NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 13, 2025

by | Feb 13, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 13, 2025

Canada defeats Sweden in the opening game of the 4 Nations Face-Off, the World Cup of Hockey will return in 2028, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

CANADA BEATS SWEDEN TO OPEN THE 4 NATIONS FACE-OFF

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Mitch Marner lifted Canada to a 4-3 victory over Sweden in the opening game of the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament at the Bell Centre in Montreal. Sidney Crosby collected three assists, including the set-up for Marner’s winning goal during the 3-on-3 overtime period before a sellout crowd of 21, 105 fans.

Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby (NHL.com).

Canada took a 2-0 first-period lead on goals by Nathan MacKinnon and Brad Marchand. Jonas Brodin got Sweden on the board in the second but Mark Stone restored Canada’s two-goal lead.

The Swedes rallied in the third period on goals by Adrian Kempe and Joel Eriksson Ek.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby’s three-point performance earned him “Player of the Game” honors. He joined Mario Lemieux and Bobby Hull as the only players from any country in an NHL international tournament to record a multipoint game at age 37 or older.

SPORTSNET: Canada’s defense corps received a blow as blueliner Shea Theodore suffered an upper-body injury following a clean hit along the boards from Kempe early in the second period. He’s been sidelined for the tournament.

Elliotte Friedman reports Travis Sanheim will replace Theodore for Saturday’s game against the United States. Canada will be allowed to put a defenseman or two “on notice” in case another blueliner suffers an injury. That player would join their lineup when the tournament shifts to Boston.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sanheim and center Sam Bennett were healthy scratches against Sweden.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The NHL and NHL Players’ Association announced the World Cup of Hockey will return in February 2028. The last World Cup was held in 2016. Games are expected to be played in North America and Europe with at least eight teams and is expected to include only teams from individual countries.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No Team North America of 23-and-young stars or Team Europe made up of stars from small European nations. That’s a shame, those teams helped make the 2016 World Cup more enjoyable.

RG.ORG: Jim Biringer reports New York Islanders center Brock Nelson considers his participation with Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off as a mental break where he can focus on the tournament.

The 33-year-old center is the subject of increasing speculation over his future with the Islanders. Unless he signs a contract extension, he will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, prompting conjecture suggesting he could be traded if he remains unsigned by the March 7 trade deadline.

Nelson is leaving that to his agent and Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello. He believes everything will work itself out, praising Lamoriello while stressing there’s plenty of time to get a deal done. He wants to do what’s best for himself and his family but also understands the Islanders’ legacy and what it would mean to finish his career with them.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some pundits believe Nelson has been evasive or seems reluctant to sign an extension. Biringer thinks neither Nelson nor the Islanders want his time on Long Island to end just yet. With the trade deadline on the horizon, we won’t have to wait long to find out.

NEW YORK POST: Team USA has a stall for the late Johnny Gaudreau’s uniform. The Columbus Blue Jackets star and his brother Matthew were killed by an alleged drunk driver last August.

“Everybody knows Johnny would be here right now,” said Team USA forward Vincent Trocheck. “Everyone loved him. It’s nice to have a piece of him here. We know he’s here with us in spirit. Just trying to honor him as best we can.”

Team USA also invited Gaudreau’s father, Guy, to participate in their Thursday practice session.

DAILY FACEOFF: Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine hopes the 4 Nations Face-Off will provide an opportunity to get his season back on track. The 26-year-old is part of Finland’s lineup. Laine started strong when he returned from injury in December with 12 goals and 18 points in 20 games but was held scoreless in his last eight games.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken captain Jordan Eberle was assigned to their AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley on a conditioning stint. The 34-year-old winger has been sidelined since Nov. 14 with a pelvis injury. Eberle recently resumed practicing with the Kraken before the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Islanders winger Anthony Duclair’s charitable foundation opened what is believed to be the first public synthetic ice rink in Florida on Wednesday. The city of Lauderdale Lakes declared Wednesday as “Anthony Duclair Day”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Duclair started the project during his tenure with the Florida Panthers. He now makes his home at Lauderdale Lakes.

