NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 3, 2024

by | Nov 3, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 3, 2024

The Panthers sweep the Stars in the 2024 Global Series, more multipoint performances for Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar keep their point streaks alive, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Third-period goals by A.J. Greer and Sam Reinhart lifted the Florida Panthers over the Dallas Stars 4-2 to sweep their two-game NHL 2024 Global Series in Tampere, Finland. Reinhart finished with two points and Spencer Knight made 23 saves as the Panthers picked up their fifth straight win. Evgenii Dadonov and Matt Duchene replied for the Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars forward Tyler Seguin missed this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin had his third straight multipoint game with a goal and two assists in a 7-2 thrashing of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Dylan Strome also had a goal and two assists while Connor McMichael tallied twice for the Capitals, who moved into first place in the Metropolitan Division with 16 points (8-2-0). Damon Severson and Kevin Labanc scored for the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin now has 859 career regular-season goals and needs 36 to break Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. The Capitals announced before this game that defenseman Jakob Chychrun (upper body) was placed on injured reserve.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored two goals for the second straight game to defeat the Montreal Canadiens 3-1. Alex Nedeljkovic got the win with 25 saves. Christian Dvorak scored the only goal for the Canadiens, who have lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby needs three more goals to reach the 600-goal plateau. Canadiens forward Juraj Slafkovsky left the game late in the third period after being elbowed in the head by Penguins forward Noel Acciari. There was no immediate update regarding Slafkovsky’s injury.

The Canadiens’ charter flight home was grounded when a tanker truck collided with the wing of the aircraft as it sat on the tarmac. The accident took place during the game and no injuries were reported.

The Nashville Predators got a goal and an assist each from Steven Stamkos, Roman Josi and Gustav Nyquist as they downed the Colorado Avalanche 5-2. Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar also each had a goal and an assist, extending their season-opening point streaks to 12 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche have lost three straight despite the efforts of MacKinnon and Makar. Goaltending remains their Achilles’ heel, giving up a league-leading 4.25 goals-against per game.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Colton Parayko scored two goals and collected an assist in a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jordan Binnington kicked out 35 shots for the Blues. Mitch Marner and Steven Lorentz scored for the Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was the first for Leafs coach Craig Berube against his former club in St. Louis. The Blues honored him with a video tribute while the fans gave him a standing ovation. Blues defenseman Philip Broberg left the game in the second period after injuring his right leg following a collision with Marner. There was no postgame update regarding his condition.

Boston Bruins goaltender Joonas Korpisalo made 20 saves to shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0. Matthew Poitras, Justin Brazeau and Brad Marchand scored for the Bruins. Flyers goaltender Samuel Ersson left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury and didn’t return. The club didn’t provide a postgame update.

The Ottawa Senators got a 22-save shutout performance from Anton Forsberg in a 3-0 win over the Seattle Kraken. Adam Gaudette, Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle tallied for the Senators. Kraken goalie Philipp Grubauer turned aside 20 shots.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin scored both of his club’s goals in a 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, snapping a three-game losing skid. Red Wings netminder Cam Talbot stopped 31 shots. Alex Tuch scored for the Sabres as they’ve dropped three straight.

A shootout goal by Ryan Donato lifted the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-3 upset of the Los Angeles Kings. Blackhawks forward Tyler Bertuzzi scored the tying goal that sent the game into overtime and the shootout rounds while Hawks goalie Petr Mrazek made 37 saves in regulation and OT. Alex Laferriere scored twice for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laferriere is on track for a breakout sophomore campaign. After netting 12 goals and 23 points in 81 games last season, he has eight goals and 11 points in 12 games thus far.

The Vegas Golden Knights nipped the Utah Hockey Club 4-3 on an overtime goal by Brett Howden. Noah Hanifin had a goal and two assists for the Golden Knights. Utah’s Logan Cooley had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights called up Akira Schmid to back up starter Adin Hill for this game.

