NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 1, 2024

by | Mar 1, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 1, 2024

The Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon reaches 100 points, the Panthers surge into first overall, the Leafs acquire Ilya Lyubushkin from the Ducks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist to reach 100 points as the Colorado Avalanche blanked the Chicago Blackhawks 5-0. Justus Annunen stopped 24 shots for his first career NHL shutout while Zach Parise scored twice and collected an assist for the 37-19-5 Avalanche, who sit third in the Central Division with 79 points. Petr Mrazek made 29 saves for the 15-40-5 Blackhawks.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In his 61st game of the season, MacKinnon became the second-fastest player in Avalanche history to reach 100 points during a season. He sits one game behind Peter Statsny, who did it in 60 games in 1981-82. The Avalanche center sits second in the league scoring race.

The Florida Panthers nipped the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 to move into first place in the overall standings with 84 points. Sam Reinhart tallied twice to reach 41 goals on the season, Aleksander Barkov had three points and Anton Lundell scored the winning goal in a shootout for the 40-16-4 Panthers. Nick Suzuki had a goal and two assists for the 23-28-9 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers are tied with the Boston Bruins in points but have five more wins and a game in hand over the Bruins. Reinhart sits second in the goal-scoring race. Suzuki, meanwhile, had a productive February with 11 goals and 17 points in 11 games.

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll made 30 saves in his return from injury in a 4-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Auston Matthews netted his league-leading 53rd goal of the season while William Nylander had a goal and two assists for the Leafs (34-17-8), who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 76 points. The Coyotes (23-31-5) have lost 14 straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Maple Leafs also swung a trade as they reacquired defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin from the Anaheim Ducks in a three-way deal involving the Carolina Hurricanes. The Leaf sent the Ducks a third-round pick in 2025 and a 2024 sixth-rounder to the Hurricanes. The Ducks retained half of Lyubushkin’s $2.75 million cap hit with the Hurricanes retaining half of the remainder ($687,500).

Lyubushkin, 29, played 31 games and 7 playoff contests for the Leafs last season. A shutdown defenseman, he brings some much-needed depth to the right side of their blueline.

The Leafs could use another defenseman if Mark Giordano ends up sidelined for a lengthy period. The 40-year-old rearguard left the game in the first period with a head injury after falling hard into the boards. There was no postgame update regarding his condition.

Meanwhile, Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe was fined $25,000.00 by the league for unprofessional conduct directed at on-ice officials during the Leafs’ loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Tuesday.

The Boston Bruins downed the Vegas Golden Knights 5-4. Morgan Geekie scored his first career NHL hat trick while Mason Lohrei snapped a 4-4 tie for the 35-12-14 Bruins. Chandler Stephenson had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights (33-20-2) as they’re perched in second place in the Pacific Division with 73 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, it was reported that Golden Knights captain Mark Stone (upper-body injury) is sidelined for the remainder of the regular season and is questionable to return for the playoffs. It’s believed he suffered a lacerated spleen in a 5-3 loss to the Nashville Predators on Feb. 20. I’ll have more about how this could affect the Golden Knights leading up to the trade deadline in today’s Rumors update.

Drew Doughty and Kevin Fiala each had a goal and two assists to lead the Los Angeles Kings to a 5-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. With 70 points, the Kings (30-19-10) hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth. Brock Boeser scored the only goal for the 38-17-7 Canucks, who hold first place in the Western Conference with 83 points but slipped into fourth in the overall standings.

Speaking of Western Conference wild-card spots, the Nashville Predators picked up their seventh straight win by beating the Minnesota Wild 6-1. Roman Josi collected three points while Juuse Saros turned aside 33 shots for the 34-25-2 Predators, who also have 70 points but have played two more games than the Kings. Connor Dewar scored for the 28-26-6 Wild, who now sit eight points behind the Predators.

Dallas Stars rookie Logan Stankoven scored his third goal in four NHL games in a 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Joe Pavelski and Roope Hintz each had two points for the 36-17-9 Stars as they hold first place in the Central Division with 81 points. Winnipeg (37-16-5) remain two points behind the Stars. Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi missed the third period with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars will have to wait a few days until trade acquisition Chris Tanev joins them. He remains in Calgary sorting out his work visa and is expected to make his debut on Tuesday.

