NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 4, 2026

by | Mar 4, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 4, 2026

A five-point game for Oilers center Leon Draisaitl, Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov sets a franchise goals record, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Leon Draisaitl scored twice and collected three assists as the Edmonton Oilers nipped the Ottawa Senators 5-4 on an overtime goal by Evan Bouchard. Connor McDavid had two assists to record his eighth 70-assist season as the Oilers (30-24-8) hold third place in the Pacific Division with 68 points. Drake Batherson tallied two goals for the Senators (29-22-9).

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid tied Mario Lemieux for the second-most 70-assist seasons. Wayne Gretzky holds the record with 16 seasons. McDavid sits first in this season’s scoring race with 105 points.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar had a goal and two assists in a 5-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Parker Kelly scored twice, and Nathan MacKinnon collected an assist to become the second player to reach 100 points this season. Cutter Gauthier replied for the Ducks (33-24-3), who sit second in the Pacific Division with 69 points. The league-leading Avalanche (91 points) improved to 41-10-9.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche played without forward Artturi Lehkonen, who is sidelined week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov scored to set the franchise record of 220 goals in a 5-1 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Matt Boldy had three assists for the 36-16-10 Wild, who sit third in the Central Division with 82 points. Nikita Kucherov scored for the Lightning (38-17-4), who sit first in the Atlantic Division with 80 points, but have lost three straight games.

The Dallas Stars collected their 10th straight win as they thumped the Calgary Flames 6-1. Matt Duchene had four assists, and Sam Steel scored two goals and an assist for the 38-14-9 Stars, who sit second in the Western Conference with 85 points. Morgan Frost replied for the 24-29-7 Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars center Roope Hintz missed this game as he’s on injured reserve with an illness.

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini scored his 30th goal of the season and collected three assists in a 7-5 win over the Montreal Canadiens. The Canadiens overcame a 5-2 deficit to tie the game. However, Kiefer Sherwood tallied the winning goal with 3:26 remaining in the third period for the 30-25-4 Sharks (64 points), who sit three points behind the Seattle Kraken for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Mike Matheson had three assists, and Alex Newhook tallied twice for the Canadiens (33-18-9), who hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 75 points.

Unanswered third-period goals by Sean Monahan and Charlie Coyle lifted the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Nashville Predators by a score of 3-2. The Blue Jackets improved to 31-21-8 (70 points), sitting three points behind the Boston Bruins for the final Eastern wild-card berth. Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly scored for the Predators (27-26-8), sitting five points out of the final Western wild-card with 62 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly left the game in the third period after being accidentally struck in the left eye by Coyle’s stick during a faceoff. Following the game, the Predators released a statement indicating that O’Reilly will be ok. He is returning with the team to Nashville, where the club’s medical team will evaluate him.

The Predators were also busy in the trade market before this game. They shipped forward Michael McCarron to the Minnesota Wild for a 2028 second-round pick, and forward Cole Smith to the Vegas Golden Knights for a 2028 third-round pick and minor-league defenseman Cristoffer Sedoff.

Moving those two pending UFA depth players shouldn’t adversely affect the Predators’ efforts to secure a playoff berth. However, that could change if they ship out more significant UFA-eligible players such as Erik Haula, Michael Bunting, and Nick Blankenburg.

Speaking of the Golden Knights, they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Buffalo Sabres, who picked up their fourth straight win. Jason Zucker, Owen Power, and Tage Thompson scored for the 36-19-6 Sabres, who are two points behind the Atlantic Division-leading Lightning with 78 points. Ivan Barbashev and Pavel Dorofeyev replied for the Golden Knights (28-19-14), who cling to first place in the Pacific Division with 70 points.

The Boston Bruins got a 34-save performance from Jeremy Swayman to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1. Marat Khusnutdinov and Casey Mittelstadt scored for the Bruins (34-21-5), who hold the final Eastern wild-card berth with 73 points. Erik Karlsson scored for the 31-16-13 Penguins, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points.

