NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 16, 2024

by | Oct 16, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 16, 2024

In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines, the Blue Jackets honor Johnny Gaudreau in their home opener, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin reaches an assist milestone, the struggling Oilers picked up their first win of the season, and more.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Columbus Blue Jackets honored Johnny Gaudreau before their home opener against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.

With Gaudreau’s family on the ice, the Jackets raised a banner with his number 13 in a pregame ceremony. During the opening faceoff, the Jackets started without a left winger, which was Gaudreau’s position. Both teams didn’t move following the puck drop, letting the puck come to rest where Gaudreau would’ve stood, and remained in place for 13 seconds.

Once the game resumed, the Panthers held off the Blue Jackets 4-3. Sam Reinhart had a goal and two assists and Spencer Knight made 35 saves for his first win in 21 months. Sean Monahan scored for the Blue Jackets and pointed to Gaudreau’s banner to honor his long-time friend and former Calgary Flames teammate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson left the game with an upper-body injury after accidentally colliding with Monahan during the second period. Jackets coach Dean Evason described the injury as “not looking good”. That suggests Gudbranson could be sidelined for some time.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin had two assists, including the 700th of his NHL career, as his club doubled up the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2. Logan Thompson made 24 saves for the win over his former team and Jakub Vrana scored on his first shot in his return with the Capitals. Victor Olofsson and Jack Eichel replied for the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin becomes the sixth player in NHL history to score 700 goals and collect 700 assists. He joins Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jaromir Jagr, Marcel Dionne, and Phil Esposito. He’s also the 60th player to reach the 700-assist plateau.

Ovechkin has three assists in two games but still seeks his first goal of the season and remains at 853 career goals. He remains 41 goals behind Gretzky’s record of 894.

The Golden Knights also lost Olofsson late in the third period when he injured his left leg. Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said it didn’t look good but hopes it’s not severe. Olofsson was seen on crutches after the game.

An overtime goal by Leon Draisaitl lifted the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, snapping their season-opening three-game losing skid. Draisaitl finished with a goal and an assist and Connor McDavid collected two assists as they were put on the same line for the first time this season. The Flyers opened the scoring with a 2-0 lead as rookie Matvei Michkov tallied the first two goals of his NHL career.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A big comeback win by the Oilers, perhaps signaling that the slumbering Stanley Cup finalist is finally awakening from its season-opening slumber. It was a disappointing finish for the Flyers but their promising rookie Michkov finally breaks through after being limited to an assist in his first two games.

The Dallas Stars extended their season-opening win streak to 4-0-0 by nipping the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on a shootout goal by Wyatt Johnston. Matt Duchene and Roope Hintz scored for the Stars while Tyler Toffoli and former Star Ty Dellandrea replied for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars played without forward Tyler Seguin and defenseman Matt Dumba. Seguin is day-to-day with a lower-body injury while Dumba (lower body) is week-to-week.

Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames are also 4-0-0 after beating the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1. Matt Coronato had two goals and goaltender Dustin Wolf turned aside 31 shots. Nick Foligno had the only goal for the Blackhawks.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves and tallied an empty-net goal in a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Kirill Kaprizov collected two assists while Jakub Lauko scored the game-winner. Mathieu Joseph replied for the Blues.

The Tampa Bay Lightning won their home opener by beating the Vancouver Canucks 4-1. Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli each had a goal and an assist for the Lightning. Conor Garland had the lone goal for the Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was the first professional sports event in Tampa Bay since the second of back-to-back hurricanes in the region.

Four unanswered third-period goals lifted the Seattle Kraken to a 7-3 win over the Nashville Predators. Jaden Schwartz, Jared McCann, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Adam Larsson each had a goal and an assist for the Kraken. Michael McCarron, Tommy Novak and Brady Skjei scored for the Predators, who’ve dropped their first three games of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators may have “won” free agency by signing Skjei, Steven Stamkos, and Jonathan Marchessault but that hasn’t resulted in significant improvement thus far.

