NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 6, 2025

by | May 6, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 6, 2025

The Maple Leafs hold off the Panthers in Game 1 of their second-round series, the Islanders win the draft lottery, the Calder Trophy finalists are announced, Rob Blake steps down as the Kings GM, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: William Nylander scored twice and collected an assist as the Toronto Maple Leafs held off the Florida Panthers 5-4. Matthew Knies and Chris Tanev each had a goal and an assist while Max Pacioretty and Jake McCabe picked up two assists. Brad Marchand and Carter Verhaeghe each collected two assists for the Panthers.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Maple Leafs got off to a hot start on Nylander’s two goals. Morgan Rielly put them up 3-1 before the end of the period. Tanev made it 4-1 in the second but the Panthers cut the lead in the third to 4-3 before Knies tallied what proved to be the game-winner.

Panthers forward Sam Bennett could face supplemental discipline for elbowing Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz in the head midway through the second period. There was no penalty called on the play. Stolarz left the game after vomiting at the Leafs bench during a TV timeout, departing Scotiabank Arena on a stretcher to a local hospital for evaluation. Joseph Woll replaced Stolarz, finishing with 17 saves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stolarz’s injury overshadowed an entertaining opening game between these two clubs. There was no postgame update on his condition. More information could be released on Tuesday.

For the first time since 2009, the New York Islanders have the first-overall draft pick. They won the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery, moving up from having the 10th-best chance of winning the lottery.

The San Jose Sharks had the best odds, finishing last in this season’s overall standings. However, the Isles’ win drops the Sharks into second overall and the Chicago Blackhawks (who finished second-last in the standings) into third overall.

The Utah Hockey Club moved up 10 spots into fourth overall after winning the second draw.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the link above for the full listing of the top 16 in this year’s draft. The remaining 16 spots will be determined by the end of the 2025 Stanley Cup playoffs.

The last four selections will belong to the final-four playoff teams regardless of their placement in the regular-season standings. The 32nd pick will go to the Stanley Cup champion with the 31st pick going to the other Cup Finalist.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers have until June 25 to decide if they’ll keep their first-round pick (12th overall) or send it to the Pittsburgh Penguins.

That pick is top-13 protected. It was sent to the Vancouver Canucks as part of the return in the J.T. Miller trade in January. The Canucks flipped that pick to the Penguins as part of the return in the Marcus Pettersson trade.

If the Rangers retain that pick, their unprotected 2026 first-rounder will belong to the Penguins.

NHL.COM: San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, and Calgary Flames goaltender Dustin Wolf are the finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hutson is considered the favorite here. He led this season’s rookies with 60 assists, 66 points (a record for an NHL rookie defenseman). He also led them in ice time (22:44) among rookies with at least 25 games played.

Flyers fans were disappointed that winger Matvei Michkov wasn’t among the finalists. He led all rookies with 26 goals and finished second in points with 63. He’d be a candidate (perhaps even the favorite) in any other season, but was up against three stronger candidates in 2024-25.

Hutson is an obvious finalist as his performance played a key role in the rebuilding Canadiens reaching the playoffs. Celebrini had the same point total as Michkov but did so in 10 fewer games after missing several weeks with an early-season injury. He also played a larger role with the Sharks than Michkov did with the Flyers.

Wolf’s performance kept the Flames in playoff contention until the final days of the regular season. That gave him the edge over Michkov, whose club finished last in the Eastern Conference.

THE ATHLETIC: The Los Angeles Kings announced Rob Blake will not return as general manager. They didn’t announce an immediate replacement for Blake. Team president Luc Robitaille will hold a press conference on Tuesday. The future of head coach Jim Hiller remains undetermined.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This news comes after the Kings suffered their fourth-straight first-round elimination at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers.

The Athletic’s Eric Stephens pointed out that Blake has a mixed legacy with the Kings, building up the roster through the draft, free agency and trades, but also making some questionable moves in the trade market. Stephens singled out the acquisition of Pierre-Luc Dubois, shipping out Sean Durzi to the Arizona Coyotes (now the Utah Hockey Club), and including then-prospect Brock Faber to the Minnesota Wild for winger Kevin Fiala.

