NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 23, 2024

by | Apr 23, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 23, 2024

The Oilers and Golden Knights win the opening games of their first-round series, the Hurricanes rally back to beat the Islanders and the Leafs even their series with the Bruins. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected five assists in a 7-4 victory over the Los Angeles Kings in Game 1 of their best-of-seven opening-round series with the Los Angeles Kings. Zach Hyman had a hat trick and an assist and Evan Bouchard had four helpers for the Oilers. Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist for the Kings. Game 2 goes on Wednesday at 10 pm ET in Edmonton.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers took a 4-0 lead and never looked back. The Kings cut the lead in half by the end of the second period but third-period power-play goals by Leon Draisaitl and Hyman put this out of reach.

McDavid became the eighth player in NHL history to pick up five assists in a playoff game. The record is six held by Mikko Leinonen (1982) and Wayne Gretzky (1987).

The Carolina Hurricanes overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat the New York Islanders 5-3, taking a 2-0 lead in their first-round series. Sebastian Aho and Jordan Martinook scored nine seconds apart in the third period with the tying and winning goals and Seth Jarvis had a goal and two assists for the Hurricanes. Semyon Varlamov made 34 saves for the Islanders. The series heads to UBS Center in Belmont Park for Games 3 and 4 with the third game on Thursday at 7:30 PM ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders played well in the first period. However, the momentum shifted in the Hurricanes’ favor in the second period after Teuvo Teravainen’s power-play goal got them on the board. This loss cannot be hung on Varlamov as he did all he could to help his team hang onto their lead. The Isles managed just one shot in the third period while the Hurricanes peppered Varlamov with 17.

Carolina goaltender Frederik Andersen was the hero in his club’s Game 1 victory. He was shaky in this one, giving up three goals on 12 shots. Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce left the game with a lower-body injury. There was no word regarding his status for Game 3.

Islanders forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau returned to action after missing Game 1 with a lower-body injury.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews scored the game-winner and had two assists in a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins, tying their first-round series at a game apiece. Max Domi had a goal and an assist and Ilya Samsonov stopped 27 shots for the Leafs. Morgan Geekie and David Pastrnak scored for the Bruins and Linus Ullmark made 30 saves. This series shifts to Toronto for Games 3 and 4 starting Wednesday at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A much better effort for the Leafs compared to their debacle in Game 1. Matthews answered his critics as his teammates rallied from 1-0 and 2-1 deficits. Leafs winger William Nylander remains sidelined with an undisclosed injury.

Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery praised Ullmark’s performance, citing several big saves he made during this contest. He blamed the loss on his club’s lack of production.

The defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Dallas Stars 4-3 to take Game 1 of their first-round series. Mark Stone opened the scoring in his first game since Feb. 20 and teammates Jonathan Marchessault and Tomas Hertl netted their first goals of this postseason. Joel Oettinger gave up four goals on 15 shots while Jamie Benn, Jason Robertson and Mason Marchment scored for the Stars. Game 2 is on Wednesday at 9:30 PM ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars spent this game chasing the Golden Knights but ran out of time to get the equalizer. It’s a trend that’s carried over from the regular season. Half of their total wins came after falling behind early. The Golden Knights special teams made the difference, going two-for-two on the power play while killing off both of the Stars’ power-play advantages.

HEADLINES

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: The Sabres announced yesterday that Lindy Ruff will become their next head coach. Ruff previously coached the club from 1997-98 to 2012-13, guiding them to the 1999 Stanley Cup Final.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This isn’t a nostalgia hire by the Sabres. General manager Kevyn Adams said he was looking for a new coach with NHL experience. Few are more experienced than Ruff. He’s fifth all-time in wins with 864 and 1,775 games coached with the Sabres, Stars and New Jersey Devils. Ruff won the Jack Adams Award in 2006 and was a finalist for the award in 2007 and 2023.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Despite Alexandar Georgiev’s poor performance against the Winnipeg Jets in Game 1, the Avalanche starter could get the nod in Game 2. Backup Justus Annunen is battling an illness. Third-stringer Arvid Holm could back up Georgiev if Annunen can’t play tonight.

