NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 20, 2025

by | Mar 20, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 20, 2025

Recaps of Tuesday’s games, Gary Bettman talks about the playoff format and the All-Star Game, seven NHL prospects among this season’s Hobey Baker Award candidates, and more in today’s morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An accidental interference by referee Kelly Sutherland resulted in Steven Lorentz’s game-winning goal in the third period as the Toronto Maple Leafs nipped the Colorado Avalanche 2-1. Sutherland stumbled and fell when he caught a rut, accidentally blocking a clearing attempt by Leafs defenseman Simon Benoit. The puck remained in the neutral zone, where Lorentz picked it up and beat Avalanche goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood from the faceoff circle.

Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll kicked out 38 shots and Auston Matthews tallied his 27th goal of the season. Valeri Nichushkin replied for the Avalanche as their nine-game points streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs move into a tie with the Florida Panthers with 85 points, but the latter holds first place in the Atlantic Division with 35 regulation wins to the Leafs’ 33. Colorado holds third place in the Central Division with 85 points. The Avs announced before the game that defenseman Josh Manson will miss three to four weeks with an upper-body injury.

Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy (NHL Images)

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson stopped 34 shots to shut out the Seattle Kraken 4-0. Matt Boldy scored twice for the Wild, who hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 83 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild forward Marco Rossi left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury after being accidentally struck by a shot from Boldy. Kraken center Chandler Stephenson departed in the second period for undisclosed reasons and didn’t return. There was no postgame update on either player.

HEADLINES

TSN: NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman took questions from reporters yesterday following the final day of general managers’ meetings.

Bettman gave an emphatic “no” when asked if the league would consider changes to the playoff format, saying he liked the current setup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bettman appears to be in the minority as there are growing calls from fans and pundits for changes to the playoff format. Don’t expect any tinkering while he remains in charge.

He said the league remains committed to staging an All-Star Game hosted by the New York Islanders next season. However, he said they’re reevaluating the format after last month’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament “raised the bar.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 4 Nations tournament gave the fans a meaningful event with hockey played at the highest level by many of the world’s top players who were fully invested. Fans don’t want a gimmicky skills competition followed by All-Stars going through the motions because they don’t want to risk injury on a nothing game.

The commissioner declined to speculate about the discussion between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this week about a United States-Russia hockey series featuring NHL and KHL stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Russia’s war with Ukraine prompted the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) to ban them from participating in international tournaments. The NHL has honored that ban.

Bettman said the 2025-26 season will open on Oct. 7. He also indicated that talks with the NHL Players’ Association regarding a new collective bargaining agreement will begin the first week in April. “I’m hoping we can do this quickly, quietly and painlessly,” said Bettman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The atmosphere between the league and the PA has been free of the animosity and distrust that hung over previous negotiations, leading to work stoppages that hurt the game’s momentum and upset its fans. Here’s hoping things go smoothly this time around.

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals prospect forward Ryan Leonard and Minnesota Wild prospect defenseman Zeev Buium are among the 10 candidates for the 2025 Hobey Baker Memorial Award, which annually honors the top US men’s college hockey player.

Leonard plays for Boston College while Buium skates for the University of Denver. Other candidates with NHL ties include Michigan State forward Isaac Howard (Tampa Bay Lightning), University of Minnesota forward Jimmy Snuggerud (St. Louis Blues), University of Denver winger Jack Devine (Florida Panthers), Penn State winger Aiden Fink (Nashville Predators), and Clarkson winger Ayrton Martino (Dallas Stars).

The three finalists will be revealed on Apr. 3 and the winner will be announced on Apr. 11.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues head coach Jim Montgomery is optimistic that sidelined defenseman Colton Parayko might return before the end of this season. Parayko underwent a scope of his left knee on March 6 with a recovery timeline of six weeks. Montgomery said the defenseman’s rehab is progressing well.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers coach Paul Maurice said defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (right arm injury) is expected to be sidelined for two weeks. He’s expected back before the playoffs begin next month.

ROTOBALLER: Carolina Hurricanes blueliner Dmitry Orlov is expected to return to action tonight against the San Jose Sharks. He missed the last five games with an upper-body injury.

