NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 19, 2023

by | Oct 19, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 19, 2023

Josh Norris makes an impressive season debut with the Senators, the Red Wings down the Penguins and Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar recently set a league record. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Ottawa Senators center Josh Norris scored twice in his season debut as his club trounced the Washington Capitals 6-1. Tim Stutzle had three assists and Drake Batherson had two helpers. John Carlsson scored Washington’s only goal while Alex Ovechkin has just one assist in his first three games and was held without a shot in consecutive games for the first time in his career.

Ottawa Senators center Josh Norris (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Norris had been sidelined since Jan. 21 by a shoulder injury. His return provides a big boost to their offense as well as bolster their depth at center. Meanwhile, Senators defenseman Artem Zub left the game in the third period after taking a puck to the side of his face. No word yet as to his condition but for now he could be considered day-to-day. Capitals forward Nic Dowd missed this game with an upper-body injury.

The Detroit Red Wings got two goals each from Alex DeBrincat and Andrew Copp in a 6-3 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Dylan Larkin had three assists and a fighting major as the Wings have won three straight games. Erik Karlsson had a goal and two assists for the Penguins.

IN OTHER NEWS…

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar set an NHL record for defensemen during their 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday. With an assist on Logan O’Connor’s goal, he became the fastest blueliner to reach 250 career points. He did so in 241 games, beating out Hall-of-Famer Bobby Orr by six games.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets saw a significant drop in attendance in their first two home games of this season. There were roughly 2,000 empty seats for their season opener and over 4,000 for Tuesday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings.

Average attendance at the 15,325-seat Canada Life Centre dropped to 14,025 last season. Their season-ticket base of 13,000 has dropped to less than 10,000.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see if that trend continues over the course of this season.

The growing cost of attending NHL games in the league’s smallest market at a time when inflation has driven up the cost of living is one factor. The novelty of the NHL’s return could be finally wearing off for some of their fans. The Jets decline since reaching the 2018 Western Conference Finals could also be turning off some of their followers.

TSN: Speaking of the Jets, winger Gabriel Vilardi will miss the next four to six weeks with a sprained MCL.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was speculation that the Jets might pursue a winger such as Vancouver’s Conor Garland if Vilardi’s injury was as serious as that of Montreal’s Kirby Dach, who’s out of the season with a knee injury.

The Jets currently have around $2.4 million in cap space. They have no reason to place Vilardi on long-term injury reserve until they’re acquiring someone with a higher cap hit than his $3.43 million. They could instead opt to make do with a call-up from their farm team until he returns.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators defenseman Luke Schenn will be sidelined for four to six weeks with a lower-body injury.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Minnesota Wild recalled forward Sammy Walker and placed defenseman Alex Goligoski (lower body) on long-term injury reserve.

CAROLINA HOCKEY NOW: The Hurricanes called up goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov. The move comes after Frederik Andersen left Tuesday’s game against San Jose after taking a puck to the mask.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 18, 2023

by | Oct 18, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 18, 2023

Recaps of Tuesday’s games include Leon Draisaitl setting an Oilers record, the Avalanche tying a league record, plus the Canucks and Penguins making a trade. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman each had four points as the Edmonton Oilers picked up their first win of the season with a 6-1 drubbing of the Nashville Predators. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had three points, Connor McDavid, Warren Foegele and Evan Bouchard each had two points while Jack Campbell kicked out 42 shots for the win. Tommy Novak netted the Predators’s only goal.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl’s two goals came on the powerplay, giving him the franchise record for career tallies on the man advantage with 128. Meanwhile, the Predators held a video tribute to Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm as he returned to Nashville for the first time since being traded to Edmonton last season.

