NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 11, 2022

by | Dec 11, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 11, 2022

Kris Letang returns to the Penguins following a stroke, the Leafs and Mitch Marner continue their streaks, the Lightning’s Steven Stamkos extends his points streak, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Buffalo Sabres 3-1 as defenseman Kris Letang returned to their lineup for the first time since suffering a minor stroke 12 days ago. Letang was held pointless but played a team-leading 22:14 of ice time while Sidney Crosby scored two goals and collected an assist for the Penguins, who’ve won five straight and improved their record to 16-8-4. Peyton Krebs replied for the Sabres as they dropped to 12-14-2.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres played without winger Jeff Skinner. He’s serving a three-game suspension for cross-checking Penguins winger Jake Guentzel in the face during their game on Friday.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner extended his franchise-record points streak to 22 games in a 5-4 overtime victory over the Calgary Flames. Marner scored the game-winner and collected an assist on one of William Nylander’s two goals as the latter reached a single-game personal best of five points. The Leafs (18-5-6) are unbeaten in their last 14 games (11-0-3). Noah Hanifin tallied twice for the Flames as they slipped to 13-11-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs (42 points) are one point behind the league-leading Boston Bruins. Before the game, Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said forward Nick Robertson could miss six-to-eight weeks with a shoulder injury. He is not expected to undergo surgery.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Brayden Point, Mikhail Sergachev and Steven Stamkos lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Florida Panthers 4-1. Stamkos extended his points streak to 13 games while the Lightning boosted their record to 17-9-1. The Panthers dropped to 13-11-4.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson made 35 saves to shut out the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 3-0. Matt Boldy, Connor Dewar and Sam Steel were the goal scorers as Minnesota sits at 14-11-2. Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov was held scoreless, bringing his 14-game points streak to an end. The Canucks dropped to 12-13-3.

Detroit Red Wings forward David Perron scored in his 1,000th career NHL game but his club dropped a 3-2 decision to the Dallas Stars. Nils Lundkvist got the winner in overtime as the Stars improved to 16-7-5 while the Wings sit at 13-8-6.

The Carolina Hurricanes blanked the New York Islanders 3-0 on a 16-save shutout by Pyotr Kochetkov. Paul Stastny, Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jordan Staal scored for the Hurricanes (15-6-6) while the Islanders are 17-12-0 on the season.

First-period goals by Anze Kopitar and Viktor Arvidsson 19 seconds apart enabled the Los Angeles Kings to double up the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 and improve their record to 15-11-4. Cole Caufield tallied his 16th goal of the season for the Canadiens (13-12-2) as they’ve dropped three of their last four contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Canadiens moved sidelined winger Brendan Gallagher to injured reserve. Winger Mike Hoffman returned to the Habs lineup after missing eight games with a lower-body injury.

The Ottawa Senators got third-period goals by Alex DeBrincat and Drake Batherson to hold off the Nashville Predators by a score of 3-2. The Senators improve to 11-14-2 while the Predators slide to 12-11-2.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Former Vancouver Canucks defenseman Kevin Bieksa still had more to say about former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara claiming the Canucks were practicing passing around the Stanley Cup before Game 3 of the 2011 Cup Final between the two clubs. Chara made that claim recently on the “Games with Names” podcast.

Now a Hockey Night in Canada analyst, Bieksa previously told colleague Jeff Marek that the incident never happened nor did the Canucks contact the league to ask how many family members would be allowed on the ice when they won the Cup.

During Saturday’s HNiC telecast, Bieksa called Chara’s comments “one of the dumbest things we’ve ever heard.” He pointed to the fact that there was no record of this supposed incident despite the plethora of media coverage of that series.

Bieksa also noted that Chara seemed to walk back his comments during the podcast. He believed the former Bruins captain was showing a lack of respect toward the Canucks and their leaders at the time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bieska made a valid point about the lack of substantiation of Chara’s claims. So far, there’s been no response from the former Bruins star.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kraken defenseman Jamie Oleksiak received a three-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for a hit to the head of Washington Capitals defenseman Alexander Alexeyev.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek hopes to return to the lineup on Tuesday to face the Capitals. He’s missed the last three games with a minor groin injury.

