NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 25, 2024

by | Mar 25, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 25, 2024

The Oilers’ Zach Hyman and the Panthers’ Sam Reinhart reach the 50-goal plateau, Nathan MacKinnon sets an Avalanche scoring record and the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin reaches another goal-scoring milestone. Get the details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman scored his 50th goal of the season in a 5-3 loss to the Ottawa Senators. Jakob Chychrun scored twice while Tim Stutzle and Drake Batherson had a goal and two assists each for the 30-36-4 Senators. Evan Bouchard collected three assists for the Oilers (42-23-4), who hold second place in the Pacific Division with 88 points.

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hyman is the seventh player in Oilers’ history to score 50 goals in a season, joining Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, Jari Kurri, Glenn Anderson, Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl.

Speaking of 50-goal seasons, Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart scored twice to reach that milestone as his club downed the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1. Brandon Montour picked up three assists for the Panthers (46-20-5) as they snapped a four-game losing skid to sit third in the overall standings with 97 points. Bobby Brink scored for the 36-27-9 Flyers, who hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 81 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reinhart joins Pavel Bure as the only two players in Panthers history with 50-goal seasons. He and Hyman are eight goals behind Toronto’s Auston Matthews in the race for the Richard Trophy.

Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists as his Colorado Avalanche overcame a 4-0 deficit for a 5-4 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jonathan Drouin scored twice, including the winner in overtime as the Avalanche improved to 46-20-5 to hold first place in the Central Division (97 points) and move into fourth in the overall standings. Sidney Crosby had a goal and three assists for the 30-30-10 Penguins, who’ve won just twice in their last 10 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon moved past Joe Sakic to set the Avalanche single-season points record (122). He needs 18 points to break Peter Stastny’s all-time franchise record of 139 points. The Avalanche center sits one point behind Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov in the race for the Art Ross Trophy. MacKinnon also extended his home points streak to 34 games and his overall points streak to 18 games.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored two goals as his club blanked the Winnipeg Jets 3-0. Charlie Lindgren turned in a 27-save shutout for the Capitals (35-26-9) as they moved one point ahead of the Detroit Red Wings into the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth with 79 points. The Jets (44-22-5)have lost three straight and remain in third place in the Central Division with 93 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin eclipsed the 25-goal plateau to join Gordie Howe and Jaromir Jagr as the only players in NHL history to accomplish that feat 18 times. Speaking of the Capitals, they honored winger T.J. Oshie in a pregame ceremony for recently reaching the 1,000 career regular-season game plateau.

The Carolina Hurricanes got a 32-save performance from Frederik Andersen in a 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Sebastian Aho and Brady Skjei scored for the 45-20-7 Hurricanes (97 points) as they sit one point behind the Metropolitan Division-leading New York Rangers and one point behind the league-leading Vancouver Canucks. Joseph Woll kicked out 41 shots for the Leafs (40-21-9) as they hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 89 points.

Dallas Stars forwards Tyler Seguin and Matt Duchene had a goal and two assists each to double up the Arizona Coyotes 4-2. Miro Heiskanen snapped a 2-2 tie in the third period and Joel Oettinger made 26 saves for the Stars (44-19-6) as they hold second place in the Central Division with 97 points and sixth place in the overall standings. Clayton Keller tallied his 30th goal of the season for the 29-37-5 Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s the second straight season that Keller has reached the 30-goal plateau.

An overtime goal by Anthony Cirelli lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Anthony Duclair and Luke Glendening also scored for the Lightning (39-25-7) as they hold the first Eastern wildcard spot with 85 points. Lukas Dostal stopped 24 shots for the 24-43-4 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning were without defenseman Victor Hedman and center Brayden Point as they’re day-to-day with lower-body injuries. Meanwhile, Duclair has fit in well with the Lightning since being acquired from the San Jose Sharks before the trade deadline. He has five goals and nine points in his seven games with the Bolts.

The New Jersey Devils got a 36-save shutout from Kaapo Kahkonen to defeat the New York Islanders 4-0. Timo Meier and Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist each as the Devils improved to 35-33-4 (74 points) to sit five points behind the Capitals for that final Eastern wildcard. Islanders captain Anders Lee was ejected in the second period for a knee-on-knee hit to Devils captain Nico Hischier, who left the game but returned for the third period. The 30-26-15 Isles (75 points) are four points back of the Capitals.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 32 shots for the 34-33-5 Sabres. Jonathan Huberdeau replied for the 33-32-5 Flames.

