NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 1, 2023

by | Nov 1, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 1, 2023

Recaps of Tuesday’s games, the NHL and NHLPA discuss neck guards for its players, Paul Stastny retires, the Bruins’ Charlie McAvoy is suspended, and more in today’s Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson tallied a hat trick and defenseman Quinn Hughes had three assists in a 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. Colton Sissons and Dante Fabbro replied for the Predators. The Canucks end the month of October with a record of 6-2-1 while the Predators slipped to 4-5-0.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A much better start for the Canucks compared to last season (2-5-2), 2021-22 (3-5-1) and 2020-21 (4-5-0). A healthy roster, strong performances from Pettersson and Hughes and the players’ adjustment to head coach Rick Tocchet’s system are among the contributing factors. Pettersson sits second among NHL scorers with 16 points and Quinn (11 points) is tied for the scoring lead among NHL defensemen.

The Los Angeles Kings downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1. Cam Talbot made 29 saves, Phillip Danault scored what proved to be the game-winner and Quinton Byfield collected two assists for the 5-2-2 Kings. John Tavares scored and William Nylander collected an assist to extend his season-opening points streak to a team record nine games for the 5-3-1 Maple Leafs.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the league has initiated discussions with the NHL Players Association to increase neck protections among its players. The move comes following the death of former NHL player Adam Johnson on Saturday after his neck was accidentally sliced by a skate blade during an EIHL game in England.

TSN: Chris Johnston reports there’s a huge level of concern around the NHL about this issue with teams calling league headquarters for direction. Three teams (Pittsburgh, Washington and Carolina) have started the process of optional neckguards for their players while the Penguins are making them mandatory for their AHL and ECHL affiliates.

Pierre LeBrun, meanwhile, indicated that cut-resistant gear has been a topic of discussion for the past half-dozen NHL general managers meetings dating back to Evander Kane’s wrist injury last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL cannot implement changes to player equipment without the consent of the NHLPA. However, it sounds like the PA could be receptive to this issue. Teams are already taking action to allow their players the option of wearing cut-resistant gear. This could be something that gets put into practice more quickly than previous changes to equipment policies.

NHL.COM: Paul Stastny has retired after 17 NHL seasons. He had 293 goals and 822 career regular-season points in 1,145 games with the Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Winnipeg Jets, Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes. He also had 73 points in 118 playoff games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stastny’s best seasons were with the Avalanche, including a career-high 79 points in 2009-10. He reportedly sought the guidance of his father, Hall-of-Famer Peter Stastny, before reaching this decision. Stastny told The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun that he’s interested in returning to hockey one day in a management role.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy received a four-game suspension from the NHL department of player safety for an illegal hit to the head of Florida Panthers defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson on Monday.

The Bruins also announced that blueliner Matt Grzelcyk will miss “a couple of weeks” with an upper-body injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Bruins center Matthew Poitras and Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Kevin Korchinski won’t be returned to their respective junior teams. Both will remain with their NHL clubs following their nine-game trials with their respective teams.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That means their entry-level contracts now go into effect and will count against their respective teams’ salary-cap payrolls for this season.

CBS SPORTS: San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture suffered a minor setback in his recovery from a lower-body injury that will keep him off the ice for a little while. Meanwhile. Sharks forward Alexander Barabanov will miss four to six weeks due to a broken finger.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The hits just keep on coming for the struggling Sharks. The absence of Couture has hurt their offense and Barabanov’s absence won’t help.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens center Kirby Dach underwent successful knee surgery in New York on Tuesday. He’s expected to make a full recovery and be ready to return to action next season.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche blueliners Cale Makar and Bowen Byram missed practice on Tuesday and are questionable for Wednesday’s game against the St. Louis Blues.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Chicago Blackhawks center Conor Bedard is off to a promising start with six points in nine games. However, Ottawa Senators center Ridly Greig was the rookie points leader for October with seven points in eight contests.

