NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 3, 2025

by | Jan 3, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 3, 2025

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

RECAPS OF THURSDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Colorado Avalanche overcame a 5-3 deficit to defeat the Buffalo Sabres 6-5 on an overtime goal by Devon Toews, who finished with three points. Nathan MacKinnon collected three assists, including setting up Jonathan Drouin for the tying goal with eight seconds remaining in the third period. Sabres winger Jason Zucker scored a hat trick and added an assist while Tage Thompson had three helpers.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads the league with 64 points and is the first player this season to reach the 50-assist plateau. The Avalanche have won six straight games.

Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood suffered a lower-body injury in the third period following a collision with Sabres forward Zach Benson, who scored to make it 4-2. Avs head coach Jared Bednar was visibly angry with the officials for not whistling the play dead when it was apparent Wedgewood was hurt before Benson scored. Mackenzie Blackwood replaced Wedgewood for the rest of the game.

The Avalanche also played without winger Valeri Nichushkin. He’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Anaheim Ducks winger Troy Terry scored his second goal in overtime as his club upset the Winnipeg Jets 4-3. Terry finished with three points and Radko Gudas had a goal and an assist as the Ducks picked up their third straight victory. Mark Scheifele tallied his 23rd goal of the season while Alex Iafallo had a goal and an assist for the Jets, who remain in first place in the overall standings with 56 points.

The Vegas Golden Knights picked up their seventh win in their last eight games with a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Mark Stone, Jack Eichel and Noah Hanifin each collected two points for the Golden Knights as they sit one point behind the Jets in the overall standings. Tyson Foerster and Travis Konecny replied for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights placed winger Ivan Barbashev on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 17.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored his 871st regular-season goal but his club fell 4-3 to the Minnesota Wild. Matt Boldy scored the winner in a shootout and Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 28 shots as the Wild have won four of their last five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin is 24 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 regular-season goals. His Capitals picked up a point and hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 53 points. Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury suffered by a slew-foot from Nashville Predators forward Zachary L’Heureux, who received a three-game suspension for his actions.

The Carolina Hurricanes defeated the Florida Panthers 3-1. Jaccob Slavin snapped a 1-1 tie and Martin Necas added an empty-netter to seal the win. Anton Lundell scored for the Panthers, who got a 37-save performance from goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. They’ve lost three of their last four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes forward Tyson Jost missed this game as he was sent back to Raleigh for treatment for an injury suffered during Tuesday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz tallied twice in a 4-2 win over the Ottawa Senators. Matt Duchene had a goal and an assist while goalie Jake Oettinger faced only 13 shots as the Stars picked up their third straight win. Senators captain Brady Tkachuk had a goal and an assist as his club has dropped three of their last four contests and cling to the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 40 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators welcomed back defenseman Artem Zub as he returned to action after missing 16 games with a broken foot.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann scored twice as his club nipped the New York Islanders 2-1. McMann got the tiebreaker with 2:59 remaining in the third period while Joseph Woll stopped 32 shots as the Leafs lead the Atlantic Division with 50 points. Scott Mayfield scored for the Islanders as they’ve lost four of their last five games.

The Vancouver Canucks regained the final Western Conference wild-card spot (44 points) with a 4-3 shootout victory over the Seattle Kraken. J.T. Miller scored the winning goal for the Canucks while Kevin Lankinen replaced Thatcher Demko after the latter left the game with back spasms in the second period. Matty Beniers and Vince Dunn each collected two points, including goals as the Kraken overcame a 3-1 deficit to tie the game in the third period.

Utah Hockey Club forward Lawson Crouse netted two goals in a 5-3 win over the Calgary Flames, who slipped one point behind the Canucks in the Western wild-card race. Blake Coleman had a goal and an assist for the Flames. The win was Utah’s first in five games (0-4-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah forward Matias Maccelli missed this game due to illness.

