NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 5, 2026

by | Jun 5, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 5, 2026

The Hurricanes defeat the Golden Knights to tie the Stanley Cup Final at a game apiece, Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin requests a trade, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Seth Jarvis gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, tying the series at a game apiece.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Seth Jarvis (NHL Images).

Brett Howden scored twice to give the Golden Knights a 2-0 lead entering the third period. Howden leads the playoffs with 13 goals, tying Jonathan Marchessault’s franchise record for the most goals in a single postseason.

The Hurricanes rallied to take a 3-2 lead on goals by Logan Stankoven, Mark Jankowski, and Jordan Staal. The latter’s goal was the result of a failed coach’s challenge by the Golden Knights for a disallowed goal by Ivan Barbashev, leading to a power play for the Hurricanes.

Golden Knights captain Mark Stone tied the game with 1:21 remaining in the third, but it was Jarvis who was the hero for the Hurricanes on the power play in the extra frame.

The series shifts to Las Vegas for the next two games, with Game 3 on Saturday at 8 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb left this game midway through the first period after the puck struck him in the face. He left the arena to receive treatment at a local hospital. That left the Golden Knights playing the remainder of the game with five defensemen.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman broke the news that Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin requested a trade.

Larkin has spent his entire 11-season NHL career with the Red Wings. The last time the 29-year-old center skated in the playoffs was during his rookie season in 2015-16.

Friedman stated neither Larkin’s camp nor Red Wings management would comment, but his potential availability in this summer’s trade market would be massive. Several teams are in the market for centers.

Larkin is signed through 2030-31 with an average annual value of $8.7 million. He also has a full no-trade clause until the end of the 2027-28 season, giving him complete control over this situation.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This report was a bombshell that could be a serious setback for Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman and his rebuilding efforts, dubbed the “Yzerplan.” Larkin is the Wings’ first-line center, and trading him would significantly deplete their already-thin depth at center.

Yzerman doesn’t have to honor Larkin’s trade request, but having an unhappy team captain would be a major distraction for the Wings next season. Stripping him of the captaincy would only add to the hype surrounding this story.

This request by Larkin shouldn’t come as a surprise. It was evident last season that he was growing weary of the Wings’ inability to become a playoff contender when he openly criticized Yzerman for not making any significant additions at the trade deadline.

Larkin got an overdue taste of winning while playing for Team USA’s Olympic men’s gold-medal team in February. It had to have been crushing to go from that emotional high to missing the playoffs for the 10th straight season, and likely prompted him to reevaluate where he is in his career and whether his Stanley Cup hopes will be fulfilled in Detroit.

Yzerman is largely responsible for the Red Wings’ ongoing playoff drought during his seven-year tenure as general manager, especially over the past three years when they’ve faltered down the stretch.

However, Larkin also deserves his fair share. He’s the team captain and is supposed to lead by example, but at times his performance has seemed uninspiring. Injuries certainly haven’t helped, and he can’t be faulted for those, but that doesn’t fully absolve him from his responsibility as captain to motivate his teammates.

So, which clubs could be suitable trade destinations? Find out later this morning in my daily Rumor Mill update.

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno is this season’s winner of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The award is presented to the NHL player “who best exemplifies leadership on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution to his community.”

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers are reportedly close to signing goaltender Dan Vladar to a five-year contract extension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vladar played a major role in the Flyers exceeding expectations by qualifying for the postseason and eliminating the Pittsburgh Penguins from the opening round. According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the deal is all but done, but it can’t be formally announced until July 1.

SPORTSNET: Ivan Demidov hopes to sign a long-term contract extension with the Montreal Canadiens this summer. The 20-year-old winger has one year remaining on his entry-level contract. He led all rookies with 62 points, and was runner-up for the Calder Memorial Trophy as rookie of the year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Demidov reportedly wants to get a deal done as soon as possible. Canadiens management does as well, especially since the deadline for re-signing players to eight-year contracts is Sept. 15. After that, the maximum term for re-signings will be seven years.

