NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 28, 2025

by | May 28, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 28, 2025

The Oilers take a commanding lead in the Western Conference Final, the latest coaching hires, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

OILERS DEFEAT STARS, TAKE 3-1 SERIES LEAD IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers took a stranglehold on the Western Conference Final with a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 4 on Tuesday, taking a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Leon Draisaitl and Corey Perry each had a goal and an assist, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid each collected two assists, and Stuart Skinner stopped 28 shots for the Oilers. Jason Robertson replied for the Stars.

Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (NHL Images).

Edmonton winger Zach Hyman left the game in the first period, favoring his right shoulder and arm following a hit from Stars winger Mason Marchment. He will be reevaluated on Wednesday.

Oilers winger Viktor Arvidsson returned to the lineup, replacing the sidelined Connor Brown. Backup goalie Calvin Pickard also returned after being sidelined since Game 2 of the Oilers’ second-round series with the Vegas Golden Knights. Defenseman Mattias Ekholm remained out with an undisclosed injury suffered on Apr. 11, but is getting closer to returning.

Stars center Roope Hintz returned to action after being sidelined with a lower-body injury in Game 2.

The Oilers can wrap things up on Thursday as the series returns to Dallas for Game 5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nugent-Hopkins became the seventh player in NHL playoff history to record multiple points in each of the first four games of the round before the Stanley Cup Final, and the first to do so in 37 years. Meanwhile, Perry tied four Hall-of-Famers (Teemu Selanne, Mark Recchi, Ron Francis and Jean Beliveau) for the most goals in a single postseason (six) by a player aged 39 or older.

Two of Edmonton’s goals in this game came on the power play. They’ve netted at least one goal with the man advantage in every game in this series. The Oilers have also done a good job shutting down Dallas’ offense since Game 1. They continue to get solid goaltending from Stuart Skinner while their defense leads the Stars in blocked shots since the opening game.

LATEST ON THE HURRICANES AND PANTHERS

YAHOO! SPORTS: The Carolina Hurricanes picked up their first Eastern Conference Final win since 2006 with their 3-0 victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 4. They’ll try to stave off elimination again in Game 5 on home ice in Raleigh on Wednesday at 8 pm ET.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Sidelined Panthers Sam Reinhart, Niko Mikkola and A.J. Greer took part in an informal skate on Tuesday. It remains to be seen if any of them suit up for Game 5.

LATEST COACHING HIRES AND RUMORS

THE ATHLETIC: Fluto Shinzawa reports a league source claims that Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love and Ontario Reign head coach Marco Sturm are among the finalists for the Boston Bostons’ head-coaching position.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Ian Laperriere will no longer be the head coach of the Flyers’ AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley. He’ll now serve as an advisor to the Flyers’ hockey operations department.

TSN: Former New York Rangers assistant coach Michael Peca has joined the Chicago Blackhawks as an assistant coach. Interim head coach Anders Sorensen will return as an assistant coach.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils hired Brad Shaw as an assistant coach. He served last season with the Flyers as an assistant coach and interim bench boss.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 27, 2025

by | May 27, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 27, 2025

The Hurricanes avoid elimination in the Eastern Conference Final, updates on the Oilers and Stars ahead of Game 4 of the Western Conference Final, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

HURRICANES STAVE OFF ELIMINATION FROM THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes avoided being swept from the Eastern Conference Final by blanking the Florida Panthers 3-0 in Game 4.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (NHL Images).

Frederik Andersen returned in the net for the Hurricanes and turned in a 20-save shutout while Logan Stankoven, Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov were the goal scorers. Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 25 shots.

Panthers forwards Sam Reinhart and A.J. Greer and defenseman Niko Mikkola missed Game 4 with undisclosed injuries. They’re considered day-to-day.

The series returns to Carolina for Game 5 on Wednesday, May 28, at 8 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the first win in a Conference Final game for the Hurricanes since 2006. Unlike the previous three games in this series, they played a better, disciplined defensive game and received solid goaltending from Andersen, who had been benched for Game 3 after two shaky outings earlier in this series.

