NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 12, 2025

by | Mar 12, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 12, 2025

Recaps of Tuesday’s games include a milestone for Sidney Crosby, the latest in the Mikko Rantanen trade drama, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Sidney Crosby scored two goals and Erik Karlsson tallied in overtime as the Pittsburgh Penguins upset the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2. Tristan Jarry stopped 35 shots and Rickard Rakell had two assists for the Penguins. Pavel Dorofeyev and Noah Hanifin each had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights as they sit first in the Pacific Division with 83 points.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby became the first player in league history to have multi-goal games against 31 different NHL franchises. Penguins defensemen Ryan Shea and Pierre-Olivier Joseph missed this game as they’re week-to-week with upper-body injuries. Forward Tommy Novak is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Washington Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas tallied his first NHL hat trick in a 7-4 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Alex Ovechkin collected three assists and Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and two assists for the Capitals, who have won five straight games and hold first place in the overall standings with 94 points. Frank Vatrano, Pavel Mintyukov and Drew Helleson each had a goal and an assist for the Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After a disappointing season with the Los Angeles Kings, Dubois has rediscovered his scoring touch with the Capitals. He has 57 points in 65 games, putting him on track to exceed his career-best 63-point performance with the Winnipeg Jets in 2022-23. He considers playing with Ovechkin in his quest to break the all-time goal record on a team that looks like a Stanley Cup contender the opportunity of a lifetime.

The Winnipeg Jets kept pace with the Capitals atop the overall standings with a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers. Vladislav Namestnikov and Gabe Vilardi scored and Cole Perfetti added two assists for the Jets (94 points). Mika Zibanejad scored for the Rangers (68 points), who sit two points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals sit ahead of the Jets with a game in hand. Meanwhile, Jets defenseman Luke Schenn admitted feeling a little overwhelmed after being traded twice within a day and a half. On March 5, he was acquired from the Nashville Predators by the Penguins, who flipped him to the Jets.

Speaking of the Blue Jackets, they dropped a 5-3 decision to the New Jersey Devils. Jesper Bratt had a goal and two assists, while Luke Hughes and Cody Glass each collected two points for the Devils, who sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 76 points. Mathieu Olivier scored twice for the Blue Jackets (70 points).

The Ottawa Senators opened up a little breathing room between themselves and the Blue Jackets by defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2. Brady Tkachuk scored his 400th NHL point while Dylan Cozens scored to pick up his third straight point since joining the Senators at the trade deadline. The Senators have won four straight and hold the first Eastern wild card with 73 points. Jamie Drysdale and Rodrigo Abois replied for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cozens seems rejuvenated since being acquired from the Buffalo Sabres, providing a welcome jolt of energy to the Senators’ lineup.

Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky had a goal and two assists in a 4-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield each had a goal and an assist and Sam Montembeault made 29 saves for the Canadiens, who sit two points behind the Blue Jackets. Filip Hronek had a goal and an assist for the Canucks (69 points), who remain one point behind the Calgary Flames for the final Western wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games. Canucks captain Quinn Hughes remained sidelined with a lower-body injury but could return to action for Wednesday’s game against the Flames in Calgary.

The Boston Bruins also sit two points behind the Blue Jackets after rallying to nip the Florida Panthers 3-2. Dmitry Kulikov and Mackie Samoskevich scored for the Panthers but the Bruins replied with third-period goals by David Pastrnak, Mason Lohrei and Pavel Zacha. The Panthers hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 83 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Former Bruins captain Brad Marchand skated with the Panthers during their gameday skate but remains week-to-week with an upper-body injury. The Panthers acquired Marchand at the trade deadline.

Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield scored for the fourth straight game in a 4-1 win over the New York Islanders. Darcy Kuemper turned aside 33 shots for the Kings, who’ve won three straight and sit third in the Pacific Division with 77 points. Anders Lee scored for the Islanders (65 points) as they remain five points behind the Blue Jackets.

