NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 18, 2023

by | Mar 18, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 18, 2023

Recaps of Friday’s games, more information on the Flyers’ recent management change, the Lightning induct Phil Esposito, Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier into its Hall of Fame, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs became the fifth team to reach the 90-point mark by downing the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2. Zach Aston-Reese scored two goals while John Tavares, Morgan Rielly and Calle Jarnkrok each had two points as the Leafs improved to 41-18-9 and sit second in the Atlantic Division with 91 points. The 44-15-8 Hurricanes (96 points) have dropped three of their last four and remain one point up on the New Jersey Devils for the lead in the Metropolitan Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs forward Noel Acciari left the game in the first period after being struck in the jaw after a collision with Hurricanes winger Jesse Puljujarvi.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Owen Tippett (NHL Images)

Philadelphia Flyers winger Owen Tippett tallied his first NHL hat trick in a 5-2 upset of the Buffalo Sabres. Carter Hart made 36 saves for the 25-32-11 Flyers. Victor Olofsson scored both goals for the Sabres (33-29-6) as they remain six points behind the New York Islanders for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres are fading down the stretch, losing eight of their last 10 games. With 14 games remaining in their schedule and holding two games in hand over the Islanders, they cannot afford to lose more ground in the standings if they want to keep their fading playoff hopes alive.

The St. Louis Blues got two goals from Sammy Blais to beat the Washington Capitals 5-2. Joel Hofer stopped 32 shots in his first NHL game this season to pick up his second career win for the 30-33-5 Blues. The Capitals dropped to 33-30-7 (73 points) and sit five points back of the Islanders.

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Scott Harrington scored two goals in a 7-4 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Ducks improved to 23-36-10 on the season. Patrik Laine had a goal and an assist for the 21-40-7 Blue Jackets.

HEADLINES

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: Marcus Hayes reports sources indicated Flyers CEO Dave Scott did not consult the “Three Wise Men” – Bob Clarke, Paul Holmgren and Bill Barber – when he made the decision to fire Chuck Fletcher as general manager and hire Daniel Briere as interim GM.

Clarke, Holmgren and Barber are former Flyers players who went on to roles in management and coaching with the club for years before becoming senior advisors to the team. One league source said they wouldn’t have approved of Briere’s hiring.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Critics of the Flyers’ front office such as Hayes claim the franchise has been hampered in recent years by Clarke, Holmgren and Barber, accusing them of favoring people “who see the game through the same mottled, last-century lenses as they still see it.”

Clarke, Holmgren and Barber played key roles for the Flyers on the ice, behind the bench and in the front office, turning them into Stanley Cup champions in the 1970s and contenders from the 1980s through 2010. They are no longer in management and coaching roles but still wielded considerable influence over who was employed in those roles.

However, the Flyers are poised to miss the playoffs for the seventh time since 2012-13. It’s been apparent for some time that this club is struggling to adjust to a changing game that favors speed and skill.

Hiring Briere without first consulting Clarke, Holmgren and Barber signals what could be other significant changes in the Flyers’ front office. It’ll be interesting to see what transpires in the coming months.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki was fined $2,500.00 by the NHL department of player safety for cross-checking Florida Panthers forward Anton Lundell on Thursday.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Canadiens, head coach Martin St. Louis revealed winger Jonathan Drouin missed a team meeting on Friday morning and will not be allowed to play in Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Speaking of St. Louis and the Lightning, the club honored him, Vincent Lecavalier and Phil Esposito as its first inductees into its Hall of Fame. Esposito was the Lightning’s founder in 1992 while St. Louis and Lecavalier became the team’s first stars, leading the Bolts to its first Stanley Cup in 2004.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Esposito, St. Louis and Lecavalier for their well-deserved honors.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings prized defenseman Simon Edvinsson will play his first NHL game today against the Colorado Avalanche.

WGR 550: The Buffalo Sabres signed top goalie prospect Devon Levi to a three-year entry-level contract.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 12, 2022

by | Feb 12, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 12, 2022

​The Oilers win their first game under new coach Jay Woodcroft, Brad Marchand to appeal his six-game suspension, Flyers center Sean Couturier undergoes season-ending surgery, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers won their first game under new head coach Jay Woodcroft by downing the New York Islanders 3-1. Connor McDavid collected two assists, Mike Smith made 37 saves and Zach Hyman scored what proved to be the winning goal. With 51 points, the Oilers are four behind the Anaheim Ducks for the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

An overtime goal by Jason Robertson lifted the Dallas Stars to a 4-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Robertson reached the 20-goal mark for the first time in his young NHL career while teammate Jamie Benn had a goal and an assist. Jets center Mark Scheifele also had a goal and an assist. The Stars sit one point ahead of the Oilers and three behind the Ducks while the Jets (46 points) are nine points out of a wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets have dug themselves a deep hole in the Western Conference standings. They could become sellers if they haven’t gained ground by the time the calendar flips to March.