TSN: Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas is expected to be named GM of Canada’s team at the 2025 IIHF World Championship in May.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 13, 2024

by | Nov 13, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – November 13, 2024

Are more moves coming for the Penguins? What changes could be coming in the next CBA? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE PENGUINS?

TSN: Darren Dreger reports the Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t engaging in a fire sale despite recent speculation.

Dreger claims Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas recently reached out to other GMs around the league to let them know he’s open for business and to call him if they have any ideas. However, that’s standard practice for NHL general managers, especially those with struggling teams but there’s no sense of panic.

DK PITTSBURGH SPORTS: Taylor Haase reported a league source told her Dubas had let it be known that “everyone is available, except 87 (Sidney Crosby)”. However, he doesn’t intend to tear down the roster and start a full rebuild. Haase believes that won’t happen until Crosby retires.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (NHL Images).

Any future moves by Dubas will be to get back players instead of draft picks and prospects. He remains committed to trying to win with at least Crosby.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: These reports came out before the Penguins traded Lars Eller to the Washington Capitals yesterday evening.

THE SCORE: Josh Wegman pointed out that selling off pending unrestricted free agents (like Eller) is common practice for teams near the bottom of the standings like the Penguins. Potential rental chips include Anthony Beauvillier, Drew O’Connor, Marcus Pettersson and Matt Grzelcyk.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Kelsey Surmacz added Jesse Puljujaarvi to that list of pending UFAs. She also suggested players signed beyond this season like Noel Acciari, Alex Nedeljkovic, and perhaps Kris Letang.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those pending UFAs likely won’t fetch much as far as players go. As for Letang, he has a full no-movement clause until the end of 2025-26, which he’ll have a 10-team no-trade list. He could waive it to go elsewhere but there’s no certainty he will.

Everyone may be available but some could be difficult to move because of their no-movement clauses (Evgeni Malkin) or a combination of expensive contracts and slumping performance (Erik Karlsson).

WHAT CHANGES COULD WE SEE IN THE NEXT NHL CBA?

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reported on feedback from the NHL general managers to tweak the CBA in the next round of collective bargaining with the players, slated to start next year.

Reducing term limits on player contracts was the one that most interested LeBrun. According to NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly, it wasn’t anything more specific than the GMs saying if they could achieve bargaining shorter contract limits, it should be on the list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeBrun reminds us that contract term limits were a contentious issue during the 2012 negotiation. Both sides agreed on eight years for a player re-signing with his team and seven years for those signing elsewhere as unrestricted free agents.

Other issues raised by the general managers include revising the restricted free agent compensation chart for offer sheets, potentially moving to a high/low model for salary arbitration, updating the walkaway thresholds for arbitration awards, and expanding buyout rights.

LeBrun indicated the preliminary sense is neither side wants another difficult CBA battle, preferring to make tweaks rather than major changes. Nevertheless, he cautions that things could change once both sides are in the same room.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL has come out of the uncertainty of the COVID seasons with growing revenue due to factors like expansion, the rise of sports gambling and recent national broadcasting deals in the United States.

Neither side wants to do anything that will jeopardize that growth. Talks could go sideways if one side digs in its heels, but I believe they’ll reach an agreement the current CBA expires in September 2026 without too much difficulty.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 24, 2024

by | Jul 24, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 24, 2024

The latest on the Flyers’ Sean Couturier, the Penguins’ Kevin Hayes, and the Jets’ Cole Perfetti, some arbitration dates are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Philadelphia Flyers captain Sean Couturier faces a make-or-break season. The 31-year-old Flyers captain played a full season in 2023-24 after missing a season and a half to back surgery but struggled to regain his form, finishing with 38 points in 74 games. Couturier was also a healthy scratch late in the season.

Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It can sometimes take a full season for a player to bounce back from a serious surgery. Couturier could return to his Selke Trophy form this season and silence the concerns about his future. His contract is partly behind those worries, entering the third season of an eight-year deal with an average annual value of $7.75 million.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins forward Kevin Hayes intends to use his trade from the St. Louis Blues as motivation while he awaits his role with his new club. Hayes, 32, said he didn’t really find a role with the Blues, making it difficult to play his best hockey.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins acquired Hayes to replace the aging Jeff Carter as their third-line center, which was greeted with criticism citing Hayes’ age and struggles last season with the Blues. How well he adjusts will contribute to the outcome of the Penguins’ season.