An overtime goal by Rasmus Dahlin lifted the Buffalo Sabres over the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2. Tage Thompson’s game-tying goal set the stage for Dahlin’s OT heroics for the 28-28-4 Sabres. Nikita Kucherov collected an assist as he remains the league’s points leader with 104. The Lightning (32-24-6) hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 70 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres coach Don Granato was fined $25,000.00 by the NHL for unprofessional conduct toward on-ice officials during Tuesday’s loss to the Panthers. 

The Carolina Hurricanes doubled up the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2 with Brady Skjei getting a goal and an assist. Sebastian Aho and Teuvo Teravainen also scored for the Hurricanes (36-18-6) as they hold second place in the Metropolitan Division with 78 points. Alex Nylander had a goal and an assist for the 19-30-10 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Blue Jackets announced forward Kent Johnson is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury.

New York Islanders center Brock Nelson scored two goals in a 5-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings, snapping the latter’s six-game win streak. Mathew Bazal collected two points for the 25-20-4 Islanders as they sit six points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Olli Maatta tallied twice for the Red Wings (33-21-6) as they hold the first Eastern wild-card berth with 72 points.

The Pittsburgh Penguins’ fading playoff hopes suffered another blow as they fell to the Seattle Kraken 2-0. Philipp Grubauer made 33 saves for the shutout while Oliver Bjorkstrand and Alex Wennberg scored for the 26-22-11 Kraken (63 points) as they sit seven points out of the final Western wild-card berth. Tristan Jarry made 23 saves for the 27-22-8 Penguins, who are eight points behind the Lightning with 62 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Penguins announced that winger Bryan Rust is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Kraken forward Andre Burakovsky is listed as day-to-day with an unspecified injury.

The Anaheim Ducks held off the San Jose Sharks 6-4. Adam Henrique had a goal and two assists for the 21-35-3 Ducks while Anthony Duclair scored twice and collected an assist for the 15-38-5 Sharks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE OTTAWA SUN: Senators center Josh Norris’ season could be over as he’s expected to be sidelined for an extended period with an upper-body injury suffered during their 4-1 loss to the Predators on Tuesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Norris is one of the Senators’ core players but he’s been hampered by serious injuries since 2021-22. Shoulder surgery limited him to just eight games last season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 17, 2024

by | Feb 17, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 17, 2024

The Hurricanes defeated the Coyotes, Blake Wheeler is sidelined for the season, Zach Parise confirms this season will be his last, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Arizona Coyotes 5-1 in the only game on Friday night. Pyotr Kochetkov made 30 saves while Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis each collected two assists for the Hurricanes (31-17-5), who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 67 points. Dylan Guenther replied for the 23-26-4 Coyotes, who are winless in their last eight games (0-7-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes were without goaltender Connor Ingram as he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers winger Blake Wheeler is out for the remainder of the regular season after being placed on long-term injury reserve with a lower-body injury. A return in the playoffs isn’t ruled out depending on his recovery and how far the Rangers advance in the 2024 postseason. Wheeler injured his right leg during Thursday’s 7-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens.

New York Rangers winger Blake Wheeler (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Based on the severity of Wheeler’s injury, I guess he might be able to return by the Eastern Conference Final.

NHL.COM: Zach Parise confirms that this season will be his last as an NHL player. The 39-year-old winger recently signed a one-year, prorated contract with the Colorado Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is Parise’s last chance to win that elusive Stanley Cup. During his playing prime, he reached the Cup Final once, in 2012 with the New Jersey Devils. After 19 seasons, his career is drawing to a close, but he hopes to end it with a championship.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The domestic abuse case against Bruins winger Milan Lucic was dismissed in Boston Municipal Court on Friday after his wife Brittany invoked her marital privilege and declined to testify. However, the Bruins announced that Lucic would remain on his indefinite leave of absence for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, Lucic’s season is over and probably his NHL playing career as well.

TORONTO SUN: Paul Giordano, father of Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano, passed away suddenly on Thursday night.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Giordano and his family.

NHL.COM: Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Hoglander was fined $2, 864.58 by the department of player safety for high-sticking Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jake Walman.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: cited The Fourth Period revealing the New Jersey Devils will face off against the Buffalo Sabres in Prague, Czechia, to kick off the 2024-25 season in the NHL Global Series.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators defensemen Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub are expected to return from injury for Saturday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

CBS SPORTS: Columbus Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov will return to action in Saturday’s game against the San Jose Sharks. He missed Tuesday’s game against Ottawa with an upper-body injury.

TSN: The Nashville Predators signed forward Michael McCarron to a two-year, $1.8 million contract extension.