New York Rangers goaltender Jonathan Quick kicked out 32 shots for his 399th career NHL win to backstop his club over the Boston Bruins 2-1. Mika Zibanejad and Brett Berard scored for the Rangers as they snapped a four-game losing skid. Elias Lindholm scored for the Bruins, who’ve dropped three of their last four contests.

The San Jose Sharks upset the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1. Yaroslav Askarov turned aside 24 shots for the win while Tyler Toffoli and Mario Ferraro scored for the Sharks as they snapped an eight-game losing streak. Anthony Cirelli replied for the Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks defenseman Marc-Edouard Vlasic made his season debut after being sidelined with an upper-back injury since training camp.

Detroit Red Wings forward Jonathan Berggren scored with 36 seconds remaining in the third period in a 5-4 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Alex DeBrincat had a goal and two assists while Dylan Larkin and Patrick Kane scored a goal and an assist each for the Wings, who’ve won three straight. James van Riemsdyk and Zach Werenski each collected three points for the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets Quarter-Century Team was unveiled yesterday.

Werenski, Seth Jones, Rick Nash, Artemi Panarin, Cam Atkinson and Sergei Bobrovsky were named to the First Team. Johnny Gaudreau, Boone Jenner, Nick Foligno, David Savard, Fedor Tyutin and Steve Mason made up the Second Team.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 29, 2023

by | Dec 29, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 29, 2023

The Hurricanes’ Sebastian Aho achieves a franchise first in his club’s win over the Canadiens, a milestone game for Flyers coach John Tortorella, the latest injury updates, the Capitals finally sign Ethan Bear, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho collected four assists and Andrei Svechnikov tallied a hat trick in a 5-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Brent Burns set up three goals and Jesper Fast scored twice as the Hurricanes improved to 19-13-4 to move into third place in the Metropolitan Division with 42 points. Mitchell Stephens, Mike Matheson and Josh Anderson scored for the Canadiens as they slipped to 15-14-5.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Aho became the first player in Hurricanes/Whalers history to collect four points in consecutive games and the first player in the NHL to do so since Jeremy Roenick on Nov. 25-26, 1999.

A three-goal second period powered the Philadelphia Flyers to a 4-1 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Joel Farabee had a goal and an assist while Samuel Ersson made 18 saves before leaving the game early in the third period with an undisclosed injury. The Flyers improved to 19-11-4 and hold second place in the Metro Division with 42 points. Teddy Blueger scored for the 23-10-3 Canucks as they remain in first place in the Western Conference with 49 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a milestone game for Flyers head coach John Tortorella as he moved into 10th place on the all-time wins list for NHL coaches with 723. The Flyers have the same number of points as the Hurricanes but sit ahead of them with two games in hand.

The Vegas Golden Knights snapped a four-game losing skid by holding off the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 3-2. Logan Thompson stopped 32 shots while Jack Eichel, Michael Amadio and William Karlsson scored for the Golden Knights (22-10-5) move into a tie with the Vancouver Canucks with 49 points. Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist while Trevor Moore also scored for the Kings (20-8-4) as they remain in third place in the Pacific Division with 44 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks still hold first in the West with one more victory as well as a game in hand.

A four-goal first period and 25 saves by goaltender Stuart Skinner gave the Edmonton Oilers a 5-0 shutout over the San Jose Sharks. Zach Hyman tallied his 20th of the season as the Oilers improved to 16-15-1. Kaapo Kahkonen stopped 17 of 18 shots in relief of Magnus Chrona for the 9-24-3 Sharks.

HEADLINES

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski is out with an undisclosed leg injury on a week-to-week basis.

SPORTSNET: Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano returns to action on Friday against the Blue Jackets after missing a month with a broken finger.

CBS SPORTS: Nashville Predators blueliner Tyson Barrie is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

THE SCORE: The Washington Capitals officially signed Ethan Bear on Thursday to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $2.0625 million. The 26-year-old defenseman is returning to action following offseason shoulder surgery.

