NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 3, 2023

by | Nov 3, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 3, 2023

The Canucks’ Quinn Hughes ties a franchise single-game points record for defensemen, the Devils’ Jack Hughes remains atop the scoring race and the Golden Knights extend their season-opening points streak. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes had a goal and four assists in a 10-1 drubbing of the toothless San Jose Sharks. Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser each had three points and Anthony Beauvillier tallied twice for the 7-2-1 Canucks. Fabian Zetterlund scored the only goal for the Sharks as they remain at the bottom of the overall standings with a record of 0-9-1.

Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes’ five points tied a franchise record for defensemen. He leads all NHL blueliners with 16 points. The Sharks, meanwhile, suffered their worst home defeat in franchise history. They’ve got just 10 goals in as many games with just one multi-goal game. They have also been shut out twice during that stretch.

Meanwhile, Quinn’s brother Jack collected two assists to maintain his lead in the NHL scoring race (20 points) as his club tamed the Minnesota Wild by a score of 5-3. Jesper Bratt had a goal and three assists as the Devils improved to 6-2-1. Wild forwards Marco Rossi and Matt Boldy each had two points as their club dropped to 3-5-2.

The Vegas Golden Knights extended their season-opening points streak to 11 games by beating the Winnipeg Jets 5-2. Jonathan Marchessault scored a hat trick while Logan Thompson stopped 29 shots as the Golden Knights (10-0-1) have a league-leading 21 points. Kyle Connor and Alex Iafallo each had a goal and an assist for the 4-4-2 Jets.

Shootout goals by Jake DeBrusk and Charlie Coyle gave the Boston Bruins a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs to extend their points streak to 10 games (9-0-1) as they lead the Eastern Conference with 19 points. Pavel Zacha and DeBrusk scored in regulation while Mitch Marner and Auston Matthews replied for the 5-3-2 Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren left this game with a lower-body injury suffered late in the first period. Meanwhile, the Bruins were short three regular defensemen with Charlie McAvoy serving a four-game suspension (now under appeal) while Matt Grzelcyk and Derek Forbort are sidelined by injuries.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin collected an assist to extend his points streak to 10 games in a 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Rookie Will Cuylle broke a 1-1 tie and Chris Kreider also scored as the Rangers (8-2-0) lead the Metropolitan Division with 16 points. Seth Jarvis replied for the 6-5-0 Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly victory for the Rangers as Adam Fox and Filip Chytil left the game with injuries. Both will be reevaluated on Friday.

The Los Angeles Kings remain unbeaten on the road (5-0-0) as they held off the Ottawa Senators 3-2. Adrian Kempe collected two assists while Cam Talbot made 24 saves against his former club as the Kings sit at 6-2-2. Former Kings goalie Joonas Korpisalo stopped 35 shots while Dominik Kubalik and Josh Norris scored for the 4-5-0 Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators forwards Ridly Grieg and Mark Kastelic could be sidelined for the next several games as they both left this contest with lower-body injuries.

Arizona Coyotes forward Nick Schmaltz tallied twice, including the game-winning goal, to nip the Montreal Canadiens 3-2. Connor Ingram turned aside 28 shots as the Coyotes improved to 5-4-1. Brendan Gallagher had a goal and an assist while Sean Monahan netted his team-leading sixth goal for the 5-3-2 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens winger Rafael Harvey-Pinard left this game in the second period with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, sidelined Coyotes winger Jason Zucker is expected to return to action on Nov. 11. He’s been out since Oct. 21 with a lower-body injury.

The Dallas Stars held on for a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Roope Hintz had two goals and an assist, Joe Pavelski netted a goal and two assists while Scott Wedgewood kicked out 46 shots as the Stars (7-1-1) sit atop the Central Division with 15 points. Sam Gagner scored two goals in his first game with the Oilers this season but their record slipped to 2-6-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers forward Connor Brown left this contest in the second period with a lower-body injury.

Third-period goals by Boone Jenner, Erik Gudbranson and Johnny Gaudreau lifted the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. Elvis Merzlikins turned aside 27 shots as the Blue Jackets (4-4-2) snapped a four-game winless skid. Steven Stamkos and Conor Sheary tallied for the Lightning (4-3-3).

