NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 8, 2024

by | Dec 8, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 8, 2024

A milestone game for Kings captain Anze Kopitar, Paul Maurice becomes the Panthers’ winningest coach, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Los Angeles Kings picked up their fifth straight win by taming the Minnesota Wild 4-1. Trevor Moore scored two goals and Adrian Kempe a goal and an assist for the Kings while Yakov Trenin replied for the Wild.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a milestone game for Kings captain Anze Kopitar as he played in his 1,400th regular-season NHL game. The franchise leader in games played, the 37-year-old Kopitar needs 66 points to surpass Marcel Dionne (1,307 points) for most points by a Kings player. He’s their leading scorer this season with 31 points in 27 games.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk tallied two goals to defeat the San Jose Sharks 3-1, making Paul Maurice the winningest coach in franchise history with 111 wins. Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov also scored and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 28 shots. Sharks goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood kicked out 49 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk has been red hot offensively of late, with 15 points (five goals, 10 assists) in his last six games.

The Washington Capitals overcame a 2-0 deficit to double up the Montreal Canadiens 4-2. Tom Wilson scored twice in the third period and Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (19-6-2), who sit in first place in the overall standings with 40 points. Canadiens winger Cole Caufield had a goal and an assist and sits among the league leaders with 17 goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wilson was struck on the left cheek by a shot from teammate Jakob Chychrun in the first period but remained in the game, icing his cheek on the bench between shifts. Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle returned to the lineup after missing the previous game due to illness.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele snapped a 2-2 tie in a 4-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Kyle Connor and Mason Appleton each had two points for the Jets as they became the first team to reach 20 wins this season (20-8-0). Alex Vlasic and Alec Martinez replied for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Martinez left the game after being struck in the face by a puck in the third period. Earlier in the game, Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek left the game with a lower-body injury. Interim coach Anders Sorensen said Mrazek will be sidelined “for a little bit.”

The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-2 with Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust each getting a goal and an assist. Tristan Jarry made 25 saves for the Penguins, who’ve won five of their last six contests. Mitch Marner and William Nylander scored for the Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Despite their sub-.500 record (.483), the Penguins (28 points) are jockeying with the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Flyers for the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. Penguins forward Philip Tomasino missed this contest with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, the Leafs activated Max Pacioretty off injured reserve and placed defenseman Jake McCabe on IR.

An overtime goal by Pavel Zacha lifted the Boston Bruins over the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 for their fourth straight victory. Trent Frederic tallied twice and Brad Marchand netted the tying goal. Rookie Matvei Michkov scored twice for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers coach John Tortorella benched winger Travis Konecny in the third period. “He was pulled by the (concussion) spotter, and then I stopped playing him,” said Tortorella, claiming Konecny was “undisciplined.” The move came after the Flyers forward took an interference penalty against Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Blues, spoiling the return of former Oilers Dylan Holloway and Philip Broberg to Edmonton. Leon Draisaitl had two assists and Zach Hyman scored as the Oilers picked up their fifth win their last six games. Holloway and Jake Neighbours scored for the Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Holloway and Broberg signed offer sheets with the Blues this summer.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar scored the winning goal as his club nipped the Detroit Red Wings 2-1. Valeri Nichushkin also scored and Alexandar Georgiev turned aside 29 shots for the win. Lucas Raymond scored for the Red Wings, who’ve lost five straight.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche forward Ross Colton returned to action after missing 17 games with a broken foot. The Avs also placed winger Jonathan Drouin (upper body) on injured reserve.

The Utah Hockey Club scored five straight goals to beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-2, handing the latter their sixth straight defeat (0-4-2). Michael Kesselring had a goal and an assist and Karel Vejmelka made 23 saves. Sabres rookie Tyson Kozak scored his first NHL goal.

New York Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau had a goal and two assists as his club held off the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3. Isles forwards Bo Horvat and Maxim Tsyplakov each had a goal and an assist. Andrei Svechnikov scored two goals for the Hurricanes, who’ve lost four of their last five games.

The Ottawa Senators got a 37-save performance from Linus Ullmark in a 3-1 win over the Nashville Predators. Claude Giroux scored what proved to be the winning goal and Tim Stutzle collected two assists. Fedor Svechkov replied for the Predators, who are winless in their last seven (0-4-3).

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: The New York Rangers officially finalized Igor Shesterkin’s eight-year, $92-million contract extension on Saturday. The deal begins next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The average annual value is $11.5 million. Shesterkin will earn over $15 million in actual salary in the deal’s first two years. He’ll earn $9.5 million in actual salary over the remaining four years. It also comes with a full no-movement clause for the duration of the contract.

