NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 14, 2024

by | Jan 14, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 14, 2024

The Oilers and Kraken maintain their win streaks while the Jets’ and Panthers’ streaks come to an end and the final 12 players are announced for the All-Star Game. Details and more from a busy Saturday in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers set a franchise record with their 10th consecutive win by nipping the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 on an overtime power-play goal by Evan Bouchard. Leon Draisaitl tied the game in the third period for the Oilers (23-15-1) as they hold the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 47 points. Sam Montembeault stopped 39 shots and Cole Caufield scored for the 17-18-7 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens called up Joshua Roy from their AHL affiliate in Laval to replace sidelined winger Josh Anderson.

Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann scored twice and added an assist as his club won their franchise-record ninth straight contest by downing the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-4, extending their points streak to 13 games. Joey Daccord made 30 saves for his eighth straight win while Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and two assists for the 19-14-9 Kraken, who sit just behind the Oilers with 47 points. Ivan Provorov tallied twice for the 13-21-9 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets made rookie defenseman David Jiricek a healthy scratch from this contest.

The Winnipeg Jets’ eight-game win streak came to an end as they fell 2-0 to the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson made 35 saves for the shutout while Cam Atkinson scored twice to snap his goalless streak that stretched back to Nov. 11. With a record of 23-14-6, the Flyers sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 52 points. Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 34 shots for the 28-10-4 Jets, as they slipped into second place in the overall standings with 60 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers played without Jamie Drysdale (illness) and Sean Couturier (“minor injury”) while Jets center Mark Scheifele sat out with a lower-body injury.

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko made 26 saves to blank the Buffalo Sabres 1-0. Sam Lafferty netted the only goal for the 29-11-3 Canucks for their fifth straight win as they vaulted over the Jets into first overall with 61 points. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 22 shots for the 18-21-4 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson left the game in the second period after taking an elbow in the face from Canucks blueliner Filip Hronek.

A 36-save performance by Nico Daws carried the New Jersey Devils over the Florida Panthers 4-1, snapping the latter’s nine-game win streak. Jesper Bratt scored what proved to be the game-winner for the 22-15-3 Devils (47 points) as they sit one point out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Sam Reinhart extended his goal streak to six games for the Panthers (27-13-2) as they sit second in the Eastern Conference with 56 points.

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (NHL Images).

An overtime goal by Charlie McAvoy gave the Boston Bruins a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. McAvoy and Brad Marchand each had two goals for the 25-8-9 Bruins, who sit first overall in the Eastern Conference with 59 points. Jordan Binnington stopped 31 shots for the 21-18-2 Blues, who are three points out of the final Western wild-card spot with 44 points.

Third-period goals by Nic Dowd and T.J. Oshie lifted the Washington Capitals over the New York Rangers 3-2, leaving the latter winless in their last four games (0-3-1). Charlie Lindgren made 25 saves for the 20-14-6 Capitals (46 points) as they sit two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Adam Fox tallied both goals for the Rangers (26-13-2) as they hold first place in the Metropolitan Division with 54 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin missed this game with a lower-body injury.

The Carolina Hurricanes extended their points streak to eight games by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on an overtime tally by Brett Pesce, who finished the game with two goals. Antti Raanta made 38 saves for the 24-13-5 Hurricanes (53) as they sit one point back of the Rangers in the Metro Division. Bryan Rust had a goal and an assist for the Penguins (20-15-6) as they sit two points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot with 46 points.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin scored two goals to lead his club to a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, extending the latter’s winless skid to eight games (0-4-4). Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist while Alex Lyon stopped 33 shots for the 21-16-5 Red Wings (47 points), who are one point out of the final Eastern wild-card berth. Quinton Byfield scored two goals for the 20-11-8 Kings, who remain third in the Pacific Division with 48 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings head coach Todd McLellan is facing the heat from the club’s fans as they chanted for him to be fired. They could get their wish if the Kings don’t soon reverse their current slide.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos tallied twice to beat the Anaheim Ducks 5-1. Nikita Kucherov collected three assists to remain the league’s scoring leader with 72 points as his club improved to 22-17-5 and sit in the first Eastern wild-card spot with 49 points. Lukas Dostol turned aside 36 shots for the 14-27-1 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak missed this game with an upper-body injury.

