NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 6, 2024

by | Sep 6, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 6, 2024

Oilers captain Connor McDavid talks about his offseason, Alex Ovechkin prepares for his 20th season with the Capitals, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

SPORTSNET: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid revealed he adjusted his summer training schedule to account for his club’s shorter offseason following the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.

McDavid, 27, was also motivated to change his offseason training following the Oilers’ poor start last season.

“I went with a little bit of a different strategy this summer,” said McDavid. “In years past, it’s just been very heavy volume. Very go, go, go. Throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks.”

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

McDavid admitted he felt fatigued at the start of last season following a long summer of heavy training. That contributed to a 2-9-1 start to the season for the Oilers before rebounding following a coaching change.

The Oilers captain said he took some time off the ice this summer though he continued his off-ice workouts. He resumed skating in August and feels good heading toward training camp.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid is in his playing prime but what worked for him in his offseason regimen several years ago isn’t as effective now. The human body changes as it ages and athletes must adjust accordingly.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Alex Ovechkin has returned to the United States to prepare for the upcoming season with the Washington Capitals.

Entering his 20th NHL season, the 38-year-old Ovechkin is 42 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. Following a slow start last season, the Capitals captain finished with 31 goals, marking the 18th time he’d reached the 30-goal plateau.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Age is catching up with Ovechkin. Nevertheless, a better start could improve his chances of breaking Gretzky’s record this season.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The funeral of Blue Jackets star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew has been scheduled for 12 pm on Monday in Philadelphia. The Gaudreaus were killed by a drunk driver last Thursday.

NEW YORK POST: Former Rangers defenseman Marc Staal has retired as an active player, rejoining the Rangers as a player development coach.

Chosen in the first round of the 2005 NHL Draft (12th overall) by the Rangers, Staal spent 13 seasons with the Rangers (2007-08 to 2019-20). He spent the following four seasons with the Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, and Philadelphia Flyers.

Staal had 53 goals and 234 points in 1,136 regular-season games and 20 points in 128 playoff contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report also indicated that Staal overcame multiple concussions and played the last 11 years of his 17-season NHL career without vision in his right eye after being struck by a puck in 2012-13. He wore a visor after that and never missed a game because of his eye or vision.

THE SCORE: Long-time NHL defenseman Alex Goligoski also hung up his skates on Thursday.

A second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2004 draft, Goligoski spent 17 seasons in the NHL from 2007-08 to 2023-24. He scored 87 goals and collected 388 assists for 475 career regular-season points with the Penguins, Dallas Stars, Arizona Coyotes and Minnesota Wild. He also had 21 points in 47 playoff games. He won a Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2008-09.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils invited defenseman Jakub Zboril and goaltender Michael Hutchinson to training camp on professional tryout offers (PTOs).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils also denied a rumor claiming they were bringing Milan Lucic to camp on a PTO. “Categorically untrue. His situation lies with the league. We haven’t and couldn’t sign him to a PTO.”

Lucic entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program following his arrest last fall for a domestic incident. He needs clearance from the league to resume his career but has not yet been cleared by league doctors to exit the program.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Anaheim Ducks prospect forward Beckett Sennecke suffered a broken foot during offseason training and will miss the next six to eight weeks. Sennecke, 18, was chosen third overall by the Ducks in this year’s draft.

The Ducks also signed goaltender Oskar Dansk to a one-year, two-way contract. The former Vegas Golden Knights netminder spent the past two seasons with the Calgary Flames AHL affiliate.

TSN: A London, Ontario court is hearing legal arguments in the sexual assault case of five former players of Canada’s 2018 World Junior Hockey team.

Dillon Dube, Carter Hart, Michael McLeod, Cal Foote and Alex Formenton were charged earlier this year in connection with an alleged sexual assault at a hotel in 2018.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Former NHL defenseman Larry Trader died Thursday at age 61. Trader played 91 games in the NHL with the Red Wings, St. Louis Blues and Montreal Canadiens from 1982-83 to 1987-88, scoring five goals and 18 points. He also won a Calder Cup with the AHL’s Adirondack Red Wings in 1985-86 and a Spengler Cup for Canada in 1986-87.