Vancouver Canucks forward Pius Suter scored twice, including the game-winner with 26 seconds left in the third period, to give his team a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks, ending the latter’s three-game win streak. Jake DeBrusk scored his first of the season for the Canucks. Nico Sturm and Mikael Granlund replied for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks placed forward Nils Aman on waivers Saturday.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET: The Islanders got bad news on Saturday as they learned forward Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech will be sidelined for four to six weeks with upper-body injuries. Barzal was placed on long-term injury reserve while Pelech was placed on IR.

The Islanders also announced defensemen Mike Reilly and Alexander Romanov are day-to-day with upper-body injuries. They called up blueliners Grant Hutton and Samuel Bolduc from their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey will make his season debut after recovering from a suspected shoulder injury suffered during Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Final on May 24. The Rangers have returned forward Matt Rempe to their AHL affiliate in Hartford.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 1, 2024

by | Nov 1, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 1, 2024

In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines: a four-point performance for Martin Necas, multi-point nights for Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, Leon Draisaitl leads the Oilers over the Predators, and much more.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes got a four-point performance from Martin Necas (one goal, three assists) to crush the Boston Bruins 8-2. Andrei Svechnikov and Jack Roslovic each scored two goals as the Hurricanes picked up their fifth straight win. Brad Marchand and Hampus Lindholm scored for the Bruins, who’ve managed only two wins in their last eight games (2-5-1).

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Necas is on a tear to start this season, sitting among the league’s top-10 scorers with a team-leading 15 points in nine games. The Bruins, meanwhile, are at the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings.

Before this game, the Hurricanes announced that goaltender Frederik Andersen is week-to-week with a lower-body injury. They recalled Spencer Martin to back up Pyotr Kochetkov.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin had a goal and two assists in a 6-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Poitras each had a goal and an assist as the Capitals have won five straight home games. Canadiens winger Cole Caufield scored his 10th goal of the season, tying New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier for the league lead.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin has 858 career regular-season goals and needs 37 to surpass Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. The Capitals captain has five goals and 10 points in nine games this season.

This game was tied 3-3 heading into the third period when the Capitals scored three unanswered goals. Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis wasn’t pleased with his club’s meltdown in the final period, describing it as throwing up all over themselves.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby tallied twice, including the winner in overtime as his club nipped the Anaheim Ducks 2-1. Alex Killorn scored for the Ducks, who got a 44-save performance by goaltender Lukas Dostal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins activated forward Blake Lizotte off injured reserve for this game.

The Edmonton Oilers beat the Nashville Predators 5-1 with Leon Draisaitl scoring twice and collecting an assist. Oilers winger Zach Hyman sniped his first goal of the season. Filip Forsberg replied for the struggling Predators, who finished October with a record of 3-6-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl stepped up as the Oilers leader with captain Connor McDavid sidelined with an ankle injury for two to three weeks. He did the same thing during the 2019-20 season when McDavid was hampered by a quadriceps injury, winning the Art Ross Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award.

Predators forward Mark Jankowski was a late scratch from this game with an upper-body injury. He’s listed as day-to-day.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander scored twice and captain Auston Matthews had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. Joseph Woll stopped 24 shots for the Leafs to pick up his first win of the season. Eeli Tolvanen replied for the Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken were without their two top defensemen for this game. Vince Dunn remains sidelined with a mid-body injury until mid-November while Brandon Montour returned to Seattle to be with his wife for the birth of their second child.

San Jose Sharks rookie Will Smith scored his first two NHL goals, including the game-winner in a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Ryan Donato and Tyler Bertuzzi replied for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks have won three straight after opening the season with a record of 0-7-2.

The Philadelphia Flyers squeaked past the St. Louis Blues 2-1 as Bobby Brink snapped a 1-1 tie late in the third period. Garnet Hathaway also scored for the Flyers and Samuel Ersson made 20 saves for the win. Nathan Walker scored for the Blues.