Five unanswered goals rallied the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Jonathan Drouin and Ross Colton each had a goal and an assist for the 28-12-3 Avalanche (59 points) as they sit one point behind the first-place Jets in the Central Division. Martin Jones stopped 28 shots for the 21-11-8 Leafs as they sit third in the Atlantic Division with 50 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson returned to action after missing the last two games with an undisclosed injury.

The Dallas Stars netted three unanswered third-period goals in a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Goalie Jake Oettinger picked up the win for Dallas after Scott Wedgewood left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury. With a record of 25-12-2, the Stars are third in the Central Division with 55 points. Petr Mrazek stopped 27 shots for the 12-29-2 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones returned to the lineup after missing 15 games with a shoulder injury.

Arizona Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram made 38 saves for his fifth shutout of the season in a 6-0 win over the Minnesota Wild. Nick Bjugstad had a hat trick as the Coyotes (21-18-2) moved to within three points of a Western wild-card spot with 44 points. Goaltender Filip Gustavsson and winger Kirill Kaprizov returned to action for the 17-20-5 Wild after missing several games with injuries.

The Nashville Predators defeated the New York Islanders 3-1 on late goals by Alexandre Carrier and Juuso Parssinen. Juuse Saros stopped 24 shots for the 24-18-1 Predators as they hold the first Western wild-card berth with 49 points. Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored for the Islanders (19-13-10) as they cling to the final Eastern wild-card spot with 48 points.

Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 31 saves while Blake Coleman had a goal and an assist to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-1. Chandler Stephenson had the only goal for the Golden Knights (24-14-5) as they sit second in the Pacific Division with 53 points. The Flames improved to 20-18-5 (45 points) to move within two points of the final Western wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel missed this contest with an undisclosed injury.

The Ottawa Senators ended a five-game losing skid with a 5-4 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Vladimir Tarasenko tallied the game-winner with five seconds remaining in the third period while Artem Zub picked up three assists for the 15-23-0 Senators. MacKenzie Blackwood kicked out 36 shots while Mario Ferraro had three assists for the 10-30-3 Sharks, who’ve lost 13 of their last 14 games.

DAILY FACEOFF: Toronto Maple Leafs William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly and Vancouver Canucks Elias Pettersson, JT Miller, Brock Boeser and Thatcher Demko have been named to the 2024 NHL All-Star Game as voted by the fans. The others included Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman, Florida Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, Colorado Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev, Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar and Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 5, 2024

by | Jan 5, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 5, 2024

Recaps of a busy Thursday schedule, the first 32 players selected for the 2024 All-Star Game are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins took a 5-2 lead over the Boston Bruins and held on for a 6-5 victory, snapping the latter’s four-game win streak. Sidney Crosby scored the game-winner and collected two assists while Kris Letang picked up three assists for the 19-14-4 Penguins (42 points), who sit one point out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie each had a goal and two assists while Brad Marchand tallied twice for the Bruins (23-8-6) as they dropped to second place in the overall standings with 52 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Penguins announced forward Matt Nieto will be sidelined for six to eight weeks following knee surgery. Meanwhile, Jesse Puljujarvi signed a professional tryout offer with the Penguins’ AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Two unanswered third-period goals by Jacob Trouba and Jimmy Vesey gave the New York Rangers a 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Artemi Panarin had a goal and an assist while Vincent Trocheck chipped in three assists for the Rangers (26-10-1) as they took over first place in the overall standings with 53 points. Colin Blackwell scored for the injury-ravaged Blackhawks as they slipped to 11-25-2.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images)

An overtime goal by Nathan MacKinnon lifted the Colorado Avalanche over the Dallas Stars 5-4. MacKinnon scored twice and picked up an assist while Jonathan Drouin also netted two goals for the 25-11-3 Avalanche, who’ve won four straight and moved into first place in the Western Conference with 53 points. Tyler Seguin potted two goals for the Stars (22-10-5) as they sit in third place in the Central Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon is tearing up the league right now. With 21 points in his last nine games, the Avs center is tied with Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov for the league’s scoring lead with 64 points.

Speaking of Nikita Kucherov, he picked up an assist as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Minnesota Wild 4-1. Darren Raddysh scored twice for the Lightning (19-16-5) as they moved ahead of the New Jersey Devils into the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 43 points. Zach Bogosian scored for the 16-17-4 Wild.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 27 saves to backstop his club to a 2-1 win over the San Jose Sharks, handing the latter their 10th straight loss. Morgan Barron and Gabriel Vilardi scored for the Jets (24-9-4), winning four straight and sitting second in the Western Conference with 52 points. Alexander Barabanov scored for the 9-27-3 Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Sharks announced defenseman Matt Benning is out for the rest of the season following hip surgery. He’s expected to be ready for training camp in September.