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

US HOCKEY HALL OF FAME: Former NHL players Matt Cullen and Kevin Stevens are among the inductees in the Class of 2024. The induction ceremony will be held on Dec. 4, 2024, in Pittsburgh.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Cullen and Stevens for this great honor.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 22, 2023

by | Oct 22, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 22, 2023

The Golden Knights set an NHL record, Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard reached a milestone, Oilers captain Connor McDavid suffered an injury and Kings captain Anze Kopitar set a franchise record. Details on these and other stories in the NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Vegas Golden Knights became the first defending Stanley Cup champion to start a season with a 6-0-0 record in a 5-3 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Chicago rookie Connor Bedard opened the scoring with his first NHL goal on home ice but the Golden Knights put the game out of reach with third-period goals by Nicolas Roy, Mark Stone and Paul Cotter. The loss dropped the Blackhawks to 2-4-0.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

An overtime goal by Mark Scheifele capped a three-goal rally in a 3-2 win by the Winnipeg Jets (2-3-0) over the Edmonton Oilers. However, their win was overshadowed by an injury to Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, who missed the final minutes of regulation and the overtime period. McDavid appeared to injure his hip in the first period after getting entangled with Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The loss dropped the Oilers’ record to 1-3-1. We should get more details about McDavid’s condition on Sunday. With the Oilers stumbling from the gate, losing their best player for any significant period could be a significant blow.

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand scored two goals and added an assist to double up the Los Angeles Kings 4-2. Bruins winger David Pastrnak tallied his fifth goal of the season while Jeremy Swayman got the win with a 32-save performance as the Bruins improved to 4-0-0. Kings captain Anze Kopitar set a franchise record by skating in his 1, 297th game as his club’s record dropped to 2-2-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins forward Jake DeBrusk was a healthy scratch from this game as he was late for a team meeting.

The Colorado Avalanche are 5-0-0 after beating the Carolina Hurricanes 6-4. Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen had a goal and three assists while Logan O’Connor scored a shorthanded goal for the third straight game. Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jaccob Slavin each had a goal and an assist for the 3-3-0 Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The injury-depleted Hurricanes lost another player as Brett Pesce missed this game with a lower-body injury. He joins center Sebastian Aho and goaltender Frederik Andersen on the sidelines.

The Detroit Red Wings downed the Ottawa Senators 5-2. Dylan Larkin had a goal and two assists, Joe Veleno tallied twice and Ville Husso made 35 saves as the Wings improved to 4-1-0. Jake Sanderson and Ridly Greig replied for the 3-2-0 Senators, who managed to hold Alex DeBrincat scoreless in his first game in Ottawa since being traded to Detroit in July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators fans gave DeBrincat a “warm” welcome by booing him every time he touched the puck. Nevertheless, the Wings’ convincing victory gave him the last laugh.

Arizona Coyotes goaltender Karel Vejmelka stopped 32 shots in a 2-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Jason Zucker and Clayton Keller scored for the Coyotes (3-2-0) while Frank Vatrano tallied for the 1-3-0 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zucker left this game with a lower-body injury while teammate Michael Carcone suffered an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Coyotes defenseman Travis Dermott became the first NHL player to defy the league’s ban on using Pride Tape, sporting a few strands of the rainbow-colored tape near the top of his stick.

The Buffalo Sabres defeated the New York Islanders 3-1. Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist while Casey Mittelstadt collected two assists as the Sabres moved to 2-3-0. Semyon Varlamov made 40 saves and Noah Dobson scored for the 2-1-1 Islanders.

Third-period goals by Andrei Kuzmenko and Brock Boeser gave the Vancouver Canucks a 5-3 win over the Florida Panthers. Kuzmenko and Elias Pettersson each had a goal and an assist, Ilya Mikheyev collected an assist in his first game since his knee surgery in January, and Casey DeSmith kicked out 34 shots for the 3-2-0 Canucks. Sam Reinhart scored two goals for the 2-3-0 Panthers.

