NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 5, 2025

by | Apr 5, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 5, 2025

Alex Ovechkin ties Wayne Gretzky for the most regular-season goals in league history, Patrick Kane sets a scoring record for American-born players, injury updates, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF FRIDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored twice to tie Wayne Gretzky for the most regular-season goals in league history (894) in a 5-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. John Carlson collected three assists and Dylan Strome had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (107 points), who moved within one point of the league-leading Winnipeg Jets in the overall standings. Blackhawks rookies Frank Nazar, Oliver Moore and Landon Slaggert each had two points.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a stellar game for Ovechkin, who tied the record with Gretzky in attendance. The Washington captain tallied his 894th goal in his 1,486th regular-season game, one game fewer than when Gretzky concluded his 20-season NHL career in 1999. His next opportunity to break the record is Sunday against the New York Islanders.

Ovechkin also set the record for the most 40-goal seasons (14) and the most career game-winning goals with 136, moving past Jaromir Jagr. The 39-year-old Capitals superstar is the second-oldest player to score 40 goals in a season. Gordie Howe holds that record, doing so at age 40 in 1968-69.

Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson missed this game with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss at least the next two games.

The Detroit Red Wings kept their playoff hopes alive by defeating the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3. Patrick Kane scored his 20th goal of the season while Alex DeBrincat and Dylan Larkin each had two points. Jaccob Slavin picked up two assists for the Hurricanes, whose three-game win streak ended. The Wings (77 points) are four points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth while the Hurricanes sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 96 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane reached the 20-goal plateau for the 17th time, passing Mike Modano for the most 20-goal seasons by an American-born NHL player. Meanwhile, Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov missed this game with an undisclosed injury.

New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson had a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over the Minnesota Wild, snapping a six-game winless skid (0-4-2). Ilya Sorokin stopped 27 shots for the Islanders (76 points), who moved within five points of the Canadiens in the wild-card race. Mats Zuccarello replied for the Wild, who’ve dropped four straight (0-2-2) but remain in the final Western Conference wild card with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild are five points ahead of the Calgary Flames but they’ve been slumping for weeks, causing them to slide in the standings. They’re in danger of being overtaken by the Flames before the end of the regular season (April 17).

HEADLINES

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers star Leon Draisaitl will miss Saturday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings with a lower-body injury. He’s expected to be sidelined short term but there’s no timetable for his return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers are also without captain Connor McDavid, defenseman Mattias Ekholm, and starting goaltender Stuart Skinner.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: On Thursday, Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers suffered a lower-body injury against the Vegas Golden Knights. However, he could return to action on Saturday against the Utah Hockey Club.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars head coach Pete DeBoer listed team captain Jamie Benn (undisclosed) as doubtful for Saturday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

STLTODAY.COM: St. Louis Blues winger Dylan Holloway is week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Holloway played a crucial role in the Blues’ recent surge in the standings. He should be ready to return before the playoffs start on April 19.

SPORTSNET: Toronto Maple Leafs forward David Kampf and Jake McCabe will miss Saturday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets with injuries.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks head coach Ryan Warsofsky will be the bench boss for Team USA at the 2025 World Championships.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 4, 2025

by | Apr 4, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 4, 2025

A milestone game for Cale Makar as the Avalanche clinch a playoff berth, the Senators and Canadiens strengthen their wild-card positions, the Blues match a franchise record, the league plans to address LTIR issues with the NHLPA, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

RECAPS OF THURSDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar tallied his 30th goal of the season in a 7-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, clinching a playoff berth in the Western Conference. Makar also collected two assists while Nathan MacKinnon, Charlie Coyle and Devon Toews also each had a goal and two assists for the Avalanche as they sit third in the Central Division with 98 points. Sean Monahan, Zach Aston-Reese and Boone Jenner replied for the Blue Jackets, who sit four points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth with 77 points.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Makar is the ninth defenseman in NHL history to record a 30-goal season, and the first to do so since Mike Green (31) in 2008-09. He also reached the 60-assist and 90-point plateaus, becoming the first defenseman to achieve consecutive 90-point campaigns since Paul Coffey and Al MacInnis in 1990-91. Makar joins Coffey, Raymond Bourque, Denis Potvin and Bobby Orr as the only blueliners in NHL history to have 30 goals and 60 assists in one season.