Utah Mammoth winger Dylan Guenther had a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win over the Washington Capitals. Clayton Keller picked up two assists for the 32-25-4 Mammoth, who hold the first Western wild-card spot with 68 points. Pierre-Luc Dubois and Ryan Leonard scored for the Capitals (31-25-7, 69 points), who are four points behind the Bruins.

New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton had a goal and an assist as his club tamed the Florida Panthers 5-1. Jack Hughes and Connor Brown each had two assists for the Devils (30-29-2). Anton Lundell replied for the 30-28-3 Panthers, who are ten points behind the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As the Panthers’ hopes for a third straight Stanley Cup run fade, management could end up becoming sellers by Friday’s trade deadline.

An overtime goal by Mark Scheifele lifted the Winnipeg Jets to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Cole Perfetti tied the game for the Jets (24-26-10) with 39 seconds remaining in regulation time. Teuvo Teravainen and Ryan Greene scored for the 23-28-10 Blackhawks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: The New York Rangers placed captain J.T. Miller (upper body) on injured reserve. It is unrelated to the one he suffered earlier in this season.

The Vancouver Canucks placed goaltender Thatcher Demko (hip surgery) on long-term injury reserve, and placed defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph (upper body) on IR.

CALGARY SUN: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman confirmed Calgary and Edmonton have submitted bids to host the 2028 World Cup of Hockey. They’re among several NHL cities to bid to host the international tournament.

An announcement is expected within the next two weeks. A European city is expected to host round-robin games, before the tournament shifts back to North America to the host city or cities.

Bettman also doesn’t see the league staging an outdoor game at Lake Louise in Banff National Park in Alberta, citing logistical and economic issues.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 3, 2025

by | Nov 3, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 3, 2025

A history-making performance for Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer, Penguins center Evgeni Malkin faces league discipline, injury updates, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF SUNDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: New York Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer made league history as his club overcame a 2-1 deficit to nip the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2. Schaefer scored twice (including the tying goal) to become the youngest defenseman to have a multipoint game. Simon Holmstrom scored the winning goal at 19:22 of the third period for the 6-5-1 Islanders. Miles Wood and Denton Mateychuk scored for the Blue Jackets (7-5-0) as their three-game win streak ended.

New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schaefer has had an impressive opening month. He was named the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for October.

The Tampa Bay Lightning collected their fifth straight win with a 4-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth. Jake Guentzel scored the winning goal and collected an assist for the Lightning as they improved their record to 6-4-2. Lawson Crouse and Kailor Yamamoto replied for the 8-4-0 Mammoth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reports of the Lightning’s demise as a playoff contender after their franchise-worst 1-4-2 start to this season were greatly exaggerated.

Anaheim Ducks forwards Beckett Sennecke and Cutter Gauthier each had a goal and an assist to lead their club over the New Jersey Devils 4-1. Lukas Dostal made 32 saves as the Ducks improved to 7-3-1, moving into first place in the Pacific Division. Jack Hughes scored for the Devils (9-4-0), who remain in first place in the Metropolitan Division.

A shootout goal by James van Riemsdyk lifted the Detroit Red Wings to a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider also scored for the Red Wings (9-4-0) as they’ve won three of their last four games. Rookie defenseman Sam Dickinson scored his first NHL goal for the 4-6-3 Sharks.

Calgary Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau scored two goals as his club held off the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1. Dustin Wolf stopped 17 shots for the 3-9-2 Flames, who remain last in the overall standings with eight points. Travis Konecny scored for the Flyers, who dropped to 6-5-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames rookie defenseman Zayne Parekh was in the lineup for his 10th NHL game, which means this season counts as the first year of his three-year entry-level contract. There was speculation they would return Parekh to his OHL club before that game.

Flyers forward Tyson Foerster missed this contest after suffering a lower-body injury while blocking a shot during Saturday’s loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. He’s expected to miss the next several games.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin was fined $5,000.00 by the league’s department of player safety for slashing Winnipeg Jets defenseman Logan Stanley on Saturday.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators placed team captain Roman Josi (upper body) on injured reserve. He has not played since Oct. 23. His injury is not related to his POTS diagnosis. They also announced that forward Cole Smith will be out three to six weeks with an upper-body injury.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev returned to Toronto on Sunday after spending Saturday night under observation in a Philadelphia hospital. He was stretchered off the ice during Saturday’s game against the Flyers with a suspected second head injury in less than two weeks.

