NHL Rumor Mill – April 11, 2024

by | Apr 11, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – April 11, 2024

Will Patrick Kane return with the Red Wings next season? Should the Devils add toughness to their roster in the offseason? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WILL PATRICK KANE RETURN WITH THE RED WINGS?

MLIVE.COM: Ansar Khan reports the decision by the Detroit Red Wings general manager to sign Patrick Kane to a one-year, $2.5 million contract last November has been validated.

Kane recently reached the 20-goal plateau for the 16th time in 17 NHL seasons. It’s an impressive achievement for a 35-year-old winger coming off a hip resurfacing procedure last June. He said he was “really happy” with his decision to sign with the Red Wings, adding he has nothing but positive things to say about the organization, the coaches and the team.

Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

With 44 points in 46 games, Kane is second to Wings captain Dylan Larkin in points per game (.96 to .97). He also indicated he’s no longer feeling pain on the ice as he did before his procedure.

Khan believes the Red Wings would like to re-sign Kane before his eligibility for unrestricted free-agent status on July 1. He’s focused on the playoff chase and will sort out his future in the offseason.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Bob Duff noted that Kane offered no inclination that he’d like to return with the Wings.

“I think just with the situation I was in and coming in and being here for maybe three-quarters of the season or whatever it was, it’s just this year and then we’ll see what happens,” said Kane.

Duff believes Kane’s performance this season will draw a lot of suitors if he tests the free-agent market on July 1. Yzerman could find it challenging to keep the future Hall-of-Famer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A lot will depend on what kind of offers Kane could receive. They’ll be short-term proposals but he could lean toward a club willing to sign him for three years.

The cap hit will also be a factor. He won’t get anything close to the $10.5 million annual average value of his previous contract and won’t accept another $2.75 million AAV. Something around $6 million annually could tempt him.

Kane could prefer signing with Stanley Cup contenders if he hits the open market.

WILL THE DEVILS ADD TOUGHNESS IN THE OFFSEASON

SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek noted the New Jersey Devils intend to search for a starting goaltender and a new head coach this summer. However, he wondered if they’d re-sign enforcer Kurtis MacDermid or find a suitable replacement.

Marek observed that most of the Devils’ rivals in the Metropolitan Division carry a slugger. MacDermid was brought in to deal with Matt Rempe after the Rangers forward ran over Nathan Bastian.










NHL Rumor Mill – April 9, 2024

by | Apr 9, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – April 9, 2024

Which clubs could target Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom this summer? Could the Blues attempt to move Jordan Binnington in the offseason? Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHICH CLUBS COULD TARGET MARKSTROM?

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Jim Matheson considers it a foregone conclusion that the Calgary Flames will trade Jacob Markstrom. The 34-year-old goaltender has two years remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $6.4 million and a full no-movement clause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Matheson observed, Markstrom holds all the cards here. It’s his decision if he’ll accept a trade and to which clubs he’d find acceptable destinations. It’s believed a deal with the New Jersey Devils fell through two months ago.

Matheson observed that the Ottawa Senators need a goalie. He claimed the Flames really like center Shane Pinto.

Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You know who else really likes Pinto? The Senators. They intend on signing the restricted free agent this summer. Pinto told The Athletic’s Ian Mendes he wants to stay in Ottawa and hopes to get a new deal done soon.

The Senators probably aren’t on Markstrom’s list of preferred trade destinations. He’s probably not interested in joining a rebuilding club at this stage in his career.

The Los Angeles Kings could search for a new netminder in the offseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings are a more realistic destination for Markstrom. They’re a playoff contender looking to take the next step toward Stanley Cup contention. The Kings reportedly attempted to acquire Linus Ullmark but the Boston Bruins goalie is said to have refused to waive his no-trade clause.

The Devils have veteran Jake Allen and that’s about it.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After the trade deadline, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald stated that he’s going “big-game hunting” for a goaltender in the offseason. Markstrom is probably at the top of his list.

COULD THE BLUES SHOP BINNINGTON IN THE OFFSEASON?

SPORTSNET: During Monday’s “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, Elliotte Friedman wondered if St. Louis Blues GM Doug Armstrong will make any major changes to his club in the offseason.

