NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 24, 2024

by | Apr 24, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 24, 2024

The Panthers and Rangers take 2-0 series leads while the Avalanche and Predators tie their first-round series. Get the details and the latest on the other playoff clubs and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Carter Verhaeghe lifted the Florida Panthers to a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 of their best-of-seven opening-round series. Sam Bennett and Vladimir Tarasenko also scored for the Panthers, who hold a 2-0 series lead. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 34 shots and Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos replied for the Lightning. The series shifts to Tampa Bay for Games 3 and 4 with Game 3 on Thursday, Apr. 25 at 7 pm ET.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made an acrobatic stop on a backhander by Lightning defenseman Matt Dumba that could be considered an early favorite for “save of the playoffs.”

Bennett left this game in the second period after being struck in the hand by a slapshot from teammate Brandon Montour. There was no update on his condition following the game.

New York Rangers forwards Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck each had a goal and an assist as their club held off the Washington Capitals 4-3 to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series. Tom Wilson had a goal and an assist for the Capitals while teammate Alex Ovechkin was held without a point for the second straight game. The series moves to Washington for Games 3 and 4 with the third game set for Friday, Apr. 26 at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Special teams made the difference in this game as the Rangers got power-play goals from Zibanejad and Jack Roslovic and a shorthanded tally by K’Andre Miller. Meanwhile, Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said he felt Ovechkin was struggling to get scoring chances in part because of the Rangers’ shot blocks.

A four-goal second period carried the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-2 victory in Game 2 of their series with the Winnipeg Jets, tying their opening-round series at a game apiece. Miles Wood, Artturi Lehkonen, Zach Parise and Josh Manson were the second-period goal scorers while goaltender Alexandar Georgiev made 28 saves. David Gustafsson and Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets. Games 3 and 4 will be held in Denver with Game 3 on Friday at 10 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was redemption for Georgiev following his brutal performance in Game 1. The Jets did themselves no favors with their sloppy defensive play in the second period.

The Nashville Predators tied their first-round series with the Vancouver Canucks at one apiece with a 4-1 win. Filip Forsberg and former Canuck Anthony Beauvilier each had a goal and an assist for the Predators while Nikita Zadrov scored for the Canucks. The series heads to Nashville for Games 3 and 4 with the third game starting at 7:30 pm on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Casey DeSmith suited up for Vancouver as starting goalie Thatcher Demko is out week-to-week with an undisclosed injury. Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said it is unrelated to the knee injury that sidelined Demko for 14 games this season. Nevertheless, the Canucks will be without their starting goalie for perhaps the remainder of this series.

Demko wasn’t the only Canuck on the shelf for this game. Defenseman Tyler Myers is sidelined with the flu.

DeSmith wasn’t to blame for the Canucks loss in this game. His teammates went 0-4 on the power play, had 32 shots blocked and missed the net 31 times.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe hinted it was possible William Nylander might return to action in Game 3 against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday in Toronto. The 27-year-old winger missed the first two games of this series with an undisclosed injury as the club has kept mum on his condition.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Bruins, defenseman Andrew Peeke is week-to-week with an upper-body injury (finger) suffered during Game 2 against the Leafs. The Bruins recalled defenseman Mason Lohrei from their AHL affiliate in Providence.

IN OTHER NEWS…

GOPHNX.COM: Craig Morgan reports Alex Meruelo has a steep hill to climb to convince anyone he should remain as owner of the Arizona Coyotes.

Public opinion of Meruelo in Arizona is at an all-time low. His method of operation has burned many bridges with local politicians, business leaders and community leaders. There is skepticism he can get a new arena built to meet the league’s five-year timeline to bring back the Coyotes as an expansion franchise.

Morgan also reported that Meruelo must reactive the franchise at least 18 months before the end of that five-year window. He can do it earlier but the new arena must be at least 50 percent completed at the time he reactivates.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I recommend reading Morgan’s report. He details the number of issues dogging Meruelo that raise questions about his efforts to construct a new arena and bring the NHL back to Arizona and his suitability as an NHL owner.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Remy Mastey looks at the potential consequences if Meruelo fails to meet the league’s timeline for arena construction.

Meruelo still technically owns the Coyotes as part of the recent agreement that relocates the franchise to Salt Lake City. The team is considered inactive until Meruelo gets a new NHL-suitable arena within five years.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told Craig Morgan that the NHL will not entertain competing bids for the Coyotes as long as Meruelo owns the rights. Once he no longer does, Arizona would become like any other expansion team.

