NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 17, 2025

by | Nov 17, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 17, 2025

The Penguins defeat the Predators in the second game of the 2025 Global Series, Quinn Hughes leads the Canucks to victory over the Lightning, the Kings re-sign Adrian Kempe, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF SUNDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins blanked the Nashville Predators 4-0 in the second and final game of their 2025 Global Series in Stockholm, Sweden. Sergei Murashov made 21 saves for his first NHL shutout while Parker Wotherspoon, Evgeni Malkin, Sidney Crosby, and Blake Lizotte were the goal scorers for the 10-5-4 Penguins. Juuse Saros stopped 18 of 21 shots for the Predators, who dropped to 6-10-4.

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes (NHL Images).

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes collected four assists to lead his club over the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2. The Canucks (9-9-2) tallied six unanswered goals, with five of those in the third period. Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel tallied for the 7-2-1 Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks winger Conor Garland left this game following the second period with an undisclosed injury.

The Colorado Avalanche extended their points streak to 10 games with a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders, snapping the latter’s four-game win streak. Scott Wedgewood turned aside 28 shots, and Brock Nelson had a goal and an assist against his former club as the Avalanche (13-1-5) holds a four-point lead over the New Jersey Devils and Dallas Stars in the overall standings with 31 points. Emil Heineman replied for the 10-7-2 Islanders.

A power-play goal by Kirill Kaprizov with 10 seconds remaining in overtime lifted the Minnesota Wild over the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 3-2. Mats Zuccarello picked up two assists for the 9-7-4 Wild, who’ve won four of their last five games. Pavel Dorofeyev and Reilly Smith scored for the Golden Knights (8-4-6), who are 1-3-2 in their last six contests.

Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond scored late in the third period to give his club a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers. Raymond finished the game with two points, and Alex DeBrincat also scored for the 11-7-1 Red Wings. Jonathan Quick kicked out 40 shots, and Mika Zibanejad scored for the Rangers (10-8-2) as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Quick started a bench-clearing scrum at the end of the game when he took offense to Wings forward Mason Appleton shooting the puck into the empty net after the final horn sounded.

Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan missed this game for personal reasons. He could also miss the start of the club’s upcoming three-game road trip.

HEADLINES

LOS ANGELES TIMES: Adrian Kempe has agreed to an eight-year contract extension with the Kings. The 29-year-old winger was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July. He will earn an average annual value of $10.625 million starting in 2026-27.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Next summer’s UFA class is getting thinner. Kempe is the latest notable star to sign an extension. With Anze Kopitar retiring at the end of this season, the Kings couldn’t risk the departure of their top goal scorer. Since his breakout performance in 2021-22, Kempe has tallied a team-leading 145 goals.

Kempe is almost doubling his salary with this new deal. He will be turning 30 next September, which means his cap hit could become a burden for the Kings in the final half of his contract when his performance inevitably declines. Nevertheless, it was the price they felt was worthwhile to keep him in the fold.

NESN: Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy travelled home from Montreal with his teammates after being struck in the jaw by a slapshot from Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson. He was reportedly cleared after undergoing a series of tests. Bruins coach Marco Sturm was relatively optimistic regarding those tests.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens center Kirby Dach has been sidelined for four to six weeks with a fractured foot suffered during Saturday’s game against the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dach missed considerable time over the last two seasons with a knee injury. He was off to a decent start to this season with seven points in 15 games.

CALGARY SUN: Flames forward Sam Honzek is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

THE MERCURY NEWS: The San Jose Sharks placed veteran winger Jeff Skinner (lower body) on injured reserve.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 14, 2025

by | Nov 14, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 14, 2025

Panthers winger Brad Marchand nets his 1000th point, the Senators re-sign Shane Pinto, Scott Wedgewood signs an extension with the Avalanche, remembering hockey pundit Larry Brooks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING THURSDAY’S NHL ACTION

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand collected two assists, including his 1,000th career NHL regular-season point, in a 6-3 victory over the Washington Capitals. Sam Reinhart, Anton Lundell, and Eetu Luostarinen each had three points, and Danill Tarasov made 37 saves for the 9-7-1 Panthers. Rasmus Sandin had a goal and an assist for the struggling Capitals (8-8-1), who have two wins in their nine games.

