NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 15, 2026

by | Jun 15, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 15, 2026

The Carolina Hurricanes are the 2025-26 Stanley Cup Champions. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

The Carolina Hurricanes blanked the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0 in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final to win the series and hockey’s holy grail four games to two. It’s their first championship since 2006.

2026 Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes (NHL.com).

Taylor Hall opened the scoring with what proved to be the game-winning goal just 3:47 into the first period. Jackson Blake made it 2-0 in the second period, and Nikolaj Ehlers’ empty-netter with 1:08 remaining in the third period put the game out of reach. Goaltender Brandon Bussi turned in a 22-save shutout.

Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal was voted the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. He had eight goals and four assists for 12 points in 19 games, with six of those goals coming in the first five games of the Cup Final, becoming the first player to score five goals to start a Cup Final since Jean Beliveau in 1956.

The 37-year-old Staal is the oldest player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy. He also set a record for the longest time between Stanley Cup Championships (17 years). The first time he won the Cup was in 2009 with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Speaking of Taylor Hall, he became the first player in NHL history to be selected first overall in the draft, win the Hart Memorial Trophy as league MVP, and win the Stanley Cup with three different teams. Hall was chosen first overall by the Edmonton Oilers in 2010, and won the Hart Trophy with the New Jersey Devils in 2017-18.

For Brandon Bussi, his Game 6 shutout capped a whirlwind season that began when he was claimed off waivers from the Florida Panthers. He had a record of 31-6-2 in 39 regular-season games, but didn’t make his postseason debut until the third period of Game 3, when he relieved starter Frederik Andersen. Bussi subsequently started the remaining games of this series, winning all three.

As for Andersen, he was surprised to be the first player Staal handed the Stanley Cup to after receiving it from league commissioner Gary Bettman. Andersen started every game in this postseason until Bussi relieved him in Game 3. He revealed that he suffered a knee injury in Game 2 and struggled to play through it in the following game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Andersen’s solid play was a big reason why the Hurricanes reached the Final. He finished with a record of 13-2 with a 1.89 goals-against average, a save percentage of .910, and three shutouts.

Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin became the second American to win the Stanley Cup in the same year that he won Olympic gold with Team USA. Ken Morrow was the first, winning a gold medal in the 1980 Olympics and the Stanley Cup later that year with the New York Islanders.

The additions of Hall, Bussi and Ehlers last year, along with the rise of Blake and Logan Stankoven, gave the Hurricanes the depth they previously lacked to march to the Stanley Cup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blake (20 points), Hall (19 points), Ehlers (18 points) and Stankoven (16 points) finished as the Hurricanes’ leading scorers in this postseason. The second line of Stankoven, Hall, and Blake was their most consistent throughout this postseason.

This is the second Stanley Cup championship for Rod Brind’Amour, and his first as head coach. He won his first Cup with Carolina as team captain in 2006.

As for the Vegas Golden Knights, their march to the Stanley Cup Final capped a roller-coaster season that saw them in danger of missing the playoffs until they replaced Bruce Cassidy as head coach with John Tortorella in late March.

Speaking of Tortorella, he’s unsure of his future with the Golden Knights. The club hired him for the remainder of this season. He thanked team owner Bill Foley, team president George McPhee, and general manager Kelly McCrimmon for giving him the chance to coach the team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll likely be a few days before we learn of Tortorella’s fate. After the job he did in reversing the Golden Knights’ fortunes, it wouldn’t be shocking if they sign him to a contract extension.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 10, 2026

by | Jun 10, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 10, 2026

The Hurricanes get a critical win in the Stanley Cup Final, Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog wins two awards, the latest on the Oilers’ efforts to hire Mike Babcock, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Stanley Cup Final is tied again as the Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 5-3 to even the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.

The Hurricanes jumped to a 3-1 lead in the first period on goals by Logan Stankoven, Jackson Black, and Jordan Staal. However, Golden Knights forwards William Karlsson and Brett Howden scored in the second period to tie the game. Howden leads this postseason with 14 goals, setting the Golden Knights’ single-season playoff record.

Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal (NHL Images).

Staal put the Hurricanes back on top in the third period with a diving backhand goal that left him sprawling on the ice. Nikolaj Ehlers netted an empty-net insurance goal late in the period as his clearing effort from behind his own net travelled the length of the ice.

This series returns to Carolina for Game 5 on Thursday at 8 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a critical win for the Hurricanes. A loss would’ve put them behind three games to one. Instead, they’re heading home with the series tied at two.

Staal has a series-leading five goals and has scored in each game of the Final. Golden Knights head coach John Tortorella admitted his team has had difficulty containing the Hurricanes’ captain. “He’s killing us in front of the net,” Tortorella said. “We’ve gotta do a better job around the blue paint.”

Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi picked up his first win in his first start in an NHL playoff game. He relieved starter Frederik Andersen after the second period of Game 3 when the latter gave up four goals. Pyotr Kochetkov was Bussi’s backup while Andersen was listed as a healthy scratch. Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour said he felt Andersen needed a break, but some observers wonder if the veteran netminder might be nursing an injury.

It was another rough outing for Carter Hart. The Golden Knights goalie entered this series considered a candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. However, he’s become the first netminder in Stanley Cup Final history to give up at least four goals in each of the first four games.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy and the Mark Messier Leadership Award.

Landeskog was a finalist for the Masterton last season for his efforts in resuming his playing career after being sidelined for over two seasons recovering from knee surgeries. This season was his first full campaign, finishing with 35 points in 60 games.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the NHL Players’ Association has asked the league to conduct a full investigation into Mike Babcock’s departure from the Columbus Blue Jackets before the Edmonton Oilers can officially hire him as head coach.

The league’s initial position was that it had to be informed that the Oilers intended to hire Babcock before stepping in. However, sources told Friedman that what’s at issue is the fact the league was prepared to investigate what happened with the Blue Jackets before Babcock resigned as their head coach in September 2023.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Babcock stepped down over allegations he was invading his players’ privacy by requesting to see personal photos on their cellphones.

Friedman said it’s expected the PA’s request will be granted and an investigation will be conducted. He’s not certain if it will prevent the Oilers from hiring Babcock in the meantime, but he thinks it’s hard to see them doing so knowing an investigation is imminent.

TWINCITIES.COM: The Minnesota Wild signed center Michael McCarron to a six-year, $20-million contract extension. McCarron, 31, will earn an average annual value of $3.333 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: PuckPedia indicates he also has a full no-movement clause for the first three seasons. The NMC remains in place in the final three seasons to prevent him from being demoted to the minors, but he will have a 15-team no-trade clause.

Acquired from the Nashville Predators at the trade deadline, McCarron’s physical style and versatility made him a good fit with the Wild. This is the best contract of his career, coming off a two-year deal with an AAV of $900K.

With all due respect to McCarron, it’s unusual for a player of his caliber to get a six-year contract. It was likely done to ensure his cap hit would be an affordable $3.333 million. However, the full no-movement clause is rare for someone like him, and could come back to haunt the Wild if they need to make a cost-cutting move down the road.

This signing could also complicate the Wild’s efforts to acquire Dylan Larkin. The Detroit Red Wings center has Minnesota on his three-team list of trade destinations. McCarron’s signing leaves the Wild with over $9.4 million in cap space for next season.

Larkin carries an AAV of $8.7 million through 2030-31. The Wings won’t be open to retaining part of his cap hit for the next five seasons. The Wild will have to include one or two roster players in that deal to ensure they have sufficient salary-cap flexibility next season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 8, 2026

by | Jun 8, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 8, 2026

Oilers captain Connor McDavid wins the Lindsay Award, the latest on the Hurricanes and Golden Knights, Joe Pavelski is among the candidates to become the next coach of the Maple Leafs, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid has won the Ted Lindsay Award, which is given annually to the league’s most outstanding player as voted by the membership of the NHL Players’ Association.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the fifth time that McDavid has won the Lindsay Award, tying Wayne Gretzky for the most in NHL history. McDavid is also a finalist for the Hart Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers’ Association (PHWA), which he’s won three times.