HEADLINES

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is one win away from becoming the fastest netminder to reach 300 career regular-season victories. He can achieve that feat on Friday with a win over the Minnesota Wild. Vasilevskiy would reach that milestone in 487 games, shattering the current record of 521 games held by Jacques Plante.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators are open to signing Claude Giroux to a contract extension. The 36-year-old forward is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. Giroux is in the final season of a three-year contract with an average annual value of $6.5 million.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde wants a better effort from team captain Dylan Larkin. He believes the 28-year-old center is capable of elevating his game.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche hope to have winger Valeri Nichushkin join practice sessions ahead of his eligible reinstatement date of Nov. 13. Nichushkin, 29, is serving a six-month suspension as part of Phase 3 of the NHL-NHLPA player assistance program.

NHL.COM: Regarding the Avs, forward Mark Stienburg received a two-game suspension for charging Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak during Wednesday’s game between the two clubs.

DAILY FACEOFF: New Jersey Devils forward Curtis Lazar is sidelined indefinitely after undergoing surgery on his left knee.

ROTOWIRE: Former NHL forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare signed a one-year contract with HC Ajoie in Switzerland. He was on a professional tryout offer with the Avalanche during training camp but was released before the start of this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 39-year-old Bellemare spent 10 seasons in the NHL from 2014-15 to 2023-24 with the Flyers, Vegas Golden Knights, Avalanche, Lightning and Kraken, scoring 64 goals and 138 points in 700 regular-season games and 15 points in 85 playoff contests.

RG.ORG: James Murphy interviewed Boston College forward James Hagens, who is projected to become the first-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The 17-year-old Hagens said he always wanted to play the game like Patrick Kane and is looking forward to playing for Team USA in the World Juniors.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 30, 2024

by | Oct 30, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 30, 2024

Alex Ovechkin continues his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s goal record, Penguins fans salute Marc-Andre Fleury in his last game in Pittsburgh, the Red Wings ship Olli Maatta to Utah, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin continued to pursue Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record, tallying twice in a 5-3 victory over the New York Rangers. Aliaksei Protas has a goal and two assists for the Capitals, who improved their record to 6-2-0. Igor Shesterkin made 41 saves for the Rangers, who were outshot 46-19 by the Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury. Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery mentioned a little concern in his postgame press conference but didn’t know the extent of the injury.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (NHL Images).

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves as his club beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 in what is likely his final game in Pittsburgh. Frederick Gaudreau scored twice and collected an assist and Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists for the Wild. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby had three assists and teammate Rickard Rakell scored two goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury began his NHL career in Pittsburgh, playing 13 seasons for the Penguins and helping them win three Stanley Cups. He intends to retire at the end of this season. The fans chanted Fleury’s name following the game as he saluted the crowd to a standing ovation.

Pittsburgh has lost six straight (0-5-1) and sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. They also announced winger Bryan Rust is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury suffered during Saturday’s loss to the Vancouver Canucks.

The Seattle Kraken thumped the Montreal Canadiens 8-2. Brandon Montour led the way with his first career hat trick and added an assist while Chandler Stephenson had two helpers for the Kraken. Montreal goaltender Sam Montembeault got the hook after giving up five goals on 10 shots. Canadiens winger Cole Caufield sniped his ninth goal, tying New Jersey’s Nico Hischier for the league goal-scoring lead.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Montour and Stephenson came to Seattle as free agents this summer. Their performance against the Canadiens puts them among the Kraken’s leading scorers.

Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle scored two goals and collected two assists as his club crushed the St. Louis Blues 8-1. Brady Tkachuk and Adam Gaudette each scored twice and Linus Ullmark turned aside 26 shots. Blue goalie Joel Hofer was pulled after giving up five goals on 21 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The start of this game was briefly delayed by a power outage at Canadian Tire Centre due to electrical storms in the area. Blues winger Kasperi Kapanen left this game with an upper-body injury in the second period. There was no postgame word regarding his condition. Before the game, the Blues announced forward Alexey Toropchenko agreed to a one-year contract extension worth $1.7 million. 

Philadelphia Flyers netminder Samuel Ersson made 23 saves to shut out the Boston Bruins 2-0. Tyler Foerster and Joel Farabee were the goal scorers. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 17 shots for the Bruins (4-5-1) as they slipped into last place in the Atlantic Division.