THE SCORE: The Edmonton Oilers will host the Calgary Flames at the 2023 Heritage Classic.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former NHL player Chris Therien has released a book chronicling his life and career, including his struggle with alcoholism and his subsequent decade of sobriety.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 7, 2022

by | Dec 7, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 7, 2022

The Leafs’ Mitch Marner extends his points streak while the Stars’ Jason Robertson’s comes to an end, the Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon is sidelined for a lengthy period, an update on the Penguins’ Kris Letang, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner collected an assist to extend his points streak to 20 games in a 4-0 victory over the Dallas Stars. Matt Murray turned in a 44-save shutout while Auston Matthews had a goal and an assist as the Leafs improved their record to 16-5-6. The Stars’ Jason Robertson had his points streak end at 18 games as his club’s record falls to 14-7-5.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs defenseman Victor Mete left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored twice and Tristan Jarry kicked out 38 shots to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1. Bryan Rust had a goal and an assist for the 14-8-4 Penguins. Johnny Gaudreau scored for the Blue Jackets, who fall to 8-14-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Some good news for the Penguins as defenseman Kris Letang skated yesterday morning in full gear for the first time since suffering a minor stroke last week. There’s still no timetable for his return.

The New Jersey Devils picked up their 10th home win of the season by blanking the Chicago Blackhawks 3-0. Vitek Vanecek got the shutout by stopping 24 saves while Dougie Hamilton led the way with a goal and two assists as the Devils (21-4-1) vaulted into first place in the overall standings with 43 points. The Blackhawks (7-14-4) sink to second-last in the overall standings with 18 points.

Detroit Red Wings goaltender Ville Husso made 44 saves, including 28 in the third period, as his club doubled up the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. Andrew Copp and Filip Hronek each had two assists as the Wings improved to 13-7-5 while the Lightning (15-9-1) got goals from Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the first game in Tampa Bay for former Lightning assistant coach Derek Lalonde, who was hired by the Wings as head coach during the offseason.

Winnipeg Jets forwards Mark Scheifele and Kyle Connor each scored twice to down the Florida Panthers by a score of 5-2. Connor Hellebuyck picked up the win for the Jets (16-7-1) with a 39-save performance. The Panthers fell to 12-10-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets spoiled the homecoming of Panthers head coach Paul Maurice, who was returning to Winnipeg for the first time since stepping down as the Jets bench boss a year ago.

The St. Louis Blues ended a four-game losing skid with a 7-4 win over the New York Islanders. Thomas Greiss made 36 saves and Noel Acciari scored twice as the Blues improved to 12-14-0. Zach Parise and Noah Dobson each had a goal and an assist for the 16-11-0 Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues went into this game without Torey Krug and Pavel Buchnevich. Krug has an upper-body ailment while Buchnevich has a lower-body injury. No word yet as to how long they could be sidelined.

Two goals within seven seconds by Cole Caufield and Josh Anderson in the second period powered the Montreal Canadiens to a 4-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Jake Allen stopped 31 shots as the Canadiens improved to 13-11-2. Rookie Shane Wright tallied his first career NHL goal for the 15-7-3 Kraken.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar collected three assists and winger Viktor Arvidsson tallied twice to down the Ottawa Senators 5-2. Kings goalie Pheonix Copley stopped 31 shots for his first NHL win since 2019 as his club improved to 14-10-4. Tim Stutzle had two assists for the 10-14-1 Senators.

