NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 8, 2025
NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 8, 2025
Mikko Rantanen leads the Stars to a Game 1 victory over the Jets, the Leafs take a 2-0 series lead over the Panthers, the Utah Hockey Club gets a new name, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines
RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES
NHL.COM: Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen tallied his second straight hat trick to lead his club to a 3-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 1 of their best-of-seven second-round series.
Jake Oettinger stopped 29 shots for the Stars. Nino Niederreiter and Mark Scheifele replied for the Jets.
Game 2 is Friday, May 9, in Winnipeg at 9:30 pm ET

Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Rantanen’s second hat trick in these playoffs, making him the first player in league history to have multiple three-goal periods in the same postseason. He’s also the fourth player to have two at any point in his NHL career, joining Wayne Gretzky, Maurice Richard (three times) and Tim Kerr (twice). He currently leads all scorers in this postseason with eight goals and 15 points.
Scheifele returned to action after being sidelined since Game 5 of the Jets’ first-round series against the St. Louis Blues. Stars winger Jason Robertson made his debut in this postseason after being sidelined since Apr. 16 by a knee injury.
The Toronto Maple Leafs nipped the Florida Panthers 4-3 to take a 2-0 lead in their second-round series.
Mitch Marner snapped a 3-3 tie while Max Pacioretty and Max Domi each had a goal and an assist. Anton Lundell had a goal and an assist for the Panthers.
The series shifts to Florida for the next two games. Game 3 is Friday, May 9, at 7 pm ET.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs coach Craig Berube wanted his players to avoid seeking retribution against Panthers forward Sam Bennett for his elbow to the head of Anthony Stolarz that took the goaltender out of Game 1, sidelining him from this contest.
They followed Berube’s instructions, focused on beating the Panthers on the score sheet, and put themselves in a position where they can take a more commanding series lead on Friday.
Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad made his series debut after serving a two-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel. He collected an assist and had a plus/minus of plus-2.
HEADLINES
NHL.COM: The Utah Hockey Club finally has a new brand name. After a 13-month process, including fan surveys garnering over 850,000 votes, their new name is the Utah Mammoth.
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights head coach Bruce Cassidy is shaking up his top-two forward lines for Game 2 of his club’s second-round series with the Edmonton Oilers.
William Karlsson moves from left wing on the first line to centering Reilly Smith and Brett Howden on the third line. Ivan Barbashev fills that vacant spot on the first line alongside Jack Eichel and Mark Stone.
On Tuesday, the Golden Knights dropped a 4-2 decision to the Oilers in Game 1. Game 2 is Thursday in Las Vegas at 9:30 pm ET.
THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres have hired Eric Staal as special assistant to general manager Kevyn Adams. Staal, 40, retired as a player in 2023 after playing 18 seasons with six teams, including a brief tenure with the Sabres in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This move could be a part of what Daily Faceoff reported is a long-overdue effort by the Sabres to expand their front office. This club has missed the playoffs for 14 straight years, partly because they have one of the smallest front-office staffs in the league.
TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning signed backup goaltender Jonas Johansson to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $1.25 million.
OTTAWA SUN: Senators owner Michael Andlauer wrote an open letter to the club’s fans to thank them for their support this season. The franchise qualified for the playoffs for the first time since 2017, and Andlauer promised the fans that better things are ahead.