The Hurricanes still face elimination heading into Game 5, but this win should boost their confidence and determination to atone for their two previous disappointing efforts on home ice.

LATEST ON THE OILERS AND STARS

TSN: Sidelined Oilers goaltender Calvin Pickard and defenseman Mattias Ekholm could suit up for Game 4 of the Western Conference Final on Tuesday. Pickard’s been out with an undisclosed injury since May 10, while Ekholm’s been on the shelf since Apr. 11 with what’s believed to be a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pickard took over for starter Stuart Skinner in Game 3 of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings and won six straight before he got hurt in the next round against the Vegas Golden Knights. He’ll be backing up Skinner, who has regained his form by winning four of his last five, including three shutouts.

Ekholm’s return will likely send Troy Stecher to the press box, but he understands the situation. Stecher’s played well, filling in for the sidelined Ekholm, but admits the latter is a better player than he is.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars are hoping that Roope Hintz will return to action in Game 4. The first-line center suffered a lower-body injury in Game 2 that kept him out of the following game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars also hope that leading scorer Mikko Rantanen snaps out of his slump. He has nine goals and 21 points but only two assists in three games against the Oilers, who lead the series 2-1.

IN OTHER NEWS…

RG.ORG: NHL Players’ Association Executive Director Marty Walsh said there is a shared desire with the league to get things done right as negotiations on a new CBA continue between the two sides.

Walsh shared the view of league commissioner Gary Bettman that an agreement could be reached well before the September 2026 expiration of the current CBA. He indicated there is no timetable for negotiations to be completed.

Regarding possible changes to LTIR, Walsh said the two sides have been exchanging ideas, and the discussion remains open. He believes that topic “will find its way and progress in accordance with the whole conversation on a new CBA.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speculation suggests an agreement could be reached by the end of the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs, perhaps by the 2025 NHL Draft (June 27-28). It could take longer than that to hammer out a new CBA, with talks stretching throughout the offseason.

Considering the fractious labor relations history between the two sides, the fact that they believe a deal could be reached well before next September is good news. Nobody wants another work stoppage threatening to shorten or derail another season.

IIHF.COM: Former NHL players Henrik Lundqvist, Zdeno Chara, Frans Nielsen and David Vyborny were formally inducted into the IIHF Hall of Fame on Sunday, May 25.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Class of 2025 was announced back in January. Congratulations once again to Lundqvist, Chara, Nielsen and Vyborny, and the other inductees.

EVZ.CH: New Jersey Devils winger Tomas Tatar will be playing overseas next season. The 34-year-old signed a two-year contract with EV Zug in Switzerland’s National League. He is expected to play center.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stick tap to Alexander Wirdzek. Tatar spent 14 seasons in the NHL from 2010-11 to 2024-25 with the Detroit Red Wings, Vegas Golden Knights, Montreal Canadiens, Colorado Avalanche, Seattle Kraken and the Devils. He scored 227 goals and 269 assists for 496 points in 927 regular-season games, and had 13 points in 56 playoff contests.

SPORTSNET: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Erik Brannstrom is also heading to Switzerland, signing a three-year contract with Lausanne Hockey Club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brannstrom, 25, was a highly-touted defense prospect when the Vegas Golden Knights selected him 15th overall in the 2017 NHL Draft. Traded to Ottawa, he spent six of his seven NHL seasons with the Senators.

Brannstrom bounced around the league this season. He signed with the Colorado Avalanche as a free agent last summer but was traded to the Canucks before the start of the regular season. He played 28 games with the Canucks before being shipped to the New York Rangers in the J.T. Miller trade in January, and to the Sabres at the trade deadline. Brannstrom had 77 points in 294 NHL games.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Minnesota Frost are the PWHL champions for the second straight season. Liz Schepers scored in overtime to defeat the Ottawa Charge 2-1 in Game 4 of the Final to win the Walter Cup.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 26, 2025

by | May 26, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 26, 2025

The Oilers take a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference Final, the latest on the Panthers and Hurricanes ahead of Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