TSN: The Buffalo Sabres placed center Tage Thompson on their non-roster list as he is dealing with a personal issue.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils sent goaltender Akira Schmid to their AHL affiliate in Utica after recalling Nico Daws. They’re hoping Schmid can regain his rhythm after struggling this season.

DAILY FACEOFF: Detroit Red Wings goalie Michael Hutchison and Sabres forward Tyson Jost hit the waiver wire on Thursday.

Nikolai Khabibulin is returning to action as the 50-year-old goaltender signed a one-year deal with the KHL’s Torpedo Nizhny Novgorod. His last professional game was on Nov. 16, 2013, with the Chicago Blackhawks.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former NHL defenseman Cody Franson has been hired as an assistant coach with the AHL’s Iowa Wild.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: A lawsuit alleges the Kraken violated the Seattle Metropolitans trademark with their Winter Classic jerseys.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 20, 2022

by | Nov 20, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 20, 2022

The Devils extend their win streak to 12, the Bruins tie a league record for consecutive home wins, the Blues picked up their sixth straight win and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: The New Jersey Devils remain red hot by defeating the Ottawa Senators 5-1 to extend their winning streak to 12 games. Yegor Sherangovich and Michael McLeod each had a goal and an assist while Akira Schmid stopped 25 shots for the Devils (15-3-0) as they open a seven-point lead for first place in the Metropolitan Division with 30 points. Derick Brassard replied for the struggling Senators as they fall to 6-10-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators captain Brady Tkachuk took exception with some Ottawa fans chanting for the dismissal of head coach D.J. Smith at the end of this game. Tkachuk put the blame for the club’s poor play on himself and his teammates, claiming he was “sick and tired” of the criticism aimed at Smith.

Boston Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy (NHL Images).

Speaking of win streaks, the Boston Bruins won their 11th straight home game by thumping the Chicago Blackhawks 6-1. Charlie McAvoy collected four assists and David Pastrnak tallied twice as the Bruins (16-2-0) tied an NHL record for the most season-opening home victories. They sit atop the league’s overall standings with 32 points. Jonathan Toews scored the only goal for the 6-8-3 Blackhawks.

The St. Louis Blues picked up their sixth straight victory by dropping the Anaheim Ducks 6-2. Pavel Buchnevich led the way with two goals and two assists while Robert Thomas had a three-point night as the Blues improve to 9-8-0. Adam Henrique and Cam Fowler replied for the Ducks as their record slides to a league-worst 5-12-1. Earlier in the day, the Ducks activated defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk off injured reserve.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: St. Louis winger Vladimir Tarasenko missed this game due to illness. It’s been a weird start to this season thus far for the Blues. They won their first three games and then lost eight straight before reversing their fortunes with their current win streak.

An overtime goal by Connor McDavid lifted the Edmonton Oilers over the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 4-3. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins collected three assists while McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each had a goal and an assist as the Oilers improved to 10-8-0. Mark Stone tallied twice for the Golden Knights (14-4-1) as they sit in first place in the Western Conference with 29 points.

The Toronto Maple Leafs beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2 to hand the latter their eighth straight loss. Leafs winger Mitch Marner collected two assists to extend his points streak to 12 games while William Nylander scored twice and John Tavares had a three-point performance. Alex Tuch and Casey Mittelstadt replied for the 7-11-0 Sabres while the Leafs raised their record to 10-5-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Sabres claimed forward Tyson Jost off waivers from the Minnesota Wild.

Shootout goals by Jonathan Huberdeau and Rasmus Andersson gave the Calgary Flames a 5-4 victory over the Florida Panthers. Adam Ruzicka scored twice and collected an assist for the Flames (8-7-2) while Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist for the 9-7-2 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the first game between these two clubs since the trade in July that sent Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar to the Flames in exchange for Tkachuk.

Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn had a goal and two assists in a 5-2 win over the New York Islanders. Joe Pavelski, Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment each had two points as the Stars extended their record to 11-5-2. Mathew Barzal netted his first two goals of the season for the Islanders as they slide to 11-8-0.

