NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2026

by | Mar 10, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2026

Recapping Tuesday night’s action, the three stars of the week, Lightning forward Brandon Hagel fined, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Los Angeles Kings winger Adrian Kempe scored twice, including the game-winner in overtime, in a 5-4 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Brian Dumoulin had a goal and two assists, while Artemi Panarin and Scott Laughton each had a goal and an assist for the 26-23-14 Kings (66 points), who are one point behind the Seattle Kraken for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Conor Garland tallied twice for the Blues Jackets (32-21-10, 74 points), who are two points behind the Boston Bruins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

Los Angeles Kings winger Adrian Kempe (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

The Ottawa Senators got a 16-save shutout from James Reimer to blank the Vancouver Canucks 2-0. Ridly Grieg and Brady Tkachuk scored, and Tim Stutzle extended his assist streak to 13 games. The Senators improved to 32-22-9, sitting three points back of the Bruins. Kevin Lankinen stopped 22 of 23 shots for the 19-37-8 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators have won three straight and seven of their last 10 games. They got this victory without top defenseman Jake Sanderson, who is week-to-week after injuring his right shoulder during Saturday’s game against the Kraken.

An overtime goal by Frank Nazar lifted the Chicago Blackhawks to a 3-2 win over the Utah Mammoth. Andrew Mangiapane and Andre Burakovsky scored for the 24-29-11 Blackhawks. Dylan Guenther tallied his 30th goal of the season for the 34-25-5 Mammoth, who hold the first Western wild-card berth with 73 points.

Washington Capitals forward Connor McMichael tallied two goals in a 7-3 drubbing of the Calgary Flames. Justin Sourdif had a goal and two assists for the 32-26-7 Capitals (71 points), who are five points out of the final Eastern wild card. Matvei Gridin, Blake Coleman, and Yegor Sharangovich replied for the 25-31-7 Flames.

The New York Rangers downed the Philadelphia Flyers 6-2. Mika Zibanejad scored two goals and picked up an assist while Vincent Trocheck had three assists for the 25-30-8 Rangers. Matvei Michkov and Sean Couturier replied for the 29-23-11 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers forward Taylor Raddysh missed this game and will miss his club’s next game as he attends the funeral of his father, Dwayne, who passed away last Tuesday from pancreatic cancer. My condolences to the Raddysh family for their loss.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele, Colorado Avalanche winger Martin Necas, and Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson are the league’s three stars for the week ending March 8, 2026.

SPORTSNET: Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel was fined $5,000 for being the aggressor in an altercation with Buffalo Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin on Sunday.

DAILY FACEOFF: Seattle Kraken winger Jaden Schwartz is out indefinitely with an upper-body injury. He was accidentally struck in the face by the skate of Senators forward Nick Cousins during Saturday’s game between the two clubs.

SPORTSNET: During Monday’s episode of “32 Thoughts: The Podcast”, Elliotte Friedman reported there was “a lot of talk” about Edmonton Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry clashing with some of his teammates during a practice last week.

Friedman didn’t elaborate further, but went on to say it was symptomatic of a frustrating season for the club, pointing to comments made by former Oilers Troy Stecher and Andrew Mangiapane.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers hold third place in the Pacific Division with 70 points, but they have only four wins in their last 10 games. Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks are only four points behind them in the playoff race.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 2, 2026

by | Jan 2, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 2, 2026

Recapping the New Year’s Day games, injury updates, and the three stars and Rookie of the Month for December are revealed in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Auston Matthews tallied his 14th career NHL regular-season hat trick to rally the Toronto Maple Leafs from a 4-1 deficit to a 6-5 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Matthews’ third goal snapped a 5-5 tie in the third period, and he also collected an assist for the 19-15-6 Maple Leafs, who’ve won four of their last five games. Mark Scheifele scored two goals and picked up an assist for the Jets (15-20-4) as their winless skid reached eight games (0-5-3).

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 419 NHL career regular-season goals, Matthews needs one more to tie Mats Sundin for the franchise goals record. The Maple Leafs replaced goaltender Joseph Woll with Dennis Hildeby after Woll gave up 4 goals on 17 shots. Since Nov. 11, the Jets have won only six times in their last 24 games.