The Carolina Hurricanes got their fifth straight win by downing the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1. Seth Jarvis scored to extend his goal streak to three games and Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 23 shots for the Hurricanes, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 82 points. Gage Goncalves scored for the Lightning, who are third in the Atlantic Division with 78 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov left this game near the end of the second period with an undisclosed ailment.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves to nip the Colorado Avalanche 2-1, ending the latter’s six-game win streak. Mats Zuccarello scored in regulation and the shootout, while teammate Matt Boldy tallied the winning goal. Joel Kiviranta replied for the Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild hold the first Western wild card with 78 points, while the Avalanche is third in the Central Division with 81 points.

The Nashville Predators picked up their fourth straight win with a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist and Kieffer Bellows tallied the game-winner for the Predators. Patrick Giles and Collin Graf scored for the Sharks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE SCORE: Mikko Rantanen’s agent refuted the claim by Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour that the superstar winger didn’t want to play in Carolina.

Andy Scott said Brind’Amour was “completely misinformed”, claiming his client had an open mind when he arrived in Carolina but later felt that the Hurricanes weren’t a good fit “from a style-of-play standpoint.” Scott said it was “nothing personal” on Rantanen’s part, adding that his client respected Brind’Amour and the Hurricanes’ players.

The Hurricanes acquired Rantanen from the Colorado Avalanche in January. After failing to agree to a contract extension, they shipped him to the Dallas Stars at the trade deadline. He signed an eight-year extension with the Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Whatever the reason behind that situation, Hurricanes management did not ensure Rantanen was open to a contract extension before acquiring him from the Avalanche. They brought him in to improve their chances of winning the Stanley Cup, but ended up trading him to the Stars for a return that helps them long-term but won’t move them closer to the Cup this season.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Speaking of the Stars, forward Roope Hintz avoided a facial fracture when a puck struck him in the face during a weekend game against the Edmonton Oilers. However, he’ll be sidelined for five to seven days.

ROTOWIRE: Buffalo Sabres forward JJ Peterka is being evaluated for a lower-body injury. His status for Wednesday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings remains uncertain.

SPORTSNET: Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson underwent heart surgery during the 4 Nations Face-Off break in the NHL schedule. Born with a heart defect known as Tetralogy of Fallot, he had surgery to replace a pulmonary valve after it had stopped working properly by inserting a new valve into the one already in his heart.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Davidson for a swift recovery.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 20, 2021

by | May 20, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 20, 2021

Avalanche and Hurricanes take 2-0 series leads, Bruins up 2-1 over the Capitals, Jets take Game 1 from the Oilers, the order for the 2021 Draft Lottery is revealed, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Nathan MacKinnon’s hat trick powered the Colorado Avalanche past the St. Louis Blues 6-3 in Game 2 of their first-round series. Joonas Donskoi also scored twice for Colorado as they took a 2-0 lead in the series. Avalanche center Nazem Kadri received a match penalty for an illegal hit to the head of Blues defenseman Justin Faulk during the third period. Faulk left the game and didn’t return. Game 3 shifts to St. Louis on Friday.

Colorado Avalanche captain Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was closer than the final score indicates as the Blues overcame a 3-0 deficit with two goals and scored again when MacKinnons made it 4-2. Kadri could face supplemental discipline given his playoff suspension history.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic made 32 saves for his first career postseason shutout to blank the Nashville Predators 3-0 in Game 2 of their opening-round series. Sebastian Aho scored twice and Warren Foegele also tallied for the Hurricanes, who have a 2-0 series lead to Nashville for Game 3 on Friday. Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin missed the game with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators’ goaltender Juuse Saros did his best to keep his club in the game with 28 saves, several of them on high-quality scoring chances. Once again, the Predators’ anemic offense was their undoing, especially on a power play that went 0-7.

The Boston Bruins took a 2-1 lead in their series by downing the Washington Capitals 3-2 in double overtime. Craig Smith netted the winner following a turnover behind the Washington net. Brad Marchand and Taylor Hall also scored for Boston while Alex Ovechkin and Nic Dowd replied for the Capitals. Game 4 goes Friday night.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s taken overtime to decide every game in this series thus far. Ovechkin wasn’t pleased with the miscommunication between goalie Ilya Samsonov and defenseman Justin Schultz that led to Smith’s goal.

