NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 13, 2024

by | Mar 13, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 13, 2024

The Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard matches two franchise records, the Panthers and Rangers expand their leads in their respective divisions, and former player Anson Carter heads a group that wants to bring a franchise to Atlanta. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Chicago Blackhawks rookie star Connor Bedard had a goal and four assists in a 7-2 rout of the Anaheim Ducks. Bedard matched the single-game franchise records for assists and points (five) by a rookie. Nick Foligno and Philipp Kurashev each had four points for the 18-43-5 Blackhawks. Brett Leason tallied twice for the 23-39-3 Ducks.

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard also became the fifth 18-year-old player in league history to have a five-point game, joining Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011), Ilya Kovalchuk (2002), Dale Hawerchuk (1982) and Jack Hamilton (1943). The young Blackhawks star has eight points in his last two games and 10 in his last four. He leads this season’s rookie class with 51 points (13 more than Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber) and 20 goals (three more than the Wild’s Marco Rossi).

The league-leading Florida Panthers scored three unanswered third-period goals to nip the Dallas Stars 4-3, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Aleksander Barkov scored twice while Sam Reinhart tallied his 46th goal of the season for the 45-17-4 Panthers (94 points), who opened a three-point lead over the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins atop the overall standings. Joe Pavelski, Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston each had a goal and an assist for the Stars (40-18-9), who sit in first place in the Central Division with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers played without forward Evan Rodrigues due to a lower-body injury.

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin made 28 saves for his second straight shutout to blank the Carolina Hurricanes 1-0. Adam Fox scored for the 43-18-4 Rangers (90 points) to open a six-point lead over the second-place Hurricanes atop the Metropolitan Division. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 23 shots for the 39-20-6 Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, Rangers rookie center Matt Rempe received a four-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for elbowing New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler in the head on Monday.

The Colorado Avalanche moved closer to the Central-leading Stars with a 6-2 victory over the slumping Calgary Flames. Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist to extend his points streak to 13 games while Mikko Rantanen has two goals and two assists for the 41-20-5 Avalanche (87 points) as they’re two points back of the Stars. Dan Vladar made 29 saves for the 31-29-5 Flames, who have lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads all scorers with a career-high 113 points. Three key Flames players were absent from this game. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, forward Andrei Kuzmenko was a late scratch with an upper-body injury, and winger Andrew Mangiapane was sidelined with an illness.

Speaking of slumping teams, the Detroit Red Wings suffered a 7-3 upset at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres. Defenseman Bowen Byram scored twice and Zach Benson had a goal and two assists for the 31-30-5 Sabres (67 points), who moved to within five points of the New York Islanders for the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth. Lucas Raymond had a goal and an assist for the 33-26-3 Red Wings (72 points), who lost their sixth straight game and slipped out of that wildcard spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: When this month started, the Wings held the first Eastern wildcard berth with 72 points with a seven-point lead over the ninth-overall Washington Capitals and the 10th-overall Islanders. The Isles now have the same number of points as the Wings but they hold that wildcard spot with a game in hand.

Jack Eichel’s 200th career goal came in overtime to lift the Vegas Golden Knights over the Seattle Kraken 5-4. Eichel also had two assists while Jonathan Marchessault tallied twice for the Golden Knights (35-23-7), who hold the final Western Conference wildcard spot with 77 points. Philipp Grubauer stopped 29 shots for the 28-24-12 Kraken.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Owen Tippett snapped a 2-2 tie as his club defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-2. Travis Konecny and Morgan Frost each had two points for the Flyers (34-24-8), who hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 76 points. Filip Zadina scored both goals for the 16-41-7 Sharks.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Cayden Primeau kicked out 41 shots for his second shutout of the season in a 3-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Brendan Gallagher, Juraj Slafkovsky and Joshua Roy were the goalscorers for the 25-30-10 Canadiens. Elvis Merzlikins gave up three goals on four shots and was replaced by Daniil Tarasov as the Blue Jackets sank to 22-33-10.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