DAILY FACEOFF: Washington Capitals defenseman Vincent Iorio is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury suffered against the New York Rangers in Game 1 of their opening-round series on Sunday.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken general manager Ron Francis said he intends to open contract talks with Matty Beniers and Eeli Tolvanen soon. Both are restricted free agents on July 1. Beniers is completing his entry-level contract while Tolvanen has arbitration rights.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 21, 2024

by | Apr 21, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 21, 2024

The Bruins downed the Leafs and the Hurricanes beat the Islanders in the opening games of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Get the details plus the latest on other postseason clubs in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk scored twice and collected an assist as his club rolled to a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1 of their best-of-seven opening-round series. Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman kicked out 35 shots as David Kampf was the only Leaf to score in this contest. Game 2 of this series goes Monday night in Boston.

Boston Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs’ efforts to establish a physical presence against the Bruins backfired. They were undisciplined, took too many bad penalties and were sloppy defensively against savvy opponents who emerged victorious by sticking to their game plan.

Leafs forwards William Nylander and Bobby McMann missed this game due to injuries. We have no more details because the Leafs won’t have daily injury updates during the playoffs.

The Carolina Hurricanes drew first blood against the New York Islanders by beating them 3-1 to take a 1-0 lead in their first-round series. Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen stopped 33 shots while Evgeny Kuznetsov and Martin Necas each had a goal and an assist. Kyle MacLean replied for the Islanders. Game 2 is Monday in Carolina.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders dominated large stretches of this game defensively, especially in the second period. However, they were unable to capitalize offensively. Andersen played a big part in that but the Isles best scorers didn’t get more quality scoring chances against him.

PLAYOFF NOTES

NHL.COM: Four other first-round series begin on Sunday. The Tampa Bay Lightning face off against the Florida Panthers (12:30 ET), the Washington Capitals meet the New York Rangers (3 PM ET), the Colorado Avalanche square off against the Winnipeg Jets (7 pm ET) and the Nashville Predators face the Vancouver Canucks (10 pm ET).

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche announced on Saturday that winger Jonathan Drouin will miss the series against the Jets with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A tough break for Drouin and the Avalanche. The 29-year-old winger enjoyed a career-best 56-point performance this season.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone (lacerated spleen) and defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (appendectomy) are good to go for Game 1 of their first-round series against the Dallas Stars on Monday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon sought to address critics for his club placing Stone on long-term injury reserve for the second straight year. They used the salary cap savings to bring in Anthony Mantha, Noah Hanifin and Tomas Hertl before the trade deadline.

It was originally reported that Stone wouldn’t be ready to return until later in the playoffs if the Golden Knights advanced past the first round. His clearance for Game 1 of their opening-round series drew accusations of salary-cap circumvention from their critics.

McCrimmon said the NHL is “100 percent involved in any of these LTIR situations”, pointing out the league had access to all medical information on Stone’s condition.

The Golden Knights did nothing wrong. Per the collective bargaining agreement, every NHL team can use LTIR for salary-cap relief whenever their players are sidelined for at least 10 games and 24 days of the regular season. Every club has at some point since LTIR was implemented in 2005.

Nevertheless, these instances have drawn grumbling in some corners that could lead to changes in LTIR rules, perhaps by making the salary cap count during the playoffs. Those changes, however, won’t occur until the next round of collective bargaining between the NHL and NHL Players Association in 2026.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks captain Logan Couture hopes that next season is better for him than the current one. The 35-year-old center missed all but six games due to a deep groin injury revealed to be Osteitis pubis.

