NHL Rumor Mill – December 13, 2024

by | Dec 13, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – December 13, 2024

​Check out the latest on the Sabres, Hurricanes and more in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST SABRES SPECULATION

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Buffalo Sabres are getting calls from other teams about Dylan Cozens. The 23-year-old right-shot center is two years removed from a 30-goal season but he’s struggling in 2024-25. He has five years left on his contract with an average annual value of $7.1 million, which Friedman believes helps his value in the trade market.

TSN: Darren Dreger reports no sense of panic among the Sabres’ organization despite their difficulties. Teams are calling in for promising young players like Jack Quinn but general manager Kevyn Adams isn’t moving him. He’s open to a trade that helps his team now but doesn’t want to force things.

THE ATHLETIC: Matthew Fairburn wonders what move could set the Sabres back after missing the playoffs for 13 consecutive seasons. They’re closer to last place in the league this season than they are to a playoff berth.

Buffalo Sabres forward Dylan Cozens (NHL Images).

Fairburn cited Adams saying he didn’t spend his $7 million in cap space because Quinn, forward JJ Peterka and goalie Devon Levi are restricted free agents next summer. However, Quinn has one goal this season, Peterka has one goal in his last 13 games, and Levi is back in the AHL.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There are plenty of reasons why the Sabres have struggled over the years, from meddling ownership to poor management to a revolving door of coaches. The issue now is whether Adams and head coach Lindy Ruff can find a way to turn things around before their postseason drought stretches to 14 years and counting.

HURRICANES SHOPPING FOR A GOALTENDER

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Carolina Hurricanes had discussions with the San Jose Sharks about Mackenzie Blackwood before the 28-year-old goaltender was traded to the Colorado Avalanche. They’re seeking insurance for starter Pyotr Kochetkov.

LeBrun mentioned Dan Vladar of the Calgary Flames, Anton Forsberg of the Ottawa Senators and Karel Vejmelka of the Utah Hockey Club as options. However, none of those teams are ready to be sellers.

The Hurricanes have spoken to the Anaheim Ducks about John Gibson. However, the asking price will have to go down before

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman also noted the Hurricanes’ interest in Gibson. He said there’s been an on-again, off-again courtship between the Hurricanes and Ducks over Gibson for years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson has a 10-team no-trade list but these reports suggest the Hurricanes are on that list. The Hurricanes could prefer the Ducks retain part of his $6.4 million average annual value through 2026-27, but the Ducks could seek something substantial to make salary retention worthwhile.

RUMOR TIDBITS FROM THE LATEST “32 THOUGHTS” COLUMN

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports New York Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello isn’t tipping his hand about potential moves this season. His peers find it hard to believe that Lamoriello would move pending UFA center Brock Nelson if the Isles remain in playoff contention.

The Dallas Stars are expected to utilize its extra salary-cap space while Tyler Seguin recovers from hip surgery. Friedman indicates they’re doing due diligence on what centers and right-shot defensemen are available.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars are expected to put Seguin on long-term injury reserve and use the salary-cap savings to bolster their roster for the playoffs. Seguin is out for four to six months.

The Vancouver Canucks are trying to find a better fit for Vincent Desharnais. It hasn’t worked out as hoped for the 28-year-old defenseman, who signed a two-year contract in the offseason with the Canucks.

Seattle Kraken defenseman Will Borgen is being scouted as a potential depth addition.

Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz is doing all he can to avoid making head coach Andrew Brunette the fall guy for the club’s struggles this season. Friedman speculated that little-used forward Juuso Parssinen could follow Dante Fabbro and Philip Tomasino out of Nashville.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trotz might not have much choice if the losses keep mounting.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 15, 2024

by | Jan 15, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 15, 2024

The Rangers defeat the Capitals, the Red Wings rally to beat the Leafs, the head coaches for the 2024 All-Star Game are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The New York Rangers snapped a four-game losing skid by holding off the Washington Capitals 2-1. Igor Shesterkin made 24 saves for the win while Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere scored for the 27-13-2 Rangers as they sit in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 56 points. T.J. Oshie scored and Charlie Lindgren turned aside 29 shots for the Capitals (20-15-6) as they sit three points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 46 points.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals played without captain Alex Ovechkin, who missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Daniel Sprong, Andrew Copp and Lucas Raymond left the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Dylan Larkin had a goal and an assist while James Reimer stopped 29 shots for the 22-16-5 Red Wings, extending their points streak to six games and moving into the first Eastern wild-card spot with 49 points. Mitch Marner scored to collect his 600th career NHL point for the 21-12-8 Maple Leafs, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 50 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ilya Samsonov made 23 saves in his first game back with the Leafs since being recalled from their AHL affiliate. He couldn’t be blamed for the sloppy defensive play that contributed to the Leafs’ third-period collapse.

Detroit winger Patrick Kane left this game with a lower-body injury and will receive further evaluation. It’s not believed to involve the hip that he had a resurfacing procedure on last June. The Wings also activated forward Klim Kostin off injured reserve but he didn’t participate in this game.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Rick Bowness of the Winnipeg Jets, Jim Montgomery of the Boston Bruins, Peter Laviolette of the New York Rangers and Rick Tocchet of the Vancouver Canucks were named the head coaches for the 2024 NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 3 in Toronto.

The first 10 participants in the All-Star Skills competition were announced by the NHL. They are Toronto Maple Leafs forwards Auston Matthews and William Nylander, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar, Edmonton Oilers centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak, and Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The final two participants will be chosen by fan voting that concludes on Jan. 18.

THE ATHLETIC’s Jesse Granger reports the Vegas Golden Knights have placed center Jack Eichel on injured reserve.

TSN: Ottawa Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg will be sidelined by a groin injury until at least after the All-Star Game.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Columbus Blue Jackets activated forward Sean Kuraly off injured reserve. He’s missed the last eight games with an abdominal injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL forward Cody Hodgson is hoping to make a comeback after retiring eight years ago after being diagnosed with malignant hypothermia. The 34-year-old has been skating since the summer after receiving a clean bill of health.

THE MERCURY NEWS: Several NHL clubs have expressed an interest in former San Jose Sharks forward Sasha Chmelevski. He played 24 games with the Sharks in 2020-21 and 2021-22 before heading to KHL club Salavat Yulayev-Ufa. The Sharks still hold his NHL rights and the earliest he can return to the NHL is next season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 12, 2024

by | Jan 12, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 12, 2024

The Jets, Oilers, Panthers, and Kraken extend their win streaks, the Hurricanes extend their points streak and the Sharks end their long losing skid. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Third-period goals by Gabriel Vilardi and Nikolaj Ehlers lifted the Winnipeg Jets over the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1, extending their points streak to 14 games while setting a franchise record with their eighth straight win. The Jets (28-9-4) remain in first place in the overall standings with 60 points. Connor Murphy scored for the 12-28-2 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets center Mark Scheifele left this game in the second period with a lower-body injury. Earlier in the day, Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said he’s opened contract extension talks with pending unrestricted free agents Dylan DeMelo and Brenden Dillon.

The Edmonton Oilers tied a franchise record with their ninth straight win by downing the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on an overtime goal by Darnell Nurse. Zach Hyman had a goal and an assist for the 22-15-1 Oilers as they moved into the first NHL wild-card berth with 45 points. Alex Lyon kicked out 44 shots for the Red Wings (20-16-5) as they sit two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 45 points.

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart (NHL Images).

An overtime power-play goal by Sam Reinhart gave the Florida Panthers a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, extending their win streak to nine games. Reinhart finished with two points while Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves for the 27-12-2 Panthers, who sit second in the Atlantic Division with 56 points. Cam Talbot stopped 37 shots for the 20-10-8 Kings as they’ve won just twice in their last 10 games and sit third in the Pacific Division with 48 points.