The New York Islanders got a 32-save shutout performance from Semyon Varlamov in a 3-0 blanking of the Washington Capitals. Ryan Pulock, Simon Holmstrom and Brock Nelson were the goal scorers as the Islanders boosted their record to 5-2-2. Darcy Kuemper made 18 saves for the 4-4-1 Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield returned to the lineup after missing seven games with an injured leg. However, Adam Pelech left the game in the first period holding his side and didn’t return.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 22 saves to shut out the Detroit Red Wings 2-0. Steven Lorentz and Anton Lundell scored for the Panthers (5-3-1) while James Reimer stopped 25 shots for the 6-4-1 Red Wings.

The Seattle Kraken doubled up the Nashville Predators 4-2. Jared McCann and Justin Schultz each had two points for the 4-5-2 Kraken while Tommy Novak and Roman Josi replied for the 4-6-0 Predators.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 31, 2023

by | Oct 31, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 31, 2023

Recaps of Monday’s games, the three stars of the week are revealed, calls for neck guards to be mandated following the death of former NHL player Adam Johnson, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish scored the tying and winning goals (the latter shorthanded) in a 4-3 upset of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Anaheim goaltender Lukas Dostal turned aside 33 shots replacing John Gibson when the latter left following the first period with an upper-body injury. Evgeni Malkin and Erik Karlsson each had a goal and an assist for the 3-6-0 Penguins while the Ducks improved to 5-4-0.

Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins honored former teammate Adam Johnson in a pregame ceremony that also included the Ducks players. The former NHL forward died on Saturday when his neck was accidentally sliced by a skate blade during an EIHL game on Saturday in Sheffield, England. The incident is currently under police investigation.

The Vegas Golden Knights extended their season-opening points streak to 10 games (9-0-1) by nipping the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on Shea Theodore’s shootout goal. Paul Cotter and William Carrier scored in regulation while Adin Hill stopped 37 shots for the Golden Knights. Sean Monahan and Nick Suzuki replied for the 5-2-2 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A solid effort by the Canadiens as they threw a scare into the defending Stanley Cup champions. However, they were stymied by the Golden Knights’ solid penalty kill, going 0-4 with the man advantage.

The Boston Bruins extended their season-opening points streak to nine games (8-0-1) by overcoming a 2-0 deficit to beat the Florida Panthers 3-2. Pavel Zacha tallied the winner in overtime and Linus Ullmark kicked out 35 shots for the win. Aleksander Barkov and Sam Reinhart each had a goal and an assist for the 4-3-1 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers forward Sam Bennett made his season debut after suffering a lower-body injury in preseason but left this game with an injured left ankle. Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy received a match penalty for an illegal hit to the head of Panthers blueliner Oliver Ekman-Larsson.

Chicago Blackhawks rookie Conor Bedard opened the scoring but his club fell 8-1 to the Arizona Coyotes. Michael Carcone tallied a hat trick and collected an assist, Jack McBain scored twice and added two assists and Alex Kerfoot had three helpers for the 4-4-0 Coyotes. The Blackhawks’ record fell to 3-6-0.

The New York Rangers (7-2-0) defeated the Winnipeg Jets 3-2 as Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists while Mika Zibanejad tallied the winner in overtime. David Gustafsson and Nikolaj Ehlers replied for the 4-3-2 Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers winger and former Jets captain Blake Wheeler was held scoreless in his first game against his old club in Winnipeg. He’s yet to dent the scoresheet for the Blueshirts this season.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Teuvo Teravainen snapped a 2-2 tie to lift his club over the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. Stefan Noesen and Michael Bunting each had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes as they improved to 6-4-0. Owen Tippett and Garnet Hathaway replied for the 4-4-1 Flyers.

The Detroit Red Wings snapped a three-game losing skid with a 4-3 victory over the New York Islanders on Lucas Raymond’s overtime goal. Raymond, J.T. Compher and Jake Walman each had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings as they rose to 6-3-1. Bo Horvat had a goal and an assist for the 4-2-2 Islanders.

An overtime goal by Jared McCann gave the Seattle Kraken a 4-3 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. McCann and Kailer Yamamoto each had a goal and an assist while Philipp Grubauer made 34 saves for the 3-5-2 Kraken. Tanner Jeannot, Alex Barre-Boulet and Brandon Hagel each had a goal and an assist as the Lightning dropped to 4-2-3.

The Dallas Stars improved their record to 5-1-1 by dropping the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-3. Matt Duchene tallied his first of the season with the Stars while teammates Jamie Benn, Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Wyatt Johnston and Evgenii Dadonov each collected two points. Dmitri Voronkov tallied his first NHL goal for the 3-4-2 Blue Jackets.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: New Jersey Devils winger Tyler Toffoli, Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Jonas Johansson and Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Oct. 29, 2023.