Head coach Andrew Brunette said his team deserves to be where it is right now, claiming they’re playing firewagon hockey. “We’re trying to be cute. We’re trying to show how talented we are to everybody. But we’re not really playing with a purpose,” he said.

The Carolina Hurricanes got a 23-save performance from goalie Pyotr Kochetkov in his season debut to double up the New Jersey Devils 4-2. Hurricanes rookie Jackson Blake tallied his first career NHL goal. Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier replied for the Devils.

IN OTHER NEWS…

RG.ORG: James Murphy reports NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said he doesn’t see any reason for concern regarding the next round of collective bargaining with the NHL Players’ Association. Those talks are expected to begin in 2025.

Daly also admitted he’s surprised by the league’s strong and fast comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic. He believes the COVID period created a stronger demand and appreciation from fans for the live product, and feels the game is in better shape than ever before.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daly also discussed the Utah Hockey Club and the league’s 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Follow the link above for the full interview.

TORONTO STAR: The good news for the Maple Leafs is John Tavares is out of sick bay. The bad news is William Nylander has caught the flu bug and is questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Buffalo Sabres hope to have JJ Peterka in the lineup when they face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. He’s been sidelined for the last two games after suffering a concussion in Czechia. Peterka was a full participant in practice on Tuesday.

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Hockey Club defenseman Sean Durzi is out for the foreseeable future with an upper-body injury.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils goaltender Jake Allen set an NHL record with his 3-0 win over Utah on Monday. He’s the first goaltender to secure a win against 33 NHL clubs in his career.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 15, 2024

by | Oct 15, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 15, 2024

In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines, recaps of Monday’s action, the three stars of the week are revealed, league commissioner Gary Bettman responds to a question about the possibility of a franchise in Quebec City and more.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Josh Norris lifted the Ottawa Senators to an 8-7 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Norris finished with two goals and an assist, Zack MacEwen tallied twice and Drake Batherson had a goal and two assists for the Senators. Kevin Fiala and Alex Laferriere each scored two goals and Anze Kopitar and Brandt Clarke each collected three assists for the Kings.

Ottawa Senators forward Josh Norris (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators starting goalie Linus Ullmark missed this game with a lower-body strain. While it isn’t considered serious, he’s undergoing further testing and might not be available for Thursday’s game against the New Jersey Devils.

The Senators called up goalie Mads Sogaard, who replaced Anton Forsberg after he gave up three goals on nine shots.

Ottawa defenseman Artem Zub left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury following a big hit from Kings forward Tanner Jeannot. The Senators also played without forward Ridly Greig, who is out for one-to-two weeks with an upper-body injury.

The New York Islanders picked up their first win of the season by trouncing the struggling Colorado Avalanche 6-2. Brock Nelson netted two second-period goals and Ilya Sorokin stopped 32 shots for the Isles. Avalanche rookie Calum Ritchie scored his first NHL goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar wasn’t pleased with his team’s performance. “There are no excuses. I didn’t like our game tonight,” said Bednar. “Top to bottom. It’s terrible.” They’re 0-3-0 to open this season.

Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews missed this game with a lower-body injury. He joined teammates Gabriel Landeskog (knee), Artturi Lehkonen (shoulder), Jonathan Drouin (upper body) and Valeri Nichushkin (NHL/NHLPA player assistance program) on the sidelines.

Florida Panthers forwards Sam Reinhart and Anton Lundell each tallied two goals in a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins. Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 24 shots for the win. John Beecher and Mason Lohrei each had a goal and an assist and Mark Kastelic picked up three assists for the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk missed his second straight game due to illness and is expected to miss their next two games. It’s hoped he’ll return to action next Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild.

The New York Rangers beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1. Mika Zibanejad had a goal and two assists, Igor Shesterkin kicked out 31 shots and Reilly Smith potted his first goal as a Ranger. Dylan Larkin replied for the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings sent goaltender Ville Husso to their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids before this game and recalled forward Austin Watson.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin scored his 499th career goal and Lars Eller tallied twice in a 6-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Malkin finished with a goal and two assists. Nick Suzuki and Mike Matheson each had two assists for the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was held off the scoreboard and remains one point shy of 1,600 for his career. Crosby also needs eight goals to reach 600 and 24 games to reach 1,300.