OILERS DEFEAT STARS, TAKE THE LEAD IN THE WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL

NHL.COM: Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman each scored twice to lead the Edmonton Oilers to a 6-1 victory over the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final. The Oilers hold a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Stuart Skinner made 33 saves and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins collected three primary assists for the Oilers. Jason Robertson replied for the Stars.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

McDavid’s two goals vaulted him into the lead in this postseason’s scoring race with 22 points ahead of Dallas’s Mikko Rantanen, who’s been held to one assist in this series thus far. The Stars winger is tied with Florida’s Sam Bennett for the goal-scoring lead with nine goals.

Oilers forward Connor Brown left this game in the third period following a hard hit from Dallas defenseman Alexander Petrovic. Stars center Roope Hintz took the warmup but remained sidelined after suffering a lower-body injury in Game 2. He’s listed as day-to-day.

Game 4 is Tuesday, May 27, in Edmonton at 8 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Skinner was the star of this game for Edmonton. Rantanen praised the Oilers’ goaltender, especially his play in the second period when the Stars outshot the Oilers 21-7 in the second period. Skinner’s won four of his last five games, giving up only one goal in those victories.

Apart from a dominant third period in Game 1, Dallas has struggled to score in this series. Skinner deserves credit for that, as do his teammates for limiting the Stars’ scoring opportunities.

HEADLINES

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers head coach Paul Maurice believes all his players will be ready to play in Monday’s critical Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes. However, winger Sam Reinhart remains questionable after suffering a lower-body injury (right leg) in Game 2. The Panthers hold a commanding 3-0 lead in the series and can wrap things up with a win in Game 4.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Hurricanes’ once-dominating goaltending tandem of Frederik Andersen and Pyotr Kochetkov has struggled against the Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. After giving up 18 goals in their first two series, they’ve allowed 16 goals by the Panthers in three games.

NHL.COM: Hurricanes defensemen Jalen Chatfield and Sean Walker remain questionable for Game 4. They both missed the previous contest with undisclosed injuries.

NHL.COM: Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson scored in overtime as the United States defeated Switzerland 1-0 to win its first gold medal in the IIHF World Championship since 1933. The Americans dedicated their championship to Johnny Gaudreau, who was killed with his brother by an alleged drunk driver last August.

DAILY FACEOFF: Sweden defeated Denmark 6-2 in the bronze medal game. This was the Swedes’ 49th overall, putting them in second place behind Canada’s 53 medals. Denmark finished fourth, marking their best showing in the World Championship.

RG. ORG: Montreal Canadiens winger Ivan Demidov is spending the offseason living and training in Montreal. A source close to the 18-year-old winger said he’s already grown fond of the city and its culture, and will be taking French and English lessons while conducting his offseason training under the watchful eye of the Canadiens’ staff.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Demidov debuted with the Canadiens in their final two regular-season games and five-game playoff series against the Washington Capitals. Next season will be his first full NHL campaign.

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks believes the NHL must address what he considers the “glaring inequality” that six teams out of five states (Florida, Texas, Nevada, Washington and Tennessee) with no state income tax have had over the other 26 clubs over the past decade.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The salary cap addresses that inequality. The Tampa Bay Lightning’s 2004 Stanley Cup roster was swiftly depleted by the imposition of the cap in 2005. As well managed as the Lightning have been over the past 10 years, salary-cap constraints took their toll over the past three years, leading to three straight first-round eliminations.

Shrewd management played a significant role in the recent championship success of the Lightning, Panthers, and Golden Knights. The lack of a state tax may have made it easier to re-sign key players, but they were still expensive to retain, eating up valuable cap space at the expense of their overall roster depth.

The Panthers are a strong club and could repeat as champions this season. Nevertheless, cap constraints took their toll last season when top-four defenseman Brandon Montour departed via free agency. That trend will continue to affect their roster depth as it did to their rival in Tampa Bay.

Before their recent dominance, the Panthers were a laughingstock for decades. The lack of a state income tax didn’t help them during those grim years when they were mismanaged.

