NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2024

by | Dec 22, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2024

Check out the recaps of Saturday’s action and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 19 saves for his league-leading fourth shutout of the season to blank the Minnesota Wild 5-0. Cole Perfetti had a goal and two assists as the Jets sat atop the overall standings with 49 points. It’s the fourth straight loss for the Wild.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck tied Jonathan Quick and Tim Thomas for the most shutouts in one calendar year by an American NHL goaltender.

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand scored to extend his points streak to nine games in a 3-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Charlie Coyle and Morgan Geekie also scored for the Bruins, who hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 38 points. JJ Peterka replied for the Sabres, who are winless in 13 straight games (0-10-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: So much for the Sabres’ hopes of reaching the playoffs. Stick a fork in ’em, they’re done. What a waste.

The New York Islanders upset the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3. Bo Horvat led the way with a goal and two assists and Anthony Duclair had an assist in his return to action after missing 28 games with a leg injury. William Nylander scored twice for the Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs captain Auston Matthews missed this game as his status remains uncertain after re-aggravating the upper-body injury that sidelined him for nine games in November. Meanwhile, the Leafs sent goaltender Matt Murray back to their AHL affiliate and recalled Dennis Hildeby to back up Joseph Woll.

An overtime goal by Leon Draisaitl lifted the Edmonton Oilers to a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Connor McDavid collected two assists as the Oilers have won seven of their last eight games. Rookie goalie Yaroslav Askarov kicked out 38 shots for the Sharks as they’ve dropped seven of their last eight (1-6-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl moved into second place in the NHL scoring race with 51 points, four behind Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson scored 15 seconds into overtime to beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 in an entertaining back-and-forth contest. Shane Pinto scored twice and collected an assist for the Senators as they picked up their sixth straight victory, winning eight of their last nine games. Quinn Hughes had a goal and two assists and Brock Boeser tallied two goals for the Canucks, who’ve dropped three straight (0-1-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators (38 points) hold a three-point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Canucks (39 points) hold the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Speaking of the Penguins, they were blanked 3-0 by the New Jersey Devils. Nico Hischier had a goal and two assists while Jacob Markstrom only had to make 12 saves for the shutout. Tristan Jarry stopped 25 shots for the Penguins. The Devils sit first in the Eastern Conference with 47 points, two back of the league-leading Jets.

The Vegas Golden Knights picked up their seventh win in their last eight games with a 6-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. Golden Knights captain Mark Stone had a goal and two assists as his club sits in first place in the Pacific Division with 47 points, two behind the league-leading Jets.

Nashville Predators defenseman Nick Blankenburg scored in overtime to nip the Los Angeles Kings 3-2. Predators winger Filip Forsberg had two assists while captain Roman Josi collected an assist in his return to a lineup after missing four games with a lower-body injury. Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere scored as the Kings overcame a 2-0 deficit to force OT.

Calgary Flames forwards Jonathan Huberdeau, Blake Coleman, Matt Coronato and Connor Zary each had a goal and an assist to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-4. The win pushed the Flames (39 points) into the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Blackhawks forwards Connor Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi finished the night with three points each.

The Montreal Canadiens picked up their third straight win by downing the Detroit Red Wings 5-1 to sweep their home-and-home series. Patrik Laine scored his eighth straight power-play goal while Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson each collected two assists. Joe Veleno tallied the Wings’ only goal as they dropped their third straight game.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Owen Tippett scored in overtime and collected three assists in regulation in a 5-4 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Travis Konecny had three assists and Morgan Frost tallied two goals for the Flyers to snap their three-game losing skid. Blue Jackets forward Dmitri Voronkov collected two assists.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe was offered an in-person hearing by the league’s department of player safety for boarding and elbowing Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen during Friday’s game between the two clubs.

The hearing will take place over Zoom on Sunday. Rempe could face a suspension of six games or more.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL players Sam Gagner, Josh Jooris and Matt Irwin will be part of Canada’s roster for the upcoming Spengler Cup tournament in Davos, Switzerland. Canada has won the tournament a record 16 times but hasn’t taken home the title since 2019.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Christmas holidays are the most wonderful time of the year for international tournaments with the Spengler Cup and the World Junior Championships.

