NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 16, 2026

by | Feb 16, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 16, 2026

Canada secures the top seed in the quarterfinals, the United States clinches first place in Group C, and more from Olympic Men’s hockey in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Canada thumped France 10-2 to earn the top seed in the Olympic Men’s quarterfinals. Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and Macklin Celebrini each had three points as the Canadians outshot France 46-14 to finish with a 3-0-0-0 record. Floran Douay and Sacha Treille replied for France (0-0-3-0).

Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby now has 16 points in Olympic competition, setting the Canadian record for most points in the Olympics featuring NHL players. Before this game, he was one point behind Jarome Iginla’s 14 points.

McDavid is the tournament’s leading scorer with nine points in three games. Celebrini is tied with Germany’s Tim Stutzle for the most goals with four. Celebrini also became the first NHL player to score on a penalty shot in the Olympics.

Canadian winger Tom Wilson had a rare Gordie Howe hat trick in Olympic competition. He opened the scoring, collected an assist, and fought France’s Pierre Crinon late in the third period after the latter served a penalty for elbowing Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon in the head. Wilson and Crinon were ejected from the game, but won’t face supplemental discipline.

The United States defeated Germany 5-1 to go 3-0-0-0 and clinch first place in Group C. Auston Matthews scored twice and collected an assist, and Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves for the Americans. Tim Stutzle scored for Germany (1-0-2-0).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, Matthews was the subject of some media criticism about his performance and leadership in this tournament. Teammate Jake Guentzel stuck up for his captain following Sunday’s game. “He’s been great all tournament,” Guentzel said to reporters. “You guys put a lot of heat on him for no reason. He’s just an unbelievable player, and he plays well in all situations.”

An overtime goal by former NHL defenseman Dean Kukan lifted Switzerland to a 4-3 victory over Czechia. Roman Josi and Timo Meier each had a goal and an assist for Switzerland (1-1-1-0). Martin Necas had a goal and two assists for Czechia (1-0-1-1), with his goal sending the game to overtime.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a solid bounce-back effort from the Swiss after losing scoring winger Kevin Fiala to a season-ending leg injury on Friday in their 5-1 loss to Canada. The Los Angeles Kings (Fiala’s NHL club) released a statement on Sunday indicating that he suffered a fracture in his lower left leg and will be re-evaluated at the end of the regular season.

Denmark doubled up Latvia 4-2. Nick Oleson had two goals and an assist, Frederik Andersen made 33 saves, and Nikolaj Ehlers tallied the winning goal for the Danes, who finished the preliminary round 1-0-2-0. Kristaps Zile and Eduards Tralmak replied for Latvia (1-0-2-0).

NHL.COM: The preliminary round has been completed, with Canada, the United States, Finland, and Slovakia each earning a bye to the quarterfinal.

The qualification playoff games will take place on Tuesday, with Switzerland facing Italy, Germany meeting France, Sweden taking on Latvia, and Czechia facing off against Denmark.

The winners of those games will advance to the quarterfinal round on Wednesday.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 24, 2026

by | Jan 24, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 24, 2026

The Golden Knights win as Mitch Marner returns to Toronto, Sharks center Macklin Celebrini achieves a notable scoring milestone, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF FRIDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone extended his franchise-record points streak to 14 games with two goals and an assist in a 6-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights (25-13-12), who lead the Pacific Division with 62 points. Matthew Knies collected two assists for the 24-18-9 Maple Leafs, who are 1-3-2 in their last six games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the first game in Toronto for former Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner since he joined the Golden Knights last summer. He received a mix of boos and cheers from Leafs fans, but they also gave him a standing ovation following the Leafs’ video tribute honoring his nine seasons in Toronto.

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (NHL Images).