The Stars have done well since 2020 (four Conference Finals, one Stanley Cup Final) because of their management. Jim Nill won the Jim Gregory GM of the Year Award in 2023 and 2024 and is a finalist this season. However, they missed the playoffs nine times between 2008-09 and 2018-19, with four of those under Gill’s watch. A lack of a state tax didn’t give them an edge during those lean years.

Despite the Golden Knights’ short history, management was a significant factor in their success. A lack of a state tax likely played a role in signing core players like Mark Stone and Alex Pietrangelo. However, the club’s impressive record was due to the efforts of former general manager George McPhee and his successor, Kelly McCrimmon.

Nevertheless, the salary cap also affected their roster depth. In recent years, limited space forced them to part with several core players, including 2023 Conn Smythe Trophy winner Jonathan Marchessault.

Strong management played a key role in the Predators maintaining a competitive roster under a cost-conscious ownership for years, including their march to the 2017 Stanley Cup Final. Their supposed tax advantage may have helped them land Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei via free agency last summer, but it didn’t help them reach the playoffs this season, nor has it helped them return to the heights of their 2016-17 season.

As for the Seattle Kraken, their tax advantage hasn’t given them any advantage thus far in their short history, missing the playoffs in three of the four seasons of their short existence.

STLTODAY.COM: Former Blues and Cardinals executive Mark Sauer passed away on May 22. He was president and CEO of the Blues from 1996 to 2006.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to the Blues organization and their fans.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 25, 2025

by | May 25, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 25, 2025

The Panthers take a stranglehold on the Eastern Conference Final, plus the latest on Roope Hintz, Reilly Smith, Brendan Shanahan and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PANTHERS TAKE 3-0 SERIES LEAD IN THE EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 6-2 in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (NHL Images).

Florida captain Aleksander Barkov tallied twice as his club scored five goals in the third period. Niko Mikkola also scored two goals and Jesper Boqvist had a goal and two assists. Logan Stankoven had a goal and an assist for Carolina.

Panthers forward Sam Reinhart missed this game with a lower-body injury suffered in Game 2. He’s listed as day-to-day. Forward Eetu Luostarinen was ejected for boarding Hurricanes forward Jackson Blake.

Goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov got the start for the Hurricanes. Teammate Jesperi Kotkaniemi returned to the lineup after being a healthy scratch in Game 2.

The Panthers can finish this series with a win in Game 4 on Monday, May 26, at 8 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carolina made this interesting in the first two periods, keeping the game close and tying it in the second period after Florida took an early lead. However, they couldn’t contain the Panthers’ offense in the third and were quickly beaten down on five goals in just over nine minutes within the first half of the period.

This loss extended the Hurricanes’ losing skid in the Eastern Conference Final to 15 games since 2019. They’re on the verge of getting swept again if they cannot find a way to neutralize the Panthers’ aggressive forecheck.

ROTOWIRE: Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz remains uncertain for Game 3 of the Western Conference Final on Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers. Hintz suffered a lower-body injury in Game 2 when he was slashed on the leg by Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse.

TSN: Former Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan won’t be joining the New York Islanders. Pierre LeBrun reports the Isles interviewed Shanahan and had a good conversation, but decided he’s not a fit for them at this time.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Reilly Smith hopes to remain with the Golden Knights. They reacquired him from the New York Rangers at the trade deadline. The 34-year-old winger can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, but he’s hoping the two sides can work something out.

TORONTO SUN: Lance Hornby reports the Maple Leafs will explore ways to enhance fan support for their home games. Keith Pelley, the CEO of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment, was thrilled with the fan engagement during the playoffs, but believes it could be louder and is looking at ways to address this.

Hornby blames it on “a few things, led by the Leafs’ corporate season ticket base that opens their wallets but closes their mouths during play, especially in the lower bowl.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Part of the problem is that the Leafs charge the league’s highest ticket prices ($260 per ticket on average). Their fan cost index of $444 (includes tickets, parking and concessions) is the second-highest.