The Lindsay Award is the second trophy that McDavid has won this season. In April, he won the Art Ross Trophy as the league’s leading scorer for the sixth time.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes face multiple questions as they find themselves down two games to one to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final.

The biggest is whether to have Frederik Andersen or Brandon Bussi in net for Game 4 on Tuesday. Andersen has started every game in this postseason for the Hurricanes, but was pulled after the second period in Game 3 after giving up four goals. Bussi played well in the third period as the Canes rallied to force overtime before falling 5-4 in the second OT period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes played poorly in front of Andersen in Game 3, so it wouldn’t surprise me if he gets the start on Tuesday.

Some argue that Andersen was tired after 16 straight postseason starts, but it’s unlikely that fatigue was a factor in Game 3. Andersen’s workload hasn’t been that heavy in these playoffs. He and his teammates had nearly two weeks off between the second round and the Eastern Conference Final, and they made quick work of their three previous opponents before facing the more experienced Golden Knights.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb has garnered praise from his teammates and head coach John Tortorella for his toughness in this series.

McNabb left Game 2 in the first period with facial injuries that required a trip to a local hospital for repairs. After receiving over 20 stitches in his nose, he played in Game 3 wearing a protective cage on his mask, logging 35:47 minutes of ice time and collecting two assists.

TSN: Former NHL forward Joe Pavelski is among the candidates to be head coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs as the club’s search enters its second phase.

Pavelski played 18 seasons in the NHL with the San Jose Sharks and Dallas Stars from 2006-07 to 2023-24, netting 1,068 points in 1,332 regular-season games. However, he has limited coaching experience other than coaching his son Nate at the youth level.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It remains to be seen if Pavelski would get the job, but it shows the Maple Leafs are at least willing to think outside the box a little.

Like Pavelski, Hall of Famer Martin St. Louis’ only coaching experience was working with his sons when the Montreal Canadiens named him head coach in 2021-22. He’s since led that rebuilding team from dead last four years ago to the Eastern Conference Final this season.

RATINGS: Marco D’Amico recently profiled center Caleb Malhotra of the OHL’s Brantford Bulldogs. The 18-year-old rookie finished second among the Bulldogs with 84 points.

The son of former NHL player and current Vancouver Canucks coach Manny Malhotra, Caleb hopes to emerge from his father’s shadow and shift the focus onto the player he’s trying to become.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see where Malhotra gets selected in the first round. Most scouting sites have him being chosen in the top 10 between fourth and seventh overall.

BOSTON HERALD: Milan Lucic officially announced his retirement on his 38th birthday (June 7).

Lucic spent 18 seasons in the NHL from 2007-08 to 2023-24 with the Boston Bruins, Los Angeles Kings, Edmonton Oilers, and Calgary Flames. He had 233 goals, 353 assists, 586 points, and 1,301 PIMs in 1,177 regular-season games. Lucic also had 29 goals and 48 assists for 77 points in 136 playoff games, winning the Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lucic’s best seasons were with the Bruins, becoming one of the league’s top power forwards during that time. However, his performance tailed off over the final seven seasons as age, injuries and the faster pace of the game took its toll.

Lucic attempted a comeback with the Blues this season, but that ended after five games with their AHL affiliate in Springfield. He finished this season in England with the Fife Flyers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 17, 2026

by | Feb 17, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 17, 2026

The qualification round of the Olympic Men’s hockey tournament goes on Tuesday, the Hurricanes sign goalie Brandon Bussi to a new contract, the Sharks terminate Jeff Skinner’s contract, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

OLYMPIC MEN’S HOCKEY NEWS

NHL.COM: The qualification round for Olympic Men’s ice hockey goes today. France takes on Germany, Italy faces Switzerland, Denmark meets Czechia, and Latvia faces off against Sweden.

