NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 27, 2024

by | Oct 27, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 27, 2024

In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines, the Jets remain perfect, two Flyers forwards have five-point performances, and much more as we recap Saturday’s 14-game action.

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets extended their season-opening win streak to eight games by defeating the Calgary Flames 5-3. Cole Perfetti scored the tiebreaker late in the third period and Kyle Connor had a goal and an assist for the 8-0-0 Jets. Andrei Kuzmenko collected two assists for the Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Special teams made the difference for the Jets in this contest, tallying two power-play goals and a shorthanded goal. Perfetti’s goal came with Flames center Nazem Kadri in the penalty box. Kadri wasn’t pleased with the call and earned a game misconduct soon afterward.

Earlier in the day, it was announced that former Flames executive Bill Hay had passed away at age 88. He was the former president and CEO of the Flames and the former chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame. Hay was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in the builders’ category in 2015.

Before that, Hay spent eight seasons as an NHL center with the Chicago Blackhawks from 1959-60 to 1966-67, amassing 113 goals and 386 points in 506 regular-season games and 36 points in 67 playoff contests. He won the Calder Memorial Trophy and the Stanley Cup in 1960.

My condolences to Hay’s family, friends and former teammates.

Philadelphia Flyers center Sean Couturier (NHL Images).

A five-point performance from Sean Couturier (including a hat trick) powered the Philadelphia Flyers to a 7-5 upset of the Minnesota Wild. Travis Konecny had a goal and four assists and rookie Matvei Michkov had a goal and an assist as the Flyers snapped a six-game winless skid. Marcus Foligno tallied twice for the Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The win capped a busy day for the Flyers. They placed sidelined defenseman Cam York (upper body) on injured reserve, returned prospect forward Jett Luchanko to the OHL’s Guelph Storm, and called up goaltender Alexei Kolosov, who could start his first NHL game on Sunday against the Montreal Canadiens.

The Florida Panthers erased a 3-0 deficit with six straight goals in a 6-3 victory over the New York Islanders. Matthew Tkachuk led the way with two goals and an assist and Mackie Samoskevich netted his first NHL goal. Maxim Tsyplakov collected two assists for the Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Isles were busy before this game. They placed winger Anthony Duclair (lower body) on long-term injury reserve, loaned Liam Foudy to their AHL affiliate in Bridgeport, signed forward Matt Martin to a one-year, $775K contract, and recalled forwards Pierre Engvall and Hudson Fasching from Bridgeport.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson scored twice and collected an assist to lead the Buffalo Sabres over the Detroit Red Wings 5-3. Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin picked up three helpers as the Sabres extended their win streak to three games. Lucas Raymond and Moritz Seider each had two points for the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: One of Thompson’s goals was clocked at 104.69 mph, making it the fastest shot ever recorded by NHL Edge since 2021-22.

The Los Angeles Kings got two goals from defenseman Joel Edmundson (including the game-winner) in a 3-2 victory over the Utah Hockey Club. Blueliner Brandt Clarke had a goal and an assist for the Kings, who’ve won four of their last five contests. Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley replied for Utah, which has lost three in a row.

Vegas Golden Knights center William Karlsson had a goal and an assist in his season debut as his club thumped the San Jose Sharks 7-3. Brett Howden tallied twice and Pavel Dorofeyev had a goal and two assists for Vegas as they picked up their third straight victory. Vitek Vanecek made 35 saves for the hapless Sharks, who became the first NHL team to lose nine consecutive games to start back-to-back seasons.

An overtime goal by Brad Marchand lifted the Boston Bruins to a 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Marchand and David Pastrnak each finished with a goal and an assist as the Bruins ended a three-game winless skid. Mitch Marner picked up three assists and Auston Matthews had a goal and an assist for the Leafs, who are winless in their last three (0-2-1).