A two-goal performance by Kirill Kaprizov gave the Minnesota Wild a 4-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Kaprizov also collected an assist for the 32-27-7 Wild. Nick Bjugstad replied for the 26-35-5 Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek left the game with an undisclosed injury in the third period. Meanwhile, the Coyotes played without forward Barrett Hayton as he could be out longer than day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

The Ottawa Senators snapped a seven-game skid as they downed the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 on an overtime goal by Drake Batherson. Joonas Korpisalo made 34 saves and Jake Sanderson also scored for the 26-33-4 Senators. Michael Bunting replied for the 28-27-9 Penguins.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Former NHL player-turned-broadcaster Anson Carter is heading a group that made a formal request to the league to begin the process of adding an expansion franchise to Atlanta.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Three times the charm after two previous teams (Flames and Thrashers) were relocated from Atlanta. Meanwhile, potential ownership groups in Salt Lake City and Houston have also expressed interest in bringing NHL franchises to their cities.

While the league continues to play coy over the possibility of expanding into new markets, it seems inevitable that it will grow by at least another two teams before the end of this decade. One of those cities could become the next home of the Arizona Coyotes if their current owner’s efforts to build a new arena in the Phoenix area fall through.

NHL.COM: Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury. He is expected to return before the Stanley Cup playoffs begin next month.

TSN: The Canucks also placed winger Dakota Joshua (injured hand) on long-term injury reserve.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators defenseman Dante Fabbro is out for two to three weeks with an upper-body injury.

THE SCORE: The Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils will open the 2024-25 season on Oct. 4 and 5 in Prague, Czechia. The following month, the Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers will face off in Tampere, Finland on Nov. 1 and 2. These games are part of the NHL’s 2024 Global Series.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 17, 2024

by | Feb 17, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 17, 2024

The Hurricanes defeated the Coyotes, Blake Wheeler is sidelined for the season, Zach Parise confirms this season will be his last, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Arizona Coyotes 5-1 in the only game on Friday night. Pyotr Kochetkov made 30 saves while Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis each collected two assists for the Hurricanes (31-17-5), who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 67 points. Dylan Guenther replied for the 23-26-4 Coyotes, who are winless in their last eight games (0-7-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes were without goaltender Connor Ingram as he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers winger Blake Wheeler is out for the remainder of the regular season after being placed on long-term injury reserve with a lower-body injury. A return in the playoffs isn’t ruled out depending on his recovery and how far the Rangers advance in the 2024 postseason. Wheeler injured his right leg during Thursday’s 7-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens.

New York Rangers winger Blake Wheeler (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Based on the severity of Wheeler’s injury, I guess he might be able to return by the Eastern Conference Final.

NHL.COM: Zach Parise confirms that this season will be his last as an NHL player. The 39-year-old winger recently signed a one-year, prorated contract with the Colorado Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is Parise’s last chance to win that elusive Stanley Cup. During his playing prime, he reached the Cup Final once, in 2012 with the New Jersey Devils. After 19 seasons, his career is drawing to a close, but he hopes to end it with a championship.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The domestic abuse case against Bruins winger Milan Lucic was dismissed in Boston Municipal Court on Friday after his wife Brittany invoked her marital privilege and declined to testify. However, the Bruins announced that Lucic would remain on his indefinite leave of absence for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, Lucic’s season is over and probably his NHL playing career as well.

TORONTO SUN: Paul Giordano, father of Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano, passed away suddenly on Thursday night.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Giordano and his family.

NHL.COM: Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Hoglander was fined $2, 864.58 by the department of player safety for high-sticking Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jake Walman.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: cited The Fourth Period revealing the New Jersey Devils will face off against the Buffalo Sabres in Prague, Czechia, to kick off the 2024-25 season in the NHL Global Series.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators defensemen Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub are expected to return from injury for Saturday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

CBS SPORTS: Columbus Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov will return to action in Saturday’s game against the San Jose Sharks. He missed Tuesday’s game against Ottawa with an upper-body injury.