Couture plans to resume skating in July. He said he’s drawn encouragement from other players around the league who suffered a similar condition. The Sharks medical staff are optimistic he’ll be ready for training camp in September.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Chicago Blackhawks rookie star Connor Bedard will suit up for Canada at next month’s IIHF World Championships in Czechia.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 15, 2024

by | Apr 15, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 15, 2024

Recapping Sunday’s games, the latest on the Coyotes’ potential relocation to Salt Lake City, and updates on Kings captain Anze Kopitar, Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Tomas Hertl completed a four-goal comeback as the Vegas Golden Knights rallied to defeat the Colorado Avalanche 4-3. William Karlsson scored twice (including his 30th of the season) for the playoff-bound Golden Knights (44-28-8). With 96 points, they’re one point behind the third-place Los Angeles Kings in the Pacific Division. Cale Makar had a goal and an assist for the 49-25-7 Avalanche, who sit eighth overall with 105 points.

Vegas Golden Knights forward William Karlsson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche are stumbling toward the end of the season with a record of 3-5-2.

The Carolina Hurricanes doubled up the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2. Seth Jarvis tallied twice in the third period for the 55-22-7 Hurricanes (111 points) as they sit one point behind the league-leading New York Rangers in second place in the overall standings. Blackhawks rookie Frank Nazar scored his first NHL goal on his first shot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nazar signed his entry-level contract with the Blackhawks on Friday following the completion of his sophomore year with the NCAA’s Michigan Wolverines. He’s one of their top prospects and could become invaluable to the Blackhawks’ rebuilding program.

A three-goal third period lifted the St. Louis Blues to a 4-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. Jordan Kyrou broke a 1-1 tie with his 31st goal of the season and Nathan Walker had a goal and an assist. Jared McCann netted his 29th goal for the Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues forward Jake Neighbours missed this game and is expected to be sidelined for his club’s final game of the season on Wednesday. He’s missed the last four games with an upper-body injury. The 22-year-old sophomore winger is tied for second with Pavel Buchenich among Blues scorers with 27 goals.

Calgary Flames forward Nazem Kadri scored twice in the third period to lift his club over the Arizona Coyotes 6-5. Andrei Kuzmenko had a goal and an assist for the Flames. Dylan Guenther tallied two goals for the Coyotes.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Coyotes, Elliotte Friedman reported Saturday that the NHL hopes to officially announce the sale of the club to Utah Jazz owner Ryan Smith on Thursday or Friday.

Current Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo will have five years to prove he can build a new arena, and then he’ll be granted an expansion franchise. Friedman said Meruelo is determined to do that. He will bid for a parcel of land in a June 27 auction he intends to use for an arena and entertainment complex.

The Coyotes are expected to be sold to Smith for $1.2 billion with the league facilitating the sale.

ARIZONA SPORTS: Meruelo will receive $1 billion from the league for the sale of the Coyotes to Smith. The remaining $200 million will be retained by the league as a relocation fee and distributed equally among the 31 other NHL owners.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman convinced Meruelo to sell because of the indefinite timeline for a new arena. Meruelo agreed after the league gave him that five-year window to be granted an expansion franchise provided a new arena is built within that timeframe.

Meruelo will also retain ownership of the Coyotes’ AHL affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners. He will negotiate to be an affiliate of the new team in Salt Lake City and will explore moving the Roadrunners to Tempe so it can play its games at Mullett Arena.

AZCENTRAL.COM: The Phoenix mayor’s office sent a letter to the Coyotes seeking a meeting with Meruelo regarding his proposed plan for a new arena and entertainment complex in northeast Phoenix.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Meruelo will remain part of the NHL Board of Governors in an observer role.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the last season for the Coyotes in Arizona barring any unforeseen issues. Whether there will be a Coyotes 2.0 depends on Meruelo winning the land auction in June and getting an arena built by 2029.

If the NHL does return to Arizona, and if the league also expands to Houston and Atlanta as rumored before the end of this decade, it will create an imbalance with the Western Conference having one more franchise than the Eastern Conference.

