NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 28, 2024

by | Apr 28, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 28, 2024

The Islanders and Lightning stave off elimination, the Bruins push the Leafs to the brink, and the Stars cut their series deficit in half against the Golden Knights. Check out the latest in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The New York Islanders staved off elimination with a 3-2 victory in Game 4 over the Carolina Hurricanes on a double-overtime goal by Mathew Barzal, who finished the game with two goals. Semyon Varlamov kicked out 42 shots for the Islanders while Seth Jarvis and Stefan Noesen scored for the Hurricanes, who hold a 3-1 lead in their best-of-seven opening-round series. Game 5 is Tuesday, Apr. 30 in Carolina starting at 7:30 pm EDT.

New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders played desperation hockey to keep their season alive. It was Barzal’s best game of the series while Varlamov was outstanding between the pipes. The Hurricanes still dominated the play for long stretches in this game. They’ll be determined to finish this series in front of their fans in Raleigh.

Steven Stamkos scored twice and Nikita Kucherov collected three assists for the Tampa Bay Lightning to avoid being swept from the first round by dropping the Florida Panthers 6-3. Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel and Victor Hedman each had three points for the Lightning. Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart and Oliver Ekman-Larsson scored for the Panthers to cut the Lightning’s lead to 4-3 before Stamkos and Nick Paul put the game out of reach. The Panthers hold a 3-1 lead in this series, which returns to Sunrise, Florida for Game 5 on Monday, Apr. 29 at 7 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning got a big lift with the surprising return of defenseman Mikhail Sergachev for his first game since breaking his left leg in February. He collected an assist on Hagel’s second goal of the game. The Bolts’ power play was a big factor, going two-for-five with the man advantage.

The Boston Bruins are a win away from eliminating the Toronto Maple Leafs following their 3-1 victory in Game 4. Brad Marchand had a goal and an assist and Jeremy Swayman stopped 24 shots for the Bruins, who hold a 3-1 series lead and can wrap things up on Tuesday in Boston starting at 7 pm EDT. Mitch Marner scored his first of the series for the Leafs while an illness forced Auston Matthews from the game after the second period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins did a masterful job shutting down the Leafs offense. They also went one-for-three on the power play and killed off three penalties. Ilya Samsonov gave up three goals on 17 shots and was replaced by Joseph Woll for the third period.

The Leafs’ frustration was evident as the game progressed, culminating in TV cameras catching Matthews, Marner and William Nylander in animated conversation on the bench. After the game, the players denied any tension between them but it’s apparent they’re struggling to find a way to beat the Bruins.

Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston scored twice, including the winner in overtime, in a 3-2 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights, reducing their deficit in this series to two games to one. Miro Heiskanen scored to give the Stars a 2-0 lead before Brayden McNabb and Jack Eichel tied the game to force the extra frame. Jake Oettinger made 32 saves for the Stars while Logan Thompson stopped 42 for the Golden Knights. Game 4 goes on Monday in Las Vegas with a 9:30 pm EDT start.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon is listed as day-to-day and received no structural damage to his left hand after being cut by a skate blade during a scuffle at the end of Game 3 of their first-round series with the Colorado Avalanche.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators defenseman Spencer Stastney is week-to-week with an upper-body injury after being hit by Vancouver Canucks forward Dakota Joshua during Game 3 of their first-round series on Friday.

Predators forward Michael McCarron was fined $2,000.00 for goaltender interference after knocking down Canucks goaltender Casey DeSmith behind his net during Friday’s game between the two clubs.

