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.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 10, 2025

by | Dec 10, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 10, 2025

Four games see tying goals in the final seconds of regulation, Hurricanes goalie Brandon Bussi extends his win streak, Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon is the first player to reach 50 points this season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Anaheim Ducks nipped the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on a shootout goal by Leo Carlsson. Ducks rookie Beckett Sennecke got credit for the shorthanded tying goal with 1 second remaining after Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson accidentally deflected the puck into his own net. Ville Husso kicked out 44 shots for the 19-10-1 Ducks, who picked up their third straight win to remain in first place in the Pacific Division with 39 points. Karlsson finished with two assists for the Penguins (14-7-7).

Anaheim Ducks forward Beckett Sennecke (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sennecke leads all rookie scorers with 26 points. Ivan Demidov of the Montreal Canadiens is second with 23 points, followed by New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer with 22 points.

Before this game, the Penguins placed forwards Evgeni Malkin and Blake Lizotte on injured reserve.

Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch scored in overtime to lift his club to a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Connor McDavid scored twice for the 13-11-6 Oilers, including the tying goal with two seconds remaining in the third period. Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin each had three points, and Josh Doan tallied two goals for the Sabres (12-14-4), who snapped a three-game losing skid.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Sabres placed winger Jason Zucker on IR after he suffered upper and lower-body injuries during Monday’s loss to the Calgary Flames. Center Josh Norris was a late scratch due to illness and muscle stiffness, and goaltender Colten Ellis was replaced by Alex Lyon in the first period after being removed by concussion spotters following a collision with Oilers winger David Tomasek.

Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly’s shootout goal gave his club a 4-3 win against the Colorado Avalanche. Cale Makar tied it for the Avalanche with eight seconds left in regulation time. Juuse Saros stopped 39 shots for the 11-14-4 Predators. Nathan MacKinnon collected two assists for the league-leading Avalanche (21-2-7, 49 points), becoming the first player to reach 50 points this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood returned to the lineup after suffering an upper-body injury last Tuesday against the Vancouver Canucks. During the shootout, he was pulled by the concussion spotters after Predators winger Filip Forsberg lost his footing and accidentally collided with the Avs goalie.

The New York Islanders got a shootout goal from Emil Heineman to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 5-4 after Vegas winger Pavel Dorofeyev tied the game with 14 seconds left in the third period. Bo Horvat scored twice for the Islanders (17-11-3), as they’ve won four of their last five games. Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, and Mark Stone each collected two points for the 14-6-9 Golden Knights as their four-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau returned to action after missing eight games with an upper-body injury.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi turned aside 23 shots to pick up his seventh straight win in a 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Andrei Svechnikov collected two assists for the Hurricanes (18-9-2). Dmitri Voronkov scored for the 13-11-6 Blue Jackets as their losing streak reached three games.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh scored two goals as his club ended a four-game losing skid by thumping the Montreal Canadiens 6-1. Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point each had a goal and an assist for the 17-11-2 Lightning, who regained first place in the Atlantic Division with 36 points. Oliver Kapanen replied for the Canadiens, who dropped to 15-11-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning captain Victor Hedman left this game after the first period with an undisclosed injury. This was his third game back after missing 12 games.

Following the game, the Canadiens called up center Owen Beck, defenseman Adam Engstrom, and goaltender Jacob Fowler from their AHL affiliate in Laval. The addition of Fowler is notable because the Canadiens’ tandem of Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes has the league’s second-worst goals-against per game (3.55) this season. He could make his NHL debut as early as Thursday in Pittsburgh against the Penguins.

The Dallas Stars extended their points streak to 11 games (9-0-2) by holding off the Winnipeg Jets 4-3. Mikko Rantanen collected three assists as the Stars jumped to a 3-0 lead. The Jets rallied with two goals from Mark Scheifele before Jason Robertson scored what proved to be the winning goal for the 21-5-5 Stars. Kyle Connor had two assists for the Jets, who dropped to 14-14-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars defenseman Thomas Harley was held scoreless in his first game back in action since missing the last 12 games with an injured foot.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak collected three assists in his return to action in a 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Fraser Minten and Mark Kastelic each tallied twice for the 18-13-0 Bruins, extending their win streak to three games. Robert Thomas had two goals for the Blues, who slipped to 11-13-7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pastrnak missed the last five games with an undisclosed injury.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny had a goal and an assist to reach his 500th career NHL point in a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Christian Dvorak also had a goal and an assist for the Flyers as they improved to 16-9-3. Collin Graf replied for the 14-14-3 Sharks, who have dropped three of their last four contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov missed this game due to an illness, forcing them to turn to former collegiate netminder Justin Kowalkoski to back up Alex Nedeljkovic.

