NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 5, 2026

by | May 5, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 5, 2026

The Hurricanes take a 2-0 series lead over the Flyers, the Golden Knights take Game 1 of their second-round series with the Ducks, the Masterton Trophy finalists are announced, the 2026 Draft Lottery will be held Tuesday evening, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES

NHL.COM: Carolina Hurricanes winger Taylor Hall scored his first NHL overtime playoff goal to give his club a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers in Game 2 of their best-of-seven second-round series. The Flyers took an early 2-0 lead on goals by Jamie Drysdale and Sean Couturier, but the Hurricanes rallied as Nikolaj Ehlers and Seth Jarvis scored to send the game to overtime. Frederik Andersen stopped 34 shots for the Hurricanes, who hold a 2-0 lead as this series shifts to Philadelphia for Games 3 and 4. Dan Vladar made 40 saves for the Flyers.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Taylor Hall (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers had a much better effort in this game compared to the series opener, but they couldn’t build on their lead or shut down Carolina’s offense. Once again, it was the second line of Hall, Jackson Blake, and Logan Stankoven that made the difference for the Hurricanes. Speaking of Stankoven, this was the first game in this postseason that he was held off the score sheet.

Game 3 of this series is Thursday at 8 pm ET.

A controversial tie-breaking goal by Ivan Barbashev gave the Vegas Golden Knights a 3-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks in Game 1 of their second-round series. Barbashev’s goal came moments after a linesman waived off what appeared to be an icing call, infuriating Ducks head coach Joel Quenneville, who pleaded his case with the officials to no avail. Brett Howden extended his goal streak to four games while Mitch Marner had an empty-netter for the Golden Knights. Mikael Granlund replied for the Ducks. Game 2 of this series is on Wednesday in Las Vegas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game saw Golden Knights center William Karlsson’s postseason debut after being sidelined since November with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, Golden Knights defenseman Jeremy Lauzon is expected to miss this series with an undisclosed injury suffered during his club’s series-clinching win over the Utah Mammoth last Friday.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Rasmus Dahlin of the Buffalo Sabres, Gabriel Landeskog of the Colorado Avalanche, and Jonathan Toews of the Winnipeg Jets are the finalists for the 2025-26 Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the player who best exemplifies the qualities of perseverance, sportsmanship, and dedication to hockey as voted by the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

The 2026 NHL Draft Lottery will be held on Tuesday, May 6, in real time starting at 7 pm ET at NHL Network studios in Secaucus, New Jersey. It will involve the 16 teams that failed to qualify for the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

The Vancouver Canucks, Chicago Blackhawks, and New York Rangers have the best odds of winning the lottery based on their position in the standings at the end of this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A team that sits lower in the order can move up 10 places if they win the lottery. However, only those sitting among the top 11 seeds can win the first overall pick.

Last year, the New York Islanders won the lottery despite having the 10th-best odds of doing so. They used that pick to select defenseman Mathieu Schaefer in the 2025 Draft. Schaefer had an immediate positive impact with the Islanders this season and is considered the favorite to win the 2026 Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year.

TSN: The Toronto Maple Leafs formally introduced Mats Sundin and John Chayka as their new management team. Sundin is the Leafs new senior executive advisor of hockey operations, while Chayka is their new general manager.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Maple Leafs ownership was already facing criticism from pundits and fans in Leafs Nation for these hirings before the introductions were made.

Sundin is a former captain of the Leafs and among the greatest players in franchise history, but he’s never held a management position before, and his role as a “senior executive advisor” suggests he won’t have a direct role in hockey ops decisions.

Most of the criticism was leveled at Chayka. His checkered past as GM of the Arizona Coyotes has many observers questioning Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment honcho Keith Pelley about the vetting process involved in Chayka’s hiring.

It led to an awkward moment when Toronto Sun columnist Steve Simmons directly challenged Pelley and Chayka, citing anonymous league sources critical of the latter’s previous experience with the Coyotes. Pelley insisted that the Leafs conducted their due diligence, while Chayka sidestepped questions about his complicated past.

NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported that “at least one team” raised a tampering concern with the league, claiming that employees under contract may have been contacted by the Maple Leafs without proper permission. However, the league looked into the matter and found the complaint to be unsubstantiated. Seravalli stated that a Maple Leafs spokesman declined to comment but acknowledged the interaction with the league.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators forward Ridly Greig will miss the first two games of the 2026-27 season for sucker-punching Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker during Game 4 of the first-round series between the two clubs.