TSN: The Nashville Predators signed forward Michael McCarron to a two-year, $1.8 million contract extension.

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Mason Shaw signed a two-way contract for the remainder of this season with the Minnesota Wild after returning from his fourth knee injury with the Wild’s minor-league team.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins claimed forward Matthew Phillips off waivers from the Washington Capitals.

DAILY FACEOFF: The inaugural “Battle of Bay Street” between PWHL clubs Toronto and Montreal at Scotiabank Arena set a new record for the largest attendance for a professional women’s hockey game with 19, 285 fans turning out for the game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This isn’t NHL news but I felt it was worth noting. The first season of the PWHL continues to set new attendance records for women’s pro hockey and bodes well for its future.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 24, 2023

by | Sep 24, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 24, 2023

The Kings defeat the Coyotes to split their Global Series in Australia, plus the latest on Auston Matthews, Mark Stone, Mathew Barzal, Jeff Carter and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Los Angeles Kings held off the Arizona Coyotes 3-2 to split their two-game Global Series at Rod Laver Arena in Melbourne, Australia. Adrian Kempe scored twice for the Kings while Karel Vejmelka made 31 saves for the Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Both games were sellouts with over 13,000 fans in attendance at each contest.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews hasn’t killed many penalties in his NHL career but the Leafs are going to see if the 26-year-old center can grow into that role in training camp.

“You’re down a man but at the same time, it’s hockey, a lot of anticipation, a lot of reads and I feel like I have a good stick and can break up plays,” said Matthews. “I’d love to be utilized on it.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s part of Matthews’ evolution as a more complete NHL player. He remains among the league’s elite scorers but he’s been developing other aspects of his game. The complaint against him earlier in his career was he didn’t backcheck but he’s since improved that part of his game.

LAS VEGAS SUN: Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone believes his club’s critics shouldn’t be taking the defending Stanley Cup champions lightly this season. “You look at the players we have, it’s pretty ironic that people are writing us off,” said Stone. He believes the Golden Knights can use that as motivation to win the Cup again this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t think people are “writing off” the Golden Knights so much as they are basing their views on the difficulty of repeating as Cup champions. They’re also looking at how other Cup contenders have improved compared to last season.

Stone and his teammates can rest assured that their opponents certainly won’t be taking them lightly. As the defending champions, the Golden Knights are now the measurement of success for other NHL clubs this season.

NEW YORK POST: Islanders center Mathew Barzal is hoping to bounce back from his injury-shortened 2022-23 campaign. “It’s tough to come back off injury,” said Barzal. “I had, like, three skates before I played in the playoffs. Lungs weren’t really there, legs weren’t really there.” He managed just two goals in six playoff games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barzal missed the last 23 games of the regular season with a knee injury. It can take time for players to regain their conditioning following an injury, especially one involving their legs. Being unable to skate makes it difficult to maintain cardio or leg strength while recovering.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Penguins forward Jeff Carter said he hasn’t given much thought to his future as he takes part in his 20th NHL training camp. The 38-year-old said he’s focussing on giving the Penguins the best that he can regardless of his role this season. It appears the Penguins intend to lighten his workload by bumping him down to fourth-line winger.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is likely Carter’s final season with the Penguins regardless of his role or performance. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. Whether he lands with another NHL club next season depends on how he plays in 2023-24.

THE ATHLETIC’s Aaron Portzline took note of a report indicating that former Columbus Blue Jackets winger Jakub Voracek is now a member of the Kladno Knights coaching staff. “He’s true to his word, Voracek. He always said he’d go into coaching,” wrote Portzline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Voracek is in the final season of his eight-year NHL contract. The 34-year-old winger has been sidelined indefinitely by concussion symptoms since last November and is on permanent LTIR. The Columbus Blue Jackets traded his contract to the Arizona Coyotes last March.