The New Jersey Devils defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-3. Cody Glass broke a 3-3 tie in the third period for New Jersey (17-12-1) as they ended a five-game losing skid. Connor Brown and Arseny Gritsyuk each had three points for the Devils. Drake Batherson had two goals for the 13-12-4 Senators as their losing skid reached three games.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks starting goaltender Thatcher Demko is expected to return to action against the Sabres on Thursday after missing 12 games with a groin strain. That’s good news for the struggling Canucks, who are 2-7-1 in their last 10 contests.

TORONTO SUN: The NHL’s department of player safety suspended Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann for one game for high-sticking Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand on Monday.

ESPN: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league projects the revenue for this season could reach $6.8 billion. He claimed it’s what the league was expecting and won’t change the salary cap figures for the next two seasons, as was agreed upon earlier this year by the NHL and the NHL Players Association.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The salary cap is $95.5 million for this season. It will rise to $104 million for 2026-27 and $113.5 million for 2027-28.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 6, 2025

by | Oct 6, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 6, 2025

The Flyers trade Ryan Ellis to the Sharks, an update on Jets forward Cole Perfetti, Matt Grzelcyk signs with the Blackhawks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW/SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Philadelphia Flyers traded defenseman Ryan Ellis and a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for winger Carl Grundstrom and defenseman Artem Guryev.

Former Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ryan Ellis (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ellis has been on permanent long-term injury reserve (LTIR) since November 2021. He has two years remaining on his contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $6.25 million.

The Sharks have taken on the entirety of Ellis’ cap hit, while the Flyers are adding Grundstrom’s $1.8 million cap hit. He is slated to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) next July.

This move frees up $4.45 million in cap space for the Flyers, leaving them with over $7.2 million available. It enables them to accrue cap room throughout the season. Grundstrom was placed on waivers shortly after this trade was announced.

Meanwhile, this trade leaves the Sharks with 48 of 50 NHL contracts, freeing up room to add promising center Michael Misa and defenseman Jason Dickinson to their roster for the upcoming season.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: Jets winger Cole Perfetti is listed as week-to-week with a high ankle sprain. He suffered the injury during Friday’s preseason game against the Calgary Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Perfetti joins defenseman Dylan Samberg and center Adam Lowry on the sidelines. Samberg suffered a broken ankle during preseason, and Lowry is recovering from offseason hip surgery.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Matt Grzelcyk signed a one-year contract with the Blackhawks. The 31-year-old defenseman earned the deal after attending training camp on a professional tryout offer (PTO).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: PuckPedia indicates Grzelcyk will earn $1 million on this contract. He’ll provide experienced puck-moving ability to the rebuilding Blackhawks’ blueline. He’s coming off a career-best 40-point performance with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season.

DAILY FACEOFF: 43 players hit the NHL waiver wire on Sunday. Several goaltenders were among them, including Michael DiPietro of the Boston Bruins, Kaapo Kahkonen of the Montreal Canadiens, Nico Daws of the New Jersey Devils, Mads Sogaard of the Ottawa Senators, and Clay Stevenson of the Washington Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see if DiPietro and Stevenson clear. Both were frequently mentioned as potential waiver targets in the rumor mill.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers lost goaltender Brandon Bussi to the Carolina Hurricanes via waivers.

SPORTSNET: Tampa Bay Lightning centers Carter Schmidt and Gage Goncalves were fined for cross-checking Florida Panthers forwards Carter Verhaeghe and Evan Rodrigues during Saturday’s fight-filled preseason game.

Lightning winger Scott Sabourin will have a hearing for roughing Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad. Lightning defenseman JJ Moser will have one for boarding Panthers winger Jesper Boqvist.