D MAGAZINE: Robert Tiffin reports Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen said he tore an oblique muscle during the Apr. 9 regular-season game against the Minnesota Wild. He said the injury was slowly improving with each game, and he expects he’ll be fully healthy over the summer.

BUFFALO HOCKEY BEAT: Sabres center Sam Carrick (upper-body injury) might be available for his club’s upcoming second-round series with the Montreal Canadiens after all. He was initially considered unavailable, but is further along in his recovery than expected.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils forwards Nico Hischier and Timo Meier will play for Switzerland in the upcoming 2026 IIHF World Championship.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL defenseman Korbinian Holzer has retired. He played in 206 NHL games from 2010-11 to 2019-20 with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Anaheim Ducks, and Nashville Predators, finishing with six goals and 27 points. Holzer spent the past six seasons playing in Russia, Germany, and Austria.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 3, 2026

by | May 3, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 3, 2026

The Hurricanes defeat the Flyers in the opening game of their second-round series, the schedule for the second round is released, the latest on the Oilers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Carolina Hurricanes winger Logan Stankoven scored twice to lead his club over the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0 in Game 1 of their best-of-seven second-round playoff series. Frederik Andersen had a 19-save shutout, and Jackson Blake had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes. Dan Vladar stopped 20 shots for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers played better in the third period, but it was all Hurricanes in the first period and most of the second. Flyers head coach Rick Tocchet admitted his team wasn’t mentally prepared for this contest. He believes they were still riding the emotional high of making the playoffs and winning their first-round series against the Pittsburgh Penguins

Carolina Hurricanes forward Logan Stankoven (NHL Images)

Carolina’s second line of Stankoven, Blake, and Taylor Hall remains a scoring force in this postseason.

Stankoven is tied with Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy and Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel for this postseason’s goal-scoring lead with six goals. He’s also set a franchise record with a five-game playoff goal-scoring streak. Four of his six goals were series-openers.

Carolina winger Nikolaj Ehlers returned to action after a lower-body injury sidelined him from Game 4 of the Hurricanes’ first-round series with the Ottawa Senators. Defenseman Alexander Nikishin remained out of their roster as he continues to recover from a concussion.

Flyers forward Owen Tippett missed this contest with an undisclosed injury and is considered day-to-day.

NHL.COM: The schedule for the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs was released.

Game 1 of the series between the Hurricanes and Flyers began Saturday. Game 2 will be on Monday, May 4, in Carolina.

The opening game of the series between the Minnesota Wild and Colorado Avalanche will be on Sunday, May 3, in Colorado. Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek is questionable for Game 1 of this series with a lower-body injury.

Game 1 of the series between the Anaheim Ducks and the Vegas Golden Knights begins on Monday, May 4, in Las Vegas.

The Buffalo Sabres will face the Montreal Canadiens or the Tampa Bay Lightning. Game 1 of that series begins on Wednesday, May 6, in Buffalo. The Canadiens and Lightning face off in Game 7 in Tampa Bay on Sunday.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers center Leon Draisaitl was frank about his club’s performance and his concern about their future. Speaking with the media on Saturday, Draisaitl said he felt the Oilers “are not trending in the right direction,” adding that they’ve taken “big steps backward.” He warned that the Oilers must get a grip on this situation and return to the right direction.

Oilers captain Connor McDavid concurred with Draisaitl’s assessment of the club’s direction. Following their first-round elimination by the Anaheim Ducks, McDavid said he felt the Oilers were “an average team all year.” He said he still felt that way, adding that he and Draisaitl deserve their share of the blame, and that they can all be better and need to improve.

“There’s no doubt everybody knows what we’re trying to do here in Edmonton, and it’s no secret,” McDavid said, referring to their goal of winning the Stanley Cup. “We’re pressing pretty hard, so the patience is obviously worn pretty thin.”

McDavid also shot down trade speculation that surfaced during and after the series against the Ducks. “I want to win, and I want to win here in Edmonton. That’s my focus.”

However, McDavid declined to comment on whether he’ll play out his upcoming two-year contract with the Oilers. “I’m not going to get into all that,” he said. “The only thing that matters is competing for the big trophy. That’s all that matters. And if I feel that’s here, then yeah.”

McDavid also confirmed that he played with an injury during the Ducks series, suffering a fractured bone in his left foot in Game 2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers GM Stan Bowman acknowledged the club isn’t where they want to be while pointing to the positives from this season, such as the evolution of players Vasily Podkolzin, Matt Savoie, and Josh Samanski.