The Ducks, meanwhile, dropped a 4-3 decision to the Seattle Kraken. Jordan Eberle broke a 3-3 tie late in the third period while teammate Ryan Donato scored twice for the Kraken. Ducks forward Isac Lundestrom tallied two goals.

Steven Stamkos scored two goals as the Tampa Bay Lightning held off the Arizona Coyotes 4-3. Teammate Corey Perry netted his 399th career goal. Clayton Keller had a goal and an assist for the Coyotes. With 68 points, the Lightning sits one point behind the first-place Florida Panthers in the Atlantic Division.

HEADLINES

TSN: The NHL Players Association has filed an appeal on behalf of Boston Bruins winger Brad Marchand over the six-game suspension he received by the NHL department of player safety. Marchand was handed the ban for roughing Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry and then high-sticking him on his mask during Wednesday’s game between the two clubs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchand’s suspension history likely contributed to his latest punishment. League commissioner Gary Bettman will review the appeal and determine if it will stand or be reduced.

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: Flyers center Sean Couturier underwent season-ending back surgery on Friday. A decision whether Ryan Ellis (lower-body) will require surgery could be made in the coming weeks. Center Kevin Hayes could require a third abdominal surgery after having fluid drained from his adductor on Jan. 18.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Injuries to those three key players are significant reasons why the Flyers are on the cusp of missing the playoffs for the second straight year.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes said he’d like to bring former client Vincent Lecavalier into the organization in some capacity. “It’s not going to be assistant GM, despite all the rumors,” said Hughes. “But if we can find a way to do it then we’d absolutely like to do it.”

NEW YORK POST: Rangers winger Kaapo Kakko will remain sidelined for another both with an unspecified upper-body injury.

TORONTO SUN: The Leafs yesterday signed Joseph Woll to a three-year contract extension on Friday. He’s currently playing for their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. The first year of the deal is a two-way contract and becomes a one-way deal in the final two years.

The Leafs also got some good news on forward Ondrej Kase, who was shaken up during Thursday’s game against the Calgary Flames but could return to the lineup on Saturday.










The Best And Worst Luck In NHL Draft Lottery History

by | Jul 4, 2020

The Best And Worst Luck In NHL Draft Lottery History

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 9, 2020

by | Apr 9, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 9, 2020

A suggestion to determine the final standings for the 2020 playoffs, the unlikely hope of summer playoff hockey, an update on the Senators with COVID-19 and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

TSN: Frank Seravalli suggests a 68-game rollback could be a fair way of determining positioning for a standard 16-team playoff bracket. “Under this plan, only each of the team’s first 68 games of the season would count for the playoff standings,” writes Seravalli. “Eight teams would have three games negated, 11 teams, two each; and 10 teams, one each.” He points out the same 16 teams that would qualify under points percentage would also qualify under this scenario.

OTTAWA CITIZEN: Ken Warren looked at what could be the NHL’s faint hope of completing the season during the summer in neutral sites. He cites the difficulty in protecting players plus team, arena, and hotel staff. There is also the issue of the cities involved exempting the NHL from physical distancing guidelines and how local health facilities would be utilized to test players.

“Yet if there’s any hope for the NHL to recoup some dollars from their enormous advertising and TV broadcast deals, the league isn’t going to quietly skate away without exploring any and all options,” writes Warren.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The logistics of pulling off neutral-site games are daunting, but not impossible. Nevertheless, the course of this pandemic will determine the viability of staging those contests. Contrary to popular belief, the league and the NHL Players Association aren’t delusional. They’re well aware that the longer this goes, the less likely their chances of salvaging the season. But until that door slams shut, they’re going to consider every possibility.

OTTAWA SUN: Some good news from the Ottawa Senators. Head coach D.J. Smith said the five players who tested positive for COVID-19 have fully recovered.

TSN: Veteran NHL linesman Scott Driscoll hopes he hasn’t called his final game. The 28-year veteran was set to retire after officiating 1,850 NHL games. He had three more to go when the schedule was paused by the coronavirus.

SPORTSNET: CCM Hockey, alongside many of its star endorsees, are donating 500,000 surgical masks to front-line medical personnel battling the coronavirus. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid, Pittsburgh’s Sidney Crosby, Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon, Montreal’s Carey Price, and Toronto’s John Tavares are among the players contributing to the donation.

RDS: Former NHL star Vincent Lecavalier said the current pause to the schedule reminded him of the uncertainty he and his peers faced during the 2004-05 lockout. “For a hockey player, the hardest part is the fact that there is no date for a return to play,” said Lecavalier. “The players are used to a calendar: in the summer we know that it’s two months to train before resuming action. At the moment, they cannot even skate or be with their coaches.”

NHL.COM: Rimouski Oceanic forward Alexis Lafreniere topped the NHL Central Scouting’s final rankings of North American prospects for the 2020 Draft. Left wing Tim Stuetzle of Mannheim in Germany’s top professional league is No. 1 in the final list of International skaters.