NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 30, 2025

by | Apr 30, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 30, 2025

The Hurricanes move on to the second round, the Senators stave off elimination again, the Oilers and Golden Knights are on the verge of advancing, the Norris Trophy finalists are revealed, Rick Tocchet won’t return as Canucks coach, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING TUESDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes are the first team in this postseason to reach the second round following a 5-4 double-overtime victory over the New Jersey Devils in Game 5 of their first-round series.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (NHL Images).

Sebastian Aho scored twice (including the game-winner) and collected an assist. Seth Jarvis and Shayne Gostisbehere each collected two assists and Pyotr Kochetkov made 31 saves for the Hurricanes, who won the series four games to one.

Jacob Markstrom kicked out 49 shots for the Devils, who blew 3-0 and 4-3 leads in this game. Stefan Noesen and Brett Pesce each had two assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Dawson Mercer got a double-minor for high-sticking Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi early in the second OT period. That was the turning point, setting the stage for Aho’s winning goal.

The Hurricanes had a horrible start to this game, but their poise and experience shone through as they rallied back. Their special teams made the difference in this game, as they had throughout the series, going two-for-six on the power play and killing off three penalties.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark stopped 29 shots to shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0 in Game 5 of their first-round series. Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk each had a goal and two assists while Thomas Chabot and Dylan Cozens also scored for the Senators, who staved off elimination for the second straight game.

Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz gave up two goals on 17 shots. The Leafs hold a 3-2 series lead and can end it in Game 6 on Thursday, May 1, in Ottawa at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Collars are tightening for the Leafs and their fans. They are 1-13 in postseason elimination games since 2017.

The Edmonton Oilers took their first series lead in their first-round tilt with the Los Angeles Kings with a 3-1 win in Game 5, taking a 3-2 lead after starting this series down 2-0.

Evander Kane, Mattias Janmark and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored for the Oilers while Calvin Pickard stopped 21 shots for his third straight win in this series. Darcy Kuemper made 43 saves for the Kings.

The series returns to Edmonton for Game 6 on May 1 at 10 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s no mystery who’ll be the Oilers’ starting goalie for Game 6. Pickard’s steady goaltending has made the difference since replacing Stuart Skinner late in Game 2.

An overtime goal by Brett Howden lifted the Vegas Golden Knights to a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild, giving them a 3-2 lead in their first-round series.

William Karlsson and Mark Stone also scored, and Jack Eichel had two assists for the Golden Knights. Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy replied for the Wild. Game 6 is back in Minnesota on Thursday, May 1 at 7:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson left this game with an illness after the second period. Backup Marc-Andre Fleury stopped six of seven shots.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Quinn Hughes of the Vancouver Canucks, Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche, and Zach Werenski of the Columbus Blue Jackets are the finalists for the James Norris Memorial Trophy as this season’s top defenseman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes and Makar are former Norris Trophy winners. This is the first time Werenski’s been a finalist for this award. He was the Jackets’ best player this season.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman broke the news yesterday that Rick Tocchet will not return as head coach of the Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is another serious blow in a tumultuous season for the Canucks. They wanted to sign Tocchet to an extension, but he cited family reasons for his decision to move on and explore other options.

NHL.COM: The league announced the 2025 Draft Lottery will be on Monday, May 5. The San Jose Sharks have the best odds of winning the lottery for the second straight season, finishing last in the overall standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There is no clear-cut potential superstar prospect in this year’s draft class compared to 2023 (Connor Bedard) and 2024 (Macklin Celebrini) and no clear favorite as the top pick. The front-runner is defenseman Matthew Schaefer of the OHL’s Erie Otters.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW/TAMPA BAY TIMES: Panthers defenseman Aaron Eklad received a two-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for a high hit on Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel during Game 4 of their first-round series. Hagel has been ruled out for Game 5 between the two clubs.

NHL.COM: Speaking of the Panthers, defenseman Niko Mikkola was fined $5,000.00 for boarding Lightning forward Zemgus Girgensons in Game 4.

DAILY FACEOFF: Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi will return to the lineup for Game 5 of his club’s first-round series with the St. Louis Blues. Vilardi had been sidelined since late March with an upper-body injury.