Muruel intends to bid on a parcel of land for his new arena project at an auction on June 27. If he loses that auction he could have other options but it would be a significant setback for his plans.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports a record 11 NHL teams will carry salary-cap overages into 2024-25. Multiple teams are expected to carry over more than $2 million in penalties.

Some overages were pre-planned as the clubs knew the salary cap would significantly rise for next season. Other overages are due to younger players reaching their performance bonuses this season.

The Edmonton Oilers top the list with projected overage penalties of $3.45 million, followed by the Dallas Stars ($2.595 million) and the Washington Capitals ($2.252 million).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Click the link provided for the complete list. The flattened cap for this season put some of those teams into this bind regarding those players reaching their performance bonuses.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils forward Timo Meier underwent voluntary arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder yesterday. He’s expected to make a full recovery and be available for the start of the Devils’ training camp in September.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: The Flyers signed goaltender Ivan Fedotov to a two-year, $6.5 million contract extension. He appeared in three games with the Flyers this season after finally being allowed to leave the KHL to pursue his NHL career.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former NHL winger Jakub Voracek announced his retirement on Tuesday. The 34-year-old winger was in the final season of his contract but didn’t play due to concussion issues.

Voracek spent 15 seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers, scoring 223 goals and 583 assists for 806 points in 1,058 regular-season games. He also had 28 points in 49 playoff contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Voracek’s contract was traded last year to the Coyotes. He returned to Czechia and has taken up coaching there.

TORONTO SUN: Former Maple Leafs goaltender Ed Chadwick has passed away at age 90. He spent five seasons with the Leafs from 1955-56 to 1961-62, including back-to-back 70-game seasons. In 184 career games, he had a record of 57 wins, 92 losses and 35 ties with a 2.94 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. From 1982 to 2001, he was a scout with the Edmonton Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Chadwick’s family, friends and former teammates.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 16, 2024

by | Apr 16, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 16, 2024

Oilers captain Connor McDavid reaches a historic assist milestone, the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy, the Islanders clinch a playoff spot, and the Capitals, Red Wings and Penguins remain in the race for the final Eastern wildcard berth. Details and more in the NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected his 100th assist of the season in a 9-2 drubbing of the San Jose Sharks. Adam Henrique, Darnell Nurse and Dylan Holloway each had three assists for the Oilers (49-25-6) as they sit ninth in the overall standings. Fabian Zetterlund scored his 23rd of the season for the Sharks.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid joins Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux as the fourth player in NHL history to reach 100 assists in a season. It’s the first time an NHL player has reached that milestone since Gretzky in 1990-91.

Oilers winger Evander Kane missed this game with a minor injury. San Jose forwards Kevin Labanc, Mike Hoffman and Alexander Barabanov remain sidelined for the remainder of the season. They’re slated to become unrestricted free agents this summer and have likely played their final games for the Sharks.

The New York Rangers are this season’s winner of the Presidents’ Trophy for the best NHL record after blanking the Ottawa Senators 4-0. Igor Shesterkin turned in a 26-save shutout and Artemi Panarin netted his 49th goal of the season for the 55-23-4 Rangers, who finished the season with 114 points. Joonas Korpisalo made 30 saves for the Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the fourth time the Rangers have won the Presidents’ Trophy with their previous win coming in 2014-15. Their 55 wins and 114 points are franchise records.

Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri had a goal and an assist as the New York Islanders defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-1. The Isles (38-27-16) clinched third place in the Metropolitan Division with 92 points and will face the Carolina Hurricanes in the opening round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Timo Meier scored his 28th goal of the season for the Devils.

Washington Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren had a 16-save shutout in a 2-0 upset of the Boston Bruins. John Carlson and Nic Dowd were the goal scorers as the Capitals improved to 39-31-11 to hold the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth with 89 points. Jeremy Swayman turned aside 23 shots for the Bruins, who sit fourth overall with 109 points.

The Detroit Red Wings overcame a 4-1 deficit to beat the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 on an overtime goal by Lucas Raymond, who also scored the tying goal. J.T. Compher also scored twice for the 40-32-9 Red Wings (89 points) as they sit behind the Capitals in the standings. Brendan Gallagher scored two goals while rookie defenseman Lane Hutson collected an assist in his first game with the Canadiens.