THE SCORE: Buffalo Sabres rookie Zach Benson is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Edmonton Oilers signed center Sam Gagner to a one-year, two-way contract worth $775K at the NHL level and placed forward Adam Erne on waivers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 18, 2023

by | Oct 18, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 18, 2023

Recaps of Tuesday’s games include Leon Draisaitl setting an Oilers record, the Avalanche tying a league record, plus the Canucks and Penguins making a trade. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman each had four points as the Edmonton Oilers picked up their first win of the season with a 6-1 drubbing of the Nashville Predators. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had three points, Connor McDavid, Warren Foegele and Evan Bouchard each had two points while Jack Campbell kicked out 42 shots for the win. Tommy Novak netted the Predators’s only goal.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl’s two goals came on the powerplay, giving him the franchise record for career tallies on the man advantage with 128. Meanwhile, the Predators held a video tribute to Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm as he returned to Nashville for the first time since being traded to Edmonton last season.

The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Seattle Kraken 4-1. Mikko Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin were among the goal scorers for the Avalanche while Alexandar Georgiev got the win with a 37-save performance. Kailer Yamamoto replied for the Kraken, who are winless (0-3-1) in their first four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche tied the league record for consecutive regular-season road wins (14) stretching back to last season.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault scored in the shootout to lift his club to a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars. William Karlsson and Kaeden Korczak each had a goal and an assist while Adin Hill got the win by stopping 24 shots. Craig Smith and Joe Pavelski replied for the Stars while Jake Oettinger made 32 saves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The defending Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights are red-hot to start the season with a league-leading four straight wins. Stars center Roope Hintz made his season debut after being sidelined by an upper-body injury.

The Minnesota Wild scored three power-play goals and tallied twice shorthanded to thump the Montreal Canadiens 5-2. Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello each had three points, Joel Eriksson Ek scored twice and Marc-Andre Fleury made 27 saves for the Wild. Tanner Pearson and Alex Newhook replied for the Canadiens, who lost defenseman Kaiden Guhle to an upper-body injury in the second period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, the Canadiens announced that center Kirby Dach (knee injury) is done for the season. Meanwhile, the 38-year-old Fleury soaked up the atmosphere as he played what was likely his final game in Montreal as he faces potential retirement at the end of this season. Speaking of the Wild, defenseman Alex Goligoski missed this game with a lower-body injury.

Former Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois scored his first goal of the season with the Los Angeles Kings in a 5-1 victory over his former club. Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore each had three points for the Kings. Mark Scheifele replied for the Jets, who lost forward (and former King) Gabriel Vilardi to a lower-body injury in the first period following a hit by Blake Lizotte.

The Buffalo Sabres blew a 2-0 lead but nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on an overtime goal by Dylan Cozens. Zemgus Girgensons and Jeff Skinner also scored while Devon Levi stopped 21 shots for the Sabres as they picked up their first win of the season. Brandon Hagel tallied both Lightning goals as Jonas Johansson made 28 saves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning captain Steven Stamkos missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury. Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson left this game in the third period with an upper-body injury while winger Victor Olofsson was a healthy scratch.

Four unanswered third-period goals lifted the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. Seth Jarvis tallied twice for the Hurricanes while Tomas Hertl collected two assists for the Sharks as they remain winless (0-2-1) in their first three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho missed this contest with an upper-body injury. Goaltender Frederik Andersen was pulled early in the first period for precautionary reasons when he appeared dazed after being struck in the mask by a shot. He was replaced by Antti Raanta.

Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart turned in a 25-save performance to shut out the Vancouver Canucks 2-0. Flyers center Sean Couturier scored his first goal for the first time since missing all of last season due to back surgery. Thatcher Demko turned aside 40 shots for the Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Canucks traded minor leaguers Jack Rathbone and Karel Plasek to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Mark Friedman and forward Ty Glover. The addition of Friedman brings more size and experience to the Canucks blueline. The Canucks also placed defenseman Guillaume Brisebois on long-term injury reserve.

The New York Islanders blanked the Arizona Coyotes 1-0. Mathew Barzal tallied the game’s only goal while Ilya Sorokin made 14 saves for the shutout. Karel Vejmelka kicked out 33 shots for the Coyotes.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils placed goaltender Keith Kinkaid on waivers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 17, 2023

by | Oct 17, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 17, 2023

Recaps of Monday’s games, the three stars of the opening week of the season, injury updates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: A 34-save performance by Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Arvid Soderblom carried his club to a 4-1 upset of the Toronto Maple Leafs, snapping Auston Matthews’ season-opening hat-trick streak at two games. Corey Perry snapped a 1-1 tie, Andreas Athanasiou collected two assists and rookie Connor Bedard had his points streak end at three games. John Tavares replied for the Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Full marks to the Blackhawks for a solid team game against the Leafs. The latter’s sloppy defense in this contest proved costly, especially on Perry’s game-winning goal.