The Kladno Knights, by the way, are owned by Jaromir Jagr, who is still playing for them at age 51.

CBS SPORTS: Columbus Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov is listed as day-to-day with a back strain. He’s missed three straight days of training camp thus far.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Former Anaheim Ducks winger Nic Kerdiles was killed in a motorcycle accident early Saturday morning in Nashville. He was 29.

An Irvine native, he was the first Ducks player to come from Orange County, chosen in the second round (36th overall) in the 2012 NHL Draft. Kerdiles played three regular-season games and four postseason contests for the Ducks from 2016 to 2018 and spent the rest of his pro career in the minors before retiring in 2019.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Kerdiles’ family, friends and former teammates.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 5, 2023

by | Apr 5, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 5, 2023

The Avalanche clinch a playoff berth as Nathan MacKinnon reaches 100 points, the Panthers vault into the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth, the Hurricanes reach the 50-win plateau, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Nathan MacKinnon gave the Colorado Avalanche a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks and clinched a berth in the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs. MacKinnon scored twice and added an assist to reach the 100-point plateau in a season for the first time in his career. The Avs (46-24-6) sit atop the Central Division with 98 points with a game in hand over the Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild, who each also have 98 points. Kevin Labanc scored twice for the 22-39-16 Sharks.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson collected an assist and has 96 points on the season with five games left in the schedule. He has an opportunity to become the first NHL blueliner to reach 100 points in a season since Brian Leetch in 1991-92. Karlsson’s teammate, Tomas Hertl, left his game following the second period with an undisclosed injury.

The Florida Panthers (40-31-7) nipped the Buffalo Sabres 2-1 to vault over the New York Islanders and Pittsburgh Penguins into the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 87 points on the basis of wins. Matthew Tkachuk broke a 1-1 tie in the third period while Alex Lyon made 39 saves for the Panthers. Devon Levi stopped 34 shots for the 37-32-7 Sabres (81 points) as they remain six points behind the Islanders.

Speaking of the Penguins, they were thumped 5-1 by the New Jersey Devils as Dawson Mercer collected his first career NHL hat trick. With a record of 49-21-8, the Devils (106 points) remain three points behind the Metropolitan Division-leading Carolina Hurricanes. The Penguins (38-30-10) slipped one point out of the final Eastern wild-card spot with 86 points.

The Hurricanes, meanwhile, blew a 2-0 lead over the Ottawa Senators but won the game 3-2 on an overtime goal by Martin Necas. Jesperi Kotkaniemi had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes (109 points), who became the second team to reach the 50-win plateau (50-18-9) this season. Claude Giroux and Brady Tkachuk scored for the 37-34-7 Senators (81 points), who remain six points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes reached the 50-win mark for the second straight season and the third time in franchise history.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists to lead his club to a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist to sit one point away from a career-high 100-point season as the Oilers (46-23-9) hold second place in the Pacific Division with 101 points. Viktor Arvidsson replied for the 45-23-10 Kings as they sit one point behind the Oilers in third place in the Pacific.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s the second straight season the Oilers have reached the 100-point plateau.

The Seattle Kraken widened their lead over the idle Winnipeg Jets for the first Western Conference wild-card berth by dropping the Vancouver Canucks 5-2. The Kraken overcame a 2-0 deficit with Jordan Eberle leading the way with a goal and an assist. With a record of 43-26-8, the Kraken (94 points) sit five points ahead of the Jets. Elias Pettersson and Anthony Beauvillier replied for the 34-36-7 Canucks.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Andreas Athanasiou tallied twice as his club snapped an eight-game losing skid with a 4-3 upset of the Calgary Flames. Petr Mrazek kicked out 33 shots for the 25-46-6 Blackhawks. Noah Hanifin had a goal and an assist for the 36-27-15 Flames (87 points) as they missed a golden opportunity to tie the Jets (89 points) for the final Western wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames will get another chance tonight when they face off against the Jets in Winnipeg. However, the Jets will still hold that berth if the Flames win on the basis of a game in hand and total wins.