THE ATHLETIC: Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Cayden Lindstrom could miss the remainder of this season. He’s recovering from back surgery in November and skated for the first time last week at Columbus’ Nationwide Arena.

Lindstrom was chosen fourth overall by the Blue Jackets in last year’s draft. Multiple sources confirm several college programs, including Ohio State, have spoken to him about moving from the WHL to college hockey. That would mean less wear and tear for Lindstrom, allowing for more practice and workout time for his recovery.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 14, 2024

by | Dec 14, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 14, 2024

The Senators upset the Hurricanes, injury updates, the Islanders put two players on waivers, an update on Robin Lehner, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark had a 32-save shutout to upset the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0. Shane Pinto scored twice and Nick Jensen also tallied for the Senators (30 points) as they move to within two points of a wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 19 shots for the Hurricanes, who’ve lost five of their last seven contests.

Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Score’s Josh Wegman observed the Hurricanes haven’t had an even-strength goal in three straight games. Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho has been struggling to score this season with just seven goals in 29 games.

On Friday, Senators center Josh Norris was fined $2,000.00 by the league’s department of player safety for embellishment during a Dec. 5 game against the Detroit Red Wings.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Minnesota Wild placed defenseman Jake Middleton on long-term injury reserve with an upper-body injury. He underwent surgery on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild claimed defenseman Travis Dermott off waivers from the Edmonton Oilers as a short-term replacement for Middleton.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Speaking of the Oilers, defenseman Evan Bouchard is considered “50-50” to play in Saturday’s game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Bouchard was injured late in Thursday’s game against the Wild when he was knocked into the net by forward Ryan Hartman late in the game.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers defenseman K’Andre Miller (upper body) was placed on injured reserve. He’s expected to be sidelined for at least a week and won’t join the team for its upcoming three-game road trip.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings goaltender Cam Talbot left practice on Friday with a lower-body injury. The Wings recalled netminder Jack Campbell on an emergency basis to back up Ville Husso.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. The Leafs recalled Dennis Hildeby on an emergency basis.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The Islanders placed forwards Pierre Engvall and Oliver Wahlstrom on waivers. The moves come with sidelined forwards Mathew Barzal and Anthony Duclair and defenseman Adam Pelech poised to return to the lineup.

SPORTSNET: Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner publicly opened up about his bankruptcy case. He disputed reports claiming he and his wife were no longer responding to lawyers involved in the case and dropped out of sight after vacating their Las Vegas home.

Lehner called those reports “fake”, claiming communication with his lawyer stopped after he could no longer continue paying him and accusing the lawyer of lying to the court. The netminder said he wasn’t looking for sympathy but had gone through some personal problems he wasn’t ready to divulge. He also blamed the media for sensationalizing his situation.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lehner wouldn’t comment about the future of his playing career. He last played in 2022. His contract, which expires at the end of this season, no longer counts against the Golden Knights’ salary cap.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Speaking of the Golden Knights, they signed forward Keegan Kolesar to a three-year contract with an average annual value of $2.5 million.

THE GUARDIAN: Former NHL coach Gerard Gallant was named head coach for Team Canada at the upcoming Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland. His assistant coaches will be Dave Hakstol, Mike Kelly and Johan Lundskog.

DAILY FACEOFF: The driver accused of hitting and killing Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew while intoxicated on Aug. 30 was indicted by a grand jury. He faces charges of second-degree reckless vehicular homicide, first-degree aggravated manslaughter, fourth-degree tampering with physical evidence, and second-degree leaving the scene of a fatal accident.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 4, 2024

by | Dec 4, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 4, 2024

The Avalanche overcame a four-goal deficit, the Minnesota Wild took over first place in the overall standings, Patrik Laine scored in his debut with the Canadiens, the Flames honor Johnny Gaudreau, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Colorado Avalanche overcame a 4-0 deficit to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 5-4. Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and collected an assist while Scott Wedgewood stopped 22 shots after replacing Alexandar Georgiev in the Avalanche net. Tage Thompson tallied two goals for the Sabres.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche acquired Wedgewood on Saturday to add more experienced depth behind Georgiev, who continues to battle inconsistency this season. Georgiev got the hook after giving up four goals on eight shots. Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin left this game because of back spasms in the third period.