The Detroit Red Wings got a 23-save shutout from James Reimer to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0. Shayne Gostisbehere scored what proved to be the winning goal. Spencer Martin stopped 28 shots for the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings raised some eyebrows by making Jeff Petry a healthy scratch. They acquired the 35-year-old defenseman from the Montreal Canadiens in August. Meanwhile, Wings forward Robby Fabbri missed this game with an undisclosed injury and is listed as day-to-day.

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart (NHL Images).

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart scored twice as his club held off the New Jersey Devils by a score of 4-3. Matthew Tkachuk collected two assists as the Panthers jumped to a 4-0 lead. The Devils made it interesting with three unanswered goals in the third period with Jesper Bratt collecting a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers head coach Paul Maurice moved into third place on the NHL’s all-time games coached list at 1,769. Speaking of the Panthers, they placed forward Sam Bennett on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

Timo Meier was benched in the third period by Devils coach Lindy Ruff along with Curtis Lazar and John Marino with Ruff singling out Meier’s undisciplined play. Devils forward Tomas Nosek (day-to-day) missed this game with a lower-body injury.

A shootout goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov gave the Washington Capitals a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames, giving Spencer Carbery his first win as an NHL head coach. Former Flames winger Matthew Phillips collected a goal and an assist against his old club as the Capitals overcame a 2-0 deficit. Adam Ruzicka and Dillon Dube each had a goal and an assist for the Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals winger Anthony Mantha was a healthy scratch from this game.

The New York Rangers nipped the Arizona Coyotes 2-1. Vincent Trocheck snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period while Igor Shesterkin made 26 saves for the win. Chris Kreider also scored for the Rangers while Clayton Keller replied for the Coyotes.

HEADLINES

Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson and Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin were the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Oct. 15.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens center Kirby Dach suffered a “significant injury” during Saturday’s win over the Blackhawks and will be sidelined for an extended period of time. He suffered the injury when he was checked into the Chicago bench by Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet’s Eric Engels said he’s heard Dach tore his ACL and MCL in his knee. The club is doing more tests before making a more detailing announcement regarding his status but Engels suggests it could put the young forward’s season at risk. Offseason acquisition Alex Newhook could replace Dach as the Canadien’s second-line center.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken forward Brandon Tanev is expected to be sidelined for four-to-six weeks with a lower-body injury suffered during the season-opener against the Vegas Golden Knights.

DAILY FACEOFF: Minnesota Wild forward Matthew Boldy is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered during Saturday’s loss to the Maple Leafs.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers center Sean Couturier missed practice on Monday. He played in their first two games of the season which was the first time he’d played since being sidelined by a back injury in Dec. 2021. Head coach John Tortorella said his absence was not due to his back but that he was “banged up.”

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Flyers, they officially unveiled their new arena upgrades for Wells Fargo Center that cost the club an estimated $400 million.

CBS SPORTS: San Jose Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic won’t play Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes due to a lower-body injury.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield is day-to-day with a lower-body injury suspected to be his left ankle.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 15, 2023

by | Oct 15, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 15, 2023

The Leafs’ Auston Matthews starts the season with consecutive hat tricks, Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner tallies a hat trick in his club’s home-opener, Mackenzie Blackwood turns in a 51-save debut with the Sharks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews collected his second straight hat trick in as many games to lead his club over the Minnesota Wild 7-4. William Nylander scored twice and collected an assist while Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly each had two helpers. Wild rookie Marco Rossi scored his first-ever NHL goal.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matt Boldy also scored for the Wild but he left the game in the third period with an upper-body injury following a hit by Rielly. He will be reevaluated on Sunday.