The New Jersey Devils got a 20-save shutout from Jake Allen to blank the Utah Hockey Club 3-0, handing the latter their first loss of the season. Seamus Casey, Stefan Noesen and Nico Hischier were the goal scorers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah defenseman Sean Durzi left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury following an awkward hit from Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Utah Hockey Club winger Dylan Guenther, Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, and Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel were the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Oct. 13.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was asked about the possibility of a new franchise in Quebec City when he met with reporters before Monday’s Penguins-Canadiens game at the Bell Centre.

Bettman said the league isn’t focused on expanding from 32 to 34 teams but would consider it if the right opportunity came along. As for the NHL returning to Quebec City, he said that depended on a lot of factors out of league control, “including someone – or an entity – that is engaged enough and committed enough financially to want to be even considered and it hasn’t happened yet.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s an assumption that media giant Quebecor, which operates the 18,259-seat Videotron Centre, would be the likely bidder to bring the NHL back to Quebec City via expansion or relocation of an existing franchise. Bettman’s comments suggest Quebecor hasn’t made any pitch for a franchise or made a failed attempt.

Quebec City may be an emotional choice but factors such as its market size mean it faces long odds when going up against bigger US-based markets in Houston and Atlanta. Those cities are considered the likely destinations when the league inevitably expands to 34 clubs in a few years.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Johnny Gaudreau’s father Guy Gaudreau joined the Blue Jackets’ practice on Monday as a guest. The club will honor Johnny’s memory on Tuesday in a pregame ceremony before their first home game of this season when they face the Florida Panthers.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will be playing right wing for the first time in a decade as the club attempts to shake up its offense after dropping its season-opener to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Capitals defenseman Matt Roy is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury suffered during Saturday’s games.

SPORTSNET: Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin and forward Peyton Krebs had to be separated by their teammates when they dropped the gloves during practice on Monday.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sidelined Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini won’t be traveling with his teammates to Dallas for their game against the Stars on Tuesday. He was placed on injured reserve (lower body) retroactive to Oct. 11. It’s hoped he’ll join his teammates on Oct. 18 when they face the Jets in Winnipeg.

DAILY FACEOFF: The St. Louis Blues placed forward Alexandre Texier (upper body) on injured reserve.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 14, 2024

by | Oct 14, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 14, 2024

The Jets, Stars, Flames and Golden Knights pick up their third straight wins to open the season. Check out the details and the latest injury updates, waiver news and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Kyle Connor lifted the Winnipeg Jets past the Minnesota Wild 2-1. Mark Scheifele had a goal and an assist and Connor Hellebucyk made 26 saves for the win. Jake Middleton scored for the Wild while Filip Gustavsson stopped 33 shots.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets are 3-0-0 partly because of Scheifele’s red-hot offensive play. He’s second in goals with four and points with six among all NHL skaters.

The Wild played without center Joel Eriksson Ek (broken nose) and defenseman Jared Spurgeon (lower-body injury). They also face a logjam in goal with Gustavsson, Marc-Andre Fleury and Jesper Wallstedt. That could result in Wallstedt bouncing between the Wild and their AHL affiliate for salary-cap reasons because he’s waiver-exempt this season.

The Dallas Stars picked up their third straight win by blanking the Seattle Kraken 2-0. Casey DeSmith turned in a 25-save shutout in his debut with the Stars while Sam Steel and Wyatt Johnston were the goal scorers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars defenseman Matt Dumba missed this game with a lower-body injury suffered during Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders. He’s listed as day-to-day.

Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Dan Vladar turned aside 25 shots while Anthony Mantha now has four points in his first three games with a goal in this contest. Jeff Skinner scored his first with the Oilers, who are still seeking their first win of the season. They had back-to-back goals called back for goaltender interference and offside.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers remain out of sorts to start the season. They’re struggling partly due to the offseason departures of depth players Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg, Warren Foegele, Ryan McLeod, Vincent Desharnais and Cody Ceci, who all played crucial roles in their march to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

One would expect the Flames to struggle this season after trading away key veterans like Jacob Markstrom, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, Elias Lindholm, Andrew Mangipane and Nikita Zadorov throughout 2023-24. During training camp, center Nazem Kadri boldly stated his team would surprise folks this season. They’re doing just that thus far with a 3-0-0 start.

The Vegas Golden Knights are 3-0-0 after downing the Anaheim Ducks 3-1. Tomas Hertl snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period while Ilya Samsonov made 22 saves in his debut with the Golden Knights. Troy Terry replied for the Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel collected an assist to sit atop the league’s scoring leaders with seven points.

IN OTHER NEWS…

STLTODAY.COM: Jordan Binnington holds the Blues franchise record for goalies with four season-opening wins. He’s also closing in on some other Blues goaltending milestones.

Binnington is tied with Curtis Joseph for third in games played and for second in starts with 275. With 146 wins, he’s two behind Jake Allen for second place and five away from career leader Mike Liut. He also needs 455 more saves to pass Joseph for second all-time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hockey-Reference shows Binnington now in sole possession of third place for games played by a Blues goalie with 282.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Detroit Red Wings placed goaltender Ville Husso on waivers. The Montreal Canadiens did the same with forward Alex Barre-Boulet.

CBS SPORTS: Red Wings forward Christian Fischer will miss Monday’s game against the New York Rangers with an upper-body injury. He’s listed as day-to-day.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: The Sabres announced that the 2024-25 inductee into their Hall of Fame is former player and broadcaster Rob Ray. He spent 14 seasons and 889 regular-season games with the Sabres. He’s been part of their broadcast team since 2003-24.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Ray on receiving this honor. During his 16 NHL seasons with the Sabres and Ottawa Senators, he was a popular enforcer, amassing 3,207 PIMs in 900 total NHL regular-season games.

YARDBARKER: Former NHL forward Riley Sheahan announced his retirement at age 32. Sheahan spent 12 seasons in the NHL with the Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, Oilers, Sabres and Kraken, amassing 74 goals and 120 assists for 194 points in 637 regular-season games and seven points in 33 playoff contests.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 13, 2024

by | Oct 13, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 13, 2024

The Flames pay an emotional pregame tribute to Johnny Gaudreau, Evgeni Malkin reaches another milestone, the Avs and Oilers continue to struggle, Utah HC wins again, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Calgary Flames held an emotional pregame ceremony to honor the late Johnny Gaudreau before skating to a 6-3 home-opening win against the Philadelphia Flyers. Jonathan Huberdeau led the way with two goals and two assists. Nazem Kadri tallied twice and Dustin Wolf got the win with a 37-save performance. Travis Konecny had two goals for the Flyers.

Calgary Flames honor Johnny Gaudreau (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gaudreau spent nine of his 11 NHL seasons with the Flames before signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022. A drunk driver killed him and his brother Matthew in August.

During the ceremony, Gaudreau’s family shared a heartfelt message to the Flames and the city of Calgary, expressing their “deepest gratitude” to the team and the city for their support.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander scored two goals in a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Mitch Marner had a goal and an assist for the Leafs. Penguins center Evgeni Malkin collected two assists to reach his 1,300th career NHL point.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs center John Tavares missed this game due to illness. Penguins winger Bryan Rust made his season debut after missing his club’s first two games with a lower-body injury.

The Columbus Blue Jackets upset the Colorado Avalanche 6-4. Sean Monahan, Kirill Marchenko and Yegor Chinakhov each had a goal and two assists for the Blue Jackets. Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev was pulled for the second straight game after giving up three goals on nine shots. His replacement, Justus Annunen, fared little better, allowing two goals on 13 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar defended Georgiev following this game, expressing “full faith” that he’ll bounce back. The 28-year-old netminder has shown he can rebound from some bad performances but his erratic play since last season is becoming a cause for concern among Avalanche followers.