THE SCORE: The Rangers will take time to name a new captain after trading Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks on Friday.

DAILY FACEOFF: Mark Scheifele, Zach Hyman and MacKenzie Weegar are among the potential injury replacement players for Team Canada in the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February.

NEW YORK POST: Tony DeAngelo is at peace playing in the KHL knowing that his NHL career is probably over. The 29-year-old defenseman spent eight seasons with the Arizona Coyotes, Rangers, Hurricanes and Flyers but couldn’t find a new NHL club this summer as a free agent. He signed with KHL club SKA St. Petersburg.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 31, 2024

by | Oct 31, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 31, 2024

Milestone games for Anze Kopitar and Kyle Connor, the latest valuations of the league’s 32 teams, an update on Connor McDavid’s injury status, the Leafs trade Timothy Liljegren,  and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar had a goal and two assists (including his 800th career assist) to lead his club to a 6-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Kings defenseman Brandt Clarke picked up three assists and Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist in his return to the lineup after being a healthy scratch from the Kings’ previous game. Pavel Dorofeyev scored twice for the Golden Knights, who remain winless on the road (0-3-1).

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar (NHL Images).

Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor also had a goal and two assists (including his 500th career assist) as his club defeated the Detroit Red Wings 6-2. Neal Pionk tallied twice for the league-leading Jets (9-1-0, 18 points). Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond each collected two assists for the Red Wings.

New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom stopped 20 shots to shut out the Vancouver Canucks 6-0. Devils captain Nico Hischier scored his league-leading 10th goal and picked up two assists as his team moved atop the Eastern Conference standings (7-4-2, 16 points). Canucks goalie Arturs Silovs was in net for all six Devils goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Not to take anything away from the Devils’ dominant performance but the Canucks made it easy for them. They were a listless bunch in this game.

The Tampa Bay Lightning got a goal and two assists from Nikita Kucherov to beat the Colorado Avalanche 5-2. Jake Guentzel scored twice and Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 33 shots for the Lightning. Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar each collected two points to extend their season-opening points streaks to 11 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The injury-battered Avalanche played without forwards Ross Colton (broken foot, out six to eight weeks) and Miles Wood (upper-body injury, out seven to 10 days). They did get some good news as sidelined forward Artturi Lehkonen is expected to return to action next Tuesday against the Seattle Kraken. He’s been recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.

Another player with a goal and two assists was Mikhail Sergachev, leading the Utah Hockey Club to a 5-1 win over the Calgary Flames. Connor Ingram made 30 saves for the win while Nick Schmaltz and Dylan Guenther each collected two assists. Anthony Mantha scored for the Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Calgary captain Mikael Backlund played in his 1,000th career regular-season game.

Since winning five of their first six games, the fizzling Flames have dropped four straight.

Columbus Blue Jackets netminder Elvis Merzlikins turned in a 26-save shutout to blank the New York Islanders 2-0, handing the latter their fourth loss in their last five games. Damon Severson and Justin Danforth were the goal scorers as the Blue Jackets end their October schedule with a record of 5-3-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s a testament to the Blue Jackets’ character that they’ve played as well as they have considering everything they’ve endured since late August.

Meanwhile, the Islanders have been shut out in four of their first 10 games. As of Oct. 30, their goals per game average (2.10) is last in the league.

HEADLINES

SPORTICO: released their annual evaluation of all 32 NHL franchises. All of them saw significant increases in their value since last year, with the average being 37 percent.

The top five were the Toronto Maple Leafs ($3.66 billion), New York Rangers ($3.25 billion), Montreal Canadiens ($2.93 billion), Boston Bruins ($2.67 billion) and Los Angeles Kings ($2.5 billion).

The Utah Hockey Club ($1.2 billion), Ottawa Senators ($1.14 billion), Buffalo Sabres ($1.13 billion), Winnipeg Jets ($1.1 billion) and Columbus Blue Jackets ($1.06 billion) made up the bottom five. Utah HC saw the biggest increase (78 percent) because of its relocation from Arizona.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s James Mirtle explained the reasons behind these significant increases. The current CBA with its hard salary cap, robust revenue sharing with smaller markets, and the expansion into Las Vegas and Seattle are among the notable factors.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers captain Connor McDavid will be sidelined with an injured ankle for two to three weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid could miss up to 12 games during that period. Nevertheless, the Oilers are probably breathing a sigh of relief that he’ll only miss at most three weeks.