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Mason Shaw signed a two-way contract for the remainder of this season with the Minnesota Wild after returning from his fourth knee injury with the Wild’s minor-league team.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins claimed forward Matthew Phillips off waivers from the Washington Capitals.

DAILY FACEOFF: The inaugural “Battle of Bay Street” between PWHL clubs Toronto and Montreal at Scotiabank Arena set a new record for the largest attendance for a professional women’s hockey game with 19, 285 fans turning out for the game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This isn’t NHL news but I felt it was worth noting. The first season of the PWHL continues to set new attendance records for women’s pro hockey and bodes well for its future.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 11, 2024

by | Feb 11, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 11, 2024

The Panthers gain ground on the Eastern Conference-leading Bruins, another milestone for Alex Ovechkin, and much more from a busy Saturday in the NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers moved to within three points of the Eastern Conference-leading Boston Bruins by blanking the Colorado Avalanche 4-0. Sergei Bobrovsky turned in a 35-save shutout performance, Sam Reinhart scored his 39th goal of the season, and team captain Aleksander Barkov had a goal and two assists for the 33-15-4 Panthers, who sit second in the conference with 70 points. Alexandar Georgiev stopped 39 shots for the Avalanche (32-17-4) as they’re winless in their last four games (0-3-1) and remain in second place in the Central Division with 68 points.

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reinhart sits second among NHL goal scorers this season and leads the league with 22 power-play goals. He also recently broke the club record for most power-play goals in a season (19) originally held by Scott Mellanby and Pavel Bure. Meanwhile, the Avalanche held a players-only meeting following this game to address their struggles and lack of preparedness since the All-Star break.

Speaking of the Bruins, they were shut out 3-0 by the Washington Capitals. Alex Ovechkin scored for the fourth straight game with his 57th career empty-net goal, surpassing the record of 56 previously held by Wayne Gretzky. Ovechkin and T.J. Oshie each had two points while Charlie Lindgren made 18 saves for the 23-20-7 Capitals. Jeremy Swayman turned aside 25 shots for the 32-11-9 Bruins, who missed an opportunity to move ahead of the Vancouver Canucks in the overall standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin has struggled to score in 2023-24 but is on a bit of a tear since the All-Star break. He now has 12 goals on the season and 834 for his career putting him 70 behind Gretzky’s record of 894.

The Canucks, meanwhile, dropped a 4-3 decision to the Detroit Red Wings. Jake Walman tallied the winner in overtime on a penalty shot as the Wings (27-18-6) overcame a 3-1 deficit on third-period goals by Daniel Sprong and Michael Rasmussen. They hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 60 points. Elias Pettersson and former Red Wing Filip Hronek each had a goal and two assists for the 34-12-6 Canucks as they hold first overall with 74 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Patrick Kane collected an assist in his return to the Wings lineup after missing seven games with a lower-body injury. Canucks defenseman Nikita Zadorov received a two-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for an illegal hit to the head of Wings forward Lucas Raymond, who left the game for assessment but would return to action.

Calgary Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar scored his first career NHL hat trick in a 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders. Jacob Markstrom kicked out 35 shots while Jonathan Huberdeau and Blake Coleman each had a goal and an assist for the Flames (25-22-5) as they sit one point out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 55 points. Brock Nelson and Jean-Gabriel Pageau replied for the 22-18-12 Islanders (56 points) as they sit four points back of the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Weegar became the seventh defenseman in Flames history to score a hat trick. He also takes over the lead among NHL defensemen in goals this season with 15. Islanders blueliner Alexander Romanov missed this game with a lower-body injury.

The Tampa Bay Lightning doubled up the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2. Brandon Hagel had a goal and two assists while Nikita Zadorov collected two assists for the 28-20-5 Lightning as they vaulted over the Toronto Maple Leafs into third place in the Atlantic Division with 61 points. Boone Jenner netted both goals for the 16-25-10 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 89 points, Kucherov has opened a four-point lead in the NHL scoring race over Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon. Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov left this game with an upper-body injury.