The Montreal Canadiens erupted for four first-period goals as they cruised to a 5-1 win over the Seattle Kraken, extending the latter’s winless skid to eight games (0-6-2). Alex Newhook scored twice and Kaiden Guhle had a goal and two assists for the 26-32-12 Canadiens. Jordan Eberle scored for the 28-29-13 Kraken.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 22, 2024

by | Mar 22, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 22, 2024

Four-assist performances from the Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov and the Oilers’ Connor McDavid, a hat trick for the Rangers’ Artemi Panarin, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov assisted on each of his club’s goals in a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Brayden Point scored twice to reach the 40-goal mark as the Lightning extended their win streak to five games. With a record of 38-25-6, they hold the first Eastern Conference wildcard berth with 82 points. William Eklund replied for the 16-46-7 Sharks.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov leads the scoring race with 122 points, opening a five-point gap over Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon. Lightning winger Anthony Duclair scored against his former team, reaching the 20-goal plateau for the fourth time in his career. Since being acquired by the Lightning before the March 8 trade deadline, Duclair has four goals and seven points in five games.

The Edmonton Oilers erupted for five unanswered third-period goals to crush the Buffalo Sabres 8-3. Connor McDavid collected four assists while Zach Hyman and Mattias Ekholm scored two goals each for the 42-21-4 Oilers, who sit second in the Pacific Division with 88 points. JJ Peterka tallied two goals for the 33-33-5 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hyman is just two goals away from reaching the vaunted 50-goal plateau for the first time in his career. Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (Hyman’s former teammate) leads the league this season with 57 goals.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin collected the third hat trick of his NHL career in a 5-2 win over the Boston Bruins. Jonathan Quick made 24 saves as the Rangers (46-20-4) moved within one point of the league-leading Bruins with 96 points. Justin Brazeau had a goal and an assist for the 41-15-15 Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Quick picked up his 391st career win to tie Ryan Miller for the most NHL victories by an American-born goaltender.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin scored twice in his triumphant return to the lineup to beat the New York Islanders 6-3, leaving the latter winless in their last six games (0-5-1). Andrew Copp also had two goals and Christian Fischer had a goal and two assists for the Red Wings (36-28-6) as they opened a three-point lead over the Washington Capitals for the final Eastern Conference wildcard spot with 78 points. Mathew Barzal netted his 21st goal for the 29-25-15 Islanders as they slipped five points behind the Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Larkin missed the last eight games with a lower-body injury. During his absence, the Wings went into a tailspin that threatened to derail their playoff hopes. They’re a different team when their captain is in the lineup.

The Vancouver Canucks gained ground on the Bruins in the overall standings with a 4-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Nikita Zadorov scored two goals for the Canucks (44-18-8) as they sit one point behind the league-leading Bruins. Juraj Slafkovsky scored to extend his points streak to six games for the Canadiens (25-32-12), who are winless in their last four games (0-2-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Slafkovsky remains a bright spot for the Canadiens this season. He had just eight points in his first 31 games but now has 30 points in his last 38 contests. Speaking of the Canadiens, they announced that Joshua Roy will be sidelined for four to six weeks with an upper-body injury.

Speaking of gaining ground in the overall standings, the Carolina Hurricanes moved to within three points of the Bruins by defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on an overtime goal by Seth Jarvis. Frederik Andersen stopped 30 shots for the 44-20-6 Hurricanes (94 points) as they’ve won five straight games. Travis Konecny netted his 28th goal of the season for the Flyers (35-26-9), who remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers captain Sean Couturier was a healthy scratch for the second straight game. Flyers head coach John Tortorella declined to discuss Couturier during a pregame interview. However, benching his captain has drawn plenty of media attention as rumors grow of a possible rift between the two.

The Nashville Predators continue to tighten their grip on the first Western Conference wildcard berth as they blanked the Florida Panthers 3-0. Kevin Lankinen kicked out 33 shots for the shutout and Filip Forsberg tallied twice for the 41-25-4 Predators (86 points) as they extended their points streak to 16 games with their fourth straight win. Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 34 shots for the 45-20-4 Panthers (94 points) as they’ve lost three straight and sit three points behind the Bruins in the overall standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers were without team captain Aleksander Barkov as he’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Speaking of the Western Conference wildcard spots, the Vegas Golden Knights cling to the final berth following a 3-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Keegan Kolesar snapped a 1-1 tie and Chandler Stephenson netted the insurance goal for the 37-25-7 Golden Knights (81 points). Jaden Schwartz replied for the 28-28-12 Kraken.

