NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 22, 2023

by | Mar 22, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 22, 2023

Alex Ovechkin passed Wayne Gretzky to claim a scoring record, the Hurricanes and Stars remain on top of their respective divisions, Jonathan Quick reaches a goaltending milestone and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin surpassed Wayne Gretzky for the most 40-goal seasons in a 7-6 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ovechkin has now reached the 40-goal plateau a record 13 times in his NHL career but his Capitals dropped to 33-31-8 (74 points) and sit five points behind the Florida Panthers for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Jack Roslovic scored twice, including the game-winner, for the 22-41-7 Blue Jackets.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 10 games left in the Capitals’ schedule, Ovechkin has a shot at reaching 50 goals for a record 10th season.

A three-goal third period lifted the Carolina Hurricanes over the New York Rangers 3-2 with Teuvo Teravainen tallying the winning goal late in the third period. The Hurricanes (46-15-8)  became the second team this season to reach 100 points and sit two ahead of the New Jersey Devils for first place in the Metropolitan Division. The 41-20-10 Rangers got a 36-save performance by Igor Shesterkin but remain in third place in the Metro with 92 points.

The Dallas Stars dropped a 5-4 decision to the Seattle Kraken as Adam Larsson scored the game-winner in overtime. Brandon Tanev tallied twice and collected an assist for the Kraken (39-24-7) as they hold the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 85 points. Stars captain Jamie Benn had a goal and two assists as his club rose to 38-19-14 to maintain their hold on first place in the Central Division with 90 points.

An overtime goal by Matt Boldy carried the Minnesota Wild over the New Jersey Devils 2-1. Filip Gustavsson kicked out a career-high 47 shots as the Wild (41-22-8) sit second in the Central with 90 points on the basis of regulation wins. Timo Meier netted his 35th goal of the season for the 45-18-8 Devils (98 points), who sit two points back of the first-place Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division.

The league-leading Boston Bruins nipped the Ottawa Senators 2-1 with Linus Ullmark stopping 40 shots for the win. David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk scored for the 54-11-5 Bruins (113 points) while Dylan Gambrell scored for the 34-32-5 Senators (73 points) as they sit six points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Bruins announced defenseman Derek Forbort will be sidelined by a lower-body injury for the remainder of the regular season.

Speaking of the final Eastern wild-card spot, the Florida Panthers (36-28-7) failed to widen the gap between them and the teams chasing them after dropping a 6-3 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers. Travis Sanheim tallied two goals and Carter Hart made 41 saves for the 26-32-12 Flyers. Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart and Brandon Montour each had two points for the Panthers (79 points), who remain one up on the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The New York Islanders improved to 37-27-8 by thumping the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-2 to widen their lead over the Panthers for the first Eastern wild-card berth with 82 points. Cal Clutterbuck scored twice and chipped in an assist for the Islanders. Mitch Marner tallied his 27th goal of the season for the Leafs (42-19-9) as they sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 93 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders center Brock Nelson left the game in the first period following a hit by Leafs forward Noel Acciari. There was no immediate update on his condition.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Jonathan Quick (31 saves) took over second place for most wins among American-born goaltenders (375) by backstopping his club over the Vancouver Canucks 4-3. The Golden Knights (44-21-6) hold first place in the Pacific Division with 94 points. J.T. Miller scored twice and added an assist while Quinn Hughes set a franchise single-season assist record for defensemen (61) as they fell to 31-34-5 on the season.

Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 29 shots in a 2-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Nikolaj Ehlers and Adam Lowry scored for the Jets (40-29-3) as they hold the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 83 points. Barrett Hayton tallied for the 27-33-11 Coyotes.

The Calgary Flames kept pace with the Jets by dropping the Anaheim Ducks 5-1. Tyler Toffoli had three assists for the 32-25-11 Flames (79 points) as they remain four back of the Jets. Frank Vatrano scored for the 23-38-10 Ducks. Flames defenseman Chris Tanev missed this game with an upper-body injury. 

Montreal Canadiens netminder Sam Montembeault stopped 31 shots as his club upset the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2. Nick Suzuki had two assists and Kirby Dach scored in his return to action for the 28-37-6 Canadiens after missing 16 games with a lower-body injury. Brayden Point netted his 44th goal of the season for the Lightning (42-24-6) as they remain three points back of the Leafs in the Atlantic Division with 90 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The good news for the depleted Canadiens is Dach and Brendan Gallagher returning to the lineup following lengthy injuries. The bad news is winger Josh Anderson left the game with an ankle injury and is expected to miss their next game while defenseman Kaiden Guhle is done for the season with a high-ankle sprain suffered last week against the Panthers.

The Nashville Predators snapped a three-game skid with a 7-3 drubbing of the Buffalo Sabres. Luke Evangelista scored twice and added two assists while Matt Duchene scored twice for the Predators (35-26-8) as they are five points behind the Jets with 78 points. Tage Thompson scored his 43rd of the season while Jeff Skinner netted his 30th for the 33-31-6 Sabres (72 points) as they remain seven points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

A shootout goal by Lucas Raymond gave the Detroit Red Wings a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Filip Zadina and Alex Chiasson scored for the 31-30-9 Wings, who sit eight points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth. Marco Scandella and Robert Bortuzzo replied for the 31-33-6 Blues.

IN OTHER NEWS…

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche signed head coach Jared Bednar to a three-year contract extension. He’s led the Avs to five straight playoff appearances, two consecutive division titles and the 2022 Stanley Cup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a well-deserved extension for Bednar, who took over this club during the lowest period in its history after Patrick Roy quit as head coach before the 2016-17 season. Their rise among the league’s elite over the past five seasons is in part due to his coaching.

TSN: The NHL announced Fanatics will take over as its’ on-ice jersey provider beginning in 2024-25, taking over from Adidas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That move reportedly isn’t sitting well with hockey fans familiar with Fanatics products.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 24, 2023

by | Feb 24, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 24, 2023

Connor McDavid and the Oilers humiliate the Penguins, the Bruins acquire Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway from the Capitals, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored two goals and collected two assists in a 7-2 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Leon Draisaitl scored to extend his goal streak to six games as the Oilers (32-19-9) vaulted into second place in the Pacific Division with 72 points. Kris Letang tallied both Penguins goals as his club dropped its fourth straight game as they fell to 27-21-9 (63 points) to sit one point out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid now has a career-high 46 goals to lead the goal-scoring race. Teammate Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist to reach 600 career points. As for the Penguins, this high-profile match-up was a disaster, prompting their hometown crowd to vent their unhappiness with general manager Ron Hextall with chants of “Fire Hextall!”

The Penguins’ loss was good news for the Detroit Red Wings as they leaped into the final Eastern wild-card berth by downing the New York Rangers 4-1. Andrew Copp led the way with a goal and two assists against his former team while Ville Husso made 30 saves for the 28-21-8 Red Wings (64 points). Vincent Trocheck replied for the Rangers (33-16-9) as they remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers sat out Vitali Kravtsov and Jake Leschyshyn from this game, prompting speculation they could be close to acquiring Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane. I’ll have more about that later today in the Rumors section.

Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk scored the game-winner with 1:38 remaining in the third period for a 6-5 victory over the Seattle Kraken. David Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Krejci each had a goal and an assist for the league-leading Bruins (44-8-5), who’ve won five straight and hold a nine-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes in the overall standings with 93 points. Matty Beniers, Vince Dunn and Jamie Oleksiak each had a goal and an assist for the 32-20-6 Kraken as they dropped into the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 70 points.

The Vegas Golden Knights overcame a 3-1 deficit to burn the Calgary Flames 4-3 on an overtime goal by Alex Pietrangelo. Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist as the Golden Knights improved to 35-18-5 to hold a three-point lead over the Oilers for first place in the Pacific Division with 75 points. Mikael Backlund and Jakob Pelletier each had a goal and an assist for the Flames (27-20-12) as they sit one point behind the Colorado Avalanche for the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 66 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights center Nicolas Roy missed this game as he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Dawson Mercer lifted the New Jersey Devils over the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 4-3. Mercer finished the night with two goals and an assist while Nico Hischier sent the game to overtime with 39 seconds remaining in the third period. The Devils improved to 38-15-5 and sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 81 points, three back of the first-place Carolina Hurricanes. Anze Kopitar, Kevin Fiala and Sean Durzi each had two points for the Kings (32-19-8) as they sit in third place with 72 points in the Pacific Division.

The Buffalo Sabres upset the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-5 on an overtime goal by Ilya Lyubushkin. Tage Thompson had his fourth hat trick of the season for the Sabres as they improved to 29-23-4 (62 points) to sit two points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth. Brayden Point had a goal and three assists for the Lightning (36-17-4) as they sit two points behind the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division with 76 points.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 30 saves to shut out the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-0. Brandon Duhaime and Kirill Kaprizov scored for the Wild (32-21-5) as they sit in third place in the Central Division with 69 points, two back of the second-place Winnipeg Jets. The Blues Jackets sank to 18-35-5 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Wild placed defenseman Jonas Brodin (lower-body) on injured reserve.

The Nashville Predators got two-goal performances from Mikael Granlund and Nino Niederreiter in a 6-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Matt Duchene collected three assists as the Predators improved to 28-22-6 (62 points) to sit five points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth. The Sharks dropped to 18-30-11.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators got some bad news before the game as they announced that center Ryan Johansen underwent emergency surgery on his right leg on Wednesday after being cut by a skate blade during Tuesday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. He’ll be sidelined for 12 weeks.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson kicked out 41 shots in a 4-2 upset of the Washington Capitals. Troy Terry scored as he came off injured reserved after being sidelined since Feb. 6 as the Ducks (18-34-7) ended a six-game losing skid. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was held scoreless as his club dropped its sixth straight game and sit two points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot with a record of 28-26-6 (62 points).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks placed center Adam Henrique on injured reserve before this game.

The Vancouver Canucks downed the St. Louis Blues 3-2 on an overtime goal by Elias Pettersson, who finished the game with three points. J.T. Miller scored his 20th goal of the season for the 23-30-5 Canucks. Jordan Binnington made 38 saves for the Blues as they fell to 26-28-4. Pavel Buchnevich and Brandon Saad were activated off injured reserve for this game

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues are 0-3-1 in the four games since trading Ryan O’Reilly to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Blues head coach Craig Berube criticized his top players following this game, accusing them of not caring about the team.

HEADLINES

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins acquired defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway from the Washington Capitals in a three-team trade involving the Minnesota Wild.

The Capitals receive forward Craig Smith, a 2023 first-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick and a 2024 third-round pick. The Capitals also retain 25 percent ($2.5 million) of Orlov’s $5.1 million annual cap hit. The Wild retained 25 percent ($1.2 million) of the remainder of Orlov’s cap hit after the Bruins sent them a 2023 fifth-rounder and prospect Andrei Svetlakov. The Bruins pick up the remaining $1.2 million of Orlov’s cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins general manager Don Sweeney continues his impressive streak of making significant moves before the trade deadline to bolster his roster for the playoffs. Orlov will provide an experienced physical shutdown presence to the left side of the Bruins’ defense corps while Hathaway will bring additional grit and depth to their checking lines.

This move might not seem as significant as Sweeney’s previous acquisitions of Taylor Hall and Hampus Lindholm. Nevertheless, the additions of Orlov and Hathaway make the Bruins a tougher team. That’s crucial for the postseason when the games get more physical. It’s also bad news for whoever faces them in the 2023 playoffs.

Orlov and Hathaway are slated to become unrestricted free agents this summer. Capitals GM Brian MacLellan explained he made this move to “acquire draft capital, infuse youth and restock the system”. It’s also a clear sign that MacLellan doesn’t believe his club can win if they reach the playoffs. This may not be the start of a rebuild for the Capitals but it’s at least the start of a roster retool that could continue during the offseason.

This is the second time in as many weeks that Wild GM Bill Guerin has used his cap space to be a third-party trade broker, having done the same in last week’s Ryan O’Reilly deal. He can only make this type of move once more as teams are only allowed to have three retained salaries on their books.

Cap Friendly indicates the Wild have $11.5 million in projected trade deadline cap space so Guerin might not be done as a third-party broker. He could also make a move that directly benefits his roster for the remainder of this season.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens claimed forward Chris Tierney off waivers yesterday from the Florida Panthers. They also announced that center Kirby Dach’s non-COVID-related illness symptoms were in fact related to a lower-body injury.

OTTAWA SUN: Former Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson indicated he’d like to meet with whoever becomes the club’s new owner to discuss a potential front-office job.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Former San Jose Sharks captain Patrick Marleau is in discussions with the club about rejoining the organization in a front-office role.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 19, 2023

by | Feb 19, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 19, 2023

The Hurricanes down the Capitals in their Stadium Series game, Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk gets two points in his return from injury and Ryan O’Reilly gets his first point with the Maple Leafs. Details on these and other game stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Washington Capitals 4-1 in front of a sellout crowd of 56,961 at Raleigh’s Carter-Finley Stadium. Martin Necas led the way with a goal and two assists for the Hurricanes (37-10-8), who sit second overall in the Eastern Conference with 82 points, seven back of the first-overall Boston Bruins. The Capitals dropped to 28-24-6 (62 points) and are one point behind the New York Islanders for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

Carolina Hurricanes celebrate their 4-1 Stadium Series win over the Washington Capitals (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was the Hurricanes’ first outdoor game and the first outdoor NHL game in North Carolina. It proved to be a big success. “The league got everything it could ever have wanted: A full stadium, a unique experience, a memorable evening, a made-for-broadcast spectacle right down to Dave Doeren in a Hurricanes jersey slamming a Coors Light on live TV,” wrote Luke DeCock of the Raleigh News & Observer.

Capitals winger Tom Wilson was activated off injured reserve for this game. He’s been sidelined since Jan. 24 with a lower-body injury.

Speaking of the league-leading Bruins, they beat the Islanders by a score of 6-2. Boston winger Jake DeBrusk had a goal and an assist in his first game since being sidelined by a lower-body injury on Jan. 2. Trent Frederic scored twice for the 42-8-5 Bruins (89 points) as they remain seven points ahead of the Hurricanes in the overall standings. The Islanders (28-24-7) cling to the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders also lost center Mathew Barzal in the first period with what appeared to be a knee injury. Head coach Lane Lambert gave no update on his condition following the game.

The Toronto Maple Leafs got two goals from Michael Bunting in a 5-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Ryan O’Reilly collected an assist in his debut with the Leafs after they acquired him on Friday in a three-team trade. Auston Matthews collected two assists as the Leafs improved to 34-14-8 and opened a three-point lead over the Tampa Bay Lightning for second place in the Atlantic Division with 76 points. Josh Anderson replied for the Canadiens as they slipped to 23-29-4 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens center Kirby Dach missed his second straight game with a non-COVID-related illness. The Habs also moved defenseman Arber Xhekaj (shoulder) to injured reserve. They currently have 11 regulars sidelined by injuries or illness.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Bowen Byram scored two goals to down the St. Louis Blues by a score of 4-1. Mikko Rantanen had a goal and an assist while Justus Annunen made 19 saves to pick up the win in his season debut. The Avalanche rose to 30-19-5 and sit in third place in the Central Division with 65 points. Sammy Blais scored for the Blues as they dropped to 26-26-3 since trading Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari to the Leafs on Friday.

The New Jersey Devils got two goals and two assists from captain Nico Hischier in a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jack Hughes collected two assists for the Devils (36-14-5) in his first game since being sidelined on Feb. 6 with an upper-body injury. With 77 points, they’re five back of the second-place Hurricanes in the overall standings. Evgeni Malkin scored both goals for the 27-19-9 Penguins as they remain in the first Eastern wild-card spot with 63 points and four games in hand over the Islanders.

Nashville Predators defensemen Roman Josi and Ryan McDonagh each collected three points in a 7-3 drubbing of the Florida Panthers. Tommy Novak scored twice for the 26-21-6 Predators (58 points) as they moved to within five points of the Minnesota Wild for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Brandon Montour had two assists for the Panthers (28-25-6) as they remain one point behind the Islanders with 62 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas left this game in the second period after being struck by a shot on his right wrist. There was no post-game update regarding his condition.

The Vegas Golden Knights picked up their fifth straight win by holding off the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4. Shea Theodore had a goal and two assists and Jonathan Marchessault tallied twice as the Golden Knights (34-18-4) overtook the Dallas Stars for first place in the Western Conference with 72 points. Corey Perry and Vladislav Namestnikov each had a goal and an assist for the 35-17-3 Lightning as they sit in third place in the Atlantic Division with 73 points.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Mathieu Olivier had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 upset of the Dallas Stars. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 28 shots for the win as the Blues Jackets improved to 18-34-4. Scott Wedgewood made 33 saves for the 30-15-12 Stars as they slipped to second in the Western Conference with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau missed this game with a lower-body injury, ending his consecutive games streak at 349.

Shootout goals by Gabriel Vilardi and Adrian Kempe gave the Los Angeles Kings a 6-5 win over the Arizona Coyotes after the latter overcame a 5-1 deficit in regulation. Kevin Fiala had two goals and an assist for the 32-18-7 Kings (71 points) as they sit one behind Vegas in second place in the Pacific Division. Clayton Keller scored twice for the Coyotes as they fell to 19-28-9.

The Seattle Kraken doubled up the Detroit Red Wings 4-2. Jordan Eberle scored twice and collected an assist while Matty Beniers had two assists for the Kraken (32-18-6) as they are one point behind the Kings in third place in the Pacific Division with 70 points. Pius Suter and Dylan Larkin scored for the 26-21-8 Red Wings (60 points) as they sit three points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

An overtime goal by Mikael Backlund lifted the Calgary Flames to a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers, snapping the latter’s seven-game win streak. Andrew Mangiapane and Nazem Kadri gave the Flames a 2-0 lead but the Rangers rallied on goals by Vladimir Tarasenko and Alexis Lafreniere. The win gives the Flames 63 points (26-19-11) to tie the Minnesota Wild but the latter holds the final Western Conference playoff spot with three more wins and a game in hand. The Rangers (33-14-9) sit two points back of the Devils in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points.

Third-period goals by Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch lifted the Buffalo Sabres past the San Jose Sharks 4-2. Dylan Cozens reached the 20-goal plateau for the first time in his career while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen kicked out 33 shots as the 28-22-4 Sabres (60 points) sit three points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. The Sharks sank to 17-29-11 on the season.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson scored twice and collected three assists in a 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Anthony Beauvillier tallied two goals for the 22-30-4 Canucks while the Flyers slipped to 22-25-10.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks played without Oliver Ekman-Larsson as the defenseman is expected to miss several weeks with an ankle sprain. Forward Curtis Lazar remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury. They also placed defenseman Travis Dermott on injured reserve.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 17, 2023

by | Feb 17, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 17, 2023

A hat-trick performance by Seth Jarvis as Hurricanes honor Cam Ward, the NHLPA name Marty Walsh as its new executive director, plus the latest on Thatcher Demko, Jesse Puljujarvi and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Carolina Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis tallied his first career NHL hat trick in a 6-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Andrei Svechnikov collected three assists as the Hurricanes improved to 36-10-8 to sit second in the overall standings with 80 points. Montreal fell to 23-28-4 on the season. The Canadiens played without Kirby Dach as he was sidelined by a non-COVID-related illness.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes honored former goaltender Cam Ward by making him their first inductee into their Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony. He spent 13 of his 14 NHL seasons with the Hurricanes, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy by backstopping them to the 2006 Stanley Cup. He holds the franchise’s single-season record for wins (39) and is their career leader in games played by a goalie (668), wins (318) and shutouts (27).

