NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 14, 2025

by | Oct 14, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 14, 2025

Recaps of Monday’s games and the three stars of the week are revealed in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: The Philadelphia Flyers upset the Florida Panthers 5-2 as captain Sean Couturier led the way with two goals and two assists, giving Rick Tocchet his first win as the Flyers’ head coach. Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett scored for the Panthers, who suffered their first loss of the season.

Philadelphia Flyers captain Sean Couturier (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals and defenseman Cale Makar netted his first of the season in a 3-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Tage Thompson replied for the Sabres, who are 0-3 to open the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin wasn’t happy with his performance and that of his teammates. “Better start today, worse ending,” Dahlin said in his postgame interview. “Not good power play. Good PK and goaltending, we just can’t catch a break. We have to get out of this bullshit.”

Meanwhile, the Avalanche sent goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood to their AHL affiliate for conditioning. An injury sidelined him throughout training camp.

Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros stopped 31 shots and Jonathan Marchessault tallied twice to beat the Ottawa Senators 4-1, handing the latter their second straight loss. Ridly Greig scored for the Senators, who lost captain Brady Tkachuk in the third period to an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk was injured on a cross-check by Predators captain Roman Josi in the first period. He tried to play through it, but left with about 10 minutes remaining in the game. Senators coach Travis Green had no update on his captain, saying Tkachuk was still being evaluated.

A late goal by Mason Appleton lifted the Detroit Red Wings to a 3-2 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Goalie Cam Talbot kicked out 38 shots while Dylan Larkin and former Leaf James van Riemsdyk also scored for the Wings. Matthew Knies had a goal and an assist for the Leafs, who had rallied to overcome a 2-0 deficit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond suffered an upper-body injury in the second period and didn’t return. There was no update on his condition. Meanwhile, Leafs coach Craig Berube singled out William Nylander’s poor play since the start of the season, while praising rookie Easton Cowan’s energy and physicality in his NHL debut.

The Tampa Bay Lightning got two goals from Anthony Cirelli as they held off the Boston Bruins 4-3, handing the latter their first loss of the season. Jonas Johansson made 30 saves for the Lightning. Pavel Zacha collected two assists for the Bruins.

New Jersey Devils forward Dawson Mercer tallied twice to nip the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2. Devils goalie Jake Allen turned aside 23 shots before leaving after the second period with muscle cramps. Timo Meier also scored for the Devils. Kirill Marchekov and Dmitri Voronkov replied for the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Devils announced that forward Zack MacEwen will miss a considerable period of time with an injury.

Blue Jackets forward Miles Wood left this game after taking a high stick in the face from Devils defenseman Dougie Hamilton. Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson missed this game with an upper-body injury and will be sidelined indefinitely.

Rookie winger Jimmy Snuggerud scored twice for his first NHL multi-goal game as the St. Louis Blues rolled to a 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Jordan Binnington made 27 saves and Brayden Schenn had a goal and an assist for the Blues. Kiefer Sherwood scored both goals for the Canucks.

Winnipeg Jets forwards Nino Niederreiter, Tanner Pearson, and Morgan Barron each had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders, handing the latter their third straight defeat. Defenseman Logan Stanley also had a goal and an assist for the Jets. Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Emil Heineman scored for the Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets forward Cole Koepke left this game in the second period with a lower-body injury.

The Minnesota Wild blew a 3-0 lead to the Los Angeles Kings but got a shootout goal from Marco Rossi for a 4-3 win. Jared Spurgeon, Kirill Kaprizov, and Matt Boldy scored in regulation for the Wild, while Kevin Fiala, Quinton Byfield, and Adam Kempe replied for the Kings.

Chicago Blackhawks forward Ilya Mikheyev scored two goals, and Andre Burakovsky potted the winning goal to defeat the Utah Mammoth 3-1, giving Jeff Blashill his first win as the Blackhawks coach. JJ Peterka scored for the Mammoth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Mammoth announced that defenseman Sean Durzi will be sidelined for a month with an upper-body injury suffered on Saturday against the Nashville Predators.

