NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2024

The Bruins’ David Pastrnak nets his 40th goal of the season, a hat trick performance by Vegas’ Jonathan Marchessault, a franchise-record performance by the Lightning’s Darren Raddysh, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak tallied his 40th goal of the season in a 5-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Linus Ullmark kicked out 38 shots and Pavel Zacha scored twice and collected an assist for the Bruins (38-13-15) as they sit third in the overall standings with 91 points. Kris Letang scored for the Penguins as they dropped to 28-26-8.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm had two assists in his return to the roster after missing nine games with a lower-body injury.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault (NHL Images).

Jonathan Marchessault scored the go-ahead and insurance goals to complete his hat trick as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-3. Jack Eichel collected three assists for the 34-23-7 Golden Knights as they hold the final Western Conference wildcard spot with 75 points. Michael Rasmussen had a goal and an assist for the slumping Red Wings (33-25-6) as they slipped into the final Eastern Conference wildcard spot with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings have lost five straight games. With captain Dylan Larkin sidelined by an injury, general manager Steve Yzerman could regret not making a significant move at the trade deadline to bolster his roster down the stretch…The Golden Knights placed forward William Carrier on long-term injury reserve. He’s been sidelined for 30 games with an upper-body injury.

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Darren Raddysh set a single-game franchise record for defensemen with five assists in a 7-0 drubbing of the Philadelphia Flyers. Andrei Vasilevskiy had a 25-save shutout and Victor Hedman scored twice and picked up an assist. The Lightning (34-25-6) moved into the first Eastern wildcard berth with 74 points. The Flyers (33-24-8) remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 74 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers Head coach John Tortorella was ejected midway through the first period for arguing with the on-ice officialsLightning blueliner Erik Cernak left this game with a lower-body injury. There was no postgame update regarding his status.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice and picked up an assist in his first game with the Florida Panthers as they downed the Calgary Flames 5-1. Anthony Stolarz stopped 34 shots for the Panthers (44-17-4) as they sit in first place in the overall standings with 92 points. Yegor Sharangovich scored to match his career-high of 46 points as the Flames dropped to 31-27-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad and forward Evan Rodrigues left this game with injuries. Ekblad was hurt following a knee-on-knee collision with Tarasenko and Rodrigues injured his left ankle blocking a shot. Both will be evaluated on Sunday.

The Vancouver Canucks blanked the Winnipeg Jets 5-0. Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith combined for a 22-save shutout after Demko left the game in the second period with an undisclosed injury. Elias Pettersson and Nils Hoglander each had a goal and an assist as the Canucks (42-17-7) remain in second place in the overall standings with 91 points. Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 32 shots for the 40-18-5 Jets as they sit second in the Central Division with 85 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said he didn’t think Demko’s injury was serious, but admitted he hadn’t spoken with the team’s medical staff. We could learn more about his condition today.

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin had a 26-save shutout in a 4-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox each had two assists for the Rangers (41-18-6), who sit in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 86 points. Jordan Binnington stopped 35 shots for the 32-29-3 Blues, who have lost three straight games.

The Dallas Stars opened a four-point lead over the Jets for first place in the Central (89 points) as they crowned the Los Angeles Kings 4-1. Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski each had a goal and an assist for the 40-17-9 Stars. Kevin Fiala replied for the Kings (32-20-11) as they sit third in the Pacific Division with 75 points.

A shootout goal by Alex Tuch lifted the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 30 saves for the 30-30-5 Sabres while Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid’s points streak ended at 13 games. Warren Foegele and Ryan McLeod each had a goal and an assist as the Oilers (38-21-3) are in second place in the Pacific Division with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres appeared to have the game won in the dying seconds of overtime but Owen Power’s goal was ruled offside following a coach’s challenge. Both teams were in their dressing rooms during the review and were called back onto the ice to finish the game.

The Carolina Hurricanes tallied three third-period goals to double up the New Jersey Devils 4-2. Teuvo Teravainen had a goal and two assists for the 38-19-6 Hurricanes, who sit second in the Metro with 82 points. Nico Hischier had a goal and an assist for the 31-29-4 Devils.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares snapped a 2-2 tie as this club nipped the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. Max Domi had a goal and an assist for the Leafs (37-19-8) as they hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 82 points. Mike Matheson and Juraj Slakovsky each had two points for the 24-30-10 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs winger Mitch Marner missed this game (day-to-day) with a lower-body injury.

