NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 25, 2021

by | Jan 25, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 25, 2021

​Recaps of Sunday’s game, the Leafs remember the late George Armstrong and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Morgan Rielly collected three assists and Auston Matthews netted the game-winner as the Toronto Maple Leafs held on for a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames. Before the game, the Leafs mourned former captain George Armstrong, who passed away yesterday at age 90.

Hall-of-Famer George Armstrong passed away Sunday at age 90. (NHL.com)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Armstrong spent his entire 21-NHL career with the Leafs, 12 of those as captain. He led the Leafs to four Stanley Cups in the 1960s, finishing his career with 296 goals and 713 points in 1,188 games. Armstrong was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975 and went on to work for the Leafs in various front-office roles and was a long-time scout and team ambassador. My condolences to Armstrong’s family, friends, former teammates, and the Leafs organization.

The Chicago Blackhawks picked up their second win of the season by thumping the Detroit Red Wings 6-2. Blackhawks rookie Pius Suter tallied a hat track, becoming the second player in franchise history to score his first three NHL goals in one game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a well-deserved victory by the Blackhawks. The Red Wings certainly didn’t help their cause, looking every bit as horrible as they did last season.

Jack Eichel’s shootout goal lifted the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-3 decision over the Washington Capitals. Sabres defensemen Colin Miller and Rasmus Ristolainen each had two points, as did Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom and blueliner Justin Schultz.

A controversial goal by William Karlsson late in the third period lifted the Vegas Golden Knights over the Arizona Coyotes 1-0. Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 16 saves for his 62nd career shutout, moving into 17th place on the all-time list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coyotes coach Rick Tocchet wasn’t pleased by Karlsson’s goal, believing play should’ve been whistled down for icing.

The New Jersey Devils got goals from Jack Hughes and Pavel Zacha to blank the New York Islanders 2-0. Scott Wedgewood kicked out 28 shots for the shutout. Devils blueliner Ty Smith became the sixth rookie defenseman in NHL history to collect points in his first five games.

Jake Guentzel tallied his 100th career NHL goal, breaking a 2-2 tie as the Pittsburgh Penguins nipped the New York Rangers 3-2. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby picked up two assists. Rangers center Filip Chytil left the game with an upper-body injury following a second-period collision with Penguins forward Evan Rodrigues.

The Anaheim Ducks defeated the Colorado Avalanche 3-1 thanks to a 32-save performance by goaltender John Gibson.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar had a goal and two assists to lead his club over the St. Louis Blues 6-3. Brayden Schenn scored twice for the Blues.

Brent Burns’ goal late in the third period was the game-winner as the San Jose Sharks beat the Minnesota Wild 5-3. Sharks forward Ryan Donato had a goal and an assist, as did Wild winger Zach Parise.

The Dallas Stars tallied three power-play goals to hold off the Nashville Predators 3-2. Stars forwards Joe Pavelski and Roope Hintz each tallied a goal and two assists. The Stars were playing without captain Jamie Benn, who’s been sidelined with a lower-body injury since Friday’s season-opener.

Leon Draisaitl scored with one second remaining in the game to give the Edmonton Oilers a 4-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected three assists in this contest.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson has changed agents, moving to Pat Brisson at CAA Hockey. Brisson also represents Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brisson is among the NHL’s most powerful agents. Pettersson and Hughes are in the final seasons of their entry-level contracts. Both will be seeking significant raises this summer.

TSN: The Columbus Blue Jackets placed center Brandon Dubinsky on long-term injury reserve. He’s been sidelined since the 2019 playoffs with a chronic wrist injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubinsky’s playing career is likely over. He’s in the final season of his contract and becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 2, 2020

by | Mar 2, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 2, 2020

Game recaps, players and rookie of the month for February, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Alex Ovechkin scored twice and added an assist as the Washington Capitals edged the Minnesota Wild 4-3. Ovechkin has 45 goals on the season, moving into a second-place tie with Toronto’s Auston Matthews in the NHL goal-scoring race. The Capitals (86 points) opened a three-point lead over the Philadelphia Flyers for first place in the Metropolitan Division. Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist for the Wild (71 points), who remain one point out of a Western Conference wild-card spot.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin led his club to a 5-3 win over the New York Rangers (Photo via NHL Images).