The New Jersey Devils got two power-play goals from Jack Hughes to defeat the Winnipeg Jets 3-1. Nico Hischier and Timo Meier each had a goal and two assists for the 34-32-4 Devils. Nikolaj Ehlers replied for the Jets (44-20-5) as they remain in first place in the Central Division with 93 points.

St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou had a goal and two assists to keep their playoff hopes alive in a 5-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Jake Neighbours scored twice and Joel Hofer made 37 saves for the 37-30-3 Blues (77 points) as they sit four points behind the Golden Knights for that final Western wild-card berth. Mark Kastelic and Dominik Kubalik scored for the 28-36-4 Senators.

The Anaheim Ducks snapped a seven-game losing skid by blanking the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0. Lukas Dostal stopped 29 shots for his first NHL shutout while Alex Killorn scored two goals for the 24-43-3 Ducks. Arvid Soderblom made 21 saves for the 19-46-5 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks center Leo Carlsson left this game in the second period following a knee-on-knee collision with the Blackhawks Alex Vlasic. There was no postgame update on his condition.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals winger Tom Wilson was offered an in-person hearing by the NHL department of player safety for high-sticking Toronto Maple Leafs forward Noah Gregor on Thursday. Wilson faces the possibility of a suspension beyond five games.

CALGARY SUN: Flames goaltender Dan Vladar will undergo season-ending hip surgery next week. He’s expected to be ready for the start of next season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 14, 2024

by | Mar 14, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 14, 2024

The Oilers’ Zach Hyman tallies his fourth hat trick of the season, the Avalanche stage a three-goal comeback against the Canucks, an update on Flyers center Ryan Johansen, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman collected his fourth hat trick of the season in a 7-2 victory over the Washington Capitals. Leon Draisaitl had a goal and three assists while Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists to extend his home points streak to 26 games for the 40-21-3 Oilers, who sit second in the Pacific Division with 83 points. Ivan Miroshnichenko and Connor McMichael replied for the 30-25-9 Capitals (69 points), who remain three points behind the New York Islanders for the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth.

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hyman (46 goals) became the first Oiler to score four hat tricks in a season since Wayne Gretzky in 1986-87. Meanwhile, McDavid (106 points) moved within one point of Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov for second place in the scoring race. Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon leads all scorers this season with 115 points.

Speaking of MacKinnon and the Avalanche, he had a goal and an assist as his club overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 on an overtime goal by Valeri Nichushkin. Mikko Rantanen also had a goal and an assist and Cale Makar collected two assists for the Avalanche (42-20-5), who moved into first place in the Central Division with 89 points. J.T. Miller and Nikita Zadorov each had a goal and an assist for the Canucks (42-17-8) as they hold second place in the overall standings with 92 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche have the same number of points as the Dallas Stars but they hold first place in the division with two more wins.

The Nashville Predators extended their points streak to 13 games by doubling up the Winnipeg Jets 4-2. Roman Josi and Gustav Nyquist each had two points and Jason Zucker scored his first goal since joining the Predators at the trade deadline. With a record of 38-25-4, the Predators hold the first Western Conference wildcard spot with 80 points. Alex Iafallo and Mason Appleton scored for the Jets (41-19-5) as they slipped to third place in the Central Division with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets center Mark Scheifele missed this game due to illness.

St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington kicked out 40 shots in a 3-1 upset of the Los Angeles Kings. Alexey Toropchenko, Jake Neighbours and Brandon Saad scored for the Blues (34-29-3). Adrian Kempe had the only goal for the 33-21-11 Kings as they hold third place in the Pacific Division with 77 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This season has been Binnington’s best since his 2019-20 sophomore campaign. He’s kept his temper in check and is more focused on his game.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: Kevin Kurz reports Philadelphia Flyers center Ryan Johansen is undergoing testing to determine the severity of an apparent hip injury. The Flyers were unaware of Johansen’s condition when they acquired him last week from the Colorado Avalanche. The 31-year-old center appeared in all 63 of the Avalanche’s games before he was traded.