The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Seattle Kraken 4-1. Mikko Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin were among the goal scorers for the Avalanche while Alexandar Georgiev got the win with a 37-save performance. Kailer Yamamoto replied for the Kraken, who are winless (0-3-1) in their first four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche tied the league record for consecutive regular-season road wins (14) stretching back to last season.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault scored in the shootout to lift his club to a 3-2 victory over the Dallas Stars. William Karlsson and Kaeden Korczak each had a goal and an assist while Adin Hill got the win by stopping 24 shots. Craig Smith and Joe Pavelski replied for the Stars while Jake Oettinger made 32 saves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The defending Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights are red-hot to start the season with a league-leading four straight wins. Stars center Roope Hintz made his season debut after being sidelined by an upper-body injury.

The Minnesota Wild scored three power-play goals and tallied twice shorthanded to thump the Montreal Canadiens 5-2. Kirill Kaprizov and Mats Zuccarello each had three points, Joel Eriksson Ek scored twice and Marc-Andre Fleury made 27 saves for the Wild. Tanner Pearson and Alex Newhook replied for the Canadiens, who lost defenseman Kaiden Guhle to an upper-body injury in the second period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, the Canadiens announced that center Kirby Dach (knee injury) is done for the season. Meanwhile, the 38-year-old Fleury soaked up the atmosphere as he played what was likely his final game in Montreal as he faces potential retirement at the end of this season. Speaking of the Wild, defenseman Alex Goligoski missed this game with a lower-body injury.

Former Winnipeg Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois scored his first goal of the season with the Los Angeles Kings in a 5-1 victory over his former club. Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore each had three points for the Kings. Mark Scheifele replied for the Jets, who lost forward (and former King) Gabriel Vilardi to a lower-body injury in the first period following a hit by Blake Lizotte.

The Buffalo Sabres blew a 2-0 lead but nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 on an overtime goal by Dylan Cozens. Zemgus Girgensons and Jeff Skinner also scored while Devon Levi stopped 21 shots for the Sabres as they picked up their first win of the season. Brandon Hagel tallied both Lightning goals as Jonas Johansson made 28 saves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning captain Steven Stamkos missed his second straight game with a lower-body injury. Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson left this game in the third period with an upper-body injury while winger Victor Olofsson was a healthy scratch.

Four unanswered third-period goals lifted the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. Seth Jarvis tallied twice for the Hurricanes while Tomas Hertl collected two assists for the Sharks as they remain winless (0-2-1) in their first three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho missed this contest with an upper-body injury. Goaltender Frederik Andersen was pulled early in the first period for precautionary reasons when he appeared dazed after being struck in the mask by a shot. He was replaced by Antti Raanta.

Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Carter Hart turned in a 25-save performance to shut out the Vancouver Canucks 2-0. Flyers center Sean Couturier scored his first goal for the first time since missing all of last season due to back surgery. Thatcher Demko turned aside 40 shots for the Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Canucks traded minor leaguers Jack Rathbone and Karel Plasek to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for defenseman Mark Friedman and forward Ty Glover. The addition of Friedman brings more size and experience to the Canucks blueline. The Canucks also placed defenseman Guillaume Brisebois on long-term injury reserve.

The New York Islanders blanked the Arizona Coyotes 1-0. Mathew Barzal tallied the game’s only goal while Ilya Sorokin made 14 saves for the shutout. Karel Vejmelka kicked out 33 shots for the Coyotes.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils placed goaltender Keith Kinkaid on waivers.










NHL Rumor Mill – May 6, 2023

by | May 6, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – May 6, 2023

The Wild could be parting ways with some notable players, an update on the Coyotes’ Nick Schmaltz and a look at the Flyers’ plans for the free-agent market in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

WILD FACE TOUGH DECISIONS REGARDING SEVERAL PLAYERS

TWINCITIES.COM: Dane Mizutani believes the Minnesota Wild’s upcoming salary-cap crunch for next season means they may have to part ways with five players this summer. Matt Dumba, Gustav Nyquist, Ryan Reaves, Oskar Sundqvist and John Klingberg are unrestricted free agents but the Wild might not be able to re-sign them all.