NHL.COM: Vegas Golden Knights winger Pavel Dorofeyev, Ottawa Senators center Shane Pinto, and Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky are the three stars for the week ending Oct. 12.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 12, 2025

by | Oct 12, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 12, 2025

A hat trick performance by the Blue Jackets’ Kirill Marchenko, Islanders rookie Matthew Schaefer netted his first goal, the Ducks downed the Sharks in a wild, high-scoring contest, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Columbus Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko’s hat trick powered his club to a 7-4 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Elvis Merzlikins kicked out 48 shots, and Zach Werenski and Boone Jenner each had a goal and two assists for the Blue Jackets. Kirill Kaprizov scored twice and collected an assist, and Zeev Buium tallied his first NHL goal and picked up an assist for the Wild.

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Kirill Marchenko (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jenner’s goal was the 200th of his NHL career, joining Rick Nash and Cam Atkinson as the only players in franchise history to reach that milestone.

New York Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer scored his first NHL goal, but his club dropped a 4-2 decision to the Washington Capitals. Aliaksei Protas scored two goals and added an assist for the Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schaefer was the first-overall pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. He collected his first NHL assist in his first game on Thursday.

An overtime goal by Leo Carlsson lifted the Anaheim Ducks over the San Jose Sharks 7-6. The Ducks erased a 6-4 deficit in the third period. Carlsson also had two assists, Mason McTavish had three assists, and Chris Kreider and Cutter Gauthier each scored twice for the Ducks. Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith each picked up three assists, but Celebrini’s turnover led to Carlsson’s winning goal.

A shootout goal by Mikko Rantanen gave the Dallas Stars a 5-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche. Jake Oettinger made 35 saves, and Thomas Harley had a goal and an assist for the Stars. Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas each had a goal and two assists for the Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Avalanche announced that defenseman Samuel Girard would miss this game and is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele tallied two goals as his club rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat the Los Angeles Kings 3-2. Connor Hellebuyck made 30 saves for the Jets. Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets defenseman Haydn Fleury left this game in the second period after blocking a shot by Kempe.

Three straight power-play goals by Aaron Ekblad, Anton Lundell, and Mackie Samoskevich powered the Florida Panthers to a 6-2 win over the Ottawa Senators. Ekblad, Lundell, and Brad Marchand each had a goal and an assist for the Panthers, extending their season-opening win streak to three games. Senators center Shane Pinto scored twice for the second straight game.

The Boston Bruins extended their season-opening win streak to three games with a 3-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Mark Kastelic had a goal and an assist for the Bruins. Jason Zucker replied for the Sabres, who have only one goal in their first two games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters that sidelined center Josh Norris is expected to miss a significant amount of time with an upper-body injury. Norris is still undergoing evaluation, and it’s uncertain how long he’ll be out of action.

Detroit Red Wings forwards Patrick Kane and Alex DeBrincat each had three points as their club overcame a 2-0 deficit to upset the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3. Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond scored twice, including his 100th career NHL goal. Morgan Rielly and Nicolas Roy each had two points for the Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs forward Steven Lorentz exited this game in the first period with a suspected head injury. The Leafs appeared to have difficulty at times adjusting to the Red Wings‘ speed in this game.

The New York Rangers thumped the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-1, giving head coach Mike Sullivan his first victory against his former team. Adam Fox scored two goals and picked up an assist. Penguins rookie Ben Kindel tallied his first NHL goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Rangers announced center Vincent Trocheck is week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Rangers defenseman Carson Soucy exited in the second period with an upper-body injury.

Pittsburgh defenseman Kris Letang left in the third period with an undisclosed injury and is undergoing evaluation. The Penguins activated forward Bryan Rust off injured reserve and sent forward Ville Koivunen to their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

New Jersey Devils forward Connor Brown potted two goals, and Nico Hischier had a goal and an assist in a 5-3 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Luke Hughes also had two assists for the Devils. Max Crozier picked up two assists for the Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Devils announced that forward Evgenii Dadonov has been sidelined with a fractured hand. A timeline for his return has yet to be determined.

The Carolina Hurricanes nipped the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 on an overtime goal by Seth Jarvis. Bobby Brink had a goal and an assist for the Flyers, who got a 35-save performance by Samuel Ersson.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brink appeared to have scored the winning goal in overtime, but it was overturned for goalie interference by teammate Travis Sanheim. Flyers winger Matvei Michkov saw limited ice time and was benched during overtime by head coach Rick Tocchet. “I just wanted the guys who I thought were skating,” Tocchet said.

