NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 17, 2025

by | Feb 17, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 17, 2025

Check out the latest news ahead of today’s 4 Nations Face-Off games in the NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: It’s a must-win scenario for three of the four teams in the 4 Nations Face-Off as Canada faces Finland (1 PM ET) and Sweden tangles with the United States (8 pm ET) at TD Garden in Boston.

If the game between Canada and Finland ends in regulation, the winner faces the United States in the championship game on Thursday. If Canada and Finland go to overtime, Sweden could advance to the championship game if they defeat the United States in regulation.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some folks on social media raised the possibility of the United States throwing their game against the Swedes if Canada defeats the Finns in overtime, eliminating Canada and giving them an easier opponent in the championship game. It would be a devious tactic but I don’t believe the Americans would do that. They prefer going undefeated in the round-robin and beating Canada on home ice on Thursday to drive home the point that (to paraphrase Matthew Tkachuk) this is their time right now.

SPORTSNET: Team Canada defenseman Cale Makar hopes to participate in Monday’s must-win game against Finland. Illness sidelined him from Saturday’s game against Team USA, though he was close to playing in that game.

“I’m going to do everything I can to play tomorrow,” said Makar. “I just got to make sure I feel right, body and everything-wise, and go from there.”

Meanwhile, Thomas Harley has been cleared to play for Monday’s game against Finland regardless of Makar’s status. The Dallas Stars defenseman played well filling in for Makar during Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Americans.

Canada’s head coach Jon Cooper was staying mum on his starting goaltender for Monday’s must-win game against Finland. That’s raised speculation he could replace Jordan Binnington with Adin Hill, who served as Binnington’s backup in Canada’s previous two games in this tournament.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The decision to pass over Logan Thompson in favor of Binnington, Hill, and Sam Montembeault was questioned by fans and pundits before the tournament began. The Washington Capitals goalie sits second among NHL starters in save percentage (.921) and is fourth in goals-against average (2.23) and wins (24).

Thompson was reportedly snubbed because Team Canada assistant coaches Bruce Cassidy and Peter DeBoer didn’t have a great experience with him during their tenures with the Vegas Golden Knights. Whatever the reason, that decision will generate plenty of second-guessing if Canada comes up short in this tournament.

TSN: Team Canada remains confident despite their 3-1 loss to the Americans, which put them into a must-win situation against Finland.

“This is our Game 7,” said head coach Jon Cooper, adding his team has learned a lot during the previous two games.

“We don’t have a lot of time to think about it,” said team captain Sidney Crosby. “It’s a big one coming up here.”

Meanwhile, goaltender Kevin Lankinen will get his second straight start for Finland. He backstopped them to a 4-3 overtime victory over Sweden on Saturday.

DAILY FACEOFF: Sources say Team USA winger Matthew Tkachuk will likely sit out tonight’s game against Sweden. He suffered a lower-body injury against Canada that sidelined him for most of the third period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk shouldn’t risk aggravating that injury against the Swedes in a meaningless game. It’s best to let him recuperate and prepare for the big match later this week.

THE ATHLETIC: ESPN reports that Saturday’s game between Canada and the United States drew 4.4 million viewers, peaking at 5.2 million at the 10:45 quarter-hour. It’s the most-watched non-Stanley Cup Final game since a Blue Jackets-Bruins playoff game in 2019 drew 4.5 million viewers. NHL postseason games last season averaged 1.54 million viewers.

It was also the most-watched NHL game in the United States since Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Panthers and Oilers last June, which drew 7.67 million viewers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL should scrap the old All-Star Game format in favor of annual two-week midseason international tournaments involving their best players in non-Olympic years. They could call it “The World Cup of Hockey” or something like that (insert wink emoji here).










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 16, 2025

by | Feb 16, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 16, 2025

Team USA defeats Canada, Finland upsets Sweden in 4 Nations Face-Off action. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TEAM USA DEFEATS CANADA, SECURES SPOT IN CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

NHL.COM: The United States got two goals by Jake Guentzel while Dylan Larkin tallied the game-winner to defeat Canada 3-1 before a sellout crowd of 21, 015 fans at the Bell Centre in Montreal.

Team USA winger Jake Guentzel (NHL.com).

Guentzel was named Player of the Game while teammate Connor Hellebuyck stopped 25 shots for the Americans. They have six points in the tournament, earning a spot in the Championship Game on Feb. 20 in Boston.