Could that finally bring about the return of the NHL to Quebec City? Does it mean a second franchise in Toronto? An expansion team in Cleveland? Let me know what you think in the comments section.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar is dealing with a nagging injury that forced him to miss Saturday’s game against the Anaheim Ducks. It remains to be seen if he’ll remain sidelined for the club’s final two regular-season games.

New York Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson missed Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders and Sunday’s practice with an upper-body injury suffered on Thursday against the Montreal Canadiens. It’s uncertain if he’ll rejoin his teammates for their final two regular-season games.

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk was fined over $2,700.00 for unsportsmanlike conduct against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks signed winger Cutter Gauthier to a three-year entry-level contract. He’s expected to play in his club’s final regular-season game on Thursday. Gauthier completed his second season with the NCAA’s Boston College and led all American Division 1 collegians this season with 38 goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Philadelphia Flyers selected Gauthier with the fifth overall pick in the 2022 NHL Draft. The Ducks acquired him in January after he refused to sign with the Flyers.

SPORTSNET: The Montreal Canadiens are expected to sign prospect Luke Tuch to an entry-level contract. The younger brother of Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch, Luke completed his fourth year with Boston University.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 13, 2024

by | Apr 13, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 13, 2024

The Golden Knights clinch the final Western Conference playoff berth, Filip Forsberg sets the Predators’ single-season goals record, the Coyotes players are told the team is moving to Utah, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights (43-28-8) clinched the final playoff spot in the Western Conference by defeating the Minnesota Wild 7-2. Tomas Hertl scored his first goal with the Golden Knights, Jack Eichel tallied his 30th goal of the season and Chandler Stephenson collected four assists. With 94 points, the Golden Knights hold the final Western wildcard berth. Wild forward Ryan Hartman netted his 20th of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jonathan Marchessault scored his 42nd of the season, putting him within one goal of William Karlsson’s franchise single-season record of 43. Meanwhile, Golden Knights captain Mark Stone joined his teammates in practice earlier in the day wearing a non-contact jersey. He’s been sidelined since Feb. 20 with a lacerated spleen. There remains no official word as to when he’ll return to action.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg (NHL Images).

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg tallied a hat trick in a 5-1 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Forsberg now holds the single-season goal record (46) for the Predators (46-29-5), who sit three points ahead of the Golden Knights in the first Western wildcard. Philipp Kurashev replied for the Blackhawks.

An overtime goal by Matias Maccelli lifted the Arizona Coyotes over the Edmonton Oilers 3-2. Logan Cooley scored his 20th of the season while Josh Doan scored his fourth goal and has eight in his first nine games for the Coyotes. Edmonton captain Connor McDavid missed this game with a lower-body injury and is questionable for Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. The Oilers (48-24-6) sit ninth overall with 102 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, Coyotes general manager Bill Armstrong reportedly told his players and staff that the franchise is moving to Utah for next season. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicated there will be attempts to help those affected visit Salt Lake City.

According to GOPHNX’s Craig Morgan, the move could be officially announced following the Coyotes’ final game of the season on Apr. 17. However, Friedman’s sources believe that might not be possible because there is still lots of work to be done.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported his sources claim major issues still have to be resolved and the situation remains fluid.

The Carolina Hurricanes picked up their fourth straight win with a 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues, eliminating the latter from postseason contention. Jake Guentzel scored twice for the 51-22-7 Hurricanes as they moved into second place in the overall standings with 109 points, one point behind the league-leading New York Rangers.

Calgary Flames winger Andrei Kuzmenko scored a hat trick to beat the Anaheim Ducks 6-3. It was the final home game for Ducks winger Jakob Silfverberg, who announced his NHL retirement at the end of this season. The Ducks honored Silfverberg following the game.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Boston University forward Macklin Celebrini won the Hobey Baker Award on Friday as the NCAA’s top male hockey player. Celebrini, 17, is the youngest player to win the award. He is expected to be the first-overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft in June.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Top Canadiens prospect Lane Hutson signed his three-year entry-level NHL contract on Friday. In his two seasons with the NCAA’s Boston University Terriers, the 20-year-old defenseman averaged 1.26 points per game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hutson could make his Canadiens debut in one of the club’s final two games on Monday or Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings.