IN OTHER NEWS…

DAILY FACEOFF: Jaromir Jagr intends to play for his hometown team Rytiri Kladno in 2024-25 but indicated it will be his last professional season. The 52-year-old played just 15 regular-season games for Kladno this season, spending two months in the United States as the Pittsburgh Penguins retired his No. 68. He also became the oldest player to score a goal in professional hockey, surpassing the legendary Gordie Howe.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 25, 2024

by | Apr 25, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 25, 2024

The Kings tie their series with the Oilers, the Bruins regain the lead over the Leafs, and the Golden Knights widen their lead over the Stars. Get the details plus the latest news from around the league in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar scored his first playoff overtime goal since 2012 in a 5-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, tying their opening-round best-of-seven series at a game apiece. Kopitar also collected two assists and Adrian Kempe tallied twice for the Kings. Oilers forward Dylan Holloway scored his first two NHL playoff goals. The series moves to Los Angeles for the next two games with Game 3 slated for Friday, Apr. 26 at 10:30 pm EDT.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings recovered well from their 7-4 blowout loss in Game 1, reminding everyone that this series could be another slog like the last two between these clubs. The 36-year-old Kopitar set franchise records with his third playoff overtime goal and was the club’s oldest player to score an overtime postseason goal.

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand scored the winning and insurance goals to lead his club over the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2, taking a 2-1 lead in their first-round series. Trent Frederic and Jake DeBrusk also scored and Jeremy Swayman stopped 28 shots for the Bruins. Matthew Knies and Tyler Bertuzzi replied for the Leafs. Game 4 is in Toronto on Saturday, Apr. 27 at 8 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe claimed Marchand was getting favorable calls from the referees. This is the same Brad Marchand who is the most suspended player in NHL history, whose reputation rarely sees him get the benefit of the doubt from on-ice officials.

Keefe is justified to be upset over Marchand getting away with a blatant trip on Tyler Bertuzzi leading to Frederic’s game-tying goal. The officiating was lousy in this game. However, the Leafs have themselves to blame for this loss. They failed to score with five power-play opportunities while the Bruins went two for three with the man advantage. Toronto goaltender Ilya Samsonov was shaky in this game after a solid effort in Game 2.

The Vegas Golden Knights expanded their series lead to 2-0 over the Dallas Stars with a 3-1 victory in Game 2 of their first-round series. Jonathan Marchessault, Noah Hanifin and Jack Eichel were the goal scorers and Logan Thompson stopped 20 shots for the Golden Knights. Jason Robertson scored for the Stars. The series moves to Las Vegas for the next two games with Game 3 on Saturday at 10:30 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The good news for the Stars was they scored the opening goal, something that’s been an issue for them throughout this season. The bad news is the Golden Knights rallied back while neutralizing the Stars’ offense.

Stars forwards Mason Marchment and Radek Faksa left the game with injuries in the third period. Golden Knights defenseman Nic Hague missed this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce is expected to miss the remainder of his club’s first-round series with the New York Islanders. He suffered a non-contact lower-body injury in Game 2 on Monday. The Hurricanes hold a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven first-round series.

NEW YORK POST: Speaking of the Islanders, Ilya Sorokin will replace Semyon Varlamov in goal for Game 3 on Thursday.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers center Sam Bennett (hand injury) will miss Games 3 and 4 of his club’s series with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He’s expected to be sidelined for a week.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks fired head coach David Quinn on Wednesday. He had a record of 41-98-25 in two seasons with the rebuilding Sharks after 96-87-25 with the New York Rangers from 2018 to 2021.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks went 19-54-9 this season but that’s not on Quinn. The roster was gutted during the offseason and further depleted by injuries to core players Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl, with the latter traded to the Golden Knights at the trade deadline.

Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News included former NHL bench bosses Craig Berube, Dean Evason, Gerard Gallant and Jay Woodcroft among his possible candidates to replace Quinn.

NHL.COM: Anaheim Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek indicated his club could name a new captain for next season. The position has been vacant since Ryan Getzlaf’s retirement in 2022.