Nashville Predators forward Luke Evangelista scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Predators (37-25-3) pushed their points streak to 11 games and hold the first Western wildcard berth with 77 points. Daniil Tarasov kicked out 47 shots for 22-32-10 Blue Jackets.

The Washington Capitals kept their playoff hopes alive with a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Sonny Milano scored for the fifth consecutive game and Charlie Lindgren stopped 31 shots for the 30-23-9 Capitals (69 points), who sit three points out of the final Eastern wildcard berth. Tyler Johnson replied for the 16-43-5 Blackhawks.

San Jose Sharks forward Thomas Bordeleau scored twice as his club beat the Ottawa Senators 2-1. Tim Stutzle replied for the Senators. The Sharks are 16-40-7 while the Senators are 25-33-4.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 14, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 14, 2024

The Oilers and Kraken maintain their win streaks while the Jets’ and Panthers’ streaks come to an end and the final 12 players are announced for the All-Star Game. Details and more from a busy Saturday in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers set a franchise record with their 10th consecutive win by nipping the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 on an overtime power-play goal by Evan Bouchard. Leon Draisaitl tied the game in the third period for the Oilers (23-15-1) as they hold the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 47 points. Sam Montembeault stopped 39 shots and Cole Caufield scored for the 17-18-7 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens called up Joshua Roy from their AHL affiliate in Laval to replace sidelined winger Josh Anderson.

Seattle Kraken winger Jared McCann scored twice and added an assist as his club won their franchise-record ninth straight contest by downing the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-4, extending their points streak to 13 games. Joey Daccord made 30 saves for his eighth straight win while Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and two assists for the 19-14-9 Kraken, who sit just behind the Oilers with 47 points. Ivan Provorov tallied twice for the 13-21-9 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets made rookie defenseman David Jiricek a healthy scratch from this contest.

The Winnipeg Jets’ eight-game win streak came to an end as they fell 2-0 to the Philadelphia Flyers. Samuel Ersson made 35 saves for the shutout while Cam Atkinson scored twice to snap his goalless streak that stretched back to Nov. 11. With a record of 23-14-6, the Flyers sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 52 points. Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 34 shots for the 28-10-4 Jets, as they slipped into second place in the overall standings with 60 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers played without Jamie Drysdale (illness) and Sean Couturier (“minor injury”) while Jets center Mark Scheifele sat out with a lower-body injury.

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko made 26 saves to blank the Buffalo Sabres 1-0. Sam Lafferty netted the only goal for the 29-11-3 Canucks for their fifth straight win as they vaulted over the Jets into first overall with 61 points. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 22 shots for the 18-21-4 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson left the game in the second period after taking an elbow in the face from Canucks blueliner Filip Hronek.

A 36-save performance by Nico Daws carried the New Jersey Devils over the Florida Panthers 4-1, snapping the latter’s nine-game win streak. Jesper Bratt scored what proved to be the game-winner for the 22-15-3 Devils (47 points) as they sit one point out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Sam Reinhart extended his goal streak to six games for the Panthers (27-13-2) as they sit second in the Eastern Conference with 56 points.

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (NHL Images).

An overtime goal by Charlie McAvoy gave the Boston Bruins a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. McAvoy and Brad Marchand each had two goals for the 25-8-9 Bruins, who sit first overall in the Eastern Conference with 59 points. Jordan Binnington stopped 31 shots for the 21-18-2 Blues, who are three points out of the final Western wild-card spot with 44 points.

Third-period goals by Nic Dowd and T.J. Oshie lifted the Washington Capitals over the New York Rangers 3-2, leaving the latter winless in their last four games (0-3-1). Charlie Lindgren made 25 saves for the 20-14-6 Capitals (46 points) as they sit two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Adam Fox tallied both goals for the Rangers (26-13-2) as they hold first place in the Metropolitan Division with 54 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin missed this game with a lower-body injury.