MLIVE.COM: Long-time Detroit sports broadcaster John Keating announced his intention to retire at the end of the Red Wings season. He’s covered the Red Wings and MLB’s Detroit Tigers since 1997.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 20, 2024

by | Dec 20, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 20, 2024

Recaps of Thursday’s games, Rangers GM Chris Drury meets with his team to clear the air following two recent trades, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust each had four points in a 5-4 win over the Nashville Predators. Rust scored twice (including the winner in overtime) and Crosby snapped a 10-game goal drought as the Penguins (35 points) remain one point behind the Ottawa Senators for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Filip Forsberg and Brady Skjei each had two points for the Predators, who remain at the bottom of the overall standings with 25 points.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators placed captain Roman Josi on injured reserve and activated blueliner Jeremy Lauzon for this game. Josi is expected to be sidelined for at least one week.

Meanwhile, the Senators got an overtime goal by Brady Tkachuk to defeat the Calgary Flames 3-2. Goaltender Linus Ullmark turned aside 29 shots for his seventh straight win as the Senators have won five straight games. Blake Coleman and Jonathan Huberdeau scored for the Flames (37 points) as they remain one point behind the Colorado Avalanche for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

The Avalanche netted three unanswered third-period goals to double up the San Jose Sharks 4-2. Joel Kiviranta tallied the winning and insurance goals and Mackenzie Blackwood made 32 saves in his first game against his former club. Luke Kunin had two assists for the Sharks.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins kicked out 40 shots to backstop his club over the New Jersey Devils 4-2, ending the latter’s three-game win streak. Sean Monahan had two goals and an assist for the Jackets as they snapped a five-game losing skid. Luke Hughes and Timo Meier replied for the Devils, who remain in first place in the Eastern Conference with 45 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Jack Hughes fired a career-high 13 shots on Merzlikins, who robbed him of two sure goals with spectacular saves. That effort earned Hughes the praise of Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe, calling his effort “outstanding”.

Los Angeles Kings forwards Anze Kopitar and Kevin Fiala each tallied twice in a 7-3 romp over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Kings (42 points) have won eight of their last 10 games (8-1-1) and sit three points behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific Division. Tyson Foerster scored two goals and collected an assist for the slumping Flyers as they’ve dropped three straight.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers head coach John Tortorella made Cam York a healthy scratch, saying the 23-year-old defenseman has struggled in his last 12 games since returning from an upper-body injury on Nov. 23.

Speaking of the Golden Knights, William Karlsson snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period as they defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-1. Brett Howden had a goal and an assist as Vegas has won six of their last seven contests. Teddy Blueger replied for the Canucks, who’ve won two of their last seven games (2-3-2).

The Edmonton Oilers overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Boston Bruins 3-2 on an overtime goal by Mattias Ekholm. Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid scored in the third period to set the stage for Ekholm’s heroics in OT as the Oilers have won six of their last seven games and 10 of their last 13. Elias Lindholm and Mark Kastelic tallied for the Bruins, who hold the first Eastern wild-card spot with 38 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers winger Viktor Arvidsson returned to the lineup after missing 15 games with an undisclosed injury. Meanwhile, the Bruins placed forward Tyler Johnson on unconditional waivers to terminate his contract. The 34-year-old center signed a one-year contract on Nov. 3 but appeared in nine games, collecting two points.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov collected two assists to extend his points streak to nine games in a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 31 shots and Gage Goncalves tallied his first NHL goal as the Lightning won their fourth straight game. Pavel Buchnevich replied for the Blues as they’ve dropped four of their last five (1-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning played without defenseman J.J. Moser as he’ll be sidelined for eight to 10 weeks with a lower-body injury. An illness forced Blues rearguard Philip Broberg to be sidelined for this game.

The Chicago Blackhawks picked up their third straight win by downing the Seattle Kraken 3-1. Ilya Mikheyev scored twice and Nolan Allan got his first-ever NHL goal. Ryker Evans replied for the Kraken.

HEADLINES

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL holiday roster freeze is in effect from Dec.20 to 12:01 am on Dec. 28.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury addressed the entire team for the first time before their practice on Thursday. Afterward, the club engaged in a fun, energetic session that concluded with a full-team shootout game.

Following practice, Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck met with the media to deny a report claiming a recent players-only meeting was to criticize Drury. “That could not be further from the truth,” he said. “When we have closed-door meetings in here, it’s about us. It’s about what we can do.”