John Hoven of the Kings’ site Mayor’s Manor listed several potential candidates to replace Blake. They include Kings director of scouting Mark Yannetti, former Kings assistant GM Mike Futa, and Marc Bergevin, the senior advisor to the GM.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators GM Barry Trotz confirmed Andrew Brunette will return as head coach next season.

TSN: Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury will play for Canada at the upcoming IIHF World Championship, joining his friend and former teammate Sidney Crosby. It’s the first time Fleury will play in the Worlds.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils defenseman Luke Hughes underwent successful shoulder surgery. Winger Jesper Bratt will also undergo shoulder surgery. Both players are expected to be ready for training camp in September.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators hope to sign Claude Giroux to a contract extension. The versatile 37-year-old forward is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

The Senators are also expected to retain their 2025 first-round pick, which is 21st overall. The league penalized the Senators a first-round pick in either 2024, 2025 or 2026 because of a botched trade with the Vegas Golden Knights involving Evgenii Dadonov in March 2022.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks forward William Eklund underwent successful wrist surgery on Monday. His recovery will take three months, and he’s expected to be ready for training camp in September.

Eklund was playing for Sweden against Czechia in a tune-up game for the upcoming Worlds when his wrist was cut by a skate. He avoided significant tendon and nerve damage.

RG.ORG: Spencer Knight embraces his new role as the Chicago Blackhawks’ starting goaltender. He’s hoping to play 65 games next season.

TSN: The NHL is reportedly planning an international event at UBS Arena next February instead of the previously announced NHL All-Star weekend.

DAILY FACEOFF: David Carle won’t be joining the ranks of NHL coaches, signing a multi-year extension with the University of Denver.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 4, 2025

by | May 4, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 4, 2025

Mikko Rantanen leads the Stars to a Game 7 victory over the Avalanche, the schedule for three of the four second-round series are revealed, the latest on Mark Scheifele, Brady Tkachuk, Claude Giroux, Mattias Ekholm, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Mikko Rantanen tallied a hat trick and collected an assist on Wyatt Johnston’s winning goal to lead the Dallas Stars to a 4-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 7 of their first-round series.

Dallas Stars winger Mikko Rantanen (NHL Images).

Josh Manson and Nathan MacKinnon scored for the Avalanche, who held a 2-0 lead in the third period until Rantanen broke the game open for the Stars. Rantanen leads all playoff scorers in the first round with 12 points.

The Stars await the winner of Sunday’s Game 7 matchup between the Winnipeg Jets and St. Louis Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rantanen’s efforts in this game will be remembered as one of the greatest single-period performances in NHL playoff history. The Avalanche were on the verge of winning this series until their former teammate took over.

MacKinnon was shocked by how quickly things fell apart for his team, crediting Rantanen as the difference-maker in this game.

Trading away one of their best players (and a proven postseason performer) at midseason only to have him almost single-handedly beat them in Game 7 will haunt the Avalanche for years.

Stars head coach Peter DeBoer holds the North American pro sports record for the most Game 7 wins by a head coach or manager, going a perfect 9-0.

The NHL released the schedule for three of the four upcoming second-round series.

It begins on Monday, May 5, with Game 1 of the Toronto Maple Leafs vs Florida Panthers series, starting in Toronto at 8 pm ET.

On Tuesday, May 6, the Washington Capitals host the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 1 starting at 7 pm ET. The Edmonton Oilers travel to Las Vegas to meet the Golden Knights in Game 1 starting at 9:30 pm ET.

TSN: Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele will be a game-time decision for Game 7 on Sunday against the St. Louis Blues in Winnipeg. Scheifele left Game 5 with an undisclosed and missed Game 6 in St. Louis, which the Blues won 5-2 to tie the series at three games apiece.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets missed Scheifele’s presence in the last game. He could provide them a lift if he’s good to go for the seventh and deciding game.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators captain Brady Tkachuk dismissed speculation that he wants out of Ottawa. Speaking with the media on Saturday, Tkachuk called the rumor an obvious lie, maintaining his commitment to helping the Senators become a winning team.