THE SALT LAKE CITY TRIBUNE: A capacity crowd at the Delta Center welcomed former Arizona Coyotes players, coaches and management as they were welcomed to Salt Lake City for the first time. The Coyotes are moving to Utah and will play in the Delta Center starting next season.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators still hope to make a deal with Ottawa’s National Capital Commission to build a new downtown arena at LeBreton Flats. However, hurdles remain for both sides to get a deal done.

Negotiations are ongoing between the two sides. The Senators are concerned about room for public parking on the site. They also hope to have space for an arena district with bars and restaurants.

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Al Shaver, the play-by-play voice of the Minnesota North Stars from the club’s inception in 1967-68 until their relocation to Dallas in 1993, died on Monday at age 96.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Shaver’s family, friends, colleagues, and North Stars fans who enjoyed his coverage of their team.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 23, 2024

by | Apr 23, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 23, 2024

The Oilers and Golden Knights win the opening games of their first-round series, the Hurricanes rally back to beat the Islanders and the Leafs even their series with the Bruins. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected five assists in a 7-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of their best-of-seven opening-round series with the Los Angeles Kings. Zach Hyman had a hat trick and an assist and Evan Bouchard had four helpers for the Oilers. Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist for the Kings. Game 2 goes on Wednesday at 10 pm ET in Edmonton.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers took a 4-0 lead and never looked back. The Kings cut the lead in half by the end of the second period but third-period power-play goals by Leon Draisaitl and Hyman put this out of reach.

McDavid became the eighth player in NHL history to pick up five assists in a playoff game. The record is six held by Mikko Leinonen (1982) and Wayne Gretzky (1987).

The Carolina Hurricanes overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat the New York Islanders 5-3, taking a 2-0 lead in their first-round series. Sebastian Aho and Jordan Martinook scored nine seconds apart in the third period with the tying and winning goals and Seth Jarvis had a goal and two assists for the Hurricanes. Semyon Varlamov made 34 saves for the Islanders. The series heads to UBS Center in Belmont Park for Games 3 and 4 with the third game on Thursday at 7:30 PM ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders played well in the first period. However, the momentum shifted in the Hurricanes’ favor in the second period after Teuvo Teravainen’s power-play goal got them on the board. This loss cannot be hung on Varlamov as he did all he could to help his team hang onto their lead. The Isles managed just one shot in the third period while the Hurricanes peppered Varlamov with 17.

Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen was the hero in his club’s Game 1 victory. He was shaky in this one, giving up three goals on 12 shots. Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce left the game with a lower-body injury. There was no word regarding his status for Game 3.

Islanders forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau returned to action after missing Game 1 with a lower-body injury.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews scored the game-winner and had two assists in a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins, tying their first-round series at a game apiece. Max Domi had a goal and an assist and Ilya Samsonov stopped 27 shots for the Leafs. Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak scored for the Bruins and Linus Ullmark made 30 saves. This series shifts to Toronto for Games 3 and 4 starting Wednesday at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A much better effort for the Leafs compared to their debacle in Game 1. Matthews answered his critics as his teammates rallied from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits. Leafs winger William Nylander remains sidelined with an undisclosed injury.

Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery praised Ullmark’s performance, citing several big saves he made during this contest. He blamed the loss on his club’s lack of production.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Dallas Stars 4-3 to take Game 1 of their first-round series. Mark Stone opened the scoring in his first game since Feb. 20 and teammates Jonathan Marchessault and Tomas Hertl netted their first goals of this postseason. Joel Oettinger gave up four goals on 15 shots while Jamie Benn, Jason Robertson and Mason Marchment scored for the Stars. Game 2 is on Wednesday at 9:30 PM ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars spent this game chasing the Golden Knights but ran out of time to get the equalizer. It’s a trend that’s carried over from the regular season. Half of their total wins came after falling behind early. The Golden Knights special teams made the difference, going two-for-two on the power play while killing off both of the Stars’ power-play advantages.