The Rangers have been the hot topic of speculation among pundits and fans in recent weeks following their slide in the standings and Drury’s league-wide memo last month indicating he was willing to entertain trade offers for certain players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jacob Trouba was on Drury’s list and was shipped to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 6. Winger Kaapo Kakko was traded to Seattle on Wednesday but it’s not known if he was also on that list.

The report indicated a lighthearted mood among the players during practice following their meeting with Drury. Whether this marks the moment the Rangers snap out of their funk remains to be seen.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The Islanders placed goaltender Semyon Varlamov on long-term injury reserve, potentially clearing the way for sidelined winger Anthony Duclair’s return on Saturday.

SPORTSNET: Buffalo Sabres winger Jordan Greenway will be sidelined long-term following surgery for a middle-body injury. There is no timetable for his return but head coach Lindy Ruff expects he’ll be back later this season.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings sent goaltender Ville Husso to their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. The move suggests sidelined netminder Cam Talbot will soon return to action.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Minnesota Wild placed forward Yakov Trenin (upper body) on injured reserve.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 16, 2024

by | Dec 16, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 16, 2024

John Tavares sets a Leafs record, Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov rises again in the scoring race, the Rangers and Sabres continue to slide, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: John Tavares had a natural hat trick as the Toronto Maple Leafs overcame a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 5-3, setting a franchise record as the oldest player (34 years, 86 days) to accomplish that feat. Max Domi and Nick Robertson each had a goal and an assist while rookie goaltender Dennis Hildeby stopped 24 shots for the win as the Leafs hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 40 points. Jack Quinn tallied twice for the Sabres, who’ve lost their 10th straight game (0-7-3).

Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The ongoing absence of defenseman and team captain Rasmus Dahlin is a significant reason behind the Sabres’ spiral. Head coach Lindy Ruff is shouldering the blame for his club’s woes but there’s plenty of blame to go around.

The Sabres’ front office faces growing heat for not making a trade to shake things up. However, they’re reportedly getting offers from rivals hoping to take advantage of their plight to pluck away one of their good young players.

Meanwhile, the Leafs announced goaltender Anthony Stolarz (lower body) was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 12.

The Vegas Golden Knights got two goals from Victor Olofsson in a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Jack Eichel picked up two assists for the Golden Knights as they hold first place in the Pacific Division with 43 points. Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov scored twice to reach 22 goals on the season, moving into a tie with Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl for the NHL goal-scoring lead. The loss left the Wild (43 points) one point behind the Winnipeg Jets for the lead in the Central Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild netminder Jesper Wallstedt made his season debut as Filip Gustavsson dealt with lower-body soreness. Wild coach John Hynes said Gustavsson’s injury isn’t expected to be serious.

Jordan Kyrou extended his goal streak to four games while Robert Thomas had a goal and an assist as the St. Louis Blues held off the New York Rangers 3-2. Joel Hofer turned aside 26 shots for the Blues. Rangers forwards Brett Berard and Will Cuylle scored in the third period to make it interesting but they lost for the fourth time in their last five games. With 31 points, they’re one point out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers star Artemi Panarin missed this game with an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day. Teammate Kaapo Kakko was a healthy scratch prompting rumors he could be getting traded but the New York Post’s Mollie Walker reported there was no indication a deal was in the works.

Carolina Hurricanes goalie Dustin Tokarski made 27 saves in a 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. It was Tokarski’s first NHL game since Feb. 2023. Jordan Martinook and Jordan Staal each had two points for the Hurricanes as they picked up their third win in their last eight contests. Dmitri Voronkov replied for the Blue Jackets, who are 1-5-2 in their last eight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets defenseman Jack Johnson left this game after taking a stick to the face in the first period. He’s listed as day-to-day.

Following the game, Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour received North Carolina’s highest civilian honor from Governor Roy Cooper. The Order of the Long Leaf Pine is presented to persons “who have made significant contributions to the state and their communities through exemplary service and exceptional accomplishments.”

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard broke a 3-3 tie late in the third period and Connor Murphy put the game away with an empty-net goal to beat the New York Islanders 5-3. Teuvo Teravainen had a goal and two assists and Arvid Soderblom kicked out 30 shots for the win. Ryan Pulock, Simon Holmstrom and Noah Dobson replied for the Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mathew Barzal and Adam Pelech returned to the Isles after missing several games with injuries. However, center Bo Horvat missed this contest with a lower-body injury and is day-to-day.

