals. Oilers stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves was ejected in the second period for a blindside hit to the head of Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, who left the game and didn’t return. There was no postgame update regarding Nurse’s condition but it was reported he was aware and joking with the trainers.

Reaves apologized to Nurse in the Oilers dressing room during the third period but could face supplemental discipline from the league. During his NHL career, Reaves has received three suspensions totaling six games.

The Pittsburgh Penguins blew a 3-0 lead but defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-3 on Evgeni Malkin’s shootout goal. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby tallied his 599th career regular-season NHL goal. Tyler Toffoli sniped two of the Sharks’ three goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins had three rookies in the lineup, including Owen Pickering, who made his NHL debut, collecting an assist for his first point in the big league. Meanwhile, Sharks goaltender Vitek Vanecek left this game in the first period with an undisclosed injury. There was no postgame update regarding his status. Defenseman Jake Walman returned to the Sharks lineup after missing the past five games, four due to injury.

Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment tallied twice to nip the Minnesota Wild 2-1. Ilya Lyubushkin had two assists and Jake Oettinger made 22 saves as the Stars picked up their third straight victory. Kirill Kaprizov replied for the Wild while Filip Gustavsson kicked out 38 shots.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Spencer Martin made 24 saves for his first-ever NHL shutout in a 4-0 win over the Ottawa Senators. Jordan Martinook had a goal and an assist while Martin Necas picked up an assist to extend his points streak to 12 games. Senators netminder Anton Forsberg stopped 24 of 27 shots in a losing cause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes won without one of their top forwards. Winger Seth Jarvis was placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury retroactive to Nov. 10.

The St. Louis Blues downed the Boston Bruins 3-2 on an overtime goal by captain Brayden Schenn. Radek Faksa collected a goal and an assist for the Blues as they snapped a four-game winless skid (0-3-1). Trent Frederic tallied both goals for the Bruins as they were outshot 31-17 in this contest.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins center Mark Kastelic left this game with a lower-body injury. Teammate Tyler Johnson missed this game due to a family matter. The Bruins are 1-1-2 in their last four games.

A two-goal performance by Adrian Kempe powered the Los Angeles Kings over the Detroit Red Wings 4-1. It’s the second straight game Kempe has tallied two goals. Dylan Larkin scored for the Wings, who got a 37-save effort from goalie Cam Talbot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings are 5-1-1 in their last seven home games. They activated forward Alex Turcotte off injured reserve for this game. Detroit defenseman Simon Edvinsson missed this game with a lower-body injury. The Wings have dropped four of their last five contests and sit uncomfortably close to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Arturs Silovs turned aside 28 shots in his first game since Oct. 30 to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1. J.T. Canucks center J.T. Miller led the way with a goal and an assist. Arvid Soderblom stopped 29 of 31 shots for the Blackhawks as they’ve dropped four of their last five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks played without defenseman Seth Jones as he was placed on IR due to an injured right foot suffered during Thursday’s game against the Seattle Kraken. Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson scratched struggling winger Taylor Hall from the lineup, citing his need for more practice after coming off a lengthy absence due to injury last season.

The Seattle Kraken picked up their fourth straight win as they defeated the New York Islanders 3-2 on a late goal by Jamie Oleksiak. Brandon Tanev and Yanni Gourde each collected two points for the Kraken while Pierre Engvall and Brock Nelson replied for the Islanders, who are 1-1-2 in their last four games.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny scored twice and added an assist in a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Rookie winger Matvei Michkov collected two assists as the Flyers have won three straight. Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers rookie defenseman Emil Andrae left this game in the third period with an undisclosed injury. There was no postgame update about his status.

The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-1 on three unanswered third-period goals by Lucas Condotta, Jake Evans and Josh Anderson. Team captain Nick Suzuki scored what proved to be the game-winner while Cole Caufield picked up two assists. Dante Fabbro netted his first for the Blue Jackets after being claimed off waivers last week. The Jackets have only one win in their last eight games (1-6-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens honored former captain Shea Weber in a pregame ceremony inducting him into the club’s Ring of Honour alongside their other Hall of Famers. They also played without defenseman David Savard due to an upper-body injury. His absence could be short-term as he participated in the morning skate and spoke with reporters afterward.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 16, 2024

by | Nov 16, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 16, 2024

Recaps of Friday’s games plus the latest on Auston Matthews, David Perron, Mats Zuccarello, Frederik Andersen and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals forward Connor McMichael scored twice to lead his club over the Colorado Avalanche 5-2. Pierre-Luc Dubois collected two assists for the Capitals while Parker Kelly had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche, who pulled goaltender Justus Annunen after he gave up three goals on six shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Valeri Nichushkin, Jonathan Drouin and Miles Wood returned to the Avalanche lineup following long absences. Wood was the only one to collect a point, getting an assist on a goal by Nikolai Kovalenko. Avalanche netminder Alexandar Georgiev missed this game with an upper-body injury

Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf (NHL Images).