An overtime goal by Kirill Kaprizov gave the Minnesota Wild a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks, vaulting the Wild into sole possession of first place in the overall standings with 38 points. Frederick Gaudreau and Jake Middleton also scored and Filip Gustavsson stopped 30 shots as the Wild extended their win streak to four games. Quinn Hughes and Jake DeBrusk replied for the Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild also set a franchise record for the most points in their first 25 games of the season. Center Joel Eriksson Ek left the game in overtime with an injured right leg. There was no postgame update about his condition

Kaprizov has 16 goals and 23 assists for 39 points in 24 games. He’s tied with MacKinnon and Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas in points but leads the league in that category because he’s scored more goals and has a league-leading 1.63 points per game.

The Canucks played without defenseman Filip Hronek, who will be sidelined for eight weeks after undergoing a non-surgical lower-body procedure.

Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine scored in his season debut and teammate Nick Suzuki scored in overtime to beat the New York Islanders 2-1. Sam Montembeault got the win with a 30-save performance. Anders Lee scored for the Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laine suffered a knee injury during preseason that kept him out of the lineup for the opening two months of the season. He was touched by the reception he received from the Bell Centre crowd.

Calgary Flames goaltender Dan Vladar made 16 saves to shut out the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0 on the night the Flames honored the late Johnny Gaudreau in the first game in Calgary between the two teams. Rasmus Andersson, Kevin Bahl, and Yegor Sherangovich were the goal scorers. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 19 shots for the Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gaudreau began his NHL career in Calgary, spending nine seasons with the Flames before signing with the Blue Jackets in July 2022. An alleged drunk driver killed him and his brother Matthew on Aug. 29.

Flames winger Andrei Kuzmenko was a healthy scratch after scoring one goal and nine points in 25 games. He was held scoreless in his previous nine games.

St. Louis Blues winger Jordan Kyrou scored twice in a 4-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets, handing the Jets their fourth straight defeat. Dylan Holloway and Robert Thomas also scored for the resurgent Blues, who are 3-0-1 since Jim Montgomery took over as head coach. Mark Scheifele tallied for the slumping Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The loss knocked the Jets out of first place in the Western Conference standings. After bursting from the gate with a 17-3-0 record, the Jets have dropped five of their last six contests. Before the game, the Jets announced winger Nikolaj Ehlers (lower body) was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 29 and recalled forward Brad Lambert.

The Seattle Kraken snapped a three-game losing skid by doubling up the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2, handing the latter their third straight loss. Jaden Schwartz and Yanni Gourde each had a goal and an assist and Matty Beniers collected two assists. Hurricanes forward Martin Necas had a goal and an assist.

Vegas Golden Knights goalie Adin Hill had a 28-save shutout and Ivan Barbashev scored the only goal to blank the Edmonton Oilers 1-0. Stuart Skinner stopped 15 shots for the Oilers, whose three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the first regular-season game in over 80 years ending with zero penalties and one goal or fewer scored. The last time that happened was Feb 20, 1944, between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks.

The Pittsburgh Penguins blew a 4-1 lead but defeated the Florida Panthers 5-4 on an overtime goal by Bryan Rust. Evgeni Malkin had a goal and an assist for the Penguins, who’ve won four straight games (26 points) and sit one point out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk scored two goals and collected two assists to pass the 600-point mark in his NHL career.

Boston Bruins forward Pavel Zacha scored in overtime to nip the Detroit Red Wings 3-2. Nikita Zadorov and Justin Brazeau also scored for the Bruins and Joonas Korpisalo made 24 saves for the win. Lucas Raymond scored both goals for the Red Wings.