The Carolina Hurricanes extended their points streak to eight games by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on an overtime tally by Brett Pesce, who finished the game with two goals. Antti Raanta made 38 saves for the 24-13-5 Hurricanes (53) as they sit one point back of the Rangers in the Metro Division. Bryan Rust had a goal and an assist for the Penguins (20-15-6) as they sit two points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot with 46 points.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin scored two goals to lead his club to a 5-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, extending the latter’s winless skid to eight games (0-4-4). Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist while Alex Lyon stopped 33 shots for the 21-16-5 Red Wings (47 points), who are one point out of the final Eastern wild-card berth. Quinton Byfield scored two goals for the 20-11-8 Kings, who remain third in the Pacific Division with 48 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings head coach Todd McLellan is facing the heat from the club’s fans as they chanted for him to be fired. They could get their wish if the Kings don’t soon reverse their current slide.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos tallied twice to beat the Anaheim Ducks 5-1. Nikita Kucherov collected three assists to remain the league’s scoring leader with 72 points as his club improved to 22-17-5 and sit in the first Eastern wild-card spot with 49 points. Lukas Dostol turned aside 36 shots for the 14-27-1 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak missed this game with an upper-body injury.

Five unanswered goals rallied the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Jonathan Drouin and Ross Colton each had a goal and an assist for the 28-12-3 Avalanche (59 points) as they sit one point behind the first-place Jets in the Central Division. Martin Jones stopped 28 shots for the 21-11-8 Leafs as they sit third in the Atlantic Division with 50 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson returned to action after missing the last two games with an undisclosed injury.

The Dallas Stars netted three unanswered third-period goals in a 3-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Goalie Jake Oettinger picked up the win for Dallas after Scott Wedgewood left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury. With a record of 25-12-2, the Stars are third in the Central Division with 55 points. Petr Mrazek stopped 27 shots for the 12-29-2 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones returned to the lineup after missing 15 games with a shoulder injury.

Arizona Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram made 38 saves for his fifth shutout of the season in a 6-0 win over the Minnesota Wild. Nick Bjugstad had a hat trick as the Coyotes (21-18-2) moved to within three points of a Western wild-card spot with 44 points. Goaltender Filip Gustavsson and winger Kirill Kaprizov returned to action for the 17-20-5 Wild after missing several games with injuries.

The Nashville Predators defeated the New York Islanders 3-1 on late goals by Alexandre Carrier and Juuso Parssinen. Juuse Saros stopped 24 shots for the 24-18-1 Predators as they hold the first Western wild-card berth with 49 points. Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored for the Islanders (19-13-10) as they cling to the final Eastern wild-card spot with 48 points.

Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom made 31 saves while Blake Coleman had a goal and an assist to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-1. Chandler Stephenson had the only goal for the Golden Knights (24-14-5) as they sit second in the Pacific Division with 53 points. The Flames improved to 20-18-5 (45 points) to move within two points of the final Western wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel missed this contest with an undisclosed injury.

The Ottawa Senators ended a five-game losing skid with a 5-4 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Vladimir Tarasenko tallied the game-winner with five seconds remaining in the third period while Artem Zub picked up three assists for the 15-23-0 Senators. MacKenzie Blackwood kicked out 36 shots while Mario Ferraro had three assists for the 10-30-3 Sharks, who’ve lost 13 of their last 14 games.

DAILY FACEOFF: Toronto Maple Leafs William Nylander, Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly and Vancouver Canucks Elias Pettersson, JT Miller, Brock Boeser and Thatcher Demko have been named to the 2024 NHL All-Star Game as voted by the fans. The others included Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman, Florida Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, Colorado Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev, Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar and Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 12, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 12, 2024

The Jets, Oilers, Panthers, and Kraken extend their win streaks, the Hurricanes extend their points streak and the Sharks end their long losing skid. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Third-period goals by Gabriel Vilardi and Nikolaj Ehlers lifted the Winnipeg Jets over the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1, extending their points streak to 14 games while setting a franchise record with their eighth straight win. The Jets (28-9-4) remain in first place in the overall standings with 60 points. Connor Murphy scored for the 12-28-2 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets center Mark Scheifele left this game in the second period with a lower-body injury. Earlier in the day, Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff said he’s opened contract extension talks with pending unrestricted free agents Dylan DeMelo and Brenden Dillon.

The Edmonton Oilers tied a franchise record with their ninth straight win by downing the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on an overtime goal by Darnell Nurse. Zach Hyman had a goal and an assist for the 22-15-1 Oilers as they moved into the first NHL wild-card berth with 45 points. Alex Lyon kicked out 44 shots for the Red Wings (20-16-5) as they sit two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 45 points.

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart (NHL Images).

