NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 5, 2025

by | May 5, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 5, 2025

The Jets eliminate the Blues, the second-round playoff schedule is released, the draft lottery will be held on Monday evening, and the latest on Sidney Crosby, Nathan MacKinnon and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Winnipeg Jets captain Adam Lowry scored the winning goal in double overtime of Game 7 to defeat the St. Louis Blues 4-3, eliminating the latter in seven games.

Winnipeg Jets captain Adam Lowry (NHL Images).

The Blues went into the third period holding a 3-1 lead on goals by Jordan Kyrou, Mathieu Joseph, and Radek Faksa. However, the Jets stormed back late in the period. With goaltender Connor Hellebuyck pulled for an extra attacker, Vladislav Namestnikov scored with 1:56 remaining and Cole Perfetti netted his second of the game with 2.2 seconds left.

Hellebuyck shook off a shaky start to finish with 26 saves, while Blues netminder Jordan Binnington kicked out 43 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was one of the most exciting playoff games I’ve ever seen.

The Blues were on the verge of victory until the Jets’ stunning comeback. What’s more, the Jets were playing with first-line center Mark Scheifele out of the lineup with an undisclosed injury, and top-pairing defenseman Josh Morrissey left the game in the first period with an injury. Neal Pionk logged 46:15 minutes of ice time, collecting three assists.

Winnipeg overcame a poor start, outshooting St. Louis 44-22. Binnington was solid between the pipes for the Blues, but the Jets beat him with three of their four goals coming on deflected or tipped-in shots.

The Jets advance to meet the Dallas Stars in the second round, with Game 1 in Winnipeg on Wednesday, May 7, at 9:30 pm ET. The Stars could have sidelined top-pairing defenseman Miro Heiskanen and first-line winger Jason Robertson back in their lineup at some point in this series. Both players are recovering from knee injuries.

The second round begins on Monday with Game 1 of the Toronto Maple Leafs facing the Florida Panthers in Toronto at 8 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow this link for the full schedule of all four second-round series.

The 2025 NHL Draft Lottery will be held live at NHL Network studios at 7 pm ET.

Matthew Schaefer is considered the favorite to become the first-overall pick. The 18-year-old Erie Otters defenseman said he’s “pumped up” for the lottery. “I would be lucky to be selected by any of the teams,” said Schaefer. “I’m sure everything will work out the way it’s supposed to.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Other notable prospects who could go first overall include center Michael Misa of the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit, center Anton Frondell of the Swedish Hockey League’s Djurgardens IF, and Boston College center James Hagens.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Hockey Canada announced Sunday that Penguins captain Sidney Crosby has been added to their roster for the upcoming IIHF World Championships in Stockholm, Sweden, and Herning, Denmark from May 9 – 25.

SPORTSNET: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon will reportedly join his long-time friend Crosby on Canada’s roster.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canada’s roster will receive a considerable lift with the additions of Crosby and MacKinnon. It also allows those two to reacquaint themselves with the larger ice surface in European rinks ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk skipped practice on Sunday, but he is expected to be in the lineup for Game 1 of their second-round series with the Maple Leafs.

THE ATHLETIC: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov believes everything regarding contract extension negotiations with management will work out. The 28-year-old winger has a year remaining on his contract, and the Wild can re-sign him to a league-maximum eight-year deal as early as July 1.

“We’ll see,” said a smiling Kaprizov. “I love everything here. It should be all good.” The superstar has frequently said he loves Minnesota and playing for the Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaprizov is poised to become one of the highest-paid players in the league. Wild owner Craig Leipold has said his club is prepared to pay top dollar to keep him in Minnesota.