Utah Mammoth winger Dylan Guenther collected his first NHL hat trick and picked up an assist as his club thumped the New York Islanders 7-2. Nick Schmaltz, Clayton Keller, and Mikhail Sergachev each had three-point performances as the Mammoth improved to 19-19-3. Calum Ritchie and Matthew Schaefer replied for the 22-15-4 Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders center Bo Horvat left this game in the third period with a lower-body injury. He will see a doctor on Friday. Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka stopped 20 shots for the win as he returned to action after missing the last two games with an upper-body injury.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang celebrated his 1,200th career NHL regular-season game by scoring in overtime in a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Sidney Crosby scored twice and collected an assist for the 18-12-9 Penguins, who have won three straight games. James van Riemsdyk, Andrew Copp, and Alex DeBrincat scored for the Red Wings (24-14-4), who hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 52 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson had two assists to reach 900 career NHL regular-season points. The last time the Red Wings were in first place in the Eastern Conference at this stage or later in the season was Feb. 7, 2015.

The Montreal Canadiens picked up their first win in Carolina since 2016 by defeating the Hurricanes 7-5. Juraj Slafkovsky, Lane Hutson, and Sammy Blais each had a goal and an assist, and Cole Caufield sniped his 20th goal of the season for the Canadiens (22-12-6) as they extended their points streak to seven games (5-0-2). Sebastian Aho had two goals and three assists for the 24-13-3 Hurricanes, who slipped out of first place in the Eastern Conference but hold first place in the Metropolitan Division with 51 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Montreal defenseman Mike Matheson missed this game with an upper-body injury, while winger Josh Anderson left in the second period with an undisclosed injury. Canadiens rookie Ivan Demidov collected two assists to become the first rookie to reach 35 points this season.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Anthony Cirelli, Gage Goncalves, and Nikita Kucherov lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Kucherov finished with three points, and Brandon Hagel scored twice for the 24-13-3 Lightning, who extended their win streak to six games. Corey Perry picked up three assists for the Kings (16-14-9), who have only two wins in their last 10 contests.

The Ottawa Senators overcame a 2-0 deficit to nip the Washington Capitals 4-3. Fabian Zetterlund snapped a 3-3 tie late in the third period while Tim Stutzle collected an assist to extend his points streak to 11 games for the 19-15-1 Senators, ending their three-game winless skid. Tom Wilson had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (21-15-5), who have only two wins in their last seven games (2-4-1).

Chicago Blackhawks forward Ilya Mikheyev tallied twice in a 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars. Spencer Knight stopped 22 shots while Ryan Donato and Andre Burakovsky each had two assists for the 15-18-7 Blackhawks. Mikko Rantanen, Jason Robertson, and Matt Duchene each had a goal and an assist for the slumping Stars (25-9-7), who are winless in their last four games (0-2-2).

Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers scored two goals in a 4-1 victory against the Nashville Predators. Philipp Grubauer made 24 saves for the Kraken (17-14-7), who are 5-0-1 in their last six contests. Roman Josi replied for the 18-18-4 Predators.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, and San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini are the league’s three stars for December 2025. Montreal Canadiens winger Ivan Demidov was the Rookie of the Month.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks forwards Conor Garland and Marco Rossi have been sidelined for at least a week due to injuries.

DAILY FACEOFF: Edmonton Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry is out until at least mid-January with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Miles Wood is week-to-week with a lower-body injury and was placed on injured reserve.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche forward Joel Kiviranta and Gavin Brindley are day-to-day with injuries.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2025

by | Dec 22, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2025

Sidney Crosby surpasses Mario Lemieux as the Penguins’ all-time points leader, Oilers captain Connor McDavid overtakes Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon for the lead in the scoring race, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Sidney Crosby scored and collected an assist to surpass Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux as the Pittsburgh Penguins’ all-time points leader (1,724) in a 4-3 shootout victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Rickard Rakell also had a goal and an assist and tallied the game-winner as the Penguins (15-11-9) ended an eight-game winless skid (0-4-4). Ivan Demidov, Oliver Kapanen, and Juraj Slafkovsky each had two points for the 19-12-5 Canadiens.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby also moved past Lemieux into eighth place among the NHL’s all-time points leaders. He needs 32 points to surpass Steve Yzerman (1,755) for seventh. Crosby now needs 46 goals to break Lemieux’s all-time franchise goals record of 690.