The Flyers jumped to a 4-0 lead and cruised to a 5-3 win over the New York Rangers. They scored three goals in the first period, two on the power-play and one shorthanded. Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist allowed five goals on 26 shots in his first start since Feb. 3. The Flyers (83 points) opened a three-point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins for second place in the Metropolitan Division. The Rangers (74 points) are four behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

Speaking of the Blue Jackets, they overcame a 3-1 deficit to beat the slumping Vancouver Canucks 5-3. Zach Werenski and Ryan Murray each had two points for the Jackets (78 points), opening a three-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes for the final Eastern wild-card spot. Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller each had a goal and two assists for the Canucks, who dropped into the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference.

Cam Talbot made 38 saves as the Calgary Flames blanked the Florida Panthers 3-0. Flames captain Mark Giordano collected three assists while Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and an assist. With 75 points, the Flames moved one point ahead of the Canucks into third place in the Pacific Division. The Panthers (73 points) have dropped seven-straight games and remain five points behind the third-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division.

The Los Angeles Kings upset the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1. Calvin Petersen stopped 42 shots while Anze Kopitar scored two goals to snap the Golden Knights’ eight-game winning streak. With 80 points, the Golden Knights remain atop the Pacific Division. Earlier in the day, they revealed winger Mark Stone is week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Cory Schneider turned in a 34-save shutout and Pavel Zacha scored twice to give the New Jersey Devils a 3-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl, New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad, and Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak are the NHL’s three stars for February 2020. Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes was the rookie of the month.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 16, 2019

by | Dec 16, 2019

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 16, 2019

Eric Staal and Marc-Andre Fleury reach career milestones, plus the latest on Sidney Crosby, Cale Makar, and more in the NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild center Eric Staal scored to pick up his 1,000th career point, but it wasn’t enough to prevent his club from falling to the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3. Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane tallied a hat trick while Jonathan Toews collected three assists. Kevin Fiala scored twice for the Wild.

Minnesota Wild center Eric Staal netted his 1,000th career point in a 5-3 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks (Photo via NHL Images).

Marc-Andre Fleury moved into 14th place for all-time games played among NHL goalies (821) backstopping the Vegas Golden Knights to a 6-3 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Vegas winger Max Pacioretty scored twice and added two assists. Earlier in the day, the Canucks placed winger Sven Baertschi on waivers.

Blake Wheeler and Mark Scheifele each had a goal and two assists as the Winnipeg Jets thumped the Philadelphia Flyers 7-3. Flyers forward Joel Farabee faces supplemental discipline for interference on Jets center Mathieu Perreault. The injury-ravaged Flyers have dropped four of their last five games.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar scored twice to lead his club over the Detroit Red Wings 4-2, snapping the latter’s two-game win streak.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby recently teamed up with sponsor and equipment maker CCM to announce a donation of 87 sets of hockey gear to participants in three programs administered by Hockey Nova Scotia.

TSN: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar will miss the next two games with an upper-body injury.

NBC SPORTS: cites Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reporting former San Jose Sharks head coach Peter DeBoer is willing to entertain offers for coaching jobs this season. “Sometimes coaches wanna take time, maybe the rest of the season before they come back,” Friedman said. “The word is … that, depending on the situation, Peter DeBoer is willing to listen and will consider coaching this year. But again, it depends on the situation.”

WGR 550: The Buffalo Sabres sent struggling Casey Mittelstadt to their AHL affiliate in Rochester. The 21-year-old winger had been a healthy scratch in three of the Sabres’ last four games.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Former NHL winger Vladimir Tsyplakov has died at the age of 50. The cause of death was not revealed. Tsyplakov played nearly five seasons with the Los Angeles Kings and nearly two seasons with the Sabres. He netted 170 points in 331 NHL games.

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

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 9, 2019

by | Sep 9, 2019

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 9, 2019

The latest on Erik Karlsson, Evgeni Malkin, Anze Kopitar, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NBC SPORTS BAY AREA: San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson claims his injured groin is back to normal after surgery in May. The nagging injury sidelined Karlsson for several games during the regular season and hobbled him during the 2019 Western Conference Final. He doesn’t regret holding off surgery until the off-season.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson said he’s fully recovered from off-season groin surgery (Photo via NHL Images).