An overtime power-play goal by Sam Reinhart gave the Florida Panthers a 3-2 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, extending their win streak to nine games. Reinhart finished with two points while Sergei Bobrovsky made 31 saves for the 27-12-2 Panthers, who sit second in the Atlantic Division with 56 points. Cam Talbot stopped 37 shots for the 20-10-8 Kings as they’ve won just twice in their last 10 games and sit third in the Pacific Division with 48 points.

The Seattle Kraken extended their win streak to eight games and their points streak to 12 games by dropping the Washington Capitals 4-1. Joey Daccord turned aside 25 shots to extend his win streak to seven games and points streak to 11 games as the Kraken (18-14-9) sit just outside the final Western wild-card berth with 45 points. Max Pacioretty scored his first goal of the season for the Capitals (19-14-6) as they sit three points out of an Eastern wild-card spot with 44 points.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis had a goal and two assists in a 6-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks. The Hurricanes extended their points streak to seven games (23-13-5) and sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 51 points. John Gibson made 20 saves for the 14-26-1 Ducks before leaving this game following the second period with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson wasn’t the only goalie to leave this game early as the Hurricanes’ Pyotr Kochetkov departed midway through the second period with an undisclosed injury following a collision with Ducks forward Isac Lundestrom.

Earlier in the day, the Ducks announced forward Trevor Zegras was sidelined for six to eight weeks with a broken left ankle while defenseman Pavel Mintyukov would be out for six weeks with a separated shoulder. The pair suffered those injuries during Tuesday’s game against the Nashville Predators.

The San Jose Sharks ended a 12-game losing skid by beating the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. Mackenzie Blackwood got the win with a 33-save performance for the 10-29-3 Sharks while Sam Montembeault stopped 32 shots for the 17-18-6 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The score flattered the Canadiens as the Sharks dominated them through most of this game.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson scored in overtime for a 4-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Pettersson had two goals and collected two assists while Brock Boeser tallied twice for the 28-11-3 Canucks (59 points) as they sit one point behind the league-leading Jets. Sidney Crosby scored two goals for the 20-15-5 Penguins (45 points), who are two points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins winger Reilly Smith left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury following a big hit by Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov.

Speaking of four-point performances, Mathew Barzal had a goal and three assists as the New York Islanders nipped the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3. Barzal netted the winning goal in overtime while Noah Dobson collected four assists for the 19-12-10 Islanders (48 points) as they sit third in the Metropolitan Division. Auston Matthews scored twice to extend his league lead in that category to 33 as his Maple Leafs (21-10-8) sit third in the Atlantic Division with 50 points.

A hat trick by Jordan Kyrou powered the St. Louis Blues to a 5-2 win over the New York Rangers. Jordan Binnington made 40 saves while Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and two assists for the 21-18-1 Blues (43 points) as they sit two points out of the final Western wild-card berth. Mika Zibanejad was sidelined by illness as his Rangers (26-12-4) sit in first place in the Metropolitan Divison with 54 points.

Speaking of hat tricks, Yegor Sharangovich’s three goals lifted the Calgary Flames over the Arizona Coyotes 6-2. Blake Coleman had a goal and two assists while Jacob Markstrom stopped 32 shots for the 19-18-5 Flames (43 points) as they’re also two points out of the final Western wild-card spot. Clayton Keller netted his 15th goal of the season for the Coyotes as they slipped to 20-18-2 and sit three points out of the final Western wildcard spot.

An overtime goal by Alex Pietrangelo gave the Vegas Golden Knights a 2-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist while Logan Thompson turned aside 32 shots for the 24-13-5 Golden Knights as they sit second in the Pacific Division with 53 points. Matt Grzelcyk scored for the 24-8-9 Bruins (57 points) who sit third in the overall standings but have lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Bruins announced defenseman Brandon Carlo (upper body) was placed on injured reserve while goalie Linus Ullmark and forward Matthew Poitras are listed as day-to-day.