HEADLINES

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: The Sabres announced yesterday that Lindy Ruff will become their next head coach. Ruff previously coached the club from 1997-98 to 2012-13, guiding them to the 1999 Stanley Cup Final.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This isn’t a nostalgia hire by the Sabres. General manager Kevyn Adams said he was looking for a new coach with NHL experience. Few are more experienced than Ruff. He’s fifth all-time in wins with 864 and 1,775 games coached with the Sabres, Stars and New Jersey Devils. Ruff won the Jack Adams Award in 2006 and was a finalist for the award in 2007 and 2023.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Despite Alexandar Georgiev’s poor performance against the Winnipeg Jets in Game 1, the Avalanche starter could get the nod in Game 2. Backup Justus Annunen is battling an illness. Third-stringer Arvid Holm could back up Georgiev if Annunen can’t play tonight.

DAILY FACEOFF: Washington Capitals defenseman Vincent Iorio is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury suffered against the New York Rangers in Game 1 of their opening-round series on Sunday.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken general manager Ron Francis said he intends to open contract talks with Matty Beniers and Eeli Tolvanen soon. Both are restricted free agents on July 1. Beniers is completing his entry-level contract while Tolvanen has arbitration rights.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 21, 2024

by | Apr 21, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 21, 2024

The Bruins downed the Leafs and the Hurricanes beat the Islanders in the opening games of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Get the details plus the latest on other postseason clubs in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk scored twice and collected an assist as his club rolled to a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1 of their best-of-seven opening-round series. Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman kicked out 35 shots as David Kampf was the only Leaf to score in this contest. Game 2 of this series goes Monday night in Boston.

Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs’ efforts to establish a physical presence against the Bruins backfired. They were undisciplined, took too many bad penalties and were sloppy defensively against savvy opponents who emerged victorious by sticking to their game plan.

Leafs forwards William Nylander and Bobby McMann missed this game due to injuries. We have no more details because the Leafs won’t have daily injury updates during the playoffs.

The Carolina Hurricanes drew first blood against the New York Islanders by beating them 3-1 to take a 1-0 lead in their first-round series. Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen stopped 33 shots while Evgeny Kuznetsov and Martin Necas each had a goal and an assist. Kyle MacLean replied for the Islanders. Game 2 is Monday in Carolina.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders dominated large stretches of this game defensively, especially in the second period. However, they were unable to capitalize offensively. Andersen played a big part in that but the Isles best scorers didn’t get more quality scoring chances against him.

PLAYOFF NOTES

NHL.COM: Four other first-round series begin on Sunday. The Tampa Bay Lightning face off against the Florida Panthers (12:30 ET), the Washington Capitals meet the New York Rangers (3 PM ET), the Colorado Avalanche square off against the Winnipeg Jets (7 pm ET) and the Nashville Predators face the Vancouver Canucks (10 pm ET).

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche announced on Saturday that winger Jonathan Drouin will miss the series against the Jets with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A tough break for Drouin and the Avalanche. The 29-year-old winger enjoyed a career-best 56-point performance this season.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone (lacerated spleen) and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (appendectomy) are good to go for Game 1 of their first-round series against the Dallas Stars on Monday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon sought to address critics for his club placing Stone on long-term injury reserve for the second straight year. They used the salary cap savings to bring in Anthony Mantha, Noah Hanifin and Tomas Hertl before the trade deadline.

It was originally reported that Stone wouldn’t be ready to return until later in the playoffs if the Golden Knights advanced past the first round. His clearance for Game 1 of their opening-round series drew accusations of salary-cap circumvention from their critics.

McCrimmon said the NHL is “100 percent involved in any of these LTIR situations”, pointing out the league had access to all medical information on Stone’s condition.

The Golden Knights did nothing wrong. Per the collective bargaining agreement, every NHL team can use LTIR for salary-cap relief whenever their players are sidelined for at least 10 games and 24 days of the regular season. Every club has at some point since LTIR was implemented in 2005.