Blues defenseman Tyler Tucker is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury and will miss Game 5 against the Jets on Wednesday.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault remains day-to-day with a lower-body injury and isn’t expected to be in the lineup for Game 5 against the Washington Capitals on Wednesday. Defenseman Alex Carrier (possible concussion) is also expected to miss that game. The Canadiens face elimination, down 3-1 in the series. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Backup Jakub Dobes will get the start as he did in Game 4. Jayden Struble is expected to replace Carrier on the Canadiens’ blueline.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings announced that assistant coaches Alex Westlund and L.J. Scarpace won’t return.

Former Red Wings forward Valtteri Filppula announced his retirement. He spent 16 seasons in the NHL from 2005-06 to 2020-21 with the Red Wings, Lightning, Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders, scoring 197 goals and 530 points in 1,056 regular-season games, and 86 points in 166 playoff games. Filppula spent the past four seasons playing in Switzerland and Finland. 










NHL Rumor Mill – April 29, 2025

by | Apr 29, 2025

NHL Rumor Mill – April 29, 2025

Who are potential candidates to replace Mike Sullivan as the Penguins’ head coach? Which clubs could be suitors for Sullivan? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

POTENTIAL COACHING CANDIDATES FOR THE PENGUINS

PITTSBURGH TRIBUNE-REVIEW: Bill Hartlep included former NHL coaches Joel Quenneville, Peter Laviolette and John Tortorella on his list of potential candidates to replace Mike Sullivan as head coach of the Pittsburgh Penguins.

Sullivan and the Penguins mutually agreed to part ways after 10 seasons, including back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017.

Hartlep also mentioned Rick Tocchet, David Quinn and Mike Vellucci, who all served at one time or another as assistant coaches under Sullivan. He included University of Denver coach David Carle.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tocchet is currently the head coach of the Vancouver Canucks and is reportedly in contract extension talks with that club.

PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Matt Vensel had Tocchet, Carle and Quinn among his list of coaching candidates.

Other options included former Detroit Red Wings coach Jeff Blashill, PWHL coach Kori Cheverie, Western Michigan coach Pat Ferschweiler, Rickard Gronberg of Tappara in Finnish Liga, Washington Capitals assistant coach Mitch Love, Manny Malhotra of the AHL’s Abbotsford Canucks, Boston University’s Jay Pandolfo, Toronto Maple Leafs assistant coach Mike Van Ryn, and former Edmonton Oilers’ coach Jay Woodcroft.

THE ATHLETIC: Penguins beat writer Josh Yohe included Kirk MacDonald of the club’s AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on his list of candidates. Todd Nelson of the AHL’s Hershey Bears was another suggested option.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Time will tell if one of those candidates get the job. The Penguins could be interested in bringing back Tocchet if he becomes available, but they won’t be the only suitors for the 2024 Jack Adams Award winner.

POTENTIAL DESTINATIONS FOR MIKE SULLIVAN

NEW YORK POST: Larry Brooks believes the Rangers’ vacant head-coaching job is there for Mike Sullivan if he wants it, but questions remain.

Former Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan (NHL Images).

Sullivan might be the best choice to get the most out of veteran core players like Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Adam Fox, Vincent Trocheck and J.T. Miller, the latter four of whom played for him on Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.

However, his handling of younger players like Alexis Lafreniere, K’Andre Miller, Brennan Othmann, Braden Schneider and more would determine his success as the Blueshirts’ bench boss.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brooks also wondered if the Vegas Golden Knights and Dallas Stars might be interested in Sullivan.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: William James pondered whether Sullivan would be a good fit coaching the rebuilding Flyers.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Greg Boysen makes the case for the Blackhawks to pursue Sullivan.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW‘s Andrew Fantucchio and THE ATHLETIC‘s Fluto Shinzawa believe Sullivan should be the top choice as the Bruins’ potential head coach.

RG.ORG: James Murphy reports a source claiming the Bruins have already reached out to Sullivan. However, the former Penguins coach wants to take some time to decompress before deciding on his next move.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sullivan remained a well-respected coach around the league despite the rebuilding Penguins’ struggles over the past three seasons. He won’t be unemployed for long.

OTHER PENGUINS SPECULATION

THE ATHLETIC: Josh Yohe was asked which restricted free agents he sees the Penguins targeting this summer. He suggested defenseman Bowen Byram of the Buffalo Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Yohe stressed that Byram would be his choice and wasn’t basing it on anything he’d heard.