TSN: Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek played through a core muscle injury and will undergo surgery next week. He anticipates he’ll be recovered in plenty of time for the start of next season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 10, 2025

by | Apr 10, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 10, 2025

A four-goal return to action for Joel Eriksson Ek as Marc-Andre Fleury set a new goalie record, the Devils clinch a playoff berth, the hockey world remembers Ray Shero, the Masterton Trophy nominees are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Joel Eriksson Ek scored four goals and Kirill Kaprizov tallied twice, including the winner in overtime, in an 8-7 win over the San Jose Sharks. Matt Boldy had four assists and Mats Zuccarello had three helpers for the Wild, who vaulted over the St. Louis Blues into the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 93 points. Sharks center Macklin Celebrini had a hat trick in a five-point performance while teammate Will Smith had a goal and three assists.

Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a consequential game for the Wild in more ways than one. Their victory over the Sharks eliminated the Vancouver Canucks and Utah Hockey Club from the postseason race.

Eriksson Ek and Kaprizov returned to action after missing considerable time with injuries. They’ll significantly boost the Wild offense which sputtered during their absence. Meanwhile, goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury set the record for most overtime wins (70) in what was likely his final home start for Minnesota.

Celebrini became the first 18-year-old player in Sharks history to tally a hat trick. He holds the single-season franchise record for points by a rookie with 62.

The St. Louis Blues (93 points) dropped into the second wild-card spot in the Western Conference following a 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers. Connor Brown scored twice for Edmonton, including the winning goal with 21 seconds remaining in the third period. Oilers captain Connor McDavid had three assists on his return from an eight-game absence with a lower-body injury. Pavel Buchnevich had a goal and an assist for the Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers sit third in the Pacific Division with 95 points. Meanwhile, the Blues sit behind the Wild because the latter holds a game in hand.

Before this game, they placed defenseman John Klingberg on long-term injury reserve while blueliner Jake Walman was a late scratch with an illness.

Anaheim Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier scored the tying and winning goals as his club overcame a 3-1 deficit to upset the Calgary Flames 4-3 in overtime. Ville Husso stopped 36 shots for the Ducks. Mikael Backlund had a goal and an assist for the Flames (88 points), who sit five points behind the Wild and Blues with two games in hand over the latter.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild have three games remaining in their schedule while the Blues have two. The latter has lost two straight after winning a franchise-record 12 straight games.

The New York Rangers’ playoff hopes suffered a significant setback after an 8-5 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. Tyson Foerster collected his first NHL hat trick and Nick Seeler picked up three assists for the Flyers. Artemi Panarin scored his 300th NHL regular-season goal for the Rangers (79 points), who’ve lost three straight and remain eight points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers are on the brink of elimination from the playoff race. They have the same number of games remaining in the schedule as the Canadiens (four) but the latter needs only three points to punch their ticket to the postseason.

That final wild-card spot is the only playoff berth to be determined in the Eastern Conference. The Flyers’ victory and the Rangers’ loss clinched a playoff spot for the idle New Jersey Devils, who sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 89 points. They’ll face off against the Carolina Hurricanes in the opening round.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies scored in overtime to complete a hat trick and defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3. Auston Matthews collected three assists and Mitch Marner had a goal and two assists for the Leafs (100 points), who opened a three-point lead over the Lightning atop the Atlantic Division. Victor Hedman and Oliver Bjorkstrand each had a goal and an assist for the Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov picked up an assist to regain first place in the scoring race. He and Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon each have 116 points but Kucherov holds the lead with 34 goals to MacKinnon’s 32.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The hockey world mourned Ray Shero, who died on Wednesday at 62.

Son of former NHL coach and Hall-of-Famer Fred Shero, Ray had a long, successful career in management. He began as an assistant general manager with the Ottawa Senators from 1993 to 1998, and as an assistant GM with the Nashville Predators from 1998 to 2006.

Shero was named general manager of the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2006, building them into a Stanley Cup contender in 2008 and a Cup champion in 2009. He won the Jim Gregory GM of the Year Award in 2012-13.

Fired by the Penguins in 2014, he became GM of the New Jersey Devils from 2015 to 2020, drafting current Devils stars Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt.