“I most likely would have missed the whole year,” he said. “Now it feels that it’s something that shouldn’t affect anything else moving forward, and it shouldn’t be a problem that I have again.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks are counting on Karlsson to be fully recovered. In June, they re-signed him to an eight-year, $92-million contract. If that injury remains an issue they’ll have a very expensive problem on their hands.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Evgeni Malkin is among several Pittsburgh Penguins entering this season with something to prove. While his offense (72 points in 68 games last season) remains strong, he faced considerable criticism for his sloppy defensive play.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s believed Malkin took the criticism to heart, working hard to improve that aspect of his play and stepping up his offseason training. A motivated Malkin will be crucial to the Penguins’ postseason hopes.

NHL.COM: Speaking of something to prove, Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar expects better from himself and his teammates after missing the playoff last season. He believes new head coach Todd McLellan can bring about a turnaround in the club’s fortunes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That won’t be easy. Core players such as Kopitar, Drew Doughty, Jeff Carter, and Dustin Brown are aging and the club is starting to transition toward youth. Their once-vaunted defense is depleted while injuries are taking a toll on long-time starting goaltender Jonathan Quick.

OTTAWA SUN: For the second straight year, the Senators won’t be naming a team captain. They’ll instead go with three alternates drawn from the ranks of their older, more experienced players. They don’t want younger players such as Brady Tkachuk, Thomas Chabot, and Colin White dealing with that burden this season. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Makes sense. Give those youngsters another year to develop and to learn from their more experienced teammates.

THE DETROIT NEWS: Mike Green and Frans Nielsen are among five Red Wings who could rebound in 2019-20. Justin Abdelkader and Jonathan Bernier could also have bounce-back performances while promising Filip Zadina looks to crack the roster on a full-time basis.

NBC SPORTS: The New Jersey Devils promoted player personnel directors Tom Fitzgerald and Dan MacKinnon to front-office vice president positions.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 1, 2019

by | Apr 1, 2019

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 1, 2019

Game recaps, Flames clinch first place in the Western Conference, Joe Thornton fined, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: The Calgary Flames (105 points) clinched first place in the Western Conference by defeating the San Jose Sharks 5-3. Johnny Gaudreau collected two assists for the Flames, who have home-ice advantage through the first three rounds of the 2019 playoffs.

The loss means the Sharks’ opening-round opponent will be the Vegas Golden Knights. Speaking of which, Sharks center Joe Thornton and Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves were each fined $2,500.00 for high-sticking each other during their game on Saturday. 

Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky collected his ninth shutout in a 4-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres (Photo via NHL Images)

Sergei Bobrovsky made 38 saves to pick up his league-leading ninth shutout as he backstopped the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-0 win over the Buffalo Sabres. The Jackets (94 points) picked up their fifth straight victory and moved into the first wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After struggling through most of this season, Bobrovsky’s been red-hot down the stretch, regaining the form that made him the only active multi-Vezina Trophy winner. Since March 5, his save percentage has been at .920 or higher in all but two of his last 11 starts. 

Anthony Mantha had a career-high five points, including his first NHL hat trick, as the Detroit Red Wings upset the Boston Bruins 6-3. With 103 points, the Bruins maintain a six-point lead over the Toronto Maple Leafs for second place in the Atlantic Division. 

The Pittsburgh Penguins (97 points) are two points behind the New York Islanders for second in the Metropolitan Division after beating the Carolina Hurricanes 3-1. Matt Cullen scored a goal and collected an assist for the Penguins. The Hurricanes (93 points) fell into the second wild-card berth in the East. 

The Arizona Coyotes kept their playoff hopes alive by blanking the Minnesota Wild 4-0. Darcy Kuemper kicked out 39 shots and Josh Archibald scored two goals. The Coyotes (84 points) are one point behind the Colorado Avalanche for the final Western Conference wild-card berth while the Wild sit four points out. 

Alexandar Georgiev turned in a 29-save shutout and Ryan Strome had two points as the New York Rangers blanked the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0. 

LOS ANGELES TIMES: Kings captain Anze Kopitar will play his 1,000th career NHL game tonight against the Calgary Flames. 