The Florida Panthers picked up their sixth straight win by downing the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1, handing the Stanley Cup champions their sixth loss in their last seven games. Sam Reinhart, Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe each had a goal and an assist for the 24-12-2 Panthers, who sit second in the Atlantic Division with 50 points. Logan Thompson made 32 saves for the Golden Knights (22-12-5), who sit second in the Pacific Division with 49 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov caught an inadvertent elbow in the head from Golden Knights defenseman Alec Martinez and left the game in the first period. Barkov’s teammate Evan Rodrigues also left the game following the first period with a lower-body injury.

Before this game, the Golden Knights claimed defenseman Tobias Bjornfot off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings.

A shootout goal by Johnny Gaudreau lifted the Columbus Blue Jackets past the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. The Blue Jackets (13-19-8) overcame a 2-0 deficit on third-period goals by Damon Severson and Jake Bean while Daniil Tarasov stopped 39 shots. Travis Konecny scored both goals for the 19-13-6 Flyers, who hold the first Eastern wild-card spot with 44 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers forwards Cam Atkinson and Morgan Frost were healthy scratches from this contest. It’s the 11th time Frost has been scratched, which could fuel speculation over his future in Philadelphia.

The Calgary Flames scored four first-period goals en route to a 6-3 win over the Nashville Predators. Rasmus Andersson, Blake Coleman, Yegor Sharangovich and Conor Zary each had a goal and an assist for the 17-16-5 Flames. Goalie Juuse Saros got the hook following the second period after giving up five goals on 20 shots as his Predators (21-17-1) sit in the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 43 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames defenseman Dennis Gilbert suffered an upper-body injury late in the game following a slew-foot by Predators forward Philip Tomasino. Earlier in the day, they assigned defenseman Oliver Kylington to their AHL affiliate on a conditioning stint as he prepares to return to action after missing all of last season and the first half of this one dealing with mental health issues.

Seattle Kraken netminder Joey Daccord turned aside 32 shots as his club downed the Ottawa Senators 4-1. Jordan Eberle and Vince Dunn each had two points as the 16-14-9 Kraken picked up their sixth straight win and extended their points streak to a franchise record 10 games. They also moved into the final Western wild-card spot with 41 points. Parker Kelly scored for the 14-20-0 Senators, who’ve dropped seven of their last 10 games.

St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas scored the game-winner in a 2-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Thomas also picked up an assist for the 19-17-1 Blues. Conor Garland scored for the Canucks (24-11-3) as they sit third overall in the Western Conference with 51 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Blues recalled forward Jakub Vrana, placed defenseman Justin Faulk (lower body) on injured reserve and sent forward Nikita Alexandrov to their AHL affiliate in Springfield on a conditioning stint.

Three unanswered third-period goals powered the New York Islanders over the Arizona Coyotes by a score of 5-1. Bo Horvat scored twice, Mathew Barzal collected two assists and Ilya Sorokin made 25 saves for the Islanders (18-10-10) as they sit third in the Metropolitan Division. Nick Schmaltz scored for the 19-16-2 Coyotes as they slipped out of a Western wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Islanders indicated goalie Semyon Varlamov is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. They called up netminder Ken Appleby from their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.

Detroit Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri tallied two goals while Patrick Kane scored the winner in a shootout in a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings. The Wings improved to 19-16-4 on the season. Adrian Kempe had two goals for the Kings (20-9-6) as they sit third in the Pacific Division.

The Buffalo Sabres crushed the Montreal Canadiens 6-1. Jeff Skinner had a goal and three assists, Tage Thompson scored twice and Devon Levi made 32 saves for the 16-19-4 Sabres. Joel Armia had the only goal for the 16-17-5 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Canadiens announced center Christian Dvorak is done for the season after suffering a torn pectoral muscle.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The league released the names of 32 players (one from each club) selected to participate in the 2024 All-Star Game on Feb. 3 in Toronto.

Among the Eastern Conference notables are Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov.

Western Conference stars include Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes and Chicago Blackhawks rookie center Connor Bedard, who will be the youngest player in NHL history to play for an NHL All-Star team.

Fans can vote through Jan. 11 to select the remaining 12 players.