Shero was in his fourth season as a senior advisor to Minnesota Wild GM Bill Guerin.

Guerin, Wild head coach John Hynes, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald, former Predators GM David Poile, and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman released statements honoring Shero’s memory and legacy.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Shero’s family, friends, the Wild organization, and those who knew him from his days with the Senators, Predators, Penguins and Devils.

TSN: Minnesota Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury, Columbus Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan, and Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin are among the 32 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy nominees. It is awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey.

Other notable nominees include Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog, Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane, Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, and Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the link above to see the full list.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of Landeskog, the Avalanche have loaned him to their AHL affiliate for conditioning as he continues his comeback. The 32-year-old left wing hasn’t played since leading the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup in June 2022.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: An update will be made regarding Landeskog’s status over the next couple of days. This move is a significant step in his comeback attempt. If it goes well, he could rejoin the Avalanche in the opening round of the playoffs.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators are confident that team captain Brady Tkachuk will be good to go when the playoffs begin on Apr. 19. He’s missed the last five games with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators clinched a playoff berth so there’s no reason to rush him back to action. They’ll give him all the time he needs between now and Apr. 19 to heal up for the postseason.

RG.ORG: Montreal Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov is expected to arrive in Toronto on Friday. He’ll meet with his new team following their game in Ottawa and could make his NHL debut on Monday against the Chicago Blackhawks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 31, 2025

by | Mar 31, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 31, 2025

Alex Ovechkin reaches 890 goals, the Jets widen their lead in the overall standings and the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth changes hands again. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin is five goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals. He scored his 890th goal in an 8-5 loss to the Buffalo Sabres and also collected two points to finish the game with three points. Sabres forwards Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch each scored two goals for the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Washington holds first place in the Eastern Conference with 103 points but has gone 0-2-1 in their last three games. Capitals head coach Spencer Carberry shook up his top-two in the third period, saying his team needs more from its top-six forwards amid a three-game skid.

The Winnipeg Jets widen their lead in the overall standings with a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Kyle Connor had a goal and an assist and Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves for the Jets (106 points), opening a three-point lead over the Capitals. Pius Suter scored for the Canucks (81 points), who remain six points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (NHL Images).

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki scored the winning goal and picked up two assists to double up the Florida Panthers 4-2. Rookie defenseman Lane Hutson set up three goals and Juraj Slafkovsky had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens, who regained the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 77 points. Sam Reinhart and Seth Jones replied for the Panthers as they sit third in the Atlantic Division with 91 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hutson leads all rookies this season with 59 points. The Canadiens have the same points total as the New York Rangers but hold the wild card with a game in hand. Meanwhile, the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning are tied in points but the latter holds second place in the division with 37 regulation wins.

The Toronto Maple Leafs opened a three-point lead atop the Atlantic Division (94 points) with a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Steve Lorentz broke a 2-2 tie, Mitch Marner scored his 23rd goal of the season, and Joseph Woll stopped 29 shots for the Leafs. Leo Carlsson tallied his 20th of the season for the Ducks.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Seth Jarvis scored two goals as his club downed the New York Islanders 6-4. Sebastian Aho had a goal and two assists for the Hurricanes, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 94 points. Pierre Engvall tallied twice for the Islanders, who’ve gone 0-3-2 in their last five contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes are on a roll, winning 11 of their last 13 games. Meanwhile, the Islanders are three points behind the Canadiens for the final Eastern wild-card spot.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby’s overtime lifted his club to a 1-0 blanking of the Ottawa Senators. Tristan Jarry kicked out 31 shots for his first shutout of the season. Anton Forsberg turned aside 34 shots for the Senators (84 points) as they collected a point to sit seven points ahead of the Canadiens in the first Eastern wild-card position.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins played without forward Boko Imama as he underwent surgery on Friday to repair a torn bicep. His recovery timeline is four-to-six months.