The Seattle Kraken extended their win streak to eight games and their points streak to 12 games by dropping the Washington Capitals 4-1. Joey Daccord turned aside 25 shots to extend his win streak to seven games and points streak to 11 games as the Kraken (18-14-9) sit just outside the final Western wild-card berth with 45 points. Max Pacioretty scored his first goal of the season for the Capitals (19-14-6) as they sit three points out of an Eastern wild-card spot with 44 points.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis had a goal and two assists in a 6-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks. The Hurricanes extended their points streak to seven games (23-13-5) and sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 51 points. John Gibson made 20 saves for the 14-26-1 Ducks before leaving this game following the second period with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson wasn’t the only goalie to leave this game early as the Hurricanes’ Pyotr Kochetkov departed midway through the second period with an undisclosed injury following a collision with Ducks forward Isac Lundestrom.

Earlier in the day, the Ducks announced forward Trevor Zegras was sidelined for six to eight weeks with a broken left ankle while defenseman Pavel Mintyukov would be out for six weeks with a separated shoulder. The pair suffered those injuries during Tuesday’s game against the Nashville Predators.

The San Jose Sharks ended a 12-game losing skid by beating the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. Mackenzie Blackwood got the win with a 33-save performance for the 10-29-3 Sharks while Sam Montembeault stopped 32 shots for the 17-18-6 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The score flattered the Canadiens as the Sharks dominated them through most of this game.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson scored in overtime for a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pettersson had two goals and collected two assists while Brock Boeser tallied twice for the 28-11-3 Canucks (59 points) as they sit one point behind the league-leading Jets. Sidney Crosby scored two goals for the 20-15-5 Penguins (45 points), who are two points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins winger Reilly Smith left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury following a big hit by Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov.

Speaking of four-point performances, Mathew Barzal had a goal and three assists as the New York Islanders nipped the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3. Barzal netted the winning goal in overtime while Noah Dobson collected four assists for the 19-12-10 Islanders (48 points) as they sit third in the Metropolitan Division. Auston Matthews scored twice to extend his league lead in that category to 33 as his Maple Leafs (21-10-8) sit third in the Atlantic Division with 50 points.

A hat trick by Jordan Kyrou powered the St. Louis Blues to a 5-2 win over the New York Rangers. Jordan Binnington made 40 saves while Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and two assists for the 21-18-1 Blues (43 points) as they sit two points out of the final Western wild-card berth. Mika Zibanejad was sidelined by illness as his Rangers (26-12-4) sit in first place in the Metropolitan Divison with 54 points.

Speaking of hat tricks, Yegor Sharangovich’s three goals lifted the Calgary Flames over the Arizona Coyotes 6-2. Blake Coleman had a goal and two assists while Jacob Markstrom stopped 32 shots for the 19-18-5 Flames (43 points) as they’re also two points out of the final Western wild-card spot. Clayton Keller netted his 15th goal of the season for the Coyotes as they slipped to 20-18-2 and sit three points out of the final Western wildcard spot.

An overtime goal by Alex Pietrangelo gave the Vegas Golden Knights a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist while Logan Thompson turned aside 32 shots for the 24-13-5 Golden Knights as they sit second in the Pacific Division with 53 points. Matt Grzelcyk scored for the 24-8-9 Bruins (57 points) who sit third in the overall standings but have lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Bruins announced defenseman Brandon Carlo (upper body) was placed on injured reserve while goalie Linus Ullmark and forward Matthew Poitras are listed as day-to-day.

