NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 23, 2025

by | Feb 23, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 23, 2025

The NHL regular season returned from its 4 Nations Face-Off break with 14 games on Saturday. Check out the recaps and more in today’s Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: The league-leading Winnipeg Jets got two goals by Gabe Vilardi and a shootout winner from Kyle Connor to nip the St. Louis Blues 4-3, extending their win streak to a season-best nine games. Vilardi scored the tying goal with 28 seconds left in the third period. Robert Thomas scored twice and collected an assist for the Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets sit first overall with 83 points and are the first team to reach 40 wins this season. They went with backup goalie Eric Comrie to give starter Connor Hellebuyck a break after he played three games for Team USA in the 4 Nations tournament. Blues starter Jordan Binnington was in the lineup for the Blues but served as backup for Joel Hofer. Binnington appeared in four games for Canada at the 4 Nations.

Speaking of the Jets, they signed forward Vladislav Namestnikov to a two-year contract extension. The average annual value is $3 million.

Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun scored two of five second-period goals in an 8-3 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Penguins, extending their points streak to seven games (4-0-3). Pierre-Luc Dubois had three assists for the Capitals, who hold first place in the Eastern Conference and sit one point behind the Jets in the overall standings. Sidney Crosby, Kris Letang and Danton Heinen replied for the Penguins.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (NHL Images).

The Minnesota Wild overcame a 3-1 deficit to squeak past the Detroit Red Wings 4-3 on an overtime goal by Marco Rossi. Wild forwards Matt Boldy and Marcus Foligno scored in the third period to force the extra frame. Alex DeBrincat, Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin each had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings as they hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 62 points. The Wild hold third place in the Central Division with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was another milestone game for Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. He passed Roberto Luongo for the second-most games played by an NHL goaltender with 1,045. Hall-of-Famer Martin Brodeur holds the record with 1,266. Red Wings forward Andrew Copp left the game late in the second period with an apparent shoulder injury following a melee behind the Minnesota net following a thunderous bodycheck by DeBrincat on Wild defenseman Brock Faber.

Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin and center Tage Thompson each had two goals and an assist as their club thumped the New York Rangers 8-2. Jason Zucker picked up three assists and Ryan McLeod tallied twice as the Sabres erupted for five first-period goals, chasing Rangers starter Igor Shesterkin from the net before the end of the period. Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad scored for the Blueshirts (58 points) as they remain four points behind the Ottawa Senators for the final Eastern wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres rinkside commentator Rob Ray was struck in the face by a puck early in the first period. Sabres training staff attended to the former NHL enforcer, who finished the game. Sabres forward Jordan Greenway and defenseman Mattias Samuelsson were activated off injured reserve.

The Philadelphia Flyers got two goals from Owen Tippett in a 6-3 upset of the Edmonton Oilers. Sean Couturier and Matvei Michkov each had a goal and two assists for the Flyers (57 points) as they sit five points behind the Red Wings in the Eastern standings. Leon Draisaitl and John Klingberg each had a goal and an assist for the Oilers, who sit second in the Pacific Division with 72 points.

Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord stopped 26 shots to beat the Florida Panthers 2-1. Kaapo Kakko and Jared McCann scored for the Kraken while Eetu Luostarinen tallied for the Panthers, who hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 71 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk missed this game with a lower-body injury suffered during the 4 Nations Face-Off. Kraken captain Jordan Eberle returned to action after missing 40 games following pelvic surgery in mid-November.

The Dallas Stars got a 31-save performance from Casey DeSmith in a 4-2 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Matt Duchene and Wyatt Johnston each had a goal and an assist as the Stars (74 points) remain two points ahead of the Wild for second place in the Central Division. Jack Hughes had both goals for the Devils (68 points) as they sit two points behind the second-place Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils captain Nico Hischier returned to the lineup after missing six games with an oblique injury.

Nashville Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault broke a 1-1 tie in the third period to lift his club past the Colorado Avalanche 2-1. Juuse Saros made 31 saves and Justin Barron also scored for the Predators. Sam Malinski had the lone goal for the Avalanche, who hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 68 points.