He didn’t indicate if he meant targeting Byram for a trade or an offer sheet. Assuming the latter, the Sabres have over $21 million in cap space to match any offer for the 23-year-old blueliners.

Yohe doesn’t see the Penguins attempting to acquire Elias Pettersson from the Vancouver Canucks. “It looks like a disaster of a contract, and he’s not very well respected around the league.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pettersson has seven years left on his contract with an average annual value of $11.6 million. Assuming Vancouver retained some of his cap hit, that contract remains burdensome. If the Canucks try to move him they’ll have to move quickly because his no-movement clause begins on July 1.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 27, 2025

by | Apr 27, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 27, 2025

The Senators stave off elimination, the Avalanche and Golden Knights tie their respective series, the Lightning get a much-needed win against the Panthers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING SATURDAY’S NHL PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: The Ottawa Senators avoided being swept by the Toronto Maple Leafs with a 4-3 overtime victory in Game 4 of their best-of-seven first-round series.

Jake Sanderson tallied the winning goal and collected an assist to finish the night with two points. Tim Stutzle and Shane Pinto joined Sanderson in scoring their first-ever playoff goals, and Linus Ullmark stopped 31 shots for the win. John Tavares, Matthew Knies and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored as the Leafs overcame 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to force overtime.

This series returns to Toronto for Game 5 on Tuesday, Apr. 29, at 7 pm ET with the Leafs holding a 3-1 lead.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: An entertaining game filled with drama as the Senators live to play another day. The Leafs remain firmly in control of this series and could wrap it up on Tuesday, but they’re now 1-12 in series-clinching games since 2017.

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog scored his first goal in three years to lead his club over the Dallas Stars 4-0 in Game 4 of their opening-round series, tying it at two games apiece. Game 5 will be in Dallas on Monday, Apr. 28, at 9:30 pm ET.

Landeskog also picked up an assist and Mackenzie Blackwood turned in a 23-save shutout. Logan O’Connor, Nathan MacKinnon and Samuel Girard were the other scorers for the Avalanche. Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger gave up three goals on 34 shots before being replaced late in the second period by Casey DeSmith.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche outplayed the Stars in this contest, outshooting them 48-23. They also got a big lift from Landeskog’s performance as he continues his remarkable comeback after losing three seasons to knee surgeries.

The Vegas Golden Knights tied their series with the Minnesota Wild at two games apiece following their 4-3 win in Game 4. Ivan Barbeshev scored in overtime and collected an assist and Adin Hill made 29 saves. Tomas Hertl and Nicolas Roy also each had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights. Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson kicked out 42 shots.

This series returns to Las Vegas for Game 5 on Tuesday, Apr. 29, at 9:39 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights did a good job neutralizing Minnesota forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy. The duo had multi-point performances in the first three games, but Boldy was held scoreless while Kaprizov managed one assist. Wild forward Marcus Johansson missed this game with a lower-body injury.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Jake Guentzel had a goal and two assists as his club picked up its first victory of this postseason by dropping the Florida Panthers 5-1 in Game 3 of their series. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 33 shots and Nikita Kucherov collected three assists for the Lightning. Matthew Tkachuk scored for the Panthers, who hold a 2-1 lead in this series. Game 4 is Monday, Apr. 28, at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk could face supplemental discipline after being ejected from this game late in the third period for a late hit on Guentzel. Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov played in this game after leaving Game 2 with an undisclosed injury following a late hit by Lightning forward Brandon Hagel, who received a one-game suspension for his actions.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Montreal Canadiens winger Josh Anderson and Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson were each fined $5,000.00 for unsportsmanlike conduct in Game 3 of their series on Friday.

Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault is questionable for Game 4 on Sunday against the Capitals. He left Game 3 in the second period favoring his left leg. The Habs had no update on his condition as he was still being evaluated on Saturday. Backup Jakub Dobes could get the call to start Game 4 if Montembeault remains unavailable.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery had no update on the condition of starting goalie Logan Thompson, who left Game 3 in the third period with an injured left leg following a collision with teammate Dylan Strome. Backup Charlie Lindgren is expected to get the start for Game 4.