The Tampa Bay Lightning blew a 3-1 lead but would defeat the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on an overtime goal by Darren Raddysh. Luke Glendening tallied twice and Nikita Kucherov collected two assists for his league-leading 69th point for the 21-17-5 Lightning as they hold the final Eastern wild-card spot with 47 points. Dawson Mercer, Jesper Bratt and Nathan Bastian scored for the Devils (21-15-3) as they sit behind the Lightning with 45 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson scored two goals in a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators, handing the latter their fifth straight loss. Claude Giroux netted two goals for the Senators, who also lost goaltender Anton Forsberg in the first period to a groin injury. The Sabres improved to 18-20-4 while the Senators are 14-23-0 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Sabres announced winger Jeff Skinner is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 28, 2023

by | Aug 28, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 28, 2023

Concussions force Joonas Donskoi into retirement, Senators goalie Anton Forsberg hopes to rebound from his knee injuries, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

DAILY FACEOFF: Joonas Donskoi announced his retirement on Sunday. The 31-year-old forward made the announcement via his Instagram account, citing multiple concussions during his career, including one during the 2022 preseason that forced him to miss last season.

Former Seattle Kraken forward Joonas Donskoi (NHL Images).

Donskoi played seven seasons in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks, Colorado Avalanche and Seattle Kraken from 2015-16 to 2021-22. In 474 regular-season games, he had 80 goals and 128 assists for 208 points along with 15 goals and 32 points in 69 playoff games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Donskoi made the right decision for his health and future. Best wishes to him and his family in their future endeavors.

THE ATHLETIC: Ottawa Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg said he’s fully recovered from the season-ending knee injuries he suffered during a game on Feb. 11. He had MCL injuries to both knees which meant he would undergo an aggressive rehab rather than surgery.

“I’ve been back to 100 percent for a long time,” Forsberg told Ian Mendes. “I would have been back last year if we made the playoffs.”

Forsberg will be sharing the Senators’ goalie duties with Joonas Korpisalo, who inked a five-year deal last month. The duo backstopped the Columbus Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate to the Calder Cup in 2016.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Senators, they hired their first full-time analytics guru in Sean Tierney. He’s a well-respected member of the analytics community who previously worked for incoming Senators owner Michael Andlauer with the AHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report indicates the Senators didn’t have a full-time analytics person on their staff during Eugene Melnyk’s time as the club’s owner. That may have been a contributing factor to the Senators’ struggles in recent years. Over the last decade, analytics has become an invaluable tool for NHL teams in evaluating player and team performance.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers recently added former NHL defenseman Paul Mara to their staff as a player development assistant. They also promoted Ryane Clowe to co-senior advisor to president and general manager Chris Drury. Kayla McAvoy (sister of Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy) was promoted to assistant sports scientist.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks confirmed they have replaced their 16-year-old scoreboard at Rogers Arena. It is four times larger than the older one. They’re also building a new VIP lounge under the stands.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 13, 2023

by | Feb 13, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 13, 2023

The Golden Knights match a franchise record in a win over the Ducks, the Canadiens upset the Oilers, plus injury updates on Filip Forsberg, Logan Thompson and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights matched a franchise record for most goals in a single period in a 7-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Vegas scored five times in the third period with Jack Eichel, Phil Kessel and Shea Theodore among five Golden Knights to finish with a goal and an assist. With the win, Vegas improved to 32-18-4 to sit atop the Pacific Division with 68 points. The Ducks sank to 17-31-6 on the season. They also played without John Klingberg, who missed this game due to illness.

Seattle Kraken winger Jaden Schwartz tallied twice as his club held off the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 to snap a three-game losing streak. With a record of 30-18-5, the Kraken remain three points behind the Golden Knights in second place in the Pacific Division. Rasmus Ristolainen collected two assists for the 22-23-10 Flyers (54 points) as they remain seven points out of the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jordan Harris (NHL Images)

The Montreal Canadiens upset the Edmonton Oilers 6-2, ending a 15-game points streak by Oilers captain Connor McDavid. Jordan Harris scored twice to become the first Canadiens rookie defenseman to have a multi-goal game since P.K. Subban in March 2011. Jake Allen stopped 32 shots for the 22-27-4 Canadiens. Leon Draisaitl and Evander Kane replied for the Oilers (30-19-5) as they remain in third place in the Pacific Division with 65 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Canadiens as rugged rookie blueliner Arber Xhekaj left the game with an apparent shoulder injury following a fight with Oilers defenseman Vincent Desharnais. An update on his condition could be made on Monday.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson collected three points in a 4-1 upset of the Washington Capitals. The Sharks (17-26-11) lost goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen in the second period following incidental contact with Washington center Evgeny Kuznetsov. Aaron Dell finished the game for the Sharks. Kuznetsov scored for the Capitals (28-21-6) as they remain in the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 62 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No word as to the severity of Kahkonen’s injury. The Sharks were playing without goalie James Reimer (illness) but he could return to action on Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