There was speculation the Flyers could buy out the final season of Johansen’s contract. He carries an average annual value of $8 million, with half of it retained by the Nashville Predators as part of the condition of trading him to the Avs last summer.

The severity of Johansen’s injury could prevent any potential plan to buy him out this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A player cannot be bought out if he’s receiving treatment during the buyout period in June for an injury that occurred during the season.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Tempers flared between Red Wings teammates Ben Chiarot and Lucas Raymond during practice on Wednesday. Both players got into a scuffle and had to be separated by their teammates.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blame the Red Wings’ six-game losing skid that threatens to derail their playoff hopes for this season. Wings forward Patrick Kane believes this might be a positive development that helps get the club back on track.

SPORTSNET: New Jersey Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler will be out for an extended period. He suffered a concussion when he was elbowed by New York Rangers center Matt Rempe, who received a four-game suspension.

NHL.COM: Pat Maroon remains week-to-week after the Boston Bruins acquired him last week from the Minnesota Wild. He underwent back surgery on Feb. 7 with a recovery timeline of four-to-six weeks.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Bruins, Andrew Peeke will debut with the club after being acquired from the Columbus Blue Jackets last week. Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk (illness) will not be traveling with the team to Montreal for Thursday’s game against the Canadiens.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets forward Sean Kuraly is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs signed forward Bobby McMann to a two-year contract worth an average annual value of $1.35 million.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 15, 2023

by | Dec 15, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 15, 2023

Lightning stars Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov enjoy milestone performances, the Blue Jackets beat the Leafs after blowing a huge lead, the Canucks honor Roberto Luongo, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos enjoyed his first-ever four-goal game while Nikita Kucherov becomes the first player this season to reach 50 points in a 7-4 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Andrei Vasilevskiy kicked out 53 shots as the Lightning (14-12-5) sit just outside the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 33 points. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had three points and Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist for the 13-13-1 Oilers as their win streak ended at eight games.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 40 points, McDavid now sits 10 behind Kucherov in the scoring race while his Oilers (27 points) are two points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Meanwhile, Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury.

The Columbus Blue Jackets blew a 5-0 lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs but prevailed 6-5 on an overtime goal by Kent Johnson, who finished the night with two goals and an assist. Elvis Merzlikins stopped 43 shots for the 10-16-5 Blue Jackets as he returned to action after missing three games to an illness. Auston Matthews scored twice and added an assist while Mitch Marner had a goal and two assists for the Leafs (15-6-6) as they sit second in the Atlantic Division with 36 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets seemed to be cruising to an easy victory entering the third period but the Leafs made it interesting with a five-goal rally. It was a costly win for the Jackets as winger Patrik Laine left this game favoring his left shoulder. Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves departed with a lower-body injury.

After inducting Hall-of-Famer Roberto Luongo into their Ring of Honour, the Vancouver Canucks blanked the Florida Panthers 4-0. Thatcher Demko turned in a 36-save shutout while Dakota Joshua tallied twice for the Canucks, who became the second team to reach 20 wins (41 points) this season and second overall in the Western Conference. The Panthers (17-10-2) sit third in the Atlantic Division with 36 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Demko and his Canucks teammates are starting to look like the squad that Luongo backstopped to five division titles, two Presidents’ Trophies and a run to the 2011 Stanley Cup Final from 2008-09 to 2012-13.

A shootout goal by Bobby Brink gave the Philadelphia Flyers a 4-3 victory over the Washington Capitals. Owen Tippett scored the game-tying goal late in the third period while Morgan Frost collected two points as the Flyers improved to 16-10-3 to sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 35 points. Tom Wilson and Dylan Strome each had a goal and an assist as the Capitals slipped to 14-8-4 (32 points) to sit one point out of an Eastern wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov missed this game due to an illness.

The Carolina Hurricanes nipped the Detroit Red Wings 2-1. Jordan Staal netted the game-winning goal in the second period while Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 25 shots for the Hurricanes (16-12-1), who hold the final Eastern wild-card spot with 33 points based on wins. Ville Husso made 37 saves for the 15-10-4 Red Wings as they hold the first Eastern wild-card berth with 34 points.

Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy’s shootout goal gave his club a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames. Boldy also scored in regulation while Filip Gustavsson turned aside 35 shots for the win as the Wild improved to 11-12-4 (26 points), sitting three points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Yegor Sharangovich had a goal and an assist for the Flames (11-14-5) as they sit two points out of a wild-card spot in the West with 27 points.

The St. Louis Blues doubled up the Ottawa Senators 4-2 in their first game under interim head coach Drew Bannister. Robert Thomas scored twice and set up another while Jordan Binnington made 32 saves as the Blues (14-14-1) snapped a four-game losing skid to move into the final Western wild-card spot with 29 points. Joonas Korpisalo stopped 26 shots for the Senators (11-13-0), who remain in last place in the Eastern Conference with 22 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, Blues forward Jordan Kyrou was asked about the firing of now-former head coach Craig Berube. “I’ve got no comment. He’s not my coach anymore,” said Kyrou.

Those remarks didn’t sit well with Blues fans as they booed Kyrou during this game. He was visibly upset afterward, saying he respected Berube and was only trying to say that he was focusing on his future and helping the team win. Overcome by emotion, Kyrou said, “I love playing here, so it’s tough hearing the fans boo me.”

Speaking of coaching changes, one wonders how much longer the Senators front office will remain patient with bench boss D.J. Smith as the losses mount and another season starts to slip away.

The Seattle Kraken thumped the Chicago Blackhawks 7-1, ending Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard’s 10-game road points streak. Kailer Yamamoto tallied twice while Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and two assists for the 10-14-7 Kraken, who also sit just outside the final Western wild-card spot with 27 points. The Blackhawks, meanwhile, remain mired in last place in the overall standings a record of 9-19-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Kraken indicated goaltender Philipp Grubauer is sidelined week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin was the focus of an investigation following a human resources complaint by a team employee alleging verbal abuse in the workplace.

The alleged incident took place in late November. Two team sources claim the investigation is completed and determined Guerin did not commit a fireable offense.

The Wild aren’t commenting on the matter but released a statement indicating they conducted two separate investigations into alleged violations of their code of conduct and took appropriate steps to address those issues. This news comes a day after the club and assistant general manager Chris O’Hearn “mutually agreed to part ways”. Team sources say it was coincidental that the two investigations were concluded almost simultaneously.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said he and league commissioner Gary Bettman had been briefed about the investigations and were satisfied with the results.

SPORTSNET: Oilers winger Zach Hyman is calling for the eradication of antisemitism. Hyman is Jewish and the grandson of Holocaust survivors. “We live in Canada, in the US, where these things (antisemitism) shouldn’t be happening. And we can’t turn a blind eye to it,” he said. “Being a Jewish person doesn’t feel comfortable right now, and that’s a scary feeling.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No one should be the target of hate because of their religion. Freedom of religion is among the rights guaranteed in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and under the First Amendment of the US Constitution.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Buffalo Sabres placed winger Jeff Skinner (upper body) on injured reserve.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy and center Pavel Zacha were placed on injured reserve.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Arizona Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz (undisclosed injury) will be a game-day decision for Friday’s matchup against the San Jose Sharks. Sean Durzi (lower body) has missed the last two games and is doubtful to face the Sharks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 12, 2023

by | Nov 12, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 12, 2023

Hat-trick performances by the Oilers’ Zach Hyman and the Blues’ Brayden Schenn and Pavel Buchnevich highlight the recaps of Saturday’s action in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: A natural hat trick in the first period by Zach Hyman carried the Edmonton Oilers over the Seattle Kraken 4-1 to snap their four-game losing skid. Stuart Skinner made 17 saves for the 3-9-1 Oilers while Jaden Schwartz replied for the 5-7-3 Kraken.

Edmonton Oilers winger Zach Hyman (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were held scoreless in this contest. Kraken netminder Philipp Grubauer got the hook after giving up four goals on 17 shots.

Speaking of hat tricks, Brayden Schenn and Pavel Buchnevich each tallied three goals as the St. Louis Blues crushed the Colorado Avalanche 8-2. Robert Thomas collected four assists while Jordan Binnington stopped 36 shots as the Blues improved to 7-5-1. Mikko Rantanen and Jack Johnson replied for the Avalanche as they slipped to 8-5-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche were without forward Artturi Lehkonen as he’ll be sidelined for weeks with an upper-body injury suffered on Thursday against the Kraken.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander scored to extend his season-opening points streak to 15 games in a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Tyler Bertuzzi and Max Domi each picked up two assists while Ilya Samsonov turned aside 31 shots as they improved their record to 8-5-2. J.T. Miller and Pius Suter scored for the 10-3-1 Canucks.