The Ottawa Senators nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1, strengthening their grip on the first Eastern wild-card spot while snapping the latter’s four-game win streak. Linus Ullmark stopped 31 shots while Shane Pinto and Jake Sanderson scored for the Senators (86 points), giving them a five-point lead over the Montreal Canadiens. Brandon Hagel netted his 34th goal for the Lightning (93 points), who remain three points behind the Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators also reached the 40-win plateau for the first time since 2016-17, when they last clinched a playoff berth. They got this win without team captain Brady Tkachuk. He remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Speaking of the Canadiens (81 points), they got a 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins to open a two-point lead over the New York Rangers for the final Eastern wild card. Brendan Gallagher and Nick Suzuki each had a goal and an assist and Cole Caufield tallied his 35th goal of the season. Elias Lindholm replied for the Bruins, who’ve dropped 10 straight games and sit last in the Eastern Conference with 69 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 81 points, Suzuki is the first Canadiens player to reach the 80-point plateau since Alex Kovalev in 2007-08. Caufield is the first Hab to score 35 goals in a season since Max Pacioretty in 2016-17. In other Canadiens news, they’ve reportedly signed prospect goaltender Jacob Fowler to an entry-level contract.

The last time the Bruins finished last in the Eastern Conference was in 1996-97. They also finished last overall, selecting Joe Thornton with the first overall pick in the 1997 NHL Draft.

The St. Louis Blues tied their franchise-record win streak of 11 games by squeaking past the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 on an overtime goal by Robert Thomas, who also collected an assist in regulation. Jake Neighbours tallied twice while Jordan Kyrou had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who surged past the Minnesota Wild (89 points) into the first Western wild-card berth with 91 points. Penguins rookie Rutger McGroarty collected his first NHL points with a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues forward Dylan Holloway left this game after the first period with an upper-body injury. There was no post-game update regarding his condition. Penguins center Evgeny Malkin missed his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury.

Calgary Flames forward Blake Coleman scored twice to down the Anaheim Ducks 4-1. Dustin Wolf made 26 saves and Yegor Sharangovich picked up two assists for the Flames (84 points), putting them five behind the Wild in the Western wild-card race. Olen Zellweger replied for the Ducks, who were officially eliminated from the postseason chase.

The Edmonton Oilers’ 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks was overshadowed by Leon Draisaitl’s departure in the second period with an undisclosed injury. Draisaitl picked up an assist before he left the game while teammate Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist for the Oilers, who sit third in the Pacific Division with 93 points. Tyler Toffoli picked up his 28th goal for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl recently returned from an injury. There was no postgame update regarding his current status. The absence of their leading scorer is cause for concern for the Oilers, who are also without team captain Connor McDavid, defenseman Mattias Ekholm, and starting goalie Stuart Skinner. Meanwhile, Sharks defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin missed this game with an upper-body injury and is still being re-evaluated.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Eric Comrie kicked out 26 shots to shut out the Vegas Golden Knights 4-0. Mark Scheifele netted his 37th goal of the season as the Jets tied their franchise record with their 52nd win, sitting three points ahead of the Washington Capitals atop the overall standings with 108 points. The Golden Knights hold first place in the Pacific Division with 98 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers left this game in the third period with an injured left leg. In his post-game interview, head coach Scott Arniel indicated that he felt Ehlers’ injury wasn’t too serious.

The Dallas Stars picked up their seventh straight win by defeating the Nashville Predators 5-1. Wyatt Johnston extended his goal streak to six games while Mikko Rantanen, Matt Duchene, Jason Robertson and Mason Marchment each had two points as the Wild sit second in the Central Division with 104 points. Steven Stamkos replied for the Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rantanen became the third-fastest Finnish-born NHL player to reach the 700-point plateau, achieving the milestone in 645 games. Jiri Kurri was the fastest (483 games) followed by Teemu Selanne (541). Stars captain Jamie Benn missed this game with a “maintenance issue”, ending his streak of 371 consecutive games played.