Nevertheless, the comments from McDavid and Draisaitl are a shot across Bowman’s bow. He’ll face a daunting task attempting to improve the Oilers. I’ll have more about that in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

SPORTSNET: The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to hold a press conference on Monday to officially announce the hiring of former team captain Mats Sundin and former Arizona Coyotes general manager John Chayka to join their front office.

It’s been previously reported that the Leafs were interested in hiring Sundin as vice president of hockey operations and Chayka as general manager.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reports of Sundin and Chayka being the frontrunners for those positions drew a nervous vibe from Leafs Nation. It will be interesting to see what those two have in store for the club during this offseason.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy will have an in-person meeting with the league’s department of player safety for slashing Buffalo Sabres forward Zach Benson during Game 6 of their first-round series.

THE SPORTING NEWS: Speaking of the Bruins, forward James Hagens is reportedly joining Team USA for the upcoming IIHF World Championship.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators forward Ridly Greig will have a virtual hearing with the department of player safety on Monday for his sucker punch to the head of Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Sean Walker during Game 4 of their first-round series.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers owner Vinnie Viola got his second Kentucky Derby win on Saturday. Viola is a co-owner of Golden Tempo, a 23-1 long shot that won the 152nd running of the Derby at Churchill Downs.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers promoted assistant director of player development Tanner Glass as their new director of player development.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 27, 2026

by | Apr 27, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 27, 2026

The Avalanche eliminate the Kings as Anze Kopitar’s playing career ends, the Sabres humble the Bruins, the Ducks push the Oilers to the brink, and the Lightning even their series with the Canadiens. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF SUNDAY’S PLAYOFF ACTION

NHL.COM: The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Los Angeles Kings 5-1 to sweep their best-of seven first-round series. Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and collected an assist while Gabriel Landeskog picked up two assists for the Avalanche. Joel Edmundson replied for the Kings in what was the final game for team captain Anze Kopitar, who announced last fall that he would be retiring at the end of this season.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche await the winner of the Dallas Stars-Minnesota Wild series, which is currently tied at two games apiece. The previous three games in this series were closely contested, but the Avs’ depth made the difference as the series progressed.

Kopitar received a standing ovation from the Los Angeles crowd as he skated out for his final shift. He was among the best two-way forwards in the game, and ended his career as the greatest player in franchise history.

In 20 NHL seasons (all with the Kings), Kopitar is their all-time leader in games played (1,521), assists (864), and points (1,316). He helped them win two Stanley Cups, took home the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy three times, and the Frank J. Selke Trophy in 2015-16.

A four-goal first period powered the Buffalo Sabres to a 6-1 romp over the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of their first-round series. Alex Tuch, Bowen Byram, Josh Doan, and Peyton Krebs each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres, who hold a 3-1 lead over the Bruins as the series returns to Buffalo for Game 5 on Tuesday. Sean Kuraly scored for the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If the Sabres win Game 5, it’ll be their first playoff series victory since 2007.

The Bruins were justifiably embarrassed by their lackluster performance in this game. Head coach Marco Sturm refused to blame starting goaltender Jeremy Swayman, who was hung out to dry by his fellow Bruins. Swayman had some harsh words for his teammates on the bench after he was finally pulled from the game, prompting Sturm to say that at least one of his players had some fire in them on Sunday.

Speaking of the Bruins, winger Viktor Arvidsson left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Ryan Poehling gave the Anaheim Ducks a 4-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 4 of their first-round series. The Oilers took 2-0 and 3-2 leads, but the Ducks battled back with Jeffrey Viel scoring the tying goal that sent the game into OT. Evan Bouchard had a goal and an assist for the Oilers, who are now on the verge of elimination with the Ducks holding a 3-1 series lead. Game 5 is in Edmonton on Tuesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was some controversy over Poehling’s goal. The puck appeared to fully cross the goal line, but it was pinned under the skate of Oilers goalie Tristan Jarry. The on-ice officials had no clear view of it from their vantage points, and there was no conclusive footage in the video reviews. Nevertheless, the ruling from the Situation Room was that the puck had indeed fully crossed the goal line.

The Tampa Bay Lightning overcame a 2-0 deficit to nip the Montreal Canadiens 3-2, tying their series at two games apiece. Brandon Hagel scored twice in the third period while Jake Guentzel had a goal and an assist for the Lightning. Zachary Bolduc and Cole Caufield scored their first goals of this postseason for the Canadiens. The series returns to Tampa Bay for Game 5 on Wednesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens were cruising with that 2-0 lead in the second period until Lightning defenseman Max Crozier laid out Habs winger Juraj Slakovsky with a thunderous, clean hit at center ice. Slafkovsky left the game but returned for the third period none the worse for wear. Nevertheless, that hit was the turning point, energizing the Lightning players as they rallied back for the victory.