Pittsburgh Penguins stars Sidney Crosby and Erik Karlsson each had a goal and an assist to double up the Nashville Predators 4-2. With a record of 38-31-12, the Penguins also have 88 points in the race for the final Eastern wildcard. Predators winger Filip Forsberg netted his 48th goal of the season as his club finished the season with 99 points (47-30-5). They already qualified for the playoffs but missed an opportunity to clinch the first Western Conference wildcard spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators can still secure that first wildcard if the Vegas Golden Knights lose one of their final two games. The Golden Knights have also qualified for the postseason.

Meanwhile, the Capitals, Red Wings and Penguins have one game each remaining in their respective schedules. The Capitals face the Philadelphia Flyers while the Red Wings and Canadiens square off again tonight. The Penguins meet the Islanders on Wednesday.

The Buffalo Sabres finished their season with a 4-2 upset of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Dylan Cozens tallied twice for the Sabres. Lightning captain Steven Stamkos scored both of his club’s goals to reach 40 on the season while teammate Nikita Kucherov picked up his 99th assist. The Lightning have already clinched a playoff berth and hold the first Eastern wildcard spot with 96 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov will get his chance to become the fifth player in NHL history to reach 100 assists in a season in his club’s season-ending game against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday. With 142 points, he has a four-point lead over Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon in the race for the Art Ross Trophy.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and an assist to lead his club over the Los Angeles Kings 3-1. Blake Lizotte scored for the Kings (43-27-11), who sit third in the Pacific Division with 97 points.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi, and Calgary Flames forward Nazem Kadri are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Apr. 14.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers signed general manager Bill Zito to a multi-year contract on Monday. His current deal will expire at the end of next season. Zito also takes over as the Panthers’ president of hockey operations.

During Zito’s tenure, the Panthers have qualified for the playoffs for four straight years, including this one. They won the Presidents’ Trophy in 2021-22 and reached the Stanley Cup Final last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zito overhauled the Panthers’ roster with only four players (Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad, Sergei Bobrovsky and Eetu Luostarinen) remaining from the lineup that began the 2020-21 season. He’s added Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Brandon Montour, Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe and Gustav Forsling.

DAILY FACEOFF: Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko returns to action on Apr. 16 to face the Calgary Flames. Demko missed the last 14 games with a knee injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks have two games remaining in their schedule, allowing Demko time to return to form before the playoffs begin this weekend.

TORONTO STAR: Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann will miss his club’s final two regular-season games with a lower-body injury. Teammate Max Domi will miss Tuesday’s game against the Florida Panthers and could miss their finale on Apr. 17 against the Lightning.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets signed prospect forward Gavin Brindley to a three-year entry-level contract. He’ll make his NHL debut on Tuesday against the Carolina Hurricanes.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2024

by | Mar 28, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2024

Recaps of Wednesday’s games, Martin Brodeur believes today’s goaltenders are babied, the players could have half of their escrow returned to them for this season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Boston Bruins 3-1. Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point each scored their 42nd goal of the season for the 40-25-7 Lightning (87 points). They hold the first Eastern Conference wildcard berth and sit two points behind the third-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division. Danton Heinen replied for the 42-17-15 Bruins (99 points) as they slipped into third in the overall standings, one point behind the league-leading New York Rangers.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov regained sole possession of the points lead with 124, one up on Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon. The Lightning improved to 8-1-1 in March.

A five-goal first period gave the Ottawa Senators a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Shane Pinto had a goal and three assists while Joonas Korpisalo made 34 saves for the Senators (31-36-4). JJ Peterka tallied his 25th goal of the season for the Sabres as they slipped to 34-34-5.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: In an interview with Pierre LeBrun, Martin Brodeur lamented how NHL clubs handle their goaltenders.

“I think we baby our goalies,” said Brodeur. “I see it. I’m part of it. It’s like, my goalie coach will say, ‘He’s played five games in the past eight days.’ I’m like, ‘So?’”

The Hall-of-Fame goalie is now the executive vice president of hockey operations for the New Jersey Devils. He played 70 or more games 12 times during his 22-year NHL career.

Brodeur acknowledged the game has changed and so has the position. He noted how volatile it has become in recent years where a netminder can be the top goalie one year and struggle the next. He blames the 1A and 1B system that result in split workloads.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We discussed this Wednesday night on the Face Off Hockey Show. The decline in quality goalies in recent years could be another reason as there are fewer standout starters compared to Brodeur’s era. The increase in the game’s speed and the skaters’ improved scoring skills are other potential factors.