Los Angeles Kings forwards Adrian Kempe and Warren Foegele each scored two goals to crush the San Jose Sharks 8-1. Team captain Anze Kopitar collected three assists as the Kings moved ahead of the Edmonton Oilers into second place in the Pacific Division standings with 91 points. Sharks rookie Cam Lund scored for the second straight game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kopitar notched his 316th multipoint game, moving ahead of Sergei Fedorov into ninth place all-time among NHL players born outside North America. Jaromir Jagr is the leader with 540.

Utah Hockey Club forward Alex Kerfoot had a goal and two assists in a 5-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Mikhail Sergachev had a goal and an assist for Utah while Ryan Donato netted his 29th of the season for Chicago.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah defenseman Robert Bortuzzo returned to action after missing 35 games with a lower-body injury.

IN OTHER NEWS…

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers captain Connor McDavid (lower-body injury) will not travel with his teammates as they begin their four-game road trip. There is a slight chance he could rejoin the club before their road trip ends in Anaheim on April 7.

THE ATHLETIC’s Michael Russo reports Minnesota Wild forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek practiced for the first time yesterday, but their return to action remains to be determined.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Boston Bruins placed Patrick Brown and Vinni Lettieri on waivers. The Wild did the same with Brendan Gaunce and Devin Shore. If they are claimed off waivers, they will be ineligible to play in the postseason with their new teams following the trade deadline.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning must free up salary-cap space to sign prospect Isaac Howard to an entry-level contract.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 14, 2024

by | Oct 14, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 14, 2024

The Jets, Stars, Flames and Golden Knights pick up their third straight wins to open the season. Check out the details and the latest injury updates, waiver news and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Kyle Connor lifted the Winnipeg Jets past the Minnesota Wild 2-1. Mark Scheifele had a goal and an assist and Connor Hellebucyk made 26 saves for the win. Jake Middleton scored for the Wild while Filip Gustavsson stopped 33 shots.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets are 3-0-0 partly because of Scheifele’s red-hot offensive play. He’s second in goals with four and points with six among all NHL skaters.

The Wild played without center Joel Eriksson Ek (broken nose) and defenseman Jared Spurgeon (lower-body injury). They also face a logjam in goal with Gustavsson, Marc-Andre Fleury and Jesper Wallstedt. That could result in Wallstedt bouncing between the Wild and their AHL affiliate for salary-cap reasons because he’s waiver-exempt this season.

The Dallas Stars picked up their third straight win by blanking the Seattle Kraken 2-0. Casey DeSmith turned in a 25-save shutout in his debut with the Stars while Sam Steel and Wyatt Johnston were the goal scorers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars defenseman Matt Dumba missed this game with a lower-body injury suffered during Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders. He’s listed as day-to-day.

Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Dan Vladar turned aside 25 shots while Anthony Mantha now has four points in his first three games with a goal in this contest. Jeff Skinner scored his first with the Oilers, who are still seeking their first win of the season. They had back-to-back goals called back for goaltender interference and offside.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers remain out of sorts to start the season. They’re struggling partly due to the offseason departures of depth players Dylan Holloway, Philip Broberg, Warren Foegele, Ryan McLeod, Vincent Desharnais and Cody Ceci, who all played crucial roles in their march to the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

One would expect the Flames to struggle this season after trading away key veterans like Jacob Markstrom, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, Elias Lindholm, Andrew Mangipane and Nikita Zadorov throughout 2023-24. During training camp, center Nazem Kadri boldly stated his team would surprise folks this season. They’re doing just that thus far with a 3-0-0 start.

The Vegas Golden Knights are 3-0-0 after downing the Anaheim Ducks 3-1. Tomas Hertl snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period while Ilya Samsonov made 22 saves in his debut with the Golden Knights. Troy Terry replied for the Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel collected an assist to sit atop the league’s scoring leaders with seven points.