Los Angeles Kings forwards Kevin Fiala and Trevor Moore scored 44 seconds apart for a 4-2 victory over the Utah Hockey Club. Darcy Kuemper turned aside 28 shots and Drew Doughty had a goal and an assist for the Kings (95 points), moving within three points of the first-place Golden Knights in the Pacific Division. Lawson Crouse and Jack McBain scored for Utah.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah forward Dylan Guenther suffered a broken nose, two black eyes and nine stitches during Tuesday’s game against Calgary, but suited up for this contest wearing a protective bubble cage attached to his helmet. “I mean, your nose is a long way from your legs. It doesn’t really affect you,” he said.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reported negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association began this week. The league intends to bring up the ongoing issue of long-term injury reserve where players on LTIR return in time to skate in the playoffs. That’s been a contentious issue because several teams soar over the salary cap during the playoffs because there is no cap in the postseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Whether the two sides can find an adequate solution remains to be seen.

One suggestion is the salary cap should be extended to the playoffs, but that issue can be seen as penalizing teams for having injured players. Another suggestion was having sidelined players scheduled to return by the opening round of the playoffs prevented from playing in that round, but that would unfairly punish them for getting injured, which could violate Canadian and American labor laws.

NEW YORK POST: Islanders winger Anthony Duclair has been granted a leave of absence from the team after head coach Patrick Roy publicly criticized his play following a recent loss. Roy told reporters that he and Duclair had a good discussion following the incident, and the winger is taking time off to reflect.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That raises questions over whether Duclair is done for the season and about his future with the Islanders.

DAILY FACEOFF: Michigan State forward Isaac Howard, University of Denver defenseman Zeev Buium, and Boston College forward Ryan Leonard are the 2025 Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalists. Howard is a Tampa Bay Lightning prospect, Buium is a prospect of the Minnesota Wild, and Leonard recently joined the Washington Capitals on an entry-level contract.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 3, 2025

by | Apr 3, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 3, 2025

Alex Ovechkin is within a hat trick of becoming the all-time goals leader while the Maple Leafs and Hurricanes clinch postseason berths. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin netted his 892nd regular-season goal but his club fell 5-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes. Ovechkin is only three goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes clinched a playoff berth for the seventh straight season as Jackson Blake scored twice and Seth Jarvis tallied his 30th goal of the season.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Washington sits first in the Eastern Conference with 105 points but only one win in their last five games (1-3-1). They remain a point back of the Winnipeg Jets, who sit atop the overall standings. Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson left this game with an upper-body injury. There was no postgame update on his condition.

The Hurricanes are on a roll, winning 12 of their last 14 games. They sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 96 points.

The Toronto Maple Leafs got goals from John Tavares, Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies as they held off the Florida Panthers 3-2 to clinch a playoff spot. Anthony Stolarz made 29 saves as the Leafs sit first in the Atlantic Division with 96 points. Gustav Forsling and Sam Reinhart replied for the Panthers, who are four points behind the Leafs in third place in the division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Toronto has the longest active postseason streak (nine seasons) but has only one playoff series win thus far. Leafs forward David Kampf left this game with an upper-body injury.

Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (upper-body injury) and center Nico Sturm (undisclosed) missed this game and are listed as day-to-day. The Panthers are 0-2-1 in their last three contests.

An overtime goal by Vincent Trocheck lifted the New York Rangers over the Minnesota Wild 5-4. Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists for the Rangers, who are tied with the Montreal Canadiens with 79 points. Marcus Johansson had a goal and two assists for the Wild to regain the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with a game in hand over the Rangers. The Wild are tied in points with the St. Louis Blues but have 33 regulation wins to the Blues’ 30, putting the latter into the final Western wild card.

Shootout goals by Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen gave the Colorado Avalanche a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Martin Necas tied the game for Colorado with 11 seconds remaining in the third period. The Avalanche hold third place in the Central Division with 96 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche forward Jonathan Drouin left this game after the first period with a lower-body injury. There was no postgame update about his condition.

Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord made 24 saves to shut out the Vancouver Canucks 5-0. Jared McCann collected three assists and Andre Burakovsky had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was another blow for the Canucks’ fading playoff hopes, leaving them eight points out of the final Western wild card.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars head coach Pete DeBoer said there’s a chance sidelined forward Tyler Seguin and defenseman Miro Heiskanen could return to the lineup for the start of the postseason, which begins on April 19.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: With Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler sidelined, Luke Hughes has stepped up as the Devils’ No. 1 defenseman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was only a matter of time until Hughes moved into that role. The injuries to Hamilton and Siegenthaler opened that pathway earlier than expected. The 21-year-old blueliner has seized the opportunity with 41 points in 66 games, putting him six shy of last season’s career-best of 47.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Edmonton sportswriter Bruce McCurdy passed away on Wednesday. He wrote for the now-defunct blog “Copper and Blue” and was co-writer of the Journal’s “The Cult of Hockey” and co-host of the eponymous podcast.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My sincere condolences to Bruce’s family, friends, and staff of the Journal, especially David Staples, his co-host on “The Cult of Hockey” podcast. I started following Bruce’s work during his “Copper and Blue” days, occasionally interacted with him, and cited his work on this site from time to time. He was a passionate follower of the Oilers and I will miss his insight.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 2, 2025

by | Apr 2, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 2, 2025

Alex Ovechkin within four goals of becoming the all-time goal-scoring leader, the Golden Knights clinch a playoff berth, the Blues pick up their 10th straight win, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin tallied his 891st NHL regular-season goal in a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins. Third-period goals by Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson enable the Capitals (105 points) to hold off the Bruins, moving to within one point of the first-overall Winnipeg Jets. David Pastrnak scored twice to reach 37 goals on the season for the Bruins, who are 0-8-1 in their last nine games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin needs four more goals to break Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. The Capitals have eight games remaining in their regular-season schedule.

The Vegas Golden Knights dropped a 3-2 decision to the Edmonton Oilers but became the fourth team to clinch a playoff berth. Second-period goals by Jake Walman, Leon Draisaitl and Viktor Arvidsson gave the Oilers (91 points) the win, moving them two points behind the second-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division. Nicolas Roy and Pavel Dorofeyev scored for the Golden Knights, who sit atop the Pacific with 98 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights signed top prospect Trevor Connolly yesterday to a three-year entry-level contract.

An overtime goal by Cam Fowler lifted the St. Louis Blues over the Detroit Red Wings 2-1, extending their win streak to 10 games. Fowler also assisted on Jordan Kyrou’s 32nd goal of the season as the Blues moved one point ahead of the Minnesota Wild into the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 89 points. J.T. Compher scored for the Wings (75 points), who sit four points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

Speaking of the final Eastern wild card, the Montreal Canadiens (79 points) opened a two-point lead over the Columbus Blue Jackets and New York Rangers with a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers. Nick Suzuki scored the tying goal with nine seconds remaining in the third period and the winning goal 29 seconds into overtime. Lane Hutson collected assists on all three goals for the Canadiens as they swept their season series with the defending Stanley Cup champion. Niko Mikkola and Mackie Samoskevich scored for the Panthers, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 92 points.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hutson became the 10th rookie defenseman in league history to reach the 60-point plateau, finishing the game with 62 points. The 21-year-old blueliner leads this season’s rookie class with 57 assists, 62 points, power-play points (25) and ice time per game (22:40).

Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko tallied a hat trick and collected an assist in an 8-4 drubbing of the Nashville Predators. Sean Monahan scored twice and added two assists and Adam Fantilli netted two goals and an assist as the Blues Jackets kept pace with the Canadiens in the Eastern wild-card race. Predators winger Filip Forsberg scored his 29th goal of the season.

The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the New York Islanders 4-1. Nikita Kucherov had two assists to extend his points streak to nine games as the Lightning (93 points) moved one point ahead of the Panthers into second place in the Atlantic Division, one point behind the Toronto Maple Leafs. Bo Horvat replied for the Islanders, who sit five points behind the Canadiens in the wild-card chase.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning’s Ryan McDonagh became the eighth player in NHL history to reach the 2,000 blocked shots milestone. Meanwhile, Islanders coach Patrick Roy singled out winger Anthony Duclair for his poor play, calling him “god awful”.

Los Angeles Kings forwards Anze Kopitar, Andrei Kuzmenko and Adrian Kempe each had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. The Kings sit second in the Pacific Division with 93 points. Cole Perfetti scored for the Jets, who remain first overall with 106 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: They’ll have to call Kopitar, Kuzmenko and Kempe the “AK Line” if they keep producing together at that pace.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson scored to extend his goal streak to five games as his club upset the Ottawa Senators 5-2. Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres, who’ve won five of their last six games. Claude Giroux and Jake Sanderson scored for the Senators (84 points), who sit five points ahead of the Canadiens in the first Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators captain Brady Tkachuk missed this game with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, the club is close to a deal with Canadian Tire to extend their arena naming rights agreement by another five years.