Florida Panthers winger Brad Marchand (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchand is off to a sizzling start to this season. The 37-year-old winger leads the Panthers with 11 goals and 20 points in 16 games.

The Ottawa Senators got two goals and an assist from Tim Stutzle to defeat the Boston Bruins 5-3, snapping the latter’s seven-game win streak. Claude Giroux and Dylan Cozens each had a goal and an assist for the Senators (9-5-4), who’ve won three of their last four contests. David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie each had a goal and an assist for the 11-8-0 Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Senators announced Shane Pinto had agreed to a four-year contract extension with an average annual value of $7.5 million. The 25-year-old center was slated to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next July. This contract doubles Pinto’s AAV and will enable him to become eligible for unrestricted free agent status at age 29.

Colorado Avalanche forward Martin Necas scored twice and collected two assists to lead his club over the Buffalo Sabres 6-3. Nathan MacKinnon collected an assist to extend his points streak to 11 games as the Avalanche (12-1-5) holds first place in the overall standings with 29 points. Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist as the 5-8-4 Sabres are winless in their last five games (0-4-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Avalanche announced that Scott Wedgewood agreed to a one-year contract extension worth $2.5 million. The 33-year-old backup goalie played well as he filled in for sidelined starter Mackenzie Blackwood, leading the league with 10 wins in 14 contests.

Before this game, the Avalanche activated defenseman Samuel Girard off injured reserve. He’d been sidelined for the past 15 games.

The Dallas Stars thumped the Montreal Canadiens 7-0. Jason Robertson scored two goals and picked up an assist, Radek Faksa collected three assists, and Casey DeSmith stopped 24 shots for the shutout as the Stars (11-4-3) picked up their third straight win. Jakub Dobes got the hook after giving up five goals on 13 shots for the 10-5-2 Canadiens, who have one win in their last five games (1-2-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the second straight lopsided loss for the Canadiens against a bigger, more experienced Western Conference team. They still hold first place in the Atlantic Division over the Senators and Bruins based on games played, but this promising club has more work to do to compete against Stanley Cup contenders such as the Stars. In the meantime, they could be without forward Alex Newhook for a while. He left this game in the second period when he injured his right leg after he was sent crashing into the end boards.

An overtime goal by Quinton Byfield lifted the Los Angeles Kings to a 4-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Byfield and Drew Doughty each finished with two points for the 9-5-4 Kings, who’ve won three straight games. John Tavares scored two goals and Dennis Hildeby turned aside 33 shots for the Leafs (8-8-2), who are winless in their last four games (0-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs played without captain Auston Matthews and goaltender Anthony Stolarz. Matthews will be sidelined for at least a week with a lower-body injury, while Stolarz is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Earlier in the day, the Leafs placed center David Kampf on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract.

Kings captain Anze Kopitar was held scoreless in his last regular-season game in Toronto. He has never scored against the Leafs on their home ice.

Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat had two goals and an assist to beat the Anaheim Ducks 6-3. Patrick Kane collected two assists to reach the 1,350-point milestone as the Red Wings (10-7-0) snapped a five-game winless skid (0-4-1). Leo Carlsson’s point streak ended at 11 games as the 11-5-2 Ducks (23 points) have lost two straight games, holding a one-point lead over the Kings for first place in the Pacific Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings goaltender John Gibson left this game after the second period with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, the Ducks activated Ryan Strome from injured reserve for this game. It was his season debut after suffering an upper-body injury during training camp.

Columbus Blue Jackets forwards Mathieu Olivier and Charlie Coyle each had three points to nip the Edmonton Oilers by a score of 5-4. Winger Kirill Marchenko picked up an assist to extend his points streak to 10 games as the Blue Jackets picked up their second straight win and improved to 9-7-1. Leon Draisaitl scored two goals and Connor McDavid had two assists for the Oilers, who slipped to 8-7-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner did not play in this game. He’s out with an upper-body injury and could be sidelined for a while. “It’s not short-term,” coach Dean Evason said.