Connor Hellebuyck kicked out 32 shots to backstop the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-1 series-opening win over the Edmonton Oilers. Dominic Toninato broke a 1-1 tie with his first-ever NHL playoff goal while Kyle Connor and Blake Wheeler each had a goal and an assist. Jesse Puljujarvi replied for the Oilers. Jets forwards Nikolaj Ehlers (shoulder injury) and Pierre-Luc Dubois (undisclosed) remain sidelined.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A solid defensive effort by the Jets as they held Oilers stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl pointless in this contest. Game 2 goes tomorrow night.

The Calgary Flames beat the Vancouver Canucks 6-2 in their final game of the season. Calgary winger Matthew Tkachuk scored two goals. Flames forward Dillon Dube left the game with an upper-body injury.

HEADLINES

The full order for the 2021 NHL Draft Lottery was revealed yesterday. The Buffalo Sabres have the best odds (16.6) of winning the lottery. The Anaheim Ducks (12.1) have the second-best while the expansion Seattle Kraken (10.3) has the third-best.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You can see the complete list by following the link above. The Arizona Coyotes are included in this list at 11th with 3.1 percent odds but they forfeited their 2021 first-round pick for violating the 2020 NHL Draft combine rules.

STLTODAY.COM: An NHL investigation showed several COVID tests initially showing several members of the Blues tested positive were in error. Several players, including goalie Jordan Binnington and winger Vladimir Tarasenko, were forced to miss the morning skate while awaiting clarification. David Perron, Jake Walman and Nathan Walker remain on the COVID protocol list from their positive tests several days ago.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Evgeni Malkin traveled with the Pittsburgh Penguins to Long Island yesterday. He missed the first two games of his club’s series against the New York Islanders with a suspected knee injury. Sidelined backup goalie Casey DeSmith remained in Pittsburgh.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens captain Shea Weber will be in the lineup when his club faces off tonight against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Weber missed the final eight games of the regular season with an upper-body injury.

NEW YORK POST: John Davidson is returning to his former job as president of the Columbus Blue Jackets less than two weeks after being fired as president of the Rangers.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Rangers, they hired Mike Grier as their new hockey operations advisor.

CBS SPORTS: Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick underwent shoulder surgery on Wednesday. He also dealt with a rib injury toward the end of the season.

MLIVE.COM: Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin said he suffered a neck injury on April 20. He won’t have to face surgery and expects to be fully recovered for next season.

ESPN.COM: Former U.S. Women’s National Team captain Meghan Duggan is joining the New Jersey Devils as their manager of player development.

TSN/WGR 550: Former NHL forward Jussi Jokinen is hanging up his skates after 21 pro seasons. He collected 563 point in 951 NHL games with the Dallas Stars, Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings, Columbus Blue Jackets and Vancouver Canucks from 2005-06 to 2017-18.

Former NHL forward Derek Roy is retiring after 18 pro seasons. He netted 524 points in 738 games with the Buffalo Sabres, Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, St. Louis Blues, Nashville Predators and Edmonton Oilers from 2003-04 to 2014-15. He spent the past five seasons playing in Europe.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wishing the best of luck to both players in their future endeavors.










Rangers Fire Davidson and Gorton

by | May 5, 2021

Rangers Fire Davidson and Gorton

The New York Rangers fired team president John Davidson and general manager Jeff Gorton. Chris Drury has taken over for Davidson and Gorton but it’s uncertain if that’s on an interim basis.

Former New York Rangers GM Jeff Gorton (left) and former team president John Davidson (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gorton had been general manager since July 2015 while Davidson became president in May 2019. Under those two, the Rangers had engaged in a rebuilding program, bringing in younger players.

Reports indicate this move is unrelated to the Rangers issuing a statement yesterday regarding the incident involving Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson on Monday. Davidson and Gorton apparently sought to distance themselves from that statement.