Calgary Flames rookie goalie Dustin Wolf stopped 29 shots for his first career NHL shutout in a 2-0 victory over the Nashville Predators. Daniil Miromanov and Blake Coleman were the goalscorers for the Flames. Juuse Saros turned aside 31 shots in a losing cause as the Predators have dropped six of their last seven contests.

The Vegas Golden Knights overcame a 2-0 deficit to double up the Utah Hockey Club 4-2. Golden Knights forwards Tomas Hertl and William Karlsson each scored two goals and Adin Hill made 32 saves for the win. Logan Cooley and Mikhael Sergachev were the goalscorers for Utah.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before puck drop, the Golden Knights announced they signed defenseman Brayden McNabb to a three-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $3.65 million. The deal includes a full no-trade clause in the first year, followed by a 10-team no-trade list in year two and a five-team list in the final season.

Anaheim Ducks rookie forward Cutter Gauthier scored his first NHL goal in a 6-4 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Olen Zellweger had a goal and two assists for the Ducks, who were down 3-1 at one point in this contest. Marco Kasper, Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat each had a goal and an assist as the Red Wings dropped three of their last four.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Ducks announced forward Robby Fabbri underwent arthroscopic knee surgery and will miss six to eight weeks.

The Columbus Blue Jackets snapped a six-game losing skid by thumping the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-2. Zach Werenski and Dmitri Voronkov each had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets. Anthony Beauvillier and Michael Bunting replied for the Penguins, who have only one victory in their last six games (1-3-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pittsburgh goaltender Tristan Jarry gave up five goals on 38 shots in his first game since Oct. 16. Penguins defenseman Kris Letang missed this contest with an illness while teammate Blake Lizotte (concussion) was placed on injured reserve, resulting in the Penguins activating forward Matt Nieto (knee) off IR.

HEADLINES

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews will not be in the lineup when his club faces off against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday evening. Matthews missed their last five games with an upper-body injury. Leafs coach Craig Berube said his captain has not suffered any setback as the club wants to give him time to recover fully.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators forward David Perron could suit up for Saturday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s missed the last 11 games after his infant daughter underwent surgery to remove a mass on her right lung. “We’re not fully out of the woods, but we’re getting there,” said Perron.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Perron and his family during this difficult time. Here’s hoping his daughter makes a complete recovery.

SPORTSNET: Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen will remain sidelined for the foreseeable future with a lower-body injury. His recovery period was originally listed as week-to-week but Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour indicated he’ll be out “way longer” than that. Meanwhile, netminder Pyotr Kochetkov is doubtful for Saturday’s game against the Senators. He’s dealing with an undisclosed injury but isn’t expected to be sidelined for long.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Minnesota Wild placed winger Mats Zuccarello (lower body) on IR for three to four weeks.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken captain Jordan Eberle will be sidelined for at least two games with a middle-body injury requiring further evaluation.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Los Angeles Kings placed netminder Darcy Kuemper and defenseman Caleb Jones on injured reserve.

RG.ORG: Size is becoming less of a priority when drafting NHL players. From 2005 to 2009, 34 percent of first-rounders were 205 pounds or heavier, but only 11.4 percent met those criteria in the last five NHL drafts. Height, however, has remained roughly the same, suggesting bulk has been deprioritized.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Teams favor skill over bulk as the speed of the game increases and individual abilities such as puckhandling and playmaking improve.

DAILY FACEOFF: Matt Larkin examines why this season’s NHL average save percentage has dropped to .900, which, if it holds, would be the league’s lowest mark in 29 years.

Larkin attributes the decline not to changes in goalie equipment or a simple matter as offense is rising while goaltending is getting worse. He believes changes such as a crackdown on slashing have resulted in more east-west puck movement, a deemphasis on defense, an increase in power-play efficiency, and a lack of true standout goaltending stars are the main factors.