TSN: Toronto Maple Leafs assistant general manager and four-time women’s Olympic hockey gold medalist Hayley Wickenheiser is calling for mandatory neck protection at every level of hockey in the wake of former NHL forward Adam Johnson’s tragic death.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Protective neck gear is mandatory in most minor hockey and junior/college leagues. There’s also been an increase in players wearing socks and wrist coverings that protect against skate cuts at every level.

Wickensheiser isn’t the only executive on an NHL team calling for this change. Boston Bruins team president Cam Neely believes it’s time for the league and the NHL Players Association to reevaluate neck safety on the ice.

Meanwhile, Washington Capitals forward and Warroad protective gear founder T.J. Oshie saw his brand’s base layer protective shirts sell out in recent days. The built-in neck collar on the shirts, which was introduced in September, is made from Kevlar.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Danton Heinen’s patience has been rewarded with a one-year, $775K contract with the Bruins. He’d signed a professional tryout agreement with the club on Sept. 5 and continued to practice with the club once the regular season was underway.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators placed forward Cody Glass on injured reserve.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 29, 2023

by | Oct 29, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 29, 2023

Recaps of Saturday’s game, Joe Thornton and Tomas Plekanec announce their retirements, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak scored two goals and added an assist in a 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Charlie McAvoy tallied his first goal of the season as the Bruins lead the Eastern Conference with a record of 7-0-1 (15 points). Joe Veleno replied for the Red Wings (5-3-1), who are 0-2-1 in their last three contests and were outscored 8-2 in their last two games.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

The Vegas Golden Knights extended their season-opening points streak to nine games by nipping the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 in a shootout with Jack Eichel netting the winning goal. Logan Thompson stopped 36 shots as the Golden Knights extended their league-leading record to 8-0-1 (17 points). Drew Doughty scored his fourth goal of the season for the Kings (4-2-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Golden Knights announced they moved Nicolas Roy on injured reserve.

An overtime goal by K’Andre Miller lifted the New York Rangers over the Vancouver Canucks 4-3. Mika Zibanejad had a goal and two assists while Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox each had a goal and an assist as the Rangers lead the Metropolitan Division with a record of 6-2-0. J.T. Miller potted his fourth goal of the season and Filip Hronek collected two assists for the 5-2-1 Canucks.

The Nashville Predators upset the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2 on an overtime goal by Roman Josi. Ryan O’Reilly scored twice against his former club while Juuse Saros stopped 33 shots for the 4-4-0 Predators. William Nylander scored his sixth goal of the season for the 5-2-1 Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said sidelined defenseman Jake McCabe (groin injury) won’t be sidelined for as long as originally feared. He believes McCabe should be back “before too long.”

A shootout goal by Nick Suzuki gave the Montreal Canadiens a 4-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Jake Allen kicked out 42 shots while Kaiden Guhle had two assists as the Canadiens overcame a 3-1 deficit to improve their record to 5-2-1. Adam Lowry netted two goals for the 4-3-1 Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Canadiens as defenseman Mike Matheson suffered a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk tallied twice in a 5-2 win against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Joonas Korpisalo turned aside 40 shots while Claude Giroux and Tim Stutzle each collected two assists as the Senators rose to 4-4-0. Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel each scored for the Penguins as they dropped to 3-5-0 and sit last in the Metro Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins continued to struggle with the man advantage and have the third-lowest power-play percentage (10%) in the league. That’s a troubling stat for a club with experienced scorers like Crosby, Guentzel, Evgeni Malkin, Erik Karlsson and Reilly Smith.

The Anaheim Ducks dropped the Philadelphia Flyers 7-4. Frank Vatrano had a hat trick while Ryan Strome had a goal and two assists for the 4-4-0 Ducks. Travis Konecny tallied twice for the 4-3-1 Flyers.

New York Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov made 35 saves in a 2-0 shutout of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Kyle Palmieri and Matt Martin scored for the Islanders (4-2-1) while Spencer Martin stopped 31 shots for the 3-3-1 Blue Jackets.

The Florida Panthers overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Seattle Kraken 3-2 on a third-period goal by Nick Cousins. Sergei Bobrovsky made 30 saves for the win as the Panthers improved to 4-3-0. Joey Daccord made 35 stops for the 2-5-2 Kraken.