Tkachuk also said he suffered a hip injury during the 4 Nations Face-Off in February and played through that over the rest of the season after missing a couple of games. He also suffered an upper-body injury on March 30 and took off the final game of the regular season to prepare for the playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk is under contract through 2027-28. Before this season, the speculation about his future was based on the Senators’ long postseason drought. Their recent improvement, partly thanks to Tkachuk’s performance and leadership, is testament to his commitment to this club.

Senators forward Claude Giroux hopes to return next season. The 37-year-old forward has no plans to retire. If the Senators don’t re-sign him, he’ll join another club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Giroux prefers to stay with the Senators. He’s completing a three-year contract with an average annual value of $6.5 million. His production has declined over that period (79 points in 2022-23, 64 points last season, 50 this season) and he’ll have to take a pay cut, but they have the room to re-sign him to a one or two-year deal.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers will be without defenseman Mattias Ekholm for their second-round series against the Golden Knights. He missed their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings with an undisclosed injury.

MAYOR’S MANOR: Speaking of the Kings, John Hoven cited multiple sources claiming it appears that general manager Rob Blake and head coach John Hiller will return for 2025-26.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hoven is well-connected with the Kings’ organization. He indicated there’s nothing official yet on the status of Blake and Hiller as the club’s powers-that-be are taking the weekend to decompress following another first-round elimination at the hands of the Edmonton Oilers.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames signed Matt Coronato to a seven-year contract extension with an AAV of $6.5 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coronato is completing his entry-level contract, receiving a substantial raise over his current AAV of $925K. The 22-year-old winger earned it with a solid sophomore season, finishing third among Flames scorers with 24 goals and 23 assists for 47 points in 77 games. Flames management anticipates big things to come for this promising forward.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Carolina Hurricanes signed Frederik Andersen to a one-year contract extension. He’ll receive a base salary of $2.75 million and upward of $750K in performance bonuses.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Andersen is a steady presence in the Hurricanes’ crease when healthy. They felt it was best to stick with the oft-injured netminder for another season rather than find an affordable replacement among the limited options in this summer’s trade and free-agent markets.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks forward William Eklund may have avoided serious injury after being cut on his left wrist by a skate during a World Championship tune-up game.

Playing for Sweden, Eklund was injured playing against Czechia when he was clipped by Filip Hronek’s skate. He was rushed to a local hospital, where he is in stable condition. His agent, Todd Diamond, said it doesn’t appear the skate blade cut any key tendons or nerves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Here’s hoping Eklund wasn’t seriously hurt and fully recovers from this incident.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 29, 2025

by | Apr 29, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 29, 2025

The Panthers and Stars are on the verge of advancing to the second round, the Vezina Trophy finalists are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers have taken a 3-1 stranglehold in their best-of-seven first-round series over the Tampa Bay Lightning following a 4-2 victory in Game 4.

Florida defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Seth Jones scored 11 seconds apart in the third period and winger Carter Verhaeghe scored an empty-netter to seal the win. The Lightning’s Mitchell Chaffee and Erik Cernak also scored 11 seconds apart in the first period after Anton Lundell opened the scoring for the Panthers.

The Panthers can win the series in Game 5 on Wednesday, Apr. 30, in Tampa Bay, starting at 7:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ekblad and Jones scored the fastest two goals by defensemen for one team in the Stanley Cup playoffs.

This game was also a physical contest between the Florida rivals. Ekblad could face supplemental discipline after knocking Lightning winger Brandon Hagel out of the game with a forearm to the head in the first period. There was no call on the play.

Panthers blueliner Niko Mikkola was ejected early in the third period for boarding Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons, who remained in the game.

The Dallas Stars are poised to eliminate the Colorado Avalanche following a 6-2 win in Game 5 to take a 3-2 lead in their first-round series.

Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston (NHL Images).

Wyatt Johnston scored twice, including the first nine seconds of the game, Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists, and Jake Oettinger stopped 26 shots for Dallas. Artturi Lehkonen and Nathan MacKinnon replied for the Avalanche.