RG ORG: Former NHL goaltender Ilya Samsonov recently signed a two-year contract with KHL club HC Sochi. The deal enables him to return to the NHL in 2026.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 22, 2025

by | Jan 22, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 22, 2025

The Predators stage the first four-goal comeback win in franchise history, the Canucks reveal their Quarter-Century Team, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING TUESDAY’S NHL GAMES

NHL.COM: The Nashville Predators scored six unanswered goals to overcome a 5-1 deficit and defeat the San Jose Sharks 7-5, marking their first four-goal comeback win in franchise history.

Nashville Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault (NHL Images).

Jonathan Marchessault led the way with a goal and three assists while Filip Forsberg collected three points, extending his goal streak to six games as the Predators picked up their fourth straight victory. Sharks center Macklin Celebrini had a goal and an assist to surpass Patrick Marleau for the most points by an 18-year-old in franchise history.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators removed forward Cole Smith off injured reserve for this game. He’d missed the last 11 contests with a lower-body injury.

Montreal Canadiens center Jakes Evans scored with 2:15 remaining in the third period to nip the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2. Sam Montembeault stopped 33 shots for the win while Patrik Laine collected two assists for the Canadiens (52 points) as they moved into the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth, one point behind the Lightning for third place in the Atlantic Division. Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov extended his goal streak to 10 games with his 22nd of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson collected an assist to tie Shayne Gostisbehere for the longest assist streak by a rookie defenseman (nine games) in NHL history. The 20-year-old blueliner leads all freshmen this season with 39 points in 47 games.

The Canadiens have the same number of points as the Boston Bruins but the Habs have one more win (24) and a game in hand. Meanwhile, the Lightning have lost seven of their eight road games.

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin made 20 saves in a 5-0 shutout of the Ottawa Senators. Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and an assist as the Rangers extended their points streak to nine games (6-0-3). The Rangers (50 points) sit two points behind the Canadiens while the Senators cling to the first Eastern wild-card spot (52 points).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shesterkin also got into the middle of a scrum with Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk following a collision in his crease. Senators center Josh Norris left this game in the first period for precautionary reasons after falling and hitting his chin on the ice. Before this game, the Senators announced forward Zack MacEwen was taking a leave of absence for personal reasons from their minor-league affiliate in Belleville.

The Philadelphia Flyers (50 points) are two points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth following a 2-1 overtime victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Rasmus Ristolainen scored the winning goal while Samuel Ersson turned aside 27 shots as the Flyers extended their point streak to six games (5-0-1). Ben Chiarot replied for the Red Wings as they’ve dropped four of their last five games (1-3-1).

Washington Capitals center Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and an assist to beat the Edmonton Oilers 3-2. Tom Wilson netted his 20th of the season as the Capitals stretched their points streak to 11 games (8-0-3), opening a four-point lead over the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the overall standings with 69 points. Edmonton forward Leon Draisaitl scored his league-leading 34th goal of the season as the Oilers dropped their second straight game, sitting second in the Pacific Division with 61 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers played without captain Connor McDavid as he’s serving a three-game suspension. They announced they won’t appeal the decision. The club also stated that it would be at least a week before newly signed defenseman John Klingberg plays his first game.

The Florida Panthers got a goal and an assist from Carter Verhaeghe in a 5-2 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, handing the latter their seventh loss in their last eight games. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 shots as the Panthers picked up their third win in their last four contests, sitting second in the Atlantic Division with 59 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Anaheim forward Trevor Zegras returned to action after missing 22 games with a knee injury. The Ducks announced forward Brock McGinn underwent season-ending knee surgery last week while forward Isac Lundestrom is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Carolina Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi tallied twice to beat the Dallas Stars 2-1, giving his club their third straight win. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 22 shots and Martin Necas collected two assists for the Hurricanes, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 61 points. Thomas Harley replied for the Stars, who’ve dropped three of their last four games and remain in third place in the Central Division with 59 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars center Roope Hintz returned to action after missing three games with an upper-body injury.