It was a costly win for the Hurricanes as top defenseman Jaccob Slavin left the game in the third period with an undisclosed injury. His status for the remainder of their road trip remains unclear. Earlier in the day, the Hurricanes announced that goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov is out for at least a week with a lower-body injury.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle scored with 15 seconds remaining in the third period to give his club a 3-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks. Cole Caufield scored his first goal of the season, and Zach Bolduc tallied his third straight goal for the Canadiens. Sam Rinzel and Connor Bedard replied for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Montreal captain Nick Suzuki collected three assists while Caufield and Bolduc finished with two points each. The Canadiens had 10 power-play opportunities but only scored on two of them.

Edmonton Oilers forward Noah Philp scored his first NHL goal, and Leon Draisaitl scored a shorthanded empty-netter in a 3-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Quinn Hughes collected an assist on a goal by Brock Boeser, becoming the Canucks’ all-time franchise points leader for defensemen with 410.

The Utah Mammoth got an overtime goal by Dylan Guenther to defeat the Nashville Predators 3-2. Logan Cooley and Jack McBain also scored for the Mammoth. Filip Forsberg and Erik Haula replied for the Predators.

Third-period goals by Jake Neighbours and Pius Suter enabled the St. Louis Blues to double up the Calgary Flames 4-2. Neighbours finished with two goals, and Robert Thomas had a goal and an assist. Matt Coronato scored both goals for the Flames.

Seattle Kraken forward Jared McCann scored with four seconds remaining in overtime to upset the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1. Matty Beniers also scored for the Kraken. Pavel Dorofeyev tallied his league-leading fifth goal of the season.










Winnipeg Jets Re-sign Kyle Connor

by | Oct 8, 2025

Winnipeg Jets Re-sign Kyle Connor

The Winnipeg Jets signed left wing Kyle Connor to an eight-year, $96 million contract extension. Connor, 28, will receive a team-leading average annual value of $12 million.

Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Connor is in the final season of a seven-year, $50 million contract ($7.142 million AAV). He was eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. He’s the third notable star from that UFA class to re-sign with his current team in recent weeks, joining Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid and Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov.

Once again, the Jets have retained one of their top core players. Two years ago, they inked goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and center Mark Scheifele to identical seven-year, $59.5 million contracts.

Connor has earned that significant pay raise. Entering this season, he’s eighth among NHL scorers with 282 goals since his breakout season of 2017-18. That includes two 40-plus goal campaigns and two 90-plus point performances, including a career-high 97 points in 2024-25.

The Jets have been a better team since re-signing Hellebuyck and Scheifele, including winning the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time in franchise history last season. That likely contributed to Connor’s decision to stay put.

Connor’s new contract leaves the Jets with over $27.5 million in projected cap space for 2026-27, with 16 active roster players already signed. Their most notable free agents next summer include forward Cole Perfetti (restricted free agent) and team captain Adam Lowry, who is UFA-eligible.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 8, 2025

by | Oct 8, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 8, 2025

Recapping the opening night of the regular season, Kyle Connor and the Jets are getting closer to a contract extension, an update on Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF THE OPENING NIGHT GAMES

NHL.COM: Nathan MacKinnon collected two assists and Martin Necas scored twice to lead the Colorado Avalanche to a 4-1 season-opening victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Cale Makar also had two assists, and Artturi Lehkonen had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche. Kevin Fiala replied for the Kings.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon moved past Joe Sakic to become the Avalanche’s franchise points leader (1,017) since the club relocated to Colorado from Quebec City in 1995. Sakic remains the all-time leader in points (1,641), goals (625), assists (1,016), and games played (1,378).

Florida Panthers forward Jesper Boqvist snapped a 2-2 tie in the third period to give his team a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Mackie Samoskevich collected two assists for the Panthers, who raised their second straight Stanley Cup banner in a pregame ceremony. Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight made 34 saves against his former team, while teammates Frank Nazar, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Teuvo Teravainen each collected two points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers also signed forward Noah Gregor to a one-year, two-way contract.