The Seattle Kraken nipped the Los Angeles Kings 3-2 on an overtime goal by Jordan Eberle, who finished the night with two points as the Kraken (10-5-3) have won seven of their last nine games. Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore replied for the 11-8-2 Kings.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos tallied in overtime to tame the Nashville Predators 3-2. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two assists and Brayden Point had two assists for the Lightning to boost their record to 11-6-1. Filip Forsberg and Nino Niederreiter replied for the Predators (8-8-2) while Juuse Saros made 36 saves in a losing cause.

The Colorado Avalanche blanked the Washington Capitals by a score of 4-0. Alexandar Georgiev kicked out 32 shots to pick up his first shutout with the Avalanche (10-5-1) while Cale Makar, Nathan MacKinnon, Andrew Cogliano and Artturi Lehkonken were the goal scorers. Darcy Kuemper made 25 saves against his former club as the banged-up Capitals drop to 7-10-3.

On the night the Minnesota Wild celebrated Alex Goligoski’s 1,000th career game, he scored in overtime in a 2-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Sam Steel scored the game-tying goal late in the third period for the 8-8-2 Wild while Sebastian Aho tallied for the 10-5-3 Hurricanes.

Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry stopped 32 shots for his first shutout of the season to blank the Winnipeg Jets 3-0. Jason Zucker, Bryan Rust and Jake Guentzel were the goal scorers while Sidney Crosby collected two assists as the Penguins bolster their record to 8-7-3. Connor Hellebuyck made 29 saves for the 10-5-1 Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Jets announced winger Nikolaj Ehlers will be sidelined indefinitely as he undergoes sports hernia surgery next week.

The Montreal Canadiens overcame 2-0 and 4-3 deficits to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4 on a shootout goal by Nick Suzuki, who finished the night with two assists. Cole Caufield scored twice (including the game-tying goal with three seconds on the clock) while Mike Matheson scored in his season debut for the 9-8-1 Canadiens. Owen Tippett scored two goals for the Flyers (7-7-4) as their winless skid extends to six games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens winger Mike Hoffman suffered an undisclosed injury and left the game after the second period. The Flyers went into this contest with winger Travis Konecny sidelined by an upper-body injury. They also lost forward Scott Laughton in the third period with an upper-body injury.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Filip Hronek scored two goals as his club romped to a 6-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Dylan Larkin and Moritz Seider each collected three points as the Red Wings improved their record to 9-5-4 while the injury-ravaged Blue Jackets fell to 6-10-1.

New York Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin made 22 saves as his club held off the San Jose Sharks by a score of 2-1. All the scoring came in the third period as Julien Gauthier and Adam Fox tallied for the Rangers (9-6-4) while Logan Couture replied for the 6-11-3 Sharks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 30, 2022

by | Sep 30, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 30, 2022

The Leafs sign Rasmus Sandin and could try Mitch Marner on defense, Devils captain Nico Hischier suffers a hamstring injury, an update on MacKenzie Weegar’s contract talks with the Flames, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

TORONTO STAR: The Maple Leafs signed Rasmus Sandin to a two-year contract worth an average annual value of $1.4 million. His deal is similar to that of teammate Timothy Liljegren. The 22-year-old defenseman missed the start of training camp due to his contract negotiations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sandin camp reportedly reached out to Leafs management to expedite this situation as injuries have already sidelined blueliners Liljegren, Jake Muzzin, Jordie Benn and Carl Dahlstrom.

Cap Friendly indicates this signing puts the Leafs over the $82.5 million salary cap by $2.89 million but they can garner some temporary relief by placing Liljegren on long-term injury reserve and demoting another player. Sooner or later, however, they could be forced to make a cost-cutting trade.

SPORTSNET: With their defense corps already depleted by injuries, the Leafs are considering having All-Star winger Mitch Marner take some shifts on the blue line. The 25-year-old right winger is among the NHL’s best defensive forwards.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hall-of-Fame forwards Bob Gainey and Sergei Fedorov also used to sometimes play defense in certain circumstances. It might not be a bad idea to experiment with Marner on defense during preseason play to see how he fares in that role until their blueline is healthy again.