The Buffalo Sabres got a goal and two assists from Jiri Kulich in a 3-2 comeback win over the Vancouver Canucks. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen kicked out 31 shots as the Sabres ended a two-game losing skid. Phillip Di Giuseppe and Elias Pettersson replied for the Canucks (50 points), who have one win in their last four games and remain one point out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: The Canucks unveiled their Quarter-Century Team on Tuesday.

The First Team comprises forwards Daniel and Henrik Sedin and Markus Naslund, defensemen Quinn Hughes and Alexander Edler, and goaltender Roberto Luongo.

The Second Team features forwards J.T. Miller, Elias Pettersson, and Ryan Kesler, defensemen Kevin Bieksa and Mattias Ohlund, and goaltender Thatcher Demko.

RG.ORG: Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov is settling in Boston and becoming more comfortable in his role as a more defensive-oriented blueliner. He admits he enjoyed his short stint with the Canucks last season, calling it “the coolest six months of my career”, praising the team and its fans.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets are staying mum on the status of captain Adam Lowry. The 31-year-old forward suffered an undisclosed injury during Monday’s loss to the Utah Hockey Club.

DAILY FACEOFF: Vegas Golden Knights winger Cole Schwindt is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

SPORTSNET: The Utah Hockey Club reportedly had several trademark applications denied as they continue to search for a permanent name. The name “Utah Yetis” was rejected to avoid confusion with the cooler brand Yeti. The names “Utah Blizzard” and “Utah Venom” were denied for similar reasons.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 25, 2024

by | Jan 25, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 25, 2024

Nathan MacKinnon regains the scoring lead with a four-goal performance, five members of Canada’s 2018 WJC team face sexual assault charges, Salt Lake City expresses interest in an expansion franchise, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon regained the lead in the NHL scoring race with a four-goal performance in a 6-2 victory over the Washington Capitals. MacKinnon also collected an assist for 82 points, two ahead of Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov. Mikko Rantanen had a goal and four assists while Cale Makar had a goal and two assists for the 31-14-3 Avalanche, who sit fourth in the overall standings with 65 points. Dylan Strome scored both goals for the 22-18-6 Capitals (50 points), who sit three points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche extended their home point streak to a franchise-record 24 games. Makar netted his 76th career goal to become the franchise’s all-time leading goalscorer among defensemen. Meanwhile, Avs blueliner Jack Johnson missed this game with an undisclosed injury.

Florida Panthers head coach Paul Maurice took over sole possession of second place for most games by an NHL coach with 1,813 as his club beat the Arizona Coyotes 6-2. Sam Reinhart had a goal and an assist to extend his points streak to 11 games while Matthew Tkachuk had two goals and an assist for the Panthers (29-14-4), who sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 62 points. Dylan Guenther had a goal and an assist for the 23-20-3 Coyotes (49 points) as they sit two points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov collected an assist as he returned to action after being sidelined for three games by a lower-body injury.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Ilya Samsonov made 32 saves for his second shutout of the season in a 1-0 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Auston Matthews scored in overtime to collect his league-leading 39th goal of the season as his Maple Leafs (24-14-8) regained third place in the Atlantic Division with 56 points. Laurent Brossoit stopped 29 shots for the 30-11-6 Jets as they sit third in the overall standings with 65 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a big win for Samsonov, whose struggles in December saw him briefly demoted to the Leafs’ AHL affiliate. He was touched by Leafs fans chanting his name, admitting he was nearly brought to tears. Meanwhile, Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey left this game with a leg injury after blocking a shot by Leafs forward Matthew Knies.

The St. Louis Blues picked up their third straight win with a 4-3 overtime upset of the Vancouver Canucks. Brayden Schenn tallied the winning goal after his club blew a 3-1 while Jake Neighbours had a goal and an assist for the 24-20-8 Blues (50 points), who sit one point out of the final Western wild-card berth. Pius Suter had a hat trick for the Canucks (32-11-5) as they remain in first place in the overall standings with 69 points.