DAILY FACEOFF: With this season’s NHL revenue projected to reach $6.2 billion, the players can expect to receive half of the escrow withheld from the contracts returned to them after final accounting and auditing.

The salary cap for next season is projected to rise to $87.5 million. With revenue projections higher than expected and the players’ $1.1 billion in debt from pandemic-related losses repaid to the owners, there is a window to negotiate a higher cap for next season provided both sides are willing to agree to this. If not, the cap will continue to rise by five percent with escrow remaining at six percent annually as agreed under the 2020 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that extended the CBA to Sept. 15, 2026.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The cap could reach $92 million for 2025-26, the final year of the CBA. The players could receive another escrow refund next season if revenue growth remains robust.

THE PROVINCE: The Canucks placed goaltender Thatcher Demko on long-term injury reserve. However, he remains on track to return from a lower-body injury sometime around April 6.

Meanwhile, Canucks center Elias Lindholm missed practice yesterday after being scratched from Monday’s 3-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Head coach Rick Tocchet said he wasn’t concerned, claiming it was “something a little nagging, that’s getting better every day.” Still, there’s no timeline for Lindholm’s return.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist will miss the remainder of the season after tearing the ACL in his right knee during Monday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights. He will undergo surgery and be reevaluated in six months.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of season-ending injuries, Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield recently underwent successful surgery to treat a lower-body injury. He’s expected to make a full recovery.

CBS SPORTS: Anaheim Ducks winger Brock McGinn underwent disc surgery on his back and will be sidelined for four months. He’s expected to be recovered by late July but it remains to be seen if he’ll be ready for training camp in September.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals defenseman Ethan Bear entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program. He will be out indefinitely, returning to on-ice competition once cleared by the program administrators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Bear. Here’s hoping he receives the treatment he needs that enables him to continue his career and lead a more fulfilling life.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Earlier this week, the Avalanche signed goaltender Justus Annunen to a two-year, one-way contract extension with an average annual value of $833K.

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS: An arena deal that would’ve moved the Washington Capitals and the NBA’s Washington Wizards to Virginia has fallen through. The clubs’ ownership reached an agreement on a publicly-funded arena deal with the city that will keep them in Washington until 2050.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 13, 2024

by | Mar 13, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 13, 2024

The Blackhawks’ Connor Bedard matches two franchise records, the Panthers and Rangers expand their leads in their respective divisions, and former player Anson Carter heads a group that wants to bring a franchise to Atlanta. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Chicago Blackhawks rookie star Connor Bedard had a goal and four assists in a 7-2 rout of the Anaheim Ducks. Bedard matched the single-game franchise records for assists and points (five) by a rookie. Nick Foligno and Philipp Kurashev each had four points for the 18-43-5 Blackhawks. Brett Leason tallied twice for the 23-39-3 Ducks.

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard also became the fifth 18-year-old player in league history to have a five-point game, joining Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (2011), Ilya Kovalchuk (2002), Dale Hawerchuk (1982) and Jack Hamilton (1943). The young Blackhawks star has eight points in his last two games and 10 in his last four. He leads this season’s rookie class with 51 points (13 more than Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber) and 20 goals (three more than the Wild’s Marco Rossi).

The league-leading Florida Panthers scored three unanswered third-period goals to nip the Dallas Stars 4-3, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Aleksander Barkov scored twice while Sam Reinhart tallied his 46th goal of the season for the 45-17-4 Panthers (94 points), who opened a three-point lead over the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins atop the overall standings. Joe Pavelski, Jason Robertson and Wyatt Johnston each had a goal and an assist for the Stars (40-18-9), who sit in first place in the Central Division with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers played without forward Evan Rodrigues due to a lower-body injury.

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin made 28 saves for his second straight shutout to blank the Carolina Hurricanes 1-0. Adam Fox scored for the 43-18-4 Rangers (90 points) to open a six-point lead over the second-place Hurricanes atop the Metropolitan Division. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 23 shots for the 39-20-6 Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, Rangers rookie center Matt Rempe received a four-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for elbowing New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler in the head on Monday.