The Tampa Bay Lightning blew a 3-1 lead but would defeat the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on an overtime goal by Darren Raddysh. Luke Glendening tallied twice and Nikita Kucherov collected two assists for his league-leading 69th point for the 21-17-5 Lightning as they hold the final Eastern wild-card spot with 47 points. Dawson Mercer, Jesper Bratt and Nathan Bastian scored for the Devils (21-15-3) as they sit behind the Lightning with 45 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson scored two goals in a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators, handing the latter their fifth straight loss. Claude Giroux netted two goals for the Senators, who also lost goaltender Anton Forsberg in the first period to a groin injury. The Sabres improved to 18-20-4 while the Senators are 14-23-0 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Sabres announced winger Jeff Skinner is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 29, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 29, 2023

The Hurricanes and Stars advance to the second round, the Panthers and Avalanche avoid elimination to force Game 7 in their respective series, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Paul Stastny lifted the Carolina Hurricanes to a 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers to win their best-of-seven first-round series four games to two. Sebastian Aho scored the tying goal for the Hurricanes while Frederik Andersen made 33 saves in his 2023 playoff debut. Ilya Sorokin stopped 39 shots and Cal Clutterbuck scored for the Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders made this game a tight-checking low-scoring contest but they were undone by a lack of scoring punch that dogged them throughout this series and during the regular season. Addressing that issue should be their offseason priority.

Andersen played well after an illness sidelined him from most of this series. He and his teammates await the winner of the New Jersey Devils-New York Rangers series.

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz (NHL Images)

The Dallas Stars defeated the Minnesota Wild 4-1 to take their first-round series four games to two. Jake Oettinger turned aside 23 shots, Roope Hintz scored his playoff-leading 12th point while Mason Marchment and Max Domi each had a goal and an assist for the Stars. Frederick Gaudreau replied for the Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dallas dominated most of this series led by a new generation of Stars like Hintz, Oettinger, Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen along with a resurgent Tyler Seguin.

This was a disappointing series for the Wild. Leading goal-scorers Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy had just one goal between them while their defense at times struggled to contain the Stars’ scorers. With a salary-cap crunch coming for next season, management will find it difficult to improve their roster.

There will be a seventh and deciding game between the Boston Bruins and Florida Panthers as the latter tied the series with a 7-5 victory in Game 6. Eetu Luostarinen broke a 5-5 tie with 5:38 remaining in the third period. Matthew Tkachuk led the way for the Panthers with two goals and an assist. David Pastrnak scored twice for the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The series returns to Boston for Game 7 on Sunday as the Panthers battled back from being down three games to one to force this winner-take-all situation. They also had to do with winger Ryan Lomberg sidelined for this game with an upper-body injury.

Game 6 was an entertaining throwback to 1980s high-scoring hockey with the two clubs combining for seven goals in the third period. One team would score and the other would quickly reply to tie the game. It was punch and counterpunch that was only really settled by Sam Bennett’s empty-netter in the dying seconds of the third.

Boston fans and pundits are calling for Bruins coach Jim Montgomery to replace starting goalie Linus Ullmark with Jeremy Swayman for Game 7 as the former has struggled over the last two games. Ullmark hasn’t been helped by his teammates as the vaunted Bruins defense has grown porous of late. If they don’t regain their form in Game 7 it might not matter if Swayman is the starter for that contest.

The Colorado Avalanche forced a Game 7 with a series-tying 4-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Artturi Lehkonen tallied twice, Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist and Alexandar Georgiev made 22 saves for the Avalanche. Vince Dunn replied for the Kraken. Game 7 goes Sunday in Colorado.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche got the win with defenseman Josh Manson sidelined from this game with a lower-body injury. It’s not known yet if he’ll return to the lineup for Game 7.

Few observers expected this series to go the distance, let alone that the Avalanche would be the club facing a do-or-die situation in Game 6 to force a seventh-and-deciding contest. No matter the outcome of Game 7, the Kraken should be commended for how they’ve held their own in this series against the defending Stanley Cup champions.

HEADLINES

NEW YORK POST: Vladimir Tarasenko ranks seventh among Rangers forwards in overall ice time and power-play ice time. Larry Brooks believes it’s imperative for head coach Gerard Gallant to give the sniper more playing time if the Rangers hope to avoid elimination by the New Jersey Devils in Game 6 of their first-round series tonight.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak will be sidelined for Game 6 tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Cernak hasn’t played since being hit in the head in Game 1 by Leafs winger Michael Bunting, who received a three-game suspension. Toronto leads the series three games to two.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Mattias Ekholm is enjoying the role of mentoring young Oilers defenseman Evan Bouchard.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bouchard’s performance has improved since being paired with Ekholm after the latter was acquired from the Nashville Predators before the trade deadline.

SPORTSNET: Actor Ryan Reynolds and the Remington Group led by real-estate mogul Christopher Bratty are said to be preparing to bid more than $1 billion for the Ottawa Senators. The deadline for the second and final round of bids is May 15.