The Montreal Canadiens downed the St. Louis Blues 5-2. Kirby Dach had a goal and an assist, Cole Caufield sniped his seventh of the season and Sam Montembeault stopped 29 shots for the Habs as they ended a four-game winless streak (0-3-1). Colton Parayko and Jake Neighbours replied for the Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens winger Josh Anderson left the game with a lower-body injury but is traveling with the team to Philadelphia for Sunday’s game against the Flyers.

Former Blues defenseman Marco Scandella told St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Matthew DeFranks that he has retired, though he hasn’t officially announced it. Scandella spent 14 seasons in the NHL from 2010-11 to 2023-24 with the Minnesota Wild, Buffalo Sabres, Canadiens and Blues. He finishes with 170 points in 784 regular season games and nine points in 56 playoff contests.

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 32 saves to shut out the Washington Capitals 3-0. Mitchell Chaffee, Brayden Point and Conor Geekie were the goals scorers. It was Geekie’s first NHL goal. Charlie Lindgren turned aside 18 shots for the Capitals as their win streak ended at five games.

The New York Rangers got 32 saves from Jonathan Quick in a 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Lindgren and Will Cuylle scored for the Rangers while Olen Zellweger replied for the Ducks, who got 30 stops from Lukas Dostal. Rangers winger Artemi Panarin collected an assist to extend his points streak to eight games as his club has won five of their last six.

Nashville Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault scored in overtime to lift his club over the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3. Alexandre Carrier netted the tying goal early in the third for the Predators, who have won three straight. Kirill Marchenko, Zach Aston-Reese and Zach Werenski scored for the Blue Jackets.

The Dallas Stars doubled up the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2, handing the latter their fourth straight defeat. Matt Duchene scored twice for the Stars while Pat Maroon picked up two assists for the Blackhawks.

A four-goal second period carried the Vancouver Canucks over the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3, handing the latter their fourth straight loss. Canucks forward Elias Pettersson got his first of the season and teammate Arshdeep Bains netted the first of his NHL career. Evgeni Malkin had a goal and two assists for the struggling Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Penguins loaned goaltender Tristan Jarry to their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for a two-week conditioning stint. Jarry has struggled this season and has been relegated to third-string goalie status. His demotion to the farm team is to give him some meaningful playing time and the chance to regain his confidence.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis scored and collected an assist in a 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. Jared McCann sniped his fifth of the season for the Kraken. Carolina has won three in a row while the Kraken are winless in three (0-2-1).










NHL Rumor Mill – October 25, 2024

by | Oct 25, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – October 25, 2024

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill: the Canadiens and the Utah Hockey Club are exploring the trade market plus updates on Panthers forward Sam Bennett and Anaheim Ducks goalie John Gibson.

CANADIENS, UTAH SHOPPING AROUND FOR DEFENSEMEN

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports he’s been talking with teams around the league who say that Montreal Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes has started making calls to conduct due diligence and determine which players might be available in the trade market.

He believes Hughes is open to making a move that could shake up his roster a bit and help his rebuilding club win some games this season. So far, there’s no activity in the trade market and nothing imminent for the Canadiens.

LeBrun points out the Canadiens aren’t going to mortgage their future as their long-term plan remains in place. They also have limited cap space this season so any deal would have to be dollar-in, dollar-out.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli told Sportsnet the Canadiens are checking prices for a top-four, right-shot defenseman.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Ivan Provorov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens aren’t the only team looking for that kind of blueliner…

LeBrun also said the Utah Hockey Club is looking to plug some holes in their defense with Sean Durzi and John Marino sidelined for months recovering from surgeries.

They’ve reportedly contacted the Columbus Blue Jackets about Ivan Provorov. The 27-year-old rearguard is slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July and could be in demand as a playoff rental player by the March 7 trade deadline. However, the Blue Jackets aren’t ready to part with him yet as they don’t want to take away from their roster this early in the season.