The Colorado Avalanche moved closer to the Central-leading Stars with a 6-2 victory over the slumping Calgary Flames. Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist to extend his points streak to 13 games while Mikko Rantanen has two goals and two assists for the 41-20-5 Avalanche (87 points) as they’re two points back of the Stars. Dan Vladar made 29 saves for the 31-29-5 Flames, who have lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads all scorers with a career-high 113 points. Three key Flames players were absent from this game. Goaltender Jacob Markstrom is day-to-day with a lower-body injury, forward Andrei Kuzmenko was a late scratch with an upper-body injury, and winger Andrew Mangiapane was sidelined with an illness.

Speaking of slumping teams, the Detroit Red Wings suffered a 7-3 upset at the hands of the Buffalo Sabres. Defenseman Bowen Byram scored twice and Zach Benson had a goal and two assists for the 31-30-5 Sabres (67 points), who moved to within five points of the New York Islanders for the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth. Lucas Raymond had a goal and an assist for the 33-26-3 Red Wings (72 points), who lost their sixth straight game and slipped out of that wildcard spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: When this month started, the Wings held the first Eastern wildcard berth with 72 points with a seven-point lead over the ninth-overall Washington Capitals and the 10th-overall Islanders. The Isles now have the same number of points as the Wings but they hold that wildcard spot with a game in hand.

Jack Eichel’s 200th career goal came in overtime to lift the Vegas Golden Knights over the Seattle Kraken 5-4. Eichel also had two assists while Jonathan Marchessault tallied twice for the Golden Knights (35-23-7), who hold the final Western Conference wildcard spot with 77 points. Philipp Grubauer stopped 29 shots for the 28-24-12 Kraken.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Owen Tippett snapped a 2-2 tie as his club defeated the San Jose Sharks 3-2. Travis Konecny and Morgan Frost each had two points for the Flyers (34-24-8), who hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 76 points. Filip Zadina scored both goals for the 16-41-7 Sharks.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Cayden Primeau kicked out 41 shots for his second shutout of the season in a 3-0 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Brendan Gallagher, Juraj Slafkovsky and Joshua Roy were the goalscorers for the 25-30-10 Canadiens. Elvis Merzlikins gave up three goals on four shots and was replaced by Daniil Tarasov as the Blue Jackets sank to 22-33-10.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

A two-goal performance by Kirill Kaprizov gave the Minnesota Wild a 4-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Kaprizov also collected an assist for the 32-27-7 Wild. Nick Bjugstad replied for the 26-35-5 Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek left the game with an undisclosed injury in the third period. Meanwhile, the Coyotes played without forward Barrett Hayton as he could be out longer than day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

The Ottawa Senators snapped a seven-game skid as they downed the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 on an overtime goal by Drake Batherson. Joonas Korpisalo made 34 saves and Jake Sanderson also scored for the 26-33-4 Senators. Michael Bunting replied for the 28-27-9 Penguins.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Former NHL player-turned-broadcaster Anson Carter is heading a group that made a formal request to the league to begin the process of adding an expansion franchise to Atlanta.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Three times the charm after two previous teams (Flames and Thrashers) were relocated from Atlanta. Meanwhile, potential ownership groups in Salt Lake City and Houston have also expressed interest in bringing NHL franchises to their cities.

While the league continues to play coy over the possibility of expanding into new markets, it seems inevitable that it will grow by at least another two teams before the end of this decade. One of those cities could become the next home of the Arizona Coyotes if their current owner’s efforts to build a new arena in the Phoenix area fall through.

NHL.COM: Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury. He is expected to return before the Stanley Cup playoffs begin next month.

TSN: The Canucks also placed winger Dakota Joshua (injured hand) on long-term injury reserve.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators defenseman Dante Fabbro is out for two to three weeks with an upper-body injury.

THE SCORE: The Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils will open the 2024-25 season on Oct. 4 and 5 in Prague, Czechia. The following month, the Dallas Stars and Florida Panthers will face off in Tampere, Finland on Nov. 1 and 2. These games are part of the NHL’s 2024 Global Series.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 12, 2024

by | Mar 12, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 12, 2024

Recaps of Monday’s games, the three stars of the week are revealed, and injury updates on Thatcher Demko, Gabriel Landeskog, Aaron Ekblad and Josh Norris. Get the details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves for his fourth shutout of the season to blank the Washington Capitals 3-0. Neal Pionk, Alex Iafallo and Kyle Connor were the goalscorers for the 41-18-5 Jets, as they sit in second place in the Central Division with 87 points. Charlie Lindgren made 26 stops for the 30-24-9 Capitals as they remain three points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 69 points.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck also reached the 30-win plateau for the fifth time in his NHL career. Capitals forward T.J. Oshie returned to action after missing seven games with an upper-body injury. However, teammate Tom Wilson missed this game with an upper-body injury.