DAILY FACEOFF: New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin was not among the 32 players selected for the All-Star Game because his wife was expecting their second child then. He asks Rangers fans to vote for one of his teammates instead.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 14, 2023

by | Dec 14, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 14, 2023

More scoring milestones were reached by Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon, a big night for Jets winger Gabriel Vilardi, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored two goals and set up another to rally his club to a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Jansen Harkins netted the winning goal in the 12th round of the shootout as the Penguins improved to 13-12-3 (29 points) to sit two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Sean Monahan tallied his ninth goal of the season for the 12-13-4 Canadiens, who sit a point back of the Penguins.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby is now tied with Hall-of-Famer (and former teammate) Mark Recchi for 13th on the all-time points list with 1,533. He’s just six points behind Joe Thornton, who sits 12th with 1,539.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon extended his points streak to 13 games as his club downed the Buffalo Sabres 5-1. MacKinnon collected two assists, Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists while Valeri Nichushkin tallied twice for the 18-9-2 Avalanche, who hold a two-point lead over the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the Central Division with 38 points. Zach Benson scored for the 12-15-3 Sabres, who’ve dropped seven of their last 10 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon also reached the 800-point milestone, becoming the fifth-fastest active player to do so. Sabres forward Jeff Skinner left this game with an upper-body injury.

Colorado fans gave former Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson a standing ovation in his first game at Ball Arena since signing with the Sabres this summer. He spent nearly 13 seasons with the Avs and helped them win the Stanley Cup in 2022.

Speaking of the Jets, they rolled to a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Gabriel Vilardi had a career-high four points (one goal, three assists) against his former club while Nikolaj Ehlers scored twice and collected two assists and Mark Scheifele had two goals and an assist for the 17-9-2 Jets. Anze Kopitar and Alex Laferriere scored for the Kings (16-6-4) as they blew a 2-0 lead and sit third in the Pacific Division with 36 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was reported before this game that Jets winger Kyle Connor is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks with a lower-body (knee) injury.

An overtime goal by Jack Hughes lifted the New Jersey Devils over the Boston Bruins 2-1. Dawson Mercer tied the game in the third period for the Devils (15-11-1), who sit behind the Washington Capitals for the final Eastern wild-card spot with 31 points. Jeremy Swayman stopped 33 shots while Morgan Geekie had the only goal for the Bruins (18-5-4) as they sit atop the Eastern Conference standings with 40 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Erik Haula picked up an assist on Mercer’s goal as he was activated off injured reserve for this game. Meanwhile, the Bruins placed defenseman Jakub Zboril on waivers.

The New York Islanders nipped the Anaheim Ducks 4-3 on a shorthanded goal by Simon Holmstrom with 1:33 remaining in the third period. Noah Dobson collected two assists for the Islanders (14-7-7) as they sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 35 points. John Gibson made 30 saves for the Ducks (10-18-0) as they’ve lost four in a row and nine of their last 10.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders activated defenseman Sebastian Aho off injured reserve for this game.

HEADLINES

TSN: The St. Louis Blues hired former all-star center Brad Richards as a consultant to work with the club’s power play under interim coach Drew Bannister. Meanwhile, winger Jakub Vrana cleared waivers and was sent to the Blues’ AHL affiliate in Springfield.

SPORTSNET: The Minnesota Wild and assistant general manager Chris O’Hearn have agreed to “mutually part ways”. No reason was given for this move. The Athletic’s Michael Russo pointed out that O’Hearn was general manager Bill Guerin’s right-hand man as well as the club’s chief contract negotiator.

CBS SPORTS: Speaking of the Wild, they placed defenseman Jonas Brodin (upper body) on long-term injury reserve.

THE ATHLETIC: Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis yesterday announced plans to move his club (and the NBA’s Washington Wizards) from downtown Washington to a new arena in Northern Virginia by 2028, pending legislative approval.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As noted yesterday, the new arena would be 20 minutes away from their current location in the Capital One Arena, which has been home to the Capitals and Wizards since 1997-98.

TSN: The NHL recently announced the skills competition for the 2024 All-Star Game will be modified to showcase 12 players competing for points across eight different events, with the winner receiving a $1 million prize.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 28, 2023

by | Nov 28, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 28, 2023

Three division leaders suffering upset defeats, the Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky reaches a career milestone and the Wild fire head coach Dean Evason. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch scored two goals as his club upset the league-leading New York Rangers 5-1. Casey Mittelstadt had a goal and two assists and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 25 shots as the Sabres improved to 10-10-2 on the season. Mika Zibanejad replied for the Rangers (15-4-1), who remain in first place in the overall standings with 31 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers also lost winger Kaapo Kakko as he left the game in the second period with what appeared to be an injured left knee. There was no postgame update regarding his condition.