A late goal by Jordan Martinook lifted the Carolina Hurricanes over the Boston Bruins by a score of 3-2. Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen each had two points for the Hurricanes (26-15-5), who moved into second place in the Metropolitan Division with 56 points. Brad Marchand scored both goals for the 29-9-9 Bruins as they remain in second place in the overall standings with 67 points.

The Buffalo Sabres overcame a 3-1 deficit for a 5-3 upset victory over the Los Angeles Kings. JJ Peterka scored twice and collected an assist while Jack Quinn had a goal and two assists for the 21-23-4 Sabres. Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist for the Kings (22-14-9) as they hold the first Western wild-card berth with 53 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings have won just twice in their last 10 games. Head coach Todd McLellan blasted his players following this match. “The stupidity that went into that loss is beyond explanation,” he said. Asked about his job security, McLellan replied that it was “a very fair question.” Kings general manager Rob Blake recently gave him a vote of confidence but that could change if this club fails to snap out of its funk.

Seattle Kraken winger Tomas Tatar scored two goals as his club beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-2. Jordan Eberle and Jared McCann each collected two points as the Kraken (20-18-9) sit two points out of the final Western wild-card spot with 49 points. Seth Jones had two assists for the 14-32-2 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Blackhawks announced they’d reached an agreement with goaltender Petr Mrazek on a two-year contract extension. He’ll earn an average annual value of $4.25 million.

HEADLINES

TSN: Five members of Canada’s 2018 World Juniors team have been ordered to report to London, Ontario police to face charges of sexual assault. London police announced they would hold a press conference on Feb. 5 to share further details.

The charges are related to an alleged sexual assault in June 2018 involving the players, who have a set time to report to the police.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils forward Michael McLeod and defenseman Cal Foote have taken indefinite leaves of absence from the team. The club indicated it has no further comment at this time.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators’ unsigned winger Alex Formenton has taken an indefinite leave of absence from his Swiss team where he’s played since last season. The club declined to comment on the matter.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers GM Daniel Briere made a statement yesterday regarding the indefinite leave of absence by goaltender Carter Hart. He acknowledged the reports regarding the five unnamed players of Canada’s 2018 WJC team but said neither he nor the Flyers would make any comment until the results of the investigation are released.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Calgary Flames winger Dillon Dube is also on an indefinite leave of absence for what the club deemed mental health reasons. Nevertheless, it’s assumed by hockey fans on social media that Dube, Hart, Formenton, McLeod and Foote are the five players sought by London police. We’ll know for certain by Feb. 5.

DAILY FACEOFF: In a release shared with NHL media yesterday, the Smith Entertainment Group formally requested that the league begin the process of bringing an expansion team to Salt Lake City. The ownership group owns the NBA’s Utah Jazz and has talked with the NHL about an expansion club since 2022. The club would play in the Jazz’s current arena until a new venue is constructed at a later date.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Salt Lake City has a long hockey history with minor league teams playing there over the years. They also hosted the 2002 Winter Olympics.

SPORTSNET: In an interview with The Athletic, NHL Players Association executive director Marty Walsh said the clock is ticking on the ownership of the Arizona Coyotes as they continue efforts to find a location to build a new arena. At the most recent NHL Board of Governors’ meetings, Commissioner Gary Bettman said the Coyotes ownership had until the end of January to finalize a new plan.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Walsh’s comments combined with the news of the Utah Jazz ownership’s interest in an expansion franchise looks like a warning shot to Coyotes ownership. If they don’t soon get their plans for a new arena project sorted out, the league’s patience could finally run out. If so, this franchise could end up sold and moved to Salt Lake City.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames placed center Adam Ruzicka and defenseman Nick DeSimone on waivers.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators re-signed forward Cole Smith to a two-year contract extension with an AAV of $775K.