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini tallied twice to lead his club over the New York Rangers 3-1. Will Smith and Collin Graf each picked up two assists for the Sharks (26-21-3). Sam Carrick replied for the 21-25-6 Rangers, who have dropped three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini became the second-youngest active player (19 years, 224 days) to reach 50 career NHL regular-season goals. Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is the youngest at 19 years, 120 days. The young Sharks center is the fastest player in franchise history to reach 50 goals, doing so in 120 games.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Owen Tippett had a hat trick and picked up an assist in a 7-3 drubbing of the Colorado Avalanche. Matvei Michkov scored twice and collected an assist, and Samuel Ersson stopped 32 shots for the Flyers, who improved to 24-17-9. Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas each had two assists for the league-leading Avalanche (34-6-9, 77 points), who are 3-4-2 in their last nine games.

The Tampa Bay Lightning extended their points streak to 15 games (14-0-1) by nipping the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1. Nikita Kucherov scored in regulation, and Dominic James netted the winning goal during the shootout for the 32-13-4 Lightning, who hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 68 points. Arvid Soderblom made 30 saves in regulation and overtime while Ryan Greene scored for the 21-22-8 Blackhawks.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson scored with one minute remaining in the third period for a 3-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Wyatt Johnston had a goal and an assist for the 29-14-9 Stars, who picked up their second win in their last six games (2-4-0). Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and an assist for the 19-24-8 Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin left this game with a lower-body injury. Blues winger Dylan Holloway missed this game as he returned to St. Louis for an X-ray on his injured ankle. Meanwhile, Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist (ankle) was placed on injured reserve.

Anaheim Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier and defenseman Pavel Mintyukov each had a goal and an assist to double up the Seattle Kraken 4-2. Lukas Dostal made 20 saves for the 27-21-3 Ducks, who extended their win streak to six games. Jared McCann and Jaden Schwartz replied for the Kraken (22-19-9), who are 1-4-1 in their last six games.

Third-period goals by Aliaksei Protas and Alex Ovechkin lifted the Washington Capitals over the Calgary Flames 3-1. Martin Fehervary collected two assists for the Capitals (25-21-6) as they snapped a four-game losing skid. Devin Cooley kicked out 35 shots, and Morgan Frost scored for the 21-25-5 Flames.

The New Jersey Devils held off the Vancouver Canucks 5-4. Cody Glass scored twice and collected an assist while rookie winger Lenni Hameenaho picked up his first NHL goal and assist for the 27-22-2 Devils, who have won three straight games. Linus Karlsson had a goal and an assist for the 17-29-5 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks center Filip Chytil was held scoreless as he returned to action after missing 44 games with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 8, 2026

by | Jan 8, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 8, 2026

Sharks center Macklin Celebrini extends his points streak, remembering the late Glenn Hall, the Mammoth will host the 2027 Winter Classic, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini extended his points streak to 12 games by rallying his club to a 4-3 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Celebrini had three points, including the tying goal and assisting on William Eklund’s game-winner for the 22-18-3 Sharks. Alex Turcotte and Kevin Fiala each had a goal and an assist for the Kings (18-14-10).

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini is third in the NHL scoring race with 67 points. The Sharks (47 points) hold the first Western Conference wildcard berth, sitting one point out of first place in the Pacific Division. Kings winger Corey Perry missed this game as he’s been granted leave to deal with an illness in his family.

Utah Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka made 32 saves, and Clayton Keller collected two assists in a 3-1 win against the Ottawa Senators, improving their record to 21-20-3. Ridly Greig replied for the struggling Senators (20-17-5), who have two wins in their last seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the league announced that the Mammoth will host the 2027 Winter Classic against the Colorado Avalanche at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City. A date will be announced at a later time.

The Dallas Stars snapped a six-game winless skid by defeating the Washington Capitals 4-1. Sam Steel had a goal and an assist, and Casey DeSmith stopped 23 shots for the Stars (26-10-8). Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 915th career regular-season goal as his club (22-16-6) has one win in its last four games (1-2-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars forward Matt Duchene collected an assist to record his 900th career NHL regular-season point. Before this game, the Capitals announced that winger Aliaksei Protas was placed on injured reserve.