The Seattle Kraken got two goals from Jordan Eberle as they rallied to a 5-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Vince Dunn had a goal and two assists for the Kraken as they improved to 8-4-5. Mark Scheifele had a goal and an assist for the 10-7-0 Jets, who’ve lost four of their last five contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken winger Kaapo Kakko left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, the Jets activated defenseman Dylan Samberg off injured reserve for this game. He made his season debut after being sidelined for six weeks.

A shorthanded overtime goal by Jean-Gabriel Pageau gave the New York Islanders a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer had a goal and an assist as the Islanders (9-6-2) picked up their third straight victory. Shea Theodore, Tomas Hertl, and Reilly Smith replied for the 7-4-5 Golden Knights, who are winless in their last four (0-2-2).

The Calgary Flames got a 16-save shutout from goaltender Dustin Wolf to blank the San Jose Sharks 2-0. Blake Coleman and Samuel Honzek were the goal scorers for the 5-12-2 Flames as they ended a three-game losing streak. Yaroslav Askarov gave up one goal on 34 shots for the 8-7-3 Sharks as their four-game win streak ended.

HEADLINES

NEW YORK POST: Long-time hockey pundit Larry Brooks passed away on Thursday at age 75 following a brief bout with cancer.

Brooks spent 38 years with the Post, covering the Rangers, Islanders, and New Jersey Devils. In 2018, he received the Elmer Ferguson Award from the Hockey Hall of Fame in recognition of his achievements in covering the game. Brooks also served as president of the Professional Hockey Writers Association from 2001 to 2003.

Brooks’ passing prompted an outpouring of tributes throughout the NHL from past and present players, coaches, general managers, league executives, and pundits. Among them was former Rangers head coach John Tortorella, who had a sometimes testy relationship with Brooks. Tortorella called him an icon, adding he would be missed by the hockey community.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My sincere condolences to Brooks’ family, friends, and his colleagues at the Post. I followed his work regularly since 1998, when I started this website. I didn’t always agree with what he wrote, but I respected his work. There was no denying that he was a well-connected, entertaining, old-school hockey scribe whose passion for the game shone through in every article that he wrote. His Sunday “Slap Shots” column was a must-read.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes skipped practice on Thursday, but head coach Adam Foote remains hopeful he’ll be able to suit up on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes. He’s currently listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils defenseman Brenden Dillon was fined $5,000.00 by the NHL department of player safety for boarding Chicago Blackhawks winger Tyler Bertuzzi on Wednesday.

CBS SPORTS: Speaking of the Devils, they placed forward Zack MacEwen (lower body) on injured reserve.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Chelios is selling his Malibu beachfront mansion. The list price is nearly $60 million.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 12, 2025

by | Nov 12, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 12, 2025

A milestone game for Bruins winger David Pastrnak, Nathan MacKinnon extends his points streak as the Avalanche widen their lead in the overall standings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak scored his 400th and 401st career NHL regular-season goals as his club picked up its seventh straight win by holding off the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3. Pastrnak finished the night with three points while teammate Hampus Lindholm had a goal and an assist for the 11-7-0 Bruins. Steven Lorentz, Bobby McMann, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson replied for the Maple Leafs (8-8-1), who’ve dropped three straight games.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was only two weeks ago that the Bruins were sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. They’re now tied with the Atlantic Division-leading Montreal Canadiens.

It was a tough night for the Maple Leafs, as team captain Auston Matthews left the game with a lower-body injury, and goaltender Anthony Stolarz didn’t return after the first period as he suffered an upper-body injury.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon collected three assists to extend his points streak to 10 games in a 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Gabriel Landeskog scored his first regular-season goal since 2022, and Scott Wedgewood stopped 35 shots for the Avalanche (11-1-5), who won their fourth straight game and widened their lead atop the overall standings with 27 points. Leo Carlsson scored to extend his points streak to 11 games for the Ducks (11-4-1), whose seven- game win streak ended. They lead the Pacific Division with 23 points and sit four back of the Avalanche in the overall standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads the NHL scoring race with 32 points, six ahead of the second-place Carlsson. Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin left this game in the third period with a lower-body injury. He will be reevaluated on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, the Avalanche signed forward Gavin Brindley to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $875,000.