WINNIPEG SUN: Cole Perfetti’s role this season with the Jets could determine the length of his next contract. The 22-year-old restricted free-agent forward is believed to have talked with new head coach Scott Arniel regarding his role with the team, which could sway whether he signs a long-term deal. Perfetti could see top-six minutes and power-play time under Arniel.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Former Jets head coach Rick Bowness seemed to lose confidence in Perfetti last season. He could break out this season with a more robust role under Arniel.

PUCKPEDIA: released the salary arbitration dates for Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen (July 29), Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kirill Marchenko (July 31), New York Islanders forward Oliver Wahlstrom (Aug. 1) and Carolina Hurricanes winger Martin Necas (Aug. 4).

New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren also has an upcoming arbitration hearing date.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Arthur Staple recently reported Lindgren’s hearing is scheduled for Aug. 2.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs avoided arbitration with forward Connor Dewar as the two sides agreed to a one-year, $1.18 million contract.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: The Buffalo Sabres won’t be facing Beck Malenstyn in arbitration, signing the 26-year-old winger to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $1.35 million.

NHL.COM: The Utah Hockey Club signed Cole Beaudoin to a three-year entry-level contract. Beaudoin, 18, was selected 24th overall by Utah in the 2024 NHL Draft.

TSN: Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas and Tampa Bay Lightning GM Julien BriseBois were named to Canada’s management team for the 4 Nations Face-Off in February and the 2026 Men’s Olympic hockey team.

THE ATHLETIC: A tax ruling involving Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares could make it difficult for Canadian NHL teams to sign free agents.

The report indicates a key reason behind Tavares’ signing with the Leafs was the belief a provision in the Canada-US Tax Treaty commonly used by professional athletes would allow him to pay lower taxes on his initial $15 million signing bonus.

However, the Canada Revenue Agency claims he owes over $6.8 million (plus another $1.2 million in interest) on that signing bonus. Tavares is disputing the CRA’s assessment, the outcome of which could have a far-reaching effect on Canadian teams trying to lure players north of the border.

This stems from where Tavares’ principal residence was in 2018. He was a US tax resident that year. However, a person is considered a resident of Canada for tax purposes if they spend 183 days in the country.

The issue centers on whether Tavares’s bonus with the Leafs that year was employment income or an inducement to sign the contract. If the CRA is successful, it will reframe how the provision of bonuses is applied.

The CRA is also scrutinizing the use of Retirement Compensation Agreements (RCAs) by Canadian teams to reduce the tax burden on non-resident players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ve shortened this to provide the main highlights. If you have a subscription to The Athletic, I recommend reading the piece for the full details. This case could take a couple of years before a decision is reached.

Higher taxes are one reason why Canadian teams have had difficulty signing top free-agent talent. A ruling against Tavares will mean those clubs must pay more to entice free agents to sign with them. It will also mean they must pay more to retain their best players.

Canadian teams will likely turn to the NHL to address this situation If this becomes a significant impediment for them. They’re unlikely to go to the Canadian government. An attempt to find a federal and provincial solution to help those clubs dealing with a historically low Canadian dollar in 1999 didn’t poll well with Canadians. It was abandoned following disagreements between the provinces and the federal government over the breakdown of the funding.

That forced the NHL to implement a revenue-sharing scheme for Canadian teams which stayed in place until the 2005 CBA was implemented.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 12, 2024

by | Jul 12, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 12, 2024

Kyle Dubas talks about his biggest mistake as Leafs GM, Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour talks about the recent departure of several key players, the latest notable contract signings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TORONTO SUN: In a new book by The Athletic’s Craig Custance, Kyle Dubas talked about his biggest mistake while general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs. The book is entitled “The Franchise: The Business Of Building Winning Teams.”