THE ATHLETIC: Joe Smith, Michael Russo and Shayna Goldman looked at which players the Wild could re-sign and those they might part ways with. They also believe Dumba, Nyquist, Sundqvist and Klingberg won’t be back. They noted there’s mutual interest from the Wild and Reaves in his return but the Wild must be careful not to overpay.

Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba (NHL Images)

They also speculate that defensemen Alex Goligoski and Calen Addison could become cost-cutting trade candidates. Goligoski was a frequent healthy scratch and might be willing to waive his no-movement clause to get traded somewhere he can play. It would free up $2 million for next season.

Addison was scratched after the Wild acquired Klingberg down the stretch and the playoffs. There’s a feeling they could be open to trading their top defense prospect following his inconsistent performance this season.

Goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has said he’s not interested in moving on and is happy to finish the final season of his contract backing up Filip Gustavsson if need be. However, Smith, Russo and Goldman wondered if Fleury might change his mind if the Wild got an offer for him that he might find attractive.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dumba would love to remain with the Wild but both sides understand that’s not an option because of cap constraints. Reaves is 36 and knows his next contract is his last but he might have to accept a pay cut whether he signs with the Wild or another club.

Goligoski has only a year remaining on his contract with an affordable cap hit but he’s now 37 and his best years are behind him. There might not be much interest in him around the league unless the Wild includes a sweetener in the deal. His no-movement clause could complicate things.

Addison, on the other hand, could have value in the trade market. Despite his struggles this season, the 23-year-old blueliner still had 29 points in 63 games. He’s a restricted free agent coming off his entry-level contract and would be an affordable signing for any club interested in acquiring him. Given the Wild’s cap crunch, they could seek a draft pick or prospect in return.

As for Fleury, he made it quite clear in his end-of-season interview that he’s tired of moving and will honor the final year of his contract with the Wild. He will finish next season in Minnesota.

WILL THE COYOTES TRADE SCHMALTZ?

GOPHNX.COM: In a recent mailbag segment, Craig Morgan was asked if Arizona Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz could become a trade candidate this offseason.

He believes so, noting that Schmaltz’s trade value will never be greater than it is now. The 27-year-old center is unlikely to be a major piece of the puzzle when the Coyotes emerge from their rebuild. However, they’ll have to consider the effect moving him would have upon linemate Clayton Keller as the two had terrific on-ice chemistry.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schmaltz has three seasons remaining on his contract with a reasonable average annual value of $5.85 million. If the Coyotes shop him the ideal time is before July 1 when his 10-team no-trade clause kicks in.

When healthy, Schmaltz is a productive center who tallied a career-best 59 points last season and 58 points this season, each in 63 games. His injury history is a concern but he reportedly garnered interest from some playoff contenders leading up to the March 3 trade deadline.

NO BIG FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS EXPECTED FOR THE FLYERS

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Charlie O’Connor was asked if the Philadelphia Flyers would attempt to sign a top-line forward or defenseman via free agency.

O’Connor replied that we shouldn’t hold our breath. Interim general manager Daniel Briere and head coach John Tortorella made it clear that the goal for next season is to get younger, not to go spending in the free-agent market. If the Flyers do make forays into the UFA market, O’Connor believes it’ll be to bring in supporting players on short-term contracts.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 20, 2022

by | Nov 20, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 20, 2022

The Devils extend their win streak to 12, the Bruins tie a league record for consecutive home wins, the Blues picked up their sixth straight win and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: The New Jersey Devils remain red hot by defeating the Ottawa Senators 5-1 to extend their winning streak to 12 games. Yegor Sherangovich and Michael McLeod each had a goal and an assist while Akira Schmid stopped 25 shots for the Devils (15-3-0) as they open a seven-point lead for first place in the Metropolitan Division with 30 points. Derick Brassard replied for the struggling Senators as they fall to 6-10-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators captain Brady Tkachuk took exception with some Ottawa fans chanting for the dismissal of head coach D.J. Smith at the end of this game. Tkachuk put the blame for the club’s poor play on himself and his teammates, claiming he was “sick and tired” of the criticism aimed at Smith.