Speaking of the Maple Leafs, they fell 5-3 to the Ottawa Senators, who picked up their third straight win. Shane Pinto led the way with a goal and two assists while Joonas Korpisalo stopped 31 shots for the 21-25-2 Senators. Auston Matthews netted his league-leading 42nd goal of the season for the Leafs (26-16-8) as they dropped into the first Eastern wild-card berth with 60 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly could face supplemental discipline as he took exception with Ridley Grieg’s slapshot into an empty net in the dying seconds and cross-checked the young Senators forward in the head. Meanwhile, Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano and Senators blueliner Jake Sanderson missed this game with injuries. There’s no timetable yet for when either player will return to action.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck’s 35 saves backstopped his club to a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Mark Scheifele and Nino Niederreiter scored for the 31-14-5 Jets (67 points) as they snapped a five-game winless skid and sit one behind the second-place Avalanche in the Central Division. Bryan Rust replied for the Penguins (23-19-7).

The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Edmonton Oilers 4-0 in their first game under interim head coach Jim Hiller. David Rittich turned in a 26-save shutout while Quinton Byfield scored two goals and picked up an assist for the 24-15-10 Kings, who hold the first Western wild-card berth with 58 points. Stuart Skinner stopped 22 shots for the Oilers (30-17-1) as they hold third place in the Pacific Division with 61 points.

An overtime goal by Sebastian Aho gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 1-0 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Pyotr Kochetkov made 34 saves for the shutout as the Hurricanes improved to 30-16-5 and hold second place in the Metropolitan Division with 65 points. Vitek Vanecek stopped 31 shots for the 25-21-4 Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes welcomed back winger Andrei Svechnikov from his six-game absence with an upper-body injury. However, backup goaltender Antti Raanta missed this game with a lower-body injury and is expected to remain sidelined for the next two weeks.

Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin scored twice as his club nipped the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. Matt Duchene and Mason Marchment each collected two assists for the 32-14-6 Stars, who’ve won 10 of their last 14 and moved into first place in the Central Division with 70 points. Nick Suzuki had a goal and an assist while Sam Montembeault turned aside 35 shots for the 21-22-8 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens forward Rafael Harvey-Pinard left this game early in the second period with a lower-body injury. He will be re-evaluated over the next couple of days to determine the severity of the injury.

The St. Louis Blues got two goals by Jake Neighbours in a 3-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres, picking up their sixth victory in their last seven games. Joel Hofer made 33 saves for the 27-21-2 Blues as they hold the final Western wild-card berth with 56 points. Kyle Okposo replied for the 22-25-4 Sabres.

Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier snapped a 2-2 tie to defeat the Seattle Kraken 3-2. Cal Petersen made 17 saves in his first start since Nov. 11 for the Flyers (28-19-6) as they picked up t their third straight win and sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 62 points. Tomas Tatar and Jared McCann replied for the 21-20-10 Kraken (52 points) as they sit four points out of the final Western wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken defenseman Justin Schultz missed this game for personal reasons but is expected to rejoin his teammates later this week.

An overtime goal by Ryan McDonagh lifted the Nashville Predators to a 5-4 win over the Arizona Coyotes. McDonagh, Roman Josi, Ryan O’Reilly, Filip Forsberg and Tommy Novak each had a goal and an assist for the 27-23-2 Predators (56 points) as they remain behind the Blues for the final Western wild-card berth with the latter holding two games in hand. Jason Zucker collected three assists for the Coyotes (23-23-4) as they’re winless in their last five games (0-4-1).










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.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 1, 2023

by | Dec 1, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 1, 2023

The Penguins’ Tristan Jarry scored the first “goalie goal” of the season, the Flames trade Nikita Zadorov to the Canucks, the latest on Corey Perry and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins’ Tristan Jarry scored the first “goalie goal” of the season with an empty-netter to seal his club’s 4-2 comeback win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jarry also finished the night with 39 saves while Jeff Carter broke a 2-2 tie in the third period as the Penguins improved to 11-10-1 on the season. Nikita Kucherov collected two assists as he remains atop the NHL scoring race with 39 points for the 10-9-5 Lightning.

Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Tristan Jarry (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jarry is the first goaltender in Penguins history to score a goal. 

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel commemorated his 500th career game with a goal and two assists as his club defeated the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 4-1. The Golden Knights (15-5-4) snapped a three-game losing skid to reclaim first place in the overall standings with 34 points. Thatcher Demko stopped 40 shots and Andrei Kuzmenko scored for the 15-8-1 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill left the game following the second period for precautionary reasons due to a lower-body injury. Logan Thompson replaced him for the third period.

Before the game, the Canucks acquired defenseman Nikita Zadorov from the Calgary Flames in exchange for a fifth-round pick in 2024 and a third-round pick in 2026.