Montreal Canadiens winger Alexandre Texier had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. Cole Caufield had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens, who improved their record to 24-13-6 to sit one point out of first place in the Atlantic Division. Joel Farabee scored for the Flames (18-21-4) as they’ve lost three straight games.

The Chicago Blackhawks picked up their fourth straight win by dropping the St. Louis Blues 7-3. Oliver Moore, Landon Slaggert, Connor Murphy, and Louis Crevier each had a goal and an assist for the 18-18-7 Blackhawks. Blues rookie Otto Stenberg scored his first NHL goal as his club dropped to 17-19-8.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Hall of Fame goaltender Glenn Hall passed away on Wednesday at the age of 94.

Nicknamed “Mr. Goalie,” Hall holds the league record for consecutive games played by a netminder with 502 (552 including playoffs), and was the innovator of the butterfly style of goaltending.

Hall played 906 regular-season games with the Detroit Red Wings, Chicago Blackhawks, and St. Louis Blues from 1952-53 to 1970-71, winning 407 games with a career 2.50 goals-against average and 84 shutouts. He won the Stanley Cup with the Blackhawks in 1960-61, the Calder Memorial Trophy in 1955-56, the Conn Smythe Trophy in 1967-68, and the Vezina Trophy in 1962-63, 1966-67, and 1968-69.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hall was among the greatest goaltenders in NHL history and a star with the Red Wings, Blackhawks, and Blues. Given the way the position has changed, his consecutive games record for NHL goalies will never be broken. My condolences to his family, friends, and former teammates.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider, and Ottawa Senators center Tim Stutzle are among the NHL players selected to Germany’s 2026 Men’s Olympic Hockey team. Others include Utah Mammoth forward JJ Peterka, Minnesota Wild forward Nico Sturm, and Seattle Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer.

Switzerland’s Men’s Olympic roster will include Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi, New Jersey Devils forwards Nico Hischier and Timo Meier, Los Angeles Kings winger Kevin Fiala, Winnipeg Jets winger Nino Niedereitter, St. Louis Blues center Pius Suter, San Jose Sharks winger Philipp Kurashev, Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman JJ Moser, New Jersey Devils blueliner Jonas Siegenthaler, and Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Akira Schmid.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Nikolaj Ehlers, Tampa Bay Lightning winger Oliver Bjorkstrand, Ottawa Senators center Lars Eller, Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen, and Senators netminder Mads Sogaard were named to Denmark’s Men’s Olympic team.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers center Adam Henrique was placed on injured reserve and isn’t expected to return until after the Olympic break in February.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets winger Mason Marchment (upper body) was placed on injured reserve and is listed as week-to-week.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Winnipeg Jets placed defenseman Haydn Fleury on injured reserve with a broken nose and bruised back.

CBS SPORTS: Anaheim Ducks goaltender Petr Mrazek (lower body) was placed on injured reserve.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins forward Rutger McGroarty has been diagnosed with a concussion and is on injured reserve. They also returned defenseman Harrison Brunicke to the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 31, 2025

by | Dec 31, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 31, 2025

Recapping Tuesday’s games, Sharks sophomore Macklin Celebrini could make Canada’s Men’s Olympic hockey team, Flames re-sign Devin Cooley, and more in the final NHL Morning Coffee Headlines for 2025.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S ACTION

NHL.COM: The injury-depleted Toronto Maple Leafs got a 33-save shutout from Joseph Woll to blank the New Jersey Devils 4-0. Bobby McMann and Nicolas Roy each had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs, who extended their points streak to four games (3-0-1) and improved their record to 18-15-6. Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom allowed three goals on 29 shots for the slumping Devils (20-17-2), who are winless in their last four contests (0-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Maple Leafs played without Auston Matthews, William Nylander, Chris Tanev, and Dakota Joshua, who are currently sidelined by injuries. Following the game, Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe called out his players’ “lack of balls” after team captain Nico Hischier lost a lopsided scrap to Leafs power forward Matthew Knies in the third period.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (NHL Images).