The Nashville Predators kept their playoff hopes alive by nipping the Vegas Golden Knight 3-2 on an overtime goal by Cody Glass. Tommy Novak scored twice for the 39-30-8 Predators as they sit one point back of the Flames and two behind the Jets. Alex Pietrangelo tallied two goals for the Golden Knights (48-22-8) as they hold first overall in the Western Conference with 104 points.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward Zach Aston-Reese tallied twice as his club doubled up the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2. The Leafs (46-21-10) sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 102 points. Blue Jackets goaltender Jet Greaves stopped 46 shots in his NHL debut as his club dropped to 24-45-8 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe indicated goaltender Matt Murray was day-to-day with a head injury. The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, announced the signing of forward Yegor Chinakhov to a one-year, $800,000 contract extension.

The Detroit Red Wings blanked the Montreal Canadiens 5-0 as Ville Husso turned in a 24-save shutout. David Perron had two goals and an assist for the 35-33-9 Red Wings while the injury-depleted Canadiens sank to 30-42-6.

St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington made 32 saves in a 4-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Jordan Kyrou netted his 37th goal of the season for the 36-35-7 Blues while the Flyers dropped to 29-35-13.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, Blues coach Craig Berube announced that defenseman Marco Scandella will miss the remainder of the season with a lower-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2022

by | Dec 22, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2022

Roman Josi becomes the Predators’ all-time leading scorer, Golden Knights captain Mark Stone makes franchise history, Oilers captain Connor McDavid extends his points streak, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi became his club’s all-time leading scorer in a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Josi scored the game-winning goal and collected an assist to reach 567 career points, surpassing David Legwand’s 566 points. Juuse Saros made 37 saves for the win as the Predators improved to 14-13-4. Connor Murphy had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks (7-20-4), who remain last overall in the standings.

Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone made franchise history in his club’s 5-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Stone became the first Golden Knights player to score a power-play goal and a shorthanded goal in the same game as he finished the night with three points. Vegas (23-11-1) sits in first place in the Western Conference and second in the overall standings with 47 points.

The New Jersey Devils snapped a five-game losing skid with three unanswered third-period goals to double up the Florida Panthers 4-2. Jesper Bratt scored twice and Mackenzie Blackwood made 34 saves in his first start since Nov. 3. The Devils (22-9-2) sit in third place in the Eastern Conference with 46 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said winger Patric Hornqvist could remain sidelined long-term as he continues to recover from a concussion suffered on Dec. 3 against the Seattle Kraken.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Warren Foegele, Connor McDavid and Mattias Janmark lifted the Edmonton Oilers over the Dallas Stars 6-3. Janmark scored twice, McDavid extended his points streak to 14 games and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a three-point performance for the Oilers (18-14-2). Mason Marchment had two assists for the 19-9-6 Stars, who hold a one-point lead with points over the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the Central Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars were without winger Denis Gurianov, who’s on an indefinite leave of absence for family reasons.

The Detroit Red Wings scored four goals in the third period in a 7-4 romp over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Michael Rasmussen scored twice and added two assists while Dylan Larkin tallied twice as the Red Wings (14-11-7) snapped a six-game winless skid. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist for the Lightning (20-11-1) as they sit in third place in the Atlantic Division with 41 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the NHL department of player safety fined Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev $5,000.00 for slashing Toronto Maple Leafs winger Michael Bunting during Tuesday’s game between the two clubs.

An overtime goal by Mikko Rantanen lifted the Colorado Avalanche to a 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Artturi Lehkonen scored the tying goal for the Avs (18-11-2) as they hold the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference with 38 points. Jake Allen made 34 saves for the 15-15-3 Canadiens.

Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. The Wild (19-11-2) sit in third place in the Central Division with 40 points, three behind the second-place Winnipeg Jets. Lukas Dostal stopped 38 shots for the 9-22-3 Ducks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators signed Artum Zub to a four-year contract extension. The 27-year-old defenseman will earn an average annual value of $4.6 million starting in 2023-24.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zub is completing a two-year deal with a $2.5 million AAV. He’s become an invaluable part of the Senators’ defense corps. Injuries have limited him to 14 games so far this season but he netted 22 points in 81 games in 2021-22.

The Senators’ blueline is better with a healthy Zub in the lineup. One could quibble over the AAV on his new contract but it’s not extravagant and the term of the contract is reasonable.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov is sidelined by a high ankle sprain. The club announced he will miss approximately six weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chinakhov is the 11th Blue Jackets regular currently sidelined by injuries. Among the notables are Zach Werenski, Jakub Voracek, Boone Jenner and Elvis Merzlikins.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The Islanders placed forward Cal Clutterbuck on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 16.

NHL.COM: The Tampa Bay Lightning-Buffalo Sabres game scheduled for Dec. 23 has been postponed due to inclement weather expected for Buffalo on that day. It has been rescheduled to March 4, 2023.

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: The Flyers game with the Sabres scheduled for March 4 has been rescheduled to Jan. 9, 2023.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 3, 2021

by | May 3, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 3, 2021

The Lightning edged the Red Wings, Connor McDavid closes in on 100 points, three former Blue Jackets talk about their time with the club, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: The Tampa Bay Lightning edged the Detroit Red Wings 2-1 in Sunday’s only game. Blake Coleman had a goal and an assist while goaltender Christopher Gibson picked up his first NHL win since 2017-18. The Lightning are tied with the Florida Panthers with 73 points but hold second place in the Discover Central Division with a game in hand.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid is just 13 points away from reaching 100 points with seven games left in the club’s regular-season schedule. McDavid, however, isn’t concerned about whether he’ll reach that number by season’s end.

“Personally, it’s a number,” said McDavid. “Obviously, it’d be kind of different to be able to do it in a shortened season, but I’m not going to change anything. I’m just going to keep playing my game, and if I get there, I get there. And if not, whatever.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given McDavid’s low-key personality, we shouldn’t be surprised that he’s downplaying this. It’s a milestone for this season that he’d probably like to reach but he’s not going to lose sleep over it if he doesn’t. Nevertheless, it would put a nice exclamation point on this NHL season if he can do it.

THE ATHLETIC (subscription required): Aaron Portzline interviewed three former members of the Columbus Blue Jackets over their experiences. The city and the club are getting a worrying reputation as a place no one wants to play for after several high-profile players departed via free agency and trades.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: An interesting piece about the team and of the city as a hockey town. The players were mostly positive about their time with the Jackets. However, they felt the club’s hardball approach to contract negotiations with restricted free agents contributed to the recent departures of several former teammates.

Speaking of the Jackets, they signed 2020 first-round pick Yegor Chinakhov to a three-year entry-level contract.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars face some questions as their playoff math for this season becomes more difficult. They must decide if it’s worthwhile for Tyler Seguin to return to the lineup after missing the entire season thus far recovering from offseason hip surgery. Meanwhile, Roope Hintz is battling a lower-body injury that could require surgery when this season is over.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs defenseman Justin Holl will miss tonight’s game against the Montreal Canadiens after taking a puck to the mouth during Saturday’s win over the Vancouver Canucks.

NEW YORK POST: It appears the Rangers and Islanders played their final game at Nassau Coliseum. The Isles will be moving to their new arena at Belmont Park next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It will be the final game unless the Rangers somehow manage to overtake the fourth-place Boston Bruins in the MassMutual East Division. With the Bruins (66 points) sitting eight points ahead with two games in hand, I don’t like the Blueshirts’ chances.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators’ 3-2 loss to the Canadiens on Saturday officially eliminated them from playoff contention.