NEWSDAY: New York Islanders center Tanner Fritz will be sidelined six-to-eight weeks following surgery on Saturday to remove a blood clot from his hand. 

TSN: On a sad non-NHL note, the Canadian Women’s Hockey League yesterday announced it will discontinue operation on May 1. The league was founded in 2007 and was made up of six franchises. They recently saw a record 175,000 viewers tune to watch the Clarkson Cup contest between the Calgary Inferno and Les Canadiennes de Montreal. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Hailey Salvian cites a source saying the National Women’s Hockey League will investigate adding one or two Canadian franchises, with Montreal and one of the Toronto-area clubs the likely candidates. The NHL has expressed interest in growing women’s hockey but it remains to be seen if they’ll get involved in backing one North American league. 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 6, 2019

by | Jan 6, 2019

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 6, 2019

Game recaps, coaches named for 2019 All-Star Game, and more in this morning’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Jonathan Quick collected his 300th NHL win and Anze Kopitar tallied his 300th NHL goal as the Los Angeles Kings blanked the Edmonton Oilers 4-0. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was perhaps the worst game of the season for the struggling Oilers, who seemed listless throughout this contest. At one point, Kings defenseman Drew Doughty elbowed Oilers captain Connor McDavid in the face without getting a penalty or receiving retribution from McDavid’s teammates, drawing a furious reaction from Oilers fans on social media. The faithful are getting restless as the hashtag #FireChiarelli (referring to Oilers general manager Peter Chiarelli) was trending in Canada this morning. 

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar tallied his 300th career NHL goal in a 4-0 win over the Edmonton Oilers (Photo via NHL Images).

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s 16-game point streak came to an end last night with a 5-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks. Winger Evander Kane scored twice for the Sharks, including his 200th career goal, while Brent Burns collected three assists and Erik Karlsson had two helpers.

Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban collected his 300th career NHL assist against his former club in a 4-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Craig Smith tallied two goals for the Predators. With the loss, the Canadiens dropped out of the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. 

The New York Islanders moved ahead of the Canadiens into that second wild-card spot by holding off the St. Louis Blues 4-3. Anders Lee had a goal and an assist for the red-hot Isles, who’ve won six straight contests. 

Michael Hutchinson had a 28-save shutout in his second game with the Toronto Maple Leafs, backstopping them to a 5-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Auston Matthews had a goal and two assists for the Leafs. The Canucks, meanwhile, were playing without star rookie Elias Pettersson, who is expected to miss two weeks with a sprained right knee. 

Defenseman T.J. Brodie scored in overtime as the Calgary Flames overcame a 2-1 deficit for a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, who suffered their sixth straight defeat. Flames winger Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist.

Boston Bruins goaltender Tuukka Rask made 31 saves as his club held on for a 2-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Returning from a three-game suspension, David Backes tallied the winning goal. 

The Columbus Blue Jackets picked up their seventh win in their last nine games by downing the Florida Panthers 4-3 on an overtime goal by Seth Jones. 

The Minnesota Wild handed the Ottawa Senators their seventh consecutive loss by edging them 4-3. Wild blueliner Jared Spurgeon scored two goals and teammate Zach Parise had a three-point performance. 

IN OTHER NEWS…

Josh Cooper of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Paul Maurice of the Winnipeg Jets, Todd Reirden of the Washington Capitals, and Bill Peters of the Calgary Flames will serve as the head coaches in the 2019 NHL All-Star Game in San Jose on Jan. 26. 

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers will be sidelined at least a month with an upper-body injury.

CBS SPORTS: Florida Panthers forward Derek MacKenzie has announced his retirement to become an assistant coach with the club. He suffered a shoulder injury earlier in the season. In a career stretching back to 2001-02 with the Panthers, Atlanta Thrashers, and Columbus Blue Jackets, McKenzie scored 51 goals and 74 points for 125 points.

ESPN.COM: Former New Jersey Devils forward Mike Peluso has filed a lawsuit claiming the club hid the true extent of a head injury he suffered during a game in 1993. “The suit says Peluso has suffered “nine grand mal seizures, early onset dementia, total and permanent disability in the workplace, all signs of being afflicted with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE), as well as other severe neurological and psychological impairment.”