ESPN.COM: New York Rangers center Filip Chytil has returned to practice with his teammates and could be an option for the playoffs. He’s been sidelined since January dealing with a head injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chytil is believed to be dealing with post-concussion symptoms.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Goaltender Ville Husso’s attempt to return to action from a lower-body injury with the Red Wings’ AHL farm team in Grand Rapids suffered a setback. He left warmups before Friday’s game and didn’t return after conversing with the training staff.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 10, 2024

by | Apr 10, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 10, 2024

Alex Ovechkin sets a scoring record, Auston Matthews reaches another goal milestone, hat trick performances by Nathan MacKinnon, Steven Stamkos and Juraj Slafkovsky, and the Predators clinch a playoff berth. The details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin set an NHL scoring record in a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Ovechkin became the first player in NHL history to reach the 30-goal plateau 18 times. The Capitals improved to 37-30-11 and regained the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth. Patrick Kane scored his 20th of the season for the Red Wings, who slipped to 38-32-8 to sit one point back of the Capitals.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin had a slow start to this season with just nine goals in 44 games before the All-Star Break. He’s had 21 goals in his last 31 games. Red Wings forward Andrew Copp suffered a broken cheekbone after being struck by a high stick by Capitals winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel. No penalty was called on the play.

Auston Matthews is the only active NHL player to score 66 goals in a season as his Toronto Maple Leafs beat the New Jersey Devils 5-2. Tyler Bertuzzi scored twice and collected an assist for the Leafs (46-23-9) as they sit ninth in the overall standings with 101 points. Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer each had a goal and an assist for the Devils (37-37-5) as they were officially eliminated from playoff contention.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews is also the first player in the salary-cap era to exceed 65 goals. With four games remaining in the regular season, he has time to become the first player in 31 years to reach 70 goals. Meanwhile, Devils star Jack Hughes missed this game and will undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. It’s been that kind of season for the Devils as they struggled through a disappointing follow-up to last season’s promising performance.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon tallied a hat trick to reach the vaunted 50-goal plateau for the first time in a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild. Cale Makar and Jonathan Drouin each had three points for the 49-24-6 Avalanche as they sit sixth overall with 104 points. Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist for the 37-32-9 Wild, who were officially eliminated from the playoff race.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 137 points, MacKinnon sits two back of Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov in the race for the Art Ross Trophy. With 51 goals, he’s the fourth player to reach 50 this season.

Speaking of hat tricks, Steven Stamkos scored three goals to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2. Kucherov picked up three assists to lead the scoring race with 139 points for the Lightning (44-27-7), who hold the first Eastern wildcard spot with 95 points. Kirill Marchenko scored both goals for the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 39 goals, Stamkos is poised to reach the 40-goal plateau for the seventh time. The Lightning extended their points streak to six games and are 11-2-1 in their last 14 contests.

Montreal Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky potted his first career NHL hat trick in a 9-3 rout of the Philadelphia Flyers. Brendan Gallagher and Christian Dvorak each scored two goals for the Canadiens. Owen Tippett and Erik Johnson collected two points each for the Flyers, who slipped to 36-32-11 (83 points) and sit two points out of the final Eastern wildcard.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Canadiens announced defenseman Arber Xhekaj will undergo season-ending surgery on his left shoulder. He had similar surgery last season on his right shoulder. Meanwhile, the Flyers are winless in their last eight games (0-6-2), leaving head coach John Tortorella somberly observing his club has reached “rock bottom.” They overachieved for most of this season but are running out of gas as the schedule winds down.