Lemieux applauded Crosby’s achievement in a 30-second video message that was played later in the first period. Crosby was humble after the game, praising Lemieux for what he’s done for the Penguins. “I don’t think you can put a stat line or a number on what he means to this team and to hockey, so yeah, in my mind, he’s No. 1,” Crosby said.

Meanwhile, the Canadiens announced goaltender Sam Montembeault will rejoin the roster ahead of next Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Montembeault was loaned to the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate in Laval last week on a conditioning stint.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored for the fourth straight game and collected two assists as his club held off the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 4-3. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tallied twice and collected an assist, and Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman each had two points for the 18-13-6 Oilers, who’ve won seven of their last 10 games. Tomas Hertl and Noah Hanifin each had three points for the Golden Knights (16-8-10), who are winless in their last three games (0-2-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid has overtaken Nathan MacKinnon, sitting in first place in the scoring race with 62 points, one ahead of the Colorado Avalanche center.

Oilers forward Trent Frederic was a healthy scratch from this game. The club also announced that goaltender Tristan Jarry will be out for two weeks with an injury, and activated winger Jack Roslovic from long-term injury reserve.

Speaking of MacKinnon, he scored twice to become the first player to reach 30 goals this season in a 5-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. Cale Makar and Brock Nelson each had a goal and two assists for the 26-2-7 Avalanche, who’ve won five straight games and remain in first place in the overall standings with 59 points. Ryan Hartman replied for the Wild (22-10-5) as their seven-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon had led the points race for weeks and seemed poised to run away with the Art Ross Trophy. McDavid’s surge in recent weeks indicates this could be an exciting race over the second half of the season.

An overtime goal by Moritz Seider lifted the Detroit Red Wings over the Washington Capitals 3-2. Cam Talbot made 31 saves for the Red Wings (21-13-3), as they hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 45 points. Ethen Frank scored both goals for the 19-12-5 Capitals, who have two wins in their last seven contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings forward Patrick Kane missed his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss Tuesday’s match against the Dallas Stars. Meanwhile, the Wings removed Mason Appleton from injured reserve after a 10-game absence.

The Ottawa Senators defeated the Boston Bruins 6-2. Fabian Zetterlund scored two goals and picked up an assist while Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens each had a goal and two assists for the Senators (18-13-4), as they collected their fourth straight win. David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha tallied for the 20-16-1 Bruins, who are 1-3-1 in their last five contests.

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 26 shots as his club extended its win streak to six games with a 3-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Josh Norris, Zach Benson, and Peyton Krebs scored for the 17-14-4 Sabres. Jack Hughes scored for the Devils (20-15-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Hughes’ first game since missing 18 games with an injured hand. Speaking of the Sabres, it has been confirmed that they’ve added Marc Bergevin as associate general manager and Josh Flynn as assistant GM.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg scored to extend his points streak to eight games as his club nipped the New York Rangers 2-1. Steven Stamkos also scored for the Predators (15-16-4), who have won five of their last seven contests. Jonny Brodzinski replied for the 18-16-4 Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers were without team captain J.T. Miller, who is considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

The Dallas Stars picked up their fourth straight win by downing the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1. Jake Oettinger made 27 saves, and Jamie Benn had a goal and an assist for the 25-7-5 Stars. Scott Laughton scored for the Maple Leafs (15-15-5), who have lost four of their last five games.