An overtime goal by Leo Carlsson gave the Anaheim Ducks a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins. Carlsson and Jackson Lacombe each finished with two points as the Ducks have won seven of their last eight games. Elias Lindholm and Morgan Geekie scored for the Bruins (61 points) as they sit one point behind the Senators for the final Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins winger David Pastrnak collected an assist to extend his points streak to 14 games. Ducks goalie John Gibson left the game following the second period with an upper-body injury.

The Toronto Maple Leafs downed the Carolina Hurricanes 6-3. Auston Matthews scored his 389th regular-season goal, tying Darryl Sittler for second-most in Leafs history. Pontus Holmberg scored twice and set up another while rookie Alex Steeves scored his first NHL goal as the Leafs (70 points) moved within a point of the first-place Panthers in the Atlantic Division. Andrei Svechnikov had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes (70 points) as they sit second in the Metro Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs winger Max Pacioretty missed this game with an undisclosed injury and will be sidelined for Sunday’s match with the Chicago Blackhawks.

Montreal Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators to snap a three-game losing skid. Nick Suzuki picked up two assists and Sam Montembault turned aside 25 shots as the Canadiens (57 points) moved within five points of the Senators in the Eastern wild-card race. Tim Stutzle had a goal and an assist for the Senators as their losing streak reached four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Montreal winger Juraj Slafkovsky was a physical presence in this game, scoring a goal, fighting with Senators center Ridly Greig, and making a team-leading eight hits. Canadiens forward Emil Heineman returned to action after a 14-game absence with a lower-body injury after being struck by a car in Salt Lake City last month. Senators captain Brady Tkachuk missed this game with an undisclosed injury suffered during the 4 Nations tournament.

The Columbus Blue Jackets ended a four-game winless skid by defeating the Chicago Blackhawks 5-1. Zach Werenski had a goal and two assists to extend his home points streak to 22 games while Kent Johnson scored twice for the Jackets (62 points). They’re just behind the Senators, who have two more regulation wins. Craig Smith scored for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets fans sang Happy Birthday to Johnny Gaudreau Jr on his first birthday. His father was killed by an alleged drunk driver last August.

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty had a goal and two assists in a 5-3 victory over the Utah Hockey Club. Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist for the Kings as they hold third place in the Pacific Division with 67 points. Barrett Hayton tallied the first hat trick in Utah’s short franchise history.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson returned to the lineup after missing four games with an injured finger.

The Vegas Golden Knights got 33 saves from Adin Hill to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 3-1. Brandon Saad snapped a 1-1 tie with his first goal for Vegas since signing with them on Jan. 31. The Golden Knights have won three straight and hold first place in the Pacific Division with 74 points. Jake DeBrusk scored for the Canucks, who hold the final Western wild-card spot with 63 points.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 31, 2025

by | Jan 31, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 31, 2025

Recaps of Thursday’s games, the Flyers and Flames make a multi-player trade, the 4 Nations Face-Off captains are unveiled, the Oilers reveal their Quarter-Century Team, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF THURSDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 19 saves to shut out the Montreal Canadiens 4-0 in what is likely to be his final game at the Bell Centre. Liam Ohgren, Marco Rossi, Devin Shore and Frederick Gaudreau were the goalscorers as the Wild picked up their third straight win to move ahead of the Dallas Stars into second place in the Central Division with 66 points. Jakub Dobes made 23 saves in his first regulation loss (5-1-1) as the Canadiens(53 points) are 0-3-1 in their last four games and sit four points behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury, 40, is expected to retire at the end of this season. He received a standing ovation from Montreal fans and the Canadiens lined up following the game to shake his hand. The shutout was his 76th, tying him with Tony Esposito and Ed Belfour for 10th all time. 

The Ottawa Senators got an overtime goal from Thomas Chabot on his birthday to nip the Washington Capitals 5-4. Josh Norris scored on a penalty shot and collected two assists and Claude Giroux reached the 1,100-point milestone as the Senators sit third in the Atlantic Division with 58 points. Washington captain Alex Ovechkin had a goal and two assists to move within 19 goals of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s goal record of 894. The Capitals are in first place in the Eastern Conference with 74 points, one behind the league-leading Winnipeg Jets.