Dallas can win this series in Game 6 in Denver on Thursday, May 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dallas put Colorado on the back foot early, running up an early 3-0 lead. The Avalanche made it interesting by cutting that lead to 3-2 before Johnston, Mason Marchment and Roope Hintz put the game away for the Stars.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets, Darcy Kuemper of the Los Angeles Kings, and Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning are the finalists for the Vezina Trophy, honoring this season’s top goaltenders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck is the favorite here, leading the league in wins (47), goals-against average (2.00) and shutouts (eight), and finishing second in save percentage (.925) among goaltenders with at least 25 games played this season.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: Speaking of Hellebuyck, he admits he needs to improve after giving up a combined 11 goals in Game 3 and 4 of the Jets’ first-round series against the St. Louis Blues.

“I am going to be better,” said Hellebuyck. “I’ve studied goaltending extremely hard. I’ve probably studied the most out of anyone in this world, so I know what to do and how to get my best game.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets and Blues are tied at two games apiece. Game 5 is Wednesday in Winnipeg at 9:30 pm ET.

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews will be expected to improve his performance in Game 5 of his team’s first-round series against the Ottawa Senators. The Leafs hold a 3-1 series but missed a golden opportunity to sweep the Senators in Game 4.

OTTAWA SUN: Veteran center Claude Giroux will try to help the Senators stay alive in their series with the Leafs. Giroux was part of the 2010 Philadelphia Flyers that overcame a 3-0 first-round deficit against the Boston Bruins to win that series in seven games.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas could suit up for Game 5 of his club’s first-round series against the Montreal Canadiens. Protas has been sidelined since Apr. 4 after suffering a skate cut to the foot. The Capitals hold a 3-1 series lead and can wrap things up with a win on Wednesday.

TSN: The Capitals and Canadiens were fined $25,000 each by the league for unsportsmanlike conduct during warm-ups before Game 4. Montreal defenseman Arber Xhekaj and Capitals blueliner Dylan McIlrath received individual fines for unsportsmanlike conduct during those warmups.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch is staying coy about naming his starting goaltender for Game 5 of their first-round series against the Los Angeles Kings. However, it’s expected Calvin Pickard will get the call following back-to-back wins in Games 3 and 4.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 24, 2025

by | Jan 24, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 24, 2025

Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin keeps moving closer to Wayne Gretzky’s goal record, the Red Wings unveil their Quarter-Century Team, Wild owner Craig Leipold jumps the gun on commissioner Gary Bettman’s retirement plans, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF THURSDAY’S NHL ACTION

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 875th regular-season goal into an empty net in a 3-0 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Charlie Lindgren turned in a 22-save shutout while Aliaksei Protas and Ethan Frank tallied unassisted goals for the Capitals, who picked up their sixth straight win and sit first overall in the standings with 71 points. Kraken goalie Joey Daccord stopped 30 shots in his 100th regular-season game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin needs 20 goals to break Gretzky’s record of 894. With 34 games remaining in the Capitals’ regular-season schedule, he could break the record by April.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen turned aside 18 shots for his 300th regular-season win as his club downed the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-4. Seth Jarvis scored twice and collected two assists and Sebastian Aho had a goal and two assists for the Hurricanes, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 63 points. Kent Johnson and James van Riemsdyk each had a goal and an assist for the Blue Jackets (53 points) as they cling to the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Andersen became the second-fastest goalie in NHL history to reach 300 career wins (501 games played). Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightnings holds that record with 490 games played.

Edmonton Oilers forwards Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman each collected three points in a 6-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a goal and an assist for the Oilers (63 points) as they snapped a two-game losing skid to sit one point behind the Pacific Division-leading Vegas Golden Knights. Brock Boeser and Filip Hronek replied for the Canucks (50 points), who’ve dropped four of their last five and sit three points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl tallied his league-leading 35th goal and extended his home points streak to 17 games. Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood left this game for undisclosed reasons early in the second period.