Friedman and Jeff Marek pointed out that goaltender Jordan Binnington is having a really good year for the Blues. He has a full no-trade clause that reverts to an 18-team no-trade list for next season. Friedman is curious if Armstrong might attempt to move the 30-year-old goaltender, who has value in the trade market.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Everything I’ve read and heard regarding the Blues suggested Armstrong might try to move one of his high-salaried defensemen. Still, we can’t dismiss the possibility he gauges Binnington’s value in the trade market.

Binnington’s improvement this season was partly because he reined in his fiery temper. Still, that aspect of his personality could make some clubs leery about acquiring him. His no-trade next season limits the Blues to just 14 trade partners, though Armstrong could ask him to widen his list of destinations. His $6 million cap hit through 2026-27 could also be a sticking point.

Promising goalie Joel Hofer has the makings of a future starter for the Blues. If Armstrong moves Binnington this summer, he must bring in a reliable veteran to back up Hofer.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 8, 2024

by | Apr 8, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 8, 2024

The battle for the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth continues as does the jockeying for first place in the overall standings. Get the details in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Detroit Red Wings got first-period goals from Lucas Raymond, Patrick Kane and Dylan Larkin to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 3-1. Tage Thompson replied for the Sabres. With a record of 38-31-8, the Wings vaulted over the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals into the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth with 84 points. The Sabres slipped to 37-36-5 (79 points) and sit five points back of the Wings.

Speaking of the Capitals, they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Ottawa Senators. Jake Sanderson scored in overtime and Ridly Greig had a goal and an assist for the 34-39-4 Senators. Max Pacioretty and Aliaksei Protas scored for the Capitals (36-30-11) as they sit one point behind the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals also lost defenseman Rasmus Sandin to an upper-body injury following a hard hit by Senators forward Parker Kelly in the first period. After the game, Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said Sandin will miss some time from the roster.

The New Jersey Devils’ wildcard hopes suffered a blow as they fell 3-2 to the Nashville Predators on a shootout goal by Ryan O’Reilly, who also had two assists in regulation. Jack Hughes and Chris Tierney scored for the 37-36-5 Devils, who are five points behind the Red Wings. The Predators (45-29-4) hold the first Western Conference wildcard spot with 94 points.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils defenseman John Marino missed this game with an undisclosed injury. The Devils also learned that forward Curtis Lazar could miss the remainder of the regular season with an upper-body injury suffered during Saturday’s game against the Senators.

Shifting to the top of the table, the league-leading New York Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens 5-2. Artemi Panarin extended his points streak to nine games with a goal and three assists for the 53-21-4 Rangers (110 points). Cayden Primeau stopped 41 shots and Mike Matheson collected two assists for the 29-36-12 Canadiens, who have lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers tied their franchise record for the most wins in a season.

The Dallas Stars are three points behind the Rangers in the overall standings with a 7-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche. Roope Hintz reached the 30-goal plateau for the third straight season, Tyler Seguin scored twice and Jamie Benn and Wyatt Johnston each had a goal and two assists for the Stars (49-20-9) as they sit second overall with 107 points. Nathan MacKinnon picked up two assists for the 48-24-6 Avalanche (102 points), who sit sixth overall but have won just twice in their last seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche were without winger Mikko Rantanen as he entered concussion protocol after being injured during Friday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. The early reports are positive as Rantanen worked out on Saturday and skated on his own on Sunday. He’s listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, MacKinnon (133 points) moved within three points of Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, who leads the scoring race with 136 points. 

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen turned in a 23-save shutout to blank the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0. Teuvo Teravainen had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes (49-22-7) as they sit fourth overall with 105 points. Malcolm Subban stopped 32 shots for the 26-40-12 Blue Jackets.

A four-point performance by Robert Thomas powered the St. Louis Blues to a 6-5 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Jordan Kyrou scored the winner in the shootout and picked up three assists in regulation play as the Blues improved to 41-32-5 (87 points). Frank Vatrano and Leo Carlsson each scored two goals for the 25-48-5 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues kept their playoff hopes alive as they’re five points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the final Western wildcard.

The Minnesota Wild defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0 as rookie Jesper Wallstedt turned aside 24 shots for his first NHL shutout. Kirill Kaprizov scored his 40th and 41st goals of the season for the 37-31-9 Wild. The Blackhawks dropped to 23-49-5.