IN OTHER NEWS…

STLTODAY.COM: Jordan Binnington holds the Blues franchise record for goalies with four season-opening wins. He’s also closing in on some other Blues goaltending milestones.

Binnington is tied with Curtis Joseph for third in games played and for second in starts with 275. With 146 wins, he’s two behind Jake Allen for second place and five away from career leader Mike Liut. He also needs 455 more saves to pass Joseph for second all-time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hockey-Reference shows Binnington now in sole possession of third place for games played by a Blues goalie with 282.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Detroit Red Wings placed goaltender Ville Husso on waivers. The Montreal Canadiens did the same with forward Alex Barre-Boulet.

CBS SPORTS: Red Wings forward Christian Fischer will miss Monday’s game against the New York Rangers with an upper-body injury. He’s listed as day-to-day.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: The Sabres announced that the 2024-25 inductee into their Hall of Fame is former player and broadcaster Rob Ray. He spent 14 seasons and 889 regular-season games with the Sabres. He’s been part of their broadcast team since 2003-24.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Ray on receiving this honor. During his 16 NHL seasons with the Sabres and Ottawa Senators, he was a popular enforcer, amassing 3,207 PIMs in 900 total NHL regular-season games.

YARDBARKER: Former NHL forward Riley Sheahan announced his retirement at age 32. Sheahan spent 12 seasons in the NHL with the Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins, Florida Panthers, Oilers, Sabres and Kraken, amassing 74 goals and 120 assists for 194 points in 637 regular-season games and seven points in 33 playoff contests.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 13, 2024

by | Oct 13, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 13, 2024

The Flames pay an emotional pregame tribute to Johnny Gaudreau, Evgeni Malkin reaches another milestone, the Avs and Oilers continue to struggle, Utah HC wins again, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Calgary Flames held an emotional pregame ceremony to honor the late Johnny Gaudreau before skating to a 6-3 home-opening win against the Philadelphia Flyers. Jonathan Huberdeau led the way with two goals and two assists. Nazem Kadri tallied twice and Dustin Wolf got the win with a 37-save performance. Travis Konecny had two goals for the Flyers.

Calgary Flames honor Johnny Gaudreau (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gaudreau spent nine of his 11 NHL seasons with the Flames before signing with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2022. A drunk driver killed him and his brother Matthew in August.

During the ceremony, Gaudreau’s family shared a heartfelt message to the Flames and the city of Calgary, expressing their “deepest gratitude” to the team and the city for their support.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander scored two goals in a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Mitch Marner had a goal and an assist for the Leafs. Penguins center Evgeni Malkin collected two assists to reach his 1,300th career NHL point.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs center John Tavares missed this game due to illness. Penguins winger Bryan Rust made his season debut after missing his club’s first two games with a lower-body injury.

The Columbus Blue Jackets upset the Colorado Avalanche 6-4. Sean Monahan, Kirill Marchenko and Yegor Chinakhov each had a goal and two assists for the Blue Jackets. Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev was pulled for the second straight game after giving up three goals on nine shots. His replacement, Justus Annunen, fared little better, allowing two goals on 13 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar defended Georgiev following this game, expressing “full faith” that he’ll bounce back. The 28-year-old netminder has shown he can rebound from some bad performances but his erratic play since last season is becoming a cause for concern among Avalanche followers.

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard scored his first of the season and picked up two assists in a 5-2 upset of the Edmonton Oilers. Teuvo Teravainen had two goals and two assists, Seth Jones had a goal and two assists, and Petr Mrazek turned aside 36 shots for the Blackhawks. Corey Perry and Leon Draisaitl scored for the Oilers and Calvin Pickard allowed five goals on 20 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A well-deserved win for the rebuilding Blackhawks against a Stanley Cup finalist still searching for its groove two games into this season. The Oilers also got off to a flat start last season before they turned things around but it took a coaching change to wake them out. Current bench boss Kris Knoblauch isn’t in danger of losing his job at this stage in the season but that risk could increase if his players don’t elevate their play over the next few weeks.