The San Jose Sharks overcame a 1-0 deficit to nip the Minnesota Wild 2-1. Macklin Celebrini set up the tying goal by Will Smith and the winning goal in overtime by Collin Graf. The Sharks picked up their fourth straight win and improved to 8-6-3. Matt Boldy scored for the 7-7-4 Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini is tied with Leo Carlsson for second place in the scoring race with 26 points. Sharks winger William Eklund returned to action after missing the last four games with a lower-body injury.

St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington made 38 saves as his club held off the Calgary Flames 3-2. Dylan Holloway, Matthew Kessel, and Nathan Walker scored for the Blues (6-8-3). Matt Coronato and Rasmus Andersson replied for the Flames, who dropped to a league-worst 4-12-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Binnington set the franchise record for most games played by a Blues goaltender (348). He passed Mike Liut, who is now Binnington’s agent. Blues winger Mathieu Joseph missed this game with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Roope Hintz completed a three-goal comeback by the Dallas Stars in a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Jason Robertson had a goal and two assists and Mikko Rantanen a goal and an assist as the Stars won their third straight game and improved to 10-4-3. Drake Batherson and Nick Jensen tallied for the Senators (8-5-4), who extended their points streak to six games (3-0-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot left this contest following the first period with an upper-body injury.

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey had a goal and two assists, and Connor Hellebuyck made 30 saves to beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-3. Nino Niederreiter and Alex Iafallo each had a goal and an assist as the Jets moved to 10-6-0, snapping a three-game losing streak. Quinn Hughes collected three assists for the Canucks, who dropped to 8-9-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko left the game after the first period with a lower-body injury that he may have suffered during the pre-game warmup. Hughes left the game briefly after getting tangled up with Jets center Mark Scheifele, but he returned to action and said he was okay after the game.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. John Carlson picked up two assists, and Logan Thompson turned aside 30 shots for the Capitals, who improved to 8-7-1. Nikolaj Ehlers scored for the Hurricanes (11-5-0).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Hurricanes announced that defenseman Charles Alexis Legault underwent surgery to repair multiple torn tendons in his right hand on Monday. He is expected to be sidelined for three to four months.

Three goals in a span of 4:05 early in the second period lifted the Los Angeles Kings to a 5-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Quinton Byfield and Joel Edmundson had a goal and an assist for the 8-5-4 Kings. Josh Anderson replied for the Canadiens (10-4-2), whose six-game points streak ended.

The Columbus Blue Jackets ended a four-game losing skid by defeating the Seattle Kraken 2-1. Charlie Coyle scored the winning goal in a shootout, and goaltender Jet Greaves stopped 22 shots for the 8-7-1 Blue Jackets. Ryan Winterton scored for the Kraken (7-4-5).

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE ATHLETIC: The NHL remains concerned over the state of construction for the hockey arena for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics. They are sending two officials to conduct an in-person inspection of the arena. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the league is receiving weekly updates, but wants a firsthand look at the progress.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of the participants in the 2026 Men’s Olympic Hockey tournament are from the NHL. Sub-standard conditions could put the players’ safety at risk.

RG.ORG: Speaking of the Olympics, Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby is looking forward to another opportunity to represent Canada in the Winter Olympics. He’s embracing the role of team leader while drawing inspiration from the enthusiasm of a new generation of Canadian stars chasing Olympic gold.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby famously won gold for Canada in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and captained the 2014 team to gold in the Sochi Games.

