NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 3, 2024

by | Apr 3, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 3, 2024

The Islanders, Penguins and Sabres keep their playoff hopes alive, David Pastrnak reaches a Bruins’ scoring milestone, the three stars and rookie of the month for March are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Third-period goals by Bo Horvat and Simon Holmstrom gave the New York Islanders a 2-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. The goal was Horvat’s 31st of the season for the 33-27-15 Islanders (81 points) as they moved to within one point of Washington Capitals for the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth. Petr Mrazek made 27 saves for the 22-48-5 Blackhawks.

Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each tallied twice as the Pittsburgh Penguins rallied for five goals in the third period to defeat the New Jersey Devils 6-3. The Penguins improved to 34-30-11 (79 points) and sit three points behind the Capitals. Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt each scored their 25th goal of the season for the Devils as they fell to 36-35-4 and dropped six points back of the Capitals.

Speaking of the Capitals, they dropped a 6-2 decision to the Buffalo Sabres. JJ Peterka scored twice and collected an assist while Tage Thompson, Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch each had a goal and two assists for the Sabres, who moved to 36-35-4 (77 points) and are five points behind Washington. Dylan Strome netted his 26th goal of the season for the 36-28-10 Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres winger Jeff Skinner played his 1,000th NHL game. Teammate Jordan Greenway missed this game with an upper-body injury.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark turned in a 31-save shutout to blank the Nashville Predators 3-0. David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist for the Bruins (44-17-15), who sit third in the overall standings with 103 points. Juuse Saros turned aside 29 shots for the 43-28-4 Predators, who hold the first Western Conference wildcard spot (90 points) but have lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pastrnak became the first Bruin since Adam Oates in 1992-93 to have at least 35 multi-point games in a season. With 46 goals, he’s also on pace to become the third player in franchise history with multiple 50-goal seasons, joining Phil Esposito (five) and Cam Neely (three).

The Vegas Golden Knights rode a four-goal first period to a 6-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks, extending their points streak to seven games. Jonathan Marchessault tallied his 41st goal of the season and picked up two assists as the Golden Knights improved to 42-25-8. With 92 points, they’re third in the Pacific Division. Quinn Hughes scored two goals for the Canucks (46-21-8), who sit fifth overall with 100 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov was ejected from this game for boarding Vegas forward Brett Howden during the first period.

Speaking of the Golden Knights, trade deadline acquisition Tomas Hertl joined practice on Tuesday as a full participant. The 30-year-old center is recovering from knee surgery. Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy hinted he might return to action for Friday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki scored twice to reach the 70-point plateau for the first time in a 5-3 upset of the Florida Panthers. Sam Montembeault kicked out 37 shots for the 29-33-12 Canadiens, who’ve won four of their last five games. Anton Lundell had a goal and an assist for the slumping Panthers (47-24-5), who’ve won two of their last 10 games and sit seventh overall with 99 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad left this game with an undisclosed injury. The Panthers played without forwards Matthew Tkachuk (illness) and Carter Verhaeghe (upper-body injury). Verhaeghe is week-to-week and is expected to be ready for the playoffs.

The Minnesota Wild nipped the Ottawa Senators 3-2. Marc-Andre Fleury made 30 saves and Vinni Lettieri snapped a 2-2 tie for the 36-29-9 Wild (81 points) as they’re six points behind the Los Angeles Kings for the final Western wildcard. Drake Batherson netted his 27th goal of the season for the 33-37-4 Senators.

Anaheim Ducks winger Alex Killorn scored twice in a 5-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. Troy Terry and Olen Zellweger each had three points for the 25-47-4 Ducks. Andrei Kuzmenko potted two goals for the 34-35-5 Flames.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg are the league’s three stars for March 2024. Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard was named Rookie of the Month for March 2024.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues top prospect Jimmy Snuggerud will return to the University of Minnesota’s Golden Gophers for his junior year. The 19-year-old winger has scored 42 goals in 79 NCAA games. He had 21 goals and 13 assists this season for the Golden Gophers and was named first-team All-Big Ten.