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (NHL Images).

Speaking of win streaks, the Boston Bruins won their 11th straight home game by thumping the Chicago Blackhawks 6-1. Charlie McAvoy collected four assists and David Pastrnak tallied twice as the Bruins (16-2-0) tied an NHL record for the most season-opening home victories. They sit atop the league’s overall standings with 32 points. Jonathan Toews scored the only goal for the 6-8-3 Blackhawks.

The St. Louis Blues picked up their sixth straight victory by dropping the Anaheim Ducks 6-2. Pavel Buchnevich led the way with two goals and two assists while Robert Thomas had a three-point night as the Blues improve to 9-8-0. Adam Henrique and Cam Fowler replied for the Ducks as their record slides to a league-worst 5-12-1. Earlier in the day, the Ducks activated defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk off injured reserve.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: St. Louis winger Vladimir Tarasenko missed this game due to illness. It’s been a weird start to this season thus far for the Blues. They won their first three games and then lost eight straight before reversing their fortunes with their current win streak.

An overtime goal by Connor McDavid lifted the Edmonton Oilers over the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 4-3. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins collected three assists while McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each had a goal and an assist as the Oilers improved to 10-8-0. Mark Stone tallied twice for the Golden Knights (14-4-1) as they sit in first place in the Western Conference with 29 points.

The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2 to hand the latter their eighth straight loss. Leafs winger Mitch Marner collected two assists to extend his points streak to 12 games while William Nylander scored twice and John Tavares had a three-point performance. Alex Tuch and Casey Mittelstadt replied for the 7-11-0 Sabres while the Leafs raised their record to 10-5-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Sabres claimed forward Tyson Jost off waivers from the Minnesota Wild.

Shootout goals by Jonathan Huberdeau and Rasmus Andersson gave the Calgary Flames a 5-4 victory over the Florida Panthers. Adam Ruzicka scored twice and collected an assist for the Flames (8-7-2) while Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist for the 9-7-2 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the first game between these two clubs since the trade in July that sent Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar to the Flames in exchange for Tkachuk.

Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn had a goal and two assists in a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders. Joe Pavelski, Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment each had two points as the Stars extended their record to 11-5-2. Mathew Barzal netted his first two goals of the season for the Islanders as they slide to 11-8-0.

The Seattle Kraken nipped the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 on an overtime goal by Jordan Eberle, who finished the night with two points as the Kraken (10-5-3) have won seven of their last nine games. Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore replied for the 11-8-2 Kings.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos tallied in overtime to tame the Nashville Predators 3-2. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two assists and Brayden Point had two assists for the Lightning to boost their record to 11-6-1. Filip Forsberg and Nino Niederreiter replied for the Predators (8-8-2) while Juuse Saros made 36 saves in a losing cause.

The Colorado Avalanche blanked the Washington Capitals by a score of 4-0. Alexandar Georgiev kicked out 32 shots to pick up his first shutout with the Avalanche (10-5-1) while Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Andrew Cogliano and Artturi Lehkonken were the goal scorers. Darcy Kuemper made 25 saves against his former club as the banged-up Capitals drop to 7-10-3.

On the night the Minnesota Wild celebrated Alex Goligoski’s 1,000th career game, he scored in overtime in a 2-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Sam Steel scored the game-tying goal late in the third period for the 8-8-2 Wild while Sebastian Aho tallied for the 10-5-3 Hurricanes.

Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry stopped 32 shots for his first shutout of the season to blank the Winnipeg Jets 3-0. Jason Zucker, Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel were the goal scorers while Sidney Crosby collected two assists as the Penguins bolster their record to 8-7-3. Connor Hellebuyck made 29 saves for the 10-5-1 Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Jets announced winger Nikolaj Ehlers will be sidelined indefinitely as he undergoes sports hernia surgery next week.