That’s well out of the range of most Leafs fans, who end up watching their playoff games on big-screen television in Maple Leaf Square outside Scotiabank Arena. That’s where all the noise can be found.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 24, 2025

by | May 24, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 24, 2025

The Oilers defeat the Stars in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final, the GM of the Year finalists are revealed, Alex Ovechkin wins the Messier Leadership Award, the Islanders name Mathieu Darche as GM, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

OILERS DEFEAT STARS IN GAME 2 OF WESTERN CONFERENCE FINAL

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner made 25 saves for his third shutout of this postseason to blank the Dallas Stars 3-0 in Game 2 of the Western Conference Final.

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner (NHL Images).

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored the winning goal and collected an assist while Brett Kulak and Connor Brown also scored for the Oilers, who tied this series at a game apiece. Jake Oettinger turned aside 22 shots for the Stars.

The series shifts to Edmonton for the next two games, with Game 3 on Sunday, May 25, at 3 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a better team effort by the Oilers, holding the lead in this game after blowing a 3-1 lead in the third period of Game 1. Skinner rose to the occasion again, bouncing back from a shaky performance in his previous start to tie Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky for the most shutouts in this postseason.

Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected an assist, becoming the fourth player in NHL history to record four straight 20-plus point postseasons.

The Stars were furious over a slash by Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse on Dallas center Roope Hintz early in the third period. Hintz left the game and didn’t return but Nurse only received a minor penalty. There was no postgame update on his status.

“We didn’t like it. If that was McDavid walking down the tunnel, I would like to see the result of that,” said Dallas captain Jamie Benn. Head coach Pete DeBoer echoed that sentiment, while Stars winger Mason Marchment said he and his teammates won’t forget Nurse’s actions.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Kevin Cheveldayoff of the Winnipeg Jets, Jim Nill of the Dallas Stars, and Bill Zito of the Florida Panthers are the Jim Gregory General Manager of the Year Award finalists for 2024-25.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nill won it in 2023 and 2024. This is the second time Cheveldayoff has been a finalist and the third straight season for Zito.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin won the Mark Messier NHL Leadership Award.

The New York Islanders named Mathieu Darche their new general manager. He had been the assistant GM of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the past three years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Isles also named Darche as their executive vice president, indicating in their statement that he will “manage all aspects of the team’s hockey operations.”

The Islanders were permitted to speak with former Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan before they hired Darche. Their statement suggests they won’t be hiring a team president.

Ethan Sears of the New York Post believes Darche’s first order of business should be addressing their head coach position. Patrick Roy currently holds that role on a multi-year contract. If Darche fires Roy, Sears listed Greg Cronin, Peter Laviolette, Mitch Love, Jay Leach, Jay Woodcroft and Kirk Muller as potential candidates.

TSN: Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment president Keith Pelley said he wasn’t looking to replace Shanahan as the Leafs’ team president. He indicated he intends to work closely with GM Brad Treliving and head coach Craig Berube.

MAYOR’S MANOR: Marc Bergevin is staying on as an advisor to Los Angeles Kings GM Ken Holland.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bergevin was among the finalists for the Isles GM job.

RG.ORG: The New York Rangers could add Russian goaltending coach Rashit Davydov to their coaching staff. He’s closely connected to Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin and has also worked with goalies like Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers, and Ilya Sorokin of the Islanders.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The International Ice Hockey Federation has reportedly banned Russian teams from competing in the men’s and women’s ice hockey tournaments in the 2026 Winter Olympics.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That will affect NHL stars such as Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy and Nikita Kucherov, the Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin and Artemi Panarin, the Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky, Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins, and Kirill Kaprizov of the Minnesota Wild.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 23, 2025

by | May 23, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 23, 2025

The Panthers take a 2-0 series lead in the Eastern Conference Final, the Maple Leafs part ways with Brendan Shanahan, the Blackhawks officially hire Jeff Blashill as head coach, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PANTHERS DOMINATE HURRICANES IN GAME 2 OF EASTERN CONFERENCE FINAL

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers took a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Final by blanking the Carolina Hurricanes 5-0 in Game 2 of their best-of-seven series. Sergei Bobrovsky turned in a 17-save shutout while Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe each had three points. Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen gave up four goals on 16 shots and was replaced by Pyotr Kochetkov to start the third period.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers have won six straight postseason games against Carolina, dating back to the 2023 Eastern Conference Final. The Hurricanes have lost a record 14 games in the Eastern Conference Final since winning the Stanley Cup in 2006.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (NHL Images).