Blackhawks captain Nick Foligno missed this game because of illness. He isn’t expected to be sidelined for long. 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 13, 2024

by | Dec 13, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 13, 2024

A four-goal performance for Scott Laughton, a six-point game for Nikita Kucherov, and much more as we recap a busy Thursday night in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Scott Laughton tied a Philadelphia Flyers record with a four-goal performance to defeat the Detroit Red Wings 4-1. Travis Konecny collected two assists for the Flyers, who hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 32 points). Ben Chiarot replied for the Red Wings, who’ve dropped six of their last seven games (1-4-2).

Philadelphia Flyers forward Scott Laughton (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Laughton became the 17th player in Flyers history to score four times in a game and the first to do so since John LeClair in 2002-03. He also passed the 100-goal milestone.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov had a six-point performance (one goal, five assists) in an 8-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. Jake Guentzel tallied a hat trick, Anthony Cirelli had a goal and two assists, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 19 saves as he became the first Lightning goaltender to play 500 regular-season games. Jonathan Huberdeau had a goal and an assist and Nazem Kadri got his 10th of the season for the Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning captain Victor Hedman missed this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. The Bolts hold the first Eastern wild-card berth with 32 points while the Flames (33 points) sit one point behind the Colorado Avalanche for the final Western wild-card spot.

Six unanswered third-period goals powered the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Montreal Canadiens 9-2. Bryan Rust had a hat trick and picked up an assist while Rickard Rakell scored twice and collected two helpers. Nick Suzuki and Joel Armia scored for the Canadiens as they remain in last place in the Eastern Conference with 25 points.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl had a goal and three assists as his club thumped the Minnesota Wild 7-1. Connor McDavid, Evan Bouchard, Darnell Nurse and Vasily Podkolzin each had two assists for the Oilers and Calvin Pickard made 20 saves for the win. Frederick Gaudreau replied for the Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bouchard left the game late in the third period after being knocked into the goal post by a dirty hit from Wild forward Ryan Hartman. Earlier in the day, the Oilers placed defenseman Travis Dermott on waivers. Meanwhile, Wild defenseman Jake Middleton left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

The Vancouver Canucks blanked the Florida Panthers 4-0 on a 27-save shutout performance by Kevin Lankinen. J.T. Miller collected two assists as he returned to the Canucks following a leave of absence. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 15 shots for the Panthers as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks forward Teddy Blueger’s mother Jana was also a winner, taking home over $100K as she won the Canucks nightly 50-50 draw. She’s visiting from Latvia and attended last night’s game to watch her son.

San Jose Sharks rookie center Macklin Celebrini scored two goals and an assist in a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. Goaltender Alexandar Georgiev stopped 17 shots and Nikolai Kovalenko collected three assists in their Sharks debut as their new club snapped a three-game losing skid. Blues forward Jake Neighbours had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks forward Klim Kostin left the game with an undisclosed injury. Blues forward Radek Faksa missed this contest with a groin injury.

The Toronto Maple Leafs nipped the Anaheim Ducks 3-2. Max Pacioretty led the way with two goals and an assist and Joseph Woll turned aside 19 shots for the win. Jackson Lacombe had a goal and an assist for the Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Woll replaced Anthony Stolarz as he left the game after the first period with a lower-body injury. He’ll be reevaluated on Friday. Before this game, the Leafs activated defenseman Jake McCabe (upper body) from injured reserve. Meanwhile, the Ducks announced that sidelined forward Trevor Zegras will miss six weeks following knee surgery. They also activated forward Robby Fabbri (knee surgery) off injured reserve.

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes had a goal and two assists in a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings, snapping the latter’s six-game win streak. Ondrej Palat had a goal and an assist for the Devils, who sit second overall in the Eastern Conference with 41 points. Jordan Spence replied for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils scratched forward Tomas Tatar in favor of getting Kurtis MacDermid into the lineup.

Washington Capitals forward Aliaksei Protas tallied twice, including the winner in overtime, to lead his team over the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-1. Jakob Chychrun had two assists and Charlie Lindgren kicked out 32 shots as the Capitals (42 points) hold first place in the Eastern Conference. Zach Werenski scored for the Blue Jackets as they’ve dropped five of their last six.