CBS SPORTS: Los Angeles Kings defenseman Kyle Burroughs (upper body) was placed on injured reserve.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 25, 2024

by | Jun 25, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 25, 2024

The Panthers are the 2024 Stanley Cup champions, Oilers captain Connor McDavid named playoff MVP, selections for the 2024 Hall of Fame class are to be made today, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

FLORIDA PANTHERS ARE 2024 STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions for the first time in franchise history.

Sam Reinhart snapped a 1-1 tie in the second period as the Panthers held off the Edmonton Oilers for a 2-1 victory in Game 7. Carter Verhaeghe also scored for the Panthers and Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves for the win. Mattias Janmark replied for the Oilers, who had overcome a 3-0 series deficit to force the seventh and deciding game.

The Florida Panthers are 2024 Stanley Cup Champions (NHL.com).

Panthers center Aleksander Barkov became the first Finnish captain in NHL history to lead his team to the Stanley Cup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the Panthers on winning the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. They faced adversity in this series, becoming the first team in 79 years to blow a 3-0 series lead in the final. However, when it mattered most, they regained their focus, shutting down the Oilers with a solid defensive effort.

This is a historic moment for the Panthers. It wasn’t long ago they were considered a laughingstock, overshadowed by their rivals in Tampa Bay and regularly near the bottom of the league in terms of the standings and attendance. They’ve now emerged from the Lightning’s shadow as a league powerhouse in their own right.

Fun fact: since 2020, a Florida-based team has played in the Stanley Cup Final, winning hockey’s holy grail three times.

Panthers head coach Paul Maurice ended 25 years of futility with the first Stanley Cup championship of his long coaching career. Following the game, he gave a shout out to his former club, the Winnipeg Jets. “If I could have one more thing, it would be for the Winnipeg Jets to win the next Stanley Cup.”

Meanwhile, Oilers captain Connor McDavid was named the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP. McDavid led all postseason scorers with 42 points, becoming only the third player in Stanley Cup playoff history to exceed the 40-point plateau. McDavid also set a single postseason record with 34 assists. He is the sixth player on a losing team to win the Smythe and the first since 2003.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid received criticism on social media for not accepting the award. He was crushed by his club’s loss in Game 7 after rallying back from a 3-0 deficit. The Oilers captain spoke with the media following the game, acknowledging the honor but still coming to grips with the game’s outcome.

This was a heartbreaking end to the Oilers’ Stanley Cup dream. They will try to follow the example of the Panthers, who were thumped by the Vegas Golden Knights in last year’s Final but returned to win it all this year.

IN OTHER NEWS…

The Boston Bruins traded goaltender Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators before the start of Game 7. You can read the details and my take here.

NHL.COM: Former Detroit Red Wings star Pavel Datsyuk is among the first-time candidates for the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2024. Others include Patrick Marleau, Shea Weber, Pekka Rinne, and Ryan Miller.

The vote will take place on Tuesday morning with the results to be announced in the afternoon.

ARIZONA SPORTS: Alex Meruelo is reportedly walking away from ownership of the Coyotes with no plans to pursue a future arena. This comes after a land auction the Coyotes expected to win as the first step toward building a new arena was canceled last week.

The team was sold to a group led by Utah Jazz owners Ryan and Ashley Smith in April and moved to Utah. A condition of the sale was that Meruelo would have an opportunity to bring an expansion franchise back to Arizona if a new NHL arena could be constructed within the next five years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Meruelo is out the dream of bringing the NHL back to Arizona goes with him unless someone else steps up and succeeds in getting a new arena constructed.

BOSTON HERALD: The Bruins signed goaltender Brandon Bussi to a one-year, two-way contract with a cap hit of $775K.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This signing was made before the Bruins traded Ullmark to Ottawa for Joonas Korpisalo. He’ll be spending next season in the minors unless the Bruins trade Korpisalo.

THE MERCURY NEWS: San Jose Sharks general manager Mike Grier said his club was not tendering a qualifying offer to Calen Addison. The 24-year-old defenseman will be eligible for unrestricted free-agent status on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Addison was once considered a promising puckmoving defenseman. He could become a reclamation project for another club seeking affordable blueline depth.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Hershey Bears won the AHL’s Calder Cup for the second straight year with a 5-4 overtime victory over Coachella Valley in Game 6. Hendrix Lapierre was named playoff MVP.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the Bears on becoming back-to-back Calder Cup champions.