LeBrun mentioned the Toronto Maple Leafs might be open to moving Timothy Liljegren. However, the 25-year-old might not appeal to Utah because he has term remaining on his deal. Liljegren is signed through 2025-26 with an average annual value of $3 million.

Darren Dreger pointed out that Dante Fabbro of the Nashville Predators might be available. The 26-year-old has been available before in the trade market. He also carries an affordable $2.5 million cap hit. Dreger noted the Predators are in the market for a center.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman also mentioned Utah could shop around for a right-shot defenseman. He also mentioned the emergence of Michael Kesselring has partially alleviated that problem. LeBrun believes they’ll look to within and see if they can ride this out. Nevertheless, they could be worth monitoring if losses mount because of their depleted defense.

Friedman also pointed out that Predators GM Barry Trotz wants to add a center. Maybe there’s a deal there to be had with the Canadiens or Utah.

LATEST ON BENNETT AND GIBSON

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos reports the Florida Panthers could find it trickier getting Sam Bennett under contract compared to their signings of Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe. He claims both sides are miles apart with little chance of a resolution anytime soon.

Meanwhile, Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson will soon return to the lineup following an emergency appendectomy earlier this month. Kypreos claimed the Carolina Hurricanes were close to acquiring the 31-year-old netminder in the offseason but the deal fell through. Interest in Gibson could heat up with Colorado, Detroit and Pittsburgh having problems between the pipes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson carries an AAV of $6.4 million through 2026-27. Kypreos claims Ducks GM Pat Verbeek is willing to retain part of it if he gets a top asset in return. We’ll see if one of those teams will bite.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 25, 2024

by | Oct 25, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 25, 2024

Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky reaches a significant milestone, the Jets remain unbeaten, the Golden Knights re-sign Shea Theodore, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Sergei Bobrovsky became the fastest goaltender to reach 400 career wins (707 games), stopping 24 shots in a 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers, handing the latter their first regulation loss of the season. Anton Lundell, Carter Verhaeghe and Sam Bennett scored for the Panthers while Alexis Lafreniere replied for the Rangers.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bobrovsky is the 14th goaltender to reach the 400-win milestone. He’ll soon move past Chris Osgood (401), Grant Fuhr (403) and Glenn Hall (407) and should overtake Tony Esposito (423) later this season to move into 10th overall as he burnishes his case for induction into the Hockey Hall of Fame.

Earlier in the day, the Rangers demoted popular enforcer Matt Rempe to their AHL affiliate in Hartford as he struggled to secure a full-time roster spot. They also placed defenseman Chad Ruhwedel on waivers.

The Winnipeg Jets extended their season-opening win streak to seven games as Nikolaj Ehlers scored in overtime to give his club a 4-3 win over the Seattle Kraken. The Jets held a 3-1 lead early in the third period but the Kraken battled back to force overtime. Nino Niederreiter scored two goals for the Jets as did Kraken center Matty Beniers, whose second goal tied the game late in the third.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets are the only team that hasn’t suffered a loss this season.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov had his fourth straight multi-point game (2 goals, one assist) as his club doubled up the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. Marc-Andre Fleury made 23 saves for his first win of the season as the Wild extended their points streak to seven games (5-0-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The sale of the Lightning to a pair of Wall Street investors was made official on Thursday. Former majority owner Jeff Vinik will retain a minority stake in the franchise and will continue to run the team until 2027.

The Detroit Red Wings got third-period goals from Patrick Kane and Michael Rasmussen in a 5-3 win over the New Jersey Devils. Cam Talbot kicked out 37 shots for the win. Nico Hischier tallied twice for the Devils.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane’s game-winner was the 77th of his career, tying him with Bill Guerin for fourth all-time among American-born skaters and tying him with Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand for fifth among active skaters.

Colorado Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon (one assist) and Cale Makar (one goal) extended their points streaks to eight games as their club defeated the Utah Hockey Club 5-1. Casey Mittelstadt had a goal and two assists and Ross Colton tallied his seventh of the season. Lawson Crouse had the only goal for Utah.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Colton left the game in the second period after being slashed on the hand. There was no postgame update on his condition.