The New York Post’s Larry Brooks cited sources saying a difference of opinion had emerged between those two and Rangers CEO James Dolan. Davidson and Gorton were taking a patient, long-term view while Dolan apparently wants the club to take the next step in the process. It’s also reported Dolan was unhappy with the Rangers’ performance this season, particularly after their two recent back-to-back shutout losses to the rival Islanders.

That “next step in the process” could mean Drury goes shopping in this summer’s trade and/or free-agent market. Perhaps veterans with a year remaining on their contracts, such as Mika Zibanejad or Ryan Strome, get peddled in the offseason. Maybe Drury attempts a blockbuster move by offering up some promising prospects and/or young players for a young impact star.

It’ll be interesting to see what the future holds for current Rangers coach David Quinn. While he kept his job there’s no certainty he’ll be back next season. Drury could prefer to bring in a more experienced NHL bench boss or could be directed by Dolan to do so.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 8, 2021

by | Mar 8, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 8, 2021

​Recaps of Sunday’s action plus the latest on Brandon Carlo, Tom Wilson and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: First-period goals by Anders Lee and Brock Nelson 62 seconds apart powered the New York Islanders to a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. It was the Isles’ fifth straight victory and the Sabres’ seventh consecutive loss. Nelson scored twice while Jeff Skinner tallied his first of the season for Buffalo.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders (34 points) hold a two-point lead over the Washington Capitals for first place in the MassMutual East Division.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

Alex Ovechkin tallied career goal 714 and Ilya Samsonov made 36 saves as the Capitals downed the Philadelphia Flyers 3-1. Before the game, Ovechkin weighed in on teammate Tom Wilson’s seven-game suspension for boarding Boston Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo, calling it “a kind of joke.” Wilson will not appeal the suspension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I understand Ovechkin is sticking up for his teammate but I wonder if he’d feel the same way if, say, Brad Marchand (like Wilson, a skilled player with a history of reckless play) hit one of the Capitals in the same way Wilson did to Carlo.

New Jersey Devils goaltender Scott Wedgewood turned in a 40-save shutout to blank the Bruins 1-0. Kyle Palmieri tallied the only goal. Speaking of Carlo, he was released from the hospital on Saturday and is listed as week-to-week with a head injury.

The Tampa Bay Lightning overcame a 3-0 deficit to down the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3. Four of their goals came on the power play as they extended their points streak to eight games. Yanni Gourde led the way with two goals and two assists. Blackhawks defenseman Connor Murphy received a match penalty for a dangerous hit to the head of Lightning blueliner Erik Cernak and could face supplemental discipline. The Hawks also played without rearguard Calvin de Haan, who’s ailing from blocking a shot during Friday’s game between the two clubs.

Sebastian Aho had a goal and an assist as the Carolina Hurricanes doubled up the Florida Panthers 4-2. Panthers defenseman Keith Yandle played his 1,000th career NHL game. With the win, the Hurricanes (35 points) are one point behind the first-place Lightning in the Discover Central Division and one point ahead of the Panthers.

A three-point performance by Kasperi Kapanen helped the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the New York Rangers 5-1. The Penguins blew the game open with three goals by Kapanen, John Marino and Sidney Crosby within 61 seconds in the second period. Pittsburgh (29 points) moved two points ahead of the Flyers into fourth in the East Division. Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba picked up an assist in his first game since suffering a broken thumb on Feb. 16.

The Nashville Predators nipped the Dallas Stars 4-3 on a shootout goal by Roman Josi. The Stars overcame a 3-0 deficit with three third-period goals to force overtime and the shootout.

A shootout goal by Drake Batherson gave the Ottawa Senators a 4-3 win over the Calgary Flames, who dropped their second straight game since firing head coach Geoff Ward.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: Edmonton Oilers forward Kailer Yamamoto was fined $3, 854.17 for tripping Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson during Saturday’s game.

MLIVE.COM: Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Bertuzzi remains sidelined by an upper-body injury suffered on Jan. 30. He hasn’t practiced in five weeks and there’s no timetable for his return.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers president John Davidson reached out to Barry Beck after the former Rangers captain recently wrote a scathing Facebook post blaming the Rangers, USA Hockey and the NHL for the death of former teammate Mark Pavelich, who passed away last week at age 63.