TORONTO SUN/NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: The Toronto Maple Leafs traded defenseman Timothy Liljegren to the San Jose Sharks for blueliner Matt Benning, a conditional third-round pick in 2025 and a sixth-rounder in 2026.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Liljegren is signed through next season with an average annual value of $3 million. Benning’s contract also runs through 2025-26 and has an AAV of $1.25 million. The move frees up $1.75 million in much-needed salary-cap space for the Leafs. It also clears room for Jani Hakanpaa’s impending debut with the Leafs.

Liljegren struggled to establish himself as a top-four puck-moving defenseman with the Leafs. He’ll get a better opportunity to do so with the rebuilding Sharks, away from Toronto’s harsh spotlight.

DAILY FACEOFF: Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

RG.ORG: An in-depth analysis of the relationship between faster players and elite offensive production in the NHL. Unlike the past where size and shot mechanics were determining factors, faster players in today’s NHL are more likely to become elite stars, though it is no guarantee of stardom. The Colorado Avalanche appear to have tapped into that, sitting third over the past three seasons in total points (335) and winning the Stanley Cup in 2021-22.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 15, 2024

by | Apr 15, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 15, 2024

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

GAME RECAPS

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

Vegas Golden Knights forward William Karlsson (NHL Images).

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

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

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

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

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

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

HEADLINES

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 26, 2024

by | Mar 26, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 26, 2024

Kings captain Anze Kopitar reaches an assist milestone, the three stars of the week are announced, Martin St. Louis returns to the Canadiens’ bench, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist as his club held off the Vancouver Canucks 3-2. Kopitar reached the 40-assist mark for the 14th time, tying Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby for the most among active players. Sam Lafferty and Brock Boeser replied for the Canucks, who slipped to 45-19-8 and dropped to second overall with 98 points. The Kings (38-22-11) sit in third place in the Pacific Division with 87 points, one behind the second-place Edmonton Oilers.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks missed an opportunity to become the first team to reach 100 points and clinch a playoff berth this season. Canucks center Elias Lindholm missed this game for what is believed to be a hand or wrist injury. He’s listed as day-to-day.

An overtime goal by Jonathan Marchessault lifted the Vegas Golden Knights to a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Logan Thompson stopped 32 shots for the Golden Knights (39-25-7), who hold a five-point lead over the Blues for the final Western Conference wildcard berth with 85 points. Brandon Saad scored and Jordan Binnington made 32 saves for the 38-30-4 Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues forward Oskar Sundqvist left this game in the second period favoring his right leg following a hit by Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, and Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid are the league’s three stars for the week ending March 24, 2024.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Canadiens coach Martin St. Louis has returned to the club following a two-week leave of absence to take care of a family-related matter. His son, Mason, suffered complications from an injury sustained while playing hockey in Connecticut requiring hospitalization. His condition has stabilized and he’s now recovering at home.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Anthony Duclair has been on fire since joining the Tampa Bay Lightning in a trade from the San Jose Sharks earlier this month. He has points in all seven of his games with the Lightning.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Sharks, winger Mike Hoffman has been sidelined since March 9 recovering from a concussion following a hit from Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk. Meanwhile, rookie defenseman Ty Emberson’s season may be over due to a lower-body laceration suffered on Feb. 29.

ARIZONA SPORTS: The Coyotes recalled forward Josh Doan from their AHL affiliate. The 22-year-old is the son of former Coyotes star Shane Doan.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Jaromir Jagr bobblehead dolls stolen on their way to Pittsburgh have been recovered. The 18,000 dolls were to be handed out during a game on March 14 at PPG Paints Arena. Fans who received vouchers for the dolls can redeem them during a drive-through event at the arena on Apr. 6.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 21, 2024

by | Mar 21, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 21, 2024

A five-point performance by the Leafs’ Auston Matthews, Kings captain Anze Kopitar reaches a points milestone, Hall-of-Famer Lanny McDonald talks about his near-death experience, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews scored twice and collected three assists in a 7-3 victory over the Washington Capitals. Max Domi had four assists while William Nylander and John Tavares had a goal and two assists each for the 39-20-9 Maple Leafs, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 87 points. Alex Ovechkin scored twice for the 33-26-9 Capitals (75 points), who remain one point behind the Detroit Red Wings for the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews has a league-leading 57 goals, nine up on Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart. Some pundits are suggesting he could reach 70. He still has some distance to cover to reach that milestone but he’s within reach of 65, which was Ovechkin’s career high and the most scored by an NHL player in the salary-cap era.