The Dallas Stars defeated the Boston Bruins 5-2, handing the latter their fourth loss in their last five games (1-3-1). Matt Duchene and Tyler Seguin each had a goal and two assists for the Stars, who sit third overall in the Western Conference (6-2-0). David Pastrnak and Justin Brazeau replied for the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penalties were costly for the Bruins. The Stars blew the game open with three straight power-play goals in the second period.

St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington made 40 saves in a 5-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Dylan Holloway scored two goals and Jordan Kyrou picked up two assists for the Blues. Oliver Ekman-Larsson had the Leafs’ only goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This lopsided loss came after Toronto dropped a 6-2 decision to the Columbus Blue Jackets in their previous contest. This was Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube’s first game against his former club. Leafs winger Max Pacioretty missed this game as he’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

The Carolina Hurricanes got a goal and an assist from Martin Necas as they held off the Calgary Flames 4-2, ending the latter’s six-game season-opening points streak. Dan Vladar stopped 39 shots for the Flames.

Los Angeles Kings winger Warren Foegele tallied twice in the first period as his club nipped the San Jose Sharks 3-2, handing the latter their eighth straight loss (0-6-2) as they remain the only winless team in the league. Mikael Granlund scored two goals for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings activated goaltender Darcy Kuemper from injured reserve before this game. He’s expected to return to action against Utah on Saturday.

HEADLINES

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: The Golden Knights signed defenseman Shea Theodore to a seven-year contract extension with an average annual value of $7.425 million. Theodore, 29, was slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Theodore’s future in Vegas seemed in doubt after they acquired and signed defenseman Noah Hanifin last season. The departure of winger Jonathan Marchessault stoked speculation that Theodore would be next out the door due to salary-cap constraints.

Theodore is an important part of the Golden Knights’ roster core, providing them with a reliable source of offense from the blueline. He is also one of only three original members still with the Golden Knights, along with William Karlsson and Brayden McNabb.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid believes Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby should captain Canada’s team at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February.

“It’s just how it should be,” said McDavid. “He’s Sidney Crosby and he’s been there so many times and he’s the guy. It’s not like I thought about it a lot, it’s just such a no-brainer.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby’s international record speaks for itself. He’s a member of the elite Triple Gold Club, winning gold in the World Juniors (2005), the World Championships (2015), and the Olympics (2010, 2014). He also captained Canada as they won the World Cup of Hockey in 2016. Crosby was named to the IIHF All-Decade Team for 2010-2020.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins sent goaltender Tristan Jarry back to Pittsburgh to work with one of the club’s goalie coaches on an individual level. Jarry has struggled this season, prompting the Penguins to go with Alex Nedeljkovic and Joel Blomqvist as their current tandem.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jarry’s struggles have made him the subject of trade speculation. However, his performance and contract ($5.375 million AAV through 2027-28) make it unlikely he’ll change teams.

NEW YORK POST: Islanders winger Anthony Duclair is expected to miss four to six weeks with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s a relief for the Isles and Duclair. It was feared he would be laid up for months recovering from that injury.

RG.ORG: James Murphy reports NHL Players’ Association Executive Director Marty Walsh hopes to discuss expansion fees with the league during the next round of collective bargaining.

Expansion fees have been split among existing NHL owners. Walsh wants to discuss the possibility of the players receiving a cut of future expansion monies.