NJ.COM: New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier suffered a hamstring injury in preseason play and will be re-evaluated in 10 days.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hischier has been hampered by injuries for most of his young NHL career. The 23-year-old center is coming off a career-best 60-point performance in 70 games last season.

SPORTSNET: Eric Francis reports MacKenzie Weegar and his agent are pushing to get a contract extension done with the Calgary Flames before the start of the upcoming regular season. Acquired from the Florida Panthers in July, the 28-year-old defenseman netted a career-best 44 points last season and is a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Francis expects Weegar could earn more than $6.5 million annually if he hits the open market on July 1. Both sides reportedly remain optimistic so there’s a chance an agreement could be hammered out before the Flames open their season on Oct. 13.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks are still awaiting word as to the severity of Trevor Zegras’ upper-body injury. The 21-year-old sophomore center left Wednesday’s preseason game against the Arizona Coyotes after receiving a thunderous bodycheck by Jan Jenik.

THE ATHLETIC: Michael Russo reports Minnesota Wild forward Tyson Jost admitted he found it difficult watching the Colorado Avalanche win the Stanley Cup this year. Jost, 24, spent nearly six seasons with the Avs until he was traded to the Wild before last season’s trade deadline.

“It was just tough to watch, and now you’ve got to live with that,” he said, crediting his mother for helping him through that emotional time. He also deleted his Instagram account for a time after several Avs fans trolled him by leaving him messages saying their club wouldn’t have won the Cup if he’d still been with them.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We’re so used to players saying how happy they are for their former teammates when they win the Cup. That feeling may be sincere but some of it could also be for public consumption. Privately, it has to affect them in some way to have missed out on winning hockey’s holy grail.

Jost doesn’t have any ill will toward the Avalanche. He’s also in a good position to play a larger role with a promising team in Minnesota than he did in Colorado. Maybe he’ll get his opportunity to win the Cup with the Wild.

TSN: Los Angeles Kings forward Jacob Doty will have a hearing on Friday with the NHL department of player safety for interference on San Jose Sharks forward Jeffrey Viel. The incident occurred during a preseason game on Wednesday.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars forward Ty Dellandrea broke a bone at the tip of one of his fingers after blocking a shot during Thursday’s preseason game against the Minnesota Wild. He’s expected to be sidelined for two-three weeks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 16, 2022

by | Mar 16, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 16, 2022

​Alex Ovechkin takes over third place on the all-time goal list, Connor McDavid, Chris Kreider, Roman Josi and Mitch Marner also reach scoring milestones, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin tallied his 767th career NHL goal as his club downed the New York Islanders 4-3 on a shootout goal by Anthony Mantha. Evgeny Kuznetsov collected two assists for the Capitals while Brock Nelson had a goal and an assist for the Islanders. With 76 points, the Capitals hold the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin surpassed Jaromir Jagr to move into sole possession of third place on the all-time goal-scoring list, becoming the top European goal scorer in NHL history. He now sits 34 goals behind Gordie Howe for second place.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had two points and Evander Kane tallied twice to give the Edmonton Oilers a 7-5 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Warren Foegele snapped a 5-5 tie while Leon Draisaitl, Duncan Keith and Kailer Yamamoto also collected two points for the Oilers, who sit in third place in the Pacific Division with 70 points. Marc Staal scored two goals for the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was McDavid’s 200th career multi-point game. It’s the most among all players since his debut in 2015-16.

New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider became the sixth active skater to score at least 20 power-play goals in a season as his club nipped the Anaheim Ducks 4-3. Adam Fox had three points (including the winning goal in overtime) and Artemi Panarin collected three assists. The Rangers are tied with the Pittsburgh Penguins with 81 points but hold second place in the Metropolitan Division with a game in hand. The Ducks (65 points) have dropped five straight and sit three points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

Speaking of the Penguins, they dropped a 4-1 decision to the Nashville Predators. Roman Josi collected three assists, becoming the third place in franchise history to record 50 assists in a season. Josi also leads all defensemen in scoring this season with 69 points while his club moved into third place in the Central Division with 74 points. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby picked up an assist to extend his points streak to 10 games.