It remains to be seen what the AAV for Demidov’s next contract will be. However, the Canadiens tend to re-sign their young core players to affordable deals. Given that Lane Hutson inked an eight-year extension worth an AAV of $8.85 million last fall, Demidov could get a deal of similar term with roughly a similar cap hit.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 22, 2026

by | Apr 22, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 22, 2026

The Avalanche take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series, the Lightning, Bruins, and Mammoth tie their respective series, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING TUESDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Nicolas Roy lifted the Colorado Avalanche to a 2-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings, and a 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven first-round series. Gabriel Landeskog scored the tying goal while Scott Wedgewood made 24 saves, including one on a penalty shot by Los Angeles center Quinton Byfield. Artemi Panarin opened the scoring for the Kings, who got a 34-save effort from goaltender Anton Forsberg.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The game was delayed following Wedgewood’s save on Byfield to replace a pane of glass behind the Kings’ bench that shattered from the force of excited Avalanche fans pounding on it.

This series shifts to Los Angeles for Games 3 and 4, with Game 3 on Thursday at 10 pm ET. If those games are anything like the first two, we can expect them to be physical, close-checking, low-scoring affairs. The Kings must find a way to generate more offense without sacrificing their defensive play in Game 3, or they’ll be facing elimination this weekend.

The Tampa Bay Lightning overcame a 2-1 deficit to nip the Montreal Canadiens 3-2 on an overtime goal by JJ Moser, tying their first-round series at a game apiece. Brandon Hagel and Nikita Kucherov also scored for the Lightning, while Lane Hutson and Josh Anderson tallied for the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The first half of this game was a greasy physical affair with numerous scrums, including a fight that saw Hagel drop Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky. Once the shenanigans were over, the game settled into a close-checking contest in which the Lightning’s experience made the difference, with Kucherov’s tying goal the result of a blueline turnover by Slafkovsky. The Canadiens were tentative in overtime, failing to generate a shot while the Lightning peppered Habs goalie Jakub Dobes with nine shots.

Speaking of the Lightning, they announced that team captain Victor Hedman is doubtful to play in this series, which moves to Montreal for Games 3 and 4. The third game will be on Friday at 7 pm ET.

Boston Bruins winger Viktor Arvidsson tallied twice as his club doubled up the Buffalo Sabres 4-2, tying their series at one game apiece. Jeremy Swayman made 34 saves while David Pastrnak collected two assists for the Bruins. Bowen Byram and Peyton Krebs replied for the Sabres. This series shifts to Boston for the next two games, with Game 3 on Thursday at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres fell too far behind to stage another rally as they did in the first game. It was a disastrous outing for Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen, giving up four goals on 19 shots, including a backhander from center ice by Bruins winger Morgan Geekie that bounced past him. Alex Lyon replaced Luukkonen after Arvidsson made it 4-0, and Sabres coach Lindy Ruff hinted that Lyon might get the start in Game 3.

Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley (NHL Images).

The Utah Mammoth got their first playoff win since relocating from Arizona by defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2, squaring their first-round series at a game apiece. Logan Cooley snapped a 2-2 tie while Dylan Guenther had a goal and an assist for the Mammoth. Mark Stone and Ivan Barbshev scored for the Golden Knights. This series moves to Utah for Games 3 and 4, with Game 3 on Friday at 9:30 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The speedy Mammoth out-played and out-shot the Golden Knights as this game went along. Led by young stars such as Cooley and Guenther, they’re proving to be a handful for the veteran-laden Golden Knights.

HEADLINES

DAILY FACEOFF: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league has no plans to change its regular-season points system.

The issue arose as the Los Angeles Kings made the playoffs despite tying for the second-fewest regulation wins this season, playing in a record 33 overtime games. Meanwhile, the Philadelphia Flyers clinched third place in the Metropolitan Division despite winning 10 fewer regulation games than the Washington Capitals, while the New York Islanders won 43 games but missed the playoffs with five overtime/shootout points.

Bettman also said that future league expansion fees could exceed $1 billion. He based it on the growth of league revenue and other factors. Atlanta and Houston have been rumored as potential destinations for future expansion franchises.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars head coach Glen Gulutzan said sidelined center Roope Hintz didn’t travel with the team to Minnesota for the next two games of their first-round series. A lower-body injury has sidelined Hintz since March 6.

Gulutzan was unfazed over comments by Minnesota forward Marcus Foligno that the Stars “couldn’t hang” with the Wild in even-strength situations. Two of the goals the Stars scored in their 4-2 victory over the Wild in Game 2 came on the power play.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Wild, winger Mats Zuccarello is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Edmonton Oilers forward Adam Henrique will miss Game 2 of their series with the Anaheim Ducks after suffering a lower-body injury in the first game.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae will miss Game 3 of his club’s series with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

THE ATHLETIC: The Vancouver Canucks have requested permission to speak with former Buffalo Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams about their vacant GM position.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: New Devils GM Sunny Mehta said everything is under evaluation from the coaching staff to new contracts for Nico Hischier and Simon Nemec. He also indicated that the Devils will be spending to the salary cap.

Mehta spent three seasons as an assistant general manager with the Florida Panthers before taking over as Devils GM last week.

TSN: Former NHL superstar Ilya Kovalchuk was named president of KHL club Shanghai Dragons.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2026

by | Mar 27, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2026

Connor McDavid reaches another milestone as he regains the scoring lead, the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin and the Ducks’ Mikael Granlund have hat-trick performances, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists to regain the lead in the scoring race in a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Evan Bouchard scored in overtime and collected an assist while Zach Hyman netted his 30th goal of the season for the 36-28-9 Oilers, who sit second in the Pacific Division with 81 points. Mark Stone tallied twice for the Golden Knights (32-26-15), who sit two points behind the Oilers in third place.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid is tied with Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov with 121 points, but he holds the lead with 41 goals. He also became the third-fastest player in NHL history to reach the 800-assist plateau, doing so in 785 regular-season games. He’s behind Wayne Gretzky (527 games) and Mario Lemieux (661 games)

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin set a league record by tallying a hat trick against his 21st NHL team to lead his club over the Utah Mammoth 7-4. Ivan Miroshnichenko scored two goals for the Capitals (36-28-9). Dylan Guenther tallied twice while Clayton Keller collected three assists for the 37-30-6 Mammoth, who hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 80 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 29 goals, Ovechkin is poised to reach the 30-goal mark for what will be a league-record 20th time. He also has 34 career hat tricks, passing Brett Hull for fourth place on the all-time list behind Gretzky (50), Lemieux (40), and Mike Bossy (39).

Mammoth forward Barrett Hayton missed this game as he’s considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Speaking of hat tricks, Mikael Granlund had one in the Anaheim Ducks’ 3-2 overtime win over the Calgary Flames. John Carlson picked up two assists for the 41-27-4 Ducks as they hold first place in the Pacific Division with 86 points. Blake Coleman and Matvei Gridin replied for the Flames (30-34-8).

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scored twice to widen his lead in the goal-scoring race as his club downed the Winnipeg Jets 3-2. The Avalanche (48-13-10) extended its win streak to four games as they hold first place in the overall standings with 106 points. Mark Scheifele scored both goals for the Jets (30-30-12) as they sit five points out of the final Western wild-card spot with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon has 48 goals, sitting four ahead of Montreal Canadiens winger Cole Caufield. With 117 points, he’s third in the race for the Art Ross Trophy behind McDavid and Kucherov. Meanwhile, Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen collected an assist as he returned to action after being sidelined for 11 games with an upper-body injury.

Speaking of Kucherov, he had an assist as the Tampa Bay Lightning dropped a 4-3 overtime decision to the Seattle Kraken. Defenseman Brandon Montour scored twice (including the game-winner) while Kaapo Kakko and Bobby McMann each had a goal and an assist for the 32-29-10 Kraken (74 points), who are three points out of the final Western wild card. Jake Guentzel had a goal and an assist for the Lightning (44-21-6), who hold second place in the Atlantic Division with 94 points.

The Montreal Canadiens nipped the Columbus Blue Jackets by a score of 2-1. Jayden Struble and Zach Bolduc snapped their lengthy scoring droughts for the Canadiens (40-21-10), who picked up their third straight win and sit third in the Atlantic Division with 90 points. Damon Severson replied for the 38-23-11 Blue Jackets, who hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens forward Alexandre Texier missed this game with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day.

New York Islanders rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer collected two assists in a 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars. Bo Horvat tallied his 30th goal of the season, and Calum Ritchie also scored for the 41-27-5 Islanders, who regained the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 87 points. Matt Duchene replied for the Stars (43-18-11), who remain in second place in the overall standings with 97 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders played without defenseman Tony DeAngelo, who will be out for one to two weeks with a lower-body injury.

A shootout goal by rookie forward Ben Kindel lifted the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Ottawa Senators 4-3. Rickard Rakell had two goals and an assist, and Erik Karlsson had a goal and two assists for the 36-20-16 Penguins, who moved back into second place in the Metropolitan Division with 88 points. Drake Batherson tallied twice for the Senators (38-24-10), as they slipped out of the final Eastern wild card by one point behind the Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby left this game early in the second period with a lower-body injury. There was no post-game update regarding his condition. Crosby recently returned to action after missing 11 games with a torn MCL in his right knee.

The Senators will be without Thomas Chabot for the next six to eight weeks after he suffered a broken forearm during Monday’s win against the New York Rangers.

Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek snapped a 2-2 tie with five seconds remaining in the third period to give his club a 3-2 win over the Florida Panthers. Marcus Foligno and Ryan Hartman also scored for the Wild (41-20-12) as they hold third place in the Central Division with 94 points. Daniil Tarasov kicked out 47 shots, and Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and an assist for the 35-33-3 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Foligno returned to action after missing the last 12 games with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, Panthers forward Evan Rodrigues left this game after suffering a broken finger and could be out for the remainder of the season.

The New Jersey Devils doubled up the Nashville Predators 4-2, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Nico Hischier scored two goals, and Jesper Bratt had a goal and two assists for the 37-32-2 Devils. Steven Stamkos scored his 36th goal of the season for the Predators (34-29-9) as they cling to the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 77 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Arseny Gritsyuk is out for the rest of this week after suffering an undisclosed injury during their 6-4 win over the Stars on Tuesday.

Los Angeles Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper made 19 saves to shut out the Vancouver Canucks 4-0. Quinton Byfield and Trevor Moore each had a goal and an assist for the Kings (29-25-18), who remain one point behind the Predators. Kevin Lankinen stopped 34 of 37 shots for the 21-42-8 Canucks.

The Philadelphia Flyers kept their playoff hopes alive with a 5-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Alex Bump, Christian Dvorak, and Noah Cates each had a goal and an assist for the 35-24-12 Flyers (82 points), leaving them five points out of the final Eastern wild card. Connor Bedard netted his 30th goal of the season for the 27-32-13 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers forward Nikita Grebenkin missed this game as he’s out for at least a week with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Dylan Holloway gave the St. Louis Blues a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Holloway also collected the primary assist on Dalibor Dvorsky’s second-period goal for the 30-30-11 Blues. Alexander Wennberg scored for the Sharks (32-31-7), who are 0-5-1 in their last six games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues center Robert Thomas missed this game as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 3, 2026

by | Mar 3, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 3, 2026

Recaps of Monday’s games, the three stars of the week, the Oilers acquire Connor Murphy from the Blackhawks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S ACTION

NHL.COM: The Dallas Stars and Jason Robertson achieved notable milestones in their 6-1 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. The Stars picked up their franchise-record ninth straight win, while Robertson had a goal and an assist to reach the 70-point plateau for the fifth consecutive season. With a record of 37-14-9, the Stars are second in the overall standings with 83 points. Evander Kane scored for the 18-35-7 Canucks.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (NHL Images).

Gabriel Landeskog and Martin Necas each had a goal and two assists for the Colorado Avalanche as they doubled up the Los Angeles Kings 4-2. With the win, the Avalanche (40-10-9, 89 points) holds a six-point lead over the Stars for first place in the overall standings. Brandt Clarke and Angus Booth replied for the Kings (24-12-14), who are 1-5-1 in their last seven games and four points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 62 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen left this game with an upper-body injury. Kings center Quinton Byfield missed this game with an upper-body injury. The Kings also placed forward Joel Armia (upper body) on injured reserve.

Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord made 35 saves as his club held off the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 2-1. Kaapo Kakko and Ben Meyers scored for the 29-22-9 Kraken, who moved into third place in the Pacific Division with 67 points. Nikolaj Ehlers tallied for the Hurricanes (38-16-6), who sit first overall in the Eastern Conference with 82 points.

Detroit Red Wings forwards Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat each had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win over the Nashville Predators. Detroit goaltender Cam Talbot made 18 saves in relief of John Gibson, who left the game after the first period with an upper-body injury. With the win, the Red Wings (35-20-6) moved into third place in the Atlantic Division with 76 points. Filip Forsberg and Jonathan Marchessault scored for the 27-25-8 Predators (62 points), who are four points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Raymond reached the 20-goal plateau for the fourth time in his five-season NHL career. He also collected his 200th regular-season assist. Before the game, the Red Wings placed defenseman Erik Gustafsson on waivers.

The Columbus Blue Jackets blew a 4-0 lead but defeated the New York Rangers 5-4 on an overtime goal by Kirill Marchenko, who finished with two goals and an assist. Gabe Perreault also had two goals and an assist for the 23-29-8 Rangers. With the win, the Blue Jackets improved to 30-21-8 (68 points), moving within three points of the idle Boston Bruins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: An illness kept Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski out of this game.

A shootout goal by Trevor Zegras lifted the Philadelphia Flyers over the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2. Noah Cates had a goal and an assist for the 28-21-7 Flyers (67 points), who are four points back of an Eastern wild-card spot. William Nylander netted his 20th goal of the season for the 27-24-10 Maple Leafs, who are seven points out of that wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers winger Travis Konecny missed this game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Defenseman Nick Seeler left this contest with a lower-body injury.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer, Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs, and Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy are the league’s three stars for the week ending March 1.

EDMONTON JOURNAL/CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: The Edmonton Oilers acquired defenseman Connor Murphy from the Chicago Blackhawks in exchange for a second-round pick in 2028. The Blackhawks retained half of Murphy’s $4.4 million salary-cap hit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers had to shore up the depth on the right side of their defense corps. They’ve addressed that issue with Murphy, who was acquired by Oilers general manager Stan Bowman during his tenure as the Blackhawks GM.

Bowman freed up additional cap space for this move by sending Andrew Mangiapane and Alec Regula to the Oilers’ AHL affiliate in Bakersfield, and placing winger Mattias Janmark (shoulder) on long-term injury reserve. Janmark will undergo surgery and is expected to be finished for the season.

The Oilers might not be done making moves before Friday’s trade deadline. I’ll have more about that in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

SPORTSNET: Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Winnipeg Jets winger Nino Niederreiter will be sidelined for four to six weeks following surgery for a lower-body injury.

CBS SPORTS: Minnesota Wild forward Marcus Foligno was placed on injured reserve with a lower-body injury.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Wild claimed winger Robby Fabbri off waivers from the St. Louis Blues.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 17, 2025

by | Dec 17, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 17, 2025

Oilers star Leon Draisaitl reaches 1,000 points, Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon continues his high-scoring ways, Sharks center Macklin Celebrini moves up in the scoring race, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Leon Draisaitl collected four assists to surpass 1,000 career NHL regular-season points as his Edmonton Oilers defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-4. Connor McDavid scored two goals and set up two others for the 16-12-6 Oilers. Erik Karlsson had a goal and an assist for the 14-9-9 Penguins, who are winless in their last six games (0-2-4).