An overtime goal by Ryan Strome lifted the Anaheim Ducks over the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3. John Gibson made 34 saves for the Ducks (7-17-3) while Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 26 shots for the 14-6-6- Hurricanes.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DENVER POST: The injury-depleted Colorado Avalanche got more bad news yesterday as center Nathan MacKinnon will be sidelined for four weeks with an upper-body injury. The Avs are already missing Gabriel Landeskog, Valeri Nichushkin, Evan Rodrigues, Artturi Lehkonen, Josh Manson, Bo Byram, Darren Helm, Kurtis MacDermid, Jean-Luc Foudy and Shane Bowers.

CBC NEWS: Carey Price issued a statement yesterday saying he was aware of the anniversary of the 1989 Polytechnique Massacre in Montreal after the Canadiens claimed he was unaware of it. Price and the Canadiens were responding on Monday to a social media post by the goaltender supporting a guns rights group that recently used “POLY” as a promotional discount code.

Price’s initial social media post was in support of the group’s opposition to an upcoming Canadian government bill that could put restrictions on hunting rifles. He said he was unaware of the group’s use of the offensive promo code and didn’t support it.

On Tuesday, Price apologized for the timing of his original post. He said that he would never cause any intentional pain to victims of gun violence.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens really aren’t very good at handling controversial issues that arise involving one of their players. Rather than face the issue and address it honestly, they tried to give Price an out by denying his awareness of the Polytechnique Massacre and its upcoming anniversary. Not a good look for the storied franchise.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 4, 2022

by | Dec 4, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 4, 2022

Mitch Marner sets a Leafs record, the Devils set a franchise road record, the Bruins continue their winning ways, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner scored twice to set a franchise record for the longest points streak (19) but his club fell 4-3 in overtime to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Alex Killorn scored the game-winner while Andrei Vasilevskiy made 36 saves for the Lightning (15-8-1). William Nylander also scored for the 15-5-6 Maple Leafs.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

The New Jersey Devils held off the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 3-2 to set a franchise record with their 11th straight road victory. Jack Hughes scored what proved to be the winning goal while Akira Schmid kicked out 31 shots for the 20-4-1 Devils as they sit atop the overall standings with 41 points. Travis Konecny and Lukas Sedlak tallied for the Flyers as their record falls to 8-12-5.

Boston Bruins forwards David Pastrnak and Trent Frederic each scored two goals in a 5-1 rout of the Colorado Avalanche. The Bruins (20-3-0) extended their home-record win streak to 14 games and sit one point behind the Devils in the overall standings. Andrew Cogliano scored the only goal for the Avalanche (13-8-1), who lost winger Artturi Lehkonen in the first period to an upper-body injury after being slammed to the ice by Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Avalanche placed defenseman Josh Manson (lower body) on injured reserve.

The Vegas Golden Knights improved to 18-7-1 by dropping the Detroit Red Wing 4-1. Phil Kessel led the way for the Golden Knights with a goal and an assist while Adin Hill stopped 24 shots. Vegas sits atop the Western Conference with 37 points. Oskar Sundqvist replied for the 11-7-5 Red Wings, who’ve dropped three straight games.

Edmonton Oilers forwards Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each collected four points in a 5-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Nick Suzuki tallied his 13th goal of the season for the Canadiens as they fall to 12-11-1 while the Oilers improved to 14-11-0. Draisaitl became the second player to reach 20 goals this season. Canadiens defenseman Joel Edmundson was ejected in the second period for cross-checking Oilers winger Zach Hyman in the head.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane collected three points to become the second player in franchise history to reach 1,200 career points in a 5-2 win over the New York Rangers. Max Domi also had three points for the Blackhawks as they improved to 7-12-4 and end an eight-game winless skid. Artemi Panarin and Mike Zibanejad each had two points for the 11-10-5 Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek left this game in the second period with a groin injury. No word as to the severity or how long he might be sidelined. The Rangers, meanwhile, played without Filip Chytil as he’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

A hat trick by Kasperi Kapanen powered the Pittsburgh Penguins over the St. Louis Blues 6-2. Bryan Rust had a four-point game while Evgeni Malkin and Jason Zucker collected three points each as the Penguins improved to 13-8-4. Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington got the hook in the second period after giving up four goals on 17 shots and received a 10-minute misconduct for inciting after he yelled some choice words at the Penguins bench. The Blues fell to 11-13-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This isn’t the first time Binnington’s lost his temper this season. Blues coach Craig Berube seems to be losing patience with his goaltender’s antics. “It’s got to stop,” he said in a post-game interview. “It doesn’t help anything. Just play goal. Just stop the puck.”