SPORTSNET: The ECHL’s Newfoundland Growlers franchise had its membership terminated by the league’s board of governors.

The Growlers were the Toronto Maple Leafs’ ECHL affiliate. Deacon Sports and Entertainment, the majority owners of the Growlers and ECHL club Trois Rivieres Lions, had proposed a sale of both teams but only the Lions were saved.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports Saturday that there had been a lengthy battle behind the scenes over payments to cities and some NHL teams.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Sports media insider Jonah Sigel reports Rogers Communications could sell TV rights to its Monday night games (including playoff games) to Amazon over the final two years of its contract.

Sigel believes Amazon’s interest in getting a foothold in NHL broadcasting suggests it could be part of a broader strategy.

Rogers Communications’ current broadcasting agreement with the NHL has two years to go. The league could prioritize streaming services in its next TV deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some readers wondered what effect the end of Rogers’ TV contract two years from now might have on the NHL’s hockey-related revenue (HRR). It could be a lucrative deal with Amazon or another streaming service. If so, there would be no negative impact on HRR.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 31, 2024

by | Mar 31, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 31, 2024

The Avalanche and Canucks clinch playoffs berths, it’s now a three-player race for the Art Ross Trophy, the Leafs’ Auston Matthews hits 60 goals and Jonathan Quick set a record for US-born goaltenders. Get the details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals and set up two others as the Colorado Avalanche overcame 3-1 and 4-2 deficits to defeat the Nashville Predators 7-4 and clinch a playoff berth. Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar each had three points for the 47-21-6 Avalanche, who sit fifth in the overall standings with 100 points. Gustav Nyquist had two points for the Predators (43-27-4), who hold the first Western Conference wildcard berth with 90 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon holds first place in the race for the Art Ross Trophy with 127 points…A match penalty to Predators defenseman Ryan McDonagh in the second period for an illegal hit to the head of Avalanche forward Ross Colton was the turning point in the game. McDonagh’s ejection left the Preds with just five blueliners for the rest of the game…Avs defenseman Sean Walker missed the third period with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Jonathan Marchessault into an empty net gave the Vegas Golden Knights a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild. It was Marchessault’s 40th goal of the season as the Golden Knights (41-25-8) hold third place in the Pacific Division with 90 points. Kirill Kaprizov scored his 37th goal for the 35-28-10 Wild (80 points) as they sit seven points out of the final Western wildcard.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild head coach John Hynes opted to pull his goaltender to go for the win in the hope of keeping their fading playoff hopes alive. He gambled and lost. Because of that tactic, the Wild don’t get a point for reaching the overtime period…Before the game, it was reported that Wild forward Marcus Foligno will undergo season-ending surgery to address his lower-body injury…Golden Knights center Jack Eichel could face supplemental discipline after he was ejected during the second period for spearing Kaprizov.

San Jose Sharks goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood made 35 saves to shut out the St. Louis Blues 4-0. Filip Zadina, Mikael Granlund, Luke Kunin and Jan Rutta scored for the 17-48-8 Sharks, who snapped a nine-game winless skid. The loss leaves the Blues (39-31-4) sitting five points out of the final Western wildcard with 82 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The losses by the Blues and Wild clinched a postseason berth for the idle Vancouver Canucks (45-20-8), who sit seventh in the overall standings with 98 points…The Canucks and Avalanche join the New York Rangers, Dallas Stars, Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers among the teams that have secured their spots in the 2024 playoffs.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored two goals and collected an assist in a 6-1 drubbing of the Anaheim Ducks. Mattias Ekholm had a goal and two assists for the 45-23-4 Oilers, who hold second place in the Pacific Division with 94 points. Alex Killorn scored for the 24-46-4 Ducks.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid briefly held the lead in the Art Ross Trophy race with 125 points before MacKinnon and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov overtook him. On Nov. 12, a struggling McDavid sat 112th among NHL scorers. He’s turned this into a three-man race for the scoring title with less than three weeks remaining in the season.