KLTV: Former NHL player Mike Ribeiro is on trial in Franklin County, Texas. He allegedly sexually assaulted two women on June 23, 2021, and attempted to assault another.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 7, 2023

by | Feb 7, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 7, 2023

All-Star Game MVP Matthew Tkachuk has a five-point performance against the Lightning, Jamie Benn reaches a career milestone, Bo Horvat debuts with the Islanders, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Fresh off his MVP performance at the 2023 NHL All-Star Game, Matthew Tkachuk scored two goals and collected three assists as the Florida Panthers thumped the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-1. Carter Verhaeghe had four points and Sam Bennett three points as the Panthers (25-22-6) moved to within one point with the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 56 points. Nikita Kucherov tallied his 20th goal of the season for the 32-16-1 Lightning, who sit in third place in the Atlantic Division with 65 points.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 32 saves as he returned to action after being sidelined since Jan. 19 with an upper-body injury. Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov left the game in the second period with an apparent hand injury but could be back in the lineup on Thursday against the San Jose Sharks.

Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn played in his 1,000th career NHL game as his club downed the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 on a shootout goal by Tyler Seguin. Jake Oettinger made 32 saves for the 29-13-10 Stars, who hold a three-point lead over the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the Western Conference with 68 points. Netminder John Gibson kicked out 39 shots for the Ducks (16-29-6).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks winger Troy Terry left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury. There was no post-game update on his condition.

Bo Horvat was held scoreless in his debut with the New York Islanders in a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Semyon Varlamov got the win with a 25-save performance while Kyle Palmieri and Mathew Barzal scored for the 26-22-5 Islanders, who are tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Eastern wild-card berth with 57 points. Nicolas Deslauriers tallied for the Flyers (21-22-9), who are six points behind the Islanders and Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Horvat was acquired last Monday from the Vancouver Canucks and signed an eight-year contract extension with the Islanders on Sunday.

After blowing a 4-1 lead, the New Jersey Devils picked up their eighth overtime victory of the season by beating the Vancouver Canucks 5-4. Jesper Bratt scored the game-winner while Jack Hughes and Ondrej Palat each tallied twice and Dougie Hamilton collected three assists for the Devils (33-13-4) as they sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 70 points. Connor Garland, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Luke Schenn each had two points for the 20-26-4 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils blueline got a boost when John Marino returned to action after being sidelined for 17 games with an upper-body injury.

New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere’s overtime goal lifted his club to a 5-4 win over the Calgary Flames. Mika Zibanejad and Filip Chytil each scored twice for the 28-14-8 Rangers as they sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 64 points. Andrew Mangiapane and Blake Coleman each had a goal and an assist for the Flames (24-17-10) as they hold a one-point lead over the Colorado Avalanche for the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 58 points.

The Arizona Coyotes upset the Minnesota Wild by a score of 3-2 as Jake McBain snapped a 2-2 tie in the third period. Jakub Chychrun scored twice and Karel Vejmelka stopped 33 shots for the Coyotes (17-28-6). Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov scored his 28th goal of the season as his club sits in third place in the Central Division (58 points) with a record of 27-18-4.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk, Detroit Red Wings center Dylan Larkin and Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Feb. 5, 2023.

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: Flyers head coach John Tortorella sent a letter to the club’s season-ticket holders. He wrote that he’s “very pleased” with the club’s “effort, drive and hunger to compete”, adding that some of the Flyers’ young players “have impressed me.”

However, Tortorella acknowledged the club still has work to do to improve and regain its place among the most respected franchises in the league. He promised those ticket holders that the team will get better and will make them proud.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tortorella’s letter comes at a time when those fans are deciding whether or not to renew their season tickets for next season. The Flyers have performed better than expected this season but appear likely to miss the playoffs for the fourth time in five years.

TSN: The Nashville Predators signed forward Cole Smith to a one-year contract extension worth $775K starting in 2023-24.

DAILY FACEOFF: Winnipeg Jets prospect Chaz Lucius is done for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery on Feb. 6. Lucius was drafted 18th overall in the 2021 NHL Draft and split the season with the AHL’s Manitoba Moose and the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks.