NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 14, 2026

by | Oct 14, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 14, 2026

Recapping Tuesday’s “Frozen Frenzy” with all 32 teams in action, the Red Wings re-sign Alex DeBrincat, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Brady Tkachuk tallied a natural hat trick and an assist, while brother Matthew Tkachuk had five assists to lead the Panthers to a 7-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Sam Reinhart had two goals and an assist, Seth Jones had four assists, and Carter Verhaeghe scored twice for the Panthers (3-2-2). Kent Johnson, Denton Meteychuk, and Cole Sillinger replied for the Blue Jackets, who dropped to 2-3-0.

Florida Panthers winger Brady Tkachuk (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Tkachuks became the first brothers to combine for nine points in a game since Daniel and Henrik Sedin in a Nov. 21, 2015 game against the Chicago Blackhawks. Blue Jackets winger Mathieu Olivier was ejected in the second period after delivering a between-the-legs slash to Panthers defenseman Uvis Balinskis.

Blue Jackets head coach Rick Bowness ripped his team following the game. “You have to hope, you got to believe that performance tonight will embarrass them enough to stop this, right? Because if they’re not embarrassed by that, we don’t want them on the team. It’s as simple as that,” Bowness said.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid recorded a goal and three assists in his 800th NHL regular-season game, leading his club to a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Vasily Podkolzin scored two goals, and Devon Levi kicked out 39 shots as the Oilers (5-0-1) extended their win streak to five games. Brandt Clarke scored for the Kings, who remain winless this season (0-3-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid sits third all-time among players with the most career points in 800 games (1,237), behind Wayne Gretzky (1,892) and Mario Lemieux (1,580).

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes scored in overtime and picked up two assists to nip the Detroit Red Wings 5-4. Jesper Bratt also had a goal and two assists for the 3-3-0 Devils, while Alex DeBrincat scored twice and collected an assist for the 1-3-2 Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following this game, reports emerged that the Red Wings and DeBrincat agreed to a seven-year, $91 million contract extension. The average annual value is $13 million, though the deal hadn’t been formally announced.

This is the first positive headline for the reeling Red Wings after months of bad news, including their playoff drought reaching 10 years, center Dylan Larkin’s public trade request, their ongoing search for a new general manager, and their difficult contract talks with defenseman Simon Edvinsson.

DeBrincat, 28, has been the Red Wings’ leading goal scorer (111 goals) and sits second in points (230) since joining the club in 2023-24. The Michigan native was slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, so retaining him long term is a major step forward for this struggling franchise.

It’s an expensive contract, but DeBrincat would’ve received a similar deal elsewhere had he opted to test next summer’s free-agent market. It also reflects the ongoing rise in player salaries in conjunction with the rising salary cap.

The Montreal Canadiens got a shootout winner from Zachary Bolduc to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. Lane Hutson and Cole Caufield each had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens, who improved to 3-2-1. Olen Zellweger tallied two goals for the 3-3-1 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the second straight game that Bolduc scored the winning goal in a shootout for the Canadiens, who called up center Owen Beck while defenseman Mike Matheson missed this game with a lower-body injury. The Sabres recalled blueliner Dennis Gilbert to replace sidelined captain Rasmus Dahlin. They also placed sidelined defenseman Matt Grzelcyk on injured reserve.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov scored twice (including the winning goal) and an assist in a 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals. Mark Jankowski scored to extend his goal streak to five games as the Hurricanes (6-1-1) extended their win streak to six games, holding first place in the Eastern Conference with 13 points. Ryan Leonard had two assists for the 3-3-0 Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Hurricanes announced that team captain Jordan Staal would be sidelined for one to two months with a torn calf muscle. Winger Taylor Hall departed during the second period with an upper-body injury.

The Seattle Kraken blew a 2-0 lead but recovered to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on a shootout goal by Bobby McMann, who also opened the scoring. Chris Dvorak and Trevor Zegras scored for the Flyers, who sank to 0-5-3.

New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere scored twice to extend his goal streak to a career-high four games in a 4-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Goalie Dylan Garand made 25 saves for the Rangers as they improved to 6-2-0. Zemgus Girgensons replied for the 4-2-0 Lightning.

St. Louis Blues forwards Pius Suter, Jake Neighbours, and Mason McTavish each scored twice to lead their club to a 7-2 drubbing of the Ottawa Senators. Suter and McTavish also each picked up an assist, and Pavel Buchnevich collected three assists for the 3-2-1 Blues. Claude Giroux and Fabian Zetterlund scored for the 5-2-0 Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The injury-riddled Senators lost another player as forward Ridly Greig departed in the third period with a muscle strain.

The New York Islanders got two goals from forward Kyle Palmieri to beat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2. Matias Maccelli had a goal and an assist, and Matthew Schaefer picked up two assists for the Islanders (3-3-0). Max Sasson and Brock Boeser scored for the 2-6-0 Canucks, who rallied to tie the score before Palmieri scored the winning goal.

Chicago Blackhawks captain Connor Bedard had an assist in his season debut as his club downed the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3. Teuvo Teravainen scored twice and picked up an assist, and Roman Kantserov tallied two goals for the 2-5-0 Blackhawks. Sidney Crosby scored two goals for the 3-3-1 Penguins.

The Winnipeg Jets got a three-point performance from Mark Scheifele (one goal, two assists) in a 5-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Cole Perfetti scored two goals, and Neal Pionk had two assists for the 4-1-1 Jets. Kirill Kaprizov scored twice for the 4-2-1 Wild.

Colorado Avalanche winger Martin Necas scored twice as his club held off the Dallas Stars 3-2. Nathan MacKinnon set up two goals, and Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 24 shots for the Avalanche (4-2-0). Tyler Seguin and Roope Hintz replied for the Stars, who slipped to 2-3-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon and Hintz got into a second-period fight that bloodied the Avalanche star. The Avalanche played without top defenseman Cale Makar. He returned to Denver to be with his wife, who is expecting twins.

The Vegas Golden Knights got third-period goals from William Karlsson, Trevor Connelly, and Brett Howden to beat the Nashville Predators 5-2. Adin Hill made 25 saves, and Rasmus Andersson collected two assists as the Golden Knights improved to 6-2-0 to sit in first place in the Pacific Division with 12 points.

Utah Mammoth winger Dylan Guenther and defenseman Mikhail Sergachev each had a goal and an assist as their club held off the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-4. Auston Matthews had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs (3-3-1) while the Mammoth moved into first place in the Central Division with 10 points (5-2-0).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Maple Leafs made it interesting with third-period goals by John Tavares and rookie winger Gavin McKenna, who has five points in his last four games.

Third-period goals by Martin Pospisil and Yegor Sharangovich lifted the Calgary Flames to their first win of the season by doubling up the Anaheim Ducks 4-2. Aydar Suniev had a goal and an assist, and Dustin Wolf turned aside 23 shots for the 1-5-0 Flames. Beckett Sennecke and Leo Carlsson scored for the Ducks (4-2-0).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Ducks called up Roger McQueen for his NHL debut and placed center Ryan Poehling on injured reserve. Poehling is out six to eight weeks with an MCL sprain.

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy scored in his season debut in a 6-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Fraser Minten scored two goals, and Jeremy Swayman made 35 saves for the Bruins (5-2-0), who moved into first place in the Atlantic Division with 10 points. Macklin Celebrini scored and assisted on rookie Ivar Stenberg’s first NHL goal as the Sharks dropped to 3-3-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks defenseman Darnell Nurse left this game in the third period following a fight with Bruins blueliner Nikita Zadorov.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 13, 2026

by | Oct 13, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 13, 2026

Recaps of Monday’s action, the three stars of the week are revealed, another round of injury updates, the Sabres and Penguins make a trade, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Tim Stutzle had a goal and an assist, and Linus Ullmark stopped 29 shots as the Ottawa Senators downed the New Jersey Devils 4-1. The Senators improved to 5-1-0, moving into first place in the Atlantic Division and second place in the Eastern Conference with 10 points. Arseny Gritsyuk scored for the Devils, who dropped to 2-3-0.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ullmark improved his record to 5-0-0, joining Ray Emery (2007-08) and Dominik Hasek (2005-06) as the third goalie in Senators history to win his first five or more games of the season.

Injuries continue to bite the Senators. Defenseman Nikolas Matinpalo left this game with what appeared to be a head injury after being boarded by Devils winger Anthony Mantha, who received a major penalty but remained in the game. Matinpalo will be reevaluated on Tuesday.

Buffalo Sabres forwards Noah Ostlund and Tage Thompson scored in the third period to give their club a 5-3 victory over the Florida Panthers. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 13 saves for the Sabres (3-3-0) after Colten Ellis was pulled midway through the second period after giving up two goals on nine shots. Sam Reinhart scored twice for the Panthers (2-2-2), and Akira Schmid turned aside 18 shots after replacing Jacob Markstrom, who left after the first period with a minor injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury. He’s listed as day-to-day and is expected to miss Tuesday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens.