The San Jose Sharks doubled up the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 to pick up their second straight win after starting the season 0-7-2. Jake Walman had a goal and two assists and Vitek Vanecek made 26 saves for Los Tiburones. Akil Thomas and Alex Laferriere replied for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings forward Kevin Fiala was a healthy scratch for missing a team meeting. Meanwhile, the Sharks placed Ty Dellandrea (upper body) on injured reserve. 

Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal kicked out 40 shots, including 17 in the first period, in a 3-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Frank Vatrano and Mason McTavish each had two points for the Ducks. Mathew Barzal scored for the Isles.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

HEADLINES

MLIVE.COM: The Detroit Red Wings traded defenseman Olli Maatta to the Utah Hockey Club in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah needed to add some experienced depth to their injury-battered blueline with Sean Durzi and John Marino out for months recovering from surgeries. The 30-year-old Maatta has averaged over 18 minutes of ice time per game in his 11 NHL seasons and won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers called up forwards Noah Philp and Drake Caggiula from their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield as they await word on the severity of Connor McDavid’s leg injury. The Oilers captain was sidelined on Monday after falling awkwardly into the boards during the opening shift against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

SPORTSNET: The NHL’s department of player safety fined Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin $5,000 for high-sticking Florida Panthers forward Anton Lundell.

CALGARY SUN: Flames captain Mikael Backlund is scheduled to play in his 1,000th career NHL regular-season game when his club faces Utah HC on Wednesday.

SPORTSNET: The Toronto Maple Leafs sent forward Fraser Minten to their AHL affiliate.

RG.ORG: Hockey Hall-of-Famer Sergei Zubov believes Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov and Montreal Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov represent the future of Russian Hockey. Zubov praised Michkov’s focus on goal scoring and Demidov’s growth playing alongside veterans like former NHL center Evgeny Kuznetsov.

TORONTO SUN: Steve Simmons ponders the mystery of Alexander Mogilny’s exclusion from the Hockey Hall of Fame.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Simmons isn’t the only person wondering why the HHoF continues to snub Mogilny. The Sun scribe says he’s asked several Hall of Fame voters about it but they’re sworn to secrecy about the selection process.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 24, 2024

by | Oct 24, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 24, 2024

The Capitals defeat the Flyers, Blues forward Robert Thomas and Utah defensemen Sean Durzi and John Marino sidelined by injuries, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Washington Capitals downed the Philadelphia Flyers 6-3 in Wednesday’s only game.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

Connor McMichael tallied twice, Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and an assist and Alex Ovechkin scored his 855th career goal for the Capitals. Owen Tippett and rookie winger Matvei Michkov each had a goal and an assist for the Flyers as they scored three goals after falling behind 4-0 before Dubois and Ovechkin put the game out of reach.

The Capitals have won five straight games while the Flyers have lost six in a row (0-5-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin is 40 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894.

The Flyers are struggling but Michkov has been a bright spot for them. He leads all rookies with seven points in as many games.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues forward Robert Thomas will miss six weeks with a fractured ankle after blocking a shot during Tuesday’s loss to the Winnipeg Jets.

NHL.COM: The Blues activated Oskar Sundqvist (knee) from injured reserve. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues could find it difficult to replace Thomas’ offense during his absence. He led the club with a career-best 86 points in 2023-24 and is second in points with six this season.

THE SCORE: Utah Hockey Club defensemen Sean Durzi and John Marino will be sidelined for a while. Durzi will miss four to six months following surgery on his right shoulder while Marino will be out three to four months after having a procedure on his back.

Durzi had two points in four games this season before his injury. Marino was acquired from the New Jersey Devils during the offseason but had yet to suit up with Utah because of his back.

In a related move, Utah called up defenseman Maveric Lamoureux.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah is 4-2-1 despite the absences of Durzi and Marino. If their right-side defense begins to suffer as the season progresses, they could seek help in the trade market.

SPORTSNET: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Justin Barron is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury following a hit by New York Rangers blueliner Jacob Trouba on Tuesday. There was no penalty on the play and Trouba won’t face supplemental discipline.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning placed forward Conor Sheary on waivers. It’s unlikely that another club will claim Sheary and his $2 million annual average value through 2025-26. Instead, he could be demoted to the Lightning’s AHL affiliate in Syracuse.