Hagel has been the Lightning’s best player in this series. He leads all postseason scorers with six goals. Meanwhile, sidelined Canadiens defenseman Noah Dobson (thumb injury) has resumed skating and will be reevaluated on Tuesday. If he’s good to go, he could make his series debut on Wednesday.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: Minnesota Wild winger Matt Boldy’s poise and timely scoring have made him a clutch player in his club’s first-round series with the Dallas Stars.

TRIBLIVE.COM: If the Pittsburgh Penguins hope to overcome a 3-1 series deficit against the Philadelphia Flyers, forwards Anthony Mantha and Egor Chinakhov must regain their scoring touch. Both players have been held scoreless in this series.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Speaking of the Flyers, sophomore winger Matvei Michkov could be a healthy scratch in Game 5 against the Penguins on Monday in Pittsburgh. Michkov skated with two of the Flyers’ extra forwards during practice on Sunday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Young Flyers such as Trevor Zegras and Porter Martone have thrived in their first-ever NHL playoff series. However, Michkov has struggled to adjust to the postseason pace and was held scoreless through the first two games.

SPORTSNET: MacKenzie Weegar is relishing his leadership role with the Utah Mammoth in his return to the playoffs for the first time in four years. Weegar was acquired from the Calgary Flames at the March trade deadline and is tied for the team scoring lead in this series with two goals and three points.

TSN: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Alexander Nikishin suffered a concussion on Saturday after taking a crushing hit by Ottawa Senators defenseman Tyler Kleven. The Hurricanes swept that series, and Nikishin returned to Carolina with his teammates, where he will continue concussion protocols.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There is currently no timetable for Nikishin’s return.

OTTAWA SUN: Speaking of the Senators, forward Ridly Greig will have a hearing with the league’s department of player safety for sucker-punching the Hurricanes’ Sean Walker during the second period of Game 4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was no excuse for Greig’s actions in that situation. It’ll be interesting to see if he gets a slap on the wrist or a multigame suspension at the start of next season.

TSN: Dallas Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist avoided having to go to the hospital after being struck in the face by a skate blade during Game 4 of his club’s series with the Wild.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – April 26, 2026

by | Apr 26, 2026

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – April 26, 2026

Check out the latest speculation about the Jets and the Kraken in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

THE ATHLETIC: Murat Ates examined the decline of the Winnipeg Jets into a “mushy middle” team (too good to tank, too flawed to win), and suggested how they can get out of it.

One way could be trading one of their core players, such as goaltender Connor Hellebuyck, winger Kyle Connor, defenseman Josh Morrissey, or center Mark Scheifele.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (NHL Images).

Hellebuyck could fetch a top-four defenseman or a second-line center. Connor might be able to fetch a return comparable to what the Calgary Flames received when they traded Matthew Tkachuk to the Florida Panthers in 2022. The return for Morrissey or Scheifele would include a young player who might develop into a top defenseman or a top center.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ates doubted that the Jets would take a proactive approach to that kind of deal. Nevertheless, he thinks such deals are worth discussing.

Ates also looked at some trade options to address their need for a second-line center.

The top one would be Robert Thomas of the St. Louis Blues if he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause to come to Winnipeg. However, Ates admits that Thomas serves the purpose of an unattainable star talent.

Targeting a restricted free agent center stuck in a third-line role on another club is another option. Ates suggested someone such as Mavrik Bourque of the Dallas Stars or Peyton Krebs of the Buffalo Sabres.

They could also pursue a young center lacking no-trade protection, such as Connor Zary of the Calgary Flames, Ridly Greig of the Ottawa Senators, or Emmitt Finnie of the Detroit Red Wings. However, there’s no certainty that those clubs will part with them.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ates also looked at veterans past their prime or those on bad contracts, but he doesn’t see the Jets going those routes. Pursuing someone like Bourque or Krebs might be an easier route, but that doesn’t mean they’re available. If they are, the Jets will have competition to get them. It seems most clubs are in the market for skilled centers.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Tim Booth and Kate Shefte looked at which players on the Kraken could be on the move this summer.

Shefte noted that Kraken general manager Jason Botterill wants to upgrade his forward lines. She believes Matty Beniers is safe, and she doesn’t see the Kraken parting with promising forward Berkly Catton. She also thinks Chandler Stephenson’s contract would be difficult to move.