Speaking of that final Eastern wild-card spot, the New York Islanders slipped out of it after a 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Adrian Kempe, Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore scored for the Kings (33-20-11) as they sit third in the Pacific Division with 77 points. Ilya Sorokin turned aside 22 shots for the 29-21-14 Islanders, who sit behind the Detroit Red Wings with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE The Islanders and Red Wings have the same number of points, but the Wings hold the wild-card berth with more wins (33).

New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad scored his first even-strength goal in 30 games as his club downed the New Jersey Devils 3-1. Jonathan Quick made 19 saves for the 42-18-4 Rangers (88 points) as they hold first place in the Metropolitan Division and sit fifth in the overall standings. Simon Nemec scored for the Devils (31-30-4), who remain six points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot with 66 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zibanejad became the fifth player in Rangers history to score at least 20 goals in seven straight seasons, joining Jean Ratelle, Rod Gilbert, Vic Hadfield and Andy Bathgate. Meanwhile, Rangers forward Matt Rempe could face supplemental discipline after being ejected during the second period for elbowing Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler in the head.

The St. Louis Blues upset the Boston Bruins 5-1 with Kasperi Kapanen scoring a goal and collecting two assists. Joel Hofer kicked out 36 shots for the 33-29-3 Blues (69 points) as they moved to within six points of the final Western Conference wild-card berth. David Pastrnak tallied his 41st goal of the season for the Bruins (38-14-15) as they remain one point behind the first-overall Florida Panthers with 91 points.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Boston Bruins forward Pavel Zacha, and Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending March 10, 2024.

THE PROVINCE: Speaking of Demko, he’ll be sidelined for two to three weeks after suffering a knee injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see how well the Canucks handle the loss of their starting goaltender over that period. A healthy Demko is a crucial part of their Stanley Cup aspirations.

TSN: Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said team captain Gabriel Landeskog could return to action with what he called the “playoff timeframe.” The 31-year-old winger has been sidelined by a knee injury since the end of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. Bednar stressed that Landeskog won’t be rushing his timetable to return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That timeframe could be the start of the playoffs next month or the Stanley Cup Final in June if the Avalanche get that far.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators center Josh Norris will miss the rest of the regular season after undergoing a third surgery on his left shoulder following an injury on Feb. 27. He’s expected to be recovered in time for training camp in September.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a significant setback for Norris. Whether the 24-year-old center will be able to continue his playing career or be as effective as he once was remains to be seen.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad will be sidelined for at least two weeks with a knee injury. Head coach Paul Maurice said the blueliner didn’t suffer any long-term damage.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers center Ryan Johansen is believed to be battling an injury or ailment that has prevented him from playing for their AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley. Johansen also hopes to reconcile with Flyers coach John Tortorella as the two clashed when they were with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

ESPN.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes signed forward Brendan Lemieux to a one-year, $775K contract extension.

SPORTSNET: The Arizona Land Department’s Board of Appeals will meet on Thursday to discuss a Phoenix site where the Coyotes hope to build a new arena.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2024

by | Mar 10, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2024

The Bruins’ David Pastrnak nets his 40th goal of the season, a hat trick performance by Vegas’ Jonathan Marchessault, a franchise-record performance by the Lightning’s Darren Raddysh, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak tallied his 40th goal of the season in a 5-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Linus Ullmark kicked out 38 shots and Pavel Zacha scored twice and collected an assist for the Bruins (38-13-15) as they sit third in the overall standings with 91 points. Kris Letang scored for the Penguins as they dropped to 28-26-8.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm had two assists in his return to the roster after missing nine games with a lower-body injury.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Jonathan Marchessault (NHL Images).

Jonathan Marchessault scored the go-ahead and insurance goals to complete his hat trick as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-3. Jack Eichel collected three assists for the 34-23-7 Golden Knights as they hold the final Western Conference wildcard spot with 75 points. Michael Rasmussen had a goal and an assist for the slumping Red Wings (33-25-6) as they slipped into the final Eastern Conference wildcard spot with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings have lost five straight games. With captain Dylan Larkin sidelined by an injury, general manager Steve Yzerman could regret not making a significant move at the trade deadline to bolster his roster down the stretch…The Golden Knights placed forward William Carrier on long-term injury reserve. He’s been sidelined for 30 games with an upper-body injury.