TSN: Justin Schultz signed a one-year contract with HC Lugano in Switzerland. The 34-year-old defenseman spent 12 seasons in the NHL (2012-13 to 2023-24) with the Edmonton Oilers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and Seattle Kraken, tallying 71 goals and 324 points in 745 regular-season games and 43 points in 82 playoff contests, winning two Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh in 2016 and 2017.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schultz reportedly had offers of two-way contracts from some NHL clubs but was waiting for a one-way deal. He was expected to play in Europe if he didn’t get a suitable NHL proposal.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche assigned forward Calum Ritchie back to the Oshawa Generals of the OHL.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former NHL goaltender Michael Leighton is among the 2025 inductees into the American Hockey League Hall of Fame. He’s fifth all-time in wins (250) and the league’s all-time shutout leader with 50. He made the All-Rookie team in 2002 and won the Baz Bastien Memorial Award as best goaltender in 2008.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leighton played 110 games in the NHL from 2002-03 to 2016-17 with the Chicago Blackhawks, Nashville Predators, Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes. He’s best known among NHL fans for backstopping the Flyers to the 2010 Stanley Cup Final.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 23, 2024

by | Oct 23, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 23, 2024

Recapping Tuesday’s 16-game “Frozen Frenzy” sees the Jets remain undefeated, the Panthers sign Paul Maurice to an extension, the Blues re-sign Jake Neighbours, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets are this season’s only undefeated team, holding off the St. Louis Blues 3-2. Kyle Connor scored the winning goal and Cole Perfetti had three assists as the Jets extended their season-opening win streak to 6-0-0. Blues winger Brandon Saad scored both of his club’s goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues announced before the game that forward Jake Neighbours signed a two-year contract worth an average annual value of $3.75 million. It’s an affordable bridge deal for the Blues but it could lead to a more lucrative contract for the 22-year-old Neighbours, who tallied 27 goals and 38 points last season.

The Blues also announced before this game that they placed defenseman Nick Leddy (lower body) on injured reserve. It’s believed he suffered the injury blocking a shot last Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild.

Minnesota Wild forwards Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek and Mats Zuccarello each had a goal and an assist to beat the Florida Panthers 5-1 to extend their points streak to six games (4-0-2). Jake Middleton picked up three assists for the Wild. Sam Bennett replied for the Panthers, who pulled goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky after he gave up five goals on 11 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers announced yesterday that head coach Paul Maurice had signed a contract extension. Details were not released. He’s in the final season of a three-year deal worth just under $4 million annually. Maurice guided the Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals in 2023 and 2024, winning the Cup last season.

Speaking of the Panthers, forward Sam Reinhart was the NHL’s first star for the week ending Oct. 20. New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin and Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson were the second and third stars.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel (NHL Images).

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel had a natural hat trick and collected an assist in an 8-5 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Victor Hedman scored two goals, Anthony Cirelli collected four assists and J.J. Moser had a goal and two assists for the Lightning. Timo Meier tallied twice and Jack Hughes had a goal and two assists for the Devils.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl scored two goals and collected two assists to lead his club over the Los Angeles Kings 6-1. Mark Stone had a goal and two assists and Alex Pietrangelo had three helpers for Vegas. Warren Foegele scored the Kings’ only goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore missed this game due to an illness.

The Buffalo Sabres upset the Dallas Stars 4-2. Owen Power collected three assists, including setting up Tage Thompson’s game-winning goal. Thompson and Alex Tuch each finished with a goal and an assist for the Sabres. Thomas Harley and Tyler Seguin scored for the Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres coach Lindy Ruff gave forward Zach Benson the night off to rest. He’s been playing through a lower-body injury suffered earlier this month in Prague.

A four-goal first period powered the New York Rangers to a 7-2 drubbing of the Montreal Canadiens. Filip Chytil scored two goals and picked up an assist and Kaapo Kakko had a goal and two assists for the Rangers. Nick Suzuki scored both Canadiens goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers captain Jacob Trouba injured Canadiens defenseman Justin Barron with a high hit in the third period. Barron left the game and didn’t return. There was no penalty on the play. The Canadiens also played without winger Juraj Slafkovsky, who is out for at least a week with an upper-body injury.

Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren made his season debut after suffering an injured jaw during the preseason.

The Columbus Blue Jackets stunned the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-2. Mathieu Olivier tallied two goals, Justin Danforth had a goal and two assists, and goalie Daniil Tarasov stopped 26 shots for the Blue Jackets. Matthew Knies and Nick Robertson scored for the Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs winger Max Pacioretty left this game after the second period with a lower-body injury and didn’t return. Earlier in the day, the NHL department of player safety fined Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson $5,000.00 for interference on Lightning winger Jake Guentzel on Monday.

Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson underwent shoulder surgery and is sidelined indefinitely.

Vancouver Canucks center J.T. Miller had a goal and two assists to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3. Danton Heinen scored twice for the Canucks. Ryan Donato, Taylor Hall and Tyler Bertuzzi scored for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hall’s goal was his 700th career NHL point.

Washington Capitals forwards Nic Dowd and Andrew Mangiapane each scored shorthanded goals in the first period to lead their team to a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Capitals have won four straight games. Travis Sanheim scored for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler made his season debut after being activated off injured reserve. He’d been sidelined by a knee injury during a preseason game against the Boston Bruins.

The Detroit Red Wings got a 29-save shutout from Alex Lyon to blank the New York Islanders 1-0. Patrick Kane scored the only goal as the Wings were limited to 11 shots by the Islanders.

Colorado Avalanche forward Joel Kiviranta scored twice, Nathan MacKinnon netted the game-winner, and Cale Makar collected two assists as they held on for a 3-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. Makar and MacKinnon extended their point streaks to seven games. Jared McCann and Ryker Evans scored for the Kraken.

Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros turned aside 33 shots to shut out the Boston Bruins 4-0, snapping their season-opening losing skid at five games. Ryan O’Reilly, Luke Evangelista and Roman Josi each had two points. Jeremy Swayman made 38 saves for the Bruins.

An overtime goal by Sebastian Aho lifted the Carolina Hurricanes over the Edmonton Oilers 3-2. Martin Necas had a goal and two assists as the Hurricanes overcame a 2-0 deficit. Connor McDavid scored both goals for the Oilers, who got a 30-save performance from Stuart Skinner.

The Ottawa Senators blanked the Utah Hockey Club 4-0. Anton Forsberg kicked out 31 shots for the shutout while Drake Batherson, Claude Giroux, Ridly Greig and Brady Tkachuk scored in the first period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark missed his fourth straight game with a muscle strain, forcing the club to call up Leevi Merilainen. Forward David Perron is away from the team for personal reasons.

Calgary Flames forward Justin Kirkland scored the deciding goal in a shootout to nip the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3. Rasmus Andersson and Blake Coleman collected two points, Dustin Wolf stopped 35 shots and Nazem Kadri scored the tying goal in the dying seconds of the third period as the Flames extended their points streak to six games (5-0-1). Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell and Noel Aciari scored for the Penguins.

The Anaheim Ducks got their first power-play goals of the season from Troy Terry and Leo Carlsson in a 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Mikael Granlund scored for the Sharks, the only winless team with a record of 0-5-2.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 20, 2024

by | Oct 20, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 20, 2024

Recaps of Saturday’s 13 games, injury updates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson scored two goals and collected an assist in a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, handing the latter their first loss of the season. Jake Guentzel scored his first goal of the season with the Lightning while Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist.

Ottawa Senators forward Drake Batherson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning’s special teams were their undoing in this contest, giving up two powerplay goals and a shorthanded goal. Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (lower-body strain) is close to returning to action but the club opted to err on the side of caution and kept him out of this game.

The Detroit Red Wings tallied three unanswered third-period goals to defeat the Nashville Predators 5-2. Andrew Copp scored twice and Alex Lyon made 37 saves for the Red Wings, including a highlight-reel stop with the knob of his stick on Steven Stamkos, who scored his first with the Predators in this contest.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators are still searching for their first win of the season (0-5-0). Stamkos believes their effort has been sporadic in those games.