An overtime goal by Clayton Keller gave the Utah Mammoth a 4-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Keller and Mikhail Sergachev each finished with two points for the Mammoth, who improved to 18-17-3. Kyle Connor scored two goals for the (15-17-3) Jets, who have three wins in their last 16 games.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 20, 2025

by | Dec 20, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 20, 2025

Recaps of Friday’s games, the Kings send Phillip Danault back to the Canadiens, the Kraken trade Mason Marchment to the Blue Jackets, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING FRIDAY’S NHL GAMES

NHL.COM: A hat trick by Kiefer Sherwood powered the Vancouver Canucks to a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Thatcher Demko made 22 saves, and Filip Hronek collected two assists for the 14-17-3 Canucks. Anders Lee replied for the 19-13-3 Islanders, who have dropped two straight games.

Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Since trading Quinn Hughes to the Minnesota Wild last Friday, the Canucks have won three straight games. Veteran defenseman Tyler Myers played his 1,100th career NHL regular-season game.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson scored twice and collected an assist to lead his club to an 8-3 thrashing of the Anaheim Ducks. Roope Hintz and Thomas Harley each had a goal and an assist for the Stars (24-7-5), who picked up their third straight win. Anaheim goaltender Petr Mrazek replaced starter Lukas Dostal after the latter gave up four goals on seven shots in the first period. The Ducks (20-13-2) have lost four of their last five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars activated forward Adam Erne from long-term injured reserve. He’d been out since Nov. 14 with a lower-body injury.

Earlier in the day, they announced forward Tyler Seguin underwent surgery on Tuesday to repair a torn ACL. He has not been ruled out for the season and will be reevaluated following the Olympic break in February.

The Florida Panthers overcame a 3-0 deficit to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 on a shootout goal by Evan Rodrigues. Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart, and Sam Bennett each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers (19-13-2), who have won seven of their last eight contests. Sebastian Aho scored twice for the 22-9-3 Hurricanes, whose five-game winning streak ended, as did goalie Brandon Bussi’s nine-game win streak.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes remain atop the Eastern Conference standings with 47 points, but it proved to be a costly victory as versatile forward Seth Jarvis is expected to miss some time after crashing into the Panthers’ net during overtime. They also played without forward Jordan Martinook, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

A third-period goal by Parker Kelly proved to be the game-winner for the Colorado Avalanche as they held off the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 3-2. Brent Burns and Martin Necas also scored for the 25-2-7 Avalanche, who remain in first place in the overall standings with 57 points. Morgan Barron and Mark Scheifele replied for the 15-17-2 Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche have won four in a row and seven of their last eight games. Meanwhile, the struggling Jets have won only three of their last 15 contests.

The New Jersey Devils nipped the Utah Mammoth 2-1. Stefan Noesen broke a 1-1 tie in the third period, and Nico Hischier had two assists for the 20-14-1 Devils. Daniil But scored his first career NHL goal for the 17-17-3 Mammoth.

HEADLINES

LOS ANGELES TIMES/MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Kings traded center Phillip Danault to the Montreal Canadiens in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Danault is returning to the club where he spent five seasons (2016 to 2021) before signing with the Kings as a free agent. The 32-year-old two-way forward is signed through 2026-27 with an average annual value of $5.5 million. His addition pushed the Canadiens over the salary cap by $1.4 million, but they could demote Owen Beck and Jared Davidson to become cap-compliant. They could also place Alex Newhook on LTIR.

Danault has struggled offensively this season with five points in 30 games. However, he’s a left-shot center whose defensive skills will take pressure off top center Nick Suzuki and help to improve the Canadiens’ defensive game, especially on the penalty kill and in the faceoff circle. He could skate on the third line between Josh Anderson and Alexandre Texier, or he could be reunited with former linemate Brendan Gallagher on their fourth line.

The Kings were reportedly seeking a player in return, and it was rumored their asking price from the Canadiens was Jake Evans. They instead settled for a second-round pick that the Canadiens received from the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Patrik Laine trade in August 2024. The Kings could use that pick as a trade chip to pursue another player.

THE SEATTLE TIMES/THE ATHLETIC: The Kraken traded winger Mason Marchment to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a second-round pick in 2027 and a fourth-rounder in 2026.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken acquired Marchment from the Dallas Stars in June, giving up a third-rounder and a fourth-round pick. The gritty 30-year-old winger was used in a top-six role, but he wasn’t a good fit with the Kraken, making him the subject of recent trade speculation. He’s in the final season of a four-year contract with a cap hit of $4.5 million.