HEADLINES

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Joe Thornton officially announced his retirement on Saturday. He hadn’t played since the 2021-22 season with the Florida Panthers.

In his 24 seasons (1997-98 to 2021-22) with the Boston Bruins, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs and the Panthers, Thornton amassed 1,109 regular-season assists to sit seventh on the all-time list in that category. He’s also sixth all-time in games played (1,714) and 12th in points with 1,539. Thornton scored 430 career regular-season goals and had 32 goals and 102 assists for 134 points in 187 playoff contests.

Thornton’s best seasons were the 15 he spent with the Sharks, winning the Art Ross Trophy (125 points) and the Hart Trophy in 2005-06. He was named to the First All-Star Team that season and to the Second All-Star Team in 2002-03 (with the Bruins), 2007-08 and 2015-16.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Thornton was among the greatest playmakers in NHL history. In my opinion, he’s perhaps the greatest player in Sharks history, holding the single-season record for assists (92) and points (114) and the franchise record for career assists with 804. He’s also second in total points (1,055) and third in games played with 1,104.

Thornton was the driving force that turned the Sharks into a regular-season powerhouse from 2007-08 to 2010-11. During that period, they finished atop the Pacific Division four straight times, were first overall in the Western Conference twice and second overall twice, winning the Presidents’ Trophy in 2008-09 with a franchise-record 117 points. He also helped them reach the Stanley Cup Final in 2016.

While a Stanley Cup title eluded Thornton, he was a winner on the international stage for Canada, taking home gold at the 1997 World Juniors and the 2010 Winter Olympics as well as the World Cup of Hockey in 2004 and 2016.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former Montreal Canadiens center Tomas Plekanec also announced the end of his playing career yesterday. Apart from 17 games with the Toronto Maple Leafs, he played the rest of his 1,001 career NHL games with the Canadiens from 2003-04 to 2018-19, sitting seventh on the franchise’s all-time list of games played with 984. He finished with 233 goals and 375 assists for 608 career regular-season points as well as 53 points in 94 career playoff games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Plekanec was a fan favorite in Montreal for his two-way skills. He’s played in Czechi since 2018-19, spending the past three seasons with the Kladno Knights, where he skated with Jaromir Jagr.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils captain Nico Hischier will miss Sunday’s game against the Minnesota Wild with an upper-body injury.

NHL.COM: Speaking of Hischier, Buffalo Sabres defenseman Connor Clifton received a two-game suspension for an illegal hit to the head of the Devils captain on Friday.

WGR 550: And speaking of the Sabres, goaltender Eric Comrie is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury. With Devon Levi still on the mend, the Sabres have called up Devin Cooley to back up Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

THE ATHLETIC: Canada Post issued a stamp to commemorate Willie O’Ree becoming the first player to break the NHL’s color barrier in 1958.

NEW YORK POST: Former NHL player Adam Johnson died on Saturday following a freak accident while playing with the EIHL’s Nottingham Panthers when his neck was cut by a skate blade. He was 29 years old. Johnson played 13 games with the Penguins from 2018-19 to 2019-20.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Johnson’s family, friends and teammates.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 25, 2023

by | Oct 25, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 25, 2023

Recapping the “Frozen Frenzy” of Tuesday’s 16 games involving all 32 teams in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Washington Capitals 4-1. Toronto goaltender Joseph Woll made 36 saves while Auston Matthews and Morgan Rielly each had a goal and an assist as the Leafs improved to 4-2-0. Alex Ovechkin replied for the 1-3-1 Capitals, scoring his first of the season and becoming the first NHL player to tally 300 career power-play goals.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson scored twice and collected an assist in a 6-4 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Jeff Skinner also netted two goals for the 3-4-0 Sabres. Senators goalie Anton Forsberg got the hook after giving up five goals on 18 shots as his club slipped to 3-3-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators honored Craig Anderson with a pregame ceremony. Anderson, 42, announced his retirement after 20 NHL seasons, half of those with the Senators. He signed a one-day contract with the Sens on Tuesday to officially end his playing career with them. He spent his final two seasons with the Sabres and will be working with them as a hockey liaison.

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Jonas Johansson turned in a 32-save shutout to blank the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0. Brayden Point, Alex Barre-Boulet and Nick Paul were the goalscorers for the Lightning (3-2-2). Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 20 shots for the Hurricanes as they fell to 3-4-0.