The Boston Bruins got a 28-save shutout performance by Jeremy Swayman to blank the Nashville Predators 5-0. Patrice Bergeron, Hampus Lindholm and Nick Foligno each had two points as the league-leading Bruins (41-8-5) opened a seven-point lead over the Hurricanes with 87 points. The Predators slipped to 25-21-6 (56 points) and sit five points behind the Minnesota Wild for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

Vegas Golden Knights forward William Carrier scored with 18 seconds remaining in regulation to lift his club to a 2-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Adin Hill made 25 saves for the win as the Golden Knights (33-18-4) won four straight and sit in first place in the Pacific Division with 70 points. Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 38 shots for the Sharks as they dropped to 17-28-11.

Two goals and an assist by Yanni Gourde powered the Seattle Kraken over the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 6-2. Matty Beniers, Jordan Eberle and Justin Schultz each had two points for the 31-18-6 Kraken as they sit two points back of the Golden Knights in second place in the Pacific Division. Travis Konency scored twice for the Flyers as they slipped to 22-24-10.

The St. Louis Blues doubled up the New Jersey Devils 4-2 thanks to a 34-save performance by Jordan Binnington. Jordan Kyrou and Brayden Schenn each had a goal and an assist as the Blues improved to 26-25-3 (55 points) to sit six points out of the final Western wild-card spot. The Devils are 35-14-5 to sit five points behind the Hurricanes in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 75 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Blues placed winger Brandon Saad (upper body) on injured reserve and recalled winger Jake Neighbours from their AHL affiliate in Springfield.

Florida Panthers forward Anton Lundell had a goal and two assists to lead his club over the Washington Capitals 6-3. Washington defenseman Erik Gustafsson collected three assists. The Panthers (28-24-6) and Capitals (28-23-6) each have 62 points but the Capitals hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with a game in hand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Capitals announced winger Carl Hagelin underwent left hip resurfacing and is sidelined indefinitely.

Three-point performances by Dylan Larkin and Tyler Bertuzzi gave the Detroit Red Wings a 5-2 win over the Calgary Flames. Dominik Kubalik tallied two goals for the Wings (26-20-8) as they moved two points behind the Capitals for the final Eastern wild-card spot. The Flames slipped to 25-19-11 and fell out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 61 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames’ inconsistency this season has raised questions and criticism of the club’s culture under head coach Darryl Sutter. He signed a two-year contract extension last October so he’s unlikely to be going anywhere for the time being.

Before the game, the Red Wings announced defenseman Olli Maatta signed a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $3 million.

A 37-save performance by Joonas Korpisalo lifted the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 3-1 upset of the Winnipeg Jets. Patrik Laine had a goal and an assist for the 17-34-4 Jackets while the Jets (34-20-1) remain two points behind the first-place Dallas Stars in the Central Division with 69 points.

HEADLINES

NHLPA.COM: The NHL Players Association announced yesterday that its Executive Board unanimously appointed Martin (Marty) J. Walsh as its new Executive Director. Walsh is the former U.S. Secretary of Labor and the former mayor of Boston.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You can read my thoughts on this hiring here.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko may have suffered a setback in his efforts to return from a lower-body injury suffered in early December. It’s believed he may have tweaked something during practice on Thursday. He’s slated to return to action on Saturday in a backup role.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Kailer Yamamoto is expected to return to action on Friday against the New York Rangers. He’d been sidelined by an upper-body injury since Jan. 11. To fit him into the lineup, the Oilers will have to make a move that could involve winger Jesse Puljujarvi, who did not practice on Thursday. He was expected to be placed on waivers but that didn’t happen.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Could a much-anticipated trade involving Puljujarvi take place before tonight’s game against the Rangers? We’ll learn more soon enough.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau (lower body) has been placed on injured reserve and Andy Andreoff has been recalled from their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning founder Phil Esposito will join Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis as the inaugural inductees into the franchise’s Hall of Fame during its Alumni Weekend on March 16-18.

TSN: Former NHL defenseman and assistant coach Paul Jerrard died of cancer on Thursday at age 57. Jerrard played five games for the Minnesota North Stars in 1988-89 and spent the remainder of his 11 professional seasons in the minors. He became an assistant coach with the Colorado Avalanche in 2002-03 as well as with the Dallas Stars from 2011 to 2013 and the Calgary Flames from 2016 to 2018. Since 2018-19, he’d been an assistant coach with the University of Nebraska-Omaha.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Jerrard’s family, friends, teammates and coaching colleagues.