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki scored the tying and winning goals to lead his club to a 3-2 overtime victory over the Florida Panthers. Cole Caufield also scored for the Canadiens (21-12-6), who overcame a 2-0 deficit to extend their points streak to six games (4-0-2). Brad Marchand and Sam Reinhart tallied for the 21-15-3 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers honored Marchand for his 1,000th career NHL regular-season game in a pregame ceremony. He also took a roughing penalty in overtime that led to Suzuki’s game-winning goal.

A shootout goal by Bo Horvat lifted the New York Islanders over the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 3-2. Horvat also scored in regulation, and rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer collected an assist for the 22-14-4 Islanders. Oliver Moore collected two assists for the Blackhawks, who slipped to 14-18-7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shaefer’s assist made him the youngest defenseman in NHL history to reach 25 career regular-season points.

Goalie Stuart Skinner made 27 saves for his first win with the Pittsburgh Penguins as his club downed the Carolina Hurricanes 5-1. Anthony Mantha tallied two goals while Erik Karlsson, Bryan Rust, and Justin Brazeau each had two points for the Penguins (17-12-9). Mark Jankowski netted the only goal for the Hurricanes (24-12-3), who remain in first place in the Eastern Conference with 51 points.

The Philadelphia Flyers got two-point performances from Noah Cates, Bobby Brink, Trevor Zegras, and Travis Konecny in a 6-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. David Kampf and Drew O’Connor each had a goal and an assist for the Canucks, who dropped to 16-20-3. The Flyers (20-11-7) have won three of their last four games.

HEADLINES

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: According to a report by ESPN’s Emily Kaplan, Sharks sophomore center Macklin Celebrini had made Canada’s Men’s Olympic hockey team. The formal announcement of Canada’s roster will be made on Dec. 31.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will be a well-deserved honor for Celebrini. The 19-year-old Sharks center is having an outstanding season, sitting third among NHL scorers with 60 points in 39 games. He’s on pace to eclipse Joe Thornton’s single-season franchise record of 114 points in 2006-07.

TSN: Darren Dreger reports that sidelined Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson will not be available for Sweden’s Men’s Olympic hockey team. He has been absent since Nov. 8 with a lower-body injury.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames signed goaltender Devin Cooley to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $1.35 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cooley’s been a solid backup for Dustin Wolf in the Flames’ crease this season. He has a record of 4-4-2 with a 2.40 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers could get Adam Fox back in the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Washington Capitals. The 27-year-old defenseman has been sidelined since Nov. 29 with a shoulder injury.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel could return to action against the Nashville Predators on Dec. 31. He’s missed six games with an illness and a lower-body injury.

SPORTSNET: The Los Angeles Kings activated goaltender Darcy Kuemper from injured reserve.

BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Sabres goalie Alex Lyon is being evaluated for a lower-body injury suffered on Monday against the St. Louis Blues.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 17, 2025

by | Dec 17, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 17, 2025

Oilers star Leon Draisaitl reaches 1,000 points, Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon continues his high-scoring ways, Sharks center Macklin Celebrini moves up in the scoring race, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Leon Draisaitl collected four assists to surpass 1,000 career NHL regular-season points as his Edmonton Oilers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-4. Connor McDavid scored two goals and set up two others for the 16-12-6 Oilers. Erik Karlsson had a goal and an assist for the 14-9-9 Penguins, who are winless in their last six games (0-2-4).

Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers are the only team in NHL history to have five players reach the 1,000-point plateau as Draisaitl joined McDavid, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Jari Kurri. Meanwhile, McDavid continues his surge in this season’s scoring race, sitting second with 56 points.