Edmonton Oilers center Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers are the only team in NHL history to have five players reach the 1,000-point plateau as Draisaitl joined McDavid, Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier, and Jari Kurri. Meanwhile, McDavid continues his surge in this season’s scoring race, sitting second with 56 points.

This was the first game between the two clubs since they swapped starting goaltenders last Friday. The Oilers’ Tristan Jarry made 26 saves for the win, while the Penguins’ Stuart Skinner turned aside 17 shots.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon tallied twice and collected an assist in a 5-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Cale Makar, Martin Necas, and Valeri Nichushkin each had two assists, and Mackenzie Blackwood made 34 saves as the league-leading Avalanche (24-2-7) picked up their third straight win. Shane Wright, Jordan Eberle, and Chandler Stephenson replied for the Kraken (12-13-6) as they’ve dropped nine of their last 10 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads all NHL scorers with 28 goals and 58 points. He’s on pace to reach 70 goals. The last players to reach that milestone were Hall of Famers Teemu Selanne and Alexander Mogilny, who each had 76 goals in 1992-93.

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini had two goals and two assists to lead his club over the Calgary Flames by a score of 6-3. Barclay Goodrow scored twice and had an assist, and winger Tyler Toffoli the 300th regular-season NHL goal for the 17-14-3 Sharks, who’ve won three straight contests. Blake Coleman, Ryan Lomberg, and Nazem Kadri scored for the 13-17-4 Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini is third in this season’s scoring race with 51 points. Earlier in the day, the Sharks deemed forward Philipp Kurashev as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

The Minnesota Wild got a 25-save performance from Filip Gustavsson to shut out the Washington Capitals 5-0. Vladimir Tarasenko and Danila Yurov each had three points, and Quinn Hughes collected an assist in his second game with the Wild, who picked up their fifth straight win and improved to 20-9-5. Charlie Lindgren stopped 27 of 32 shots for the 18-11-4 Capitals, who drop to 1-3-2 in their last five contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild forward Marcus Foligno returned to action after being sidelined since Nov. 26 with a lower-body injury.

Boston Bruins winger Morgan Geekie scored twice in a 4-1 win over the Utah Mammoth. David Pastrnak had two assists for the 20-14-0 Bruins, who’ve won five of their last six games. Barrett Hayton replied for the Mammoth, who dropped to 16-16-3 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Geekie sits second among league scorers this season with 24 goals. Before this game, the Bruins placed defenseman Jonathan Aspirot (upper body) on injured reserve, and claimed blueliner Vladislav Kolyachonok off waivers from the Dallas Stars.

The Philadelphia Flyers downed the Montreal Canadiens 4-1. Trevor Zegras scored to extend his goal streak to four games, and Travis Konecny had a goal and an assist for the 17-9-6 Flyers, who extended their points streak to five games (2-3-0). Alexandre Texier scored for the Canadiens, who dropped to 17-12-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens defenseman Mike Matheson missed this game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. They also sent goaltender Sam Montembeault to their AHL affiliate on a two-week conditioning stint. Meanwhile, Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen made his season debut after recovering from triceps surgery in March

Two goals in eight seconds by Auston Matthews and Dakota Joshua late in the third period rallied the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Matthews and William Nylander finished with two points each, and Joseph Woll stopped 23 shots for the 15-12-5 Maple Leafs. Wyatt Kaiser and Jason Dickinson scored for the Blackhawks, who’ve lost three straight games and slipped to 13-14-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks defenseman Artyom Levshunov was scratched from this game after being late for practice on Monday.

Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat netted two goals in the third period as his club nipped the New York Islanders 3-2. Lucas Raymond collected three assists for the Red Wings (19-12-4). Emil Heineman and Scott Mayfield replied for the Islanders (19-12-3) as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With the win, the Red Wings regained first place in the Atlantic Division with 41 points.