Speaking of Kucherov, he picked up two assists as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the New York Islanders 4-1. Steven Stamkos tallied his 30th goal of the season and Anthony Cirelli scored twice and collected an assist for the Lightning, who improved to 41-25-7 and hold the first Eastern Conference wildcard berth with 89 points. Kyle Palmieri scored for the Islanders, who dropped to 31-27-15 (77 points) and sit five points out of the final Eastern wildcard spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov sits second in the Art Ross Trophy race with 126 points. Erik Cernak was a healthy scratch for the Lightning after missing a team meeting.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews reached the 60-goal plateau for the second time in a 3-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Ilya Samsonov turned in a 34-save shutout for the 42-22-9 Leafs, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 93 points. The Sabres slipped to 35-35-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews leads the goalscoring race, eight goals ahead of Oilers winger Zach Hyman. Before this game, the Leafs placed winger Mitch Marner (ankle) on long-term injury reserve retroactive to March 7, though he could return to the roster later this week.

The New York Rangers defeated the Arizona Coyotes 8-5. Jonathan Quick made 27 saves to set the record for most wins by an American-born NHL goaltender with 392. Alexis Lafreniere had a hat trick and collected two assists while Chris Kreider scored his 300th career regular-season goal for the Rangers. They’re the first team to reach 50 wins this season (50-20-4) and sit first overall with 104 points. Clayton Keller tallied his 32nd goal of the season for the 31-38-5 Coyotes.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov scored twice and Sam Reinhart scored in a shootout in a 3-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings. The Panthers (47-22-5) sit sixth in the overall standings with 99 points. Dylan Larkin scored to tie the game late in the third period for the 36-30-8 Red Wings, who sit two points out of the final Eastern wildcard.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Larkin had a brief injury scare when he was struck by a shot on his left leg early in the game. He returned to action in the second period and finished the game.

A shootout goal by Kevin Shattenkirk lifted the Boston Bruins over the Washington Capitals 3-2. Jeremy Swayman made 18 saves in regulation and overtime for the Bruins, who improved to 43-17-15 and sit fourth in the overall standings with 101 points. Playing in his 1,000th career regular-season game, John Carlson scored the tying goal for the Capitals (36-27-10), who vaulted over the Philadelphia Flyers into third place in the Metropolitan Division with 82 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin missed this game with a lower-body injury.

Speaking of the Flyers (36-29-10), they lost their fourth straight game as they dropped into the final Eastern wildcard with 82 points following a 5-1 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks. Philipp Kurashev, Lukas Reichel and Joey Anderson each had a goal and an assist for the 22-47-5 Blackhawks. Tyson Foerster replied for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers head coach John Tortorella hopes this loss to the lowly Blackhawks serves as a wakeup call for his slumping club. “I think we hit the bottom tonight here,” he said. “Maybe that needs to happen for us to get back into it.”

The Dallas Stars set a franchise record with their seventh straight win by blanking the Seattle Kraken 3-0. Jake Oettinger made 17 saves for the shutout while Wyatt Johnston, Joe Pavelski and Roope Hintz scored for the Stars (47-19-9), who sit second overall with 103 points. Joey Daccord turned aside 27 shots for the 30-30-13 Stars.

Speaking of 3-0 shutouts, Pyotr Kochetkov kicked out 26 shots to backstop the Carolina Hurricanes over the Montreal Canadiens. Jordan Staal, Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis were the goalscorers as the Hurricanes improved to 47-21-7 and sit third in the overall standings with 101 points. Sam Montembeault made 27 saves for the 28-33-12 Canadiens.

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk scored late in the third period as his club upset the Winnipeg Jets 3-2. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 28 shots for the 33-36-4 Senators. Jets goalie Connor Hellebucyk made 24 saves in his 500th career NHL regular-season game in a losing cause as his club sits third in the Central Division with 94 points but slipped to 44-24-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets’ slump continues as they’ve won three of their last 10 games.