The winners of this round advance to the quarterfinal on Wednesday. France or Germany will go on to face Slovakia, Italy or Switzerland will meet Finland, Denmark or Czechia will play Canada, and Latvia or Sweden will go up against the United States.

Czechia winger David Pastrnak (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most media predictions have Germany, Switzerland, Czechia, and Sweden advancing to the quarterfinal.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Czechia winger and Bruins star David Pastrnak said he felt that his performance must be better as his club entered the qualification round. Pastrnak had a goal and two assists in the preliminary round as Czechia went 1-0-1-1. Avalanche winger Martin Necas led Czechia with two goals and three assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Czechia needs more production from Pastrnak if they hope to win a medal in this tournament.

DAILY FACEOFF: The boards at Santagiulia Arena will be a lighter color when the men’s qualification round begins Tuesday. This color change comes following feedback from teams and national Olympic committees.

The previous darker color of the boards may have contributed to United States goaltender Jeremy Swayman giving up a goal from center ice during his club’s game against Denmark in the preliminary round.

SPORTSNET: The French Ice Hockey Federation suspended defenseman Pierre Crinon of France from further competition in this tournament, citing his “provocative behavior” during France’s 10-2 loss to Canada on Sunday.

Crinon fought Canadian winger Tom Wilson during that game, resulting in both players receiving match penalties. They did not receive supplemental discipline for their actions from the International Ice Hockey Federation.

A statement released by Pierre-Yves Gerbeau, president of the French Ice Hockey Federation, claimed that Crinon’s actions were “a clear violation of the Olympic spirit and also undermines the values of our sport.”

NHL HEADLINES

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Carolina Hurricanes signed goaltender Brandon Bussi to a three-year, $5.7 million contract extension.

Bussi, 27, was claimed off waivers from the Florida Panthers at the start of this season. He’s become one of the biggest stories of the regular season, sporting a record of 23-3-1 with a .908 save percentage and two shutouts.

To celebrate Bussi’s new contract, the Hurricanes have made a $10,000 donation to the Autism Society of North Carolina. Bussi’s younger brother, Dylan, has autism.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bussi became the fastest goaltender to win 20 games in an NHL season, doing so in 24 games.

The average annual value of his new one-way contract is $1.9 million. That’s an affordable move by the Hurricanes while still giving Bussi a nice raise over the $775,000 cap hit on his current two-way deal. This is also an insurance move, given that oft-injured starter Frederik Andersen is UFA-eligible this summer and questions over Pyotr Kochetkov’s development.

TSN: The San Jose Sharks placed winger Jeff Skinner on unconditional waivers on Monday with the intention of terminating his contract by mutual agreement. Skinner, 33, will become an unrestricted free agent once he clears waivers on Tuesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Skinner signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Sharks last summer. He has 13 points in 34 games this season, and has been a healthy scratch since Jan. 15. It will be interesting to see if he lands with another NHL club.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 30, 2026

by | Jan 30, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 30, 2026

A record-setting night for the Red Wings’ Patrick Kane, the Sabres’ Alex Tuch and Alex Lyon, the Hurricanes’ Brandon Bussi, and the Islanders’ Matthew Schaefer in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Patrick Kane collected an assist to set the league record for most career regular-season points by a U.S.-born player (1,375), but his Detroit Red Wings dropped a 4-3 decision to the Washington Capitals on a shootout goal by Nic Dowd. Jacob Chychrun had three assists and Dylan Strome a goal and an assist for the Capitals (26-22-7), who blew a 3-1 lead as Alex DeBrincat tallied twice to force overtime and the shootout for the 32-17-6 Red Wings.

Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane surpassed Hall of Famer Mike Modano, who gave a videotaped tribute to the Red Wings stars that was aired after the record was broken. The next milestone for Kane is to become the first American-born player to reach the 1,400-point milestone.

The Capitals were without starting goaltender Logan Thompson for this game as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Backup Charlie Lindgren suffered a lower-body injury near the end of overtime, but toughed it out and remained in goal for the shootout rounds. Lindgren was helped off the ice by his teammates following Dowd’s winning goal.

Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch tallied a hat trick in a 4-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Alex Lyon made 37 saves, and Jack Quinn collected three assists for the 31-17-5 Sabres, extending their win streak to five games. Adrian Kempe replied for the Kings (22-17-13) as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tuch’s hat trick set a new NHL record for the most in one calendar month (30). Meanwhile, Lyon set a franchise record with his 10th consecutive win.

Third-period goals by Andrei Svechnikov, Shayne Gostisbehere, and Jordan Staal rallied the Carolina Hurricanes from a 4-2 deficit to defeat the Utah Mammoth 5-4. Svechnikov and Gostisbehere finished the game with two goals and an assist each as the Hurricanes (33-15-5) hold first place in the Metropolitan Division with 71 points. Kailer Yamamoto had two goals and an assist for the 28-22-4 Mammoth as their win streak ended at four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi set an NHL record as the fastest goaltender to earn 20 career regular-season wins, accomplishing the feat in 24 games.

New York Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer scored what proved to be the winning goal as his club held off the New York Rangers 2-1. Former Ranger Carson Soucy also scored for the Islanders (30-19-5) as they collected their third straight win. Mika Zibanejad replied for the 22-27-6 Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schaefer has four game-winning goals, breaking Hall of Famer Denis Potvin’s franchise record for the most in a season by a rookie defenseman. He now has 14 goals this season, moving past the legendary Bobby Orr for the second-most by an 18-year-old NHL rookie blueliner. Hall of Famer Phil Housley holds the record with 17 goals.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki had two goals and an assist in a 7-3 upset over the Colorado Avalanche. Juraj Slafkovsky, Ivan Demidov, Lane Hutson, Oliver Kapanen, and Zach Bolduc each collected two points for the Canadiens (30-17-7). Brock Nelson, Joel Kiviranta, and Ross Colton scored for the 35-8-9 Avalanche, who lead the league with 79 points but are 2-4-2 in their last eight contests.

The Tampa Bay Lightning got a goal and two assists each from Darren Raddysh and Yanni Gourde to down the Winnipeg Jets 4-1. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 22 shots for the 34-14-4 Lightning, who’ve won 16 of their last 18 games and hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 72 points. Kyle Connor scored for the Jets (21-25-7).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh returned to action after missing 15 games with a lower-body injury.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson’s shootout goal lifted his club to a 5-4 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Mavrik Bourque scored twice for the 31-14-9 Stars, who had a 4-1 lead until the Golden Knights (24-14-14) rallied on third-period goals from Reilly Smith, Ivan Barbashev, and Mitch Marner to tie the game. The Stars have won three straight, while the Golden Knights hold first place in the Pacific (64 points) but are 1-3-2 in their last six contests.

The Edmonton Oilers overcame a 3-0 deficit to nip the San Jose Sharks 4-3 on an overtime goal by Zach Hyman. Leon Draisaitl and Evan Bouchard each had a goal and two assists, and Connor McDavid netted a goal and an assist for the 28-19-8 Oilers, who have won three straight games. Collin Graf, Adam Gaudette, and Michael Misa scored for the Sharks (27-21-4).

Boston Bruins forwards Casey Mittelstadt and Fraser Minten each had a goal and two assists to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-3. Jeremy Swayman kicked out 33 shots for the Bruins (32-20-3), who are 10-1-1 in their last 12 games. Travis Konecny had a goal and an assist for the 24-20-9 Flyers, who have dropped three straight contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Boston center Pavel Zacha left this game midway through the second period with an upper-body injury. The Bruins were already shorthanded as Elias Lindholm missed this contest with an upper-body injury. Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson left the game with an apparent injury to his right leg.

An overtime goal by Nico Hischier gave the New Jersey Devils a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators. Jacob Markstrom turned aside 27 shots while Dougie Hamilton and Jesper Bratt also scored for the 28-24-2 Devils. Michael McCarron and Filip Forsberg replied for the Predators (24-23-6) as their losing skid extended to three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils center Jack Hughes left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury. It’s not considered serious, but he will be reevaluated on Friday.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Anthony Mantha had a goal and two assists as his club beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-2. Connor Dewar tallied twice for the Penguins (27-14-11) as they collected their fifth straight victory. Connor Murphy and Connor Bedard scored for the 21-24-9 Blackhawks, who are 0-2-2 in their last four games.