The Utah Hockey Club dealt a blow to the Calgary Flames’ playoff hopes with a 3-1 victory. Karel Vejmelka stopped 33 shots while Kevin Stenlund, Barrett Hayton, and Clayton Keller scored for Utah. Rasmus Andersson replied for the Flames (82 points), who are six points behind the Wild for the final Western wild-card berth.

A shootout goal by Mason McTavish lifted the Anaheim Ducks over the San Jose Sharks 4-3. McTavish also had three assists in regulation time. Marc-Edouard Vlasic scored his first goal of the season for the Sharks.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel, Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares, and St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington are the league’s Three Stars for March 2025. Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson was named Rookie of the Month.

ROTOWIRE: Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal (lower body) is doubtful for Wednesday’s game against the Capitals.

ESPN.COM: Vancouver Canucks center Filip Chytil might miss the rest of the season as he attempts to recover from another concussion.

TORONTO SUN: Former NHL goaltender Mark Laforest died suddenly on March 31 at 62. He spent six seasons in the NHL between 1985-86 and 1993-94 with the Detroit Red Wings, Philadelphia Flyers, Toronto Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators. He had a record of 25-54-4 in 103 games played with two shutouts, a 4.23 goals-against average and a .868 save percentage.

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










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 1, 2025

by | Apr 1, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 1, 2025

Recaps of Monday’s games, the three stars of the week are revealed, and the latest on Matthew Tkachuk, Tomas Hertl and more (no foolin’) in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Calgary Flames kept their playoff hopes alive by nipping the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on a shootout goal by Yegor Sharangovich. Cale Makar and Logan O’Connor gave Colorado a 2-0 lead but Calgary got third-period goals from Ryan Lomberg and Adam Klapka to tie the game. With 82 points, the Flames are five points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. The Avalanche sit third in the Central Division with 94 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon collected an assist for his 80th of the season and 110th point, regaining the lead in the race for the Art Ross Trophy. He also extended his home points streak to 25 games.

New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes had a goal and an assist in a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Jacob Markstrom stopped 27 shots for New Jersey and Jesper Bratt tallied the winning goal in the shootout. The Devils hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 87 points. Vinnie Hinostroza and Matt Boldy replied for the Wild, who hold the first Western wild-card spot with 88 points.

Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston (NHL Images).

The Dallas Stars picked up their sixth straight win by defeating the Seattle Kraken 3-1. Wyatt Johnston scored for the fifth straight game and Casey DeSmith kicked out 35 shots for the Stars, who sit second in the Western Conference with 102 points. Kaapo Kakko scored for the Kraken.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale snapped a 1-1 tie in the second period to give his club a 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators. Rookie Matvei Michkov collected two assists as the Flyers got their third straight win under interim coach Brad Shaw. Zachary L’Heureux scored for the Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Michkov has been on fire since Shaw took over behind the bench, tallying four goals and three assists for seven points. Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway returned to action after missing 15 games with an upper-body injury.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz, and Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck are the league’s three stars for the week ending March 30, 2025.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk had his first on-ice workout on Monday since being sidelined playing for Team USA in February’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. He’ll travel with the club on its final regular-season road trip as he continues working out with the team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk could be ready to return for the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs on April 19.

NHL.COM: Speaking of the Panthers, defenseman Niko Mikkola was fined $5,000.00 by the department of player safety for unsportsmanlike conduct during Sunday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl will be unavailable for his club’s next four games with an upper-body injury. He’s been sidelined since March 23. Meanwhile, backup goaltender Ilya Samsonov is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Washington Capitals signed top prospect Ryan Leonard to an entry-level contract. He could make his NHL debut on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leonard is among several prospects signing entry-level deals with their NHL teams as the NCAA hockey season winds down. Others include Gabe Perreault signing with the New York Rangers, Matthew Wood joining the Nashville Predators, Jimmy Snuggerud moving on to the St. Louis Blues, and Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel signing with the Chicago Blackhawks.

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins placed forward Emil Bemstrom on waivers.

NHL.COM: On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings will honor long-time play-by-play announcer Nick Nickson with a pregame ceremony. Nickson is retiring after this season following 44 years of calling Kings games on radio and television. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015.