The Utah Hockey Club upset the New York Rangers 6-5 on an overtime goal by Clayton Keller, who finished the night with two goals and an assist. Dylan Guenther also scored his fifth of the season for Utah, extending his goal streak to three games. Artemi Panarin tallied twice for the Rangers and Adam Fox had three helpers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah is 3-0-0 to start the season.

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger had a 34-save shutout to blank the New York Islanders 3-0. Tyler Seguin tallied twice and Jamie Benn also scored for the Stars. Semyon Varlamov made 24 saves for the Islanders.

David Pastrnak’s overtime goal lifted the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Jeremy Swayman made 33 saves and Elias Lindholm also scored for the Bruins. Trevor Moore opened the scoring for the Kings and Darcy Kuemper stopped 23 shots.

The Buffalo Sabres picked up their first win of the season by dropping the Florida Panthers 5-2. Devon Levi turned aside 23 shots and Alex Tuch had a goal and an assist for the Sabres. The Panthers played without captain Aleksander Barkov (lower-body injury) and winger Matthew Tkachuk (illness).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Barkov injured his leg during the final minutes of the Panthers’ 3-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday. He will be sidelined for two to three weeks.

Detroit Red Wings goaltender Cam Talbot turned in a 42-save performance to shut out the Nashville Predators 3-0. J.T. Compher, Andrew Copp and Dylan Larkin were the goal scorers for the Red Wings as they picked up their first win of the season. Steven Stamkos is still seeking his first point since joining the Predators as a free agent in July.

The Montreal Canadiens got two goals from Cole Caufield to end a nine-game losing skid to the Ottawa Senators with a 4-1 win. Sam Montembeault kicked out 24 shots and rookie defenseman Lane Hutson picked up two assists for the Canadiens. Tim Stutzle scored for the Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Caufield has four goals in his first three games of this season.

New Jersey Devils forward Paul Cotter scored two goals to extend his goal streak to four games in a 5-3 victory over the Washington Capitals. Stefan Noesen and Erik Haula each collected three assists for the Devils. Dylan Strome and John Carlson each had a goal and an assist for the Capitals, who also lost defenseman Matt Roy in the second period with a lower-body injury.

Seattle Kraken captain Jordan Eberle scored two goals, including the 300th of his NHL career and the winner in a shootout, to lead his club to a 5-4 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Joey Daccord stopped 34 shots for the Kraken. Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists while his teammates Mats Zuccarello and Matt Boldy each had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek was injured in the second period when he caught an elbow in the nose from Kraken defenseman Adam Larsson. There was no call on the play. He returned for one shift in the third period and didn’t travel with his teammates to Winnipeg for their Sunday game against the Jets.

The Anaheim Ducks blanked the San Jose Sharks 2-0. Lukas Dostal turned in a 30-save shutout while Isac Lundestrom and Trevor Zegras did the scoring. Before this game, the Sharks announced rookie center Macklin Celebrini was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body ailment believed to be a hip injury. There is no word on when he’ll return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This news came two days after Celebrini scored a goal and collected an assist while logging over 17 minutes of ice time in his first NHL game. It’s uncertain when he suffered the injury during that game.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 28, 2024

by | Sep 28, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 28, 2024

Recapping Friday’s preseason action, Drew Doughty sidelined for months, plus the latest on Darnell Nurse, Robin Lehner, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL PRESEASON RECAP

NHL.COM: Buffalo Sabres forward and Munich native JJ Peterka scored in his homecoming game in a 5-0 victory over EHC Red Bull Munchen 5-0 in the 2024 NHL Global Series in Germany. Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist while Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi combined for a 12-save shutout.

Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek (NHL Images).

Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek netted two goals and collected three assists as his club downed the Winnipeg Jets 8-5. Kirill Kaprizov also scored twice for the Wild. Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck gave up eight goals on 29 shots through two periods.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets announced before this game that defenseman Logan Stanley underwent knee surgery to repair a meniscus issue. He’s expected to be sidelined for four weeks.