A natural hat trick by team captain Boone Jenner powered the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 5-3 victory over the New York Rangers. Johnny Gaudreau picked up two assists and rookie David Jiricek scored to collect his first-ever NHL point as Jackets head coach Pascal Vincent picked up his first win as an NHL bench boss. Adam Fox and Erik Gustafsson each had two points for the Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins left the game in the second period due to illness after making 24 saves. He was replaced by Spencer Martin for the remainder of the game. Earlier in the day, the Jackets placed winger Eric Robinson on waivers.

San Jose Sharks goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood made 51 saves to steal a point as his club dropped a 2-1 shootout decision to the Colorado Avalanche. Cale Makar scored the tying goal in the third period, setting the stage for Mikko Rantanen’s shootout winner.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackwood’s 51 saves were the most by a goaltender in their debut with a team since 1955-56.

The Vancouver Canucks defeated the Edmonton Oilers for the second straight game with a 4-3 win as Sam Lafferty snapped a 3-3 tie in the third period. Casey DeSmith made 37 saves while Nils Hoglander had a goal and an assist for the Canucks. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and two assists while Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each had a goal and an assist for the Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A better effort by the Oilers in this one compared to the 8-1 shellacking they received from the Canucks in their season opener. They outshot the Canucks 40-17 but costly defensive breakdowns and shaky goaltending from Stuart Skinner proved to be their undoing.

The Ottawa Senators got two goals and an assist from Jakob Chychrun to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2. Brady Tkachuk also scored twice for the Senators and Claude Giroux picked up two assists. Travis Konecny had a goal and an assist for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In a pregame ceremony, the Senators honored Giroux for reaching his 1,000th career point on Oct. 10 against the Carolina Hurricanes. He netted most of those points during his tenure with the Flyers and was touched that the Senators chose this game against his former club to honor his achievement.

Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor scored twice and picked up an assist as his club held off the Florida Panthers 6-4. Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey each picked up two points for the Jets while Evan Rodrigues had two goals and two assists for the Panthers.

A two-goal performance by James van Riemsdyk carried the Boston Bruins to a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators. David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist while Jeremy Swayman stopped 33 shots for the Bruins. Colton Sissons scored both times for the Predators.

The Detroit Red Wings upset the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-4. Alex DeBrincat scored two goals and added an assist while Moritz Seider and J.T. Compher each collected two points for the Wings. Steven Stamkos netted two goals and collected a helper for the Lightning.

Montreal Canadiens forward Sean Monahan scored what proved to be the game-winner as his club held on for a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Monahan finished with a goal and an assist, Tanner Pearson netted his first goal with the Canadiens and Samuel Montembeault turned aside 28 shots for the win. Tyler Johnson tallied both goals for the Blackhawks with rookie Connor Bedard picking up an assist, giving him points in his first three NHL games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens center Kirby Dach left the game in the first period after suffering a lower-body injury following a hit by Blackhawks defenseman Jarred Tinordi. He will be reevaluated on Sunday.

A five-goal third period carried the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 5-2 victory over the Calgary Flames. Jake Guentzel had a goal and two assists, Bryan Rust tallied twice and Alex Nedeljkovic kicked out 34 shots for the Penguins. Matt Coronato and Jonathan Huberdeau replied for the Flames.

The New York Islanders nipped the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 3-2. Brock Nelson had a goal and an assist while Ilya Sorokin got the win with a 26-save performance. Casey Mittelstadt and Zach Benson each had two points for the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres felt that Casey Cizikas’ game-winner in the third period was knocked in by a high stick. When the video review confirmed the goal they launched a coach’s challenge claiming the Isles were offside but the officials disagreed after reviewing the play.

St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington stopped 30 shots and Robert Thomas scored in the shootout in a 2-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Jordan Kyrou scored in regulation for the Blues as did Jaden Schwartz for the Kraken, who got a 24-save effort from goalie Joey Daccord.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Blues as winger Pavel Buchnevich left the game late in the first period with an upper-body injury. Blues coach Craig Berube said he didn’t know the extent of Buchnevich’s injury but he didn’t rule out a concussion. He will be reevaluated on Sunday.

Vegas Golden Knights center Chandler Stephenson had a goal and two assists as his club rolled to a 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Jack Eichel and Shea Theodore each had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights. Mason McTavish replied for the Ducks while John Gibson stopped 34 shots.