An overtime goal by Adam Fantilli gave the Columbus Blue Jackets a 4-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Zach Werenski had two goals and an assist as the 14-13-6 Blue Jackets snapped a five-game losing skid. Mikael Granlund and Ryan Poehling each had two points for the Ducks (20-12-2), who have dropped three of their last four games (1-2-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 42 points, the Ducks cling to first place in the Pacific Division, one point ahead of the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Vancouver Canucks blanked the New York Rangers 3-0. Thatcher Demko kicked out 23 shots for the shutout while Evander Kane, Liam Ohgren, and Conor Garland scored for the 13-17-3 Canucks. The Rangers (16-15-4) have one win in their last six games (1-3-2).

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: The Los Angeles Kings placed goaltender Darcy Kuemper on injured reserve and recalled netminder Pheonix Copley.

The St. Louis Blues claimed winger Jonatan Berggren off waivers from the Detroit Red Wings.

THE TENNESSEAN: Former US college football coach Nick Saban purchased a minority stake in the Nashville Predators.

TORONTO SUN: Former NHL forward Paul Gagne passed away at age 63 after battling cancer. Gagne spent eight seasons 1980-81 to 1989-90) with the Colorado Rockies, New Jersey Devils, Toronto Maple Leafs, and New York Islanders. He had 110 goals and 101 assists for 211 points in 390 games.

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Veteran TSN broadcaster Michael Whalen passed away earlier this week at age 82. Whalen was TSN’s bureau reporter for Montreal and Quebec from 1986 to 2007.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to the family and friends of Gagne and Whalen.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 29, 2025

by | Nov 29, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 29, 2025

The Wild ended the Avalanche’s long win streak, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby reached another scoring milestone, the Canadiens re-signed Mike Matheson, the Flames re-signed general manager Craig Conroy, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Minnesota Wild extended their win streak to seven games with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Colorado Avalanche, ending the latter’s win streak at 10 games. Jesper Wallstedt kicked out 39 shots, Kirill Kaprizov tallied twice (including his 200th career goal), and Matt Boldy scored the winning goal for the 14-7-4 Wild. Nathan MacKinnon scored his league-leading 19th goal for the Avalanche (17-1-6), who picked up a point and sit atop the overall standings with 40 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Wild placed forward Marcus Foligno on injured reserve.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

Sidney Crosby scored two goals and Kris Letang tallied in overtime to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3. With the win, the Penguins improved to 12-6-5. Zach Werenski had a goal and an assist for the 11-9-5 Blue Jackets, who are winless in their last four games (0-2-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby scored his 640th career regular-season NHL goal, moving past Dave Andreychuk into 15th on the overall goal list. He also moved past Jarome Iginla into 20th place for the most multi-goal games with 109.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin had a goal and three assists in a 6-2 victory over the Boston Bruins. Mika Zibanejad scored two goals, and Adam Fox picked up three assists for the Rangers (13-11-2), who picked up their third straight win. Casey Mittelstadt and Morgan Geekie replied for the 14-12-0 Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins forwards David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha missed this game due to injuries and are listed as day-to-day. Forward Matej Blumel was placed on long-term injury reserve.

The Montreal Canadiens got a 30-save performance from Sam Montembeault to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1. Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Zach Bolduc each had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens (13-7-3), who picked up their third straight win. Mark Stone scored for the slumping Golden Knights (10-6-8), who are winless in their last four contests (0-2-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Canadiens signed defenseman Mike Matheson to a five-year contract extension with an average annual value of $6 million. The 31-year-old Montreal native has been a reliable veteran presence on the Canadiens’ blueline. His cap hit is a bit pricey, but he likely would have received over $7 million annually on a longer term in next summer’s free-agent market. It’s a good move by the Habs, ensuring their top-four defensemen are all under long-term contracts.

Calgary Flames goalie Devin Cooley stopped 37 shots as his club overcame an early 2-0 deficit for a 5-3 upset of the Florida Panthers. Nazem Kadri had a goal and two assists for the 9-14-3 Flames, who’ve won four of their last five contests. Evan Rodrigues and Sam Bennett scored for the Panthers, who’ve dropped three of their last four and dropped to 12-11-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Flames announced the signing of general manager Craig Conroy and fellow front-office executives Don Maloney, Dave Nonis, and Brad Pascall to two-year contract extensions. It’s a vote of confidence from Flames’ ownership despite the club’s low placement in the standings thus far.