The Minnesota Wild got first-period goals from Matt Boldy, Maxim Shabanov, and Danila Yurov to hold off the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2. Quinn Hughes had two assists, and Jesper Wallstedt made 21 saves for the Wild (4-1-1), who moved into first place in the Central Division with nine points. Rasmus Andersson and William Karlsson replied for the 5-2-0 Golden Knights, who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 10 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild forward Nico Sturm was taken to a hospital for precautionary reasons after being struck in the head by a puck shot by teammate Jared Spurgeon in the first period. It immediately reminded the Wild of teammate Brock Faber, who suffered a fractured skull from a similar incident during a preseason game.

Earlier in the day, the Wild placed forward Marcus Foligno (lower body) to injured reserve. Golden Knights defenseman Parker Wotherspoon missed this game as he’s week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews, Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger, and New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere were the three stars for the week ending Oct. 11.

TORONTO SUN/SPORTSNET: The Maple Leafs placed defenseman Chris Tanev (upper body) on IR. Meanwhile, center John Tavares rejoined his teammates on their road trip after returning to Toronto over the weekend to celebrate the birth of his son Tucker.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars forward Matt Duchene underwent surgery to repair a core muscle injury. He will be sidelined for about three months.

CALGARY SUN: Flames winger Sam Honzek will be out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: The Canadiens have recalled forward Owen Beck to replace winger Florian Xhekaj, who appeared to aggravate what looked like a lower-body injury during practice on Monday.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Pittsburgh Penguins placed defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk (lower body) on IR.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW/BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Speaking of the Penguins, they traded defenseman Caleb Jones and depth blueliner Daniel Laatsch to the Buffalo Sabres for defenseman Ryan Johnson.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche have given assistant coach Dave Hakstol permission to speak with Arizona State University for the head coach position for their men’s hockey team.

Hakstol could be behind the bench for ASU’s upcoming game on Friday. The university has reportedly informed other candidates that they’re no longer in the running.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 10, 2026

by | Aug 10, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 10, 2026

Questions facing the Hurricanes and Avalanche, the top defensemen for 2026-27, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Who steps up for the sidelined Seth Jarvis and Jordan Staal’s uncertain future are among the three questions facing the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes.

Jarvis, 24, underwent shoulder surgery in late June and faces a recovery period of 4-to-6 months. It could open the door for prospects such as Bradly Nadeau and Felix Unger Sorum to fill Jarvis’ role until his return.

Carolina Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal (NHL Images).

This season could be the final one for Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal. The 38-year-old center won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP and is entering the final season of his four-year-contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Staal is entering his 21st NHL campaign. Another solid performance on his part could convince him to return, though it could be on a one- or two-year contract.

Questions about their goaltending linger with the departure of veteran starter Frederik Andersen. Brandon Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov will be their goalie tandem this season. Bussi excelled after taking over for the injured Andersen in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final and the final three games of the series, but he must prove he can do it again.

NHL.COM: The biggest question facing the Colorado Avalanche is, “When will Cale Makar sign?” The 28-year-old superstar defenseman is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He can sign an extension now, but so far, there’s no indication that a deal is close.

Avalanche president Joe Sakic isn’t concerned. In June, he claimed that Makar would finish his career in Colorado.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: How much Makar will be paid and for how long are the main questions. He could become the first NHL player to earn an average annual value of $20 million. It could be an eight-year contract if he signs before the change to the maximum term for extensions drops to seven years on Sept. 16.

Whether the goaltending and the power play can improve are the other notable questions facing the Avalanche this season.

NHL.COM: Speaking of Cale Makar, he topped the NHL Network’s ranking of the top-20 defensemen in the league heading into 2026-27.

Quinn Hughes of the Minnesota Wild and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets finished second and third, respectively, followed by Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres and Miro Heiskanen of the Dallas Stars.

Other notables included Lane Hutson of the Montreal Canadiens, Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders, and Jake Sanderson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You can see the complete list by following the link. Let us know what you thought in the comments section below.

TSN: The Toronto Maple Leafs promoted Patrick O’Sullivan as their director of NHL development. He’d served as their development coach since 2023-24.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 17, 2026

by | May 17, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 17, 2026

The Sabres crush the Canadiens to force Game 7 in their second-round series, examining Mitch Marner’s strong postseason with the Golden Knights, several Avalanche players are nursing injuries, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres overcame an early 3-1 deficit with five unanswered goals to thump the Montreal Canadiens 8-3 in Game 6 of their second-round series, forcing a seventh and deciding game in Buffalo on Monday, May 18.

Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin (NHL Images)

Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin led the way with a goal and four assists, becoming the first defenseman in Stanley Cup Playoffs history to record five points in a game when facing elimination. Tage Thompson had a goal and three assists, and Jack Quinn tallied twice and collected an assist. Goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 18 shots after replacing Alex Lyon, who was pulled after giving up three goals on four shots early in the first period.

Jake Evans had a goal and an assist, Ivan Demidov scored for the second straight game, and Arber Xhekaj netted his first-ever playoff goal for the Canadiens. Jacob Fowler replaced starter Jakub Dobes in the third period after the latter gave up six goals on 33 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Facing elimination for the first time in this postseason, the Sabres responded with their best performance of this series, one that may have changed the direction of this series in their favor.

The turning point in the game occurred at 11:47 of the first period when Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson received a double-minor for high-sticking Sabres forward Josh Norris, leading to Jason Zucker’s power-play goal that narrowed the score to 3-2. Led by Dahlin and Thompson, the Sabres dominated the next two periods.

This was the Canadiens’ worst performance of this postseason, something team captain Nick Suzuki admitted after the game. Even when leading 3-1, they were struggling to adjust to the changes that Sabres’ head coach Lindy Ruff made to his forward lines. He shifted Thompson to right wing alongside Norris and Zach Benson on the first line, with Ryan McLeod centering Alex Tuch and Josh Doan on the second line. Rookie Konsta Helenius centered Zucker and Quinn on the third line, with Peyton Krebs between Jordan Greenway and Beck Malenstyn on the fourth line.

Ruff’s quick replacement of Lyon with Luukkonen in the first period also paid dividends, providing some much-needed stability between the pipes that helped to settle down his teammates.

It will be interesting to see what Game 7 brings us. Both teams have played well on the road, but struggled at home. That could work in the Canadiens’ favor, but the momentum the Sabres gained in Game 6 could propel them into the Eastern Conference Final against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Regardless of the outcome of Game 7, the Eastern Conference Final will begin on Thursday, May 21, in Carolina.

SPORTSNET: Michael Amato looked at what’s behind Mitch Marner’s dominant playoff performance with the Vegas Golden Knights after years of criticism about his postseason play with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Of the factors listed by Amato, getting away from that harsh spotlight in Toronto and the structure of Vegas’ roster are probably the main reasons why Marner’s an early candidate for the Conn Smythe Trophy. The Golden Knights play a solid two-way game with several forwards who play well defensively, so he’s not having to carry that burden as much as he did with the Leafs.

Some observers wondered how well Marner would perform after John Tortorella took over as head coach late in the season. Rather than struggling under the demanding Tortorella, Marner is thriving, earning his coach’s respect and support.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche has several players considered day-to-day as they nurse various injuries. They include Cale Makar, Brent Burns, Josh Manson, Artturi Lehkonen, and Sam Malinski.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The first game of their Western Conference Final series with the Golden Knights begins on Wednesday, so those players have several days to recuperate. Don’t be surprised if they’re all ready to go for Game 1.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Hurricanes aren’t concerned about their long layoff between series adversely affecting their performance against the Canadiens or Sabres in the Eastern Conference Final. They will have had 12 days to rest, recuperate, and prepare for their next opponent.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes will be a little rusty in the first game and perhaps the second, which could work to their opponent’s favor. However, the Canadiens and Sabres won’t have much time to recover from two long, physical series. That could work to the Hurricanes’ advantage as the Conference Final progresses.

DAILY FACEOFF: Anaheim Ducks forward Mikael Granlund is joining Finland’s roster in the 2026 IIHF World Championship.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 26, 2026

by | Mar 26, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 26, 2026

The Bruins defeat the Sabres, the Rangers are officially eliminated from the playoff race, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Pavel Zacha lifted the Boston Bruins over the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists for the 40-24-8 Bruins, who hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 88 points. Jason Zucker tallied twice for the Sabres (44-20-8), who remain in second place in the conference standings with 96 points.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin’s fiancée, Carolina Matovac, attended her first Sabres game since her heart transplant last year. She’s spent the seven months recovering in the couple’s native Sweden.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll kicked out 40 shots in a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers, officially eliminating the latter from this season’s playoff race. Dakota Joshua had a goal and an assist for the 31-29-13 Maple Leafs. Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and two assists, and Mika Zibanejad tallied twice for the 28-35-9 Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers are the first Eastern Conference team, and the second overall, to be eliminated from the postseason chase. On Sunday, the Vancouver Canucks’ postseason hopes were ended.