An overtime goal by Cole Caufield lifted the Montreal Canadiens over the Washington Capitals 3-2. The Canadiens (2-1-1) led 2-0 on goals by Sean Monahan and Brendan Gallagher but Capitals forward Dylan Strome netted two goals to force the extra frame. Jake Allen got the win with a 31-save performance while the Capitals sank to 1-2-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin remains stalled at 822 career goals four games into his season as he’s yet to find the back of the net.

The Toronto Maple Leafs (3-2-0) overcame a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 on an overtime goal by John Tavares. Matthew Knies scored twice and collected an assist while Joseph Woll made 29 saves for the win after Ilya Samsonov got the hook when he gave up three goals on four shots. Nikita Kucherov also scored twice and collected an assist while Jonas Johansson stopped 48 shots as the Lightning dropped to 2-2-2.

Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski scored in overtime to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 5-4. The Flyers overcame a 4-2 deficit to force the extra frame. Stars forward Wyatt Johnston had a goal and two assists as his club improved to 3-0-1. Travis Konecny scored twice for the 3-1-1 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers defenseman Marc Staal is expected to miss four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury after being placed on injured reserve on Friday. He was sidelined during Thursday’s win over the Edmonton Oilers.

An overtime goal by Jack Roslovic lifted the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 5-4 win over the Minnesota Wild. Blue Jackets rookie Adam Fantilli netted his first career NHL goal while his club improved to 3-2-0. Filip Gustavsson made 49 stops for the 2-2-1 Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Blue Jackets announced that center Patrik Laine is day-to-day after being elbowed in the head on Friday by Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson, who received a four-game suspension for the incident. Earlier in the day, the Blue Jackets lost forward Liam Foudy as he was plucked off the waiver wire by the Nashville Predators.

Speaking of the Predators, they got two goals from Tommy Novak to down the San Jose Sharks 5-1. Juuse Saros stopped 31 shots to backstop his club to a 3-3-0 record. Tomas Hertl replied for the 0-4-1 Sharks.

A two-goal performance by Brandon Saad gave the St. Louis Blues a 4-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jordan Binnington got the win with 31 saves as the Blues improved to 2-1-1. Evgeni Malkin scored to extend his goal streak to four games but his Penguins dropped to 2-3-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The second period has been death for the Penguins in their last three games as they’ve been outscored 6-0 in that frame.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin scored twice in a 4-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Filip Chytil collected three assists as the Rangers moved to 3-2-0 on the season. Justin Schultz tallied for the Kraken as they sank to 1-4-1.










NHL Rumor Mill – September 4, 2023

by | Sep 4, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – September 4, 2023

Some of this summer’s notable short-term free-agent signings could get shopped by this season’s trade deadline. Check out the latest in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski recently listed several notable players on short-term contracts who could become bargaining chips by this season’s NHL trade deadline.

Jason Zucker topped Wyshynski’s list. The 31-year-old winger signed a one-year, $5.3 million contract. If he plays well, he could earn a contract extension with the Coyotes. At worst, he plays well enough to get shipped to a contender if the Coyotes retain a bit of salary.

Zucker wasn’t the only Coyote on a short deal this season who could become trade bait. Defenseman Matt Dumba (one-year, $3.9 million) and forward Alex Kerfoot (two years, $3.5 million average annual value) could also interest playoff contenders later this season.

Ottawa Senators winger Vladimir Tarasenko (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: All three could be on the move by the trade deadline if the Coyotes are in their usual spot near the bottom of the Western Conference standings.

Vladimir Tarasenko could be deadline trade bait if the Ottawa Senators season goes sideways. A six-time 30-plus goal scorer, the 31-year-old winger is on a one-year contract with a reasonable $5 million cap hit. He also carries a full no-trade clause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A return to form by Tarasenko will make him among the most pursued players in the trade market if the Senators decide to move him by deadline day. His NTC will be a bit of an obstacle.