Meanwhile, the Golden Knights ended a four-game losing skid (0-3-1) by doubling up the St. Louis Blues 4-2. Mark Stone had a goal and an assist while Tomas Hertl scored in his fourth straight game to extend his points streak to seven games. Jordan Kyrou and Robert Thomas scored for the Blues (50 points), who also sit three points out of the final Western wild card.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights played without center William Karlsson as he’s week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg matched a franchise record by scoring in his seventh straight game in a 6-5 win over the San Jose Sharks. Forsberg finished the night with two goals while Fedor Svechkov snapped a 5-5 tie in the third period as the Predators picked up their fifth straight win. Sharks goalie Yaroslav Askarov gave up six goals on 38 shots against his former club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators forward Cole Smith received a game misconduct for a hit to the head of San Jose forward Ty Dellandrea during the second period. Dellandrea had to be helped from the ice by the Sharks medical staff and was ruled out of the remainder of this game with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Sharks forwards Klim Kostin and Nico Sturm missed this game as both are sidelined week-to-week with injuries.

The New York Rangers extended their points streak to 10 games (7-0-3) by thumping the Philadelphia Flyers 6-1. Igor Shesterkin made 33 saves while Adam Fox, K’Andre Miller, Filip Chytil and Reilly Smith each had a goal and an assist for the Rangers. Owen Tippett scored for the Flyers as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given up for dead after a six-week collapse in the standings, the Rangers (52 points) have climbed back into the Eastern playoff race, sitting one point behind the Blue Jackets for the final wild-card spot. The Flyers (50 points) are three points out.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin got a goal and an assist in his 700th regular-season game in a 4-2 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Moritz Seider collected two assists as the Wings snapped a three-game losing skid. They sit four points behind the Blue Jackets. Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault kicked out 41 shots in the loss as his club is also one point back of the Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings forward Patrick Kane missed this game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

The Boston Bruins blanked the Ottawa Senators 2-0, handing the latter their second straight shutout loss. Bruins goalie Joonas Korpisalo made 29 saves against his former team while Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak scored the only goals. Anton Forsberg gave up only one goal on 24 shots for the Senators, who are tied with the Rangers and Canadiens with 52 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins starter Jeremy Swayman missed this game with a minor upper-body injury. They called up Michael DiPietro to back up Korpisalo.

Senators winger David Perron returned to action for the first time in two months. They placed goalie Linus Ullmark on long-term injury reserve to accommodate Perron’s return. Meanwhile, it was a lousy day for Sens forward Claude Giroux as he was the victim of car theft for the second time in four months.

Anaheim Ducks forwards Mason McTavish and Alex Killorn each scored two goals to drop the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-1 and snap a four-game losing skid. John Gibson stopped 31 shots for the Ducks. Michael Bunting replied for the Penguins, who’ve lost nine of their last 12 contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins (48 points) are five points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Winger Bryan Rust left this game with an undisclosed injury.

The Utah Hockey Club got a 26-save shutout from goalie Karel Vejmelka in a 4-0 win over the Minnesota Wild. Barrett Hayton tallied twice for Utah to extend their winning streak to three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild sit second in the Central Division with 60 points but they’ve lost four of their last five games.

Calgary Flames forwards Jonathan Huberdeau and Nazem Kadri each had a goal and two assists to beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2. Dustin Wolf made 32 saves for the win as the Flames (53 points) hold a three-point lead over the Canucks in the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Mattias Samuelsson and Tage Thompson scored for the Sabres, who have lost three of their last four.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo and Chris Johnston report Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold said the executive committee of the NHL’s Board of Governors has been planning for the retirement of league commissioner Gary Bettman.

The longest-tenured commissioner in North American pro sports, Bettman was hired by the NHL in 1992. Leipold claims the BoG is in the process of finding Bettman’s successor.

Leipold, however, hadn’t realized the 72-year-old Bettman hadn’t formally announced his retirement plans. The commissioner told The Athletic he hasn’t decided when he’ll retire but brought it up for the first time to the executive committee ahead of last month’s BoG meeting in Florida.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leipold put Bettman and the league in an awkward spot by jumping the gun. Nevertheless, Bettman will inevitably retire at some point, perhaps before the end of this decade.

Bettman’s not going anywhere before a new collective bargaining agreement is hammered out with the NHL Players’ Association. The current CBA is set to expire in September 2026 but Bettman has announced the two sides intend to begin discussions next month. He could set his retirement plans in motion after that.

NHL.COM: The Detroit Red Wings unveiled their Quarter-Century Team on Thursday.