The Calgary Flames surprised the Los Angeles Kings with a 4-2 win. Nazem Kadri led the way with a goal and an assist for the 34-34-5 Flames. Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe scored for the Kings (38-24-11) as they hold the final Western wildcard with 87 points.

A shootout goal by Damon Severson gave the Columbus Blue Jackets a 4-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Zach Werenski had a goal and an assist and Elvis Merzlikins turned aside 30 shots for the 24-38-12 Blue Jackets. Bryan Rust had a goal and an assist for the 32-30-11 Penguins.










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 Rumor Mill – March 27, 2024

by | Mar 27, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – March 27, 2024

What will Sidney Crosby’s next contract with the Penguins look like? Have the Bruins set the table for some big moves in the offseason? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill. 

WHAT WILL CROSBY’S NEXT CONTRACT LOOK LIKE?

THE ATHLETIC: Rob Rossi noted that “a lot of people” have opined that Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby should finish his career with a team like the Colorado Avalanche. However, he shoots down that notion by pointing out that Crosby had publicly and privately indicated he intends to finish his career with the Penguins. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins’ decline into also-ran status has fueled media speculation about Crosby’s future. Some suggested he should orchestrate a trade to join his good friend Nathan MacKinnon in Colorado or sign with the Avalanche next summer as a free agent. 

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

The earliest the Penguins can open contract extension talks with Crosby is July 1. If he’s not signed on that date, Rossi suggests it could be because he’s still on vacation. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The longer it takes for the Penguins and Crosby to reach an agreement the more questions over his future in Pittsburgh will appear in the media. If he’s not signed when training camp opens, the media buzz over his future will continue to increase. 

Crosby’s current annual average value is $8.7 million. Rossi speculates a three-year extension at $10 million annually would be fair. He believes Crosby will want to stick around and help shape the next great Penguins team. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: General manager Kyle Dubas has to sell his vision of the club’s future to Crosby. If he can do that, his captain could be up for the challenge of guiding the next group of young Penguins stars. 

ARE THE BRUINS PRIMED FOR A BIG OFFSEASON?

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy cited an NHL executive suggesting Bruins general manager Don Sweeney has “set the table” for some big moves in the offseason. 

“Look at all the cap space he has, and his two biggest trade targets are still set to become free agents.” 

The Bruins have a projected salary-cap space of $21.7 million for 2024-25. With potentially eight roster spots opening up, Murphy speculates they could re-sign Danton Heinen, James van Riemsdyk and perhaps Kevin Shattenkirk on team-friendly contracts. Winger Jake DeBrusk remains a wildcard as he has not heard back from management about a contract extension as of the March 8 trade deadline. 

Murphy noted the two trade targets his source referred two are Vancouver Canucks center Elias Lindholm and Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Noah Hanifin. Both players were linked to the Bruins in the rumor mill this season. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins could get more cap space if they trade goaltender Linus Ullmark, who has a year left on his contract with an AAV of $5 million. 

Sweeney has his club in a good position cap-wise heading into this summer. I don’t doubt that he’ll look at bolstering his roster with one or two free-agent signings and perhaps through the trade market. Whether he lands Lindholm and/or Hanifin remains to be seen.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2024

by | Mar 27, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2024

The Rangers become this season’s first team to reach 100 points and clinch a playoff spot, Artemi Panarin and David Pastrnak reach the 100-point plateau, Josh Doan has a memorable NHL debut with the Coyotes, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The New York Rangers became the first team to clinch a playoff berth and to reach 100 points this season as they nipped the Philadelphia Flyers 6-5. Adam Fox scored in overtime, Artemi Panarin collected three assists and Alexis Lafreniere tallied twice for the 48-20-4 Rangers. Travis Konecny and Scott Laughton had a goal and an assist each for the Flyers (36-27-10) as they cling to third place in the Metropolitan Division with 82 points.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panarin (102 points) reached the 100-point plateau for the first time, sitting fourth among this season’s leading scorers.