“The biggest mistake I think I’ve made in my whole time there has been not taking care of the three incumbent contracts,” said Dubas, referring to Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander coming off their entry-level deals. He felt they should’ve been signed to contract extensions on July 1 as they entered the final year of those ELCs.

Dubas also lamented not getting those contracts done before signing John Tavares as an unrestricted free agent in 2018.

Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas (NHL.com).

The article noted complications arose getting those three under contract. An unnamed team threatened to sign Nylander to an offer sheet, driving up his price and resulting in his two-month absence early in 2018-19. Marner, meanwhile, staged a brief training camp holdout in September 2019 before signing his deal. Matthews signed his contract midway through the 2018-19 campaign.

Dubas was criticized for his handling of those negotiations, and for signing Tavares to a seven-year deal in 2018 with an annual cap hit of $11 million. However, Darryl Belfry, who worked in the Leafs’ front office at that time, defended the former Leafs GM by pointing out how COVID-19 resulted in several years with a flattened salary cap.

“Kyle would never say it, but I will,” said Belfry. “You have a world shut down, it’s a flat cap for multiple years and you’re stuck holding the bag on a projection. You didn’t miscalculate, it was an act of nature that beat you.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I credit Dubas for admitting his mistake with his handling of those contracts for Matthews, Marner and Nylander. Belfry is also correct for pointing out how the flattened cap adversely affected the Leafs following those signings. No one could have predicted a global pandemic and its effects on the salary cap.

Nevertheless, I maintain that the Tavares signing was Dubas’ biggest mistake as Leafs GM. I said it when the rumors emerged leading up to the signing and I maintained that position afterward. They invested $11 million on a player they didn’t need.

Even if COVID hadn’t happened and the salary cap kept rising, the Tavares contract still would’ve been a drag on the Leafs’ cap payroll, hampering efforts to address the important roster needs.

The Leafs were the third-highest-scoring team in 2017-18 but needed to shore up their goaltending and defense, especially the right side of their blueline. The investment in Tavares should’ve been used to address those issues.

If no immediate solutions were available, they could’ve invested some of that $11 million in affordable short-term fixes while keeping the rest to use when better long-term options became available through trades or free agency.

THE SCORE: Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour said it was difficult watching several key players depart as free agents earlier this month. Trade deadline acquisition Jake Guentzel, defensemen Brady Skjei and Brett Pesce, and forwards Teuvo Teravainen and Stefan Noesen were among the notables who signed elsewhere.

Brind’Amour signed a contract extension in May. Since then, general manager Don Waddell stepped down and was replaced by Eric Tulsky. Meanwhile, trade rumors swirl about winger Martin Necas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes replaced those departed players with blueliners Shayne Gostisbehere and Sean Walker and forwards such as Jack Roslovic and William Carrier. Still, the effects of that roster turnover will be felt next season, especially on the blueline where Skjei and Pesce were their second pairing.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning avoided arbitration with recently acquired defenseman J.J. Moser, signing him to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $3.38 million.

NHL.COM: The San Jose Sharks signed defenseman Ty Emberson to a one-year, $950K contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Moser and Emberson were among 14 players who filed for salary arbitration on July 5. That number shrank to 11 with blueliner Jake Christiansen inking a one-year, $775K deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday.

The arbitration period begins on July 20 and ends on Aug. 4.

TSN: The Utah Hockey Club signed Tij Iginla to an entry-level contract. Iginla was their first-round pick (sixth overall) in the 2024 draft. Tij is the son of Hall-of-Famer Jarome Iginla.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings signed Michael Brandsegg-Nygard to a three-year ELC. He was their first-round pick (15th overall) in this year’s draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Iginla, Brandsegg-Nygard and San Jose Sharks defenseman Sam Dickinson (11th overall) signed their ELCs this week, bringing the total thus far to 14.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Andrey Tarasenko, father of NHL winger Vladimir Tarasenko, died suddenly in Russia at age 56. Andrey was the developmental coach and trainer for KHL club HC Siber.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to the Tarasenko family and HC Siber.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 14, 2023

by | Dec 14, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – December 14, 2023

Are more changes in store for the Blues following their coaching change? What’s the latest Penguins speculation? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

COULD MORE CHANGES BE IN STORE FOR THE BLUES

NHL NETWORK (via KUKLA’S KORNER): Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman looked at other possible moves for the St. Louis Blues following their coaching change.