This was the first game between the two clubs since they swapped starting goaltenders last Friday. The Oilers’ Tristan Jarry made 26 saves for the win, while the Penguins’ Stuart Skinner turned aside 17 shots.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon tallied twice and collected an assist in a 5-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Cale Makar, Martin Necas, and Valeri Nichushkin each had two assists, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 34 saves as the league-leading Avalanche (24-2-7) picked up their third straight win. Shane Wright, Jordan Eberle, and Chandler Stephenson replied for the Kraken (12-13-6) as they’ve dropped nine of their last 10 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads all NHL scorers with 28 goals and 58 points. He’s on pace to reach 70 goals. The last players to reach that milestone were Hall of Famers Teemu Selanne and Alexander Mogilny, who each had 76 goals in 1992-93.

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini had two goals and two assists to lead his club over the Calgary Flames by a score of 6-3. Barclay Goodrow scored twice and had an assist, and winger Tyler Toffoli the 300th regular-season NHL goal for the 17-14-3 Sharks, who’ve won three straight contests. Blake Coleman, Ryan Lomberg, and Nazem Kadri scored for the 13-17-4 Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini is third in this season’s scoring race with 51 points. Earlier in the day, the Sharks deemed forward Philipp Kurashev as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

The Minnesota Wild got a 25-save performance from Filip Gustavsson to shut out the Washington Capitals 5-0. Vladimir Tarasenko and Danila Yurov each had three points, and Quinn Hughes collected an assist in his second game with the Wild, who picked up their fifth straight win and improved to 20-9-5. Charlie Lindgren stopped 27 of 32 shots for the 18-11-4 Capitals, who drop to 1-3-2 in their last five contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild forward Marcus Foligno returned to action after being sidelined since Nov. 26 with a lower-body injury.

Boston Bruins winger Morgan Geekie scored twice in a 4-1 win over the Utah Mammoth. David Pastrnak had two assists for the 20-14-0 Bruins, who’ve won five of their last six games. Barrett Hayton replied for the Mammoth, who dropped to 16-16-3 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Geekie sits second among league scorers this season with 24 goals. Before this game, the Bruins placed defenseman Jonathan Aspirot (upper body) on injured reserve, and claimed blueliner Vladislav Kolyachonok off waivers from the Dallas Stars.

The Philadelphia Flyers downed the Montreal Canadiens 4-1. Trevor Zegras scored to extend his goal streak to four games, and Travis Konecny had a goal and an assist for the 17-9-6 Flyers, who extended their points streak to five games (2-3-0). Alexandre Texier scored for the Canadiens, who dropped to 17-12-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson missed this game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. They also sent goaltender Sam Montembeault to their AHL affiliate on a two-week conditioning stint. Meanwhile, Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen made his season debut after recovering from triceps surgery in March

Two goals in eight seconds by Auston Matthews and Dakota Joshua late in the third period rallied the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Matthews and William Nylander finished with two points each, and Joseph Woll stopped 23 shots for the 15-12-5 Maple Leafs. Wyatt Kaiser and Jason Dickinson scored for the Blackhawks, who’ve lost three straight games and slipped to 13-14-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov was scratched from this game after being late for practice on Monday.

Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat netted two goals in the third period as his club nipped the New York Islanders 3-2. Lucas Raymond collected three assists for the Red Wings (19-12-4). Emil Heineman and Scott Mayfield replied for the Islanders (19-12-3) as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With the win, the Red Wings regained first place in the Atlantic Division with 41 points.

An overtime goal by Adam Fantilli gave the Columbus Blue Jackets a 4-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Zach Werenski had two goals and an assist as the 14-13-6 Blue Jackets snapped a five-game losing skid. Mikael Granlund and Ryan Poehling each had two points for the Ducks (20-12-2), who have dropped three of their last four games (1-2-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 42 points, the Ducks cling to first place in the Pacific Division, one point ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Vancouver Canucks blanked the New York Rangers 3-0. Thatcher Demko kicked out 23 shots for the shutout while Evander Kane, Liam Ohgren, and Conor Garland scored for the 13-17-3 Canucks. The Rangers (16-15-4) have one win in their last six games (1-3-2).

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: The Los Angeles Kings placed goaltender Darcy Kuemper on injured reserve and recalled netminder Pheonix Copley.

The St. Louis Blues claimed winger Jonatan Berggren off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings.