A goal by Jordan Martinook in the ninth round of the shootout lifted the Carolina Hurricanes over the Los Angeles Kings 6-5. Sebastian Aho scored shorthanded and picked up an assist for the Hurricanes while Anze Kopitar had two goals and Kevin Fiala picked up three assists for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, Kings general manager Rob Blake told Bally Sports West that Viktor Arvidsson could require back surgery. The 30-year-old winger suffered the injury during practice on Monday and was placed on long-term injury reserve on Thursday.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 31, 2023

by | Mar 31, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 31, 2023

The Bruins clinch the Presidents’ Trophy, the Golden Knights clinch a playoff berth, the Oilers’ Connor McDavid scores his 300th career goal, the Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk reaches 100 points, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins won their fourth Presidents’ Trophy in franchise history by downing the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1 on an overtime goal by David Pastrnak. Tyler Bertuzzi also scored for the league-leading Bruins (121 points) as they set a franchise record for wins with 58. Jack Roslovic scored for the 23-43-8 Blue Jackets, who played without Adam Boqvist due to an illness.

The Vegas Golden Knights dropped a 4-3 overtime loss to the San Jose Sharks but gained a point to become the first Western Conference club to clinch a playoff berth. Logan Couture tallied the game-winning goal for the 21-39-15 Sharks. The Golden Knights (46-22-7) sit atop the West with 99 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vegas center Jack Eichel became the eighth player in NHL history to make his playoff debut after scoring 400-plus regular-season points.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored his 300th career goal while Stuart Skinner kicked out 43 shots to shut out the Los Angeles Kings 2-0. Evander Kane also scored as the Oilers improved to 44-23-9 and moved one point ahead of the Kings into second place in the Pacific Division with 97 points. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 35 shots for the 43-22-10 Kings, who were without winger Kevin Fiala due to a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid set an NHL record by becoming the first player to record five 10-game points streaks in a single season. He’s also the fifth-fastest player to score 300 goals and 500 assists before his 600th career game.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk became the fourth player to reach 100 points this season in a 5-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Tkachuk (101 points) tallied a hat trick while Anton Lundell scored twice for the 38-31-7 Panthers (83 points) as they remain one point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Canadiens defenseman David Savard missed this game with a lower-body injury while forward Kirby Dach is sidelined for at least a week with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk became the fourth player in NHL history to record 100-plus points in consecutive seasons with two different teams.

Speaking of the Penguins, they maintained their lead over the Panthers by blanking the Nashville Predators 2-0. Tristan Jarry turned in a 28-save shutout while Jason Zucker and Jake Guentzel scored for the 37-28-10 Penguins. Juuse Saros stopped 43 shots for the 37-29-8 Predators (82 points) as they remain three points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

The Ottawa Senators blew a 4-1 lead but recovered to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 on an overtime goal by Alex DeBrincat. Tim Stutzle had a goal and an assist while Shane Pinto tallied his 20th goal of the season for the Senators (37-33-5) as they remain five points back of the Penguins with 79 points. Cam York had a goal and an assist and Owen Tippett netted his 23rd of the season for the 29-32-13 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins and Senators each have seven games remaining. Unless the Pens collapse, the Sens aren’t going to catch them.

First-period goals by Erik Haula and Timo Meier enable the New Jersey Devils to hold off the New York Rangers by a score of 2-1. Chris Kreider replied for the Rangers. The Devils improved to 47-20-8 and widened their lead over the Rangers by four points (102) for second place in the Metropolitan Division.

A goal by Jake Walman with four seconds remaining in the third period gave the Detroit Red Wings a 4-3 upset win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Alex Nedeljkovic made 31 saves for the win as the Red Wings improved to 33-32-9 on the season. Jaccob Slavin had a goal and an assist for the 47-18-9 Hurricanes as they sit one point ahead of the Devils in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 103 points. Hurricanes winger Teuvo Teravainen missed this game due to illness.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Pat Maroon tallied twice in a 5-1 victory over the Washington Capitals. Steven Stamkos and Alex Killorn each had a goal and an assist for the 44-26-6 Lightning as they hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 94 points. Craig Smith replied for the Capitals (34-33-9) as they fall seven points behind the Penguins with 77 points.