Walsh has yet to discuss this topic with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. He’s also under no illusions that the 32 club owners could willingly share any of the profits stemming from future expansion. Nevertheless, he’s hoping to have that conversation with the league.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That proposal could receive a hard no from the NHL owners. However, Bettman could also use that subject as leverage to gain something else for the owners.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 23, 2024

by | Oct 23, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 23, 2024

Recapping Tuesday’s 16-game “Frozen Frenzy” sees the Jets remain undefeated, the Panthers sign Paul Maurice to an extension, the Blues re-sign Jake Neighbours, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets are this season’s only undefeated team, holding off the St. Louis Blues 3-2. Kyle Connor scored the winning goal and Cole Perfetti had three assists as the Jets extended their season-opening win streak to 6-0-0. Blues winger Brandon Saad scored both of his club’s goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues announced before the game that forward Jake Neighbours signed a two-year contract worth an average annual value of $3.75 million. It’s an affordable bridge deal for the Blues but it could lead to a more lucrative contract for the 22-year-old Neighbours, who tallied 27 goals and 38 points last season.

The Blues also announced before this game that they placed defenseman Nick Leddy (lower body) on injured reserve. It’s believed he suffered the injury blocking a shot last Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild.

Minnesota Wild forwards Matt Boldy, Joel Eriksson Ek and Mats Zuccarello each had a goal and an assist to beat the Florida Panthers 5-1 to extend their points streak to six games (4-0-2). Jake Middleton picked up three assists for the Wild. Sam Bennett replied for the Panthers, who pulled goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky after he gave up five goals on 11 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers announced yesterday that head coach Paul Maurice had signed a contract extension. Details were not released. He’s in the final season of a three-year deal worth just under $4 million annually. Maurice guided the Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cup Finals in 2023 and 2024, winning the Cup last season.

Speaking of the Panthers, forward Sam Reinhart was the NHL’s first star for the week ending Oct. 20. New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin and Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson were the second and third stars.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel (NHL Images).

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel had a natural hat trick and collected an assist in an 8-5 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Victor Hedman scored two goals, Anthony Cirelli collected four assists and J.J. Moser had a goal and two assists for the Lightning. Timo Meier tallied twice and Jack Hughes had a goal and two assists for the Devils.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Tomas Hertl scored two goals and collected two assists to lead his club over the Los Angeles Kings 6-1. Mark Stone had a goal and two assists and Alex Pietrangelo had three helpers for Vegas. Warren Foegele scored the Kings’ only goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore missed this game due to an illness.

The Buffalo Sabres upset the Dallas Stars 4-2. Owen Power collected three assists, including setting up Tage Thompson’s game-winning goal. Thompson and Alex Tuch each finished with a goal and an assist for the Sabres. Thomas Harley and Tyler Seguin scored for the Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres coach Lindy Ruff gave forward Zach Benson the night off to rest. He’s been playing through a lower-body injury suffered earlier this month in Prague.

A four-goal first period powered the New York Rangers to a 7-2 drubbing of the Montreal Canadiens. Filip Chytil scored two goals and picked up an assist and Kaapo Kakko had a goal and two assists for the Rangers. Nick Suzuki scored both Canadiens goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers captain Jacob Trouba injured Canadiens defenseman Justin Barron with a high hit in the third period. Barron left the game and didn’t return. There was no penalty on the play. The Canadiens also played without winger Juraj Slafkovsky, who is out for at least a week with an upper-body injury.

Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren made his season debut after suffering an injured jaw during the preseason.

The Columbus Blue Jackets stunned the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-2. Mathieu Olivier tallied two goals, Justin Danforth had a goal and two assists, and goalie Daniil Tarasov stopped 26 shots for the Blue Jackets. Matthew Knies and Nick Robertson scored for the Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs winger Max Pacioretty left this game after the second period with a lower-body injury and didn’t return. Earlier in the day, the NHL department of player safety fined Leafs defenseman Oliver Ekman-Larsson $5,000.00 for interference on Lightning winger Jake Guentzel on Monday.

Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson underwent shoulder surgery and is sidelined indefinitely.

Vancouver Canucks center J.T. Miller had a goal and two assists to beat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3. Danton Heinen scored twice for the Canucks. Ryan Donato, Taylor Hall and Tyler Bertuzzi scored for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hall’s goal was his 700th career NHL point.