New Jersey Devils netminder Jake Allen turned in a 42-save shutout to blank the Buffalo Sabres 5-0. Arseny Gritsyuk had two goals for the Devils (16-7-1) as they picked up their third straight victory. Alex Lyon allowed five goals on 18 shots for the Sabres, who slipped to 9-11-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With the win, the Devils hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 33 points.

The Tampa Bay Lightning downed the Detroit Red Wings by a score of 6-3. Yanni Gourde tallied twice, and Nikita Kucherov collected two assists to extend his points streak to eight games for the 15-7-2 Lightning, who picked up their sixth straight win. J.T. Compher and Michael Rasmussen each had a goal and an assist for the 13-11-1 Red Wings, who’ve lost four of their last five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning sit atop the Atlantic Division with 32 points, three ahead of the second-place Canadiens.

Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston snapped a 3-3 tie to give his club a 4-3 win over the Utah Mammoth. Mikko Rantanen and Miro Heiskanen each had two assists as the 16-5-4 Stars collected their third straight win. Logan Cooley, Kevin Rooney, and Jack McBain scored for the Mammoth (12-10-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mammoth winger Clayton Keller played in the game despite the sudden death of his father the previous day. As a tribute, he was named the game’s first star. My sincere condolences to Keller and his family.

The Philadelphia Flyers blew a 3-0 lead to the New York Islanders but picked up a 4-3 win on a shootout goal by Travis Konecny. Tyson Foerster, Sean Couturier, and Trevor Zegras scored in regulation for the 13-7-3 Flyers, who’ve won four of their last five games. Rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer had a goal and an assist for the Islanders (13-9-3), who’ve dropped three of their last four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders winger Kyle Palmieri left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury. While on his way to the bench, he stole the puck from Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae and passed to Anders Lee, who set up Emil Heineman for the Isles’ first goal.

Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson scored the tying goal and had two assists as his club nipped the Los Angeles Kings 5-4 on a shootout goal by Mason McTavish. The win gave the Ducks (15-8-1) a two-point lead over the Kings for first place in the Pacific Division with 31 points. Defensemen Brandt Clarke and Brian Dumoulin each had two assists for the Kings (11-6-7), who have one win in their last five games (1-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Ducks announced that goaltender Lukas Dostal would be sidelined for two to three weeks with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Kings winger Warren Foegele missed this contest with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun scored to extend his goal streak to five games as his club overcame a 2-0 deficit to double up the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2. Connor McMichael and Tom Wilson each had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (14-9-3) as they’ve won six of their last seven contests. Morgan Rielly and Matthew Knies scored for the struggling Maple Leafs (10-11-3), who are 2-6-2 in their last 10 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs winger William Nylander missed this game due to an illness, and forward Max Domi was a healthy scratch.

A hat trick by Seth Jarvis powered the Carolina Hurricanes to a 5-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Andrei Svechnikov and Shayne Gostisbehere each had two assists for the 15-7-2 Hurricanes. Mark Scheifele replied for the slumping Jets (12-11-0) as they lost their fourth straight game.

The St. Louis Blues squeaked past the Ottawa Senators 4-3 on a goal by Matthew Kessel. Jordan Binnington stopped 25 shots for the 8-10-7 Blues. Brady Tkachuk collected an assist in his return to action with the 12-8-4 Senators.

San Jose Sharks goalie Yaroslav Askarov stopped 32 shots, and Macklin Celebrini picked up two assists to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2. Adam Gaudette netted the winning goal for the 12-10-3 Sharks. Forwards Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson replied for the Canucks (10-13-2), who have lost four of their last five games.

The Nashville Predators held off the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3. Ryan O’Reilly, Steven Stamkos, and Luke Evangelista each had a goal and an assist for the 8-12-4 Predators. Ryan Donato, Ryan Greene, and Teuvo Teravainen replied for the Blackhawks, who’ve lost four straight and dropped to 10-9-5.