Arizona Coyotes winger Clayton Keller had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. Keller extended his points streak to 11 games for the Coyotes (33-39-5). Henry Thrun had a goal and an assist for the 18-51-8 Sharks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Tomas Hertl is expected to make his debut with the Vegas Golden Knights in Monday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. The Golden Knights acquired the 30-year-old forward from the San Jose Sharks at the March 8 trade deadline. He’s been sidelined since Jan. 27 after undergoing knee surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hertl is no playoff rental for the Golden Knights. He’s under contract until 2029-30.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The NHL department of player safety fined Oilers winger Evander Kane $5,000.00 for slashing Calgary Flames defenseman Dryden Hunt on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane didn’t have a good game against the Flames. Teammate Corey Perry lit into him on the bench at one point over a botched play. That stoked speculation Kane may have worn out his welcome in Edmonton.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 7, 2024

by | Apr 7, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 7, 2024

The Leafs’ Auston Matthews continues his quest for 70 goals, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and the Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl reach the 40-goal plateau, and the battle for the final Eastern Conference wildcard spot continues in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews tallied his 64th goal of the season in a 4-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Matthews also reached the 100-point plateau as his Leafs improved to 44-23-9 and remain in third place in the Atlantic Division with 97 points. Nick Suzuki had a goal and an assist for the 29-35-12 Canadiens.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews holds an 11-goal lead over Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart as this season’s leading goal scorer. He becomes the eighth player to reach 100 points this season. That’s the most in one season for NHL scorers since 1995-96 when 12 players did it. The Canadiens played without defensemen Kaiden Guhle and Arber Xhekaj, who are sidelined with upper-body injuries.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored his 40th of the season as his club nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4. Michael Bunting snapped a 4-4 tie in the third period after the Lightning overcame a 4-1 deficit. Bunting, Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson each had three points for the Penguins (36-30-11) as they took possession of the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth. Steven Stamkos scored twice and Nikita Kucherov had three assists for the 43-27-7 Lightning, who hold the first Eastern wildcard spot with 93 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was a scary moment in the third period when referee Steve Kozari was briefly knocked unconscious following an accidental collision with Lightning defenseman Hadyn Fleury. Kozari was stretchered from the game and is expected to make a full recovery. Fleury was shaken up and left the game under his own power. Lightning forwards Anthony Cirelli and Tanner Jeannot missed this game with upper-body injuries.

The Penguins have won four straight and six of their last 10 contests. Crosby has reached 40 goals in the season three times with the last being seven years ago. Meanwhile, Kucherov (136 points) holds a five-point lead over Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon for the lead in the race for the Art Ross Trophy.

The Edmonton Oilers doubled up the Calgary Flames 4-2 in the final segment of this season’s “Battle of Alberta”. Leon Draisaitl scored his 40th goal of the season and Connor McDavid collected two assists to sit one shy of 100 as the Oilers (47-24-5) sit second in the Pacific Division with 99 points. Flames forward Yegor Sharangovich reached the 30-goal plateau for the first time as his club slipped to 34-37-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl also tallied 20 power-play goals for the third consecutive season. McDavid is one assist away from becoming the fourth player in NHL history to reach 100 assists in a season and the first to do so since Wayne Gretzky in 1990-91. He remains third in the scoring race with 130 points.

New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov kicked out 41 shots to shut out the Nashville Predators 2-0. Noah Dobson and Kyle Palmieri were the goal scorers for the 35-27-15 Islanders, who picked up their fourth straight win and sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 85 points, two ahead of the Penguins. Kevin Lankinen made 28 saves for the Predators (44-29-4) as they slipped into the final Western Conference wildcard spot.

The Columbus Blue Jackets got six goals from defensemen in a 6-2 upset of the struggling Philadelphia Flyers. Zach Werenski and Damon Severson each tallied twice with Erik Gudbranson and Nick Blankenburg netting the others for the 26-39-12 Blue Jackets. Olle Lycksell and Adam Ginning scored their first career NHL goals as the 36-31-11 Flyers (83 points) slipped out of the final Eastern wildcard.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those six goals from defensemen matched the NHL record set by the 1992-93 Washington Capitals in a 10-4 win over the New York Rangers on Dec. 4, 1992.