The Nashville Predators dropped a 4-3 decision in overtime to the Winnipeg Jets but picked up a point to clinch a playoff berth. Kyle Connor scored the game-winner and Connor Hellebucyk kicked out 45 shots for the Jets (48-24-6), as they sit in eighth place in the overall standings with 102 points. Predators captain Roman Josi collected assists on goals by Spencer Stastney and Ryan O’Reilly as they rallied from a 3-1 deficit to force the extra frame. With a record of 45-29-5, the Predators hold the first Western Conference wildcard with 95 points.

A three-goal first period powered the New York Islanders to a 4-2 victory over the New York Rangers. Bo Horvat and Noah Dobson picked up two points each and Semyon Varlamov made 32 saves for the 36-27-15 Islanders, who hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 87 points. Chris Kreider had a goal and an assist for the Rangers (53-22-4) as they hold first place in the overall standings with 110 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers head coach Peter Laviolette was furious following the game over a pair of what he deemed “vicious hits” on forwards Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck. The hit on Zibanejad appeared to be accidental but the one on Trocheck was deliberately hit from behind by Dobson. Both players escaped injury but Zibanejad was shaken up after the collision with Adam Pelech.

The Dallas Stars moved to within one point of the league-leading Rangers by nipping the Buffalo Sabres 3-2, eliminating the latter from postseason contention. Jake Oettinger made 19 saves for his eighth straight win while Jason Robertson, Wyatt Johnston and Joe Pavelski scored for the 50-20-9 Stars. Rasmus Dahlin and Alex Tuch replied for the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres set the NHL record for the longest playoff drought. Buffalo is a great hockey town but their fans continue to be disappointed by years of mismanagement and bad coaching.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov tallied a lacrosse-style goal and collected an assist in a 4-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. Teuvo Teravainen, Jake Guentzel and Seth Jarvis also scored for the 50-22-7 Hurricanes (107 points), who moved ahead of the Bruins into third place in the overall standings. Charlie McAvoy replied for the 46-18-15 Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the third straight season the Hurricanes have reached the 50-win mark.

The Florida Panthers blanked the Ottawa Senators 2-0. Anthony Stolarz made 25 saves for the shutout. Anton Lundell and Nick Cousins were the goal scorers as the Panthers improved to 49-24-6 and sit seventh overall with 104 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators will finish the schedule on a high note in terms of attendance. Despite another disappointing season, they enjoyed the fourth-highest change in attendance (5.9 percent). They’ve played to 95 percent capacity, averaging 17,536.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal stopped 36 shots in a 3-1 upset of the Los Angeles Kings. Frank Vatrano, Alex Killorn and Trevor Zegras were the goal scorers. Akil Thomas netted the only goal for the 41-26-11 Kings (93 points) as they hold third place in the Pacific Division.

The Seattle Kraken blanked the Arizona Coyotes 5-0. Philipp Grubauer made 39 saves while Matty Beniers and Oliver Bjorkstrand each picked up two assists. Earlier in the day, the Coyotes announced defenseman Travis Dermott will miss the remainder of the season with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Andrei Kuzmenko gave the Calgary Flames a 3-2 decision over the San Jose Sharks. Kuzmenko and Nazem Kadri each had two points for the Flames. Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside 37 shots for the Sharks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers captain Connor McDavid is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. The club recalled forward Dylan Holloway as McDavid will decide if he’ll play on Wednesday against the Vegas Golden Knights. His injury is not the same one that forced him to miss two games earlier this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid is one assist away from becoming the fourth player in NHL history to reach that plateau. Nevertheless, the priority for the Oilers is to ensure their captain is healthy for the upcoming playoffs. They have six games left in the regular season.

STLTODAY.COM: Blues defenseman Justin Faulk could miss the remainder of the regular season with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 8, 2024

by | Apr 8, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 8, 2024

The battle for the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth continues as does the jockeying for first place in the overall standings. Get the details in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Detroit Red Wings got first-period goals from Lucas Raymond, Patrick Kane and Dylan Larkin to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 3-1. Tage Thompson replied for the Sabres. With a record of 38-31-8, the Wings vaulted over the Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals into the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth with 84 points. The Sabres slipped to 37-36-5 (79 points) and sit five points back of the Wings.