The Canucks were rumored to be interested in Zadorov for some time. The big rearguard brings size and physical defensive skill to their blueline corps. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July unless he and the Canucks agree to an extension before then. For now, he’s a welcome addition to their defense for the remainder of this season.

It was surprising that Flames general manager Craig Conroy was willing to ship Zadorov to a division rival, especially one that they’ll be facing as soon as Saturday. Nevertheless, he believes it’s a fair deal for both clubs.

Zadorov punched his ticket out of Calgary with a public trade request through his agent on Nov. 10. The Canucks were willing to take on his full $3.75 million cap hit, enabling the Flames to avoid any salary retention in the deal. While they didn’t get a useful roster player, top prospect or high draft pick in return, they added two picks to their draft stockpile.

Trading away Zadorov will likely ramp up trade rumors regarding the Flames’ notable pending UFAs such as Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev. Those three haven’t requested trades (not publicly, at least). With the Flames rising in the standings, Conroy can wait until the March 8 trade deadline to decide if he’ll move any of them.

Speaking of the Flames, an overtime goal by Nazem Kadri gave them a 4-3 victory over the Dallas Stars. Jonathan Huberdeau collected two assists while MacKenzie Weegar scored the tying goal late in the third period for the 10-10-3 Flames (22 points), who sit one point out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Mason Marchment scored twice for the 13-5-3 Stars.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman had a 26-save shutout in a 3-0 blanking of the San Jose Sharks. Pavel Zacha had a goal and an assist while David Pastrnak picked up two assists as the Bruins (15-4-3) snapped a three-game losing skid to sit one point back of the Golden Knights in the overall standings with 33 points. Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside 34 shots for the Sharks (5-16-2) as they remain winless (0-10-0) on the road this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks center Tomas Hertl returned to the lineup after undergoing kidney stone surgery on Monday. “It was a pretty s***ty situation. It was pretty painful,” said Hertl, who said he felt good for Thursday’s game. Having passed a kidney stone myself years ago, I know exactly what he means.

The Toronto Maple Leafs nipped the Seattle Kraken 4-3. Mitch Marner tallied a hat trick in regulation and netted the game-winner in the shootout as the Leafs rose to 12-6-3. Jared McCann scored twice for the 8-10-6 Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Leafs announced defenseman Mark Giordano is listed as week-to-week with a broken finger. Meanwhile, the Kraken revealed that winger Jaden Schwartz (lower body) was placed on injured reserve.

Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson picked up a hat trick as his club held off the Anaheim Ducks 5-4. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin had two assists and now sits with 1,499 career points as his club improved their record to 12-6-2. Brett Leason and rookie Tristan Luneau each had a goal and an assist for the Ducks (9-14-0) as they’ve dropped eight straight games.

The Minnesota Wild thumped the Nashville Predators 6-1 with Connor Dewar tallying his first career NHL hat trick. The win was John Hynes’ second behind the bench for the Wild (7-10-4) in as many games. Juuso Parssinen replied for the Predators (11-11-0) as their six-game win streak ended.

New Jersey Devils rookie defenseman Luke Hughes’ overtime goal gave his club a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Akira Schmid kicked out 44 shots while Luke’s brother Jack had a goal and two assists as the Devils (11-9-1) have won three straight games. Travis Konecny collected two assists for the 11-10-2 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers center Garnet Hathaway received a match penalty for boarding Luke Hughes in the first period. Hughes went to the dressing room but would return and play over 21 minutes in this contest. Meanwhile, Devils defenseman Brendan Smith faces a hearing with the league’s department of player safety for slashing Konecny across the chest late in the third period.

The New York Islanders downed the Carolina Hurricanes 5-4 on an overtime goal by Mathew Barzal, who also collected three assists on the night. Noah Dobson set up three goals while Semyon Varlamov stopped 39 shots as the Islanders improved to 9-7-6. Jordan Staal had a goal and an assist while Sebastian Aho sent the game into overtime for the Hurricanes (13-8-1)with just three seconds remaining in regulation time.

Detroit Red Wings forwards J.T. Compher and Robby Fabbri each scored two goals to lead their club over the Chicago Blackhawks 5-1. Alex Lyon made 34 saves for the 12-7-3 Red Wings. Lukas Reichel replied for the Blackhawks (7-14-0) with an assist from Connor Bedard.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, former Blackhawks winger Corey Perry released a statement for the first time since his contract was terminated by the club. He apologized to the entire organization and his family and friends, expressing shame and embarrassment for his actions that led to his dismissal.