Marchment heads to a Blue Jackets club struggling to regain the form that had them challenging for a playoff berth last season. They’re hoping he can regain his 22-goal form and provide a much-needed jolt of physical energy to their lineup.

Both trades occurred before the annual holiday roster freeze went into effect at 11:59 pm ET on Friday, Dec. 19. The freeze is in place until 12:01 am ET on Sunday, Dec. 28.

LAS VEGAS SUN: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel and defenseman Shea Theodore will not be joining their teammates during their weekend Canadian road trip. Eichel was suffering from an illness, but he’s now day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Theodore was listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury, but is now considered week-to-week.

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers placed goaltender Tristan Jarry on injured reserve and called up Connor Ingram from their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield. They also placed winger Jack Roslovic on LTIR.

DAILY FACEOFF: Nashville Predators winger Jonathan Marchessault is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: On Friday, the Penguins officially announced that the sale of the franchise to the Hoffman Family of Companies had been completed. It was reported earlier this week that the sale would soon be made official. Fenway Sports Group owned the Penguins for the past four years.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Former forward John MacLean will become the fourth member of the Devils’ Ring of Honor. He will be inducted during a pregame ceremony on Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2026, when the club hosts the Winnipeg Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacLean spent 14 of his 18 NHL seasons with New Jersey from 1983-84 to 1997-98. During his tenure with the Devils, he scored 347 goals and 701 points in 934 regular-season games, and 75 points in 88 playoff contests. He won a Stanley Cup with them in 1995 as a player and another in 2003 as an assistant coach.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 19, 2025

by | Dec 19, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 19, 2025

Recaps of Thursday’s action and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Connor McDavid scored a shorthanded goal and picked up an assist in a 3-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also had a goal and an assist for the 17-12-6 Oilers, who have won six of their last eight games. Pavel Zacha replied for the Bruins (20-15-0), who dropped two of their last three contests.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid has caught up with Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon for first place in the scoring race, with each player having 58 points. Calvin Pickard replaced Oilers starting goalie Tristan Jarry as the latter left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury. There was no postgame update on his status.

The Minnesota Wild extended their win streak to six games by downing the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2. Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov each had a goal and two assists, and Jesper Wallstedt made 27 saves as the Wild improved to 21-9-5. Zach Werenski scored both goals for the Blue Jackets (14-14-6), who have lost six of their last seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Boldy join Kaprizov with his 20th goal of the season, making the Wild the only team thus far this season to have two 20-goal scorers.

Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson stopped 22 shots to shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0. Jakob Chychrun tallied twice, and John Carlsson had a goal and two assists for the Capitals (19-11-4) as they snapped a three-game losing skid. Dennis Hildeby made 25 saves for the Maple Leafs, who slipped to 15-13-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube pulled no punches about his team’s performance following this game, laying the blame for the loss at the feet of his players. He pointed out that the Capitals played with more passion and urgency. When asked why his players were so flat in this game, Berube replied, “Ask those guys, not me.”

Speaking of 4-0 wins, Ottawa Senators netminder Linus Ullmark made 24 saves to earn his shutout over the Pittsburgh Penguins, handing the latter their seventh straight loss (0-3-4). Brady Tkachuk netted two goals, and Drake Batherson collected two assists for the 16-13-4 Senators, who have won three of their last four games. Arturs Silovs stopped 22 shots for the Penguins as their record dropped to 14-10-9.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Senators announced that former head coach Jacques Martin will be inducted into their Ring of Honour in a pregame ceremony on Jan. 24, 2026. Martin coached the Senators from 1996 to 2004, following a brief return behind the bench in 2023-24. In 748 games with the Senators, his record was 367-261-96-24.

Los Angeles Kings winger Adrian Kempe scored two goals, and Anton Forsberg kicked out 31 shots for a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. With the win, the Kings (15-10-9) ended a four-game winless streak (0-2-2). Oliver Bjorkstrand replied for the Lightning (18-13-3), who are winless in their last three games (0-1-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and defenseman Ryan McDonagh returned to action after missing time with injuries.