The Montreal Canadiens overcame 2-0 and 4-3 deficits to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 on a shootout goal by Nick Suzuki, who finished the night with two assists. Cole Caufield scored twice (including the game-tying goal with three seconds on the clock) while Mike Matheson scored in his season debut for the 9-8-1 Canadiens. Owen Tippett scored two goals for the Flyers (7-7-4) as their winless skid extends to six games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens winger Mike Hoffman suffered an undisclosed injury and left the game after the second period. The Flyers went into this contest with winger Travis Konecny sidelined by an upper-body injury. They also lost forward Scott Laughton in the third period with an upper-body injury.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Filip Hronek scored two goals as his club romped to a 6-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Dylan Larkin and Moritz Seider each collected three points as the Red Wings improved their record to 9-5-4 while the injury-ravaged Blue Jackets fell to 6-10-1.

New York Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin made 22 saves as his club held off the San Jose Sharks by a score of 2-1. All the scoring came in the third period as Julien Gauthier and Adam Fox tallied for the Rangers (9-6-4) while Logan Couture replied for the 6-11-3 Sharks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 21, 2022

by | Oct 21, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 21, 2022

Recapping games from a busy Thursday night includes the Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin setting a league record, 2022 first-overall pick Juraj Slafkovsky scored his first goal, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin became the first defenseman in league history to score in each of his first four games of the season as his club doused the Calgary Flames 6-3. Alex Tuch tallied a hat trick while Eric Comrie kicked out 40 shots for the win. Flames winger Milan Lucic skated in his 1,100th career NHL game.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dahlin is off to a terrific start and leads all NHL blueliners in scoring. The Sabres’ speed made the difference in this one as they overcame an early 1-0 deficit with three first-period goals. They’re still giving up a lot of shots but their goaltending has been solid thus far.

Montreal Canadiens rookie (and 2022 first-overall draft pick) Juraj Slafkovsky scored his first NHL goal in a 6-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki scored a Pavel Datsyuk-like goal on a penalty shot while Jake Allen made 25 saves. Travis Boyd had a goal and an assist for the Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The rout was on for the Canadiens as they grabbed a 3-0 lead in the first period. Rookie defenseman Arber Xhekaj endeared himself to the hometown crowd with a decisive win in a fight with Coyotes winger Zack Kassian.

Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had a goal and three assists to lead the Edmonton Oilers over the Carolina Hurricanes 6-4. Oilers goaltender Jack Campbell made 36 stops. Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov tallied a hat trick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers rookie Dylan Holloway missed this game as he’s listed as day-to-day with a head injury.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Nick Robertson scored two goals, including the winner in overtime, to drop the Dallas Stars 3-2. Ilya Samsonov made 26 saves for the Leafs while Stars goalie Scott Wedgewood stopped 40 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Robertson’s winner was the result of a smart defensive play on his part when he broke up a two-on-one by stripping the puck from Stars captain Jamie Benn and sending the play the other way. He finished it with a one-timer off a pass from Auston Matthews.

The Pittsburgh Penguins downed the Los Angeles Kings 6-1. Jeff Petry had a goal and Tristan Jarry kicked out 39 shots. It was a costly win for the Penguins as Jake Guentzel suffered an undisclosed injury late in the game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins have scored six goals in three of their first four games this season.

Kirill Kaprizov’s overtime goal gave the Minnesota Wild their first win of the season as they dropped the Vancouver Canucks 4-3. Kaprizov finished with three points while Mats Zuccarello scored twice and added an assist. Wild defenseman Alex Goligoski played in his 1,000th career NHL contest while teammate Jordan Greenway left with a suspected shoulder injury. Greenway was making his season debut after recovering from off-season shoulder surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks remain winless (0-3-2) to start the season. It was also the fifth straight game in which they blew a lead.