The Canadiens Don’t Need To Tank The Season

by | Nov 29, 2022

The Canadiens Don’t Need To Tank The Season

A quarter of the way into the 2022-23 schedule, the Montreal Canadiens are exceeding expectations.

Having bottomed out last season in one of the worst performances in franchise history, the Canadiens (11-9-1) had 23 points entering their Nov. 29 games with the San Jose Sharks. They’re just two points out of a wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.

Several factors account for this improvement thus far.

Head coach Martin St. Louis doesn’t punish players (especially the younger Habs) for making mistakes. It’s much easier to play the game when you’re not terrified of getting banished to the press box for screwing up now and again.

Nick Suzuki wears the captaincy as comfortably as he would his favorite pair of skates. He leads the Canadiens in scoring, becoming the first-line center this franchise has been lacking for some time.

Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield (NHL Images).

Cole Caufield, meanwhile, continues to blossom into one of the league’s most dangerous snipers. Off-season acquisition Kirby Dach is thriving alongside Suzuki and Caufield, providing the Canadiens with a potent scoring line.

Rookie defensemen Kaiden Guhle, Jordan Harris, Arber Xhekaj and Johnathan Kovacevic stepped up when veterans Joel Edmundson and Mike Matheson were sidelined by injuries. 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slavkovsky is showing some potential as a future top-six winger.

The Canadiens’ rebuilding process under general manager Kent Hughes and his boss Jeff Gorton seems to be tracking in the right direction. A house of horrors a year ago, the Bell Centre is rocking once again to the cheers of Habs fans.

However, not every Canadiens follower is pleased by the club’s promising early-season play.

There are those fearful that the Canadiens are wrecking their rebuild, screwing up their chances of winning the 2023 draft lottery and the rights to projected top prospect Connor Bedard. Some suggest management tank the season by trading away as many veteran players as they can as soon as possible.

Hughes and Gorton entered this season with no illusions. Their game plan was always to shop some veterans (especially those on expiring contracts) by the March 3 trade deadline for draft picks and prospects to put toward the ongoing rebuild.

Waiting for February or March to unload those players isn’t good enough for those Canadiens followers hoping their club finishes dead last. They want them gone now in the belief it’ll send the team tumbling toward the bottom of the standings and fulfill their daydreams of Bedard pulling on a Habs jersey at the 2023 draft.

Those folks are overlooking the potential already on display within this season’s roster.

The Canadiens have two foundation stars in Suzuki and Caufield. Dach has the potential to become a star in his own right. The 18-year-old Slavkovsky could turn into a serious scoring threat as his game matures. Guhle, Xhekaj, Harris and Kovacevic are providing a tantalizing glimpse of what could become a solid blueline corps.

Why mess with that right now? What gut the roster of veteran experience, skill and leadership that takes the pressure off those kids while they’re developing their skills? Why risk damaging the budding confidence of those promising players with another season wallowing in the bottom of the standings?

Despite the Canadiens’ early-season play, realistic fans understand that they will likely come up short of a playoff berth. There are still too many holes in their current roster despite their better-than-expected start. Management probably understands this too. They will start shopping some of their veterans leading up to the March trade deadline for draft picks and prospects. In the meantime, those players are more beneficial in the lineup now to help the kids develop their abilities.

Even if management did all it could between now and the trade deadline to tank the season, there’s no guarantee they’ll win the lottery again. Just because they might miss out on Bedard doesn’t mean they can’t find a potential star later in the opening round. Caufield, after all, was chosen 15th overall in the 2019 draft.

Thanks to their current and former management, the Canadiens already have a crop of promising talent on the roster and within their prospect pipeline. Those youngsters could form a solid core that forms the nucleus of a future Stanley Cup contender or at the very least a perennial playoff club.

Thanks to the guidance of St. Louis and his coaching staff, they’re already getting better. They’re entertaining to watch and never give up when they fall behind on the scoreboard.