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 24, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 24, 2023

The Oilers and Stars tie their first-round series while the Bruins and Hurricanes take commanding 3-1 series leads. Details and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Zach Hyman gave the Edmonton Oilers a 5-4 win over the Los Angeles Kings to even their best-of-seven first-round series at two games apiece. The Oilers overcame 3-0 and 4-3 deficits with Evander Kane scoring the tying goal to send it into overtime. Jack Campbell got the win with 27 saves after replacing Stuart Skinner in goal following the first period. Leon Draisaitl scored twice and Connor McDavid had three assists for the Oilers while Viktor Arvidsson and Kevin Fiala each had two points for the Kings.

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Jack Campbell (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Campbell had a horrible campaign with the Oilers, losing the starter’s job to Skinner. His performance in this game may have saved their season. At the very least, he prevented them from falling behind 3-1 in this series and facing elimination on home ice in Game 5 on Tuesday.

Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin scored twice as his club held off the Minnesota Wild 3-2 to tie their first-round series 2-2. Jake Oettinger made 32 saves and Roope Hintz collected three assists for the Stars while John Klingberg and Frederick Gaudreau replied for the Wild. The series returns to Dallas for Game 5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars made the Wild pay on the power play scoring twice with Marcus Foligno in the penalty box. Foligno was not impressed with the officiating in this contest. He’s not the only player unhappy over how the games are being called as the complaints are being heard in every series thus far.

The Boston Bruins took a 3-1 lead in their series with the Florida Panthers with a convincing 6-2 victory in Game 4. Taylor Hall scored twice and set up two others, Jake DeBrusk tallied two goals and Linus Ullmark stopped 41 shots for the win. Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett scored for the Panthers, who will try to stave off elimination in Game 5 on Wednesday in Boston.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ullmark and Tkachuk both received misconduct penalties late in the game as they nearly got into a fight following a scrum near the Bruins’ net.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis scored two goals in a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders to take a commanding 3-1 lead in their series. Sebastian Aho had a goal and two assists, setting the franchise record for postseason goals with 20. Adam Pelech and Bo Horvat scored for the Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was Horvat’s first goal of the series. He vowed that he would do better in contributing more meaningful offense for the Islanders, who’ll certainly need it as they’re facing elimination in Game 5 on Tuesday in Carolina. Meanwhile, Hurricanes forward Jack Drury left this game with an upper-body injury.

HEADLINES

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers lead their first-round series with the New Jersey Devils but there is concern over Artemi Panarin’s lack of goal production. The Bread Man only has two assists thus far in this series.

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs forward Sam Lafferty was fined $3,108.11 for cross-checking Tampa Bay Lightning forward Ross Colton during Game 3 of their first-round series on Saturday.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Lightning, defenseman Erik Cernak will be sidelined for Game 4 tonight in Tampa Bay. He’s been sidelined since Game 1 after receiving an illegal hit to the head by Leafs winger Michael Bunting, who got a three-game suspension for his actions. Bolts coach Jon Cooper has not ruled out Cernak returning later in the series.

THE DENVER POST: There is no timetable for Valeri Nichushkin’s return to the Colorado Avalanche. He missed Game 3 of their series with the Seattle Kraken and returned to Denver for personal reasons.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: The Blackhawks were one of the worst teams in the NHL but it didn’t adversely affect their attendance as previously feared. The club averaged 17, 167 tickets sold per game, ranking 20th overall and assuaging fears that ticket sales would plummet during the first season of the club’s rebuild.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 5, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 5, 2023

Lightning stars benched in loss to Sabres, the league-leading Bruins pick up their 10th straight win by downing the Rangers, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Buffalo Sabres forwards Tage Thompson and Jeff Skinner each had a goal and an assist in a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Eric Comrie made 33 saves as the Sabres (32-25-4) sit within three points of the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 68 points. Alex Killorn scored two goals for the Lightning (37-20-5) as they dropped their fourth straight game and sit third in the Atlantic Division with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning head coach Jon Cooper wasn’t pleased with his club’s performance. He benched his top line of Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point for the entire third period. “It just felt, in the third period, that they weren’t giving us the best chance to win,” said Cooper. Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak missed this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

New York Islanders captain Anders Lee (NHL Images).

The New York Islanders got two goals from captain Anders Lee to defeat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1, handing the latter their fifth straight loss. The Islanders improved to 32-25-8 and vaulted over the Penguins into the first Eastern wild-card berth with 72 points. Dylan Larkin replied for the Red Wings as they fell to 28-25-9 (65 points).