The Minnesota Wild got shootout goals by Kirill Kaprizov and Matt Boldy to beat the Anaheim Ducks 5-4. Kaprizov also scored the game-tying goal to extend his points streak to 11 games as the Wild improved to 12-9-2. John Gibson made 46 saves while Trevor Zegras, Troy Terry and Mason McTavish each had two points for the 6-16-3 Ducks as they sit last in the overall standings with 15 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Ducks announced that center Isac Lundestrom will be sidelined for six weeks with a broken finger.

Ottawa Senators winger Claude Giroux scored twice and collected an assist in a 5-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Anton Forsberg stopped 32 shots for the Senators (10-13-1) as they’ve won four of their last five games. Tomas Hertl scored both goals for the 8-15-4 Sharks.

The Calgary Flames (11-10-3) defeated the Washington Capitals (10-12-4) by a score of 5-2. Adam Ruzicka had a goal and two assists, Michael Backlund collected three assists and Andrew Mangiapane tallied twice for the Flames. Capitals goaltender Darcy Kuemper and defenseman Michael Fehervary both left the game with upper-body injuries in the second period.

Florida Panthers winger Carter Verhaeghe scored twice and Sam Bennett had three assists in a 5-1 win over the Seattle Kraken, snapping the latter’s seven-game win streak. Spencer Knight made 35 saves as the Panthers improved to 12-9-4 while the Kraken (15-6-3) sits in second place in the Western Conference with 33 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers defenseman Radko Gudas and winger Patric Hornqvist left this game with injuries. Earlier in the day, the Panthers revealed that Anton Lundell would miss this contest with an undisclosed injury suffered during Thursday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.

The Carolina Hurricanes (14-6-5) picked up their fourth straight win by doubling up the Los Angeles Kings 4-2. Martin Necas and Brent Burns each had two points while Pyotr Kochetkov made 31 saves for the Hurricanes. Arthur Kaliyev and Samuel Fagemo replied for the 13-10-4 Kings.

An overtime goal by Bo Horvat lifted the Vancouver Canucks over the Arizona Coyotes 3-2. It was Horvat’s second goal of the game and his 19th on the season. Brock Boeser also scored for the Canucks (10-12-3). Christian Fischer and Jakob Chychrun replied for the 7-11-4 Coyotes.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 1, 2022

by | Dec 1, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 1, 2022

Mitch Marner ties a Leafs points-streak record, Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is sidelined indefinitely following a minor stroke, Canucks to honor Roberto Luongo and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner scored an empty-net goal to tie the franchise record for consecutive points (18) in a 3-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Pierre Engvall snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period while Ilya Samsonov made 23 saves in his first game since being sidelined by a knee injury on Nov. 5. The Leafs improve to 15-5-5 (35 points) to sit three points behind the league-leading Boston Bruins while the Sharks fall to 8-14-4.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs forward Calle Jarnkrok left this game in the second period with a groin injury.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and an assist to become the first player to reach 40 points as his club held off the Chicago Blackhawks by a score of 5-4. Leon Draisaitl scored twice, including what proved to be the game-winner for the Oilers (13-10-0) while Max Domi tallied twice for the 6-12-4 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Domi’s been among the few bright spots in what’s becoming a difficult season for the rebuilding Blackhawks. He’s second in points with 16 in 22 games and could become a valuable trade chip for them if he’s still playing well leading up to the March 3 trade deadline.