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes (NHL Images).

The New Jersey Devils (3-1-1) got a hat trick from Tyler Toffoli and Jack Hughes collected four assists in a 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens (3-2-1). Defensemen Justin Barron and Mike Matheson scored for the Canadiens as Cayden Primeau made 29 saves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes leads all NHL scorers with 10 assists and 14 points. Meanwhile, lousy special team play and costly turnovers cost the Canadiens in this contest. The Habs’ bad injury luck continues as they learned earlier in the day that defenseman David Savard will be sidelined for six to eight weeks with a fractured left hand.

Dallas Stars netminder Jake Oettinger kicked out 38 shots to down the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1, dropping the latter’s record to 2-4-0. Jason Robertson and Thomas Harley each had a goal and an assist as the Stars remained unbeaten in regulation (4-0-1). Bryan Rust scored for the Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins defenseman John Ludvig’s NHL debut was short-lived as he was knocked out after initiating a big hit on Stars forward Radek Faksa. Ludvig struck the ice face-first following the hit and had to be helped off the ice by his teammates. An update on his condition is expected at a later time.

Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart extended his goal streak to five games in a 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Matthew Tkachuk collected two assists and Anthony Stolarz stopped 27 shots for the 3-3-0 Panthers. Fabian Zetterlund replied for the Sharks, who are still seeking their first win after dropping to 0-5-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: An illness sidelined Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov from this contest.

The Colorado Avalanche set an NHL record with their 15th consecutive road win stretching back to last season as they downed the New York Islanders 7-4. Mikko Rantanen had a goal and three assists, Cale Makar a goal and two assists and Ryan Johansen two goals for the 6-0-0 Avalanche. Noah Dobson, Cal Clutterbuck and Jean-Gabriel Pageau each had two points for the 2-2-1 Islanders.

An overtime goal by Jordan Eberle lifted the Seattle Kraken to a 5-4 win over the Detroit Red Wings, snapping the latter’s five-game winning streak. Jaden Schwartz scored two goals for the Kraken (2-4-1) while Dylan Larkin and Shayne Gostisbehere each had a goal and two assists and Alex DeBrincat tallied his league-leading ninth goal of the season for the 5-1-1 Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings defenseman Jeff Petry missed this game with an undisclosed injury and is listed as day-to-day.

The Anaheim Ducks nipped the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2 on an overtime goal by Frank Vatrano. Lukas Dostal stopped 35 shots for the Ducks as they moved to 2-4-0 on the season. Rookie Adam Fantilli had a goal and an assist for the 3-2-1 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks rookie center Leo Carlsson sat out his second straight game as part of a series of pre-planned healthy scratches designed to manage his workload as he transitions into the NHL.

Boston Bruins netminder Jeremy Swayman stopped 23 shots to shut out the Chicago Blackhawks 3-0. Pavel Zacha, Matthew Poitras and Trent Frederic were the goal scorers as the Bruins remain undefeated at 6-0-0, matching their best start to their season in their history. Petr Mrazek made 40 saves for the 2-5-0 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins seem to be adjusting rather well through the early going to the offseason retirements of centers Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci.

During this game, Boston winger Jakub Lauko left the game in the third period when he was accidentally struck in the face near his left eye by a skate. Following the game, Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said Lauko’s eye was ok but he needed stitches near the side of his eyeball. Meanwhile, Bruins winger Milan Lucic missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury.

The Winnipeg Jets doubled up the St. Louis Blues 4-2. David Gustafsson and Mason Appleton got things rolling for the Jets (3-3-0) with two goals in 18 seconds in the second period. Pavel Buchnevich returned from injury with a goal and an assist for the 2-2-1 Blues.

Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman tallied a hat trick and two assists in a 7-4 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Kirill Kaprizov and Jake Middleton each collected three assists as the Wild improved to 3-2-1. Warren Foegele scored twice and Evan Bouchard had a goal and two assists for the 1-4-1 Oilers as they’ll be without captain Connor McDavid (lower-body injury) for one to two weeks.

Second-period goals by Phillip Di Giuseppe and Nils Hoglander enabled the Vancouver Canucks to hold off the Nashville Predators by a score of 3-2. Ilya Mikheyev also scored for the Canucks as they improved to 4-2-0. Colton Sissons and Kiefer Sherwood replied for the 3-4-0 Predators.