Carbery said forward Aliaksei Protas could make his series debut in Game 4. He’s been sidelined since Apr. 4 after suffering a skate cut to the foot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Protas’ return should boost the Capitals’ offense. The 6’6”, 247-pound center finished third among their leading scorers this season with 30 goals and 66 points.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi is a game-time decision for Game 4 on Sunday against the St. Louis Blues. He’s been sidelined since March 23 with an upper-body injury.

SPORTSNET: The Carolina Hurricanes officially registered an entry-level contract for Alexander Nikishin with the league. The 23-year-old defenseman could make his debut in Game 4 of their series with the New Jersey Devils.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: University of Denver head coach David Carle has withdrawn his name from consideration for the Blackhawks’ head-coaching position.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 26, 2025

by | Apr 26, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 26, 2025

The Canadiens, Devils and Oilers pick up big wins in their first-round series. Check out the recaps plus the latest news in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: Three unanswered third-period goals by Christian Dvorak, Juraj Slafkovsky and Alex Newhook gave the Montreal Canadiens a 6-3 victory over the Washington Capitals in Game 3 of their best-of-seven first-round series.

Newhook and Cole Caufield finished with a goal and an assist each. Connor McMichael, Jakub Chychrun and Alex Ovechkin replied for the Capitals, who hold a 2-1 lead in the series. Game 4 is Sunday, Apr. 27, at 6:30 pm ET.

The two teams lost their starting goaltenders to injuries during this contest. Canadiens starter Sam Montembeault suffered an undisclosed injury in the second period and made way for Jakub Dobes. Capitals netminder Logan Thompson injured his left knee following a third-period collision with teammate Dylan Strome and was replaced by Charlie Lindgren. There were no post-game updates regarding their conditions.

Montreal Canadiens winger Josh Anderson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the most complete game I’ve seen the Canadiens play this season. After being dominated in the first two games in Washington, they fed off the energy in the Bell Centre, outshooting the Capitals 40-19, winning 53.7 percent of the faceoffs, going two-for-five on the power play, and outhitting the Caps 45-26.

Winger Josh Anderson didn’t collect any points, but made his presence felt as Montreal’s physical leader, dishing out six hits and battling Washington winger Tom Wilson in a scrap at the end of the second period that spilled into the Capitals bench. Canadiens defenseman Arber Xhekaj made his playoff debut and led all blueliners with four hits.

Canadiens winger Patrik Laine missed this game with an upper-body injury. That might explain his subpar performances in the first two contests.

New Jersey Devils defenseman Simon Nemec scored in double-overtime as his club nipped the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2 in Game 3 of their first-round series.

The Devils had a 2-0 lead on goals by Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer, but the Hurricanes got two unanswered third-period goals by Seth Jarvis and Sebastian Aho to tie it. Game 4 is Sunday at 3:30 pm ET, with the Hurricanes holding a 2-1 series lead.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A big win for New Jersey after two lifeless losses to the Hurricanes in Carolina. Nemec set the franchise record as the youngest player (21 years, 69 days) to score a playoff overtime goal.

Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler returned to action after being sidelined by a lower-body injury in early February. However, blueliner Johnathan Kovecevic left the game with an undisclosed injury.

The Edmonton Oilers defeated the Los Angeles Kings 7-4 in Game 3 of their series. Evander Kane and Evan Bouchard scored the tying and winning goals 10 seconds apart in the third period.

Bouchard and Connor Brown each had two goals and Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists for the Oilers. Adrian Kempe and Drew Doughty each had a goal and an assist for the Kings, who lead the series two games to one. Game 4 is Sunday in Edmonton at 9:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane’s tying goal came under automatic review for a kicking motion. It was determined he did kick the puck, but then knocked it into the net with his stick, making it a good goal.

Kings head coach Jim Hiller challenged for goaltender interference but the call went against him, leading to a delay-of-game penalty with Bouchard’s winning goal on the subsequent power play.

HEADLINES

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: The Vegas Golden Knights need more production from their top line of Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Ivan Barbeshev if they hope to defeat the Minnesota Wild in their first-round series. The trio has yet to register a point in the series, with the Wild leading two games to one.

THE DENVER POST: Gabriel Landeskog has been promoted to the Colorado Avalanche’s second line and their top power-play unit. After being sidelined for the past three seasons by knee surgeries, the 32-year-old winger returned to action in Game 3 of their series with the Dallas Stars. The Stars have a 2-1 series lead over the Avalanche.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel received a one-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for a late hit on Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov in Game 2 of the series between the two clubs on Thursday.