Nevertheless, these instances have drawn grumbling in some corners that could lead to changes in LTIR rules, perhaps by making the salary cap count during the playoffs. Those changes, however, won’t occur until the next round of collective bargaining between the NHL and NHL Players Association in 2026.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks captain Logan Couture hopes that next season is better for him than the current one. The 35-year-old center missed all but six games due to a deep groin injury revealed to be Osteitis pubis.

Couture plans to resume skating in July. He said he’s drawn encouragement from other players around the league who suffered a similar condition. The Sharks medical staff are optimistic he’ll be ready for training camp in September.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Chicago Blackhawks rookie star Connor Bedard will suit up for Canada at next month’s IIHF World Championships in Czechia.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 19, 2024

by | Apr 19, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 19, 2024

The Oilers and Kings have another first-round series, the Golden Knights face the Stars in the opening round, the Board of Governors approves the relocation of the Coyotes to Salt Lake City, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Los Angeles Kings clinched third place in the Pacific Division following a 5-4 overtime victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Adrian Kempe tallied the game-winner, Viktor Arvidsson scored twice and Quinton Byfield netted his 20th goal of the season for the 44-27-11 Kings (99 points), who’ll face the Edmonton Oilers in the opening round for the third straight year.

The Vegas Golden Knights dropped a 4-1 decision to the Anaheim Ducks to finish in the final wildcard in the Western Conference. Jack Eichel scored his 31st of the season for the 45-29-8 Golden Knights (98 points) as they’ll meet the Dallas Stars in the first round. Ducks winger Frank Vatrano scored a hat trick to finish the season with a career-high 37 goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Promising Ducks forward Cutter Gauthier collected an assist in his first NHL game.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images)

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon picked up two assists to set the franchise single-season scoring record (140 points) in a 5-1 victory over the Oilers. Valeri Nichushkin scored two goals and Mikko Rantanen netted his 42nd of the season. The Oilers scratched Connor McDavid and Leon Draistaitl to rest them for the upcoming playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avs’ previous single-season points record was 139 points set by Peter Stastny in 1981-82 when the franchise was called the Quebec Nordiques.

The Winnipeg Jets ended the regular season with their eighth straight win by doubling up the Vancouver Canucks 4-2. Cole Perfetti scored twice for the Jets while Canucks winger Conor Garland potted his 20th goal of the season. The Jets will face the Avalanche in the first round of the upcoming playoffs while the Canucks square off against the Nashville Predators.

Seattle Kraken winger Yanni Gourde scored two shorthanded goals in a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild. Kirill Kaprizov scored his 46th of the season for the Wild.

The Calgary Flames defeated the San Jose Sharks 5-1. Flames forward Blake Coleman reached the 30-goal plateau for the first time while teammate MacKenzie Weegar had his first 20-goal season. Fabian Zetterlund scored his 24th of the season for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: And with that, the 2023-24 regular season is over. The 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs begin on Saturday, Apr. 20 with the New York Islander facing off against the Carolina Hurricanes while the Toronto Maple Leafs travel to Boston to meet the Bruins. You can see the updated first-round schedule here.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The league’s Board of Governors unanimously approved the relocation of the Arizona Coyotes to Salt Lake City, Utah. The board also approved a plan that renders the Coyotes franchise inactive, with a right to reactivate if owner Alex Meruelo has fully constructed a new, state-of-the-art facility appropriate for an NHL franchise within five years.

Effective at closing, the Coyotes franchise will transfer the totality of its existing hockey assets, including its full reserve list, roster of players and draft picks, and its hockey operations department to the Utah franchise.

Ryan Smith, the owner of Smith Entertainment Group and owner of the NBA’s Utah Jazz, is now the owner of the Utah franchise. While located in Salt Lake City, the club will be named after the state. Smith indicated the team will take time to determine its name, logos and colors.