Ottawa Senators winger Drake Batherson tallied twice and Brady Tkachuk collected two assists as their club overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Washington Capitals 5-2. Darcy Kuemper made 39 saves in a losing cause for the Capitals while Alex Ovechkin was held scoreless. The Senators unveiled a banner to their late owner Eugene Melnyk in a pregame ceremony to honor his memory.

The San Jose Sharks picked up their first win of the season by nipping the New York Rangers 3-2 on an overtime goal by Erik Karlsson, who also collected an assist in this contest. Rangers winger Artemi Panarin scored to extend his points streak to five games. He also leads the league with 11 points.

Four unanswered third-period goals carried the Columbus Blue Jackets over the Nashville Predators 5-3. Johnny Gaudreau started and ended the rally with two goals.

New Jersey Devils winger Ondrej Palat tallied twice while teammate Nico Hischier had a three-point performance to beat the New York Islanders 4-1. Jesper Bratt collected two assists for the Devils. Anders Lee scored for the Islanders while teammate Ilya Sorokin made 39 saves.

Jack Eichel scored two goals, Alex Pietrangelo collected two assists and Adin Hill stopped 26 shots as the Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Winnipeg Jets 5-2. Eichel has five points in as many games.

A shootout goal by Taylor Hall lifted the Boston Bruins to a 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Hall also opened the scoring during the second period while Frank Vatrano replied for the Ducks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

CBS SPORTS: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews is being evaluated for an injury suffered during their 4-3 overtime loss on Wednesday to the Jets.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche also claimed winger Dryden Hunt off waivers from the Rangers.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Limited salary-cap space is preventing the Panthers from signing Eric Staal. The veteran forward attended training camp on a professional tryout offer and is still skating with them during practice as a non-roster player.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: The Flames signed backup goaltender Dan Vladar to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $2.2 million.

NHL.COM: The 32 NHL teams yesterday unveiled their “Reverse Retro” jerseys for this season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 30, 2022

by | Mar 30, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 30, 2022

Game recaps, the salary cap will rise next season, possible LTIR changes to be discussed in the offseason, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Colorado Avalanche are the first team to reach 100 points this season by downing the Calgary Flames 2-1. Valeri Nichushkin scored twice, Darcy Kuemper made 44 saves and Cale Makar became the third defenseman in Avalanche history to reach 50 assists in a season. The Avs hold a four-point lead over the Florida Panthers for first overall. Tyler Toffoli scored for the Flames (88 points), who hold a seven-point lead over the Los Angeles Kings for first place in the Pacific Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche got the win without Nathan MacKinnon, who is sidelined with what’s believed to be a fractured hand as the result of a fight with Minnesota Wild defenseman Matt Dumba on Sunday.

Speaking of the Panthers, they blew a 4-1 lead over the Montreal Canadiens before rolling to a 7-4 victory with three unanswered third-period goals. Jonathan Huberdeau scored twice and collected an assist, tying the record for most assists (70) in a season by a left wing. Ryan Lomberg also had two goals and an assist while Sam Bennett had a goal and two assists. Laurent Dauphin had a goal and an assist.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

Auston Matthews netted his league-leading 49th goal of the season while Mitch Marner, John Tavares and Morgan Rielly each had two points as the Toronto Maple Leafs held off the Boston Bruins 6-4. It was a costly win for Toronto with goaltender Petr Mrazek and defensemen Justin Holl and Ilya Lyubushkin leaving the game with injuries. The Leafs (89 points) sit one point behind the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division while Boston sits two points behind the Leafs. David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist for the Bruins.

Tampa Bay, meanwhile, beat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 with Steven Stamkos tallying his 30th goal of the season in overtime. Stamkos and winger Nikita Kucherov finished the game with three points each as the Lightning sits six points behind the first-place Panthers in the Atlantic Division. Seth Jarvis had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes (96 points), who hold a five-point lead over the New York Rangers atop the Metropolitan Division.

As for the Rangers, they held on for a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Chris Kreider scored his 45th goal of the season as the Rangers hold a one-point lead over Pittsburgh for second place in the Metro Division. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored to reach 70 points for the 12th time in his career.