St. Louis Blues winger Jimmy Snuggerud’s goal with nine seconds left in the third period lifted his team to a 5-4 win over the Florida Panthers. Jordan Kyrou had a goal and two assists for the 20-25-9 Blues, snapping a five-game winless skid (0-4-1). Matthew Tkachuk tallied two goals and picked up an assist for the Panthers 28-22-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers winger Brad Marchand missed the third period with an undisclosed injury. The Blues activated Oskar Sundqvist from injured reserve for this game but placed winger Dylan Holloway (ankle) on IR.

The Minnesota Wild defeated the Calgary Flames 4-1. Filip Gustavsson made 29 saves while Kiril Kaprizov had a goal and an assist for the 31-14-10 Wild. Morgan Frost scored for the 21-26-6 Flames, who are winless in their last five (0-3-2).

Vancouver Canucks goalie Nikita Tolopilo turned in a 32-save shutout to blank the Anaheim Ducks 2-0. Drew O’Connor and Teddy Blueger scored for the Canucks (18-31-5) as they ended a three-game losing skid. Lukas Dostal turned aside 24 shots for the 28-23-3 Ducks, who have dropped two straight games.

Seattle Kraken center Shane Wright scored twice in a 5-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jared McCann and Brandon Montour each had a goal and an assist for the 25-19-9 Kraken as they collected their third straight win. Nick Robertson and Morgan Rielly replied for the Maple Leafs (24-21-9), who are 0-5-1 in their last six games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken forward Berkly Catton exited this game midway through the first period with an undisclosed injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 12, 2025

by | Dec 12, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 12, 2025

A four-goal performance by Predators forward Steven Stamkos, Canadiens rookie goalie Jacob Fowler wins his NHL debut, four-point performances by the Bruins’ David Pastrnak and the Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov, and more in today’s Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Steven Stamkos had his second career four-goal NHL game as the Nashville Predators thumped the St. Louis Blues 7-2. Luke Evangelista collected three assists as the 12-14-4 Predators have won six of their last eight games. Winger Hugh McGing scored his first NHL goal as the Blues fell to 11-14-7.

Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stamkos is now six goals away from reaching 600 regular-season goals in his NHL career.

Montreal Canadiens rookie goaltender Jacob Fowler stopped 36 shots to win his first NHL game in a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Cole Caufield netted his 17th goal of the season while Lane Hutson and Juraj Slafkovsky each had two assists for the Canadiens (16-11-3). Bryan Rust and Erik Karlsson replied for the 14-8-7 Penguins, who are 0-1-2 in their last three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fowler became the first Florida-born goaltender in NHL history. He’s also the fourth goaltender in Canadiens history to make his NHL debut against the Penguins, joining Ken Dryden, Patrick Roy, and Carey Price.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak tallied twice and collected two assists to defeat the Winnipeg Jets 6-3. Morgan Geekie had three assists for the Bruins, who extended their win streak to four games and improved to 19-13-0. Morgan Barron, Alex Iafallo, and Gabriel Vilardi scored for the struggling Jets (14-15-1) as they’ve lost three straight contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy collected an assist as he returned to action after missing 11 games due to a facial fracture.

The Tampa Bay Lightning pounded the New Jersey Devils 8-4. Nikita Kucherov had four assists while Jake Guentzel and Oliver Bjorkstrand each had three points for the Lightning (18-11-2), who reclaimed first place in the Atlantic Division with 38 points. Goalie Jacob Markstrom was replaced by Jake Allen after giving up three goals on seven shots as the Devils (17-13-1) have lost six of their last seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning captain Victor Hedman was placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. Dave Randorf reports it’s the same injury that sidelined him for 12 games earlier this season. He will see a specialist for a second opinion, and it will be a couple of days before they know how long he’ll be sidelined.