He noted that general manager Doug Armstrong indicated in his press conference that there was no guarantee that interim head coach Drew Bannister would be in that role for the remainder of the season. Bannister was head coach of their AHL affiliate in Springfield before Berube’s firing.

St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong (NHL.com).

Friedman thinks Armstrong has “specific people he wants to talk to” regarding his club’s head-coaching position. He wondered if one of them could be former Edmonton Oilers bench boss Jay Woodcroft.

Asked if other personnel changes could be in store, he noted that Armstrong isn’t afraid to make bold moves. He pointed out the Blues had a deal in place last summer with the Philadelphia Flyers that would’ve sent defenseman Torey Krug to the Flyers for blueliner Travis Sanheim but Krug invoked his no-trade clause to spike the deal. He also observed that Armstrong tried to trade struggling winger Jakub Vrana before putting him on waivers.

Friedman doesn’t think Armstrong is trying to trade players such as Robert Thomas or Colton Parayko. However, he wouldn’t be surprised if the Blues GM could make some roster changes if things don’t improve soon.

THE ATHLETIC: Jeremy Rutherford noted Armstrong said making roster changes was difficult to achieve during his press conference on Wednesday. The Blues GM said he’s spoken to teams and seen what’s out there. Nevertheless, he stressed that nobody in their current group should feel safe right now. “I mean player-wise, management-wise.”

If the Blues fail to improve, Armstrong said he’s not against buying players out who carry long-term contracts with no-trade clauses, though he feels that’s not his first course of action. He’s also not against demoting players to the Blues’ AHL farm team if he feels they’re not pulling their weight. He said that nothing can be off the table for management.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues are just one point out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Big changes to the roster probably won’t happen as long as they remain competitive for a playoff berth. If they collapse and tumble down the standings, perhaps more significant moves will be in store.

Those Blues carrying long-term contracts with no-trade clauses include forwards Brayden Schenn and Brandon Saad, defensemen such as Krug, Parayko, Justin Faulk and Nick Leddy, and goaltender Jordan Binnington. Any attempt to move one or more of those players likely won’t happen until next summer at the earliest assuming any of them would waive their no-trade clauses.

LATEST ON THE PENGUINS

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun noted Pittsburgh Penguins GM Kyle Dubas’ remarks on Monday about deciding on the club’s future by the All-Star break in February. He believes Dubas wants to give his current roster time to overcome their current woes in the standings and prove to him what they have.

Dubas is on a seven-year contract. LeBrun believes that gives him time to implement a long-term vision while hoping to avoid a roster teardown for as long as possible. He also suggested that Sidney Crosby’s contract (which runs through 2024-25) could be the most important target date for Dubas’ plans.

Given the contracts of Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson and Kris Letang, it won’t be easy to stage a roster teardown. However, LeBrun points out that Dubas’ acquisition of Karlsson last summer shows where there’s a will there’s a way.

LeBrun doubts those players would block a trade to a contender if Dubas goes into teardown mode. The question then becomes how much salary would the Penguins have to retain to move them.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The acquisition of Karlsson (and that of Reilly Smith) was to provide a short-term boost to the Penguins roster to give their core of Crosby, Malkin, Letang and Jake Guentzel one more opportunity to stage a run for the Stanley Cup before their contracts expire or age catches up with them.

If Crosby wants to stay in Pittsburgh it’ll be interesting to see how long he’ll want to stick around, especially if the Penguins are heading into a rebuild or if it appears to be on the horizon.

Dubas is just trying to put it off for as long as possible until most of those players are finished with their contracts or in the final year of their deals. By that point, the rebuild can begin in earnest.