An overtime goal by William Eklund carried the San Jose Sharks to a 2-1 upset of the Washington Capitals. Tyler Toffoli also scored for the Sharks as Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside 27 shots. Nic Dowd replied for the Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks (25 points) have won three straight games and four of their last five, moving within three points of the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin remains sidelined recovering from a broken left fibula. He was off to a great start before the injury with 15 goals in 18 games. RG.org’s Sergey Demidov cited a source close to Ovechkin attributing the left winger’s performance to a 33-pound weight loss (“from 258 to 225 pounds”) during the offseason.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 12, 2024

by | Nov 12, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 12, 2024

Big multipoint games for the Stars’ Mason Marchment and the Canadiens’ Nick Suzuki, the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2024 are formally inducted, injury updates, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment had a five-point performance (one goal, four assists) as his club thumped the Pittsburgh Penguins 7-1. Four of those points came in the first period as the Stars took a 6-0 lead. Matt Duchene had a goal and two assists while Miro Heiskanen scored two goals for the Stars. Penguins goalie Joel Blomqvist got the hook after giving up three goals on eight shots.

Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins set a franchise record for the most goals given up in the opening period of a home game.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki scored twice and collected two assists in a wild back-and-forth contest to lead his club to a 7-5 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Canadiens winger Cole Caufield tallied two goals and teammate Juraj Slafkovsky picked up three assists as their club snapped a six-game losing skid (0-5-1). Rasmus Dahlin and Dylan Cozens each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres forward Tage Thompson and defenseman Mattias Samuelsson left this game with lower-body injuries.

Following the game, Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen suffered an ailment during practice on Sunday that may have affected his performance. Luukkonen was pulled from this game after giving up four goals on 18 shots. Canadiens netminder Cayden Primeau didn’t fare any better, getting the hook in the third period after allowing five goals on 14 shots.

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2, handing the latter their first home loss of the season. Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 30 shots for his seventh straight win while Jordan Staal, Eric Robinson and Jesperi Kotkaniemi each had a goal and an assist. Golden Knights netminder Adin Hill allowed four goals on 21 shots and was replaced by Akira Schmid.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carolina forward Martin Necas picked up an assist to extend his points streak to 10 games. Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis missed this game with an upper-body injury. He’s listed as day-to-day.

An overtime goal by Samuel Girard lifted the Colorado Avalanche to a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. Girard finished the game with two points while Alexandar Georgiev turned aside 29 shots for the win. Predators netminder Juuse Saros also stopped 29 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The struggling Predators have one win in their last five games (1-3-1).

Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf kicked out 28 shots as his club downed the Los Angeles Kings 3-1. The Flames got goals from Mikael Backlund and Jonathan Huberdeau 38 seconds apart in the second period. Trevor Moore scored for the Kings before the Flames’ Kevin Rooney put the game out of reach with an empty-net goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames announced earlier in the day that winger Anthony Mantha will undergo season-ending knee surgery.

A shootout goal by Travis Konecny gave the Philadelphia Flyers a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. Flyers winger Matvei Michkov had a goal and an assist and also tallied in the shootout rounds. Mikael Granlund had a goal and an assist for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers placed defenseman Jamie Drysdale (upper body) on injured reserve and activated Ryan Poehling from IR for this game.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Former NHL stars Pavel Datsyuk, Jeremy Roenick and Shea Weber were among the Class of 2024 formally inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the players’ category on Monday. Former Nashville Predators general manager David Poile and NHL executive Colin Campbell were inducted into the builders category. US women’s hockey stars Krissy Wendell-Pohl and Natalie Darwitz were also inducted into the players’ category.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the Class of 2024.

Datsyuk is the 10th player from the Red Wings’ 2002 Stanley Cup team to be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Weber and Poile are the first members of the Predators to go into the Hall.

Roenick thanked his former Phoenix Coyotes teammate Keith Tkachuk, expressing the hope that Tkachuk would one day join him in the Hall. He also got emotional while thanking former San Jose Sharks GM Doug Wilson for reaching out during a low point near the end of Roenick’s career, giving him a chance to reach the 500-goal plateau with the Sharks.

