NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 15, 2024

by | Jan 15, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 15, 2024

The Rangers defeat the Capitals, the Red Wings rally to beat the Leafs, the head coaches for the 2024 All-Star Game are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The New York Rangers snapped a four-game losing skid by holding off the Washington Capitals 2-1. Igor Shesterkin made 24 saves for the win while Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere scored for the 27-13-2 Rangers as they sit in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 56 points. T.J. Oshie scored and Charlie Lindgren turned aside 29 shots for the Capitals (20-15-6) as they sit three points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 46 points.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals played without captain Alex Ovechkin, who missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Daniel Sprong, Andrew Copp and Lucas Raymond left the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Dylan Larkin had a goal and an assist while James Reimer stopped 29 shots for the 22-16-5 Red Wings, extending their points streak to six games and moving into the first Eastern wild-card spot with 49 points. Mitch Marner scored to collect his 600th career NHL point for the 21-12-8 Maple Leafs, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 50 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ilya Samsonov made 23 saves in his first game back with the Leafs since being recalled from their AHL affiliate. He couldn’t be blamed for the sloppy defensive play that contributed to the Leafs’ third-period collapse.

Detroit winger Patrick Kane left this game with a lower-body injury and will receive further evaluation. It’s not believed to involve the hip that he had a resurfacing procedure on last June. The Wings also activated forward Klim Kostin off injured reserve but he didn’t participate in this game.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Rick Bowness of the Winnipeg Jets, Jim Montgomery of the Boston Bruins, Peter Laviolette of the New York Rangers and Rick Tocchet of the Vancouver Canucks were named the head coaches for the 2024 NHL All-Star Game on Feb. 3 in Toronto.

The first 10 participants in the All-Star Skills competition were announced by the NHL. They are Toronto Maple Leafs forwards Auston Matthews and William Nylander, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar, Edmonton Oilers centers Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak, and Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The final two participants will be chosen by fan voting that concludes on Jan. 18.

THE ATHLETIC’s Jesse Granger reports the Vegas Golden Knights have placed center Jack Eichel on injured reserve.

TSN: Ottawa Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg will be sidelined by a groin injury until at least after the All-Star Game.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Columbus Blue Jackets activated forward Sean Kuraly off injured reserve. He’s missed the last eight games with an abdominal injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL forward Cody Hodgson is hoping to make a comeback after retiring eight years ago after being diagnosed with malignant hypothermia. The 34-year-old has been skating since the summer after receiving a clean bill of health.

THE MERCURY NEWS: Several NHL clubs have expressed an interest in former San Jose Sharks forward Sasha Chmelevski. He played 24 games with the Sharks in 2020-21 and 2021-22 before heading to KHL club Salavat Yulayev-Ufa. The Sharks still hold his NHL rights and the earliest he can return to the NHL is next season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 29, 2023

by | Dec 29, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 29, 2023

The Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho achieves a franchise first in his club’s win over the Canadiens, a milestone game for Flyers coach John Tortorella, the latest injury updates, the Capitals finally sign Ethan Bear, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho collected four assists and Andrei Svechnikov tallied a hat trick in a 5-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Brent Burns set up three goals and Jesper Fast scored twice as the Hurricanes improved to 19-13-4 to move into third place in the Metropolitan Division with 42 points. Mitchell Stephens, Mike Matheson and Josh Anderson scored for the Canadiens as they slipped to 15-14-5.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Aho became the first player in Hurricanes/Whalers history to collect four points in consecutive games and the first player in the NHL to do so since Jeremy Roenick on Nov. 25-26, 1999.

A three-goal second period powered the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Joel Farabee had a goal and an assist while Samuel Ersson made 18 saves before leaving the game early in the third period with an undisclosed injury. The Flyers improved to 19-11-4 and hold second place in the Metro Division with 42 points. Teddy Blueger scored for the 23-10-3 Canucks as they remain in first place in the Western Conference with 49 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a milestone game for Flyers head coach John Tortorella as he moved into 10th place on the all-time wins list for NHL coaches with 723. The Flyers have the same number of points as the Hurricanes but sit ahead of them with two games in hand.

The Vegas Golden Knights snapped a four-game losing skid by holding off the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 3-2. Logan Thompson stopped 32 shots while Jack Eichel, Michael Amadio and William Karlsson scored for the Golden Knights (22-10-5) move into a tie with the Vancouver Canucks with 49 points. Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist while Trevor Moore also scored for the Kings (20-8-4) as they remain in third place in the Pacific Division with 44 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks still hold first in the West with one more victory as well as a game in hand.

A four-goal first period and 25 saves by goaltender Stuart Skinner gave the Edmonton Oilers a 5-0 shutout over the San Jose Sharks. Zach Hyman tallied his 20th of the season as the Oilers improved to 16-15-1. Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 17 of 18 shots in relief of Magnus Chrona for the 9-24-3 Sharks.

HEADLINES

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski is out with an undisclosed leg injury on a week-to-week basis.

SPORTSNET: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano returns to action on Friday against the Blue Jackets after missing a month with a broken finger.

CBS SPORTS: Nashville Predators blueliner Tyson Barrie is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

THE SCORE: The Washington Capitals officially signed Ethan Bear on Thursday to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.0625 million. The 26-year-old defenseman is returning to action following offseason shoulder surgery.

TSN: The Buffalo Sabres placed center Tage Thompson on their non-roster list as he is dealing with a personal issue.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils sent goaltender Akira Schmid to their AHL affiliate in Utica after recalling Nico Daws. They’re hoping Schmid can regain his rhythm after struggling this season.

DAILY FACEOFF: Detroit Red Wings goalie Michael Hutchison and Sabres forward Tyson Jost hit the waiver wire on Thursday.

Nikolai Khabibulin is returning to action as the 50-year-old goaltender signed a one-year deal with the KHL’s Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. His last professional game was on Nov. 16, 2013, with the Chicago Blackhawks.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former NHL defenseman Cody Franson has been hired as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Iowa Wild.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: A lawsuit alleges the Kraken violated the Seattle Metropolitans trademark with their Winter Classic jerseys.