DAILY FACEOFF: Smith said the Utah franchise has already sold over 11,000 season-ticket deposits in their first few hours on the market.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Coyotes franchise and its history and brand remain in Meruelo’s hands for the next five years. After speaking with governors around the league, LeBrun and colleague Darren Dreger said few have confidence that Meruelo can get that arena built.

The NHL still wants a franchise in Arizona. However, LeBrun isn’t sure it’ll be with Meruelo as the owner.

LeBrun also reported Smith won’t rush to decide on a team nickname. They’re looking for fan reaction and have hired a firm to look into branding. Smith is willing to start next season without a team nickname if that’s how long is needed to find an appropriate one.

Travis Yost explains why an NHL team will work in Salt Lake City. The city only has a quarter of a million residents but the county is five times that size while neighboring Utah County is a 30-minute drive from downtown Salt Lake City. That’s a total population base of nearly 2 million.

Yost also noted Salt Lake City and Utah are booming economically plus its tourism market draws a lot of winter sports enthusiasts. He also pointed out Salt Lake City is expected to win the bid for the 2034 Olympic Winter Games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Salt Lake City still needs a proper NHL-caliber arena but it’s expected that a state-funded one will be built soon to accommodate Olympic hockey and Smith’s Utah franchise.

The success of the NHL in Utah will depend on how much Smith is willing to invest in making this team a winner. It’ll also rely on how well-managed the franchise will be. The shine could come off this Utah franchise if they spend years as a pretender rather than a contender.

Current general manager Bill Armstrong was doing a good job rebuilding the Coyotes with affordable young talent on a shoestring budget. However, they need an infusion of talented veterans who can mentor those youngsters and turn the club into a perennial playoff team.

Armstrong could find some of that talent in the free-agent market if Smith is willing to spend to the salary cap. If he has the cap room, he can draw on his considerable depth in draft picks and prospects for trade bait to land a veteran star or two.

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov finished the season with a league-leading 144 points to win the Art Ross Trophy for the second time since 2018-19.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews won his third Maurice Richard Trophy as this season’s goal-scoring leader with 69 goals. He and Washington Capitals winger Alex Ovechkin are the only players to win that award at least three times.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck earned his first career William M. Jennings Trophy as the netminder who played at least 25 games for the team that allowed the fewest goals.

SPORTSNET: The final odds for the 2024 NHL Draft Lottery are confirmed. The San Jose Sharks have the best odds (25.5 percent) while the Buffalo Sabres have the lowest odds (3.0 percent). Click the link provided for the complete list.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby said he intends to meet at some point with general manager Kyle Dubas to discuss a contract extension. He has one year remaining on his current deal and his future has become the source of media speculation.

Crosby didn’t indicate how many more years he intends to play. In the shorter term, he’s uncertain if he’ll suit up for Canada in next month’s World Championships in Czechia.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby has plenty of time to sign an extension with the Penguins. He and Dubas will likely want that sorted out before the start of next season to avoid the situation becoming an unnecessary distraction.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen underwent surgery to repair a torn triceps muscle two months following his injury. He’ll require three months of rehab and recovery but is expected to be ready for training camp in September.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some are questioning why it took so long for Ristolainen to have surgery and why the Flyers provided no updates on his condition until now.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 17, 2024

by | Apr 17, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 17, 2024

The Capitals clinch the final Eastern Conference playoff spot, the Canucks and Panthers claim the final two division titles, the Sabres fire head coach Don Granato, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Washington Capitals are heading to the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. TJ Oshie’s empty-net goal late in the third period was the game-winner for the Capitals (40-31-11) as they clinched the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth with 91 points. Alex Ovechkin scored his 31st goal of the season for the Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers pulled their goalie late in the third because they needed a regulation win to keep their playoff hopes alive. Speaking of regulation wins, that was the margin of victory of the Capitals, whose 32 regulation victories punched their ticket to the postseason. They’ll face the New York Rangers in the opening round.