SPORTRAC: The NHL has agreed with Rogers Communication on a 12-year, USD $7.7 billion contract extension ($11 billion Cdn) beginning in 2026-27. The current 12-year, $5.2 billion deal expires at the end of next season. The league board of governors is expected to vote on the deal this week.

The league and Rogers declined to comment.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 31, 2025

by | Mar 31, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 31, 2025

Alex Ovechkin reaches 890 goals, the Jets widen their lead in the overall standings and the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth changes hands again. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is five goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals. He scored his 890th goal in an 8-5 loss to the Buffalo Sabres and also collected two points to finish the game with three points. Sabres forwards Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch each scored two goals for the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Washington holds first place in the Eastern Conference with 103 points but has gone 0-2-1 in their last three games. Capitals head coach Spencer Carberry shook up his top-two in the third period, saying his team needs more from its top-six forwards amid a three-game skid.

The Winnipeg Jets widen their lead in the overall standings with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Kyle Connor had a goal and an assist and Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves for the Jets (106 points), opening a three-point lead over the Capitals. Pius Suter scored for the Canucks (81 points), who remain six points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (NHL Images).

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki scored the winning goal and picked up two assists to double up the Florida Panthers 4-2. Rookie defenseman Lane Hutson set up three goals and Juraj Slafkovsky had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens, who regained the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 77 points. Sam Reinhart and Seth Jones replied for the Panthers as they sit third in the Atlantic Division with 91 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hutson leads all rookies this season with 59 points. The Canadiens have the same points total as the New York Rangers but hold the wild card with a game in hand. Meanwhile, the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning are tied in points but the latter holds second place in the division with 37 regulation wins.

The Toronto Maple Leafs opened a three-point lead atop the Atlantic Division (94 points) with a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Steve Lorentz broke a 2-2 tie, Mitch Marner scored his 23rd goal of the season, and Joseph Woll stopped 29 shots for the Leafs. Leo Carlsson tallied his 20th of the season for the Ducks.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis scored two goals as his club downed the New York Islanders 6-4. Sebastian Aho had a goal and two assists for the Hurricanes, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 94 points. Pierre Engvall tallied twice for the Islanders, who’ve gone 0-3-2 in their last five contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes are on a roll, winning 11 of their last 13 games. Meanwhile, the Islanders are three points behind the Canadiens for the final Eastern wild-card spot.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby’s overtime lifted his club to a 1-0 blanking of the Ottawa Senators. Tristan Jarry kicked out 31 shots for his first shutout of the season. Anton Forsberg turned aside 34 shots for the Senators (84 points) as they collected a point to sit seven points ahead of the Canadiens in the first Eastern wild-card position.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins played without forward Boko Imama as he underwent surgery on Friday to repair a torn bicep. His recovery timeline is four-to-six months.

Los Angeles Kings forwards Adrian Kempe and Warren Foegele each scored two goals to crush the San Jose Sharks 8-1. Team captain Anze Kopitar collected three assists as the Kings moved ahead of the Edmonton Oilers into second place in the Pacific Division standings with 91 points. Sharks rookie Cam Lund scored for the second straight game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kopitar notched his 316th multipoint game, moving ahead of Sergei Fedorov into ninth place all-time among NHL players born outside North America. Jaromir Jagr is the leader with 540.

Utah Hockey Club forward Alex Kerfoot had a goal and two assists in a 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Mikhail Sergachev had a goal and an assist for Utah while Ryan Donato netted his 29th of the season for Chicago.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah defenseman Robert Bortuzzo returned to action after missing 35 games with a lower-body injury.

IN OTHER NEWS…

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers captain Connor McDavid (lower-body injury) will not travel with his teammates as they begin their four-game road trip. There is a slight chance he could rejoin the club before their road trip ends in Anaheim on April 7.

THE ATHLETIC’s Michael Russo reports Minnesota Wild forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek practiced for the first time yesterday, but their return to action remains to be determined.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Boston Bruins placed Patrick Brown and Vinni Lettieri on waivers. The Wild did the same with Brendan Gaunce and Devin Shore. If they are claimed off waivers, they will be ineligible to play in the postseason with their new teams following the trade deadline.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning must free up salary-cap space to sign prospect Isaac Howard to an entry-level contract.