HEADLINES

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning captain Victor Hedman has taken a temporary leave of absence from the club for personal reasons. He missed the last three games with an ailment.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Another member of the Panthers has been sidelined by an injury. Center Anton Lundell could miss the rest of this season with an injured rib. He’s not expected to require surgery, but his recovery time could be between two and six weeks.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators might have to continue their playoff push without Thomas Chabot. The 29-year-old defenseman suffered an injured arm after being cross-checked by New York Rangers captain J.T. Miller on Monday. It’s speculated that Chabot could be out of the lineup for six weeks.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins winger Anthony Mantha is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings signed defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $1.6 million.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Jacob Winterton, brother of Kraken forward Ryan Winterton, died Tuesday at age 25 following a battle with cancer. Jacob spent two seasons in the OHL from 2018-19 and 2019-20 with the Flint Firebirds and Oshawa Generals, followed by four seasons playing for the University of Guelph

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to the Winterton family and Jacob’s friends and former teammates.

THE ATHLETIC: Harman Dayal recently examined why NHL goaltending has become one of the most volatile positions in all major sports.

Several reasons explain this problem. One is that offenses have improved while goalies haven’t caught up. There’s also been a generational loss of workhorse goalies in recent years, as stars such as Roberto Luongo, Henrik Lundqvist, Carey Price, and Marc-Andre Fleury have retired.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dayal’s column is behind a paywall, but it’s well worth the read if you have access to it.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 12, 2026

by | Feb 12, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 12, 2026

Juraj Slafkovsky leads Slovakia to an upset over Finland, Italy throws a scare into Sweden, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky scored two goals and collected an assist as Slovakia upset Finland 4-1 in the opening game of the 2026 Olympic Men’s hockey tournament. St. Louis Blues rookie center Dalibor Dvorsky also scored, and Minnesota Wild goalie prospect Samuel Hlavaj stopped 39 shots for Slovakia. Eeli Tolvanen scored, and Juuse Saros made 21 saves for Finland.

Slovakia winger Juraj Slafkovsky (AP.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Slafkovsky picked up from where he left off four years ago when he was named tournament MVP after leading Slovakia to a bronze medal, the country’s first in Olympic Men’s ice hockey. He silenced the critics who felt he would struggle against deeper clubs in these Olympics, as they overlooked the fact that Slafkovsky has four NHL seasons under his belt and is becoming a scoring star with the Canadiens.

Hlavaj was outstanding for Slovakia between the pipes. He tended to slide around a bit in his crease, but his acrobatic style and quick glove hand made the difference, making him the star of this game.

The questions that dogged Finnish goalie Juuse Saros since last year’s 4 Nations Face-Off persist. He looked shaky at times in this contest and could be replaced in the next game by Vancouver Canucks netminder Kevin Lankinen. However, Saros didn’t get much help from his teammates, who managed to get only one shot past Hlavaj.

IIHF.COM: Third-period goals by Mika Zibanejad and Victor Hedman lifted Sweden over Italy 5-2. Rasmus Dahlin collected three assists while Zibanejad and Gustav Forsling each had a goal and an assist for Sweden, who outshot Italy 60-22 in this contest.

Italian goalie and Anaheim Ducks prospect Damien Clara was outstanding for Italy, making 46 saves before leaving with an injury with 14 minutes remaining in the third period. Luca Frigo and former Canadiens prospect Matt Bradley scored for the Italians.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Thanks to Clara’s heroics, the gritty Italians threw a scare into the heavily favored Swedes in this game. They opened the scoring, tied the game at 2 in the second period, and hung tough in this one until Zibanejad made it 4-2.

Boston Bruins center Elias Lindholm came off injured reserve, enabling him to play for Sweden in this game.

NHL.COM: Switzerland officially named Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi as their team captain for this tournament. New Jersey Devils center Nico Hischier, Los Angeles Kings winger Kevin Fiala, and Winnipeg Jets winger Nino Niederreiter were named alternate captains.

THE ATHLETIC: Arpon Basu believes the Olympic neck guard mandate is a major opportunity for NHL adoption. He interviewed several NHL players in this tournament who had different opinions on the subject, but it could be a matter of time before they’re worn more frequently.

CHL.CA: The Canadian Hockey League announced its top-50 players of the past 50 years. Fans can vote from Feb. 10 to March 10 to determine the final ranking of these players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The list includes current NHL stars such as Sidney Crosby, Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, and Connor Bedard, and Hall of Famers like Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Patrick Roy. Follow the link above for the full list and details on how you can vote to determine the final ranking.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The postponed Jan. 26 game between the Los Angeles Kings and the Blue Jackets is scheduled for Monday, March 9, at 4 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That start time isn’t sitting well with some Blue Jackets fans, who pointed out they’ll be at work when that game begins.