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard scored his first of the season and picked up two assists in a 5-2 upset of the Edmonton Oilers. Teuvo Teravainen had two goals and two assists, Seth Jones had a goal and two assists, and Petr Mrazek turned aside 36 shots for the Blackhawks. Corey Perry and Leon Draisaitl scored for the Oilers and Calvin Pickard allowed five goals on 20 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A well-deserved win for the rebuilding Blackhawks against a Stanley Cup finalist still searching for its groove two games into this season. The Oilers also got off to a flat start last season before they turned things around but it took a coaching change to wake them out. Current bench boss Kris Knoblauch isn’t in danger of losing his job at this stage in the season but that risk could increase if his players don’t elevate their play over the next few weeks.

The Utah Hockey Club upset the New York Rangers 6-5 on an overtime goal by Clayton Keller, who finished the night with two goals and an assist. Dylan Guenther also scored his fifth of the season for Utah, extending his goal streak to three games. Artemi Panarin tallied twice for the Rangers and Adam Fox had three helpers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah is 3-0-0 to start the season.

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger had a 34-save shutout to blank the New York Islanders 3-0. Tyler Seguin tallied twice and Jamie Benn also scored for the Stars. Semyon Varlamov made 24 saves for the Islanders.

David Pastrnak’s overtime goal lifted the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Jeremy Swayman made 33 saves and Elias Lindholm also scored for the Bruins. Trevor Moore opened the scoring for the Kings and Darcy Kuemper stopped 23 shots.

The Buffalo Sabres picked up their first win of the season by dropping the Florida Panthers 5-2. Devon Levi turned aside 23 shots and Alex Tuch had a goal and an assist for the Sabres. The Panthers played without captain Aleksander Barkov (lower-body injury) and winger Matthew Tkachuk (illness).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barkov injured his leg during the final minutes of the Panthers’ 3-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. He will be sidelined for two to three weeks.

Detroit Red Wings goaltender Cam Talbot turned in a 42-save performance to shut out the Nashville Predators 3-0. J.T. Compher, Andrew Copp and Dylan Larkin were the goal scorers for the Red Wings as they picked up their first win of the season. Steven Stamkos is still seeking his first point since joining the Predators as a free agent in July.

The Montreal Canadiens got two goals from Cole Caufield to end a nine-game losing skid to the Ottawa Senators with a 4-1 win. Sam Montembeault kicked out 24 shots and rookie defenseman Lane Hutson picked up two assists for the Canadiens. Tim Stutzle scored for the Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Caufield has four goals in his first three games of this season.

New Jersey Devils forward Paul Cotter scored two goals to extend his goal streak to four games in a 5-3 victory over the Washington Capitals. Stefan Noesen and Erik Haula each collected three assists for the Devils. Dylan Strome and John Carlson each had a goal and an assist for the Capitals, who also lost defenseman Matt Roy in the second period with a lower-body injury.

Seattle Kraken captain Jordan Eberle scored two goals, including the 300th of his NHL career and the winner in a shootout, to lead his club to a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Joey Daccord stopped 34 shots for the Kraken. Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists while his teammates Mats Zuccarello and Matt Boldy each had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek was injured in the second period when he caught an elbow in the nose from Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson. There was no call on the play. He returned for one shift in the third period and didn’t travel with his teammates to Winnipeg for their Sunday game against the Jets.

The Anaheim Ducks blanked the San Jose Sharks 2-0. Lukas Dostal turned in a 30-save shutout while Isac Lundestrom and Trevor Zegras did the scoring. Before this game, the Sharks announced rookie center Macklin Celebrini was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body ailment believed to be a hip injury. There is no word on when he’ll return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This news came two days after Celebrini scored a goal and collected an assist while logging over 17 minutes of ice time in his first NHL game. It’s uncertain when he suffered the injury during that game.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 12, 2024

by | Oct 12, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 12, 2024

Nikita Kucherov tallies a season-opening hat trick, Tyler Myers sidelined in Canucks loss to shootout loss to the Flyers, plus the latest on Jonathan Drouin, Macklin Celebrini, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Nikita Kucherov tallied a natural hat trick and collected an assist to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a season-opening 4-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Victor Hedman had three assists and Jake Guentzel had two assists in his Lightning debut. Jordan Staal scored for the Hurricanes.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov picked up where he left off last season when he won the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer.