DAILY FACEOFF: Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman is day-to-day and blueliner Ryan McDonagh is expected to miss several games with undisclosed injuries.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Blackhawks forwards Frank Nazar and Jason Dickinson are unlikely to play against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 10, 2025

by | Nov 10, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 10, 2025

The Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon and the Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard jockey for the scoring race lead, the rising Ducks extend their win streak to seven games, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and collected three assists to take over the lead in the NHL scoring race (29 points) in a 5-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Gavin Brindley scored in overtime and Artturi Lehkonen tallied twice in regulation as the Avalanche (10-1-5) holds first place in the overall standings with 25 points. Linus Karlsson scored his first of the season, and Kiefer Sherwood netted his 10th goal for the 8-8-1 Canucks.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard scored and picked up two assists, and Arvid Soderblom kicked out a career-high 45 shots to defeat the Detroit Red Wings 5-1. The Blackhawks have won three straight games, improving to 8-5-3. Dylan Larkin replied for the Red Wings (9-7-0), as they’ve dropped four of their last five contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard briefly led all NHL scorers with 25 points until MacKinnon had his five-point game.

The Anaheim Ducks extended their win streak to seven games with a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Leo Carlsson scored two power-play goals to extend his points streak to 10 games, and Beckett Sennecke also tallied twice for the 11-3-1 Ducks, who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 23 points. Kyle Connor scored for the 9-6-0 Jets, who have dropped three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Something special could be brewing in Anaheim. After years of rebuilding, the Ducks’ mix of rising young stars such as Carlsson, Sennecke, Cutter Gauthier, and Mason McTavish, along with veterans like Chris Kreider, Troy Terry, and Jacob Trouba, is turning this team into a potential powerhouse in the Western Conference.

The Ducks activated forward Ryan Strome off injured reserve and placed defenseman Radko Gudas on IR with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, Jets forward Cole Perfetti made his season debut after suffering a sprained ankle during a preseason game against the Calgary Flames.

Three unanswered goals by the Carolina Hurricanes lifted them to a 5-4 comeback win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Logan Stankoven, Nikolaj Ehlers, and K’Andre Miller each had two points for the 11-4-0 Hurricanes, who have won four straight to take over first place in the Metropolitan Division with 22 points. William Nylander scored two goals and Dennis Hildeby made 42 saves for the 8-7-1 Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube wasn’t pleased with his club blowing a 4-2 lead, blasting their poor defensive play. “It’s a mindset,” Berube said. “If you want to be a good defensive team, you gotta check, you gotta have good sticks, you gotta be hard, you gotta win battles, and you’ve gotta have good structure. We don’t have any of that right now.”

The Los Angeles Kings nipped the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. Kevin Fiala scored the game-winning goal and collected an assist, while Corey Perry also had a goal and an assist for the 7-5-4 Kings. Penguins rookie Sergei Murashov made 24 saves in his NHL debut as his club slipped to 9-5-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins are cooling off from their hot start to the season. After going 6-2-0 in their first eight games, they’re 3-3-3 in their last nine, with one win in their last five contests. Meanwhile, the 40-year-old Perry is off to a hot start with the Kings, tallying seven goals and 11 points in 10 games after his return from offseason knee surgery.

A 36-save shutout performance by Jesper Wallstedt carried the Minnesota Wild over the Calgary Flames by a score of 2-0. Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov scored, and Marcus Johansson collected an assist in his 1,000th regular-season NHL game as the Wild improved to 7-7-3. Devin Cooley turned aside 17 shots for the 4-11-2 Flames.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Leevi Merilainen made 29 saves as his club doubled up the Utah Mammoth 4-2. Jordan Spence and Ridly Greig each had a goal and an assist as the 8-5-3 Senators extended their points streak to five games (3-0-2). Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz replied for the slumping Mammoth (9-7-0), who have lost five of their last six contests.

The Dallas Stars beat the Seattle Kraken 2-1. Casey DeSmith made 20 saves while Wyatt Johnston and Tyler Seguin scored for the 9-4-3 Stars. Jaden Schwartz scored for the 7-4-4 Kraken.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: Washington Capitals center Pierre-Luc Dubois is expected to miss three to four months after undergoing surgery to address issues with his abdominal and adductor muscles.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That leaves a big gap at center for the Capitals during that period. They’ve been using Connor McMichael in Dubois’ spot on the second line. They could attempt to find a short-term replacement in the trade market, but the pickings are slim, and there are several other clubs also believed to be seeking a reliable second-line center.