The Seattle Kraken strengthened their hold on the first Western Conference wild-card spot by dropping the Anaheim Ducks 4-1. Matty Beniers and Jaden Schwartz each had a goal and an assist for the 41-25-8 Kraken as they hold a five-point lead over the Winnipeg Jets with 90 points. Brock McGinn replied for the 23-42-10 Ducks.

St. Louis Blues winger Brandon Saad had a goal and an assist in a 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blues (35-34-9) have won six of the last eight games. Tyler Johnson had a goal and an assist for the 24-45-6 Blackhawks, who’ve now dropped seven straight games.

HEADLINES

DAILY FACEOFF: Marty Walsh, the new executive director of the NHL Players’ Association, spoke with the media yesterday for the first time since taking over from former director Donald Fehr.

Walsh said he recently met with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman, joking that they’ll have a wonderful relationship as long as Bettman agrees with everything he says. Turning serious, he expressed the hope of working together with Bettman but stressed that he works for the players.

He also addressed his relationship with the Jacobs family, who own the Bruins and donated to his political campaigns. “Supporting my campaign is one thing,” said Walsh. “Using that as a way to leverage me is never going to happen.”

Walsh said he likes the idea of increasing next season’s salary cap by more than $1 million but indicated the players are not interested in increasing their escrow payments to do so. He also said he’ll need some time to consider the next round of collective bargaining that is two and a half years away.

The new PA director is interested in working with the league toward staging a World Cup of Hockey in 2025. He also said that he’s supportive of the LGBTQ-plus community and wants NHL dressing rooms to be inclusive spaces but also supports a player’s individual right to decide whether they’ll wear a Pride warmup jersey. He pointed out that “a super majority” of players have worn the jersey.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Walsh addressed other topics but these were the main points of interest. It’s noteworthy that he is willing to discuss raising the cap for next season by more than the agreed-upon rate of $1 million but quickly dismissed the idea of increasing escrow payments, which is what Bettman has said must happen for the rate to rise beyond $1 million.

The players seem fine with playing one more season under a flattened cap. They’re secure in the knowledge that there will be significant cap increases over the remaining two seasons of the current CBA that won’t require increases in escrow.

It’s the team owners and general managers who prefer raising the cap for 2023-24. It’ll be up to them to pressure Bettman into finding another way to raise it that’ll meet with the PA’s approval.

DAILY FACEOFF: The NCAA announced that University of Michigan forward Adam Fantilli and University of Minnesota forwards Logan Cooley and Matthew Knies are the 2023 finalists for the Hobey Baker Award as the most outstanding player in NCAA hockey.

Fantilli is eligible for the 2023 NHL draft. Cooley was chosen third overall by the Arizona Coyotes in the 2022 draft while Knies was taken 57th overall in the 2021 draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The winner will be announced on April 7.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 29, 2023

by | Mar 29, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 29, 2023

A five-point performance for the Oilers’ Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, the Flames and Predators gain ground for the final Western Conference wild-card berth, Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews weighs in on his future, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: A five-point performance by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (one goal, four assists) powered the Edmonton Oilers to a 7-4 romp over the Vegas Golden Knights. Connor McDavid collected three assists while Leon Draisaitl had two points for the 43-23-9 Oilers (95 points) as they moved to within one point of the second-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division. Jonathan Marchessault tallied twice for the Golden Knights (46-22-6) as they hold first place in the Pacific with 98 points.

Edmonton Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nugent-Hopkins is enjoying a career-best 96-point performance this season. He’s four points away from joining McDavid and Draisaitl in the 100-point club, which would be the first time an NHL team had at least three 100-point players in a season since the 1995-96 Pittsburgh Penguins.

Speaking of the Kings, their 12-game points streak ended with a 2-1 loss to the Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom made 33 saves while Andrew Mangiapane and Walker Duehr scored for the 34-26-15 Flames (83 points) as they moved within two points of the Winnipeg Jets for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Sean Durzi replied for the Kings (43-21-10) as they remain two points back of the Golden Knights with 96 points.