It was a costly win for the Panthers. Scoring winger Sam Reinhart left the game in the first period favoring his right leg after being tripped up by Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho. Reinhart will be evaluated on Friday.

TSN: Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi was a healthy scratch, replaced by Mark Jankowski. Kotkaniemi has three assists in 11 games during this postseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers controlled this contest from start to finish. They opened the scoring just 1:17 into the game, built it to 3-0 by the end of the first period, and squeezed the life out of the Hurricanes’ offense.

The Hurricanes made it easy for the Panthers. They were dominated so thoroughly that team captain Jordan Staal called it “an ass whooping”. It was an embarrassing effort on their part.

This series shifts to Florida for the next two games, with Game 3 on Saturday at 8 pm ET. The Hurricanes’ season will end soon if they don’t find a way to get back into this series.

HEADLINES

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs announced they would not re-sign team president Brendan Shanahan to a new contract. He’d been in the role since 2014-15.

Earlier this week, Shanahan was granted permission to speak to the New York Islanders, who seek a new team president after parting ways with Lou Lamoriello last month.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It is the end of an era for the Leafs. The next significant change could be on their roster when Mitch Marner can depart as a free agent on July 1. John Tavares is also a UFA this summer, but he could be re-signed to a shorter deal with a considerable pay cut from his current average annual value of $11 million.

Shanahan leaves behind a mixed legacy. During his tenure as Leafs president, the club rebuilt into a perennial playoff club, reaching the postseason in nine straight seasons since 2016-17. They selected William Nylander in the 2014 NHL Draft, Marner in 2015, and Auston Matthews in 2016, who would form their “Core Four” forwards with Tavares. Six of the nine seasons in Leafs history when they reached the 100-point plateau occurred under Shanahan.

However, the Leafs only managed two playoff series victories during Shanahan’s tenure. Signing free agent Tavares to a seven-year, $77-million contract in 2018 hampered their efforts to properly build around the “Core Four”, leaving them with a top-heavy team that had no difficulty reaching the playoffs but lacked the depth necessary to win in the postseason.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: As expected, the Blackhawks formally announced Jeff Blashill will take over as their new head coach.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins are getting closer to finding their new head coach. They are expected to conduct their final in-person interviews with the candidates next week, with a decision coming soon afterward.

They’ve interviewed 15 candidates, including notables like former Edmonton Oilers coach Jay Woodcroft, Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love, former Blackhawks coach Luke Richardson, and Marco Sturm, the head coach of the AHL’s Ontario Reign.

The Bruins are not speaking with coaching candidates on clubs still active in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hopefully, this news mollifies those Bruins fans who’ve taken to the comments section on this site recently to complain about a perceived lack of urgency by their team in finding a new bench boss.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers assistant coach Michael Peca will not return with the club. A source indicated Peca met with new head coach Mike Sullivan, and the two sides decided it was best he moved on. He’s reportedly going to join Jeff Blashill’s staff in Chicago.

TORONTO SUN: Denmark upset Canada 2-1 in the quarterfinal of the 2025 World Championship. Nikolaj Ehlers of the Winnipeg Jets and Nick Olesen scored in the final 2:17 to send the star-studded Canadian squad packing. Denmark will face Switzerland in the semifinal, while the United States will meet Sweden.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A major upset by Denmark over a Canadian squad that may have taken their opponent too lightly. Nevertheless, this is good for international hockey. It shows that other countries continue to improve, which builds up the quality of the competition in these tournaments. This victory should also provide a big boost for Danish hockey, inspiring more of their citizens to take up the sport.