CALGARY SUN: Hockey Hall of Fame chairman Lanny McDonald offered a heartfelt tribute to Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau in a somber moment during the induction ceremony. The Gaudreaus were killed in August by an alleged drunk driver.

NHL.COM: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon and Buffalo Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen were the league’s three stars for the week ending Nov. 10, 2024.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (upper-body injury) remains day-to-day and is unlikely to face the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday. The Leafs also placed winger Max Pacioretty (lower-body injury) on IR.

OTTAWA SUN: Speaking of the Senators, center Shane Pinto will return to the lineup against the Leafs. He’s been sidelined by an undisclosed injury since playing his last game on Oct. 22.

DAILY FACEOFF: Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins winger David Pastrnak revealed he was sidelined for two-to-three weeks after playing for Czechia in the 2024 World Championship in May. He admitted he didn’t feel right entering Bruins training camp in September but insists he’s felt much better over the last couple of games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That would account for Pastrnak’s goal-scoring difficulties this season. He has 14 points in 16 games but only six goals.

Speaking of the Bruins, they returned center Matthew Poitras to their AHL affiliate in Providence.

DAILY FACEOFF: Chicago Blackhawks forward Andreas Athanasiou, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Matt Benning, and Colorado Avalanche goalie Kaapo Kahkonen were placed on waivers on Monday.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 16, 2024

by | Oct 16, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 16, 2024

In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines, the Blue Jackets honor Johnny Gaudreau in their home opener, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin reaches an assist milestone, the struggling Oilers picked up their first win of the season, and more.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Columbus Blue Jackets honored Johnny Gaudreau before their home opener against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.

With Gaudreau’s family on the ice, the Jackets raised a banner with his number 13 in a pregame ceremony. During the opening faceoff, the Jackets started without a left winger, which was Gaudreau’s position. Both teams didn’t move following the puck drop, letting the puck come to rest where Gaudreau would’ve stood, and remained in place for 13 seconds.

Once the game resumed, the Panthers held off the Blue Jackets 4-3. Sam Reinhart had a goal and two assists and Spencer Knight made 35 saves for his first win in 21 months. Sean Monahan scored for the Blue Jackets and pointed to Gaudreau’s banner to honor his long-time friend and former Calgary Flames teammate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson left the game with an upper-body injury after accidentally colliding with Monahan during the second period. Jackets coach Dean Evason described the injury as “not looking good”. That suggests Gudbranson could be sidelined for some time.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin had two assists, including the 700th of his NHL career, as his club doubled up the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2. Logan Thompson made 24 saves for the win over his former team and Jakub Vrana scored on his first shot in his return with the Capitals. Victor Olofsson and Jack Eichel replied for the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin becomes the sixth player in NHL history to score 700 goals and collect 700 assists. He joins Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jaromir Jagr, Marcel Dionne, and Phil Esposito. He’s also the 60th player to reach the 700-assist plateau.

Ovechkin has three assists in two games but still seeks his first goal of the season and remains at 853 career goals. He remains 41 goals behind Gretzky’s record of 894.

The Golden Knights also lost Olofsson late in the third period when he injured his left leg. Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said it didn’t look good but hopes it’s not severe. Olofsson was seen on crutches after the game.

An overtime goal by Leon Draisaitl lifted the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, snapping their season-opening three-game losing skid. Draisaitl finished with a goal and an assist and Connor McDavid collected two assists as they were put on the same line for the first time this season. The Flyers opened the scoring with a 2-0 lead as rookie Matvei Michkov tallied the first two goals of his NHL career.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A big comeback win by the Oilers, perhaps signaling that the slumbering Stanley Cup finalist is finally awakening from its season-opening slumber. It was a disappointing finish for the Flyers but their promising rookie Michkov finally breaks through after being limited to an assist in his first two games.