An overtime goal by J.T. Miller lifted the New York Rangers over the St. Louis Blues by a score of 2-1. Igor Shesterkin made 26 saves, and Gabe Perreault also scored for the Rangers, who improved to 17-15-4. Jonatan Berggren tallied for the Blues (13-15-8).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers winger Artemi Panarin missed this game with an illness.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson scored to extend his goal streak to five games in a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Zach Benson and Mattias Samuelsson each had two assists for the Sabres, who won their fourth straight game and improved to 15-14-4. Bobby Brink had two points for the Flyers (17-10-6).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff picked up his 915th win to move into fourth place on the all-time list. Sabres defenseman Michael Kesselring returned to action after missing a month with an injury. However, the Sabres lost defenseman Conor Timmins to a broken leg that will sideline him for six to eight weeks, while forward Tyson Kozak departed with an upper-body injury.

The Calgary Flames got two goals from Mikael Backlund to double up the Seattle Kraken 4-2. Nazem Kadri had a goal and an assist for the 14-17-4 Flames. Joey Daccord made 42 saves for the Kraken (12-14-6), who have lost four straight games and have one win in their last 11 contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Flames announced defenseman Jake Bean will be sidelined indefinitely as he will undergo surgery for an undisclosed injury.

Montreal Canadiens winger Zachary Bolduc tallied twice in a 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Lane Hutson had three assists for the 18-12-4 Canadiens. Frank Nazar scored, and Spencer Knight had 31 saves for the Blackhawks (13-15-6), who have lost four straight.

Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston had two goals as his club held off the San Jose Sharks by a score of 5-3. Roope Hintz had a goal and an assist, and Jake Oettinger stopped 34 shots for the Stars (23-7-5). Chad Graf scored twice for the 17-15-3 Sharks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 14, 2025

by | Dec 14, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 14, 2025

The Sharks’ five-goal comeback win, Tristan Jarry’s debut with the Oilers, and Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck’s return to action highlight the recaps of Saturday’s action in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The San Jose Sharks rallied from a 5-1 deficit in the third period to upset the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-5 on an overtime goal by John Klingberg, who finished the game with two goals. Tyler Toffolli scored twice and assisted on two others while Macklin Celebrini and Alexander Wennberg each had three points as the Sharks improved to 16-14-3. Bryan Rust and Anthony Mantha each had a goal and two assists for the Penguins (14-8-8), who are winless in their last four games (0-1-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks forwards Will Smith and Philipp Kurashev left this game with upper-body injuries. Earlier in the day, the Sharks provided an update on center Michael Misa, saying he was not injured as originally reported and will report to Canada’s training camp for the upcoming 2026 World Junior Championship.

Penguins defenseman Matt Dumba cleared waivers and was sent to their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Tristan Jarry made 25 saves to win his first game with the Edmonton Oilers as they downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3. Connor McDavid scored two goals and set up another, Leon Draisaitl had three assists, and Vasily Podkolzin tallied twice for the 15-11-6 Oilers. Steven Lorentz had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs, who sank to 14-12-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In case you missed it, the Oilers acquired Jarry from the Penguins in exchange for Stuart Skinner in a multiplayer trade on Friday.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (NHL Images).

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped 24 shots in his return from knee surgery to defeat the Washington Capitals 5-1. Gabriel Vilardi scored two goals while Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Josh Morrissey, Adam Lowry, and Alex Iafallo each had two points for the 15-15-1 Jets, snapping a three-game losing skid. Jakob Chychrun tallied for the Capitals (18-10-4), who have lost two straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets are a different team with Hellebuyck in the lineup. They were 12-7-0 before his surgery, and 2-8-1 during his absence. Meanwhile, the Capitals took goalie Charlie Lindgren off injured reserve.

The league-leading Colorado Avalanche picked up their 11th straight home win with a 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche, who improved to 23-2-7 (53 points). Jonathan Marchessault and Tyson Jost replied for the 12-15-4 Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads the league this season with 26 goals and 55 points in 32 games.