A shootout goal by Patrick Kane lifted the Detroit Red Wings to their second-straight 5-4 victory over the Montreal Canadiens but the Capitals win eliminated them from playoff contention. Daniel Sprong had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings (41-32-9), who missed the postseason for the eighth straight season. Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky had a goal and an assist to finish the season with 20 goals and 50 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings’ struggles through March doomed their playoff chances. The idle Pittsburgh Penguins were also eliminated from postseason contention.

Before this game, Canadiens defenseman Chris Wideman announced his retirement. He’d been sidelined for the season by lumbar disc problems. The 34-year-old blueliner had 20 goals, 58 assists and 78 points in 291 career games with the Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers, Florida Panthers and the Canadiens.

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart (NHL Images).

A four-goal second period lifted the Florida Panthers over the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2. Sam Reinhart scored twice to finish the season with 57 goals as the Panthers (52-24-6) clinched the Atlantic Division title with 110 points. Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews was held off the score sheet and remains one goal shy of 70 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers’ first-round opponent will be the Tampa Bay Lightning while the Leafs will meet the Boston Bruins. Matthews will get one more shot at reaching the 70-goal plateau when the Leafs face the Lightning on Wednesday.

The Vancouver Canucks downed the Calgary Flames 4-1 to clinch the Pacific Division title. Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko kicked out 39 shots in his first game back from a knee injury while Tyler Myers had a goal and an assist for the 50-22-9 Canucks (109 points).

A 22-save performance by goalie Logan Thompson gave the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Michael Amadio scored what proved to be the game-winner for the Golden Knights (45-28-8) as they moved into third place in the Pacific Division with 98 points. Jason Dickinson replied for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights hold a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Kings. Both clubs are playoff-bound and each has a game left to decide their final placement in the Western Conference postseason standings. Vegas forwards Chandler Stephenson and Anthony Mantha (day-to-day) missed this game with undisclosed injuries.

Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor tallied twice in a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Nikolaj Ehlers and Tyler Toffoli each had a goal and an assist for the 51-24-6 Jets (108 points) as they secured second place in the Central Division and home-ice advantage in their first-round series against the Colorado Avalanche. Yanni Gourde had a goal and an assist for the Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets forward Morgan Barron left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury.

The Ottawa Senators finished their season by beating the Boston Bruins 3-1. Jakob Chychrun tallied what proved to be the game-winning goal for the Senators. The loss cost the Bruins the opportunity to clinch the Atlantic Division title.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury.

Before the game, broadcaster Jack Edwards announced his retirement at the end of the postseason. He’s been the Bruins’ play-by-play man on NESN for 19 seasons.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski scored twice and collected two assists in a 6-3 upset of the Carolina Hurricanes. Blue Jackets rookie forward Luca Del Bel Belluz scored in his NHL debut. Teuvo Teravainen scored twice for the Hurricanes, who’ll face the New York Islanders in the opening round of the playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes forward Jesper Fast left this game in the second period after being cross-checked in the back by Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson, causing him to tumble awkwardly into the boards. There was no postgame update on his condition.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres fired head coach Don Granato on Tuesday. With a record of 39-37-6, the Sabres finished sixth in the Atlantic Division and missed the playoffs for a league-record 13th straight season. The Sabres will seek their sixth head coach since 2013.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Granato signed a two-year contract extension last year that begins next season. I’ll have more about the Sabres’ coaching situation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

TSN: The NHL announced it set a single-season attendance record of 22, 560, 634 in 2023-24 with 18 games remaining in its schedule. It claimed its arenas have averaged 97 percent capacity. Revenue for this season is projected to reach a record-high of $6.2 billion.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks could receive the Pittsburgh Penguins’ first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft as part of the return from last summer’s Erik Karlsson trade. The pick is top-10 protected and the Penguins could go into next month’s trade lottery in either the 13th or 14th overall spot. Unless the Pens win the lottery and move up into the top 10, that pick will belong to the Sharks.