THE ATHLETIC: The New York Rangers called up top prospect Gabe Perreault from their AHL affiliate in Hartford. Perreault, 20, is known for his offensive abilities and has 10 points with Hartford this season. This move is intended to spark the Rangers’ struggling offense.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 9, 2025

by | Nov 9, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 9, 2025

The Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon and the Canadiens’ Cole Caufield tie for the goal-scoring lead, the Ducks and Bruins extend their win streaks to six games, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

RECAPS OF SATURDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had two goals and two assists while Cale Makar, Parker Kelly, and Jack Drury each tallied twice to thump the Edmonton Oilers 9-1. MacKinnon extended his points streak to eight games as the Avalanche (9-1-5) sits atop the overall standings with 23 points. Connor McDavid replied for the 6-6-3 Oilers, who’ve lost three straight games.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads all NHL scorers with 23 points and is tied for first with 12 goals. As for the Oilers, this was a humiliating defeat at every level, raising further questions about their viability as a Stanley Cup contender.

Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield scored twice in a 6-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth, extending their points streak to six games (4-0-2) as they sit atop the Atlantic Division with 22 points (10-3-2). Oliver Kapanen and Alex Newhook each had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens. Kailer Yamamoto and Lawson Crouse scored for the 9-6-0 Mammoth, who’ve dropped four of their last five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Caufield’s 12 goals tied him with MacKinnon for the league goal-scoring lead.

The Anaheim Ducks picked up their sixth straight win by nipping the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 on an overtime goal by Jacob Trouba. Leo Carlsson scored two goals and set up another as the 10-3-1 Ducks (21 points) opened a three-point lead over the 7-3-4 Golden Knights for first place in the Pacific Division. Pavel Dorofeyev and Kaeden Korczak scored as Vegas overcame a 3-1 deficit in the third period to force overtime.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks are looking like they’re for real this season. Meanwhile, Golden Knights center William Karlsson left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury.

Boston Bruins forward Morgan Geekie had a goal and an assist as his club extended its win streak to six games with a 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jeremy Swayman made 30 saves for the Bruins (10-7-0), who sit second to the Canadiens in the Atlantic Division with 20 points. Nick Robertson, Matias Maccelli, and John Tavares replied for the 8-6-1 Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins were sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference before their win streak began. Before this game, they placed Elias Lindholm (lower body) on injured reserve. They also played without defenseman Charlie McAvoy and center Casey Mittelstadt. McAvoy was away attending to a personal matter, while Mittelstadt was sidelined by a lower-body injury.

Meanwhile, Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz was pulled from this game in the second period after giving up four goals on 19 shots. Leafs forward Scott Laughton departed with an upper-body injury in the second period.

The San Jose Sharks won their third straight game by downing the Florida Panthers 3-1. Yaroslav Askarov kicked out 38 shots, Macklin Celebrini tallied his 10th goal of the season, and Will Smith collected two assists for the 7-6-3 Sharks. Brad Marchand extended his goal streak to four games for the defending Stanley Cup champions, who are 7-7-1 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The injury-ravaged Panthers lost another player for a significant period as forward Jonah Gadjovich will miss the next three months as he undergoes surgery for an upper-body injury. They’re already missing Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Dmitry Kulikov, and Tomas Nosek.

Sharks winger William Eklund (lower body) was moved to injured reserve.

New Jersey Devils goalie Jake Allen turned aside 33 shots and Jesper Bratt scored in the shootout for a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Arseny Gritsyuk also scored for the 11-4-0 Devils, who sit in first place in the Eastern Conference with 22 points. Ryan Graves replied for the 9-4-3 Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton missed this contest as he’s expected to miss a week with a lower-body injury.

The Ottawa Senators got two goals from Tim Stutzle, including the winner in overtime, to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. Michael Amadio also scored for the 7-5-3 Senators. Matvei Michkov and Jamie Drysdale tallied for the Flyers (8-5-2).