New York Islanders forward Simon Holmstrom had a goal and two assists as his club held on for a 5-4 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Ilya Sorokin made 26 saves and Jean-Gabriel Pageau had three assists for the Islanders. Tyler Bertuzzi tallied twice and Connor Bedard had a goal and two assists for the Blackhawks, who’ve dropped seven of their last 10 contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Isles head coach Patrick Roy was fuming over his club’s performance in the final eight minutes of the third period as the Blackhawks scored three goals to make it interesting. “In my day, if my team would have done that to me, I would break a stick in that room,” said Roy. “Our goalie (Sorokin) deserved more respect than this from ourselves.”

The Nashville Predators got two goals and an assist from Ryan O’Reilly in a 4-1 victory over the Dallas Stars. Justus Annunen made 35 saves for his first win with the Predators as they snapped an eight-game winless skid (0-5-3). Stars rookie Lian Bichsel tallied his first NHL goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators played without defensemen Alexandre Carrier and Roman Josi. Carrier is week-to-week with an upper-body injury while team captain Josi (lower body) is day-to-day. Stars defenseman Matt Dumba missed this game with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Ivan Barbashev lifted the Vegas Golden Knights over the Winnipeg Jets 3-2. Victor Olofsson tied the game late in the third for Vegas while teammate Shea Theodore collected two assists. Connor Hellebuyck stopped 33 shots for the Jets, who hold first place in the Central Division with 43 points.

The Utah Hockey Club rolled to a 4-1 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Dylan Guenther had two goals and an assist and Karel Vejmelka stopped 23 shots for his club’s fifth straight road win. Nathan MacKinnon scored for the Avalanche as their three-game win streak ended. They’re clinging to the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 34 points.

Seattle Kraken forward Oliver Bjorkstrand scored twice to beat the Boston Bruins 5-1. Philipp Grubauer stopped 33 shots as the Kraken are 4-1-1 in their last six games. Bruins captain Brad Marchand scored on a penalty shot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins center Elias Lindholm left this game with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 7, 2024

by | Dec 7, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 7, 2024

The Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov regains the scoring lead, the Capitals reach a franchise record for road wins, reaction to the Rangers re-signing Igor Shesterkin and trading Jacob Trouba, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF FRIDAY’S NHL GAMES

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists to lead his club over the Anaheim Ducks 5-1, extending his points streak to five games and regaining the NHL scoring lead with 42 points. Matt Boldy also had a goal and two assists and Marco Rossi tallied twice and collected an assist as the Wild become the first team to reach 40 points this season. Brock McGinn replied for the Ducks.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks played without Jacob Trouba, who was acquired from the New York Rangers on Friday. He’s expected to be in the lineup for the Ducks’ game against the Montreal Canadiens on Dec. 9.

The Washington Capitals extended their road winning streak to a franchise-record eight games with a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Connor McMichael snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period and Nic Dowd had a goal and an assist as the Capitals (18-6-2, 38 points) move into first place in the Metropolitan Division. John Tavares scored for the Leafs (16-8-2) as they remain in first place in the Atlantic Division with 34 points.

New York Rangers forwards Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck each had three points to double up the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2, snapping the latter’s four-game win streak. Panarin scored two goals, Trocheck had two assists and Igor Shesterkin stopped 20 shots for the win. Penguins forward Philip Tomasino scored to extend his points streak to four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The win came after a hectic day for the Rangers as they traded Trouba to the Ducks and re-signed Shesterkin. More about those moves following the game recaps.

The Vancouver Canucks overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2. Pius Suter tallied twice in the third period and Brock Boeser had a goal and an assist for the Canucks, extending their points streak to four games (3-0-1). Mathieu Olivier and Damon Severson scored for the Blue Jackets, who dropped their third straight game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a milestone game for Boeser as he collected his 400th career regular-season point. Goaltender Thatcher Demko returned to the lineup in a backup role after missing the start of the season with a knee injury.

The Blue Jackets also lost defenseman Ivan Provorov to a broken thumb during this game.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone had an assist in his return to the lineup during a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars. Stone has missed 14 games with a lower-body injury. Tomas Hertl, Jack Eichel and Nicolas Roy scored for the Golden Knights. They’ve won seven of their last nine games and sit atop the Pacific Division with 39 points. Mavrik Bourque and Mason Marchment scored for the Stars.