Devils forward Timo Meier missed this game as he took a personal leave to attend to a family health matter.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi turned aside 22 shots to win his eighth straight start in a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals. Seth Jarvis scored the winning goal in the shootout, while Nikolaj Ehlers and Logan Stankoven each had a goal and an assist for the 19-9-2 Hurricanes, who moved past the Capitals into first place in the Metropolitan Division with 40 points. Connor McMichael and Rasmus Sandin each had two points for the Capitals (18-9-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bussi became the first goaltender in NHL history to win 10 of the first 11 games of his career. Meanwhile, the Capitals announced that sidelined rookie forward Ryan Leonard will miss three to four weeks with a shoulder injury.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist in a 6-2 win over the Florida Panthers. The league-leading Avalanche (22-2-7, 51 points) picked up its 10th straight home win. Noah Gregor and Mackie Samoskevich replied for the 15-13-2 Panthers as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads all scorers with 25 goals and 53 points. Avalanche rookie forward Gavin Brindley had a goal and an assist as he returned from a 10-game absence due to a lower-body injury.

The Vegas Golden Knights got an overtime goal from captain Mark Stone to nip the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. Stone finished with two goals while linemate Jack Eichel had two assists for the 15-6-9 Golden Knights, who took over first place in the Pacific Division with 39 points. Trevor Zegras and Noah Juulsen scored for the Flyers (16-9-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights opted not to play Carter Hart against this former club, pointing out that he was coming off back-to-back starts.

New York Islanders captain Anders Lee had two goals and two assists to lead his club over the Anaheim Ducks by a score of 5-2. Simon Holmstrom had a goal and two assists for the Islanders, who have won five of their last six games and improved to 18-11-3. Troy Terry had a goal and an assist for the Ducks (19-11-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders center Bo Horvat is listed as day-to-day after leaving this game in the second period with an injured left leg.

The Minnesota Wild defeated the Dallas Stars 5-2, snapping the latter’s 11-game points streak. Matt Boldy had a goal and two assists, and Marcus Johansson tallied two goals for the 17-9-5 Wild. Miro Heiskanen had a goal and an assist for the Stars (21-6-5).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars center Roope Hintz left this game late in the third period with an injured foot. Earlier in the day, the Wild placed winger Mats Zuccarello and defenseman Jake Middleton on injured reserve.

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman tallied a hat trick in a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Connor McDavid picked up four assists for the 14-11-6 Oilers. Simon Edvidsson replied for the Red Wings (17-12-3) as their six-game points streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Oilers placed forwards Jack Roslovic and Connor Clattenburg on injured reserve, and moved defenseman Jake Walman on long-term injury reserve.

Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle scored two goals in a 6-3 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Drake Batherson, Michael Amadio, and Dylan Cozens each had three points for the Senators (14-12-4) as they ended a three-game losing skid. Jet Greaves replaced Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins after giving up three goals on five shots as his club slipped to 13-12-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators center Lars Eller left this game with a lower-body injury. This was his second game back from an undisclosed injury.

An overtime goal by Alexander Wennberg lifted the San Jose Sharks over the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2. Wennberg finished with three points, and John Klingberg tied the game late in the third for the Sharks, who improved to 15-14-3. William Nylander had two assists for the Maple Leafs (14-11-5).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson left this game in the third period after injuring his left leg. He will be reevaluated on Friday. Before the game, the Leafs announced that sidelined blueliner Brandon Carlo (lower-body injury) underwent surgery and will be out for a month.

The Buffalo Sabres held off the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 3-2. Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (13-14-4) as they picked up their first regulation road win since Apr. 1. Kiefer Sherwood and Max Sasson scored for the 11-17-3 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Sabres placed goaltender Colten Ellis on injured reserve.

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley is expected to miss at least eight weeks with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s a significant blow for the struggling Mammoth. He leads them with 14 goals and is fourth in points with 23.