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s Darren Raddysh set a single-game franchise record for defensemen with five assists in a 7-0 drubbing of the Philadelphia Flyers. Andrei Vasilevskiy had a 25-save shutout and Victor Hedman scored twice and picked up an assist. The Lightning (34-25-6) moved into the first Eastern wildcard berth with 74 points. The Flyers (33-24-8) remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 74 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers Head coach John Tortorella was ejected midway through the first period for arguing with the on-ice officials…Lightning blueliner Erik Cernak left this game with a lower-body injury. There was no postgame update regarding his status.

Vladimir Tarasenko scored twice and picked up an assist in his first game with the Florida Panthers as they downed the Calgary Flames 5-1. Anthony Stolarz stopped 34 shots for the Panthers (44-17-4) as they sit in first place in the overall standings with 92 points. Yegor Sharangovich scored to match his career-high of 46 points as the Flames dropped to 31-27-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad and forward Evan Rodrigues left this game with injuries. Ekblad was hurt following a knee-on-knee collision with Tarasenko and Rodrigues injured his left ankle blocking a shot. Both will be evaluated on Sunday.

The Vancouver Canucks blanked the Winnipeg Jets 5-0. Thatcher Demko and Casey DeSmith combined for a 22-save shutout after Demko left the game in the second period with an undisclosed injury. Elias Pettersson and Nils Hoglander each had a goal and an assist as the Canucks (42-17-7) remain in second place in the overall standings with 91 points. Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 32 shots for the 40-18-5 Jets as they sit second in the Central Division with 85 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said he didn’t think Demko’s injury was serious, but admitted he hadn’t spoken with the team’s medical staff. We could learn more about his condition today.

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin had a 26-save shutout in a 4-0 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox each had two assists for the Rangers (41-18-6), who sit in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 86 points. Jordan Binnington stopped 35 shots for the 32-29-3 Blues, who have lost three straight games.

The Dallas Stars opened a four-point lead over the Jets for first place in the Central (89 points) as they crowned the Los Angeles Kings 4-1. Jason Robertson and Joe Pavelski each had a goal and an assist for the 40-17-9 Stars. Kevin Fiala replied for the Kings (32-20-11) as they sit third in the Pacific Division with 75 points.

A shootout goal by Alex Tuch lifted the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 30 saves for the 30-30-5 Sabres while Oilers’ captain Connor McDavid’s points streak ended at 13 games. Warren Foegele and Ryan McLeod each had a goal and an assist as the Oilers (38-21-3) are in second place in the Pacific Division with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres appeared to have the game won in the dying seconds of overtime but Owen Power’s goal was ruled offside following a coach’s challenge. Both teams were in their dressing rooms during the review and were called back onto the ice to finish the game.

The Carolina Hurricanes tallied three third-period goals to double up the New Jersey Devils 4-2. Teuvo Teravainen had a goal and two assists for the 38-19-6 Hurricanes, who sit second in the Metro with 82 points. Nico Hischier had a goal and an assist for the 31-29-4 Devils.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares snapped a 2-2 tie as this club nipped the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. Max Domi had a goal and an assist for the Leafs (37-19-8) as they hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 82 points. Mike Matheson and Juraj Slakovsky each had two points for the 24-30-10 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs winger Mitch Marner missed this game (day-to-day) with a lower-body injury.

Nashville Predators forward Luke Evangelista scored the winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Predators (37-25-3) pushed their points streak to 11 games and hold the first Western wildcard berth with 77 points. Daniil Tarasov kicked out 47 shots for 22-32-10 Blue Jackets.

The Washington Capitals kept their playoff hopes alive with a 4-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Sonny Milano scored for the fifth consecutive game and Charlie Lindgren stopped 31 shots for the 30-23-9 Capitals (69 points), who sit three points out of the final Eastern wildcard berth. Tyler Johnson replied for the 16-43-5 Blackhawks.

San Jose Sharks forward Thomas Bordeleau scored twice as his club beat the Ottawa Senators 2-1. Tim Stutzle replied for the Senators. The Sharks are 16-40-7 while the Senators are 25-33-4.