Speaking of the Jets, they tallied four unanswered third-period goals in a 6-2 victory over the Boston Bruins. Mark Scheifele tallied twice and Connor Hellebuyck made 27 saves as Winnipeg picked up their fifth straight win. Brad Marchand and Elias Lindholm replied for the Bruins (56 points), who dropped one point behind the Blue Jackets in the Eastern wild-card race.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy returned to action after missing seven games with an upper-body injury. Jets center Morgan Barron missed this game as he’s week to week due to an upper-body injury.

As for the Blue Jackets, they downed the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 on an overtime goal by Cole Sillinger. Adam Fantilli also scored for the Blue Jackets, who’ve won three of their last four, two of them in overtime. Tomas Hertl scored his 20th goal to extend his points streak to 11 games as the Golden Knights sit second in the Pacific Division with 68 points.

Detroit Red Wings goalie Alex Lyon kicked out 45 shots to defeat the Edmonton Oilers 3-2. Lucas Raymond and Dylan Larkin tallied in the shootout rounds as the Wings overcame a 2-0 deficit to pick up their fourth straight win. Leon Draisaitl netted his league-leading 36th goal as the Oilers three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings (55 points) are two points back of the Blue Jackets in the Eastern wild-card race. Meanwhile, Edmonton (68 points) holds first place in the Pacific Division with a game in hand over the Golden Knights. John Klingberg was held scoreless in his season debut with the Oilers.

Mikko Rantanen scored his first goal with the Carolina Hurricanes and Jaccob Slavin tallied the game-winner in a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Seth Jarvis got his 20th of the season as the Hurricanes extended their points streak to seven games (6-0-1) and sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 68 points. Connor Bedard and Ilya Mikheyev scored for the Blackhawks.

Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy turned in a 28-save shutout to blank the Los Angeles Kings 3-0. Brandon Hagel scored two goals and collected an assist for the Lightning, who ended a two-game losing skid and hold the first Eastern wild card with 57 points. The Kings have dropped four straight (0-3-1) and have one win in their last seven contests. They hold third place in the Pacific Division with 58 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning backup Jonas Johansson missed this game as he’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

The New York Islanders defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 as goalie Ilya Sorokin stopped 23 saves for his third shutout. Rookie Marc Gatcomb scored his first NHL goal as the red-hot Isles (53 points) won their sixth straight game, sitting four points behind the Blues Jackets in the Eastern wild-card chase. The Flyers have lost four of their last five game, sitting five points back of the Jackets.

Calgary Flames forward Matt Coronato scored twice and set up another to lead his club over the Anaheim Ducks 4-1. Dustin Wolf made 30 saves for the Flames as they hold the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 57 points. Frank Vatrano scored for the Ducks as their three-game win streak is over.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames and Flyers were involved in a multi-player trade last night. Calgary traded Andrei Kuzmenko, Jakob Pelletier, a second-round pick in the 2025 draft and a 2028 seventh-rounder to Philadelphia for forwards Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee. Read on for further analysis in the Headlines below.

The Seattle Kraken defeated the San Jose Sharks 6-2. Brandon Montour scored two goals and Chandler Stephenson had a goal and two assists for the Kraken. Carl Grunstrom and Tyler Toffoli replied for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken defenseman Ryker Evans and Sharks forward Alex Wennberg missed this game as they’re day-to-day with upper-body injuries.

HEADLINES

CALGARY SUN: Morgan Frost is considered the focal point of last night’s trade between the Flames and Flyers. Flames general manager Craig Conroy made no secret of his search for a center. Adding the 25-year-old Frost and the 24-year-old Joel Farabee is seen as building for the future while providing an immediate boost to their roster.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Frost and Farabee were former first-round picks who didn’t pan out as hoped with the Flyers. Kuzmenko turns 29 next week and is a pending unrestricted free-agent winger who is struggling to regain his scoring touch. Pelletier, 23, is a pending restricted free-agent winger.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames are retooling for the future but they’re also battling for a wild-card spot. This move addresses both issues and could prove to be a winning move for Conroy if Frost and Farabee flourish in Calgary.