The Dallas Stars extended their season-opening win streak to 4-0-0 by nipping the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on a shootout goal by Wyatt Johnston. Matt Duchene and Roope Hintz scored for the Stars while Tyler Toffoli and former Star Ty Dellandrea replied for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars played without forward Tyler Seguin and defenseman Matt Dumba. Seguin is day-to-day with a lower-body injury while Dumba (lower body) is week-to-week.

Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames are also 4-0-0 after beating the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1. Matt Coronato had two goals and goaltender Dustin Wolf turned aside 31 shots. Nick Foligno had the only goal for the Blackhawks.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves and tallied an empty-net goal in a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Kirill Kaprizov collected two assists while Jakub Lauko scored the game-winner. Mathieu Joseph replied for the Blues.

The Tampa Bay Lightning won their home opener by beating the Vancouver Canucks 4-1. Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli each had a goal and an assist for the Lightning. Conor Garland had the lone goal for the Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was the first professional sports event in Tampa Bay since the second of back-to-back hurricanes in the region.

Four unanswered third-period goals lifted the Seattle Kraken to a 7-3 win over the Nashville Predators. Jaden Schwartz, Jared McCann, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Adam Larsson each had a goal and an assist for the Kraken. Michael McCarron, Tommy Novak and Brady Skjei scored for the Predators, who’ve dropped their first three games of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators may have “won” free agency by signing Skjei, Steven Stamkos, and Jonathan Marchessault but that hasn’t resulted in significant improvement thus far.

Head coach Andrew Brunette said his team deserves to be where it is right now, claiming they’re playing firewagon hockey. “We’re trying to be cute. We’re trying to show how talented we are to everybody. But we’re not really playing with a purpose,” he said.

The Carolina Hurricanes got a 23-save performance from goalie Pyotr Kochetkov in his season debut to double up the New Jersey Devils 4-2. Hurricanes rookie Jackson Blake tallied his first career NHL goal. Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier replied for the Devils.

IN OTHER NEWS…

RG.ORG: James Murphy reports NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said he doesn’t see any reason for concern regarding the next round of collective bargaining with the NHL Players’ Association. Those talks are expected to begin in 2025.

Daly also admitted he’s surprised by the league’s strong and fast comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic. He believes the COVID period created a stronger demand and appreciation from fans for the live product, and feels the game is in better shape than ever before.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daly also discussed the Utah Hockey Club and the league’s 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Follow the link above for the full interview.

TORONTO STAR: The good news for the Maple Leafs is John Tavares is out of sick bay. The bad news is William Nylander has caught the flu bug and is questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Buffalo Sabres hope to have JJ Peterka in the lineup when they face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. He’s been sidelined for the last two games after suffering a concussion in Czechia. Peterka was a full participant in practice on Tuesday.

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Hockey Club defenseman Sean Durzi is out for the foreseeable future with an upper-body injury.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils goaltender Jake Allen set an NHL record with his 3-0 win over Utah on Monday. He’s the first goaltender to secure a win against 33 NHL clubs in his career.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 15, 2024

by | Oct 15, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 15, 2024

In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines, recaps of Monday’s action, the three stars of the week are revealed, league commissioner Gary Bettman responds to a question about the possibility of a franchise in Quebec City and more.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Josh Norris lifted the Ottawa Senators to an 8-7 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Norris finished with two goals and an assist, Zack MacEwen tallied twice and Drake Batherson had a goal and two assists for the Senators. Kevin Fiala and Alex Laferriere each scored two goals and Anze Kopitar and Brandt Clarke each collected three assists for the Kings.

Ottawa Senators forward Josh Norris (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators starting goalie Linus Ullmark missed this game with a lower-body strain. While it isn’t considered serious, he’s undergoing further testing and might not be available for Thursday’s game against the New Jersey Devils.

The Senators called up goalie Mads Sogaard, who replaced Anton Forsberg after he gave up three goals on nine shots.

Ottawa defenseman Artem Zub left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury following a big hit from Kings forward Tanner Jeannot. The Senators also played without forward Ridly Greig, who is out for one-to-two weeks with an upper-body injury.