The Philadelphia Flyers nipped the Vancouver Canucks 3-2 on a shootout goal by Morgan Frost. Samuel Ersson stopped 24 shots for his first win of the season while Kevin Lankinen turned aside 29 shots for the Canucks, who also lost defenseman Tyler Myers after injuring his right leg in the first period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers rookies Matvei Michkov and Jett Luchanko were held scoreless in their NHL debut. The Flyers played without defenseman Nick Seeler, who was placed on injured reserve before this game with a knee injury.

Vegas Golden Knights forwards Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev each had a goal and an assist to defeat the St. Louis Blues 4-3. Pavel Buchnevich scored two goals and collected an assist for the Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game began, the Golden Knights reclaimed forward Raphael Lavoie off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers and sent him to their AHL affiliate.

They claimed him from the Oilers earlier in the week, who reclaimed him on Wednesday before putting him on waivers Thursday. No other team made a claim for Lavoie, meaning he didn’t have to pass through waivers to be sent to the Golden Knights’ farm team.

The Winnipeg Jets got two goals from Mark Scheifele for a 2-1 overtime win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Scheifele tied the game with 1:04 remaining in the third period and scored 38 seconds into the extra frame. Connor Hellebuyck made 25 saves for the win. Ryan Donato scored for the Blackhawks, who got a 33-save performance from Arvid Soderblom.

HEADLINES

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Macklin Celebrini is questionable for Saturday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks. The Sharks’ promising young center suffered a lower-body injury during his NHL debut on Thursday against the Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks lost that game in overtime but Celebrini played well, collecting his first NHL goal and assist.

THE DENVER POST: The injury-ravaged Colorado Avalanche are missing another veteran forward as Jonathan Drouin will miss at least the next two games with an upper-body injury. He joins Gabriel Landeskog (knee), Artturi Lehkonen (shoulder) and Valeri Nichushkin (NHL/NHLPA player assistance program) on the sidelines.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings defenseman Jeff Petry is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The pairing of Vince Dunn and Adam Larsson remains the one constant on the changing Kraken blueline.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Bruins placed defenseman Ian Mitchell on waivers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 11, 2024

by | Oct 11, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 11, 2024

Recaps of Thursday’s games include milestone games for Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini and the Penguins’ Evgeni Malkin. Get the details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Macklin Celebrini had a goal and an assist in his NHL debut but his San Jose Sharks blew a three-goal lead to fall 5-4 to the St. Louis Blues. Brayden Schenn tallied the winner in overtime for the Blues after teammates Radek Faksa, Ryan Suter and Justin Faulk scored in the third period. Tyler Toffoli also had a goal and an assist for the Sharks.

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The first-overall pick in this year’s draft, Celebrini (18 years, 119 days) became the third-youngest player to notch multiple points in his NHL debut, following Nathan MacKinnon (18 years, 31 days) and Bobby Carpenter (18 years, 67 days).

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin collected two assists, including the 800th of his NHL career, in a 6-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby also picked up two assists, Anthony Beauvillier tallied twice, and Erik Karlsson had a goal and an assist. Alex DeBrincat scored two goals and picked up an assist for the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A solid bounce-back effort for Pittsburgh following their 6-0 season-opening loss to the New York Rangers the night before. Penguins netminder Joel Blomqvist picked up his first NHL win with a 29-save performance.