Corey Perry could also be of interest to playoff-bound clubs. The 38-year-old winger signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks. His postseason play since 2020 will make him an enticing option for contenders seeking an agitating veteran leader with a decent scoring touch.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Wyshynski observed, the rebuilding Blackhawks can also pick up part of Perry’s cap hit. He lacks no-trade protection so he’ll likely draw lots of interest if he shows he still has something left in the tank this season.

Washington Capitals winger Max Pacioretty is another who could be on the move by the trade deadline. He’s recovering from a twice-torn Achilles tendon that limited him to just five games with the Carolina Hurricanes last season.

Because of his injuries, Pacioretty’s on a one-year deal paying $2 million in base salary plus $2 million in performance bonuses. A return to his 30-plus goal form could fetch a nice return for the Capitals if they drop out of contention by the trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pacioretty is expected to miss the start of this season and could be out for at least the first month. He won’t be moved if he helps the Capitals return to playoff contention. However, Wyshynski also observed that he carries a full no-movement clause.

Wyshynski noted the Boston Bruins don’t want to move Jeremy Swayman. The 24-year-old goaltender went through arbitration earlier this summer and was awarded a one-year, $3.475 million contract. He’ll become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer. Maybe the Bruins won’t want to commit to an expensive goalie tandem when they’ll have holes in their roster to address.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A lot will depend on how well Swayman and fellow Bruins netminder Linus Ullmark perform this season. Ullmark was mentioned as a trade candidate this summer but the Bruins intend to stick with both goalies for this season. If they fall out of playoff contention, however, they might decide to peddle one of them, especially if they can get a solid return. Swayman could prove to have more value in the trade market.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Marc Staal is another possible trade option. He’s on a one-year, $1.1 million contract. Detroit Red Wings blueliner Shayne Gostisbehere carries a more expensive $4.125 million on a one-year deal with a 10-team no-trade clause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers aren’t expected to be a contender this season. It’s a good bet that Staal gets shopped if he plays well for them. Gostisbehere could also be peddled if the Wings fail to make the cut.

The Nashville Predators re-signed defenseman Dante Fabbro to a one-year, $2.5 million contract. His struggles last season generated some trade speculation prior to signing his new deal, including talk of reuniting with college coach Dan Quinn with the San Jose Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wyshynski wondered if new head coach Andrew Brunette and new GM Barry Trotz view the 25-year-old Fabbro differently than the previous regime. A bounce-back performance on his part could help the Predators return to playoff contention or turn him into a trade chip.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 4, 2023

by | Jul 4, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 4, 2023

Check out the latest on Blake Wheeler, Marc Staal, Cam Talbot and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

WINNIPEG SUN: Former Jets winger Blake Wheeler had nothing but good things to say about his former club, the city of Winnipeg and Jets fans during his introductory meeting with the New York media on Monday.

Blake Wheeler signed a one-year contract with the New York Rangers (NHL Images).

Wheeler, 36, signed a one-year contract with the Rangers on Saturday a day after the Jets bought out the final year of his contract. He was the Jets’ longest-serving player, having moved with the club from Atlanta to Winnipeg in 2011. He is their franchise leader in games played (897), assists (550) and points (812).

“I have nothing but gratitude to that city and organization and that fan base…I’m really proud to leave on great terms.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wheeler handled his departure from the Jets quite well. In time, the franchise will likely honor his accomplishments once his playing career is over.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers signed defenseman Marc Staal to a one-year, 35-plus contract worth $1.1 million. General manager Daniel Briere said the 36-year-old was brought in to add a veteran presence for their younger players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Staal was the most notable of a quiet day of contract signings with just 14 players inking new deals on Monday. Blame the combination of a flattened salary cap and a free-agent pool already short on big-name talent when the market opened on July 1.