THE TENNESSEAN: Former US college football coach Nick Saban purchased a minority stake in the Nashville Predators.

TORONTO SUN: Former NHL forward Paul Gagne passed away at age 63 after battling cancer. Gagne spent eight seasons 1980-81 to 1989-90) with the Colorado Rockies, New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Islanders. He had 110 goals and 101 assists for 211 points in 390 games.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Veteran TSN broadcaster Michael Whalen passed away earlier this week at age 82. Whalen was TSN’s bureau reporter for Montreal and Quebec from 1986 to 2007.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to the family and friends of Gagne and Whalen.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 8, 2025

by | Dec 8, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 8, 2025

Recaps of Sunday’s games and injury updates in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini had a goal and two assists to lead his club over the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 4-1. Alexander Wennberg and John Klingberg each had a goal and an assist, and Alex Nedeljkovic made 28 saves as the Sharks improved to 14-13-3. Jordan Staal replied for the Hurricanes (17-9-2).

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini played his 100th career NHL regular-season game. It was also his 28th multipoint game, sitting seventh among NHL players for the most multipoint games through their first 100 games as teenagers. Wayne Gretzky is the all-time leader with 53 multipoint games.

The Colorado Avalanche held off the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 23 shots, including a penalty shot by Trevor Zegras in the third period. Brent Burns, Brock Nelson, and Valeri Nichushkin scored for the Avalanche (21-2-6), who hold first place in the overall standings with 48 points. Sean Couturier and Travis Konency scored for the 15-9-3 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon collected an assist as he holds first place in the scoring race with 49 points. Macklin Celebrini is second with 43 points.

Washington Capitals netminder Logan Thompson picked up his 100th career NHL regular-season win by shutting out the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-0, sitting eighth on the list of fewest games to reach 100 wins by undrafted goalies (167 games). Jakob Chychrun and Aliaksei Protas were the goal scorers as the Capitals (18-9-3) opened a three-point lead over the Hurricanes for first place in the Eastern Conference with 39 points. Jet Greaves stopped 36 of 37 shots for the 13-10-6 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Capitals placed forward Ryan Leonard and goalie Charlie Lindgren on injured reserve with upper-body injuries.

The Dallas Stars nipped the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 on a shootout goal by Mikko Rantanen. Jamie Benn and Miro Heiskanen scored for the Stars (20-5-5), who collected their seventh win in their last eight games. Connor Dewar and Tommy Novak scored for the Penguins (14-7-6).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins center Evgeni Malkin missed this game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, Stars center Matt Duchene and defenseman Nils Lundkvist returned to action after being out since mid-October with injuries.

St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn scored twice and picked up an assist to lead his team to a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Dylan Holloway had a goal and two assists for the Blues, who improved to 11-12-7. Cole Caufield scored to extend his points streak to 11 games, and Noah Dobson had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens (15-10-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues winger Jordan Kyrou missed this game with a lower-body injury.

Florida Panthers winger Carter Verhaeghe scored his fourth goal in his last three games in a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Sam Reinhart had a goal and an assist for the Panthers, who improved to 14-12-2. Mathew Barzal scored for the Islanders (16-11-3) as their three-game win streak ended.

An overtime goal by Jack Eichel lifted the Vegas Golden Knights over the New York Rangers 3-2. Eichel, Mark Stone, and Brett Howden each had two points, and Carter Hart made 21 saves for the Golden Knights (14-6-8) as they picked up their fourth straight win. Alexis Lafreniere and Mika Zibanejad each had a goal and an assist for the 15-12-3 Rangers.

The Anaheim Ducks crushed the Chicago Blackhawks 7-1. Leo Carlsson tallied twice while Cutter Gauthier, Beckett Sennecke, Chris Kreider, and Ryan Strome each picked up two points for the Ducks (18-10-1), who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 37 points. Tyler Bertuzzi scored for the 12-11-6 Blackhawks, who’ve lost three of their last four contests.