Speaking of the Capitals, they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Ottawa Senators. Jake Sanderson scored in overtime and Ridly Greig had a goal and an assist for the 34-39-4 Senators. Max Pacioretty and Aliaksei Protas scored for the Capitals (36-30-11) as they sit one point behind the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals also lost defenseman Rasmus Sandin to an upper-body injury following a hard hit by Senators forward Parker Kelly in the first period. After the game, Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said Sandin will miss some time from the roster.

The New Jersey Devils’ wildcard hopes suffered a blow as they fell 3-2 to the Nashville Predators on a shootout goal by Ryan O’Reilly, who also had two assists in regulation. Jack Hughes and Chris Tierney scored for the 37-36-5 Devils, who are five points behind the Red Wings. The Predators (45-29-4) hold the first Western Conference wildcard spot with 94 points.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils defenseman John Marino missed this game with an undisclosed injury. The Devils also learned that forward Curtis Lazar could miss the remainder of the regular season with an upper-body injury suffered during Saturday’s game against the Senators.

Shifting to the top of the table, the league-leading New York Rangers defeated the Montreal Canadiens 5-2. Artemi Panarin extended his points streak to nine games with a goal and three assists for the 53-21-4 Rangers (110 points). Cayden Primeau stopped 41 shots and Mike Matheson collected two assists for the 29-36-12 Canadiens, who have lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers tied their franchise record for the most wins in a season.

The Dallas Stars are three points behind the Rangers in the overall standings with a 7-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche. Roope Hintz reached the 30-goal plateau for the third straight season, Tyler Seguin scored twice and Jamie Benn and Wyatt Johnston each had a goal and two assists for the Stars (49-20-9) as they sit second overall with 107 points. Nathan MacKinnon picked up two assists for the 48-24-6 Avalanche (102 points), who sit sixth overall but have won just twice in their last seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche were without winger Mikko Rantanen as he entered concussion protocol after being injured during Friday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. The early reports are positive as Rantanen worked out on Saturday and skated on his own on Sunday. He’s listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, MacKinnon (133 points) moved within three points of Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, who leads the scoring race with 136 points. 

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen turned in a 23-save shutout to blank the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0. Teuvo Teravainen had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes (49-22-7) as they sit fourth overall with 105 points. Malcolm Subban stopped 32 shots for the 26-40-12 Blue Jackets.

A four-point performance by Robert Thomas powered the St. Louis Blues to a 6-5 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Jordan Kyrou scored the winner in the shootout and picked up three assists in regulation play as the Blues improved to 41-32-5 (87 points). Frank Vatrano and Leo Carlsson each scored two goals for the 25-48-5 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues kept their playoff hopes alive as they’re five points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the final Western wildcard.

The Minnesota Wild defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0 as rookie Jesper Wallstedt turned aside 24 shots for his first NHL shutout. Kirill Kaprizov scored his 40th and 41st goals of the season for the 37-31-9 Wild. The Blackhawks dropped to 23-49-5.

Arizona Coyotes winger Clayton Keller had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. Keller extended his points streak to 11 games for the Coyotes (33-39-5). Henry Thrun had a goal and an assist for the 18-51-8 Sharks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Tomas Hertl is expected to make his debut with the Vegas Golden Knights in Monday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. The Golden Knights acquired the 30-year-old forward from the San Jose Sharks at the March 8 trade deadline. He’s been sidelined since Jan. 27 after undergoing knee surgery.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hertl is no playoff rental for the Golden Knights. He’s under contract until 2029-30.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The NHL department of player safety fined Oilers winger Evander Kane $5,000.00 for slashing Calgary Flames defenseman Dryden Hunt on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane didn’t have a good game against the Flames. Teammate Corey Perry lit into him on the bench at one point over a botched play. That stoked speculation Kane may have worn out his welcome in Edmonton.