Shaky goaltending and sloppy defensive play continue to be a problem for Detroit, who pulled goalie Ville Husso after he surrendered four goals on 14 shots. Red Wings defenseman Jeff Petry left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar had a natural hat trick to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 3-1. Kings goalie Darcy Kuemper got the win with a 32-save performance. Alex Tuch scored for the Sabres, who’ve dropped their first three games of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres dominated the first two periods and took a 1-0 lead into the third before the wheels fell off.

The Boston Bruins beat the Montreal Canadiens 6-4 for their first win of the season. Elias Lindholm and Cole Koepke each had a goal and two assists, Mark Kastelic scored twice, and Jeremy Swayman made 20 saves in his season debut for the Bruins. Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher had two goals and rookie defenseman Lane Hutson collected two assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Defensive mistakes continue to plague the Canadiens while goalie Cayden Primeau’s weak glove hand remains an issue.

Canadiens prospect Oliver Kapanen made his NHL debut in this game. A loophole in the IIHF transfer agreement with the NHL could enable the Habs to send him to their AHL affiliate in Laval instead of returning him to his Swedish club if he stays on their roster for 60 consecutive days.

Linus Ullmark kicked out 30 shots in his debut with the Ottawa Senators in a 3-1 win over the Florida Panthers. Tim Stutzle netted two goals as Travis Green picked up his first win as head coach of the Senators. Gustav Forsling replied for the Panthers, who also lost captain Aleksander Barkov to a lower-body injury late in the third period as he attempted to prevent Stutzle’s empty-net goal. He’ll be reevaluated on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ullmark looked sharp in this game, especially in the third with the Panthers outshooting the Senators 16-9.

The Toronto Maple Leafs doubled up the New Jersey Devils 4-2. Max Pacioretty scored his first goal with the Leafs while rookie goalie Dennis Hildeby won his NHL debut with a 23-save effort, giving Craig Berube his first win as Leafs coach. Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier replied for the Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs stars Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner have been held scoreless through their first two games of this season. Meanwhile, the Devils announced defenseman Santeri Hatakka underwent successful shoulder surgery on Thursday but released no timetable for his return.

Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment scored twice and Logan Stankoven had three assists as their club held on for a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators. Jonathan Marchessault had two assists in his debut with Nashville and Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist for the Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Steven Stamkos and Brady Skjei were held scoreless in their first games with the Predators.

The Utah Hockey Club picked up their second straight win by nipping the New York Islanders 5-4. Dylan Guenther scored twice, including the winner in overtime. Josh Doan tied the game for Utah with less than two minutes remaining in the third period. Anthony Duclair had a goal and an assist and Noah Dobson two assists for the Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Special teams made the difference for Utah, going two-for-two on the power play and killing off five of six penalties.

Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy had a goal and two assists to lead his club to a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Filip Gustavsson turned aside 31 shots for the Wild. Kent Johnson had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets also announced yesterday that captain Boone Jenner underwent shoulder surgery on Wednesday and could be sidelined for six months.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning’s home opener on Saturday against the Carolina Hurricanes has been postponed in the aftermath of Hurricane Milton. Their season-opener is on Friday against the Hurricanes in Raleigh, NC.

CBS SPORTS: Speaking of the Hurricanes, they moved Jesper Fast (neck) to long-term injury reserve.

TSN: The Winnipeg Jets placed goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen on waivers. Eric Comrie will back up starter Connor Hellebuyck.

SPORTSNET: The Edmonton Oilers placed forward Raphael Lavoie on waivers. It’s the third time he’s been on waivers this week, starting with the Oilers losing him to the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday, only to reclaim him off waivers on Wednesday.

TSN: Donnie Marshall, the last surviving member of the Montreal Canadiens dynasty of the late-1950s, passed away at age 92.

Playing his first NHL game in 1951-52, Marshall entered his first full season in 1954-55, winning five straight Stanley Cups with the Canadiens from 1955-56 to 1959-60.

He also played for the New York Rangers, Buffalo Sabres, and Toronto Maple Leafs before retiring at the end of the 1971-72 season. He finished with 265 goals and 324 assists for 589 points in 1,176 regular-season games and 23 points in 94 playoff contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Marshall’s family, friends and former teammates.