A roster rebuild is inevitable. It could come much sooner than Dubas or the Penguins’ veteran core expected it to occur.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 12, 2023

by | Dec 12, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 12, 2023

John Tavares and Jamie Benn reach personal milestones, the three stars of the week are named, while suspensions are handed down to David Perron and Erik Gudbranson. Details on these stories and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares had a goal and an assist to reach his 1,000th career NHL point in a 4-3 loss to the New York Islanders. Tavares collected his assist in the game-tying goal against his former club as the Leafs overcame a 3-1 deficit but Bo Horvat’s overtime goal gave the Islanders the victory. The Leafs (14-6-5) sit third in the Atlantic Division with 33 points while the Islanders (13-7-7) picked up their third straight victory and sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 33 points.

Toronto Maple Leafs captains John Tavares (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders fans lustily booed Tavares’ accomplishment. They still haven’t forgiven their club’s former captain for signing with the Leafs in 2018.

Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn collected his 500th career NHL assist as his club clipped the Detroit Red Wings 6-3. Miro Heiskanen scored two goals and set up another for the 16-8-3 Stars (35 points), who sit one point back of the first-place Colorado Avalanche in the Central Division. Shayne Gostisbehere picked up two assists for the 14-9-4 Red Wings, who dropped their third straight game and hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings were without winger David Perron following his six-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for a dangerous cross-check against Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Red Wings placed captain Dylan Larkin, J.T. Compher and Klim Kostin on injured reserve and recalled Zach Aston-Reese, Jonatan Berggren and Austin Czarnik. Larkin was knocked unconscious following hits from Senators forward Mathieu Joseph and Parker Kelly, sparking the melee that led to Perron’s cross-check on Zub.

The Colorado Avalanche tallied three unanswered third-period goals to overcome a 5-3 deficit in a 6-5 win over the Calgary Flames. Nathan MacKinnon scored the game-winner to push his points streak to 12 games while teammate Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists for the 17-9-2 Avalanche. Nazem Kadri and Blake Coleman each had a goal and an assist for the 11-14-3 Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames also lost defenseman Chris Tanev early in the first period after being hit from behind into the boards by Avalanche forward Ross Colton, who was not penalized on the play. There was no postgame update on Tanev’s condition.

Buffalo Sabres forwards Kyle Okposo and Eric Robinson each had a goal and two assists to beat the Arizona Coyotes 5-2. Michael Carcone netted his team-leading 14th goal of the season for the Coyotes (13-12-2) as they cling to the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 28 points. The Sabres sit at 12-14-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sidelined Sabres forward Alex Tuch (hamstring) participated in his club’s morning skate but didn’t play in this game. He’s expected to be in the lineup for Wednesday’s game against the Avalanche.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, San Jose Sharks center Tomas Hertl, and Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart are the league’s three stars for the week ending Dec. 10, 2023.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson received a one-game suspension from the department of player safety for his retaliation on Florida Panthers forward Nick Cousins on Sunday. Gudbranson was hit from behind into the boards by Cousins, who initially received a five-minute major penalty that was reduced to a two-minute minor on review. Later in the game, Gudbranson grabbed Cousins, slammed him to the ice and rained six punches on the Panthers forward.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: None of this would’ve happened had the on-ice officials properly handled this situation from the outset. It’s part of what The Athletic’s Ian Mendes calls “a consistency problem” for NHL officials regarding hits from behind. Mendes fears it could lead to another Steve Moore-Todd Bertuzzi incident.

WINNIPEG FREE PRESS: Anaheim Ducks forward Ryan Strome will not face supplemental discipline for a knee-on-knee hit on Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor on Sunday. It was determined that Strome had planted his foot and did not intentionally attempt to injure Connor, who underwent an MRI on his knee on Monday. No word yet from the Jets regarding Connor’s status. Strome received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins winger Bryan Rust is out week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas continues to support head coach Mike Sullivan as his club struggles through its lengthy slump.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubas may be sincere in his support of Sullivan but he’ll face growing calls to do something to snap the Penguins out of their current funk. If a trade isn’t possible because of salary cap constraints, a coaching change could be his only recourse.

TSN: Montreal Canadiens winger Tanner Pearson will miss four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury.

St. Louis Blues winger Jakub Vrana was not placed on waivers despite an earlier report indicating he was about to hit the waiver wire.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ll have more about Vrana in today’s Rumors update.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Chicago Blackhawks placed defenseman Jarred Tinordi (concussion protocol) on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 5.