New Jersey Devils defenseman Brendan Smith had a goal and two assists as his club held off the Ottawa Senators 4-3. Jesper Bratt collected two assists for the 37-36-4 Devils (78 points) as they sit five points behind the Penguins. Claude Giroux, Drake Batherson and Jake Sanderson each had two points for the 33-39-4 Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators captain Brady Tkachuk set an NHL record for most hits in a single game with 16. His teammate Tim Stutzle missed this game (his bobblehead night) with a suspected shoulder injury and is considered day-to-day.

An overtime goal by Jesper Boqvist lifted the Boston Bruins over the Florida Panthers 3-2. The two Charlies (McAvoy and Coyle) scored for the Bruins (46-17-15), who sit second overall with 107 points. Matthew Tkachuk and Aleksander Barkov replied for the 48-24-6 Panthers, who sit seventh overall with 102 points.

The Los Angeles got two goals from Adrian Kempe in a 6-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Kempe finished with three points and goaltender Cam Talbot stopped 39 shots for the Kings (41-25-11), who picked up their third straight victory and moved into third place in the Pacific Division with 93 points. Brock Boeser netted his 39th goal of the season for the 47-22-8 Canucks, who sit fifth in the overall standings with 102 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Phillip Danault recorded an assist in his return from a four-game absence recovering from an upper-body injury.

Winnipeg Jets forward Vladislav Namestnikov had a goal and two assists as his team downed the Minnesota Wild 4-2. With a record of 47-24-6, the Jets sit eighth in the overall standings with 100 points. Kirill Kaprizov scored his 39th goal of the season for 36-31-9 Wild.

The Chicago Blackhawks upset the Dallas Stars 3-2, snapping the latter’s eight-game win streak. Petr Mrazek stopped 42 shots and Connor Bedard netted his 22nd goal of the season for the 23-48-5 Blackhawks. Roope Hintz scored his 29th and Jamie Benn his 20th for the Stars (48-20-9) as they slipped into third overall with 105 points.

San Jose Sharks forward William Eklund scored his first NHL hat trick, including the winner in overtime in a 3-2 against the St. Louis Blues. Devin Cooley made 34 saves to pick up his first career NHL victory for the 18-50-8 Sharks. Jordan Kyrou and Brayden Schenn scored for the 40-32-5 Blues.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 29, 2024

by | Mar 29, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – March 29, 2024

The relationship between Evander Kane and the Oilers hits a rough patch, re-signing Sam Reinhart is getting expensive for the Panthers, and the latest on the Devils in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

HAS EVANDER KANE WORN OUT HIS WELCOME IN EDMONTON?

OILERS NATION: Michael Mazzei believes the relationship between Evander Kane and the Edmonton Oilers has hit a rough patch. The 32-year-old winger started the season strong but has just 15 points in his last 36 games and no goals in his last 18 contests.

Kane voiced displeasure over his reduced ice time and was a healthy scratch in a recent game with the Ottawa Senators. Mazzei cited Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli suggesting there’s a disconnect between Kane and the Oilers’ front office over the state of things.

Edmonton Oilers winger Evander Kane (NHL Images).

Seravalli thinks Kane’s act is wearing thin in Edmonton, suggesting it may be something the Oilers end up having to address before his contract is up in two years. He added that there’s nothing imminent in terms of the club trying to move off his contract.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Proteau believes the Oilers will need Kane to ratchet up his game when the playoffs start next month. If not, he speculates they might approach the winger in the offseason to see if it makes sense to move him elsewhere.

Proteau points out that Kane carries an average annual value of $5.125 million. He also carries a full no-movement clause to the end of next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane could still be feeling the aftereffects of that horrific wrist injury he suffered last season. However, he seemed to return to form during the first half of this season.

Unless Kane’s battling an undisclosed injury, he must step up over the remainder of this season and the playoffs. As Proteau points out, they’re not getting their money’s worth from him lately.

Kane’s history of wearing out his welcome with the Jets, Sabres and Sharks will make it difficult for the Oilers to move his contract this summer if he’s open to another trade.