Kuzmenko could be flipped by the March 7 trade deadline by the rebuilding Flyers for another draft pick. Pelletier is a former first-rounder who struggled to crack the Flames lineup. He’ll have a better opportunity in Philadelphia to become a full-time NHLer and reach his full potential with his new club.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The captains for the 4 Nations Face-Off were announced yesterday by the NHL. Canada’s captain will be Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby, Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews will lead Team USA, Sweden will be captained by Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman, and Finland by Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No shocking surprises here.

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers unveiled their Quarter-Century Team on Thursday.

Forwards Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, defensemen Evan Bouchard and Darnell Nurse, and goaltender Dwayne Roloson comprised the First Team.

The Second Team featured forwards Ryan Smyth, Shawn Horcoff and Ales Hemsky, defensemen Mattias Ekholm and Jason Smith, and goalie Tommy Salo.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen is listed as week-to-week with a knee injury and will not play for Finland in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off.

DAILY FACEOFF: Florida Panthers defenseman Dmitry Kulikov played in his 1,000th NHL regular-season game on Wednesday against the Los Angeles Kings.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Panthers, they placed defenseman Adam Boqvist on waivers.

THE SCORE: Utah Hockey Club removed one of the finalists for its new team name and resurrected another. They dropped Wasatch in favor of Outlaws, joining Mammoth and their current name among the three candidates being voted on by Utah fans.

TSN: Former goaltender, NHL executive and TSN radio personality Shawn Simpson passed away on Wednesday at age 56. Simpson was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the 1986 NHL draft and spent three seasons with their then-AHL affiliate in Baltimore. He went on to work with the Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs as a team executive before joining TSN radio in Ottawa in 2012 until 2023.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Simpson’s family, friends, teammates and co-workers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 22, 2024

by | Nov 22, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 22, 2024

A 13-goal game between the Blue Jackets and Lightning, Marc-Andre Fleury reaches another career milestone, updates on Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin and Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF THURSDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning combined for 13 goals with the Blue Jackets winning in overtime 7-6.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (NHL Images).

Defenseman Zach Werenski had a five-point night with two goals (including the game-winner) and three assists, Sean Monahan had a goal and three assists and Kent Johnson tallied twice for the Jackets. Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov collected three assists to surpass the 900-point plateau.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets have won three of their last four games, snapping Tampa Bay’s three-game win streak. Lightning forward Nick Paul missed this game with an undisclosed injury.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 28 saves in his 1,000th NHL start in a 5-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Frederic Gaudreau tallied twice and collected an assist for the Wild (13-3-3), holding second overall in the Western Conference with 29 points. Corey Perry had a goal and an assist for the Oilers, who’ve dropped three of their last four (1-2-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury also passed Patrick Roy for the third-most games played by a goaltender (1,030) in NHL history. He also shrugged off an embarrassing start when he whiffed on a clearing attempt that became the opening goal just 27 seconds into the game.

Oilers forwards Zach Hyman and Viktor Arvidsson missed this game due to undisclosed injuries. Hyman will miss four to seven days while Arvidsson was placed on injured reserve. Defenseman Darnell Nurse also missed this game due to a concussion.

Colorado Avalanche forward Miles Wood broke a 1-1 tie early in the third period as his club held on for a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals. Washington forward Pierre-Luc Dubois opened the scoring but Mikko Rantanen tied it for Colorado in the second period. Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev stopped 28 shots for the win in his first game since Nov. 13 after being sidelined by an injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals announced before this game that captain Alex Ovechkin suffered a fractured fibula and would be out for four to six weeks. That could jeopardize his attempt to break Wayne Gretzky’s goalscoring record (894) this season. Ovechkin needs 27 goals to reach 895.

The New Jersey Devils doubled up the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2. Jesper Bratt scored two goals and picked up an assist while Jack Hughes had three helpers for the Devils. Jack Roslovic and Andrei Svechnikov replied for the Hurricanes. The Devils and Hurricanes each have 28 points but the Hurricanes hold first overall in the Eastern Conference with three games in hand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Hurricanes announced goaltender Frederik Andersen will undergo knee surgery sidelining him for eight to 12 weeks. Andersen’s last game was an Oct. 26 win over the Seattle Kraken.