Washington Capitals forwards Nic Dowd and Andrew Mangiapane each scored shorthanded goals in the first period to lead their team to a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Capitals have won four straight games. Travis Sanheim scored for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler made his season debut after being activated off injured reserve. He’d been sidelined by a knee injury during a preseason game against the Boston Bruins.

The Detroit Red Wings got a 29-save shutout from Alex Lyon to blank the New York Islanders 1-0. Patrick Kane scored the only goal as the Wings were limited to 11 shots by the Islanders.

Colorado Avalanche forward Joel Kiviranta scored twice, Nathan MacKinnon netted the game-winner, and Cale Makar collected two assists as they held on for a 3-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. Makar and MacKinnon extended their point streaks to seven games. Jared McCann and Ryker Evans scored for the Kraken.

Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros turned aside 33 shots to shut out the Boston Bruins 4-0, snapping their season-opening losing skid at five games. Ryan O’Reilly, Luke Evangelista and Roman Josi each had two points. Jeremy Swayman made 38 saves for the Bruins.

An overtime goal by Sebastian Aho lifted the Carolina Hurricanes over the Edmonton Oilers 3-2. Martin Necas had a goal and two assists as the Hurricanes overcame a 2-0 deficit. Connor McDavid scored both goals for the Oilers, who got a 30-save performance from Stuart Skinner.

The Ottawa Senators blanked the Utah Hockey Club 4-0. Anton Forsberg kicked out 31 shots for the shutout while Drake Batherson, Claude Giroux, Ridly Greig and Brady Tkachuk scored in the first period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark missed his fourth straight game with a muscle strain, forcing the club to call up Leevi Merilainen. Forward David Perron is away from the team for personal reasons.

Calgary Flames forward Justin Kirkland scored the deciding goal in a shootout to nip the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3. Rasmus Andersson and Blake Coleman collected two points, Dustin Wolf stopped 35 shots and Nazem Kadri scored the tying goal in the dying seconds of the third period as the Flames extended their points streak to six games (5-0-1). Bryan Rust, Rickard Rakell and Noel Aciari scored for the Penguins.

The Anaheim Ducks got their first power-play goals of the season from Troy Terry and Leo Carlsson in a 3-1 win over the San Jose Sharks. Mikael Granlund scored for the Sharks, the only winless team with a record of 0-5-2.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 19, 2024

by | Oct 19, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 19, 2024

Three Jets have four-point performances against the Sharks, injury updates, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Cole Perfetti, Neal Pionk, and Vladislav Namestnikov each collected four points to lead the Winnipeg Jets over the San Jose Sharks 8-3. Perfetti had two goals and two assists while Pionk and Namestnikov each had a goal and three assists. Jets winger Nikolai Ehlers also scored two goals and picked up an assist. Tyler Toffoli had a goal and an assist for the Sharks, who are winless in their first five games (0-3-2).

Winnipeg Jets forward Cole Perfetti (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets (4-0-0) are among three teams still unbeaten this season, joining the 4-0-0 Calgary Flames and 3-0-0 Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Sharks could also be without sidelined rookie Macklin Celebrini (hip injury) longer than expected. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported Friday that the 18-year-old center could be out for another couple of weeks.

An overtime goal by Nathan MacKinnon lifted the Colorado Avalanche to their first win of the season with a 4-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. MacKinnon’s goal came after Ducks winger Troy Terry tied the game with 13 seconds left in the third period. Mikko Rantanen collected three assists and Ross Colton tallied twice for the Avalanche. Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal kicked out 45 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Ducks announced forward Isac Lundestrom is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

The Carolina Hurricanes scored four straight goals, including two on the power play, to down the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-1. Frederik Anderson made 25 saves while Martin Necas and Jesperi Kotkaniemi each had two points for the Hurricanes. Joel Blomqvist stopped 35 shots and Drew O’Connor scored for the Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins defenseman Kris Letang and center Lars Eller ripped their team’s performance following this game. “They worked harder than us, and they got rewarded for it,” said Letang. “There were so many things that needed to be better,” Eller said. “The attitude, the energy, the execution.”