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb snapped a 2-2 tie as his club nipped the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2. Mitch Marner had three assists as the Golden Knights (16-6-9) extended their points streak to seven games. Charlie Coyle and Yegor Chinakhov scored for the Blue Jackets, who have lost five straight and dropped to 13-13-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With the win, the Golden Knights hold first place in the Pacific Division with 51 points.

The Carolina Hurricanes overcame an early 2-0 deficit for a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Jackson Blake scored the winner in the shootout while Shayne Gostisbehere picked up two assists for the Hurricanes (20-9-2), who collected their third straight win. Trevor Zegras had a goal and an assist for the 16-9-5 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes hold first place in the Metropolitan Division with 42 points.

New York Islanders forward Emil Heineman scored the winning goal in the shootout to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2. Ilya Sorokin made 32 saves while Matthew Schaefer and Calum Ritchie scored for the Islanders (19-11-3), who have won three straight games. Darren Raddysh and J.J. Moser scored for the Lightning (18-11-3) as they overcame a 2-0 deficit to tie the game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Islanders inducted Pat LaFontaine into their Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony. LaFontaine began his 15-season NHL career with the Islanders in 1983-84, spending eight seasons with them and netting 566 of his 1,013 regular-season points with them. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.

An overtime goal by J.T. Miller gave the New York Rangers a 5-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens. It was the second of two goals for Miller, and teammates Will Cuylle and Noah Laba each had a goal and an assist for the 16-13-1 Rangers, who ended a three-game winless skid. Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson each had two assists for the Canadiens (16-11-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, it was announced that former Canadiens forward Bobby Rousseau had passed away at the age of 85. He spent 10 of his 15 NHL seasons with the Canadiens from 1960-61 to 1969-70, winning four Stanley Cups. Rousseau also played for the Rangers and Minnesota North Stars. He had 245 goals and 458 assists for 703 points in 942 regular-season games, and 84 points in 128 playoff games.

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

The Minnesota Wild squeaked past the Ottawa Senators 3-2 on a goal by Joel Eriksson Ek with 24 seconds left in the third period. Jesper Wallstedt made 34 saves while Tyler Pitlick and Ryan Hartman scored for the 18-9-5 Wild, who picked up their third straight win. Tim Stutzle and Dylan Cozens scored for the Senators (14-13-4) as they overcame a 2-0 deficit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Quinn Hughes will make his debut with Minnesota on Sunday against the Boston Bruins. The Wild acquired the superstar defenseman from the Vancouver Canucks on Friday.

New Jersey Devils goaltender Jake Allen stopped 30 shots in a 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, ending a five-game losing streak. Ondrej Palat, Colton White, and Juho Lammikko each had two assists for the 18-13-1 Devils. Troy Terry replied for the 19-12-1 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils defenseman Simon Nemec missed this game with an undisclosed injury and is expected to miss some time, though no details have been provided yet as to how long he’ll be sidelined. He joins a growing list of injured Devils, including Jack Hughes, Brett Pesce, Arseny Gritsyuk, Evgenii Dadonov, Zack MacEwen, and Johnathan Kovacevic.

Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane tallied his 498th career regular-season NHL goal as his club blanked the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0. John Gibson turned in a 26-save shutout while Alex DeBrincat scored twice and had an assist for the 18-12-3 Red Wings. Arvid Soderblom made 20 saves on 23 shots for the 13-13-6 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Blackhawks called up top prospect Nick Lardis for some offensive support. Meanwhile, Blackhawks center Connor Bedard missed this game with an upper-body injury. More information on his status is expected on Monday.

The Florida Panthers got a 15-save shutout from Sergei Bobrovsky to defeat the Dallas Stars 4-0. Brad Marchand had two goals and an assist for the Panthers, who improved to 16-13-2. Jake Oettinger made 19 saves on 22 shots for the 21-7-5 Stars.

Calgary Flames forward Morgan Frost scored in overtime for a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Blake Coleman also scored, and Dustin Wolf turned aside 20 shots for the 13-16-4 Flames, who’ve won four of their last five contests. Adrian Kempe scored, and Darcy Kuemper kicked out 36 shots for the 14-8-9 Kings.