Perry also vehemently denied the sickening and baseless rumors on social media that arose during the investigation into his conduct and apologized directly to those who may have been affected by them. He indicated that he is working with experts in the mental health and substance abuse field to discuss his struggles with alcohol, vowing he’ll take whatever steps are necessary to ensure this never happens again.

A four-goal third period saw the Florida Panthers romp to a 5-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Aleksander Barkov and Evan Rodrigues each had a goal and an assist for the 14-7-2 Panthers. Johnathan Kovacevic scored for the 10-11-2 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens forward Alex Newhook will be re-evaluated on Friday after injuring his left leg during an awkward fall into the net early in the third period.

The St. Louis Blues blew a 3-0 lead but went on to beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-4. Jordan Binnington made 42 saves while Brayden Schenn and Jake Neighbours each tallied twice for the 12-9-1 Blues. Rasmus Dahlin, Zach Benson and Peyton Krebs each had a goal and an assist for the 10-11-2 Sabres.

Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl snapped a 1-1 tie as his club went on to a 3-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Ryan McLeod had a goal and an assist as the Oilers (9-12-1) picked up their fourth straight win. Connor Hellebuyck made 36 saves while Cole Perfetti scored for the 12-8-2 Jets, who’ve now lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey underwent and clear concussion protocol following a second-period hit by Oilers forward Mattias Janmark. Morrissey and Jets coach Rick Bowness felt it was blatant interference and a pick by Janmark.

An overtime goal by Nick Bjugstad gave the Arizona Coyotes a 4-3 upset of the Colorado Avalanche. Connor Ingram made 28 saves for the win as the Coyotes (11-9-2) held the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 24 points. Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar each had two points for the Avalanche (15-6-1), who hold first place in the Central Division with 31 points.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 29, 2023

by | Nov 29, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 29, 2023

Recaps of Tuesday’s games, the Blackhawks’ move to terminate Corey Perry’s contract and acquire Anthony Beauvillier from the Canucks, injury updates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid continued his torrid scoring pace with a goal and two assists in a 5-4 shootout victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins netted the winning goal for the 8-12-1 Oilers as they’ve picked up three straight victories. The Golden Knights (14-5-4) picked up a point to retake first place in the overall standings (32 points) but they’ve managed just three wins in their last 10 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was McDavid’s third straight multi-point game. It’s not a coincidence that the Oilers have improved of late as a result.

Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser (NHL Images).

The Vancouver Canucks got two goals from Brock Boeser and 30 saves from Thatcher Demko to down the Anaheim Ducks 3-1. Boeser now leads the league with 17 goals as the Canucks (15-7-1) sit one point back of the Golden Knights in the standings. Ryan Strome replied for the struggling Ducks (9-13-0) as they’ve dropped seven straight games.

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger kicked out 27 shots to shut out the Winnipeg Jets 2-0. Joe Pavelski and Tyler Seguin were the goal scorers as the Stars (28 points) rose to 13-5-2 on the season. Connor Hellebuyck made 19 stops for the 12-7-2 Jets as they sit two points behind the second-place Stars in the Central Division.

The Nashville Predators nipped the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 to pick up their sixth straight win. Michael McCarron scored twice while Filip Forsberg potted the winner in overtime as the Predators improved to 11-10-0 and moved into the second wild-card berth in the Western Conference with 22 points. Evgeni Malkin and Bryan Rust scored for the Penguins as they overcame a 2-0 deficit to force the overtime period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Penguins placed defenseman Will Butcher on waivers and released blueliner Mark Pysyk from his professional tryout offer.

The Minnesota Wild picked up their first win in John Hynes’ first game as their new head coach by beating the St. Louis Blues 3-1. Filip Gustavsson made 23 saves for his first victory since Oct. 24 while Frederic Gaudreau’s first goal of the season proved to be the game-winner for the 6-10-4 Wild. Colton Parayko had the only goal for the 11-9-1 Blues.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier and Curtis Lazar rallied the New Jersey Devils over the New York Islanders 5-4. Hughes finished the night with a goal and two assists for the Devils as they improved their record to 10-9-1. Islanders center Mathew Barzal also had a goal and two assists as his club dropped to 8-7-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton did not play in the third period with an upper-body injury. There was no postgame update as to his status.