The New York Rangers improved to 4-2-0 in a 3-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. Erik Gustafsson had a goal and an assist while Igor Shesterkin made 24 saves for the win. Blake Coleman replied for the Flames as they fell to 2-4-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the NHL announced that league commissioner Gary Bettman upheld the four-game suspension for Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson for elbowing Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine in the head last week. The Flames got more bad news as forward Adam Ruzicka left the game following a hit from Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey. An update on his condition has yet to be released.

Los Angeles Kings forwards Kevin Fiala, Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe and Blake Lizotte each had a goal and an assist to beat the Arizona Coyotes 6-3. Clayton Keller, Nick Bjugstad and Jack McBain replied for the Coyotes. The Kings rose to 3-2-1 on the season while the Coyotes dropped to 3-3-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the NHL announced it was backtracking on its ban on players using Pride Tape, stating that they now have the option to support social causes with their stick tape throughout the season. The decision came after Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott defied the ban in a recent game with several strands of Pride Tape on his stick.

The Vegas Golden Knights continued their historic start as they nipped the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 to extend their season-opening win streak to seven games (7-0-0). Jack Eichel had two assists, Shea Theodore scored the winner in the dying seconds of regulation and Logan Thompson turned aside 26 shots. Noah Cates and Cam Atkinson scored for the 3-2-1 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights hold the longest season-opening win streak by a defending Stanley Cup champion.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 22, 2023

by | Oct 22, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 22, 2023

The Golden Knights set an NHL record, Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard reached a milestone, Oilers captain Connor McDavid suffered an injury and Kings captain Anze Kopitar set a franchise record. Details on these and other stories in the NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights became the first defending Stanley Cup champion to start a season with a 6-0-0 record in a 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago rookie Connor Bedard opened the scoring with his first NHL goal on home ice but the Golden Knights put the game out of reach with third-period goals by Nicolas Roy, Mark Stone and Paul Cotter. The loss dropped the Blackhawks to 2-4-0.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

An overtime goal by Mark Scheifele capped a three-goal rally in a 3-2 win by the Winnipeg Jets (2-3-0) over the Edmonton Oilers. However, their win was overshadowed by an injury to Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who missed the final minutes of regulation and the overtime period. McDavid appeared to injure his hip in the first period after getting entangled with Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The loss dropped the Oilers’ record to 1-3-1. We should get more details about McDavid’s condition on Sunday. With the Oilers stumbling from the gate, losing their best player for any significant period could be a significant blow.

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand scored two goals and added an assist to double up the Los Angeles Kings 4-2. Bruins winger David Pastrnak tallied his fifth goal of the season while Jeremy Swayman got the win with a 32-save performance as the Bruins improved to 4-0-0. Kings captain Anze Kopitar set a franchise record by skating in his 1, 297th game as his club’s record dropped to 2-2-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk was a healthy scratch from this game as he was late for a team meeting.

The Colorado Avalanche are 5-0-0 after beating the Carolina Hurricanes 6-4. Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen had a goal and three assists while Logan O’Connor scored a shorthanded goal for the third straight game. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jaccob Slavin each had a goal and an assist for the 3-3-0 Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The injury-depleted Hurricanes lost another player as Brett Pesce missed this game with a lower-body injury. He joins center Sebastian Aho and goaltender Frederik Andersen on the sidelines.

The Detroit Red Wings downed the Ottawa Senators 5-2. Dylan Larkin had a goal and two assists, Joe Veleno tallied twice and Ville Husso made 35 saves as the Wings improved to 4-1-0. Jake Sanderson and Ridly Greig replied for the 3-2-0 Senators, who managed to hold Alex DeBrincat scoreless in his first game in Ottawa since being traded to Detroit in July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators fans gave DeBrincat a “warm” welcome by booing him every time he touched the puck. Nevertheless, the Wings’ convincing victory gave him the last laugh.

Arizona Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka stopped 32 shots in a 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Jason Zucker and Clayton Keller scored for the Coyotes (3-2-0) while Frank Vatrano tallied for the 1-3-0 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zucker left this game with a lower-body injury while teammate Michael Carcone suffered an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott became the first NHL player to defy the league’s ban on using Pride Tape, sporting a few strands of the rainbow-colored tape near the top of his stick.

The Buffalo Sabres defeated the New York Islanders 3-1. Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist while Casey Mittelstadt collected two assists as the Sabres moved to 2-3-0. Semyon Varlamov made 40 saves and Noah Dobson scored for the 2-1-1 Islanders.