St. Louis Blues netminder Jordan Binnington made 22 saves in a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Jake Neighbours netted the winning goal in a shootout. Alexander Wennberg scored both goals for the Sharks while rookie Yaroslav Askarov made 29 saves in his debut with the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a milestone victory for Binnington, tying him with Mike Liut for the Blues’ record of 151 wins.

The Boston Bruins got their first win under new head coach Joe Sacco as they nipped the Utah Hockey Club 1-0. Elias Lindholm scored the only goal while Joonas Korpisalo turned in a 21-save shutout. Utah netminder Karel Vejmelka stopped 30 shots.

A third-period goal by Connor Zary lifted the Calgary Flames to a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers. MacKenzie Weegar had three assists while Yegor Sherangovich and Matt Coronato each had a goal and an assist for the Flames. Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin kicked out 46 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau reached a personal milestone with his 500th career NHL assist.

The Chicago Blackhawks upset the Florida Panthers 3-1. Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek turned aside 32 shots while Nick Foligno had a goal and an assist. Panthers forward Sam Reinhart netted his 15th goal of the season, tying Ovechkin and Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl for the league lead.

Vegas Golden Knights netminder Ilya Samsonov made 38 saves backstopping his club to a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators, handing the latter their fourth straight defeat (0-3-1). Ivan Barbashev had two assists for the Golden Knights while Linus Ullmark stopped 29 shots for the Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo missed this game with an upper-body injury. He’s listed as day-to-day.

The Senators are once again on the brink of falling into a hole in the standings too deep to climb out of. With 17 points, they’re second-last in the Eastern Conference. The good news is they’re only four points out of a wild-card berth but they must string some wins together soon or risk another lost season.

Third-period goals by Jonatan Berggren and Lucas Raymond lifted the Detroit Red Wings over the New York Islanders 2-1. Alex Lyon made 22 stops for the Red Wings while Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Red Wings announced that Hall-of-Famer Pavel Datsyuk had signed a one-day contract to retire officially as a Wing. He spent his entire 14-season NHL career with Detroit.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET: The NHL department of player safety released a video clarifying its rule regarding illegal hits to the head after three controversial checks resulted in two suspensions.

Those hits included Los Angeles’ Tanner Jeannot’s hit on Vancouver’s Brock Boeser (three-game suspension), Toronto’s Ryan Reaves on Edmonton’s Darnell Nurse (five-game suspension) and Vegas’s Zach Whitecloud’s hit on Toronto’s Matthew Knies (no suspension).

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs are cautiously optimistic that Knies won’t miss much time after leaving Wednesday’s game against the Golden Knights following that big hit by Whitecloud.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks returned forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki to their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford. It suggests Brock Boeser may be close to returning to action. Boeser’s been sidelined since that hit by Jeannot on Nov. 7.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 30, 2024

by | Oct 30, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 30, 2024

Alex Ovechkin continues his pursuit of Wayne Gretzky’s goal record, Penguins fans salute Marc-Andre Fleury in his last game in Pittsburgh, the Red Wings ship Olli Maatta to Utah, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin continued to pursue Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record, tallying twice in a 5-3 victory over the New York Rangers. Aliaksei Protas has a goal and two assists for the Capitals, who improved their record to 6-2-0. Igor Shesterkin made 41 saves for the Rangers, who were outshot 46-19 by the Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury. Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery mentioned a little concern in his postgame press conference but didn’t know the extent of the injury.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury (NHL Images).

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 26 saves as his club beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 in what is likely his final game in Pittsburgh. Frederick Gaudreau scored twice and collected an assist and Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists for the Wild. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby had three assists and teammate Rickard Rakell scored two goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury began his NHL career in Pittsburgh, playing 13 seasons for the Penguins and helping them win three Stanley Cups. He intends to retire at the end of this season. The fans chanted Fleury’s name following the game as he saluted the crowd to a standing ovation.