LA HOCKEY NOW: Cam Talbot said he’s excited about playing again for Kings coach Todd McLellan. The 35-year-old goaltender’s best seasons were when he played for McLellan with the Edmonton Oilers. He indicated that was a big selling point in convincing him to sign a one-year, 35-plus contract with the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Goaltending was considered a prime issue for the Kings to address this summer. Talbot’s age and recent injury history hampered his performance over the past two years. He will be paired with Pheonix Copley as the Kings’ goalie tandem to start the season.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Jonathan Drouin is looking forward to a fresh start with the Avalanche after a difficult six-year tenure with the Montreal Canadiens. The 28-year-old winger was hampered by injuries and personal issues during his time with the Habs. He signed a one-year, $825K contract with the Avalanche, reuniting him with his friend and former Junior teammate Nathan MacKinnon.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A solid performance with the Avs this season will help Drouin get his flagging NHL career back on track. It remains to be seen if he’ll be skating alongside MacKinnon but just being his teammate again could have a positive effect on Drouin’s game.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings yesterday placed Filip Zadina on waivers. General manager Steve Yzerman said the move was made after attempting to trade the 23-year-old winger. Yzerman indicated Zadina’s agent has approached him before the draft asking for a trade to provide his client with an opportunity for a fresh start elsewhere.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The sixth-overall pick in the 2018 NHL Draft, Zadina has struggled to play up to expectations as a scoring winger. His best performance thus far was a 24-point effort in 74 games during the 2021-22 campaign. He’s signed through 2024-25 and could remain with the Wings if he clears waivers at noon ET today.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 15, 2022

by | Aug 15, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 15, 2022

The Rangers need their young forwards to step up in 2022-23, Marc Staal looking forward to playing for a contender in Florida, Avalanche season tickets are popular again, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers’ success in the coming season could depend upon young forwards such as Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere and Filip Chytil to build upon their promising performance in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs. They’ll also need Vitali Kravtsov to prove he’s worthy of top-six/top-nine minutes in the NHL.

New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere (NHL Images)

Those youngsters will be expected to fill the gaps in their forward lines after Andrew Copp, Frank Vatrano and Tyler Motte departed via free agency this summer. The current roster accounted for 223 of the club’s 250 goals last season. That would’ve ranked 26th among last season’s teams.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Of those 223 goals, 103 came from Chris Kreider (52), Mika Zibanejad (29) and Artemi Panarin (22). The Rangers definitely need more production from those youngsters going forward.

Lafreniere seems the best bet for a breakout season. He had 19 goals in 2021-22, showing promising signs of blossoming into the scorer he was projected to become when the Rangers chose him first overall in the 2020 draft.

Injuries limited Kakko to just seven goals in 43 games last season. Chytil had eight in 67 contests, missing 12 games to injury and being scratched from six others. They could improve if they can stay healthy this season. Kravtsov played in the KHL last season so we don’t know if he’s truly ready to become an NHL regular.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Marc Staal is excited to be joining a Stanley Cup contender after signing with the Panthers last month. The 35-year-old defenseman spent the past five seasons with rebuilding clubs like the Rangers and Detroit Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Staal saw just three games of postseason action over that period as the Rangers fell to the Carolina Hurricanes in the qualifying round of the 2020 playoffs. He inked a one-year, $750K contract on July 13 with the Panthers.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche’s Stanley Cup run has had a positive effect on their season ticket sales. They’ve already reached their cutoff/capacity limit for the coming season which is thought to be around 13,500. There’s now a waiting list for season tickets.

LAS VEGAS SUN: Nolan Patrick is expected to begin the coming season on long-term injury reserve. The 23-year-old Golden Knights forward is still dealing with an upper-body injury that limited him to just 25 games last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The second-overall pick by the Philadelphia Flyers in 2017, Patrick battled migraine issues earlier in his career that cost him the entire 2019-20 season. It’s uncertain if his current injury is related to that.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Detroit Red Wings prospect Simon Edvinsson is enjoying a solid performance for Sweden at the ongoing 2022 World Junior Championship. Chosen sixth overall by the Wings in 2021, the 6-foot-six, 203-pound defenseman signed his entry-level contract in April. He’s expected to make his NHL debut this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Edvinsson plays up to his potential, he and current Calder Memorial Trophy winner Moritz Seider will give the Wings two of the best young defensemen in the league. They could become the foundation of a future Stanley Cup champion in Detroit.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 12, 2022