The New York Islanders picked up their first win of the season by trouncing the struggling Colorado Avalanche 6-2. Brock Nelson netted two second-period goals and Ilya Sorokin stopped 32 shots for the Isles. Avalanche rookie Calum Ritchie scored his first NHL goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar wasn’t pleased with his team’s performance. “There are no excuses. I didn’t like our game tonight,” said Bednar. “Top to bottom. It’s terrible.” They’re 0-3-0 to open this season.

Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews missed this game with a lower-body injury. He joined teammates Gabriel Landeskog (knee), Artturi Lehkonen (shoulder), Jonathan Drouin (upper body) and Valeri Nichushkin (NHL/NHLPA player assistance program) on the sidelines.

Florida Panthers forwards Sam Reinhart and Anton Lundell each tallied two goals in a 4-3 win over the Boston Bruins. Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 24 shots for the win. John Beecher and Mason Lohrei each had a goal and an assist and Mark Kastelic picked up three assists for the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk missed his second straight game due to illness and is expected to miss their next two games. It’s hoped he’ll return to action next Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild.

The New York Rangers beat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1. Mika Zibanejad had a goal and two assists, Igor Shesterkin kicked out 31 shots and Reilly Smith potted his first goal as a Ranger. Dylan Larkin replied for the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings sent goaltender Ville Husso to their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids before this game and recalled forward Austin Watson.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin scored his 499th career goal and Lars Eller tallied twice in a 6-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Malkin finished with a goal and two assists. Nick Suzuki and Mike Matheson each had two assists for the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby was held off the scoreboard and remains one point shy of 1,600 for his career. Crosby also needs eight goals to reach 600 and 24 games to reach 1,300.

The New Jersey Devils got a 20-save shutout from Jake Allen to blank the Utah Hockey Club 3-0, handing the latter their first loss of the season. Seamus Casey, Stefan Noesen and Nico Hischier were the goal scorers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah defenseman Sean Durzi left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury following an awkward hit from Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Utah Hockey Club winger Dylan Guenther, Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, and Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel were the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Oct. 13.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman was asked about the possibility of a new franchise in Quebec City when he met with reporters before Monday’s Penguins-Canadiens game at the Bell Centre.

Bettman said the league isn’t focused on expanding from 32 to 34 teams but would consider it if the right opportunity came along. As for the NHL returning to Quebec City, he said that depended on a lot of factors out of league control, “including someone – or an entity – that is engaged enough and committed enough financially to want to be even considered and it hasn’t happened yet.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s an assumption that media giant Quebecor, which operates the 18,259-seat Videotron Centre, would be the likely bidder to bring the NHL back to Quebec City via expansion or relocation of an existing franchise. Bettman’s comments suggest Quebecor hasn’t made any pitch for a franchise or made a failed attempt.

Quebec City may be an emotional choice but factors such as its market size mean it faces long odds when going up against bigger US-based markets in Houston and Atlanta. Those cities are considered the likely destinations when the league inevitably expands to 34 clubs in a few years.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Johnny Gaudreau’s father Guy Gaudreau joined the Blue Jackets’ practice on Monday as a guest. The club will honor Johnny’s memory on Tuesday in a pregame ceremony before their first home game of this season when they face the Florida Panthers.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin will be playing right wing for the first time in a decade as the club attempts to shake up its offense after dropping its season-opener to the New Jersey Devils on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Capitals defenseman Matt Roy is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury suffered during Saturday’s games.

SPORTSNET: Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin and forward Peyton Krebs had to be separated by their teammates when they dropped the gloves during practice on Monday.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sidelined Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini won’t be traveling with his teammates to Dallas for their game against the Stars on Tuesday. He was placed on injured reserve (lower body) retroactive to Oct. 11. It’s hoped he’ll join his teammates on Oct. 18 when they face the Jets in Winnipeg.

DAILY FACEOFF: The St. Louis Blues placed forward Alexandre Texier (upper body) on injured reserve.