REINHART GETTING MORE EXPENSIVE FOR THE PANTHERS TO RE-SIGN

TSN: In Tuesday’s edition of “Insider Trading”, Darren Dreger speculated Sam Reinhart’s career season could make it difficult for the Florida Panthers to sign him to a new contract.

Reinhart is completing a three-year contract with an AAV of $6.5 million. The 28-year-old winger can become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. He recently reached the 50-goal plateau (51) this season for the first time and also reached a career-high in points with 85 and counting.

Dreger said negotiations haven’t started yet but there is good dialogue between them. He believes it will be expensive fro the Panthers to re-sign Reinhart, pointing to what William Nylander got from the Toronto Maple Leafs (eight years, $92 million) and Elias Pettersson recently signed with the Vancouver Canucks (eight years. $92.8 million).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dreger believes the Panthers will take a run at signing Reinhart. However, he wondered how many big-number contracts they could comfortably afford.

The Panthers already have Aleksander Barkov and Sergei Bobrovsky with AAVs of $10 million, Matthew Tkachuk at $9.5 million (and doesn’t that look like a steal now) and Aaron Ekblad earning $7.5 million annually through 2024-25.

Reinhart might be willing to leave some money on the table to stay in Florida. However, I now doubt he’ll accept less than Tkachuk’s $9.5 million.

LATEST ON THE DEVILS

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent interview with Pierre LeBrun, New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald indicated which areas of his roster he hopes to build up for next season.

Finding a starting goaltender remains his priority. He attempted to acquire Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames and inquired into the availability of Nashville Predators netminder Juuse Saros.

Asked if Flames GM Craig Conroy should expect to hear from him again this summer, Fitzgerald replied with a chuckle, “Not just Craig.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fitzgerald said following the March 8 trade deadline he’ll be going “big-game hunting” for a goaltender in this summer’s trade market. He acquired Jake Allen from the Montreal Canadiens but sees Allen sharing the net in a 1A, 1B system.

Besides Markstrom and Saros, Fitzgerald could also target Linus Ullmark of the Boston Bruins or John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks.

Fitzgerald will also look for a full-time head coach after firing Lindy Ruff on March 4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: During Thursday’s “Insider Trading”, LeBrun said interim coach Travis Green is a serious candidate to take over the role full-time. However, he thinks Fitzgerald will probably still consider other candidates.

The Devils GM is happy with the amount of skill on his roster. However, he’d like to add more physicality on the wing.

They lost Miles Wood last summer to free agency. Earlier this year, they lost Michael McLeod after he was among five players charged with sexual assault in London, Ontario stemming from an alleged incident when they were members of Canada’s 2018 World Junior team.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2024

by | Mar 27, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2024

The Rangers become this season’s first team to reach 100 points and clinch a playoff spot, Artemi Panarin and David Pastrnak reach the 100-point plateau, Josh Doan has a memorable NHL debut with the Coyotes, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The New York Rangers became the first team to clinch a playoff berth and to reach 100 points this season as they nipped the Philadelphia Flyers 6-5. Adam Fox scored in overtime, Artemi Panarin collected three assists and Alexis Lafreniere tallied twice for the 48-20-4 Rangers. Travis Konecny and Scott Laughton had a goal and an assist each for the Flyers (36-27-10) as they cling to third place in the Metropolitan Division with 82 points.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panarin (102 points) reached the 100-point plateau for the first time, sitting fourth among this season’s leading scorers.

Third-period goals by Trent Frederic and Pavel Zacha lifted the Boston Bruins to a 4-3 victory over the Florida Panthers. Zacha, David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy each had a goal and an assist for the Bruins (42-16-15) as they sit third in the overall standings with 99 points. Sam Reinhart netted his 51st goal of the season as the Panthers (46-21-5) slipped to fifth overall with 97 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pastrnak reached 100 points for the second straight season and sits fifth in the scoring race.

Josh Doan scored two goals (including the game-winner) in his NHL debut with the Arizona Coyotes as they defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 6-2. Matias Maccelli and Nick Schmaltz had a goal and an assist each for the 30-37-5 Coyotes. Boone Jenner and Zack Werenski had a goal and an assist each for the 23-37-12 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Doan is the son of former Coyotes captain Shane Doan, who was in attendance watching his son’s first NHL game.

Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston scored twice and collected an assist in a 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. Jamie Benn had a goal and two assists for the Stars (45-19-9), who sit second in the overall standings with 99 points. Mikael Granlund picked up two assists for the 16-47-8 Sharks.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews scored his 59th goal of the season but his club fell 6-3 to the New Jersey Devils. Jack Hughes tallied twice and Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Curtis Lazar had three points each as the Devils (36-33-4) kept their playoff hopes alive with 76 points, who sit five points back of the Capitals. William Nylander and Tyler Bertuzzi replied for the 40-22-9 Leafs, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe roasted his club in his postgame presser, ripping their “immature” performance in this contest. They also played with defensemen Morgan Rielly and Joel Edmundson. Both players are day-to-day with injuries.

The Edmonton Oilers downed the Winnipeg Jets 4-3 on an overtime goal by Zach Hyman, who now has 51 goals on the season. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and Connor McDavid each collected two points for the Oilers (43-23-4), who sit second in the Pacific Division with 90 points. Sean Monahan scored his 22nd goal of the season for the Jets (44-22-6), who have 94 points but are winless in their last four games (0-3-1).

Two goals by Dylan Strome, including the winner in overtime, lifted the Washington Capitals to a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings. John Carlson collected two assists for the Capitals, who improved to 36-26-9 (81 points) to hold the final Eastern Conference wildcard spot. Patrick Kane scored the game-tying goal and Alex DeBrincat had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings (36-29-7) as they dropped two points behind the Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: These clubs are going in different directions in the battle for that wildcard berth. The Capitals are surging with seven wins in their last 10 games while the Red Wings have just three victories in their last 10.

The Nashville Predators scored four unanswered goals to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 5-4 on an overtime goal by Roman Josi. Ryan O’Reilly and Filip Forsberg had a goal and two assists each for the Predators (43-25-4) as they hold the first Western Conference wildcard berth with 90 points. William Karlsson and Anthony Mantha each had a goal and an assist for the 39-25-8 Golden Knights, who hold the second Western wildcard with 86 points.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists and Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 38 shots in a 4-1 upset of the Carolina Hurricanes, snapping the latter’s seven-game points streak. Dmitry Orlov replied for the Hurricanes as they slipped to 45-21-7 (97 points) to remain three points behind the Metropolitan Division-leading Rangers. The Penguins improved to 31-30-10.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins also honored Jake Guentzel with a video tribute highlighting his nearly eight seasons in Pittsburgh before his trade to Carolina earlier this month. Following the game, Guentzel told reporters he intended to re-sign with the Penguins but he felt management had other ideas. The 29-year-old winger will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Speaking of upsets, the Montreal Canadiens downed the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 to end the latter’s nine-game win streak. Sam Montembeault made 27 saves while Nick Suzuki and Joel Armia scored for the 27-32-12 Canadiens. Nathan MacKinnon scored to extend his home points streak to 35 games and his overall streak to 19 games for the Avalanche (46-21-5), who sit two points behind the Central Division-leading Stars with 97 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon is tied with Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov in the scoring race with 123 points but Kucherov holds two games in hand. Suzuki reached a single-season high of 67 points and is one goal from reaching 30 in a season for the first time. Meanwhile, linemate Juraj Slafkovsky set a franchise record for the most points by a teenager (40) in a single season. Slafkovsky turns 20 on March 30.

The Chicago Blackhawks got two goals from Jason Dickinson to defeat the Calgary Flames 3-1. Petr Mrazek kicked out 38 shots while rookie Landon Slaggert collected two assists for his first NHL points as the Blackhawks improved to 21-46-5. MacKenzie Weegar replied for the 33-33-5 Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dickinson reached the 20-goal mark for the first time in his nine-season NHL career.

Seattle Kraken forwards Matty Beniers and Eeli Tolvanen each had a goal and two assists to blank the Anaheim Ducks 4-0. Joey Daccord picked up the shutout with 12 saves for the 29-29-13 Kraken. Trevor Zegras was held scoreless in his return to the Anaheim lineup since fracturing an ankle in early January. The Ducks dropped to 24-44-4.