Third-period goals by Andrei Kuzmenko and Brock Boeser gave the Vancouver Canucks a 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers. Kuzmenko and Elias Pettersson each had a goal and an assist, Ilya Mikheyev collected an assist in his first game since his knee surgery in January, and Casey DeSmith kicked out 34 shots for the 3-2-0 Canucks. Sam Reinhart scored two goals for the 2-3-0 Panthers.

An overtime goal by Cole Caufield lifted the Montreal Canadiens over the Washington Capitals 3-2. The Canadiens (2-1-1) led 2-0 on goals by Sean Monahan and Brendan Gallagher but Capitals forward Dylan Strome netted two goals to force the extra frame. Jake Allen got the win with a 31-save performance while the Capitals sank to 1-2-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin remains stalled at 822 career goals four games into his season as he’s yet to find the back of the net.

The Toronto Maple Leafs (3-2-0) overcame a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 on an overtime goal by John Tavares. Matthew Knies scored twice and collected an assist while Joseph Woll made 29 saves for the win after Ilya Samsonov got the hook when he gave up three goals on four shots. Nikita Kucherov also scored twice and collected an assist while Jonas Johansson stopped 48 shots as the Lightning dropped to 2-2-2.

Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski scored in overtime to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4. The Flyers overcame a 4-2 deficit to force the extra frame. Stars forward Wyatt Johnston had a goal and two assists as his club improved to 3-0-1. Travis Konecny scored twice for the 3-1-1 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers defenseman Marc Staal is expected to miss four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury after being placed on injured reserve on Friday. He was sidelined during Thursday’s win over the Edmonton Oilers.

An overtime goal by Jack Roslovic lifted the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 5-4 win over the Minnesota Wild. Blue Jackets rookie Adam Fantilli netted his first career NHL goal while his club improved to 3-2-0. Filip Gustavsson made 49 stops for the 2-2-1 Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Blue Jackets announced that center Patrik Laine is day-to-day after being elbowed in the head on Friday by Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson, who received a four-game suspension for the incident. Earlier in the day, the Blue Jackets lost forward Liam Foudy as he was plucked off the waiver wire by the Nashville Predators.

Speaking of the Predators, they got two goals from Tommy Novak to down the San Jose Sharks 5-1. Juuse Saros stopped 31 shots to backstop his club to a 3-3-0 record. Tomas Hertl replied for the 0-4-1 Sharks.

A two-goal performance by Brandon Saad gave the St. Louis Blues a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jordan Binnington got the win with 31 saves as the Blues improved to 2-1-1. Evgeni Malkin scored to extend his goal streak to four games but his Penguins dropped to 2-3-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The second period has been death for the Penguins in their last three games as they’ve been outscored 6-0 in that frame.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin scored twice in a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Filip Chytil collected three assists as the Rangers moved to 3-2-0 on the season. Justin Schultz tallied for the Kraken as they sank to 1-4-1.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 20, 2023

by | Oct 20, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 20, 2023

Recaps of Thursday’s games plus the latest on Patrik Laine, Kaiden Guhle, Craig Anderson and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Calgary Flames nipped the Buffalo Sabres 4-3. Adam Ruzicka snapped a 3-3 tie in the third period while Dan Vladar stopped 24 shots for the win as the Flames improved to 2-1-1. Rasmus Dahlin and Dylan Cozens each collected two assists for the Sabres, who drop to 1-3-0 to start the season.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 29 saves in a 3-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sam Reinhart had a goal and an assist for the 2-2-0 Panthers. Mitch Marner scored for the 2-2-0 Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs winger Tyler Bertuzzi was bumped down to the third line to begin the second period as he’s playing through an injury.

The Nashville Predators defeated the New York Rangers 4-1. Cole Smith tallied twice, Filip Forsberg and Tyson Barrie each had two points and Juuse Saros turned aside 24 shots for the Predators (2-3-0). Adam Fox replied for the Rangers (2-2-0) while goalie Igor Shesterkin got the hook after giving up four goals in 18 shots.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

Nikita Kucherov scored two goals as the Tampa Bay Lightning improved to 2-2-1 by holding off the Vancouver Canucks 4-3. Lightning captain Steven Stamkos picked up an assist as he returned to action after missing the last two games with a lower-body injury. J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson each had two points for the 2-2-0 Canucks.