Toronto Maple Leafs rookie goaltender Erik Kallgren turned in a 35-save shutout in his first NHL start to blank the Dallas Stars 4-0. Mitch Marner collected two assists to surpass the 40-assist mark for the sixth straight season. With 81 points, the Leafs are one back of the second-place Tampa Bay Lightning in the Atlantic Division. The loss puts the Stars one point behind the Vegas Golden Knights (68 points) for the final Western wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the first of two games the Leafs will play without Auston Matthews as he serves his suspension for cross-checking Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin during Sunday’s Heritage Classic.

The Golden Knights, meanwhile, suffered their fifth straight defeat as they fell 7-3 to the Winnipeg Jets, who’ve won four of their last five games. Kyle Connor led the way for the Jets with a goal and two assists while Connor Hellebuyck made 35 saves for the win. They now sit just two points behind the Golden Knights. Jets forward Andrew Copp missed this game with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Six weeks ago, the Golden Knights sat atop the Pacific Division with 57 points. The combination of injuries to team captain Mark Stone and starting goalie Robin Lehner has contributed to their decline since then. They’re in danger of dropping out of the playoff race.

Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat scored twice and added an assist to lead his club over the New Jersey Devils 6-3, snapping a 12-game losing skid against New Jersey. Canucks center J.T. Miller extended his points streak to 13 games with three assists as his club sits one point behind the Golden Knights. Devils forward Pavel Zacha is doubtful for his club’s game tonight against the Calgary Flames after suffering an upper-body injury in this contest.

The league-leading Colorado Avalanche became the first team to reach 90 points this season (91) by beating the Los Angeles Kings 3-0. Darcy Kuemper made 23 saves for his second straight shutout while Mikko Rantanen and Valeri Nichushkin each had a goal and an assist. Josh Manson logged over 18 minutes in his first game with the Avs since they acquired him from the Ducks on Monday.

Florida Panthers forward Frank Vatrano scored the game-tying and overtime goals to lift his club to a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. It was Panthers center Joe Thornton’s first game back in San Jose against his former club since his departure in 2020. The Panthers (88 points) move one point ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes into first place in the Eastern Conference.

The Boston Bruins (79 points) remain three points ahead of the Capitals for the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth by downing the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1 on an overtime goal by Matt Grzelcyk. Blackhawks goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made 46 saves in a losing cause.

A 36-save effort by Karel Vejmelka gave the Arizona Coyotes a 6-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens for their sixth victory in their last seven contests. Clayton Keller and Lawson Crouse each had a goal and an assist. Cole Caufield tallied twice in eight seconds for the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens held trade candidate Ben Chiarot out of this game while Josh Anderson missed this matchup with a lower-body injury. The Habs also indicated Ryan Poehling was placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DENVER POST/TWINCITIES.COM: The Colorado Avalanche made their second trade in as many days, shipping forward Tyson Jost to the Minnesota Wild for forward Nico Sturm.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This move adds more size to the Avalanche roster while also swapping Jost’s $2 million salary-cap hit through 2022-23 for the pending free agent Sturm’s more affordable $725K. Avs general manager Joe Sakic could be setting the table for a bigger move before the March 21 trade deadline.

As for the Wild, this deal is being seen as GM Bill Guerin’s attempt to inject some life into a roster that’s struggled over the past month. He believes Jost will have a better chance to showcase his skills with the Wild.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars goaltender Anton Khudobin underwent season-ending hip surgery on Monday. He’s expected to make a full recovery but will be sidelined for six months.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That should put an end to the Braden Holtby trade rumors. The Stars won’t shop their backup while they’re jockeying for a playoff spot. He’s currently sidelined by a lower-body injury though he skated with his teammates during practice yesterday.