Those Canadiens fans worried about next year’s draft lottery should just relax. Don’t look at it like they’re wrecking their chances of landing a magical unicorn prospect. Appreciate that they already have a promising core that could become something special in a few years.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 8, 2022

by | Sep 8, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 8, 2022

The Canadiens will place Carey Price on LTIR after announcing the signing of Kirby Dach, the Senators ink Tim Stutzle to an eight-year extension, Disney and Turner announce their 2022-23 NHL schedules and more in today’s Morning Coffee Headlines.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens will garner salary cap relief for the coming season by placing Carey Price on long-term injury reserve. The 35-year-old goaltender has four years remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $10.5 million.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price (NHL Images).

Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said he’d have more news about Price after the netminder meets with team doctors prior to training camp later this month. He continues to be plagued by a nagging knee injury that shows no sign of improvement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes signaled last month that he would likely place Price on LTIR. I wouldn’t be surprised if the long-time Canadiens starter has played his final NHL game.

The Canadiens can exceed the $82.5 million salary cap by 10 percent during the offseason but must be cap compliant when the season starts next month. Putting Price on LTIR now means they can exceed the cap by the equivalent of his $10.5 million AAV. Cap Friendly shows them at $10.24 million. It also allowed them to sign Kirby Dach to a new contract.

Hughes also indicated that forward Paul Byron might also start the season on LTIR as he returns from hip surgery. There are also questions over whether Sean Monahan (hip surgery) and Jonathan Drouin (wrist) will be ready to start the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Monahan and Drouin probably won’t be sidelined for much longer as they seem close to being cleared to play. It sounds like Byron could require more time.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens also announced they reached an agreement with Kirby Dach on a four-year, $13.5 million contract. The 21-year-old center was acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in July and was the Habs’ final remaining free agent of the summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dach’s average annual value is just over $3.36 million. It’s a reasonable amount that could benefit the Canadiens’ cap payroll if he can play up to expectations.

The third-overall pick in the 2019 NHL Draft, Dach is looking forward to a fresh start in Montreal after struggling through injuries and inconsistent play during his brief tenure with the Blackhawks. He could start the season as their third-line center or shift to right wing depending on Monahan’s status.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators announced they’d signed Tim Stutzle to an eight-year, $66.8 million contract extension. Stutzle, 20, is in the final season of his entry-level contract. His annual cap hit starting in 2023-24 will be $8.35 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We shouldn’t be shocked by this signing. Senators GM Pierre Dorion had already locked up young core players such as Brady Tkachuk, Josh Norris, Drake Batherson and Thomas Chabot so it’s fitting that he followed suit with Stutzle.

The third-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Stutzle has the makings of a superstar. He followed up a promising rookie performance of 29 points in 53 games during the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season with a 22-goal, 58-point effort in 79 games in 2021-22.

Stutzle, Tkachuk, Norris, Chabot and Batherson are all 25-or-younger. Locking up that core on long-term deals should provide roster stability as Dorion continues to build around them. Those expensive contracts could become bargains over the long term if they play up to their potential.

NHL.COM: Disney and Turner Sports announced their 2022-23 NHL broadcast schedules. ESPN will open the season on Oct. 11 with a doubleheader featuring the New York Rangers hosting the Tampa Bay Lightning before the Vegas Golden Knights meet the Kings in Los Angeles. TNT will host the 2023 NHL Winter Classic on Jan. 2 in Boston at Fenway Park between the Bruins and the Pittsburgh Penguins.

ESPN.COM: The Arizona Coyotes expect to sell out every home game this season at Arizona State University’s Mullett Arena. They indicated their season-ticket sales have surpassed what they were making in their former arena in Glendale.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes had better sell out every home game at the 5,000-seat Mullett Arena. Failure to do so would be the latest embarrassment for a franchise that has had more than its share of them.

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers announced the establishment of its Hall of Fame yesterday. It may include former players, coaches, trainers, staff, executives “or any other person whose role or service in the organization since its founding in 1972 is recognized as extraordinary.”

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Oilers, they signed former Vancouver Canucks forward Justin Bailey to a professional tryout offer.