Dallas Stars forward Matt Duchene scored two goals in a 4-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Roope Hintz had a goal and two assists, Jason Robertson had a goal and an assist, and goalie Jake Oettinger stopped 30 shots for the win. Leon Draisaitl replied for the Oilers as their win streak ended at two games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars announced before this game that they placed defenseman Matt Dumba (lower body) on injured reserve.

An overtime goal by Gustav Forsling lifted the Florida Panthers to a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Sam Reinhart had a goal and two assists and Sam Bennett had a goal and an assist for the Panthers. Ilya Samsonov kicked out 45 shots and Tanner Pearson had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights.

The New York Rangers got a 34-save performance by Igor Shesterkin to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1. Chris Kreider scored twice and Mika Zibanejad and Reilly Smith each had two assists as the Rangers picked up their third straight victory. Auston Matthews scored for the Maple Leafs.

Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson scored two goals (including the winner in overtime) and an assist as his club nipped the New Jersey Devils 6-5. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin netted his first of the season and Dylan Strome had a goal and two assists. Devils captain Nico Hischier tallied twice and picked up an assist and Timo Meier had three helpers.

New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson scored in the ninth round of the shootout to give his team a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Dobson also had two assists in regulation play. Cole Caufield scored twice, including the game-tying tally, and Juraj Slafkovsky had two assists for the Canadiens, who overcame 2-0 and 3-2 deficits.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders winger Anthony Duclair left this game in the third period after injuring his right leg. There was no postgame update on his status.

The Vancouver Canucks got a 26-save shutout from Kevin Lankinen to blank the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0. Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers picked up an assist in his 1,000th career NHL regular-season game. Nils Hoglander, Brock Boeser and Kiefer Sherwood were the goalscorers. The Flyers have lost four straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers captain Sean Couturier played in his 800th career game as a fourth-line left winger as head coach John Tortorella shook up his forward lines.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and an assist in a 3-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Filip Gustavsson got the win with a 23-save performance. Yegor Chinakhov scored for the Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild forward Ryan Hartman missed this contest with an upper-body injury. Before this game, Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason said the upper-body injury suffered by Kent Johnson on Thursday against Buffalo was not a short-term thing. There is no timeline for Johnson’s return.

The St. Louis Blues defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3. Joel Hofer stopped 37 shots for the win while Mathieu Joseph and Jake Neighbours had a goal and an assist each for the Blues. Andrei Svechnikov had a goal and an assist and Sebastian Aho had two helpers for the Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues forward Alexey Toropchenko missed this game and is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Buffalo Sabres forward JJ Peterka scored his fourth goal in three games as his club doubled up the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 35 saves for the Sabres. Craig Smith scored both goals for Chicago.

Utah Hockey Club’s Michael Kesselring scored in overtime to give his team a 2-1 win over the Boston Bruins. Utah goaltender Connor Ingram became the first goaltender in NHL history with a season-opening five-game points streak for a team in its inaugural campaign.

An overtime goal by Jordan Eberle lifted the Seattle Kraken over the Calgary Flames 2-1, handing the latter their first loss of the season (4-0-1). Chandler Stephenson also scored for the Kraken as they picked up their third straight victory. Blake Coleman tallied for the Flames.

IN OTHER NEWS…

The Los Angeles Kings announced they’ve placed goaltender Darcy Kuemper (lower body) on injured reserve, removed defenseman Joel Edmundson from non-roster designation, and recalled goalie Pheonix Copley from their AHL affiliate.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin has returned to Colorado and is skating on his own. He’s suspended until Nov. 13 as part of Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

Meanwhile, newly acquired Avalanche goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen practiced with his teammates for the first time on Saturday. Kahkonen was claimed off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets on Oct. 11 but had to update his work permit and visa before joining his new team.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins recalled goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic from their AHL affiliate. He will accompany the club during its upcoming four-game road trip through Western Canada.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins will carry three goalies as Nedeljkovic joins Tristan Jarry and Joel Blomqvist.