Everyone else should at least be on the table. Shefte believes pending UFA Bobby McMann is worth keeping and acknowledged they’ll have to “throw a wad of cash at him” to get him to stay, but she doesn’t want them to overpay too much.

Booth believes goaltender Philipp Grubauer’s improvement this season could improve his value in the trade market. He would let defenseman Jamie Oleksiak depart via free agency, and also wondered whether moving one of Ryker Evans, Vince Dunn, or Adam Larsson would be unreasonable. He thinks they’ll have to part with one of them if they hope to bring in help for their forward lines.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken were among the league’s lowest-scoring teams. That popgun offense was largely responsible for their inability to remain in the playoff race this season. It must be addressed, which could force Botterill to make a bold move or two this summer.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – March 8, 2026

by | Mar 8, 2026

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – March 8, 2026

Check out the ongoing fallout from Friday’s Trade Deadline in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

WHY DIDN’T THE DEVILS MOVE NEMEC OR HAMILTON AT THE TRADE DEADLINE?

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols reported Friday that the Devils were open to moving Simon Nemec if the 22-year-old defenseman would fetch a return that improved their top-six forwards.

Adding a winger for Jack Hughes’ line has been a longstanding need. However, TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported that they were hoping to add a top-six center.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes and Nico Hischier currently fill the top-six center roles on the Devils. Adding another top-six center doesn’t make sense unless they intend to move Hischier or Hughes.

New Jersey Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton (NHL Images).

Trading Dougie Hamilton proved to be a difficult task for the Devils. One reason is the $7.4 million signing bonus that the 32-year-old defenseman is scheduled to receive on July 1. He also carries an average annual value of $9 million for the next two seasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It seemed like Hamilton and the Devils would part ways back in January as he was upset over being a healthy scratch for a game against the Winnipeg Jets. Some Toronto pundits pondered the possibility of the Maple Leafs acquiring him, but that’s assuming they’re on his 10-team trade list.

The Devils could try again during the offseason, but will likely find that any interested clubs will prefer to wait until he gets his signing bonus before agreeing to acquire him.

SENATORS TRIED TO ACQUIRE WEEGAR

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports sources claimed MacKenzie Weegar was the Senators’ top trade target. However, the Calgary Flames traded the 32-year-old puck-moving defenseman to the Utah Mammoth.

It was expected that general manager Steve Staios would acquire a right-shot top-four defenseman or some additional scoring punch. However, they lacked a 2026 first-round pick to use as a trade chip, which hampered the Senators’ efforts to bolster their roster at the trade deadline.

Teams were asking Staios for young forward Ridly Greig and top prospects Carter Yakemchuk and Logan Hensler. However, the Senators weren’t parting with those players. Staios said he was looking at all options, including his goaltending.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Staios added winger Warren Foegele, who could help the Senators’ offense if he can regain the scoring touch that he lost this season with the Los Angeles Kings. He scored for them in Saturday’s 7-4 win over the Seattle Kraken.

Goaltending options were few and far between for the Senators and everyone else in this trade market. The best names out there were Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers and Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues. The Panthers are trying to re-sign Bobrovsky, while the Senators could be on Binnington’s no-trade list.

WHY DID THE FLAMES RETAIN COLEMAN AND WHITECLOUD?

SPORTSNET: Eric Francis reports Calgary Flames GM Craig Conroy admitted that he received strong offers for winger Blake Coleman and recently-acquired defenseman Zach Whitecloud. He chose to retain them because they wanted to remain in Calgary and would help mentor their younger players.

CALGARY SUN: Daniel Austin reports it seemed almost certain that Coleman would be traded.

The 34-year-old winger has one year remaining on his contract. Austin considers it inevitable that his name will surface in the rumor mill again.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 11, 2025

by | Jan 11, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 11, 2025

Recaps of Friday’s games, the Jets’ Quarter-Century Team is revealed, Bruins stars Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak push back against a rumor of tension between them, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki’s overtime goal lifted his club to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals. Cole Caufield and Josh Anderson also scored for the Canadiens, who outshot the Capitals 30-17 to pick up their ninth win in their last 11 games. Jakob Chychrun and Lars Eller replied for the Capitals, who picked up a point and sit in first place in the Eastern Conference with 59 points.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens (43 points) moved within one point of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth and two points of the Boston Bruins for the first wild-card spot. Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren suffered an upper-body injury midway through this game following a collision with Suzuki, who was pushed into Lindgren by Capitals winger Brandon Duhaime.

Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane collected three assists to lead his club over the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3. Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat and Marco Kasper each had a goal and an assist as the Wings picked up their sixth straight victory. Blackhawks winger Teuvo Teravainen tallied twice and Connor Bedard picked up an assist to extend his points streak to nine games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings are one point behind the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference wild-card chase, with the Ottawa Senators (41 points) and New York Rangers (40) close behind.

The Los Angeles Kings collected their fifth straight victory with a 2-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Adrian Kempe extended his goal streak to four games by snapping a 1-1 tie in overtime. Alex Turcotte also scored for the Kings while Mark Scheifele replied for the Jets, who’ve won once in their last five games (1-2-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets are tied with the Vegas Golden Knights with 59 points but the latter holds first place in the overall standings with a game in hand and one more win. Jets defensemen Josh Morrissey and Dylan Samberg were in the lineup for this game. Morrissey had left Tuesday’s game against the Nashville Predators while Samberg was sidelined for over a month with a broken foot.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Dustin Tokarski made 14 saves to shut out the Vancouver Canucks 2-0. Jordan Staal and Andrei Svechnikov scored for the Hurricanes. The Canucks are winless in their last four (0-2-2) and cling to the final Western Conference wild-card spot (46 points) one point ahead of the Calgary Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks center Elias Pettersson returned to the lineup after missing six games with an undisclosed ailment.

Utah Hockey Club center Barrett Hayton scored with 1:32 remaining in the third period in a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Nick Schmaltz also scored and Fabian Zetterlund replied for the Sharks.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey highlight the Winnipeg Jets’ Quarter Century Team.

The trio comprised part of the First Team with Blake Wheeler, Dustin Byfuglien and Ilya Kovalchuk. Forwards Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers and Bryan Little, defensemen Jacob Trouba and Toby Enstrom and goaltender Ondrej Pavelec made up the Second Team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE Kovalchuk was the franchise’s biggest star when they were the Atlanta Thrashers, scoring 328 goals and 287 assists for 615 points in 594 games from 2001-02 to 2009-10. That included two 52-goal seasons and two 90-plus point campaigns.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins captain Brad Marchand and teammate David Pastrnak blasted WEEI radio host Rich Keefe for claiming Pastrnak was refusing to play on Marchand’s line.

“I know reporters have a job to do, and that job is to report on the team, and usually you try to be fact-based,” said Marchand. “But when there’s just blatant lies told in the media, that’s where there’s a problem.”

Marchand explained he and Pastrnak haven’t played together much this season because the team is trying their scoring depth through the lineup. He rejected Keefe’s claim that Pastrnak was a problem in the dressing room, calling him one of the most-loved guys in the room.

Pastrnak said he initially thought Keefe was making fun of him. “I know how I feel about Marchy. We love each other. I have a huge amount of respect for him.” He called the report “100 percent false”, saying he and Marchand had a good laugh over it.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers winger Evander Kane underwent knee surgery requiring four to eight weeks of recovery. This surgery puts his rehab from last fall’s abdominal surgery on hold.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Kane is sidelined for the rest of the regular season, this could also affect the Oilers’ plans for the March 7 trade deadline. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumors update.

THE ATHLETIC’s Aaron Portzline reports Columbus Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan has a sprained right wrist but no fractures. He’s been placed on injured reserve and will be reevaluated once the swelling subsides. Monahan suffered the injury against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 7.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Ivan Barbashev is expected to return to the Golden Knights lineup against the New York Rangers on Saturday. He missed the last 10 games with an upper-body injury.

CALGARY SUN: Flames center Conor Zary won’t require surgery following a knee-on-knee hit from Anaheim Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson. However, he will be sidelined indefinitely but is expected to return later this season.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators signed sophomore center Ridly Greig to a three-year contract extension with an average annual value of $3.25 million. Greig, 22, is in the final season of his entry-level contract.

TORONTO SUN: Former Maple Leafs Patrick Marleau and Jake Muzzin joined Leafs star John Tavares in separate appeals of the Canada Revenue Agency’s ruling on their signing bonuses. The trio are contesting the CRA’s 2023 reassessments that claimed their signing bonuses should’ve been taxed at the highest bracket of 50 percent, rather than the 15 percent they’ve paid.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Province’s Patrick Johnston cited a former NHL executive who believes the players will lose their appeals. He thinks it’s obvious what the bonuses are: merely an effort to say a certain portion of their wage should be taxed in a particular way compared to the rest.