by | Mar 12, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 12, 2022

​A hat-trick performance for the Capitals Evgeny Kuznetsov, Islanders coach Barry Trotz reaches a milestone, the Stars re-sign Joe Pavelski, Marc Staal set to join his brothers in an elite club, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: A hat-trick performance by Evgeny Kuznetsov set the stage for Lars Eller’s overtime goal as the Washington Capitals downed the Vancouver Canucks 4-3. Washington captain Alex Ovechkin picked up an assist but remains tied with Jaromir Jagr for third on the all-time goal list with 766. Defenseman Quinn Hughes had three points and Bo Horvat scored twice for the Canucks (65 points), who sit two points behind the Dallas Stars for the final wild-card berth in the Western Conference. The Capitals hold the final Eastern wild-card spot with 74 points, one back of the Boston Bruins.

Washington Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov (NHL Images).

New York Islanders head coach Barry Trotz picked up his 900th career victory as his club rolled to a 5-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Trotz sits third on the all-time list, 69 wins behind second-place Joel Quenneville. Josh Bailey scored two goals while Semyon Varlamov picked up his first win since Jan. 18 with 27 saves. Kyle Connor netted his 36th goal of the season for the Jets (62 points), who remain five points out of a Western wild-card spot.

The Pittsburgh Penguins got a 40-save effort from Tristan Jarry and three unanswered third-period goals to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2. Bryan Rust and Jeff Carter each had a goal and an assist while Sidney Crosby collected an assist to extend his points streak to eight games. With 79 points, the Penguins move two points ahead of the New York Rangers into second place in the Metropolitan Division. The Golden Knights cling to third place in the Pacific Division with 68 points.

Zach Werenski’s tying goal late in the third period set the stage for Yegor Chinakhov’s shootout winner as the Columbus Blue Jackets upset the Minnesota Wild 3-2. Mats Zuccarello had a goal and an assist for Minnesota. It was a costly win for the Blue Jackets as Jakub Voracek and Patrik Laine left the game with apparent leg injuries. With 72 points, the Wild are one back of the second-place St. Louis Blues in the Central Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild forward Marcus Foligno could face supplemental discipline for kneeing Voracek. The Jackets winger returned to the bench for overtime and the shootout but didn’t see a shift.

HEADLINES

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars yesterday signed forward Joe Pavelski to a one-year, $5.5 million contract extension with a full no-movement clause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pavelski is taking a pay cut to stay in Dallas, completing a three-year deal worth an annual average value of $7 million. He was slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and frequently surfaced in the rumor mill as a trade candidate.

However, Pavelski indicated he and his family love living in Dallas and he remains committed to helping the Stars become a winner. The 37-year-old is their leading scorer with 59 points skating alongside Roope Hintz and rising star Jason Robertson. He’s a big reason why the Stars are jockeying for a wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

NHL.COM: Detroit Red Wings defenseman Marc Staal is set to play in his 1,000th career NHL game tonight against the Calgary Flames. He’ll join Eric and Jordan as the first three brothers in league history to reach the thousand-game milestone.

DETROIT FREE PRESS: Speaking of the Red Wings, forward Robby Fabbri is out for the remainder of the season after suffering a torn ACL in his right knee during Thursday’s loss to the Wild.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins forward Brock McGinn is listed as week-to-week with an undisclosed injury.

FOX 13 SEATTLE: Kraken forward Joonas Donskoi (undisclosed) was placed on injured reserve on Friday.

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: The floundering Flyers are on pace for the worst average attendance in 49 years. Their average announced home attendance is 16, 505 in an arena that seats over 19,000 fans. With the team in last place in the Metropolitan Division and a roster ravaged by injuries, fans have been tuning out.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The article points out the number of actual fans at recent Flyers games is actually much lower than the announced paid attendance.