An overtime goal by Kaiden Guhle lifted the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins, ending a 10-team losing streak against the Bruins. Brendan Gallagher and Nick Suzuki also scored for the 7-5-2 Canadiens. Pavel Zacha and Brad Marchand scored for the 11-1-2 Bruins, who remain on top of the Eastern Conference with 24 points.

The Carolina Hurricanes got a 22-save shutout performance from Pyotr Kochetkov to blank the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0. Sebastian Aho and Brent Burns each had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes as they rose to 9-6-0 in the standings. Nikita Kucherov missed this game due to illness as his club dropped to 6-5-4 in his absence.

Speaking of 4-0 shutouts, the Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Buffalo Sabres by the same score as Tristan Jarry returned to action by kicking out 35 shots after missing one game with a facial injury. Erik Karlsson scored twice while Evgeni Malkin and Ryan Graves each had two points for the Penguins (7-6-0) as they picked up their fourth straight win. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made 36 stops for the 7-7-1 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres also returned forward Matthew Savoie to his WHL club in Wenatchee after he made his NHL debut on Friday against the Minnesota Wild.

Arizona Coyotes forwards Clayton Keller and Logan Cooley each picked up three points as their club overcame two 2-goal deficits to beat the Nashville Predators 7-5. Michael Carcone scored twice for the Coyotes, who boosted their record to 7-6-1. Filip Forsberg scored twice and collected an assist for the 5-9-0 Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes played without center Jack McBain, who is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Alex Ovechkin scored twice as his Washington Capital (7-4-2) rolled to a 4-1 win over the New York Islanders (5-5-3), handing the latter their third straight loss. Call-up goalie Hunter Shepard turned in a 37-save performance for the Capitals. Alexander Romanov got the Islanders’ only goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders fans aren’t pleased with their club’s performance this season, calling for head coach Lane Lambert to be fired during this game. Earlier in the week, they were chanting for general manager Lou Lamoriello to lose his job. Meanwhile, the Capitals placed sidelined defenseman Martin Fehervary (foot) on injured reserve.

The Detroit Red Wings held off the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4, handing the latter their fourth straight defeat. Jake Walman scored what proved to be the game-winner while Jeff Petry and Christian Fischer each had two assists for the 8-5-2 Red Wings. Patrik Laine scored in his first game back with the Blue Jackets (4-7-3) since suffering a concussion on Oct. 20.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: To make room for Laine’s return, the Jackets assigned defenseman David Jiricek to their AHL affiliate in Cleveland.

Dallas Stars goaltender Scott Wedgewood made 31 saves while Wyatt Johnston had a goal and an assist in a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Cole Perfetti and Brenden Dillon tallied for the Jets (7-5-2) while the Stars (9-3-1) sit atop the Central Division with 19 points.

The Ottawa Senators ended a five-game losing skid on home ice by dousing the Calgary Flames 4-1. Joonas Korpisalo made 24 saves while Drake Batherson had a goal and an assist for the 6-7-0 Senators. Blake Coleman replied for the Flames as they fell to 4-8-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The trade request made by Flames defenseman Nikita Zadorov remains a hot topic among the pundits. I’ll have more in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

Former Los Angeles Kings netminder Cal Petersen made 35 saves to help the Philadelphia Flyers defeat his old team by a score of 4-2. Morgan Frost scored twice as the Flyers improved to 7-7-1 on the season. Carl Grundstrom and Adrian Kempe replied for the 8-3-3 Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Kings reclaimed forward Samuel Fagemo off waivers from the Predators.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines -May 10, 2023

by | May 10, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines -May 10, 2023

The Hurricanes take a commanding lead in their series with the Devils, the Stars tie their series with the Kraken and Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog to miss next season. Details and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes have a stranglehold on their second-round series with the New Jersey Devils following a 6-1 victory in Game 4 on Tuesday. Martin Necas scored two goals and Jordan Martinook collected three points as the Hurricanes hold a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. Jack Hughes scored for the Devils. The Hurricanes can wrap things up on home ice in Game 5 on Thursday.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Jordan Martinook (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils got off to a fast start as Hughes opened the scoring less than two minutes into the game. However, the Hurricanes tied it before the end of the first period and romped to victory with a five-goal second period. The Devils just fell apart in that period and had no pushback in the third as they were completely dominated by the more experienced Hurricanes.