Pittsburgh has lost six straight (0-5-1) and sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. They also announced winger Bryan Rust is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury suffered during Saturday’s loss to the Vancouver Canucks.

The Seattle Kraken thumped the Montreal Canadiens 8-2. Brandon Montour led the way with his first career hat trick and added an assist while Chandler Stephenson had two helpers for the Kraken. Montreal goaltender Sam Montembeault got the hook after giving up five goals on 10 shots. Canadiens winger Cole Caufield sniped his ninth goal, tying New Jersey’s Nico Hischier for the league goal-scoring lead.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Montour and Stephenson came to Seattle as free agents this summer. Their performance against the Canadiens puts them among the Kraken’s leading scorers.

Ottawa Senators forward Tim Stutzle scored two goals and collected two assists as his club crushed the St. Louis Blues 8-1. Brady Tkachuk and Adam Gaudette each scored twice and Linus Ullmark turned aside 26 shots. Blue goalie Joel Hofer was pulled after giving up five goals on 21 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The start of this game was briefly delayed by a power outage at Canadian Tire Centre due to electrical storms in the area. Blues winger Kasperi Kapanen left this game with an upper-body injury in the second period. There was no postgame word regarding his condition. Before the game, the Blues announced forward Alexey Toropchenko agreed to a one-year contract extension worth $1.7 million. 

Philadelphia Flyers netminder Samuel Ersson made 23 saves to shut out the Boston Bruins 2-0. Tyler Foerster and Joel Farabee were the goal scorers. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 17 shots for the Bruins (4-5-1) as they slipped into last place in the Atlantic Division.

The San Jose Sharks doubled up the Los Angeles Kings 4-2 to pick up their second straight win after starting the season 0-7-2. Jake Walman had a goal and two assists and Vitek Vanecek made 26 saves for Los Tiburones. Akil Thomas and Alex Laferriere replied for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings forward Kevin Fiala was a healthy scratch for missing a team meeting. Meanwhile, the Sharks placed Ty Dellandrea (upper body) on injured reserve. 

Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal kicked out 40 shots, including 17 in the first period, in a 3-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Frank Vatrano and Mason McTavish each had two points for the Ducks. Mathew Barzal scored for the Isles.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders defenseman Alexander Romanov missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

HEADLINES

MLIVE.COM: The Detroit Red Wings traded defenseman Olli Maatta to the Utah Hockey Club in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah needed to add some experienced depth to their injury-battered blueline with Sean Durzi and John Marino out for months recovering from surgeries. The 30-year-old Maatta has averaged over 18 minutes of ice time per game in his 11 NHL seasons and won two Stanley Cups with the Penguins in 2016 and 2017.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers called up forwards Noah Philp and Drake Caggiula from their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield as they await word on the severity of Connor McDavid’s leg injury. The Oilers captain was sidelined on Monday after falling awkwardly into the boards during the opening shift against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

SPORTSNET: The NHL’s department of player safety fined Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin $5,000 for high-sticking Florida Panthers forward Anton Lundell.

CALGARY SUN: Flames captain Mikael Backlund is scheduled to play in his 1,000th career NHL regular-season game when his club faces Utah HC on Wednesday.

SPORTSNET: The Toronto Maple Leafs sent forward Fraser Minten to their AHL affiliate.

RG.ORG: Hockey Hall-of-Famer Sergei Zubov believes Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov and Montreal Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov represent the future of Russian Hockey. Zubov praised Michkov’s focus on goal scoring and Demidov’s growth playing alongside veterans like former NHL center Evgeny Kuznetsov.

TORONTO SUN: Steve Simmons ponders the mystery of Alexander Mogilny’s exclusion from the Hockey Hall of Fame.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Simmons isn’t the only person wondering why the HHoF continues to snub Mogilny. The Sun scribe says he’s asked several Hall of Fame voters about it but they’re sworn to secrecy about the selection process.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 29, 2024

by | Oct 29, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 29, 2024

The Leafs end the Jets’ win streak, the Sharks long losing skid is over, the Lightning honor former captain Steven Stamkos, and Oilers captain Connor McDavid suffers an injury against the Blue Jackets. Get the details on these and other stories in the NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs downed the Winnipeg Jets 6-4, ending the latter’s season-opening win streak at eight games. John Tavares had a hat trick while William Nylander and Max Pacioretty each picked up three points for the Leafs. Jets winger Kyle Connor had two goals and two assists.

Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs outshot the Jets 36-23, including 19-6 in the first period. Winnipeg made it interesting as Mark Scheifele and Connor scored third-period goals to cut the Leafs lead to 5-4 before Tavares put it out of reach with an empty-net goal.

The Leafs announced defenseman Jake McCabe agreed to a five-year contract extension with an average annual value of $4.51 million. McCabe, 31, was slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. He’s earning an AAV of $4 million on his current deal.

The cap hit is alright from the Leafs’ point of view. However, the concern is whether McCabe will still be worth that AAV in the latter years of the contract. He’ll be 32 when it goes into effect next season and will soon reach his mid-thirties when a player’s skills usually decline.

The San Jose Sharks snapped a nine-game losing skid with a 5-4 victory over the Utah Hockey Club on an overtime goal by Alexander Wennberg. They overcame a 4-1 deficit with three unanswered third-period goals by Fabian Zetterlund, Mikael Granlund and Tyler Toffoli to force the extra frame. Zetterlund finished with two goals and Granlund with three points. Matias Maccelli tallied twice for Utah.

An overtime goal by Nick Paul lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning past the Nashville Predators 3-2. Brayden Point and Jake Guentzel each had two points and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 35 shots for the win. Predators forward Steven Stamkos picked up two assists against his former club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was an emotional return to Tampa Bay for Stamkos. The Lightning honored his 16 seasons with the club with a three-minute video tribute as he took to the ice acknowledging the crowd, who greeted him with a lengthy standing ovation.

The Columbus Blue Jackets thumped the Edmonton Oilers 6-1. Sean Monahan scored twice and Cole Sillinger had a goal and two assists for the Blue Jackets. Oilers captain Connor McDavid left the game after suffering a lower-body injury during the opening shift.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid injured his left foot falling awkwardly into the boards as he was tripped while chasing the puck. He skated off and was on the bench for several minutes before leaving. McDavid returned to Edmonton for treatment and will miss the remaining two games of the Oilers’ current road trip.

Florida Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov returned from a lower-body injury with a two-point performance in a 5-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe also had two points in this contest for the Panthers. Jason Zucker and Rasmus Dahlin replied for the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Sabres placed forward Zach Benson (lower body) on injured reserve.

The Chicago Blackhawks ended a four-game losing skid by beating the Colorado Avalanche 5-2, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Ryan Donato led the way for the Blackhawks with two goals and an assist. Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar each picked up a point to extend their season-opening points streaks to 10 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche forward Ross Colton will miss some time recovering from a lower-body injury after blocking a shot in the first period. He played through the second period before leaving this contest.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho scored in overtime for a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Martin Necas had a goal and an assist as the Hurricanes took a 3-1 lead before the Canucks battled back to tie it on third-period goals by Quinn Hughes and Pius Suter.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen missed this game dealing with an undisclosed injury. It is unrelated to the blood clots that sidelined him for most of last season.

The Vegas Golden Knights blanked the Calgary Flames 5-0. Keegan Kolesar and Nicolas Roy each had three points and Adin Hill made 16 saves for the shutout. Dan Vladar turned aside 33 shots for the Flames, who’ve dropped three straight games after starting the season 5-0-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames are mourning the passing of former equipment manager Gus Thorson, who died in Calgary on Saturday at age 65. Thorson was the Flames head equipment manager from 1999 to 2010. My condolences to Thorson’s family, friends and the Flames organization.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone, Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros and Dallas Stars center Matt Duchene are the league’s three stars for the week ending Oct. 27.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is preparing for his final game in front of Pittsburgh Penguins fans. Fleury, 39, intends to retire at the end of this season. He spent the first 13 seasons of his NHL career with the Penguins, helping them win three Stanley Cups. The Wild face the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Tuesday.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Penguins, winger Bryan Rust was still be evaluated on Monday for an injured right leg suffered during Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.