HEADLINES

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury suffered during Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Forsberg is fortunate that it’s only day-to-day. He was left woozy after hitting his head on the ice following a check by Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen and had to be helped from the ice.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: On Saturday, the Golden Knights announced that goaltender Logan Thompson is week-to-week with a lower-body injury suffered during Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Wild. They recalled Laurent Brossoit from their AHL affiliate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A lengthy absence by Thompson could have implications for the Golden Knights’ playoff hopes. They’re in a tight race right now in the Pacific Division. Adin Hill got the win for them on Sunday and will be relied on to carry the bulk of the load in Thompson’s absence.

DAILY FACEOFF: Ottawa Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg is out indefinitely with left and right knee MCL injuries. Meanwhile, Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson will be sidelined for at least two weeks with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could be the final nail in the coffin for the Senators’ slim playoff hopes.

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH: Blues defenseman Scott Perunovich is one step closer to making his season debut. Sidelined by a preseason shoulder injury, he’s been sent to the Blues’ AHL affiliate in Springfield on a conditioning assignment.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 12, 2023

by | Feb 12, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 12, 2023

Oilers captain Connor McDavid reaches a scoring milestone, the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin and the Kings’ Adrian Kempe each tally four goals, the Blues’ Ryan O’Reilly returns from injury with an overtime goal, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists in a 6-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. The Oilers (30-18-5) remain unbeaten in regulation in their last 11 games (9-0-2) and move one point behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific Division with 65 points. The Senators slipped to 24-24-3 on the season and sit 10 points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 51 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid joined Wayne Gretzky as the second player in NHL history with multiple-point streaks of 15-or-more games in the same season more than once in his career. Meanwhile, Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg was stretchered from the ice in the third period with a leg injury while defenseman Jake Sanderson also left in that period with an undisclosed injury.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin scored four goals (including a natural hat trick) and collected an assist to lead his club over the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 6-2. The Rangers (31-14-8) have won five straight and moved to within three points of the second-place New Jersey Devils in the Metropolitan Division with 70 points. The 34-10-8 Hurricanes remain atop the Metro with 76 points but their seven-game win streak has come to an end along with Sebastian Aho’s six-game goal streak.

The Los Angeles Kings crushed the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-0. Adrian Kempe tallied four goals, Anze Kopitar collected three assists while Pheonix Copley turned in a 25-save shutout as the Kings improved to 29-18-7 and sit third in the Pacific Division with 65 points. The Penguins (26-17-9) slipped to the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 61 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings got the win on the night they honored former captain Dustin Brown with a statue outside Crypto.com Arena and retiring his No. 23. Brown spent 18 seasons with the Kings, leading them to two Stanley Cups in 2012 and 2014. He’s also the franchise leader in games played with 1,296. Before the game, the Kings activated forwards Arthur Kaliyev and Trevor Moore off injured reserve.

St. Louis Blues captain Ryan O’Reilly’s overtime goal lifted his club to a 6-5 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Pavel Buchnevich collected three assists and Sammy Blais scored his first goal for the 24-25-3 Blues since being reacquired from the New York Rangers. Nick Schmaltz had four points and Clayton Keller had three for the 17-28-8 Coyotes, who held defenseman Jakob Chychrun from this game for trade-related reasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly and Buchnevich returned to action following lengthy absences due to injuries. As for Chychrun, it appears he’s finally going to be traded following months of speculation stretching back to last season. I’ll have more about his situation in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

The Detroit Red Wings defeated the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. Dylan Larkin and Jonatan Berggren each scored two goals for the Wings (23-20-8) as they sit seven points out of the final Eastern playoff spot with 54 points. Anthony Beauvillier had a goal and an assist for the 21-28-4 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Beauvillier has two goals and an assist in four games since joining the Canucks from the New York Islanders in the Bo Horvat trade.