Leafs defenseman T.J. Brodie was a healthy scratch from this game while teammate Ryan Reaves missed this contest with an eye injury. Capitals forwards T.J. Oshie (upper body) and Aliaksei Protas (lower body) missed this game and are listed as day-to-day.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist to reach 1,200 regular-season points as his club blanked the Minnesota Wild 6-0. Kevin Fiala, Phillip Danault and Viktor Arvidsson also had a goal and an assist each while David Rittich turned in a 31-save shutout for the 36-22-11 Kings, who sit third in the Pacific Division with 83 points. The 34-28-8 Wild (73 points) are three points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the final Western Conference wildcard spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The third period got rough with 12 players (six from each team) receiving misconduct penalties.

Arvidsson returned to action for the Kings after being sidelined since Feb. 20. Meanwhile, Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin missed this game with a lower-body injury.

The Dallas Stars rolled to a 5-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Jason Robertson had a goal and an assist and Tyler Seguin scored in his return to the Stars lineup after missing 11 games with a lower-body injury. With a record of 42-19-9, the Stars sit third in the Central Division with 93 points. Clayton Keller tallied his 28th goal of the season for the 28-36-5 Coyotes.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Hall-of-Famer Lanny McDonald revealed he was near death after suffering a heart attack at the Calgary airport six weeks ago. Doctors told the 71-year-old that he would’ve died if the episode had taken place minutes earlier on the plane or minutes later in the parking lot.

The quick response from two passing nurses and a policeman saved McDonald’s life. The policeman worked so hard administering CPR that he fractured McDonald’s sternum and several of his ribs.

McDonald underwent quadruple bypass surgery four days later and had a pacemaker installed eight days later.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to McDonald and his family in his recovery.

DAILY FACEOFF: NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly insists the science is still lacking regarding the link to CTE and repeated blows to the head.

The question was raised following the suicide of Chris Simon earlier this week. Simon’s family issued a statement expressing their strong belief that the former NHL enforcer suffered from CTE attributed to his playing career.

CTE can only be diagnosed posthumously. In a document submitted to an Ottawa court in 2017, Simon claimed he suffered from symptoms including depression, anxiety and PTSD.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Mayo Clinic, Columbia University, the US National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, the NHS in the United Kingdom, Boston University and the Alzheimer’s Association are among those that would disagree with Daly.

THE SCORE: Speaking of Daly, he said the league probably wouldn’t have enough time to relocate the Arizona Coyotes if their owner fails to win June’s land auction. The Coyotes have been playing in Arizona State University’s 5,000-seat Mullett Arena while their ownership attempts to find a location to build a new arena.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been reported that relocation would be “on the table” if the Coyotes owner doesn’t win that land auction.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens forward Joshua Roy has been sidelined indefinitely with an injured right hand. He suffered the injury blocking a shot during Tuesday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers.

TSN: Boston University center Macklin Celebrini was named the NCAA’s Hockey East Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. The 17-year-old Celebrini is projected as the top prospect in this year’s draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The San Jose Sharks could land Celebrini. They’re currently last in the overall standings and would have the best odds of winning the draft lottery.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 10, 2023

by | Nov 10, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 10, 2023

The Sharks upset the Oilers, Connor Bedard sets a Blackhawks record while the Jets’ Kyle Connor and the Bruins’ Charlie Coyle enjoy hat-trick performances. Details on these stories and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The San Jose Sharks got a 39-save performance from Mackenzie Blackwood to hold off the Edmonton Oilers 3-2. Tomas Hertl and Fabian Zetterlund each had a goal and an assist for the 2-10-1 Sharks. Darnell Nurse and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins replied for 2-9-1 Oilers, who are tied with the Sharks with a league-worst five points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The arse has gone out of it for the free-falling Oilers. This could be Jay Woodcroft’s final game as their head coach. Whether a new bench boss can save their season remains to be seen given their porous goaltending, sloppy defensive play and lack of production but they have to do something.

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard (NHL Images).

Chicago Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard became the youngest player in franchise history to have a multipoint game in a 5-3 upset of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bedard scored twice and set up two others while Nick Foligno collected three assists for the Blackhawks (5-7-0). Anthony Cirelli, Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos replied for the Lightning as they slipped to 6-4-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard is also the youngest player since 1944 with a four-point game. He now leads all rookies this season with seven goals and 11 points. Meanwhile, Blackhawks winger Andreas Athanasiou left the game in the second period with an undisclosed injury.