The New Jersey Devils nipped the Seattle Kraken 3-2. Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist and Luke Hughes netted his first of the season as the Devils have won six of their last eight games. Andre Burakovsky and Shane Wright replied for the Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils had the same number of points as the Capitals (38) but the latter holds the lead in the Metro Division with three games in hand and a .731 win percentage.

HEADLINES

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers signed goaltender Igor Shesterkin to an eight-year, $92 million contract extension beginning in 2025-26. Shesterkin, 28, becomes the NHL’s highest-paid goalie with an average annual value of $11.5 million. The deal is expected to be officially announced on Saturday.

Shesterkin is in the final year of a four-year contract with an AAV of $5.666 million. He was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No one is surprised Shesterkin became the league’s highest-paid goalie. It was reported in June that was what he sought. There was an assumption he would hold out for over $12 million. However, this deal comes in closer to the eight-year, $88-million offer by the Rangers as reported by ESPN’s Kevin Weekes earlier this season.

Shesterkin wanted to remain with the Rangers and they were determined to keep him. They still see themselves as Stanley Cup contenders with Shesterkin playing a crucial role. Losing the 2022 Vezina Trophy winner to free agency would’ve been a significant setback to those plans.

Trading away Trouba and his $8 million cap hit for 2025-26 makes it easier for the Rangers to absorb Shesterkin’s hefty raise. If the cap rises as projected to $92.5 million, they’ll have over $21 million in cap space next season, enough to re-sign some key players and replace others.

NEW YORK POST/SPORTSNET: Speaking of Jacob Trouba, he was “not overly thrilled” with how things went down which led to his trade on Friday to the Ducks. “It’s a rite of passage to get fired at MSG,” he said, adding that he’s quite happy to be heading to Anaheim.

Trouba indicated management pressured him to accept a trade or be scratched. He also said he was told he would be placed on waivers, removing his ability to decide where he landed next.

The 31-year-old defenseman defended his rejection of an offseason trade for family reasons but he wasn’t happy that it became public knowledge. He admitted it affected his play this season.

Trouba reflected on his five seasons with the Rangers, saying he loved his time in New York. He pointed to the club’s two trips to the Eastern Conference Final and winning the Presidents’ Trophy during his tenure.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You can read my reaction to the Trouba trade by following this link.

Rangers winger Chris Kreider declined to comment about the trade. “Yeah, but not today,” he said when asked if he had any thoughts about the move. Kreider and Trouba were the prominent names mentioned in recent trade rumors regarding the Rangers.

Mika Zibanejad won’t be following Kreider out the door this season. The Post’s Mollie Walker reports he has not waived his no-move clause, meaning he won’t be going anywhere for the time being.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trade chatter about Kreider and Zibanejad will continue to swirl if the Rangers don’t improve following the Trouba move.

Like Trouba, Kreider has a 15-team no-trade list this season. He’s signed through 2026-27 with an AAV of $6.5 million.

Zibanejad would be more difficult to move given his NMC and his $8.5 million AAV through 2029-30. Nevertheless, Drury could find a creative way around that but it might have to be an offseason move when teams have more cap space to work with.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Ducks GM Pat Verbeek said the Trouba trade went down quickly. He indicated he was seeking a right-side defenseman with a right-hand shot. Verbeek believes this move also brings a more physical edge and leadership to his blueline, adding that they’re excited about Trouba joining them.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see if Trouba regains the intensity he lost during his final weeks with the Rangers.

TSN: Buffalo Sabres GM Kevyn Adams explained his team is not a destination for unrestricted free agents. He cited the higher taxes in Buffalo and the lack of a warm-weather climate. Adams believes there are better ways of building a sustainable winner than adding UFAs who are key players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Adams’ remarks didn’t sit well with some members of the Buffalo media.

The Buffalo News’ Mike Harrington agrees with Adams about signing UFAs but believes the Sabres GM should do more in the trade market to help his struggling team. He points out that Adams’ core of young players is failing and he overpaid Mattias Samuelsson, Dylan Cozens and Owen Power.

Harrington points out Adams is now in his fifth season as Sabres GM but the club remains far from ending its long playoff drought. “His clock is ticking and everyone’s patience here is just about gone.”