Calgary Flames winger Dillon Dube had a goal and three assists while rookie Jakob Pelletier scored his first NHL goal in a 7-2 drubbing of the Buffalo Sabres (26-21-4). The Flames improved to 25-18-10 and sit just outside the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 60 points. Sabres center Tage Thompson scored his 35th of the season as his club sits five points behind the Penguins for the final Eastern wild-card berth with 56 points.

The Montreal Canadiens got an overtime goal by Mike Matheson to upset the New York Islanders 4-3 to snap a four-game losing skid. Mike Hoffman had three assists for the 21-27-4 Canadiens. Brock Nelson had two points to extend his points streak to 10 games for the Islanders (27-23-6) as they sit one point out of the final Eastern playoff spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was the Canadiens’ first win in their powder-blue “reverse retro” uniform. Habs coach Martin St. Louis is no fan of the jersey, calling them an affront to the franchise’s history.

An overtime goal by Matt Duchene gave the Nashville Predators a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. It was a costly win for the Predators (25-19-6) as winger Filip Forsberg left the game after falling awkwardly to the ice following a hit by Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen. The Preds sit four points out of the final Western playoff berth with 56 points. The Flyers (22-22-10) are seven points out of playoff contention in the East with 54 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was a scary-looking injury for Forsberg, who appeared dazed as he struggled to get up and had to be helped off the ice. There was no update about his condition following the game but it looked like a concussion to me.

Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli scored twice and chipped in an assist in a 3-1 win over the Dallas Stars. Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 28 shots for the win as the 34-16-2 Lightning moved to within two points of the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division with 70 points. Jamie Benn scored his 21st goal of the season for the Stars (30-14-10) as they remain atop the Western Conference standings with 70 points.

The Washington Capitals got goals from Nicklas Backstrom and Garnet Hathaway to hold off the Boston Bruins 2-1, handing the latter their fourth loss in five games. Darcy Kuemper made 27 saves for the 28-20-6 Capitals as they vaulted over the Pittsburgh Penguins into the first Eastern wild-card berth with 62 points. Nick Foligno scored for the Bruins (39-8-5) as they remain atop the overall standings with 83 points.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and collected an assist in a 5-3 victory over the Florida Panthers, snapping the latter’s three-game win streak. Alexandar Georgiev kicked out 42 shots for the win as the Avalanche (28-19-4) sit in third place in the Central Division with 60 points. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 45 shots for the 26-23-6 Panthers, who are three points out of an Eastern wild-card spot with 58 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a big win for the Avalanche but they lost defenseman Erik Johnson as he left the game in the first period after blocking a shot. They’re already playing without blueliner Cale Makar following a blindside hit by the Penguins’ Jeff Carter earlier in the week.

The Columbus Blue Jackets upset the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 4-3. Kent Johnson snapped a 3-3 tie in the third period as he, Kirill Marchenko and Boone Jenner each had a goal and an assist for the 16-33-4 Blue Jackets. Mitch Marner and William Nylander each had two points for the Leafs (32-14-8) as they sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 72 points.

Shootout goals by Mats Zuccarello and Frederick Gaudreau gave the Minnesota Wild a 3-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils to snap a three-game losing skid. Filip Gustavsson got the win for the Wild (28-20-4) with a 27-save performance as they cling to the final Western wild-card spot with 60 points. Tomas Tatar tallied twice for the Devils (34-13-5) as they sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 73 points.

Winnipeg Jets winger Blake Wheeler scored two goals and assisted on another to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1. Josh Morrissey had a goal and an assist for the 33-19-1 Jets as they sit second overall in the Western Conference with 67 points. Tyler Johnson replied for the Blackhawks as they sank to 16-30-5.