HEADLINES

OTTAWA SUN: Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark (lower-body strain) said he felt better yesterday following practice. However, it remained uncertain if he’ll return to action against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Ullmark’s last game was a 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens last Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report indicates Ullmark and the Senators are being careful to avoid aggravating that injury. It’s best to ensure he’s 100 percent given how much they rely on him this season.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens defensemen Mike Matheson and Kaiden Guhle are day-to-day with upper-body injuries, forcing the Habs to recall Logan Mailloux from their AHL affiliate in Laval. Meanwhile, winger Juraj Slafkovsky suffered an apparent shoulder injury during practice on Friday and is questionable for Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders.

THE SCORE: Utah Hockey Club head coach Andre Tourigny said defenseman John Marino will be sidelined for months with an upper-body injury. He was acquired in June from the New Jersey Devils but his injury has prevented him from joining his new teammates.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Adam Kierszenblat believes the absence of Dakota Joshua is a key factor behind the Vancouver Canucks’ slow start. The 28-year-old energy forward is still recovering from offseason surgery for testicular cancer.

DAILY FACEOFF: Detroit Red Wings forward Tyler Motte is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

RG.ORG: NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly believes the best Russian hockey players still want to play in the NHL.

Since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022 the country has been banned from participating in International Ice Hockey Federation tournaments. The NHL also suspended its transfer agreement with the KHL.

That’s led to speculation NHL teams could attempt to cut side deals for unofficial transfers of Russian prospects from the KHL to the NHL. Daly denies this, saying the top Russian talent wants to come to the NHL because it’s the elite league for the world’s best players. That includes players buying their way out of KHL contracts.

There’s also been conjecture suggesting some KHL clubs are limiting the playing time of young NHL prospects like SKA St. Petersburg winger Ivan Demidov, a top prospect of the Montreal Canadiens. His coach disputes the accusation, saying ice time for young players is based on merit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: KHL teams tend to limit the ice time of promising young players until they’re better established. Philadelphia Flyers fans were concerned early last season over the playing time of winger Matvei Michkov before St. Petersburg loaned him to HK Sochi.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 16, 2024

by | Oct 16, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 16, 2024

In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines, the Blue Jackets honor Johnny Gaudreau in their home opener, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin reaches an assist milestone, the struggling Oilers picked up their first win of the season, and more.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Columbus Blue Jackets honored Johnny Gaudreau before their home opener against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.

With Gaudreau’s family on the ice, the Jackets raised a banner with his number 13 in a pregame ceremony. During the opening faceoff, the Jackets started without a left winger, which was Gaudreau’s position. Both teams didn’t move following the puck drop, letting the puck come to rest where Gaudreau would’ve stood, and remained in place for 13 seconds.

Once the game resumed, the Panthers held off the Blue Jackets 4-3. Sam Reinhart had a goal and two assists and Spencer Knight made 35 saves for his first win in 21 months. Sean Monahan scored for the Blue Jackets and pointed to Gaudreau’s banner to honor his long-time friend and former Calgary Flames teammate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson left the game with an upper-body injury after accidentally colliding with Monahan during the second period. Jackets coach Dean Evason described the injury as “not looking good”. That suggests Gudbranson could be sidelined for some time.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin had two assists, including the 700th of his NHL career, as his club doubled up the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2. Logan Thompson made 24 saves for the win over his former team and Jakub Vrana scored on his first shot in his return with the Capitals. Victor Olofsson and Jack Eichel replied for the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin becomes the sixth player in NHL history to score 700 goals and collect 700 assists. He joins Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jaromir Jagr, Marcel Dionne, and Phil Esposito. He’s also the 60th player to reach the 700-assist plateau.