Dallas Stars forwards Adam Erne and Sam Steel scored 47 seconds apart in the third period to lift their club to a 5-4 win over the Nashville Predators. Miro Heiskanen, Wyatt Johntson, and Mavrik Bourque each had two points for the Stars (8-4-3). Ryan O’Reilly and Nick Blakenburg each had two points for the 5-8-4 Predators, who have lost four straight.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel scored for the sixth time in seven games as his club beat the Washington Capitals 3-2. Hagel and Jake Guentzel each had a goal and an assist, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 29 saves for the 8-5-2 Lightning, who’ve won seven of their last eight contests. Brandon Duhaime and John Carlson replied for the 7-7-1 Capitals, who’ve lost six of their last seven.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh left this game after the first period with an undisclosed injury. The Bolts were also playing without center Anthony Cirelli, who is recovering from an upper-body injury suffered against the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday.

The New York Islanders got a 33-save performance from Ilya Sorokin to shut out the New York Rangers 5-0, leaving the latter winless at home thus far this season (0-6-1). Bo Horvat tallied twice and Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Jonathan Drouin each had a goal and two assists for the 7-6-2 Islanders. Igor Shesterkin gave up four goals on 25 shots for the Rangers, who dropped to 7-7-2.

Carolina Hurricanes forwards Andrei Svechnikov, Sebastian Aho, and Jesperi Kotkaniemi each had a goal and an assist in a 6-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch each had a goal and an assist for the 5-6-4 Sabres, who’ve lost three straight games. The Hurricanes picked up their third straight win and improved to 10-4-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Hurricanes claimed goaltender Cayden Primeau off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs. They also placed defenseman Jalen Chatfield (upper body) on injured reserve.

An overtime goal by Shane Wright gave the Seattle Kraken a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. Eeli Tolvanen had a goal and two assists for the Kraken as they improved to 7-3-4. Dylan Holloway, Dalibor Dvorsky, and Jordan Kyrou scored for the 5-8-3 Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord missed this game as he stayed in Seattle to receive treatment for an upper-body injury. They also activated defenseman Ryker Evans off injured reserve for this game. He made his season debut after being sidelined with an upper-body injury suffered during preseason play.

Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser’s third-period goal lifted his club over the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3. Kevin Lankinen made 29 saves as the Canucks improved to 8-8-0. Kirill Marchenko and Dmitri Voronkov each had three points for the Blue Jackets (7-7-0), who have lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets forward Mathieu Olivier received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for boarding Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson.

IN OTHER NEWS…

CALGARY SUN: Flames rookie defenseman Zayne Parekh is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Los Angeles Kings winger Warren Foegele will return to action during Sunday’s game against the Penguins. He’s been sidelined for two weeks with an upper-body injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL center and general manager Mel Bridgman passed away on Saturday at age 70.

Selected first overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in the 1975 NHL Amateur Draft, Bridgman spent 14 seasons as a player from 1975-76 to 1988-89 with the Flyers, Calgary Flames, New Jersey Devils, Detroit Red Wings, and Vancouver Canucks. He captained the Flyers from 1979-80 to 1980-81, and the Devils from 1984-85 to 1986-87. Bridgman had 252 goals and 449 assists for 701 points in 977 regular-season games, and 67 points in 125 playoff contests.

After his playing career, Bridgman was named the first general manager of the Ottawa Senators in 1991, a role he held until 1993. He was inducted into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

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










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 5, 2025

by | Nov 5, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 5, 2025

Cutter Gauthier leads the Ducks over the defending champion Panthers, a milestone game for the Kings’ Adrian Kempe, Drew Doughty, and Corey Perry, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Anaheim Ducks sophomore forward Cutter Gauthier tallied his first career NHL hat trick in a 7-3 victory over the Florida Panthers. Gauthier also had an assist for his first four-point game for the 8-3-1 Ducks, who picked up their fourth straight win and moved into first place in the Pacific Division with 17 points. Evan Rodrigues had a goal and an assist as the Panthers dropped to 6-6-1.

Anaheim Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks center Leo Carlsson received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct for a blindside hit to Rodrigues’ head early in the third period, sending the Panthers forward out of the game.