This was Martinook’s franchise-record fourth straight multi-point playoff game. He went scoreless during the Hurricanes’ first-round series with the New York Islanders. With nine points, Martinook moves past Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl for the most points in the second round of this year’s playoffs.

Hurricanes goaltender Antti Raanta skated with his teammates in practice yesterday but sat out Game 4 as he’s still recovering from an illness. Meanwhile, Devils defenseman Ryan Graves missed his second-straight game with an upper-body injury.

The Dallas Stars tied their series with the Seattle Kraken at two games apiece with a 6-3 win in Game 4. Max Domi scored twice and collected an assist while Joel Pavelski tallied his sixth goal in this series. Jaden Schwartz tallied two goals for the Kraken while goalie Philipp Grubauer got the hook after giving up five goals on 22 shots. Game 5 goes Thursday night in Dallas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen was in the lineup and show no ill effects from taking a puck to the face in Game 3. Kraken winger Jared McCann returned to action after being sidelined by an upper-body injury in Game 4 of their first-round series with the Colorado Avalanche.

There was some controversy when Domi made it 3-0 in the second as the Kraken believed Grubauer had been interfered with by Jamie Benn. Their coach’s challenge, however, failed to overturn the goal.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Arizona Coyotes winger Clayton Keller, Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang and Chicago Blackhawks goaltender Alex Stalock are this season’s finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

Boston Bruins center Patrice Bergeron, Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson, Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes, Ottawa Senators winger Brady Tkachuk, Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin and Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson are among the 32 finalists for the King Clancy Memorial Trophy.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog is expected to miss the entirety of the 2023-24 season. He undergoes surgery today (May 10) as he’ll undergo a cartilage transplant in his right knee. Landeskog hasn’t played since helping the Avalanche win the Stanley Cup last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: By the sound of things, there’s no certainty that Landeskog will fully recover to the point where he’ll be able to play hockey again. Here’s hoping the surgery goes well and he makes a full recovery.

THE DENVER POST: Avalanche general manager Chris MacFarland remains hopeful that Valeri Nichushkin will remain part of the club’s future. However, he offered no update as the winger’s status.

Nichushkin was sent back to Colorado for “personal reasons” following an incident in Seattle prior to Game 3 of their first-round series with the Kraken. A woman was found in his hotel room so intoxicated that a team doctor called an ambulance to take her to a hospital.

There is no criminal investigation involving the winger and he’s not facing discipline from the Avalanche. However, neither he nor the club are commenting on the situation.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud spoke with ESPN anchor Jon Anderson and accepted the latter’s apology after Anderson joked on air that the blueliner’s last name was a good name for toilet paper. Whitecloud was born in Manitoba and grew up in the Sioux Valley Dakota Nation.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers winger Zach Hyman appears questionable for Game 4 tonight against the Golden Knights. He was not part of the club’s full practice yesterday after taking a shot off his right knee/thigh area in Game 3.

TORONTO STAR: Joseph Woll will get the start for the Maple Leafs in Game 4 tonight against the Florida Panthers. Ilya Samsonov remains sidelined with an upper-body injury suffered during Game 3 on Sunday. Matt Murray will serve as Woll’s backup. The Leafs face elimination tonight down 0-3 to the Panthers.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: Season ticket sales are booming for the Blackhawks after they won the 2023 draft lottery. They’re expected to use that pick to select top prospect Connor Bedard during the first round of the draft on June 28. The Hawks sold $5.2 million worth of new season ticket packages within 12 hours of winning the lottery.

CALGARY SUN: Flames forward Tyler Toffoli was named captain of Team Canada in the upcoming IIHF World Championship.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Flames, MacKenzie Weegar said Mikael Backlund occasionally clashed with former head coach Darryl Sutter. Backlund is a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility and was non-committal about signing a contract extension with the Flames during his end-of-season interview.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Backlund might have a change of heart after Sutter was fired as head coach last week. It could depend on who takes over as general manager and who they hire as Sutter’s replacement.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers relieved assistant coaches Mike Kelly and Jim Midgley of their duties on Tuesday. The move comes days after head coach Gerard Gallant and the Rangers agreed to part ways.