The Dallas Stars doubled up the Colorado Avalanche 4-2. Matt Duchene scored two goals and picked up an assist and Tyler Seguin tallied a goal and chipped in two assists.

Columbus Blue Jackets center Adam Fantilli collected a hat trick and Mathieu Olivier scored twice in an 8-5 win over the Washington Capitals. Alex Ovechkin scored one of the Capitals goals.

The Carolina Hurricanes thumped the Florida Panthers 8-2. Seth Jarvis tallied twice and Sean Walker picked up three points for the Hurricanes.

Detroit Red Wings goaltenders Alex Lyon and Cam Talbot combined for a 22-save shutout in a 2-0 blanking of the Chicago Blackhawks. Christian Fischer and Vladimir Tarasenko were the goal scorers.

The New York Islanders defeated the New Jersey Devils 5-1. Semyon Varlamov stopped 16 of 17 shots through two periods for the Isles.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils scratched Jack Hughes from the lineup to give him an extra day of rest before their departure to Czechia to face the Buffalo Sabres in the 2024 Global Series. Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said Hughes suffered a minor charley horse in his previous game.

Seattle Kraken goalie Joey Daccord turned aside 19 shots in a 3-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Brandon Montour scored his first preseason goal for the Kraken.

The Vegas Golden Knights beat the Utah Hockey Club 5-2. Jack Eichel led the Golden Knights with a goal and two assists.

The Tampa Bay Lightning postponed Friday’s game against the Nashville Predators at Amelie Arena after Hurricane Helene’s effect on the bay area.

HEADLINES

LOS ANGELES TIMES: Kings defenseman Drew Doughty requires surgery to repair his broken left ankle and will miss most of this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Doughty’s absence leaves a gaping hole on the Kings’ blueline that will be difficult to fill. They could promote Brendt Clarke or Jordan Spence to replace him but those young rearguards lack the experience and leadership he brings to the defense corps. I’ll have more about this in today’s Rumors.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers hope for a bounce-back performance from Darnell Nurse after he struggled through 2023-24 and the 2024 playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A strong rebound effort by Nurse would go a long way toward improving the Oilers’ hopes for a Stanley Cup run next spring.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs forwards Auston Matthews and William Nylander practiced on Friday and showed no ill effects from their recent upper-body injuries. Meanwhile, John Tavares is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks forwards William Eklund (upper body) and Mikael Granlund (lower body) and defenseman Matt Benning (lower body) missed practice on Friday. They’re listed as day-to-day.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Goaltender Alexei Kolosov finally took to the ice at Flyers training camp on Friday. It remains to be seen if he’ll get into any of their four remaining preseason games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kolosov is expected to see action this season with the Flyers’ AHL affiliate in Lehigh Valley or he could be loaned back to KHL club Dinamo Minsk. I’ll have more about this in today’s Rumors update.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW JOURNAL: Golden Knights netminder Robin Lehner had his assets frozen by a federal bankruptcy judge on Friday. Lawyers from one of his creditors allege Lehner engaged in frivolous spending and made improper fund transfers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lehner has been sidelined since 2022 following hip and shoulder surgeries. He’s not expected to play this season and will be placed on long-term injury reserve. This season is the last of his five-year contract.

WINNIPEG SUN: Bryan Little will sign a one-day contract to officially retire with the Jets on Oct. 20.

Drafted 12th overall in the 2006 NHL Draft by the Atlanta Thrashers, Little spent his entire NHL career with the franchise, moving with them to Winnipeg when the team relocated in 2011. The 36-year-old center’s career was cut short by a perforated eardrum early in the 2019-20 season.

Little scored 217 goals and had 304 assists for 521 points in 843 career regular-season games from 2007-08 to 2019-20. He also had 12 points in 27 playoff contests.