The Philadelphia Flyers got two goals from Cam Atkinson in a 4-1 upset of the Edmonton Oilers, dropping the latter to 1-3-0. Sean Couturier and Owen Tippett each had two assists while Carter Hart made 22 saves for the 3-1-0 Flyers, who sit atop the Metropolitan Division. Zach Hyman scored for the Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers were outworked and outhustled by the Flyers in this game. It’s still very early in the season and the Oilers have plenty of time to recover from this poor start. For now, though, they look nothing like the Stanley Cup contender they were projected to be this season.

Los Angeles Kings center Pierre-Luc Dubois scored two goals in 12 seconds in the second period to lead his club over the Minnesota Wild 7-3. Adrian Kempe and Kevin Fiala each had two points for the Kings as they improved to 2-1-1. Connor Dewar, Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek replied for the Wild as they dropped to 2-2-0.

The Arizona Coyotes got power-play goals by Nick Bjugstad, Jason Zucker and Sean Durzi in a 6-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Durzi, Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz each had a goal and an assist for the 2-2-0 Coyotes. Jakub Vrana and Sammy Blais scored for the 1-1-1 Blues.

A third-period power-play goal by Jack Eichel broke a 3-3 tie as the Vegas Golden Knights downed the Winnipeg Jets 5-3. Logan Thompson made 36 saves while Shea Theodore collected three assists for the 5-0-0 Golden Knights. Alex Iafallo netted two goals for the 1-3-0 Jets, who scratched defenseman Nate Schmidt from this contest.

Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen broke a 2-2 tie to lift his club to a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks (1-2-0). Heiskanen finished the night with a goal and two assists while teammate Joe Pavelski had a goal and an assist as the Stars improved to 2-0-1. Ducks rookie Leo Carlsson netted his first NHL goal while teammate Troy Terry had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks defenseman Jamie Drysdale missed this game with a lower-body injury.

The Seattle Kraken got their first win of the season by beating the Carolina Hurricanes 7-4. Vince Dunn and Oliver Bjorkstrand each had a goal and two assists for the 1-3-1 Kraken. Seth Jarvis had a goal and two assists for the 3-2-0 Hurricanes.

Colorado Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev stopped 18 shots to shut out the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0. Logan O’Connor, Ryan Johansen, Devon Toews and Nathan MacKinnon scored for the Avalanche as they improved to 4-0-0. Petr Mrazek made 37 saves for the Blackhawks as they dropped to 2-3-0.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak extended his goal streak to three games in a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. James van Riemsdyk and Brad Marchand also scored for 3-0-0 Bruins while Anthony Duclair replied for the 0-3-1 Sharks.

HEADLINES

DAILY FACEOFF: Columbus Blue Jackets star Patrik Laine isn’t impressed with his poor start to this season. “I feel like it’s overall been pretty awful, pretty awful so far,” he told The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline. “Can’t hit the net if my life depends on it. Can’t make any plays. Can’t win a faceoff.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It could be down to the pressure of playing a new position. As the article noted, Laine is playing center this season for the first time after spending the past seven seasons as a left wing.

Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens followers were expecting the worst after losing center Kirby Dach for the season with a knee injury. They’re undoubtedly breathing a sigh of relief now.

The Winnipeg Jets aren’t the only club suffering at the gate early in this season. The Buffalo Sabres are at 83 percent capacity through their opening home games while the Washington Capitals sellout streak of 588 games ended on Monday. The San Jose Sharks drew just 10,000 for their third game of the season while the Calgary Flames didn’t sell out their home opener.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Several factors are likely behind this. The rising cost of living caused by inflation can make it difficult for fans to afford the cost of attending NHL games. As the piece also noted, the start of the NHL season also coincides with Major League Baseball playoffs and in some markets that’s going to draw away eyeballs from hockey. Meanwhile, teams like the Sharks are in the middle of a rebuild while the Flames, Jets and Capitals are coming off a disappointing 2022-23 campaign.

The Ottawa Senators will sign goaltender Craig Anderson to a one-day contract so that he can officially retire as a member of the club. He’ll join the Sabres as a hockey liaison.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Anderson spent half of his 20-year NHL playing career with the Senators. The high-water mark of his tenure in Ottawa was backstopping them to the 2017 Eastern Conference Final.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Radim Simek, Ottawa Senators forward Zack MacEwen and Pittsburgh Penguins center Jansen Harkins were placed on waivers yesterday.