Third-period goals by Trent Frederic and Pavel Zacha lifted the Boston Bruins to a 4-3 victory over the Florida Panthers. Zacha, David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy each had a goal and an assist for the Bruins (42-16-15) as they sit third in the overall standings with 99 points. Sam Reinhart netted his 51st goal of the season as the Panthers (46-21-5) slipped to fifth overall with 97 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pastrnak reached 100 points for the second straight season and sits fifth in the scoring race.

Josh Doan scored two goals (including the game-winner) in his NHL debut with the Arizona Coyotes as they defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2. Matias Maccelli and Nick Schmaltz had a goal and an assist each for the 30-37-5 Coyotes. Boone Jenner and Zack Werenski had a goal and an assist each for the 23-37-12 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Doan is the son of former Coyotes captain Shane Doan, who was in attendance watching his son’s first NHL game.

Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston scored twice and collected an assist in a 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. Jamie Benn had a goal and two assists for the Stars (45-19-9), who sit second in the overall standings with 99 points. Mikael Granlund picked up two assists for the 16-47-8 Sharks.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews scored his 59th goal of the season but his club fell 6-3 to the New Jersey Devils. Jack Hughes tallied twice and Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Curtis Lazar had three points each as the Devils (36-33-4) kept their playoff hopes alive with 76 points, who sit five points back of the Capitals. William Nylander and Tyler Bertuzzi replied for the 40-22-9 Leafs, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe roasted his club in his postgame presser, ripping their “immature” performance in this contest. They also played with defensemen Morgan Rielly and Joel Edmundson. Both players are day-to-day with injuries.

The Edmonton Oilers downed the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 on an overtime goal by Zach Hyman, who now has 51 goals on the season. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid each collected two points for the Oilers (43-23-4), who sit second in the Pacific Division with 90 points. Sean Monahan scored his 22nd goal of the season for the Jets (44-22-6), who have 94 points but are winless in their last four games (0-3-1).

Two goals by Dylan Strome, including the winner in overtime, lifted the Washington Capitals to a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings. John Carlson collected two assists for the Capitals, who improved to 36-26-9 (81 points) to hold the final Eastern Conference wildcard spot. Patrick Kane scored the game-tying goal and Alex DeBrincat had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings (36-29-7) as they dropped two points behind the Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: These clubs are going in different directions in the battle for that wildcard berth. The Capitals are surging with seven wins in their last 10 games while the Red Wings have just three victories in their last 10.

The Nashville Predators scored four unanswered goals to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 5-4 on an overtime goal by Roman Josi. Ryan O’Reilly and Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists each for the Predators (43-25-4) as they hold the first Western Conference wildcard berth with 90 points. William Karlsson and Anthony Mantha each had a goal and an assist for the 39-25-8 Golden Knights, who hold the second Western wildcard with 86 points.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists and Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 38 shots in a 4-1 upset of the Carolina Hurricanes, snapping the latter’s seven-game points streak. Dmitry Orlov replied for the Hurricanes as they slipped to 45-21-7 (97 points) to remain three points behind the Metropolitan Division-leading Rangers. The Penguins improved to 31-30-10.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins also honored Jake Guentzel with a video tribute highlighting his nearly eight seasons in Pittsburgh before his trade to Carolina earlier this month. Following the game, Guentzel told reporters he intended to re-sign with the Penguins but he felt management had other ideas. The 29-year-old winger will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Speaking of upsets, the Montreal Canadiens downed the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 to end the latter’s nine-game win streak. Sam Montembeault made 27 saves while Nick Suzuki and Joel Armia scored for the 27-32-12 Canadiens. Nathan MacKinnon scored to extend his home points streak to 35 games and his overall streak to 19 games for the Avalanche (46-21-5), who sit two points behind the Central Division-leading Stars with 97 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon is tied with Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov in the scoring race with 123 points but Kucherov holds two games in hand. Suzuki reached a single-season high of 67 points and is one goal from reaching 30 in a season for the first time. Meanwhile, linemate Juraj Slafkovsky set a franchise record for the most points by a teenager (40) in a single season. Slafkovsky turns 20 on March 30.

