NHL Rumor Mill – April 9, 2024

by | Apr 9, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – April 9, 2024

Which clubs could target Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom this summer? Could the Blues attempt to move Jordan Binnington in the offseason? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHICH CLUBS COULD TARGET MARKSTROM?

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson considers it a foregone conclusion that the Calgary Flames will trade Jacob Markstrom. The 34-year-old goaltender has two years remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $6.4 million and a full no-movement clause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Matheson observed, Markstrom holds all the cards here. It’s his decision if he’ll accept a trade and to which clubs he’d find acceptable destinations. It’s believed a deal with the New Jersey Devils fell through two months ago.

Matheson observed that the Ottawa Senators need a goalie. He claimed the Flames really like center Shane Pinto.

Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You know who else really likes Pinto? The Senators. They intend on signing the restricted free agent this summer. Pinto told The Athletic’s Ian Mendes he wants to stay in Ottawa and hopes to get a new deal done soon.

The Senators probably aren’t on Markstrom’s list of preferred trade destinations. He’s probably not interested in joining a rebuilding club at this stage in his career.

The Los Angeles Kings could search for a new netminder in the offseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings are a more realistic destination for Markstrom. They’re a playoff contender looking to take the next step toward Stanley Cup contention. The Kings reportedly attempted to acquire Linus Ullmark but the Boston Bruins goalie is said to have refused to waive his no-trade clause.

The Devils have veteran Jake Allen and that’s about it.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After the trade deadline, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald stated that he’s going “big-game hunting” for a goaltender in the offseason. Markstrom is probably at the top of his list.

COULD THE BLUES SHOP BINNINGTON IN THE OFFSEASON?

SPORTSNET: During Monday’s “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, Elliotte Friedman wondered if St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong will make any major changes to his club in the offseason.

Friedman and Jeff Marek pointed out that goaltender Jordan Binnington is having a really good year for the Blues. He has a full no-trade clause that reverts to an 18-team no-trade list for next season. Friedman is curious if Armstrong might attempt to move the 30-year-old goaltender, who has value in the trade market.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Everything I’ve read and heard regarding the Blues suggested Armstrong might try to move one of his high-salaried defensemen. Still, we can’t dismiss the possibility he gauges Binnington’s value in the trade market.

Binnington’s improvement this season was partly because he reined in his fiery temper. Still, that aspect of his personality could make some clubs leery about acquiring him. His no-trade next season limits the Blues to just 14 trade partners, though Armstrong could ask him to widen his list of destinations. His $6 million cap hit through 2026-27 could also be a sticking point.

Promising goalie Joel Hofer has the makings of a future starter for the Blues. If Armstrong moves Binnington this summer, he must bring in a reliable veteran to back up Hofer.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 8, 2024

by | Apr 8, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 8, 2024

The battle for the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth continues as does the jockeying for first place in the overall standings. Get the details in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Detroit Red Wings got first-period goals from Lucas Raymond, Patrick Kane and Dylan Larkin to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 3-1. Tage Thompson replied for the Sabres. With a record of 38-31-8, the Wings vaulted over the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals into the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth with 84 points. The Sabres slipped to 37-36-5 (79 points) and sit five points back of the Wings.

Speaking of the Capitals, they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Ottawa Senators. Jake Sanderson scored in overtime and Ridly Greig had a goal and an assist for the 34-39-4 Senators. Max Pacioretty and Aliaksei Protas scored for the Capitals (36-30-11) as they sit one point behind the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals also lost defenseman Rasmus Sandin to an upper-body injury following a hard hit by Senators forward Parker Kelly in the first period. After the game, Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said Sandin will miss some time from the roster.

The New Jersey Devils’ wildcard hopes suffered a blow as they fell 3-2 to the Nashville Predators on a shootout goal by Ryan O’Reilly, who also had two assists in regulation. Jack Hughes and Chris Tierney scored for the 37-36-5 Devils, who are five points behind the Red Wings. The Predators (45-29-4) hold the first Western Conference wildcard spot with 94 points.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils defenseman John Marino missed this game with an undisclosed injury. The Devils also learned that forward Curtis Lazar could miss the remainder of the regular season with an upper-body injury suffered during Saturday’s game against the Senators.

Shifting to the top of the table, the league-leading New York Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens 5-2. Artemi Panarin extended his points streak to nine games with a goal and three assists for the 53-21-4 Rangers (110 points). Cayden Primeau stopped 41 shots and Mike Matheson collected two assists for the 29-36-12 Canadiens, who have lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers tied their franchise record for the most wins in a season.

The Dallas Stars are three points behind the Rangers in the overall standings with a 7-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche. Roope Hintz reached the 30-goal plateau for the third straight season, Tyler Seguin scored twice and Jamie Benn and Wyatt Johnston each had a goal and two assists for the Stars (49-20-9) as they sit second overall with 107 points. Nathan MacKinnon picked up two assists for the 48-24-6 Avalanche (102 points), who sit sixth overall but have won just twice in their last seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche were without winger Mikko Rantanen as he entered concussion protocol after being injured during Friday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. The early reports are positive as Rantanen worked out on Saturday and skated on his own on Sunday. He’s listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, MacKinnon (133 points) moved within three points of Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, who leads the scoring race with 136 points. 

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen turned in a 23-save shutout to blank the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0. Teuvo Teravainen had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes (49-22-7) as they sit fourth overall with 105 points. Malcolm Subban stopped 32 shots for the 26-40-12 Blue Jackets.

A four-point performance by Robert Thomas powered the St. Louis Blues to a 6-5 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Jordan Kyrou scored the winner in the shootout and picked up three assists in regulation play as the Blues improved to 41-32-5 (87 points). Frank Vatrano and Leo Carlsson each scored two goals for the 25-48-5 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues kept their playoff hopes alive as they’re five points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the final Western wildcard.

The Minnesota Wild defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0 as rookie Jesper Wallstedt turned aside 24 shots for his first NHL shutout. Kirill Kaprizov scored his 40th and 41st goals of the season for the 37-31-9 Wild. The Blackhawks dropped to 23-49-5.

Arizona Coyotes winger Clayton Keller had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. Keller extended his points streak to 11 games for the Coyotes (33-39-5). Henry Thrun had a goal and an assist for the 18-51-8 Sharks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Tomas Hertl is expected to make his debut with the Vegas Golden Knights in Monday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. The Golden Knights acquired the 30-year-old forward from the San Jose Sharks at the March 8 trade deadline. He’s been sidelined since Jan. 27 after undergoing knee surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hertl is no playoff rental for the Golden Knights. He’s under contract until 2029-30.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The NHL department of player safety fined Oilers winger Evander Kane $5,000.00 for slashing Calgary Flames defenseman Dryden Hunt on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane didn’t have a good game against the Flames. Teammate Corey Perry lit into him on the bench at one point over a botched play. That stoked speculation Kane may have worn out his welcome in Edmonton.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 2, 2024

by | Apr 2, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 2, 2024

The Penguins’ Sidney Crosby ties a scoring record with Wayne Gretzky, Auston Matthews sets the Leafs single-season goal record, the Red Wings and Islanders remain in the Eastern Conference wildcard chase, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored two goals and collected an assist to tie Wayne Gretzky with 19 seasons averaging a point-per-game in a 5-2 win over the New York Rangers. Bryan Rust also tallied twice for the 33-30-11 Penguins (77 points) as they move to within five points of the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth. The Rangers (50-21-4) remain in first place in the overall standings with 104 points.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A point-per-game in 19 straight seasons is a phenomenal achievement for the 36-year-old Crosby. He has 82 points this season in 74 games. Crosby also needs just three assists to reach the 1,000-assist milestone. He’s 13 goals from the 600 career goal milestone and 16 points from the 1,600-point plateau. Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry and defenseman John Ludvig were late scratches from this game due to illness.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews broke his franchise single-season goals record with his 61st and 62nd goals as his club downed the Florida Panthers 6-4. Matthews also collected an assist to finish with three points for the Leafs (43-22-9), who won their third straight game and sit third in the Atlantic Division with 95 points. Vladimir Tarasenko had a goal and two assists and Sam Reinhart tallied his 52nd goal for the 47-23-5 Panthers, who sit seventh in the overall standings with 99 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With eight games remaining in the Leafs schedule, Matthews has a chance to become the first player to score 70 goals in a season since Teemu Selanne and Alex Mogilny in 1992-93. He holds a 10-goal lead over Reinhart and the Edmonton Oilers’ Zach Hyman in the race for the Maurice Richard Trophy. Meanwhile, Panthers winger Carter Verhaeghe left this game early in the third period with an undisclosed injury. Panthers coach Paul Maurice considers him day-to-day.

The Detroit Red Wings remain in the Eastern wildcard race with a 4-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. David Perron snapped a 2-2 tie, Lucas Raymond netted his 25th goal of the season and Alex Lyon stopped 34 shots for the 37-30-8 Red Wings, who sit behind the Washington Capitals with 82 points. Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov collected an assist to tie Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon for the points lead with 127. The Bolts (41-26-7) hold the first Eastern wildcard with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wings and Capitals have the same points total but the latter holds that wildcard with two games in hand.

An overtime goal by Brock Nelson lifted the New York Islanders over the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3. Semyon Varlamov stopped 30 shots for the 32-27-15 Islanders as they sit three points behind the Red Wings and Capitals. Morgan Frost scored in the final 10 seconds to force overtime for the Flyers (36-29-11), who picked up a point to regain third place in the Metropolitan Division with 83 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nelson and teammate Bo Horvat each scored their 30th goal of the season in this game. Meanwhile, Flyers goalie Ivan Fedotov made his NHL debut (stopping 19 of 21 shots) as he replaced Samuel Ersson, who gave up two goals on six shots. Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale returned to action after missing 16 games with an upper-body injury. However, team captain Sean Couturier left the game with an apparent upper-body injury.

The Colorado Avalanche failed to gain ground in the overall standings as they fell 4-1 to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Alexander Nylander tallied twice and Kirill Marchenkov picked up his 20th goal of the season for the 25-38-12 Blue Jackets. Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon was held scoreless as his club sits sixth overall with 100 points (47-22-6).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins missed this game with a lower-body injury. He’s listed as day-to-day.

Cole Perfetti scored twice and collected an assist as the Winnipeg Jets nipped the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 to snap their six-game losing skid. Kyle Connor collected three assists for the Jets, who improved to 45-24-6 to sit third in the Central Division with 96 points. Viktor Arvidsson, Kevin Fiala and Anze Kopitar replied for the Kings (38-25-11) as they hold the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets forward Tyler Toffoli missed this game due to illness. Kings center Phillip Danault did not dress due to an upper-body injury.

St. Louis Blues winger Brandon Saad scored in overtime to give his club a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Brayden Schenn tallied twice for the Blues, who improved to 40-31-4 and sit three points behind the Kings for that final Western wildcard. Mattias Ekholm had a goal and an assist for the 45-23-5 Oilers as they sit second in the Pacific Division with 95 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected an assist for his 126th point of the season, sitting one behind Kucherov and MacKinnon in the race for the Art Ross Trophy. He’s also just three assists away from reaching the 100-point mark in a single season. The last player to do that was Wayne Gretzky with 122 in 1990-91.

The Seattle Kraken doubled up the San Jose Sharks 4-2. Shane Wright scored what proved to be the winning goal in his first game since being called up from the minors while Oliver Bjorkstrand netted his 20th of the season for the 31-30-13 Kraken. Fabian Zetterlund tallied his 21st of the season for the 17-49-8 Sharks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson and New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere were the league’s three stars for the week ending March 31.

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman received a three-game suspension from the NHL department of player safety for unsportsmanlike conduct. He hurled his stick toward the on-ice officials following the Wild’s 2-1 loss to the Golden Knights on Saturday.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 1, 2024

by | Apr 1, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – April 1, 2024

A look at what could be in store for the Blues during the offseason plus speculation of a possible coaching change for the Red Wings in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT’S IN STORE FOR THE BLUES DURING THE OFFSEASON?

THE ATHLETIC: With the St. Louis Blues poised to miss the playoffs again, Jeremy Rutherford believes St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong will shake up his roster during the offseason.

The Blues will still be retooling their roster. Rutherford doesn’t see Armstrong making significant, expensive upgrades. Any big moves could involve money going out rather than coming in. He also doesn’t see the Blues GM spending to the salary cap next season.

Rutherford doesn’t expect pending unrestricted free agents Sammy Blais and Kasperi Kapanen will be back. Marco Scandella could also be allowed to walk depending on what plans Armstrong has for his top-four defense and for Scott Perunovich.

He also doesn’t believe the Blues will buy out a high-salaried defenseman’s contract. Armstrong hasn’t gone the buyout route since becoming the general manager in 2010. He could instead attempt to package one of them with a draft pick or prospect in a trade.

St. Louis Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich (NHL Images)

Rutherford doesn’t see the Blues shying away from signing winger Pavel Buchnevich to a long-term extension. He thinks it could come down to where they see Buchnevich’s arc, how much he wants and if they think they’re going to compete in the next few years.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli recently examined the Blues’ options if they attempt to move a high-salaried defenseman like Colton Parayko, Torey Krug, Justin Faulk and Nick Leddy. All are signed for at least two more seasons after 2023-24 and have no-trade clauses.

Parayko would have the most value but he’s also the defenseman the Blues probably don’t want to move. They tried to trade Krug last summer and a lot of teams view the undersized defenseman differently in the playoffs. There are also some diminishing returns on Faulk.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If the goal is to shed salary the Blues have to move one of those four defensemen. They had a deal in place last June to send Krug to the Philadelphia Flyers but he used his no-trade clause to reject the trade as is his right.

Armstrong could approach one of those blueliners and ask them for a list of preferred destinations if he hasn’t already done so. Parayko is probably the only one he could move without having to include sweeteners in the deal. The rest could cost some combination of draft picks, prospects and a good young NHL player to make it happen.

Buchnevich surfaced in the rumor mill leading up to last month’s trade deadline. Some teams reportedly contacted Armstrong asking if he was available. The Blues GM wasn’t shopping the 28-year-old winger but was willing to set a high asking price to see if anyone would meet it.

Armstrong could follow the same plan this summer if teams come calling about Buchnevich. However, it wouldn’t surprise me if the Blues signed him to a contract extension.

COULD THE RED WINGS HIRE BERUBE AS THEIR NEW HEAD COACH?

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Bob Duff reported a source told him that Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman is mulling the possibility of a coaching change in the offseason.

The source claimed Yzerman could replace Derek Lalonde as head coach if the Wings fail to reach the playoffs this season. Lalonde is currently in the second year of a three-year contract.

Former St. Louis Blues coach Craig Berube is said to be at the top of Yzerman’s wish list.

Another source told Duff that Yzerman read the riot act to his coaching staff and players on Friday regarding their recent lackluster performance. They’re 0-2-2 on their current five-game road trip that ends on Monday in Tampa Bay.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wings were in freefall throughout March, winning just three of 14 games. They tumbled out of a wildcard berth and sit two points out of a playoff spot with eight games to play.

Duff noted that the Wings’ slow start to games, their puck management and defensive structure have been issues this season. Part of that is how the team is constructed, which is Yzerman’s department. However, the coaching staff also deserves its share of the blame.

It wouldn’t be shocking if Yzerman shook up his coaching staff by hiring a more experienced bench boss with Stanley Cup experience.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 29, 2024

by | Mar 29, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 29, 2024

Four more teams clinch playoff berths, Oilers captain Connor McDavid narrows the gap in the scoring race, and Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon’s home points streak is over. Get the details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Dallas Stars clinched a playoff berth by defeating the Vancouver Canucks 3-1. Jamie Benn snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period and Roope Hintz had a goal and two assists for the Stars (46-19-9), who won their sixth straight game and sit second in the overall standings with 101 points. J.T. Miller replied for the 45-20-8 Canucks as they slipped to fifth overall with 98 points.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen turned in a 24-save shutout to blank the Detroit Red Wings 4-0 as his club also secured a playoff spot. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis each had a goal and two assists for the 46-21-7 Hurricanes as they hold third place in the overall standings with 99 points. James Reimer stopped 29 shots for the Red Wings (36-30-7) as they remain two points out of the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wings forwards Patrick Kane and Austin Czarnik missed this game due to illness.

The Florida Panthers dropped a 3-2 decision to the New York Islanders but still clinched a postseason spot. Semyon Varlamov turned aside 26 shots while Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s tie-breaker in the second period was the game-winner. Vladimir Tarasenko and Aleksander Barkov scored for the 46-22-5 Panthers, who dropped to seventh overall with 97 points. The Islanders (31-26-15) kept their playoff hopes alive as they’re four points out of the final Eastern wildcard with 77 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers head coach Paul Maurice expressed displeasure with his team’s performance following this game. They’ve dropped six of their last seven contests. They did have some good news as defenseman Aaron Ekblad returned to action after being sidelined for the last six games.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki reached the 30-goal plateau for the first time in a 4-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Juraj Slafkovsky extended his points streak to nine games for the Canadiens (28-32-12) as they won three straight games for the first time this season. Owen Tippett matched his career high of 27 goals for the 36-28-10 Flyers, who cling to third place in the Metropolitan Division with 82 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens’ win enabled the idle Boston Bruins (42-17-15) to clinch a playoff berth. The Bruins sit fourth in the overall standings with 99 points. Speaking of the Flyers, Ivan Fedotov had his KHL contract terminated, potentially opening the door for the 27-year-old goaltender to come to Philadelphia to begin his NHL career.

Meanwhile, the New York Rangers downed the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on a shootout goal by Vincent Trocheck. Igor Shesterkin kicked out 39 shots for the Rangers (49-20-4) as they lead the league with 102 points. Nathan MacKinnon’s home points streak ended at 35 games as the 46-21-6 Avalanche hold sixth place in the overall standings with 98 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren returned to action after missing four games with a lower-body injury.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists to lead his club over the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 4-1. Leon Draisaitl collected three assists as the Oilers improved to 44-23-4 and sit second in the Pacific Division with 92 points. Arthur Kaliyev scored for the Kings (38-23-11) as they tumbled into the final Western wildcard berth with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid reached the 120-point mark for the third straight season, becoming the seventh player in NHL history to achieve this milestone. With 122 points, he’s just two points behind league leader Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning and one behind MacKinnon.

The Vegas Golden Knights got two goals from Ivan Barbashev and a 39-save effort from Logan Thompson for a 4-1 victory over the slumping Winnipeg Jets. The Golden Knights (40-25-8) vaulted over the Kings into third place in the Pacific with 88 points. Sean Monahan scored for the 44-23-6 Jets, who are winless in their last five games (0-4-1) but still hold third place in the Central Division with 94 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is starting to look like a rerun of last season where the Jets played well through most of the season only to stumble down the stretch. They’re not in danger of missing the playoffs (yet) but their recent struggles are becoming a concern for Jets followers, or at least for those in the Winnipeg media.

A hat trick by Logan Cooley carried the Arizona Coyotes to an 8-4 upset of the Nashville Predators, snapping the latter’s 18-game points streak. Clayton Keller had a goal and three assists and rookie Josh Doan collected two assists for the 31-37-5 Coyotes. Jason Zucker tallied twice for the Predators (43-26-4) as they hold the first Western wildcard with 90 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Doan joined Brian Mullen and Dale Hawerchuk as the third player in franchise history with at least four points in their first two games. His father, Shane, had three points.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Tyler Bertuzzi scored twice to beat the Washington Capitals 5-1. Mark Giordano scored in his return to the Leafs lineup since being sidelined by a concussion on Feb. 29. The Leafs (41-22-9) hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 91 points. Nic Dowd scored for the 36-27-9 Capitals (81 points) as they still hold the final Eastern wildcard.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, the 40-year-old Giordano dedicated his goal to his father, who passed away on Feb. 15th. He’s also the second-oldest defenseman in Leafs history to score a goal. Speaking of Leafs defenseman, Timothy Liljegren missed this game with an upper-body injury and is expected to be sidelined for several more games.

The St. Louis Blues remain in the Western playoff chase with a 5-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. Pavel Buchnevich scored two goals while Jordan Binnington made 25 saves and picked up two assists for the 39-30-4 Blues (82 points) as they sit five points behind the Kings. Andrei Kuzmenko tallied twice for the Flames (33-34-5).

Minnesota Wild forward Joel Eriksson Ek scored his 30th goal of the season and Matt Boldy had two points to defeat the San Jose Sharks 3-1. The win kept the Wild’s fading playoff hopes alive as they improved to 35-28-9 but sit eight points behind the Kings with 79 points. The 16-48-8 Sharks have won just once in their last 10 games. They played without winger Alexander Barabanov, who is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin scored twice and Sidney Crosby had two assists to nip the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2. The Penguins (32-30-10) have won two straight. Cole Sillinger had a goal and an assist for the 23-38-12 Blue Jackets.

The Ottawa Senators got a 19-save shutout from Anton Forsberg in a 2-0 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Claude Giroux and Parker Kelly were the goalscorers for the 32-36-4 Senators. Petr Mrazek stopped 32 shots for the 21-47-5 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot missed this game with a lower-body injury but he’s not expected to be sidelined for long.

Three straight third-period goals lifted the Seattle Kraken over the Anaheim Ducks 4-2. Jared McCann picked up three assists for the 30-29-13 Kraken. Jakob Silfverberg had a goal and an assist for the 24-45-4 Ducks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 24, 2024

by | Mar 24, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 24, 2024

The Predators set a franchise-record points streak, the Canucks and Rangers continue their push for the Presidents’ Trophy, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Nashville Predators extended their points streak to a franchise-record 17 games (15-0-2) by blanking the Detroit Red Wings 1-0. Juuse Saros turned in a 23-save shutout and Filip Forsberg scored the only goal for the Predators (42-25-4) as they hold the first Western Conference wildcard berth with 88 points. Alex Lyon stopped 31 shots for the 36-29-6 Red Wings as they cling to the final Eastern Conference wildcard spot with 78 points.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Forsberg also dropped the gloves with Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider in a rare fight between NHL stars. It was Forsberg’s third career scrap and Seider’s first. Meanwhile, the Predators’ points streak is the league’s longest this season.

Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Hoglander tallied twice in a 4-2 victory over the Calgary Flames. Canucks center Elias Lindholm scored against his former club as the Canucks improved to 45-18-8 to move into first place in the overall standings with 98 points. A.J. Greer assisted on both Flames goals as his club’s record dropped to 33-31-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lindholm has been struggling to score since the Canucks acquired him on Jan. 31. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the 29-year-old center will be meeting with a specialist this week as he and the Canucks manage his undisclosed injury on a day-to-day basis.

The New York Rangers rallied to down the Florida Panthers 4-3 on a shootout goal by Artemi Panarin, who scored twice in regulation, including the tying goal late in the third period. The Rangers improved to 47-20-4 to sit second overall with 98 points. Matthew Tkachuk and Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist each as the Panthers (45-20-5) are winless in their last four games (0-3-1) and slipped to fifth overall with 95 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks hold first overall with 39 regulation wins over the Rangers’ 38.

Meanwhile, the Boston Bruins (41-16-15) tumbled out of first overall into third with 97 points following a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. Tyson Foerster snapped a 2-2 tie late in the third period and Travis Konecny scored two goals for the 36-29-9 Flyers as they remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 81 points. Bruins forward Justin Brazeau scored to extend his goal streak to three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers captain Sean Couturier returned to action after being a healthy scratch from the last two games.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Bobby McMann scored twice and collected an assist in a 6-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Pontus Holmberg also had two goals and Auston Matthews netted his league-leading 58th goal of the season for the 40-20-9 Maple Leafs, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 89 points. Oilers winger Zach Hyman moved into second place in the goalscoring race with his 49th of the season as his club (42-22-4) sits second in the Pacific Division with 88 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov left this game in the third period with what appeared to be an injured left leg. After the game, head coach Sheldon Keefe said he believes Samsonov will be fine. Meanwhile, Leafs winger Tyler Bertuzzi missed this game with an illness.

An overtime goal by Vladislav Gavrikov lifted the Los Angeles Kings over the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3. Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar had two points each for the 37-22-11 Kings, who sit three points back of the Oilers in third place in the Pacific Division with 85 points. Steven Stamkos scored twice in the third to force overtime for the 38-25-7 Lightning as they hold the first Eastern wildcard with 83 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov collected an assist for his league-leading 123rd point of the season.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel scored two goals to reach 500 career NHL regular-season points in a 4-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Daniil Tarasov kicked out 43 shots for the Blue Jackets. The Golden Knights hold the final Western wildcard with a record of 38-25-7 (83 points) while the Blue Jackets slipped to 23-36-12.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill left this game with an undisclosed injury in the third period. There was no update on his condition following the game.

The St. Louis Blues kept their playoff hopes alive with an overtime goal by Brandon Saad to nip the Minnesota Wild 5-4. Jordan Kyrou tallied a hat trick and Pavel Buchnevich picked up three assists for the 38-30-3 Blues as they sit four points behind the Golden Knights with 79 points. Marco Rossi scored two goals for the 34-28-9 Wild.

Speaking of keeping playoff hopes alive, the New York Islanders ended a six-game skid with a 6-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Cal Clutterbuck scored twice while Mathew Barzal and Hudson Fasching had a goal and two assists each for the Islanders (30-25-15) as they’re three points back of the Red Wings with 75 points. The Jets dropped to 44-21-5 but hold third place in the Central Division with 93 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck got the hook in the second period after giving up five goals on 26 shots. However, it’s fair to say that his teammates let him down, playing terribly in front of him.

The Ottawa Senators ended a three-game skid by downing the New Jersey Devils 5-2. Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot and Mathieu Joseph collected two points each for the 29-36-4 Senators. Jesper Bratt and Tomas Nosek replied for the 34-33-4 Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No disrespect to the Senators but the Devils should’ve taken this must-win game. With 72 points, they’re six points out of the final Eastern wildcard berth. Losing to one of the league’s worst teams could be the final nail in the coffin for the Devils’ postseason hopes.

A four-goal rally culminated in a 5-4 overtime victory for the Chicago Blackhawks over the San Jose Sharks. Seth Jones scored twice, including the game-winner for the 20-46-5 Blackhawks. Fabian Zetterlund and Thomas Bordeleau scored two goals each for the 16-46-8 Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a season of suck for the Sharks but there is a glimmer of hope for their future. Top prospect Will Smith scored four goals for Boston College in a 6-2 win over Boston University to win the NCAA Hockey East Championship. Smith leads the NCAA this season with 67 points.