NEW YORK POST: Former NHL defenseman Jean Potvin passed away last night at age 72. An 11-year NHL veteran, he spent two tenures totaling seven seasons with the New York Islanders, winning two Stanley Cups with brother Denis Potvin. He also served stints with the Los Angeles Kings, Philadelphia Flyers, Cleveland Barons and Minnesota North Stars. Potvin netted 287 points in 613 total games between 1970-71 and 1980-81.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Potvin’s family, friends and former teammates.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 8, 2022

by | Mar 8, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 8, 2022

​Auston Matthews tallies his 40th goal of the season, Cale Makar reaches 20 goals, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Auston Matthews tallied his league-leading 40th goal as his Toronto Maple Leafs held off the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4. It’s the fourth time in six seasons the Leafs center has reached the 40-goal plateau. Matthews, Mitch Marner, Michael Bunting and T.J. Brodie each finished the night with two points. The Leafs are third in the Atlantic Division with 76 points.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews is the defending Richard Trophy winner. He’s in a tight race for this season’s goal-scoring crown with the Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl and the New York Rangers’ Chris Kreider nipping at his heels. Nevertheless, he remains the favorite to take home the Richard Trophy again this season. Since his debut season (2016-17), Matthews is currently tied with Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin for the most goals with 239.

The league-leading Colorado Avalanche tallied four goals in the third period, then hung on for a 5-4 win over the New York Islanders. Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar each collected three points for the Avalanche with Makar reaching the 20-goal plateau for the first time in his career. Isles goaltender Semyon Varlamov made 44 saves while teammate Anders Lee scored twice and added an assist. The Avs (87 points) hold a four-point lead for first overall over the Carolina Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Makar is the first defenseman to reach 20 goals since the San Jose Sharks’ Brent Burns in 2016-17. He leads all NHL blueliners in goals and points with 63. Meanwhile, teammate Tyson Jost suited up after undergoing several hours of surgery on Saturday and Sunday to repair a fractured jaw and damaged teeth after being struck in the face by a puck during Saturday’s game against the Calgary Flames.

Speaking of the Flames, they remain red-hot by downing the Edmonton Oilers 3-1 to extend their home points streak to 13 games. Tyler Toffoli scored twice, Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and an assist while Jacob Markstrom made 27 saves. The Flames (75 points) hold a four-point lead over the Los Angeles Kings for first place in the Pacific Division while the Oilers (64 points) remain two points behind the Nashville Predators for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Toffoli has scored seven goals in 10 games since being acquired from the Montreal Canadiens. Earlier in the day, the Oilers placed defenseman Tyson Barrie on injured reserve.

The Florida Panthers regained first place in the Atlantic Divison by thumping the Buffalo Sabres 6-1. Spencer Knight (29 saves) got the win in his first start since Feb. 1 while teammates Aleksander Barkov and Mason Marchment each collected three points. With 81 points, the Panthers sit one ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers rookie Anton Lundell left the game in the first period with an apparent leg injury and is listed as day-to-day.

An overtime goal by Andreas Athanasiou lifted the Los Angeles Kings to a 3-2 victory over the Boston Bruins. Cal Petersen made 29 saves for the win as the Kings (71 points) sit four points behind the first-place Flames in the Pacific Division. Craig Smith and Charlie Coyle each had two points for the Bruins, who hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 73 points. Bruins defenseman Matt Grzelcyk missed the game with an upper-body injury.

HEADLINES

TSN: The NHL is suspending its dealings with the Russian-based Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). This decision could make it difficult to sign players from that league. It’s the NHL’s latest move in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This move could affect NHL teams trying to bring over their Russian prospects next season. This likely won’t have any effect upon NHL free agents signing with KHL teams this summer, but the increasingly tightened sanctions on Russia could make that league a less-desirable destination for those players.

NHL.COM: Dallas Stars left wing Jason Robertson, Arizona Coyotes center Nick Schmaltz and New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending March 6, 2022.

SPORTSNET: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Jeff Petry is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.