The Los Angeles Kings (6-4-4) got a 23-save performance from goaltender Darcy Kuemper to shut out the Winnipeg Jets 3-0. Adrian Kempe tallied his 200th career NHL regular-season goal, and Drew Doughty scored his 162nd career goal to surpass Rob Blake for the most by a defenseman in franchise history. Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck stopped 23 of 25 shots as his club’s three-game win streak ended, giving them a record of 9-4-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a notable game for Kings winger Corey Perry, who became the fourth active player to play 1,400 career regular-season NHL games.

Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen scored twice and picked up an assist in a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Wyatt Johnston scored the shootout winner and collected three assists in regulation for the 7-3-3 Stars. Connor McDavid and Jack Roslovic each collected two points for the 6-5-4 Oilers, who held a 3-1 lead in the third period until the Stars rallied.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers defenseman Alec Regula was activated off injured reserve after missing 12 games with an undisclosed injury.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 25 saves in his season debut to blank the New York Rangers 3-0, leaving the latter winless at home (0-5-1). Nikolaj Ehlers scored his first goal with the Hurricanes (8-4-0). Igor Shesterkin turned aside 29 of 31 shots for the Rangers, who dropped to 6-6-2.

The Vegas Golden Knights nipped the Detroit Red Wings 1-0. Akira Schmid had a 24-save shutout, and Ivan Barbashev tallied the only goal for the 7-2-3 Golden Knights. John Gibson made 33 saves for the 9-5-0 Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights activated defenseman Noah Hanifin off injured reserve for this contest. He missed the past 10 games with an undisclosed injury.

Colorado Avalanche winger Victor Olofsson scored twice in a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Scott Wedgewood kicked out 22 shots for the 8-1-5 Avalanche, who extended their points streak to five games (3-0-2) to sit atop the Central Division with 21 points. Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point replied for the Lightning (6-5-2) as their win streak ended at five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning activated defenseman Max Crozier off injured reserve for this game. He’d been sidelined since Oct. 14 with an undisclosed injury.

The Philadelphia Flyers blew a 3-0 lead but rallied to nip the Montreal Canadiens in a shootout by a score of 5-4. Bobby Brink tallied twice and Trevor Zegras scored the winning goal after collecting two assists in regulation for the Flyers, who improved to 7-5-1. Kirby Dach scored two goals and Sam Montembeault stopped 38 of 42 shots for the 9-3-1 Canadiens, who hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 19 points.

An overtime goal by Clayton Keller lifted the Utah Mammoth to a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Nick Schmaltz also scored for the Mammoth (9-4-0). Noah Ostlund replied for the Sabres (5-4-4), who got a 33-save effort from goalie Alex Lyon to extend their points streak to five games (1-0-4).

Boston Bruins forward Marat Khusnutdinov scored the tying goal and the game-winner in a shootout to defeat the New York Islanders 4-3. Jeremy Swayman made 29 saves for the 8-7-0 Bruins, who extended their win streak to four games. Bo Horvat tallied two goals for the Islanders, who dropped to 6-5-2.

The Minnesota Wild beat the Nashville Predators 3-2 on an overtime goal by Marcus Johansson. Johansson and Kirill Kaprizov each finished with two points for the 5-6-3 Wild. Steven Stamkos sent the game into overtime for the 5-6-4 Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Johansson’s goal was controversial as it was scored after the net was dislodged. Officials ruled that Predators goalie Justus Annunen caused the net to be knocked off its moorings before the puck crossed the goal line.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TORONTO SUN: Sidelined Maple Leafs forward Scott Laughton and Steven Lorentz are expected to return to the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Utah Mammoth.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins placed goaltender Tristan Jarry and forwards Justin Brazeau and Noel Acciari on injured reserve. They recalled goalie Sergei Murashov, demoted defenseman Owen Pickering, and recalled blueliner Ryan Graves.

THE MERCURY NEWS/DAILY FACEOFF: Sharks forward William Eklund (lower-body injury) is expected to miss his second straight game on Wednesday when his club faces the Seattle Kraken. Meanwhile, rookie defenseman Sam Dickinson will remain with the Sharks for the rest of the season.

STLTODAY.COM: Milan Lucic has signed a professional tryout offer with the Blues’ AHL affiliate in Springfield.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks have released winger Vitali Kravtsov from his contract, enabling him to return to the KHL.