Barkov left that game and remains questionable for Game 3 on Saturday.

NHL.COM: The league also fined the Ottawa Senators $25,000.00 for unsportsmanlike conduct and Senators forward Nick Cousins $2,083.33 for unsportsmanlike conduct for an incident during warm-ups for Game 3 of their series with the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cousins’ offense was shooting a puck down the ice at Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: A mistrial was declared by the presiding judge in the Hockey Canada sexual assault case. A new trial will begin once new jurors are selected, which was expected to occur on Friday.

Former NHL players Michael McLeod, Alex Formenton, Dillon Dube, Carter Hart and Cal Foote face one charge each of sexual assault for an alleged incident that occurred in 2018 while members of Canada’s World Junior team. McLeod faces an additional charge as a party to the offense.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 25, 2025

by | Apr 25, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 25, 2025

Recapping Thursday’s playoff action and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF THURSDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES

NHL.COM: St. Louis Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich tallied a hat trick and an assist and defenseman Cam Fowler had a goal and four assists to thump the Winnipeg Jets 7-2 in Game 3 of their best-of-seven first-round series.

St. Louis Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich (NHL Images)

Center Robert Thomas set up four goals for the Blues while David Gustafsson and Neal Pionk replied for Winnipeg. Jets backup goaltender Eric Comrie replaced starter Connor Hellebuyck after the latter gave up six goals on 25 shots. Game 4 is Sunday, Apr. 27, in St. Louis at 1 pm ET. The Jets lead the series two games to one.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues did a fine job smothering the Jets’ top offensive players with their physical plan. Mark Scheifele had five points in the first two games and Kyle Connor had four, but both were held scoreless in this contest. Winnipeg defenseman Dylan DeMelo was a late scratch due to an illness.

An overtime goal by Simon Benoit gave the Toronto Maple Leafs a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators in Game 3 of their first-round series. Matthew Knies and Auston Matthews also scored for Toronto while Claude Giroux and Brady Tkachuk replied for the Senators, who find themselves on the brink of elimination down 3-0 in this series. The Leafs can wrap things up in Game 4 on Saturday, Apr. 26 at 7 pm ET in Ottawa.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the second straight game the Senators suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 overtime defeat. Their lopsided loss in Game 1 aside, they’ve played well against the Leafs, but the latter’s depth and experience have been the difference thus far. Toronto goaltender Anthony Stolarz has been terrific between the pipes throughout this series.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov scored two goals for the second straight game to beat the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2. Matt Boldy and Marco Rossi each had a goal and an assist, and goalie Filip Gustavsson stopped 30 shots as the Wild took a 2-1 lead in the series. Alex Pietrangelo and Reilly Smith scored for the Golden Knights. Game 4 is Saturday, starting at 4 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights are having difficulty containing the Wild’s two leading scorers. Kaprizov is tied for the postseason lead with seven points, while Boldy is right behind him with six points. The Wild probably wouldn’t have struggled down the stretch had “Dollar Bill Kirill” been healthy during that period.

The Florida Panthers blanked the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0 in Game 2 of their series. Sergei Bobrovsky made 19 saves for the shutout while Nate Schmidt and Sam Bennett were the goal scorers as the Panthers took a 2-0 series lead. Game 3 is Saturday, starting at 1 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly victory for the Panthers as team captain Aleksander Barkov left the game in the third period with a possible upper-body injury following a big hit from Lightning forward Brandon Hagel, who received a five-minute major penalty for interference. There was no post-game update on Barkov’s condition.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen remains day-to-day with a knee injury. He participated in two-on-two drills during practice on Wednesday. Heiskanen’s been sidelined since suffering the injury on Jan. 28.