CBS SPORTS: The Montreal Canadiens placed defenseman Kaiden Guhle (upper body) on injured reserve.

STLTODAY.COM: The Blues will send forward Mathieu Joseph back to St. Louis to receive treatment for a lower-body injury suffered during Saturday’s game against the Canadiens.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers recalled forward Matt Rempe from their AHL affiliate in Hartford.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 3, 2024

by | Oct 3, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 3, 2024

Recapping Wednesday’s preseason action, injury updates, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S NHL PRESEASON GAMES

NHL.COM: Four first-period goals powered the Nashville Predators to a 6-4 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes at Lenovo Center in Raleigh. Jonathan Marchessault tallied twice for the Predators while rookie forward Felix Unger Sorum had a goal and two assists for the Hurricanes.

Nashville Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes raised nearly $300K from ticket revenue, donations, and a silent auction from the sellout crowd which will be used for Hurricane Helene relief efforts.

The Florida Panthers nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 on an overtime goal by Sandis Vilmanis. Spencer Knight made 26 saves for the Panthers. Nikita Kucherov scored for the Lightning.

Winnipeg Jets winger Nino Niederreiter scored two goals and Gabriel Vilardi collected three assists in a 5-2 win over the Calgary Flames. Niederreiter snapped a 2-2 tie with 6:38 remaining in the third period. Dustin Wolf stopped 22 shots for the Flames.

The Seattle Kraken thumped the Edmonton Oilers 6-2. Shane Wright scored twice and Philipp Grubauer made 28 saves for the Kraken. Leon Draisaitl scored and picked up an assist and Darnell Nurse logged 22:17 of ice time in his preseason debut. Nurse has been dealing with an undisclosed injury since the Stanley Cup Final in June.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken winger Jared McCann was a late scratch with a lower-body injury. Head coach Dan Bylsma listed him as day-to-day.

Anaheim Ducks forward Leo Carlsson had a goal and two assists in a 5-2 victory over the Utah Hockey Club. Lukas Dostal kicked out 35 shots for the Ducks. Utah goalie Karel Vejmelka stopped 32 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah defenseman John Marino will miss the club’s season opener with an upper-body injury. He’s missed all of training camp and preseason dealing with this ailment.

HEADLINES

OTTAWA SUN: Senators forwards Brady Tkachuk, Tim Stutzle and defenseman Thomas Chabot are all okay after leaving Tuesday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens with injuries. Meanwhile, Carter Yakemchuk is making the case to start this season with the Senators. The 19-year-old defenseman is their leading scorer in this preseason with five points, including two goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators can keep Yakemchuk in their lineup for up to 10 regular-season games without using up the first year of his entry-level contract. He was chosen seventh overall in this year’s NHL draft.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks and their fans are breathing a sigh of relief after Macklin Celebrini was listed as day-to-day after crashing hard into the boards during Tuesday’s game against Utah. The 18-year-old center was chosen first overall in this year’s draft.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE/CBS SPORTS: Penguins goaltender Alex Nedeljkovic is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Winger Blake Lizotte is out indefinitely with a concussion after being struck by a puck during last Sunday’s preseason game against Ottawa.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: St. Louis Blues defenseman Justin Faulk looks forward to a healthy season after nursing ankle and shoulder injuries that limited him to 60 games in 2023-24.

SPORTSNET/THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks forward Pius Suter is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. They also lost goaltender Jiri Patera off waivers yesterday to the Boston Bruins.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Washington Capitals could keep promising prospect Andrew Cristall on their roster for the opening games of this season. The 19-year-old had a strong training camp and performed well in preseason action.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings released forward Alex Chiasson from his professional tryout offer.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury didn’t play in his club’s preseason home game on Tuesday against the Chicago Blackhawks. Nevertheless, he still found a way to get on the ice, pranking his teammates by disguising himself as an ice crew member and chirping the Wild bench during a TV timeout.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Admit it, folks, we’ll miss Fleury when he retires at the end of this season.