The Pittsburgh Penguins got a 25-save shutout from goaltender Arturs Silovs to blank the New York Rangers 3-0. Justin Brazeau scored two goals, and Evgeni Malkin had two assists for the Penguins. Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin allowed one goal on 27 shots before being pulled for an extra attacker.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Silovs’ first NHL regular-season shutout. He had one in the 2024 playoffs with the Vancouver Canucks. This was Mike Sullivan’s first game as head coach of the Rangers, and his first against his former team.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Winnipeg Jets and winger Kyle Connor are moving closer to a contract extension. The 28-year-old winger is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July. It’s believed the new deal will be a long-term one with an average annual value in the $12 million range.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That would be a substantial raise over Connor’s current AAV of $7.142 million. He’s earned it, sitting eighth among NHL scorers with 282 goals since his breakout performance in 2017-18.

Friedman also reported that the Vegas Golden Knights have announced that Alex Pietrangelo will not play during the 2025-26 regular season and playoffs. The 35-year-old defenseman is taking time away to deal with a nagging hip injury. The Golden Knights will be eligible for full salary-cap relief on his $8.8 million cap hit for this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pietrangelo had suggested last month that he wasn’t ruling out a possible return to the lineup this season. This news puts that possibility to rest.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Golden Knights, they signed restricted free agent forward Alexander Holtz to a two-year contract with an AAV of $837,500.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Dallas Stars placed captain Jamie Benn on long-term injury reserve (LTIR). He suffered a collapsed lung last month and is expected to miss the first month of the season. They also recalled defenseman Lian Bichsel and signed free-agent forward Adam Erne to a one-year, two-way contract.

TSN: The Edmonton Oilers placed winger Zach Hyman on injured reserve (IR) to start the season. He is still recovering from a dislocated wrist suffered during the 2025 playoffs.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Minnesota Wild placed winger Mats Zuccarello on IR with a lower-body injury. He could be sidelined until well into November.

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH: Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. They also announced that forward Milan Lucic will remain in St. Louis to rehab an injury. The Blues haven’t ruled out signing the 37-year-old winger to another professional tryout offer (PTO).

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks placed defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph (groin injury) on IR and recalled defenseman Victor Mancini.

DAILY FACEOFF: Buffalo Sabres goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, Anaheim Ducks goalie Ville Husso, and Utah Mammoth forward Kevin Rooney are among the five players placed on waivers on Tuesday.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 6, 2025

by | Oct 6, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 6, 2025

The Flyers trade Ryan Ellis to the Sharks, an update on Jets forward Cole Perfetti, Matt Grzelcyk signs with the Blackhawks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW/SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Philadelphia Flyers traded defenseman Ryan Ellis and a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick to the San Jose Sharks in exchange for winger Carl Grundstrom and defenseman Artem Guryev.

Former Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ryan Ellis (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ellis has been on permanent long-term injury reserve (LTIR) since November 2021. He has two years remaining on his contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $6.25 million.

The Sharks have taken on the entirety of Ellis’ cap hit, while the Flyers are adding Grundstrom’s $1.8 million cap hit. He is slated to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) next July.

This move frees up $4.45 million in cap space for the Flyers, leaving them with over $7.2 million available. It enables them to accrue cap room throughout the season. Grundstrom was placed on waivers shortly after this trade was announced.

Meanwhile, this trade leaves the Sharks with 48 of 50 NHL contracts, freeing up room to add promising center Michael Misa and defenseman Jason Dickinson to their roster for the upcoming season.

THE WINNIPEG SUN: Jets winger Cole Perfetti is listed as week-to-week with a high ankle sprain. He suffered the injury during Friday’s preseason game against the Calgary Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Perfetti joins defenseman Dylan Samberg and center Adam Lowry on the sidelines. Samberg suffered a broken ankle during preseason, and Lowry is recovering from offseason hip surgery.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Matt Grzelcyk signed a one-year contract with the Blackhawks. The 31-year-old defenseman earned the deal after attending training camp on a professional tryout offer (PTO).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: PuckPedia indicates Grzelcyk will earn $1 million on this contract. He’ll provide experienced puck-moving ability to the rebuilding Blackhawks’ blueline. He’s coming off a career-best 40-point performance with the Pittsburgh Penguins last season.

DAILY FACEOFF: 43 players hit the NHL waiver wire on Sunday. Several goaltenders were among them, including Michael DiPietro of the Boston Bruins, Kaapo Kahkonen of the Montreal Canadiens, Nico Daws of the New Jersey Devils, Mads Sogaard of the Ottawa Senators, and Clay Stevenson of the Washington Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see if DiPietro and Stevenson clear. Both were frequently mentioned as potential waiver targets in the rumor mill.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers lost goaltender Brandon Bussi to the Carolina Hurricanes via waivers.