Speaking of the Penguins, their four-game win streak came to an end as they dropped a 4-1 decision to the Florida Panthers. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 31 shots while Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist for the 31-27-6 Panthers (68 points) as they sit three points back of the 31-22-9 Penguins (71 points). Kris Letang scored Pittsburgh’s only goal while Casey DeSmith made 38 saves.

The league-leading Boston Bruins picked up their 10th straight victory by doubling up the New York Rangers 4-2. Tyler Bertuzzi collected an assist in his Bruins debut while Charlie Coyle had a goal and an assist as their club improved to 49-8-5 and sit atop the overall standings with 103 points. Alexis Lafreniere scored both goals for the Rangers (35-19-9), who’ve dropped six of their last eight and sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The much-anticipated reunion of Patrick Kane and Artemi Panarin has yet to pan out for the Rangers. In fairness, it’s only been two games and Kane is still adjusting to his new teammates after 16 seasons in Chicago. The Rangers were also short two defensemen with K’Andre Miller serving a suspension and Ryan Lindgren sidelined by an injury.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson scored twice and collected an assist as his club snowed under the Colorado Avalanche by a score of 7-3. Roope Hintz collected two assists as the Stars (34-16-13) hold a one-point lead over the Vegas Golden Knights for first place in the Western Conference with 81 points. The Avalanche dropped to 34-21-5 and hold the final Western wild-card spot with 73 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cale Makar returned to the Avalanche lineup after being activated off concussion protocol. Meanwhile, Avs defenseman Josh Manson remains sidelined by a lower-body injury.

The Washington Capitals kept their playoff hopes alive with an 8-3 drubbing of the San Jose Sharks. Alex Ovechkin scored two goals and picked up an assist, Dylan Strome had a goal and two assists and Craig Smith tallied twice for the 31-27-6 Capitals, who sit three points back of the Penguins with 68 points. Erik Karlsson collected two assists for the 18-33-12 Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks head coach David Quinn was ejected from this game after voicing his displeasure after winger Kevin Labanc was penalized for clipping. Quinn was apologetic following the game, admitting he was embarrassed by his actions.

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey tallied twice and collected an assist as his club held off the Edmonton Oilers 7-5. Mark Scheifele had a goal and an assist as the Jets snapped a five-game losing skid (36-25-2) and move back into third place in the Central Division with 74 points. Leon Draisaitl collected a hat trick for the Oilers (34-22-8) as they hold the first Western wild-card berth with 76 points.

Two shorthanded goals by Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller 44 seconds apart carried the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-1 upset of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Thatcher Demko kicked out 36 shots for the 25-32-5 Canucks. John Tavares scored for the 38-17-8 Leafs as they hold second place in the Atlantic Division with 84 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs center Ryan O’Reilly left this game in the second period after being struck in the hand by a shot by teammate Auston Matthews. An update on his condition isn’t expected until Monday.

The Los Angeles Kings defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-2. Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist and Gabriel Vilardi scored the game-winner for the 36-20-8 Kings as they sit in second place in the Pacific Division with 80 points. Robert Thomas and Kasperi Kapanen scored for the Blues as they dropped to 27-30-5.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson kicked out 31 shots to shut out the Calgary Flames 3-0. Joel Eriksson Ek and Matt Boldy each had a goal and an assist as the Wild improved to 36-21-6 and hold second place in the Central Division with 78 points. The Flames (27-23-13) have dropped five straight and six points behind the Avalanche for the final Western wild-card spot with 67 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames were booed off the ice by the Saddledome crowd following the game. Their window of opportunity to secure a playoff berth is just about shut unless they can somehow reverse their fortunes soon.

The Ottawa Senators remain in the Eastern Conference playoff race following a 5-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jakob Chychrun collected his first points with the Senators with a goal and an assist while Tim Stutzle scored two goals, including his 30th of the season. The Sens improved to 32-26-4 and are three points back of the Penguins with 68 points. Patrik Laine and Jack Roslovic scored for the 20-37-6 Blue Jackets.

The Nashville Predators kept their playoff hopes alive by downing the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1. Tyson Barrie’s first goal with the Predators was the game-winner as they improved to 31-23-6 and sit five points back of the Avalanche with 68 points. Seth Jones replied for the 21-36-5 Blackhawks.