The Buffalo Sabres blew a three-goal third-period lead but defeated the Detroit Red Wings 5-4 on a shootout goal by Jack Quinn. Dylan Cozen scored twice while Craig Anderson made 41 saves for the win as the Sabres improved to 10-12-1. Oskar Sundqvist tallied twice for the 11-6-5 Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings winger Tyler Bertuzzi left this game after being struck on the left hand by a shot from teammate Ben Chiarot. Wings head coach Derek Lalonde had no update on Bertuzzi’s condition following the game.

New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren collected three assists as his club defeated the Ottawa Senators 3-1. Jaroslav Halak stopped 34 shots for his first win with the Rangers (11-9-4) as they snapped a three-game winless skid. Shane Pinto scored for the 8-13-1 Senators.

HEADLINES

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins defenseman Kris Letang is sidelined indefinitely after suffering a minor stroke on Monday. General manager Ron Hextall said Letang’s stroke is “much less severe” than the one he suffered in 2014 that sidelined him for several months.

Letang visited his teammates following their game against the Carolina Hurricanes to reassure them about his condition. He’s undergoing further testing but so far he’s doing okay. However, there is no timetable for his return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Letang for a swift recovery and his return to the Penguins lineup. Thankfully, his condition isn’t considered career-threatening.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks intend to honor former goaltender Roberto Luongo by inducting him into the club’s Ring of Honour next season. The newly-inducted member of the Hockey Hall of Fame is the franchise leader in single-season wins (47), games played (76) and shutouts (nine) as well as their leader in career wins (252) and shutouts (38).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’m surprised they’re not retiring Luongo’s number but at least they’re recognizing the achievements of his eight seasons in Vancouver.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: After Boston Bruins’ NESN broadcaster Jack Edwards mocked Pat Maroon’s weight during a recent game, the Lightning winger took the high road by donating $2,000.00 in Edwards’ name to a local non-profit that helps people struggling with mental health and substance abuse issues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Boston Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy observed that Edwards’ bizarre comments didn’t go down well with fans and pundits around the NHL. However, he doesn’t anticipate an apology from Edwards or NESN, who have supported their sometimes controversial play-by-play man for his flippant comments in the past.

 

DAILY FACEOFF: The Los Angeles Kings placed goaltender Cal Petersen on waivers yesterday. The 28-year-old has struggled since signing a three-year, $15-million contract last season. He has a 5-3-2 record thus far this season with a .868 save percentage and a 3.78 goals-against average. The club had no comment yesterday about the move.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a surprising move. It wasn’t that long ago that Petersen was considered the heir apparent to Kings starter Jonathan Quick. I doubt any club will claim him given his $5 million average annual value. If he clears waivers as expected he could be sent to the Kings’ AHL affiliate to work on his game.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 29, 2022

by | Nov 29, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 29, 2022

The Devils and Golden Knights each collect their 10th road win of the season, Mitch Marner and Jason Robertson extend their points streaks, the three stars of the week are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The New Jersey Devils picked up their 10th road win of the season with a 5-3 victory over the New York Rangers. Yegor Sherangovich scored two goals and Vitek Vanecek stopped 35 shots as the Devils (19-4-0) take over first place in the overall standings with 38 points. Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck replied for the 10-9-4 Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers’ struggles this season can be tied in part to Igor Shesterkin’s difficulties between the pipes. He seems to have lost the form that earned him the Vezina Trophy last season and shouldered the blame for the loss against the Devils.