Beck believes Pavelich’s struggles late in his life were attributable to head trauma suffered during his playing career with the Rangers in the 1980s. He criticized the club and USA Hockey for what he considered their lack of support of Pavelich. He also called the NHL “cowards” for avoiding discussion about the lasting effect of brain and head injuries suffered while playing. Pavelich’s death is still under investigation.










NHL Trade Deadline Tracker – February 24, 2020

by | Feb 24, 2020

NHL Trade Deadline Tracker – February 24, 2020

The NHL Trade Deadline is 3 pm ET today. This listing will be updated regularly throughout the day until all trade activity is complete.

Anaheim Ducks trade defenseman Korbinian Holzer to the Nashville Predators for defenseman Matt Irwin. 

Washington Capitals trade defenseman Christian Djoos to the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Daniel Sprong. 

Montreal Canadiens trade Nick Cousins to the Vegas Golden Knights. Details to follow…

Calgary Flames trade Brandon Davidson to the San Jose Sharks for future considerations. 

New Jersey Devils trade goaltender Louis Domingue to the Vancouver Canucks in exhange for goalie Zane McIntyre

Tampa Bay Lightning acquire Barclay Goodrow from the San Jose Sharks for a first-round pick.

New York Rangers traded defenseman Brady Skjei to the Carolina Hurricanes for the Hurricanes’ first-round pick in 2020. 

Columbus Blue Jackets acquire Devin Shore from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Sonny Milano. 

Vegas Golden Knights acquired goaltender Robin Lehner from the Chicago Blackhawks for Malcolm Subban, Slava Demin and a 2nd round pick. 

New Jersey Devils trade defenseman Sami Vatanen to the Carolina Hurricanes for winger Janne Kuokkanen and a second-round pick. 

Buffalo Sabres trade Conor Sheary and Evan Rodrigues to the Pittsburgh Penguins for Dominik Kahun. 

Calgary Flames acquire defenseman Erik Gustafsson from the Chicago Blackhawks for a third-round pick. 

Los Angeles Kings ship defenseman Derek Forbort to the Calgary Flames for a fourth-round pick. 

Edmonton Oilers trade a fifth-round pick in 2021 to the Ottawa Senators for Tyler Ennis.

Edmonton Oilers acquired Andreas Athanasiou and Ryan Kuffner from the Detroit Red Wings for Sam Gagner, a second-round pick in 2020 and a second-rounder in 2021. 

Boston Bruins trade Danton Heinen to the Anaheim Ducks for Nick Ritchie.

Buffalo Sabres acquire winger Wayne Simmonds from the New Jersey Devils for a conditional fifth-rounder in 2021. 

Philadelphia Flyers acquire center Derek Grant from the Anaheim Ducks for minor-league center Kyle Crisuolo and a fourth-round pick in 2020. 

Toronto Maple Leafs trade goaltender Michael Hutchinson to the Colorado Avalanche for defenseman Calle Rosen.

Pittsburgh Penguins acquire Patrick Marleau from the San Jose Sharks for a conditional third-round pick in 2020. The pick becomes a second-rounder if the Penguins win the Stanley Cup. 

Montreal Canadiens trade center Nate Thompson to the Philadelphia Flyers for a fifth-round pick in 2021. 

Florida Panthers trade center Vincent Trocheck to the Carolina Hurricanes in exchange for forwards Erik Haula, Lucas Wallmark and prospects Chase Priskie and Eetu Luostarinen.

New York Islanders acquire center Jean-Gabriel Pageau to the New York Islanders for a first-round pick (lottery protected) in 2020, a  second-rounder in 2020, and a third in 2022. There are conditions attached to all picks. The Islanders re-sign him to a six-year contract extension.

Ottawa Senators trade Vladislav Namestnikov to the Colorado Avalanche for a fourth-round pick in the 2021 NHL draft. 

Detroit Red Wings trade defenseman Mike Green to the Edmonton Oilers for sidelined forward Kyle Brodziak and a conditional draft pick.