The First Team features forwards Steve Yzerman, Pavel Datsyuk and Henrik Zetterberg, defensemen Nicklas Lidstrom and Niklas Kronwall, and goaltender Chris Osgood.

Forwards Sergei Fedorov, Brendan Shanahan and Dylan Larkin, defensemen Chris Chelios and Bryan Rafalski, and goalie Dominik Hasek comprised the Second Team.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom could be sidelined for weeks with an ankle injury suffered during Wednesday’s game against the Boston Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Losing their starting goalie is a big blow to the Devils. If he’s sidelined for a lengthy period it could affect their plans for the trade deadline.

THE SCORE: New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Fortunately, he won’t require surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders have struggled to remain in the playoff chase. Losing their top defenseman is a significant setback that could turn this club into a trade-deadline seller if it hampers their efforts to qualify for the postseason.

THE DENVER POST: Colorado Avalanche forward Miles Wood is expected to return to action on Saturday against the Boston Bruins. He’s been sidelined since Nov. 27 by a back injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 1, 2024

by | Nov 1, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 1, 2024

In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines: a four-point performance for Martin Necas, multi-point nights for Alex Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby, Leon Draisaitl leads the Oilers over the Predators, and much more.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes got a four-point performance from Martin Necas (one goal, three assists) to crush the Boston Bruins 8-2. Andrei Svechnikov and Jack Roslovic each scored two goals as the Hurricanes picked up their fifth straight win. Brad Marchand and Hampus Lindholm scored for the Bruins, who’ve managed only two wins in their last eight games (2-5-1).

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Necas is on a tear to start this season, sitting among the league’s top-10 scorers with a team-leading 15 points in nine games. The Bruins, meanwhile, are at the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings.

Before this game, the Hurricanes announced that goaltender Frederik Andersen is week-to-week with a lower-body injury. They recalled Spencer Martin to back up Pyotr Kochetkov.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin had a goal and two assists in a 6-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Poitras each had a goal and an assist as the Capitals have won five straight home games. Canadiens winger Cole Caufield scored his 10th goal of the season, tying New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier for the league lead.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin has 858 career regular-season goals and needs 37 to surpass Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. The Capitals captain has five goals and 10 points in nine games this season.

This game was tied 3-3 heading into the third period when the Capitals scored three unanswered goals. Canadiens head coach Martin St. Louis wasn’t pleased with his club’s meltdown in the final period, describing it as throwing up all over themselves.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby tallied twice, including the winner in overtime as his club nipped the Anaheim Ducks 2-1. Alex Killorn scored for the Ducks, who got a 44-save performance by goaltender Lukas Dostal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins activated forward Blake Lizotte off injured reserve for this game.

The Edmonton Oilers beat the Nashville Predators 5-1 with Leon Draisaitl scoring twice and collecting an assist. Oilers winger Zach Hyman sniped his first goal of the season. Filip Forsberg replied for the struggling Predators, who finished October with a record of 3-6-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl stepped up as the Oilers leader with captain Connor McDavid sidelined with an ankle injury for two to three weeks. He did the same thing during the 2019-20 season when McDavid was hampered by a quadriceps injury, winning the Art Ross Trophy, Hart Memorial Trophy and the Ted Lindsay Award.

Predators forward Mark Jankowski was a late scratch from this game with an upper-body injury. He’s listed as day-to-day.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander scored twice and captain Auston Matthews had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. Joseph Woll stopped 24 shots for the Leafs to pick up his first win of the season. Eeli Tolvanen replied for the Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken were without their two top defensemen for this game. Vince Dunn remains sidelined with a mid-body injury until mid-November while Brandon Montour returned to Seattle to be with his wife for the birth of their second child.

San Jose Sharks rookie Will Smith scored his first two NHL goals, including the game-winner in a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Ryan Donato and Tyler Bertuzzi replied for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks have won three straight after opening the season with a record of 0-7-2.

The Philadelphia Flyers squeaked past the St. Louis Blues 2-1 as Bobby Brink snapped a 1-1 tie late in the third period. Garnet Hathaway also scored for the Flyers and Samuel Ersson made 20 saves for the win. Nathan Walker scored for the Blues.