The Boston Bruins suffered their third straight defeat as a result of a 5-2 upset at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Yegor Chinakhov had a goal and an assist while Spencer Martin made 31 saves for the Blue Jackets (7-12-4), who’ve won three of their last four games following a nine-game losing skid. Matthew Poitras and John Beecher scored for the Bruins, who also have 31 points but remain behind the Rangers with a record of 14-4-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins’ defensive play was becoming a legitimate concern before this game, in part because they’ve faced tougher opponents in recent games. Those worries won’t be alleviated by falling to the lowly Blue Jackets while giving up five goals for the fourth time in five games.

An overtime goal by MacKenzie Weegar lifted the Calgary Flames to a 2-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. A.J. Greer also scored while Dan Vladar got the win with a 25-save performance as the Flames boosted their record to 9-10-3, sitting in the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 21 points. William Karlsson tallied for the Golden Knights (14-5-3), who remain in first place in the Western Conference with 31 points and third in the overall standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames were forced to use an emergency backup goalie named Dusty Nickel after starter Jacob Markstrom was sidelined by an illness. There was a moment early in the first period when it appeared Nickel would have to relieve Vladar after the latter was briefly shaken up but he was able to finish the game.

The Colorado Avalanche got two goals from Ryan Johansen to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1, extending their win streak to four games. Alexandar Georgiev kicked out 37 shots while Cale Makar had a goal and an assist as the Avalanche (15-6-0) sit atop the Central Division with 30 points, one back of the Golden Knights in the conference standings. Anthony Cirelli scored for the Lightning as they slipped to 10-7-5.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (NHL Images).

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 20 saves for his 40th career shutout in a 5-0 blanking of the Ottawa Senators. Sam Reinhart tallied twice while Aleksander Barkov collected three assists for the 13-7-1 Panthers. Joonas Korpisalo made 33 saves for the Senators (8-9-0), who dropped into last place in the Eastern Conference standings with 16 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers and Senators combined for 167 penalty minutes with most of those coming in the third period as a result of a line brawl with 7:22 remaining in the frame. That resulted in every player on the ice receiving 10-minute misconducts.

A third-period goal by Luke Kunin carried the San Jose Sharks over the Washington Capitals 2-1. Fabian Zetterlund also scored while Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside 33 shots for the 5-12-2 Sharks, who remain at the bottom of the overall standings with 12 points. Evgeny Kuznetsov had the only goal for the 10-6-2 Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks got the win without Tomas Hertl as he was sidelined with an injury to his midsection. He is listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, the Capitals placed winger T.J. Oshie (upper body) on injured reserve and activated defenseman Martin Fehervary off IR.

HEADLINES

STARTRIBUNE.COM: The Minnesota Wild fired Dean Evason as head coach on Monday, replacing him with John Hynes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coming off a 103-point performance last season, the Wild have been in a swoon since October. They are in the midst of a seven-game losing skid which prompted general manager Bill Guerin to make the coaching change.

Guerin had defended Evason earlier this month, stressing that improvement would have to come from within. That’s because the cap-strapped Wild can’t afford to make a significant trade to shake things up in a league where only five teams have at least $5 million in cap space.

Perhaps the Wild can rediscover their winning ways under a proven NHL bench boss like Hynes. If not, a roster retool could be next starting at the trade deadline when clubs will accrue sufficient cap room to make deals with each other.

Speaking of the Wild, Ryan Hartman received a two-game suspension from the NHL department of player safety for tripping Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat on Sunday.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov and Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros are the league’s three stars for the week ending Nov. 26.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Islanders defenseman Sebastian Aho (upper body) was placed on IR retroactive to Nov. 24.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins and Panthers will honor Patric Hornqvist during their Dec. 8 game in Florida. Hornqvist played for both clubs during his 15-season NHL career before retiring due to injuries following last season.

NHL.COM: The player draft will be returning to NHL All-Star Weekend this season as part of a new event called NHL All-Star Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The player draft was one of the few ideas that worked to make the All-Star Game a little more interesting than the pond-hockey yawnfest it usually tends to be.