The Toronto Maple Leafs nipped the Florida Panthers 2-1 on a shootout goal by Noah Gregor, who also scored their only goal in regulation. Joseph Woll made 38 saves for the 11-6-3 Maple Leafs. Kevin Stenlund tallied for the 13-7-2 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers appeared to win this contest on a shootout goal by Evan Rodrigues but a video review determined that he touched the puck after shooting it, which is not allowed in the shootout. It was a costly win for the Leafs as defenseman Mark Giordano left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury. He’s expected to miss some time as a result.

Two-point performances by Michael Bunting and Sebastian Aho gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 28 shots for the Hurricanes (13-8-0). Travis Konecny replied for the 11-10-1 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Flyers announced that forward Noah Cates will be sidelined for six to eight weeks with a lower-body injury.

Arizona Coyotes winger Michael Carcone scored twice and Connor Ingram made 30 saves to upset the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1. With the win, the Coyotes improved to 10-9-2 (22 points) and sit behind the Predators for the final Western wild-card spot. Brayden Point scored for the 10-8-5 Lightning.

The Chicago Blackhawks got a 33-save performance by Petr Mrazek to hold off the Seattle Kraken 4-3. MacKenzie Entwistle scored what proved to be the winning goal for the Blackhawks (7-13-0) while Matty Beniers had a goal and an assist for the 8-10-5 Kraken, who also lost winger Jaden Schwartz to a lower-body injury in the third period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was overshadowed by the Blackhawks’ announcing earlier in the day that they had placed veteran winger Corey Perry on unconditional waivers for the purpose of terminating his contract. Speaking of which…

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Chicago Blackhawks general manager Kyle Davidson said the decision to release Corey Perry from his contract was a “workplace decision” but he declined to disclose the specifics about the incident.

Davidson did say that the situation didn’t involve any other Blackhawks players or their families, calling any suggestion to the contrary “disgusting.” He said the club first learned of the incident last Wednesday prior to a game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The decision was made at that time to pull Perry from the lineup while an internal investigation was conducted. According to Davidson, the results of that investigation indicated he engaged in “conduct that is unacceptable, and in violation of his Standard Player’s Contract and the Blackhawks’ internal policies intended to promote professional and safe working environments.”

Perry, 38, was on a one-year, $4 million contract. The NHL Players Association is reviewing the matter and has 60 days from when the contract is terminated to file a grievance.

ESPN.COM: A source told Emily Kaplan that Perry traveled with the Blackhawks to Columbus last Tuesday, a day before the game, and an incident occurred that day involving a team employee.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks did the right thing by attempting to address this issue with Perry immediately upon learning of the incident and launching an immediate investigation. However, they could’ve done a better job with their statements regarding his absence leading up to Davidson’s press conference.

The Blackhawks management insisted that Perry’s removal was a “team decision” but offered no other details. That was likely because they didn’t want to risk compromising the investigation. Perry’s agent attempted to address this by saying his client was dealing with a personal matter and asked that his privacy be respected.

Unfortunately, the conflicting messages raised more questions about Perry’s absence. It also resulted in baseless and salacious speculation on social media that may have caused unnecessary emotional distress to those who were the subject of such mean-spirited rumors.

THE PROVINCE: Speaking of the Blackhawks, the Vancouver Canucks traded winger Anthony Beauvillier to Chicago in exchange for a 2024 fifth-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Acquired last January as part of the Bo Horvat trade with the New York Islanders, the 26-year-old Beauvillier struggled in Vancouver. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent and carries a $4.15 million cap hit for this season.

The Canucks didn’t get much of a return for Beauvillier. Nevertheless, this move clears his cap hit from their books, giving them room to add a defenseman or another scoring forward.

Meanwhile, Beauvillier will get an opportunity to improve his game with the rebuilding Blackhawks. They were short two wingers with Perry’s contract termination and Taylor Hall sidelined with a season-ending knee injury.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers yesterday placed Kaapo Kakko (lower body) and Filip Chytil (upper body) on long-term injury reserve.

TSN: The Buffalo Sabres assigned goaltender Devon Levi to their AHL affiliate in Rochester.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Levi showed promise in a handful of late-season games in 2022-23. However, he’s really struggled this season to play up to expectations. Meanwhile, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has emerged as the Sabres’ starter this season.

NHL.COM: Ottawa Senators forward Zack MacEwen was fined $2,018.23 by the department of player safety for unsportsmanlike conduct during Monday’s game against the Florida Panthers.