SPORTSNET: Tampa Bay Lightning centers Carter Schmidt and Gage Goncalves were fined for cross-checking Florida Panthers forwards Carter Verhaeghe and Evan Rodrigues during Saturday’s fight-filled preseason game.

Lightning winger Scott Sabourin will have a hearing for roughing Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad. Lightning defenseman JJ Moser will have one for boarding Panthers winger Jesper Boqvist.

CBS SPORTS: Los Angeles Kings defenseman Kyle Burroughs (upper body) was placed on injured reserve.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 5, 2025

by | Oct 5, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 5, 2025

The Wild re-sign Filip Gustavsson, the Penguins placed Ryan Graves on waivers, the Stars are examining options for a new arena, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

THE MINNESOTA STAR-TRIBUNE: The Wild and goaltender Filip Gustavsson agreed to a five-year, $34 million contract extension. Gustavsson, 27, will earn an average annual value (AAV) of $6.8 million.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: PuckPedia indicates Gustavsson’s new contract also includes a full no-movement clause in the first two seasons, and a 15-team no-trade clause for the remainder of the deal.

After re-signing superstar Kirill Kaprizov last month, getting Gustavsson under contract was a priority for the Wild. He’s in the final season of his current deal with an AAV of $3.75 million, and was slated to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

Gutavsson took over the starting goaltender role for the Wild during the last two seasons. He would’ve drawn considerable attention had he gone to market next summer.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins placed defenseman Ryan Graves on waivers. If he clears, he’s expected to be sent to their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. The 30-year-old Graves is in the third season of a six-year contract with an AAV of $4.5 million and a 12-team no-trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins signed Graves in 2023 as a replacement for Brian Dumoulin. However, he struggled over the past two seasons and slipped down the Penguins’ depth chart, becoming a frequent healthy scratch last season.

The Penguins could try to trade Graves, but as Pittsburgh Hockey Now’s Dan Kingerski observed, he has no trade value given his declining performance and the remaining term on his contract. They could attempt to move him for another player on a bad contract, but that doesn’t help either team.

Kingerski expects Graves to be demoted to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton for this season, freeing up $1.15 million of his $4.5 million cap hit. After that, he’ll likely become a contract buyout candidate next June.

THE ATHLETIC: The Dallas Stars are evaluating all options for a new arena when their lease with American Airlines Arena expires in 2031.

The Stars have shared American Airlines Arena with the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks since it opened in 2001.

One option includes relocating to a new arena in Plano, Texas, approximately 20 miles outside of Dallas. They’re also in discussions with Arlington, Texas.

NHL.COM: Prospect winger Gavin McKenna scored a goal and collected two assists in two games during his NCAA weekend debut with Penn State University.

McKenna, 17, is projected to become the top prospect in the 2026 NHL Draft. He made headlines this summer when he left the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers to sign with Penn State.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers blanked the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-0 in a brawl-filled game that saw 16 players ejected as the two rivals combined for 322 penalty minutes. The Panthers also had a goal taken away because a player who had been previously ejected was on the ice when it was scored.

“It just got silly, got stupid,” Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues said. “By the end of it, it wasn’t really hockey out there.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fans of fight-filled preseason games should enjoy it while it lasts. Those antics are expected to decline when the preseason is shortened starting next year. Teams will play up to four preseason games, which is two to three games shorter than the current preseason schedule.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets lost defenseman Dylan DeMelo and forward Cole Perfetti to injuries during their 5-4 shootout loss to the Calgary Flames.

DeMelo left the game in the first period after taking a stick to the throat/face area from Flames forward Blake Coleman. He was kept out of the rest of the game for precautionary reasons. Perfetti suffered a lower-body injury in the second period and will be re-evaluated.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators defenseman Nick Jensen returned to the lineup for his club’s 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday. Jensen, 35, had been sidelined since undergoing hip surgery on May 19.

SPORTSNET: Edmonton Oilers forward Mattias Janmark is expected to be sidelined for one week with an undisclosed injury.

NHL.COM’s Brooks Bratten reports that Nashville Predators defenseman Nicolas Hague (upper body) and forward Matthew Wood (lower body) have been placed on injured reserve. Hague is expected to be sidelined for two to three weeks, while Wood remains week-to-week.