The Stars hold a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven series with the Colorado Avalanche. Game 4 is Saturday, starting at 9:30 pm ET.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Barring a last-minute change of heart, the Oilers will start backup goalie Calvin Pickard on Friday against the Los Angeles Kings, who hold a 2-0 lead in their series. Pickard replaced struggling starter Stuart Skinner after he gave up five goals on 28 shots in Game 2. Skinner also allowed six goals on 30 shots in Game 1.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen underwent surgery on March 26 to repair a right tricep rupture. His recovery is six months, meaning he’ll likely miss training camp in September.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 21, 2025

by | Apr 21, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 21, 2025

Recaps of Sunday’s playoff action, plus the latest on Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Pierre-Luc Dubois and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING SUNDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: “The Battle Of Ontario” resumed after 21 years with the Toronto Maple Leafs getting a convincing 6-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators in Game 1 of their best-of-seven first-round series.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

Mitch Marner had a goal and two assists and Anthony Stolarz stopped 31 shots for Toronto, who went 3-for-6 on the power play. Leafs forwards William Nylander and John Tavares each had a goal and an assist and Auston Matthews collected two assists. Drake Batherson and Ridly Greig replied for the Senators. Game 2 of this series is Tuesday, Apr. 22, at 7:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators swept the three-game regular-season series, but the Leafs’ experience in postseason play was evident in this contest. They were tenacious on the forecheck, their “Core Four” of Matthews, Marner, Nylander and Tavares stepped up, and they didn’t shy away from the Senators’ physical style, seizing the opportunity with the man advantage.

The Senators will have to regroup and focus on a more disciplined effort. They’ll also need a better performance from goaltender Linus Ullmark, who continues to struggle in postseason play.

Vegas Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl had a goal and an assist to double up the Minnesota Wild 4-2 in Game 1 of their opening-round series. Brett Howden tallied twice and Adin Hill turned aside 18 shots for the Golden Knights. Matt Boldy scored both of the Wild’s goals and Filip Gustavsson made 23 saves. Game 2 of this series is Wednesday, Apr. 23, at 11 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the most closely contested game of the evening. There weren’t many penalties, but the Golden Knights made the most of their opportunities, going 2-for-2 with the man advantage.

NHL linesman Bryan Pancich left this game in the second period following an accidental collision with Howden. Backup official Frederick L’Ecuyer replaced Pancich for the remainder of the game.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Logan Stankoven scored two goals in a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Taylor Hall picked up two assists and Frederik Andersen made 23 saves as the Hurricanes took a 1-0 lead in this first-round series. Nico Hischier scored for the Devils. Game 2 goes Tuesday, Apr. 22, at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The score flattered New Jersey as Carolina dominated most of this game. It got worse for the Devils as Brenden Dillon and Cody Glass left the game with injuries. Glass was accidentally struck on the knee by teammate Jacob Markstrom as the Devils’ goalie attempted to whack Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov with his stick.

HEADLINES

SI.COM: Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar told reporters not to read too much in Gabriel Landeskog’s absence from practice on Sunday, saying the team captain remains on his own recovery schedule. However, he didn’t rule out Landeskog replacing injured winger Ross Colton for Game 2 of their series against the Dallas Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Landeskog’s last NHL game was Game 6 of the 2022 Stanley Cup. He’s been sidelined since by knee surgeries but recently completed a two-game conditioning stint with the Avs’ AHL affiliate as he attempts a comeback.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars need winger Mikko Rantanen to be a bigger factor in their series against his former team. On Saturday, he was held scoreless in their 5-1 loss to the Avalanche in Game 1.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy said he felt like he played last season on one leg following back surgery in 2023. He claims he’s feeling like he’s back to his old self this season and has a clear mind entering the playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The improvement in Vasilevskiy’s performance contributed to the Lightning’s improvement as a team this season, rising from sixth overall in the Eastern Conference in 2023-24 to third overall this season.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals center Pierre-Luc Dubois credits head coach Spencer Carbery with helping him regain his focus and form. The 26-year-old Dubois has become one of the league’s best two-way centers and a beloved leader in the Capitals’ dressing room. Dubois and his teammates face the Montreal Canadiens with Game 1 of their first-round series starting Monday.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers winger Jeff Skinner looks forward to his first playoff game in his 15-season NHL career when he and his teammates meet the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of their first-round series on Monday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Skinner played for the Hurricanes when they struggled throughout most of the previous decade. He also played for the hapless Buffalo Sabres until they bought out his contract last summer. His postseason drought was 1,078 regular-season games.

ROTOWIRE: Los Angeles Kings forward Tanner Jeannot remains week-to-week with an undisclosed injury.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets are prepared for another physical contest with the St. Louis Blues when the two clubs face off for Game 2 of their first-round series on Monday. The Jets won Game 1 5-3 but were outhit 53-33.