The Nashville Predators also kept pace in the race for the final Western wild-card spot by nipping the Boston Bruins 2-1, preventing the latter from clinching the Presidents’ Trophy for 2022-23. Juuse Saros kicked out 35 shots while Cody Glass and Cole Smith tallied for the Predators (37-28-6) as they sit one point behind the Flames. David Pastrnak tallied his 52nd goal of the season for the 57-12-5 Bruins, who sit atop the overall standings with 119 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators and Bruins wore Covenant School stickers on their helmets in support of the Nashville school that was attacked by a shooter on Monday.

Sidelined Bruins winger Taylor Hall is reportedly close to returning to the lineup. That could create a salary-cap headache for the Bruins as they lack the cap space to add him to the lineup.

Speaking of the Jets, they were blanked 3-0 by the San Jose Sharks. James Reimer picked up the shutout with a 41-save effort while Noah Gregor, Kevin Labanc and Martin Kaut scored for the 20-39-15 Sharks. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 27 shots for the Jets as they slipped to 41-31-3 and cling to that final Western wild-card berth with 85 points.

Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 31 shots to blank the Carolina Hurricanes 4-0. Brayden Point scored two goals and collected an assist while Steven Stamkos had a goal and two helpers for the Lightning, who improved to 43-26-6 and hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 92 points. The Hurricanes (47-17-9) remain in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 103 points.

The New York Rangers picked up their ninth win in their last 11 games with a 6-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko each scored for the 44-20-10 Rangers (98 points) as they sit two points back of the second-place New Jersey Devils in the Metro Division. Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and an assist for the 23-43-7 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of Tarasenko, the Rangers clinching a playoff berth on Monday means the 2024 fourth-round pick they sent to the St. Louis Blues as part of the return for the winger upgrades to a third-rounder in 2024.

Turning to the Eastern Conference wild-card race, the Pittsburgh Penguins failed to widen their lead for the final spot by falling 7-4 to the Detroit Red Wings. David Perron tallied a hat trick while Dylan Larkin had a goal and two assists for the 32-32-9 Red Wings. Evgeni Malkin and Rickard Rakell each collected two assists as the Penguins (36-28-10) had dropped six of their last eight games as they cling to that wild card berth with 82 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde was ejected from this game in the second period for arguing with an on-ice official after the Penguins tied the game 3-3 on a controversial power-play goal by Jeff Carter, who Lalonde believed interfered with goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic.

Before the game, the Penguins assigned defenseman Taylor Fedun to their AHL affiliate to make room for Jeff Petry, who returned to action after being sidelined for five games with an upper-body injury.

Dallas Stars netminder Jake Oettinger made 17 saves to backstop his club over the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1. Joe Pavelski netted his 22nd goal of the season as the Stars (40-20-14) are tied with the Colorado Avalanche with 94 points, though the latter holds second place in the Central Division with a game in hand and four more wins. The Blackhawks fell to 24-44-6 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews has resumed practicing with his teammates after recovering from the effects of long COVID and chronic immune response syndrome that sidelined him since Jan. 28. He’s hoping to return to action at some point before the end of the season.

Toews acknowledged those could be his final games with the Blackhawks as he faces an uncertain future. The 34-year-old center is an unrestricted free agent this summer but he acknowledged his illness could prevent him from continuing his playing career.

The St. Louis Blues blew a 5-2 lead to the Vancouver Canucks before winning the game 6-5 on an overtime goal by Jakub Vrana, who finished the game with two goals for the Blues. Quinn Hughes and Andrei Kuzmenko each tallied twice and Brock Boeser collected three points for the Canucks. Both clubs have records of 34-34-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After struggling the last two seasons with the Red Wings, Vrana appears reborn in St. Louis. He has eight goals and 10 points in 12 games with the Blues since joining them via trade at the March 3 deadline.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Morgan Frost scored two goals as his club held off the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. Felix Sandstrom stopped 32 shots for the 29-32-12 Flyers, who eliminated the 30-39-6 Canadiens from playoff contention.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens forward Kirby Dach missed this game with an upper-body injury while a lower-body injury sidelined Flyers goalie Carter Hart. Both are believed to be day-to-day.