The Chicago Blackhawks got two goals from Jason Dickinson to defeat the Calgary Flames 3-1. Petr Mrazek kicked out 38 shots while rookie Landon Slaggert collected two assists for his first NHL points as the Blackhawks improved to 21-46-5. MacKenzie Weegar replied for the 33-33-5 Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dickinson reached the 20-goal mark for the first time in his nine-season NHL career.

Seattle Kraken forwards Matty Beniers and Eeli Tolvanen each had a goal and two assists to blank the Anaheim Ducks 4-0. Joey Daccord picked up the shutout with 12 saves for the 29-29-13 Kraken. Trevor Zegras was held scoreless in his return to the Anaheim lineup since fracturing an ankle in early January. The Ducks dropped to 24-44-4.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 21, 2024

by | Mar 21, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – March 21, 2024

The latest on Erik Karlsson, Johnny Gaudreau and the Senators’ goaltending situation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON ERIK KARLSSON

THE ATHLETIC: Josh Yohe and Ian Mendes examined whether a trade involving Erik Karlsson would make sense for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Ottawa Senators.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman recently mused about whether the Senators might contemplate a reunion with Karlsson, who spent his first nine NHL seasons in Ottawa. The 33-year-old Penguins defenseman dismissed the idea when asked about it last week.

Yohe believes the Penguins would consider moving Karlsson as they’ve got too many players over 30 with expensive contracts. Mendes cites Karlsson’s ongoing ties to Ottawa and the Senators need for a right shot among their top-four defensemen. Acquiring the three-time Norris Trophy winner would mean trading Thomas Chabot or Jakob Chychrun.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

The Penguins would want a return that helps them get younger quickly. However, the Senators would want them to retain part of Karlsson’s contract, which would raise the Penguins’ asking price.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ve summarized a detailed examination of a Karlsson-to-Ottawa trade scenario by Yohe and Mendes. Both agree it would be a complicated affair requiring flexibility to ensure a fair deal for both clubs.

I don’t see Karlsson getting traded to the Senators. They’re a different club than the one he was traded from seven years ago. His contract is far too expensive and the Senators likely want a more affordable, defensive-minded blueliner.

COULD THE BLUE JACKETS ATTEMPT TO TRADE JOHNNY GAUDREAU?

BOSTON GLOBE: Kevin Paul Dupont recently noted the ongoing decline in the offensive production of Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau.

Heading into last weekend, the 30-year-old Gaudreau had just 10 goals and 47 points. He has five seasons remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $9.75 million.

Dupont doesn’t rule out the next Blue Jackets general manager trying to move Gaudreau to a team of the winger’s liking, “albeit with the Jackets retaining, say, one-third of his salary.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ve learned never to say never when moving high-salaried, under-performing players. The projected $4.4 million increase in the salary cap for 2024-25 could increase the odds of the Jackets finding a suitable trade partner for Gaudreau if they made him available in this summer’s trade market.

However, trading Gaudreau would still be a daunting challenge. His declining production hurts his trade value, he carries a full no-movement clause, and an interested club would likely want the Jackets to retain more than one-third of his annual cap hit or include a couple of sweeteners like a draft pick and a quality prospect.

WILL THE SENATORS PURSUE A GOALTENDER?

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch believes the Senators’ goaltending must improve next season or nothing will. As of March 18, they had the worst combined save percentage (.887) and sat 28th with an average goals-against per game of 3.53.

Garrioch believes Senators general manager Steve Staios may have “kicked some tires” on goaltenders before the March 8 trade deadline. He indicated there was speculation one of them was Boston’s Linus Ullmark. The Bruins have to decide on whether to trade Ullmark this summer.

The Senators have starting goalie Joonas Korpisalo under contract for four more years. Garrioch dismissed the notion of a contract buyout. “The hope is that he can come back next season better prepared to play with more consistency.” The Senators could attempt instead to move Anton Forsberg and replace him with a more reliable backup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ullmark, 30, also carries an average annual value of $5 million next season and is a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility. He also carries a 16-team no-trade clause that becomes a 15-team NTC on July 1.