Ovechkin has three assists in two games but still seeks his first goal of the season and remains at 853 career goals. He remains 41 goals behind Gretzky’s record of 894.

The Golden Knights also lost Olofsson late in the third period when he injured his left leg. Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said it didn’t look good but hopes it’s not severe. Olofsson was seen on crutches after the game.

An overtime goal by Leon Draisaitl lifted the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, snapping their season-opening three-game losing skid. Draisaitl finished with a goal and an assist and Connor McDavid collected two assists as they were put on the same line for the first time this season. The Flyers opened the scoring with a 2-0 lead as rookie Matvei Michkov tallied the first two goals of his NHL career.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A big comeback win by the Oilers, perhaps signaling that the slumbering Stanley Cup finalist is finally awakening from its season-opening slumber. It was a disappointing finish for the Flyers but their promising rookie Michkov finally breaks through after being limited to an assist in his first two games.

The Dallas Stars extended their season-opening win streak to 4-0-0 by nipping the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on a shootout goal by Wyatt Johnston. Matt Duchene and Roope Hintz scored for the Stars while Tyler Toffoli and former Star Ty Dellandrea replied for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars played without forward Tyler Seguin and defenseman Matt Dumba. Seguin is day-to-day with a lower-body injury while Dumba (lower body) is week-to-week.

Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames are also 4-0-0 after beating the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1. Matt Coronato had two goals and goaltender Dustin Wolf turned aside 31 shots. Nick Foligno had the only goal for the Blackhawks.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves and tallied an empty-net goal in a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Kirill Kaprizov collected two assists while Jakub Lauko scored the game-winner. Mathieu Joseph replied for the Blues.

The Tampa Bay Lightning won their home opener by beating the Vancouver Canucks 4-1. Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli each had a goal and an assist for the Lightning. Conor Garland had the lone goal for the Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was the first professional sports event in Tampa Bay since the second of back-to-back hurricanes in the region.

Four unanswered third-period goals lifted the Seattle Kraken to a 7-3 win over the Nashville Predators. Jaden Schwartz, Jared McCann, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Adam Larsson each had a goal and an assist for the Kraken. Michael McCarron, Tommy Novak and Brady Skjei scored for the Predators, who’ve dropped their first three games of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators may have “won” free agency by signing Skjei, Steven Stamkos, and Jonathan Marchessault but that hasn’t resulted in significant improvement thus far.

Head coach Andrew Brunette said his team deserves to be where it is right now, claiming they’re playing firewagon hockey. “We’re trying to be cute. We’re trying to show how talented we are to everybody. But we’re not really playing with a purpose,” he said.

The Carolina Hurricanes got a 23-save performance from goalie Pyotr Kochetkov in his season debut to double up the New Jersey Devils 4-2. Hurricanes rookie Jackson Blake tallied his first career NHL goal. Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier replied for the Devils.

IN OTHER NEWS…

RG.ORG: James Murphy reports NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said he doesn’t see any reason for concern regarding the next round of collective bargaining with the NHL Players’ Association. Those talks are expected to begin in 2025.

Daly also admitted he’s surprised by the league’s strong and fast comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic. He believes the COVID period created a stronger demand and appreciation from fans for the live product, and feels the game is in better shape than ever before.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daly also discussed the Utah Hockey Club and the league’s 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Follow the link above for the full interview.

TORONTO STAR: The good news for the Maple Leafs is John Tavares is out of sick bay. The bad news is William Nylander has caught the flu bug and is questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Buffalo Sabres hope to have JJ Peterka in the lineup when they face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. He’s been sidelined for the last two games after suffering a concussion in Czechia. Peterka was a full participant in practice on Tuesday.

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Hockey Club defenseman Sean Durzi is out for the foreseeable future with an upper-body injury.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils goaltender Jake Allen set an NHL record with his 3-0 win over Utah on Monday. He’s the first goaltender to secure a win against 33 NHL clubs in his career.