Connor McDavid opened the scoring in the first period for Canada, who outshot the Americans 26-23. This was the first game the Canadians have lost to the United States in a tournament featuring NHL players since the round-robin of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.

TSN: The game got off to a raucous start with the Bell Centre crowd booing the American anthem, followed by three fights within the first 10 seconds of the game. The first tilt featured USA forward Matthew Tkachuk and Canadian winger Brandon Hagel, followed by Brady Tkachuk tangling with Sam Bennett, and American forward J.T. Miller scrapping with Canadian defenseman Colton Parayko.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Tkachuk brothers later said they and Miller engaged in those fights to “send a message” to the Canadians. It was something they planned during a group chat before the game.

NHL.COM: Matthew Tkachuk suffered a lower-body injury that forced him to sit out the final 12:36 of the third period. He later downplayed the injury but Team USA head coach Mike Sullivan said Tkachuk was still being evaluated by team doctors, leaving his status uncertain for Monday’s game against Sweden.

SPORTSNET: Canadian defenseman Cale Makar missed this game due to illness. He was replaced by Dallas Stars blueliner Thomas Harley.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a well-deserved victory for the Americans. Matthew Tkachuk said postgame that he and his teammates wanted to send the message to the Canadians that “it’s our time right now.” It was received loud and clear.

McDavid’s goal aside, Team USA did a masterful job shutting down Canada’s vaunted offense with their physical defensive play. They took away the middle of the ice and the shooting lanes and cleared traffic in front of Hellebuyck, who was superb between the pipes.

Following the game, McDavid said he and his Canadian teammates are determined for a rematch with the United States. That will depend on the outcome of Monday’s game against the Finns.

Makar could return to action for that game. Canada missed his offensive presence and puck-moving skills against the Americans.

The biggest question for Canada will be whether Binnington, Adin Hill, or Sam Montembault gets the start against the Finns. Binnington looked shaky at times during Canada’s win over Sweden. He didn’t play badly against Team USA but Guentzel’s game-tying goal was a softie that even he knew he should’ve stopped.

The tournament shifts to Boston with Canada facing Finland and the USA taking on Sweden on Monday, Feb. 17. The championship game will be held on Thursday, Feb. 20.

If Canada or Finland wins in regulation on Monday, they’ll face the Americans on Thursday. If either team wins in overtime or a shootout, Sweden can advance to the final with a regulation win over the Americans.

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Mikael Granlund lifted Finland to a 4-3 victory over Sweden during their afternoon game.

Anton Lundell, Mikko Rantanen and Aleksandar Barkov scored in regulation, Patrik Laine collected two assists and Kevin Lankinen turned aside 21 shots for Finland. Mika Zibanejad, Rasmus Dahlin and Erik Karlsson replied for Sweden. Filip Gustavsson left the Swedish net after the first period due to an illness, with Linus Ullmark stopping 15 of 17 shots the rest of the way.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canada-USA game overshadowed an entertaining back-and-forth contest between these long-time Nordic rivals.

The Swedes know their chances of reaching the championship game aren’t good. Karlsson praised the Finns’ game while lamenting his team’s inability to reach the standards they’d set for themselves.

Before the game, Swedish defenseman Victor Hedman spoke about the sporting rivalry between the two countries. “I think if you ask them, they say they’re the big brother. If you ask us, we’re the big brother.” Following the game, Laine replied, We’re the big brother now.”

IN OTHER NEWS…

RG.ORG: Hall-of-Fame winger Pavel Bure criticized the Vancouver Canucks’ handling of J.T. Miller during a discussion of his former club’s recent struggles. “If you’ve got a talented player who doesn’t fit into the team, that’s a failure of management,” said Bure. “If it gets to the point where you have to trade him, something has already gone wrong.”

THE PROVINCE: Speaking of the Canucks, season tickets will be rising by 11 percent for next season. Seats in the upper bowl of Rogers Arena will cost $6,900.00 CDN. The team said the increase covers ongoing renovations to the arena and their intention to keep pace with the rising salary cap.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The article notes the rising cap has little to do with the price increase and more to do with ownership’s belief they’re selling a luxury good, “a thing that their season ticket members value as a symbol, not as much as an experience.”

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Sidelined Canadiens defenseman David Reinbacher is close to returning from a knee injury suffered during preseason. The promising blueliner could start playing with their AHL affiliate in Laval by the end of February.