The Dallas Stars regained the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference by downing the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 on third-period goals by Roope Hintz and Jacob Peterson. The Stars (77 points) hold a one-point lead over the Vegas Golden Knights. Miro Heiskanen returned to the Dallas lineup after being sidelined since March 2 by mononucleosis. The Ducks have lost 10 straight games.

Marc-Andre Fleury kicked out 32 shots to backstop the Minnesota Wild to their seventh straight win by downing the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1. Kirill Kaprizov’s 37th goal of the season proved to be the game-winner as the Wild hold second place in the Central Division with 86 points.

Nashville Predators netminder Juuse Saros made 36 stops in a 4-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. Michael McCarron tallied twice and Mattias Ekholm had three assists for the Predators, who sit four points behind the Wild in third place in the Central. Before the game, the Predators held a moment of silence to honor Senators owner Eugene Melnyk, who passed away on Monday.

The New York Islanders held on for a 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Brock Nelson netted his 32nd goal of the season while Mathew Barzal and Anders Lee each had two assists. Vladislav Gavrikov tallied twice for the Blue Jackets, who played without head coach Brad Larsen and assistant coach Steve McCarthy as they entered COVID protocol yesterday.

HEADLINES

TSN: NHL general managers were officially informed by the league the salary cap will rise by $1 million to $82.5 million during the second day of their meetings in Florida. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league’s revenues are expected to top $5 billion this season.

Pierre LeBrun reports discussions on potential changes to long-term injury reserve rules (such as a playoff salary cap) didn’t lead to any rule changes. However, there is expected to be a further talk on this subject during the NHL Draft in Montreal in July. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said he’s already spoken with the NHL Players Association about this issue.

LeBrun mentioned there’s been lots of “white noise” over how the Vegas Golden Knights are handling their LTIR this season. Bettman and Daly, however, said there are no issues with how Vegas is handling their LTIR business.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Darren Dreger said the league doesn’t consider this to be a major problem but rather a perception one where the media and fans are concerned. Nevertheless, they intend to discuss addressing that impression with the NHLPA. Whether it results in any immediate change remains to be seen. Because this is a collective bargaining agreement issue, it might not be addressed until the next round of CBA talks in 2026.

Chris Johnston reported the league is finalizing an agreement with the NHLPA regarding how no-trade and limited no-trade clauses are submitted by players. The plan would see a player’s no-trade lists sent to NHL Central Registry and the PA to eventually compile a database. This comes on the heels of the NHL overturning the Vegas Golden Knights’ recent attempt to trade Evgenii Dadonov to the Anaheim Ducks because the league was not aware of his no-trade clause when they initially approved the deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’m surprised it took this long for a snafu like the attempted Dadonov trade to surface.

LeBrun reports there won’t be a Team North America or Team Europe in the 2024 World Cup of Hockey. It will instead return to a traditional format of countries.

SPORTSNET: Bettman also said he’ll be speaking with the daughters of the late Senators owner Eugene Melnyk as well as the executor of Melnyk’s estate. He said an ownership structure has been in place and it’s expected the franchise will continue to operate as it always has.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some Senators fans were concerned over whether the team would be sold to a prospective owner who might have designs on relocating the franchise. That is not going to happen.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes is hoping to retain interim head coach Martin St. Louis after this season. The club is 10-8-4 since St. Louis took over behind the bench on Feb. 9.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The job is St. Louis’ if he wants it. Judging by how much fun he’s having and the Canadiens’ improvement despite an ongoing rash of injuries and the recent trades involving four key players, I’ll be surprised if he turns down the opportunity.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Minnesota Wild have reportedly signed defenseman Alex Goligoski to a two-year contract extension with an annual average value of $2 million.

CBS SPORTS: Arizona Coyotes forward Lawson Crouse’s season could be over after suffering a broken bone in his hand.