HEADLINES

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is one win away from becoming the fastest netminder to reach 300 career regular-season victories. He can achieve that feat on Friday with a win over the Minnesota Wild. Vasilevskiy would reach that milestone in 487 games, shattering the current record of 521 games held by Jacques Plante.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators are open to signing Claude Giroux to a contract extension. The 36-year-old forward is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July. Giroux is in the final season of a three-year contract with an average annual value of $6.5 million.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings coach Derek Lalonde wants a better effort from team captain Dylan Larkin. He believes the 28-year-old center is capable of elevating his game.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche hope to have winger Valeri Nichushkin join practice sessions ahead of his eligible reinstatement date of Nov. 13. Nichushkin, 29, is serving a six-month suspension as part of Phase 3 of the NHL-NHLPA player assistance program.

NHL.COM: Regarding the Avs, forward Mark Stienburg received a two-game suspension for charging Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak during Wednesday’s game between the two clubs.

DAILY FACEOFF: New Jersey Devils forward Curtis Lazar is sidelined indefinitely after undergoing surgery on his left knee.

ROTOWIRE: Former NHL forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare signed a one-year contract with HC Ajoie in Switzerland. He was on a professional tryout offer with the Avalanche during training camp but was released before the start of this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 39-year-old Bellemare spent 10 seasons in the NHL from 2014-15 to 2023-24 with the Flyers, Vegas Golden Knights, Avalanche, Lightning and Kraken, scoring 64 goals and 138 points in 700 regular-season games and 15 points in 85 playoff contests.

RG.ORG: James Murphy interviewed Boston College forward James Hagens, who is projected to become the first-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. The 17-year-old Hagens said he always wanted to play the game like Patrick Kane and is looking forward to playing for Team USA in the World Juniors.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 26, 2024

by | Sep 26, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 26, 2024

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

NHL PRESEASON GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An injury to Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty overshadowed his club’s 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Doughty injured his left leg during the first period and had to be helped off the ice. Head coach Jim Hiller said the blueliner will be further evaluated when the Kings return to Los Angeles.

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty (NHL Images).

Jake DeBrusk scored two goals in his preseason debut with the Vancouver Canucks as his club rallied to nip the Calgary Flames 4-3.

The Tampa Bay Lightning overcame a 7-5 deficit for an 8-7 win over the Florida Panthers. Conor Geekie tallied twice (including the game-winner) and picked up an assist and Darren Raddysh scored two goals and added two assists for the Lightning. Jesper Boqvist had a goal and two assists for the Panthers.

Three goals in the final 5:32 of the second period carried the Washington Capitals over the New Jersey Devils 5-3. Dylan Strome and Brandon Duhaime each netted two goals for the Capitals.

Columbus Blue Jackets forward Kent Johnson had a goal and an assist and Elvis Merzlikins and Zach Sawchenko combined for a 31-save shutout to blank the St. Louis Blues 3-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was also the Blue Jackets’ first preseason home game. The club remembered Johnny Gaudreau with an emotional pregame tribute video and 13 seconds of silence in honor of his Blue Jackets’ uniform number. A suspected drunk driver killed Johnny and his brother Matthew on Aug. 29.

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Neal Pionk scored a goal and collected three assists in a 6-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers.

The Dallas Stars downed the Minnesota Wild 5-2. Jamie Benn and Miro Heiskanen each scored for the Stars.

Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond scored the go-ahead goal in a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Connor Bedard collected an assist for the Blackhawks in his preseason debut.

HEADLINES

TSN: New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren is expected to miss “several weeks” with an upper-body injury, putting his status for their Oct. 9 season opener in question.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators forward Claude Giroux awoke Wednesday morning to find his vehicle stolen from his home overnight. He and his wife tracked it via GPS but were told they could only report the theft to Ottawa police at 10 am. The Girouxs don’t expect the vehicle to be recovered.

SPORTSNET: Utah Hockey Club forward Nick Bjugstad is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss the start of the regular season.

TSN: A desire for his son to play in North America led to Nikolay Kulemin’s professional tryout offer with the Ottawa Senators. The 38-year-old winger last played in the NHL in 2017-18 with the New York Islanders and spent the past six seasons in the KHL.