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Carolina Hurricanes put forward Brendan Lemieux on unconditional waivers for the purpose of contract termination. GM Eric Tulsky said the move was made at Lemieux’s request.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 5, 2024

by | Dec 5, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 5, 2024

Recaps of Wednesday’s games, the rosters for the 4 Nations Face-Off are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews scored two third-period goals to lead his club to a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. William Nylander scored what proved to be the winning goal and Mitch Marner collected three assists. Jonathan Marchessault and Mark Jankowski scored for the Predators, who are winless in five straight games (0-2-3).

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Tennessean’s Alex Daugherty indicates the Predators are on pace for their worst season in franchise history. “Winning” the offseason by signing three of the summer’s top unrestricted free agents (Marchessault, Steven Stamkos and Brady Skjei) hasn’t translated into wins on the ice thus far.

The Boston Bruins got two goals each from Brad Marchand and Morgan Geekie to double up the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2. David Pastrnak collected two assists for the Bruins as they extended their win streak to three games. Alex Vlasic and Jason Dickinson replied for the Blackhawks, who’ve dropped four straight.

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore tallied twice in a 4-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Jack Eichel, Tomas Hertl and Victor Olofsson each collected two assists. Jackson LaCombe scored the Ducks’ only goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks forward Trevor Zegras left the game early in the second period after injuring his left leg. He had surgery on his left ankle after breaking it in Nashville last year. Zegras will undergo further tests today.

Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler returned to action after missing a month with an upper-body injury. Before the game, they placed blueliner Urho Vaakanainen (upper body) was placed on injured reserve.

The Los Angeles Kings erased a 2-0 deficit to nip the Dallas Stars 3-2. Warren Foegele tallied the winning goal and also collected an assist on Tanner Jeannot’s goal which started the comeback. Joel Edmundson also scored and David Rittich stopped 26 shots for the Kings’ fourth straight victory. Wyatt Johnston and Mason Marchment scored for the Stars as their three-game win streak was ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Stars announced Tyler Seguin will undergo surgery on his left hip this week and will be sidelined for four to six months. The 32-year-old forward had 20 points in 19 games this season.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The rosters for the 4 Nations Face-Off were announced on Wednesday. The tournament will be held Feb. 12-20 at the Bell Centre in Montreal and TD Garden in Boston.

Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon, Sidney Crosby and Cale Makar headline the roster for Team Canada.

Team USA features brothers Brady and Matthew Tkachuk and Jack and Quinn Hughes.

William Nylander, Filip Forsberg and Victor Hedman are among the notable stars skating for Team Sweden.

Team Finland will be led by Aleksander Barkov, Mikko Rantanen and Sebastian Aho.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the links above for the full rosters of each club.

Team USA must be considered the favorite to win this tournament. Deep at every position, they will be the dominant club in this series.

Canada has plenty of offensive punch but their goaltending is the weakest among the four teams and their blueline isn’t as deep as the Americans.

The Swedes have solid defensive depth and good goaltending but lack the firepower of the Americans and Canadians.

Finland is strong at the center position and could steal some games if goaltender Juuse Saros rises to the occasion. However, they lack the overall depth of the other three clubs.

As always, predictions are for gypsies and this tournament could have a much different outcome. Nevertheless, I anticipate the Americans will emerge victorious.

TSN: The Minnesota Wild announced defenseman Jonas Brodin (upper-body injury), center Joel Eriksson Ek (lower body) and winger Mats Zuccarello (lower body) are listed as week-to-week. Forward Jakub Lauko (lower body) is day-to-day.

CALGARY SUN: Flames forward Justin Kirkland underwent season-ending knee surgery on Wednesday.

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Hockey Club prospect Tij Iginla underwent successful hip surgery but will miss the remainder of the WHL season. A center with the Kelowna Rockets, the 18-year-old Iginla was chosen sixth overall by Utah in the 2024 NHL Draft. He has 32 points in 21 games this season.

TSN: Discussions between the NHL and NHL Players’ Association over a new collective bargaining agreement will begin in February 2025. The current CBA expires in September 2026.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The league and the PA have a contentious history in CBA talks. However, there’s a different vibe this time with hockey-related revenues growing and no serious issues derailing negotiations. It’s a positive sign that they’re opening talks so early, setting up the possibility of an agreement on a new CBA before the expiration of the current one.