The Boston Bruins downed the New York Islanders 5-2 thanks to Charlie Coyle potting his first career NHL hat trick. Coyle finished with four points while David Pastrnak had a goal and two assists as the Bruins (23 points) took over first place in the overall standings with a record of 11-1-1. Ilya Sorokin made 30 saves for the Islanders as they dropped to 5-4-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins activated forward Jakub Lauko off injured reserve but he didn’t skate in this game. They also placed forward Morgan Geekie (upper body) on injured reserve. Meanwhile, Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech missed this contest with a lower-body injury.

Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor tallied a hat trick to lead his club over the Nashville Predators by a score of 6-3. Connor finished the night with four points while Mark Scheifele had four assists as the Jets rose to 7-4-2. Filip Forsberg scored twice for the 5-8-0 Predators.

An overtime goal by Cole Caufield lifted the Montreal Canadiens over the Detroit Red Wings 3-2, snapping their four-game losing skid. Cayden Primeau made 27 saves for the win in his first game since Oct. 24 while Mike Matheson had a goal and two assists as the Canadiens improved to 6-5-2. Christian Fischer and JT Compher replied for the 7-5-2 Red Wings as they’re winless in their last four (0-3-1).

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin collected a goal and an assist to extend his season-opening points streak to 13 games in a 4-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Alexis Lafreniere and Vincent Trocheck each had a goal and two assists while Louis Domingue stopped 25 shots in his first NHL game since 2021-22 as the Rangers improved to 10-2-1. Brandon Duhaime replied for the Wild as they fell to 5-6-2.

The Vancouver Canucks (10-2-1) extended their win streak to five games and pushed their points streak to nine games as they beat the Ottawa Senators 5-2. Elias Pettersson took over the lead in the NHL scoring race (24 points) with a goal and two assists while Ilya Mikheyev tallied twice. Drake Batherson and Artem Zub replied for the 5-7-0 Senators as they’re at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings with 10 points.

Dallas Stars forward Matt Duchene had a goal and two assists as his club overcame a 2-0 deficit with a 5-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jake Oettinger stopped 27 shots as the Stars improved to 8-3-1 on the season. Boone Jenner and Kirill Marchenko replied for the Blue Jackets as they dropped to 4-6-3.

St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas scored the game-winner as his club nipped the Arizona Coyotes 2-1. It was Thomas’ fifth straight goal as his club improved to 6-5-1. Lawson Crouse replied for the 6-6-1 Coyotes.

The Seattle Kraken (5-6-3) blew a 3-1 lead but still defeated the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 as Oliver Bjorkstand scored his second goal of the game with 32 seconds remaining in the third period. Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists for the 8-4-0 Avalanche as they dropped their first home game of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche also lost forward Artturi Lehkonen in the second period after falling face-first into the boards. He was taken to a local hospital as a precaution and is reportedly alert, responsive and has full movement of his limbs. An update on his condition could be released on Friday.

An overtime goal by Bryan Rust gave the Pittsburgh Penguins a 4-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings (8-2-3). Penguins captain Sidney Crosby had his 450th career multipoint game with a goal and an assist while Erik Karlsson collected two assists as the Penguins improved to 6-6-0 with their third straight victory. Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar collected an assist to move into second place on the franchise’s all-time points list with 1,155.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kopitar has a ways to go to catch franchise leader Marcel Dionne’s 1,307 points.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE PROVINCE: Former Vancouver Canucks great Trevor Linden slammed the club’s former general manager Jim Benning. Linden, who as team president hired Benning in 2014, claimed the former GM probably wouldn’t have chosen Elias Pettersson in the 2017 NHL Draft if he’d had the choice.

Benning refuted Linden’s story, claiming the decision to select Pettersson was a group one. “We were always going to draft Pettersson. The whole group like Petey,” he said.

Benning added that he felt the scouting group hadn’t watched other players enough and wanted them to conduct their due diligence. He called rumors that he liked another player over Pettersson “simply not true,” adding that he told team owner Francesco Aquilini he was drafting the young center the night before the draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This sad little attempt at a pissing contest serves no purpose and changes nothing regardless of whose side of the story you believe. The Canucks chose Pettersson, who is currently the NHL’s leading scorer and a big reason why the club is off to its best start in years.

THE ATHLETIC: Peter Baugh reports Kraken winger Jordan Eberle is doing well after suffering a deep cut to his leg from a skate blade during practice on Wednesday. He’s listed as day-to-day.

CBS SPORTS/DAILY FACEOFF: The Washington Capitals placed defenseman Trevor van Riemsdyk (lower body) on injured reserve and announced winger Anthony Mantha is day-to-day after taking a puck to the ear during Wednesday’s game against the Florida Panthers.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames have recalled goaltender Dustin Wolf amid speculation that starting goalie Jacob Markstrom could be nursing an injury.