A shootout goal by Paul Cotter lifted the Vegas Golden Knights to their 10th road win as they dropped the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2. William Karlsson and William Carrier gave Vegas a 2-0 lead but the Jackets rallied on goals by Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner. The Golden Knights (17-6-1) sit in first place in the Western Conference with 35 points while the Blue Jackets (7-12-2) remain mired at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils and Golden Knights are the first clubs to reach 10 road wins this season. Vegas defenseman Alex Pietrangelo missed this game for personal reasons.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner scored to extend his points streak to 17 games as his club doubled up the Detroit Red Wings by a score of 4-2. Matt Murray kicked out 44 shots while Auston Matthews and Rasmus Sandin each had a goal and an assist for the Leafs (14-5-5), who are unbeaten in the last nine games (7-0-2). The Red Wings (11-6-4) got goals from Moritz Seider and Adam Erne.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson extended his points streak to 16 games in a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Robertson tallied his league-leading 19th goal of the season while Jamie Benn and Wyatt Johnston each had two points for the 13-6-4 Stars. Brandon Saad replied for the Blues as they fall to 11-11-0. They played without center Robert Thomas, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Leon Draisaitl gave the Edmonton Oilers a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers. Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman each had three points for the Oilers as they improve their record to 12-10-0. Matthew Tkachuk remains a thorn in the Oilers’ side with his new team as he tallied a goal and collected an assist for the 10-8-4 Panthers.

The Tampa Bay Lightning got an overtime goal by Steven Stamkos to beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-5. Stamkos scored twice and collected an assist for the Lightning (13-7-1) as he now sits two points shy of 1,000 career points. Nikita Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev had three assists for the Bolts. Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist for the 9-12-1 Sabres.

HEADLINES

Stars winger Jason Robertson, Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey and New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Nov. 27, 2022.

SPORTSNET: The Philadelphia Flyers placed winger Travis Konecny (upper body) on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 17.

THE SCORE: Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark has been cleared to play after suffering an apparent arm injury on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: The Bruins also placed defenseman Anton Stralman on waivers as they prepare to make room for blueliner Derek Forbort’s return from injury.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks have placed goaltender James Reimer on IR with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day. Defenseman Mario Ferraro has a foot injury that could sideline him on a week-to-week basis.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche signed winger Alex Galchenyuk on a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level.

TWINCITIES.COM: The Minnesota Wild sent struggling rookie forward Marco Rossi to their AHL affiliate in Iowa.

TSN: Hall-of-Famer Scott Niedermayer has been added to Team Canada’s staff for the upcoming Spengler Cup next month.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 27, 2022

by | Nov 27, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 27, 2022

The Devils’ Lindy Ruff reaches a coaching milestone, the Leafs’ Mitch Marner and the Stars’ Jason Robertson maintain their points streaks, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff picked up his 800th career NHL win as his club defeated the Washington Capitals 5-1. Jack Hughes tallied his first career hat trick and Vitek Vanecek made 37 saves as the Devils (18-4-3) move into a tie for first place in the overall standings with the Boston Bruins. John Carlson replied for the Capitals as they fall to 9-11-3.

New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ruff is the fifth NHL coach to reach the 800-win milestone. He’s also the leader in wins among active coaches. As for the overall standings, the Bruins hold a game in hand over the Devils. It will be interesting to see if these two clubs can maintain their strong performance through the first quarter over the remainder of the schedule.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner extended his points streak to 16 games with a goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Auston Matthews had a goal and two assists while William Nylander had a goal and an assist as the Leafs (13-5-5) are 6-0-2 in their last eight games. Rickard Rakell tallied for the 11-8-3 Penguins.

A 41-save performance by Alexandar Georgiev carried the Colorado Avalanche over the Dallas Stars by a score of 4-1. Josh Manson had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche (12-6-1). Dallas winger Jason Robertson collected an assist on Joe Pavelski’s goal to extend his points streak to 15 games but his Stars fall to 12-6-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Avalanche announced winger Evan Rodrigues will be sidelined for two-to-four weeks with a lower-body injury.

Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser stretched his points streak to nine games with a goal in a 5-1 upset of the Vegas Golden Knights. J.T. Miller had a goal and two assists while Spencer Martin stopped 26 shots as the Canucks improved to 8-10-3. Jonathan Marchessault replied for the 16-6-1 Golden Knights, who hold a five-point lead over the Stars for first place in the Western Conference with 33 points.

The Edmonton Oilers got four unanswered goals in the third period to defeat the New York Rangers 4-3. Evan Bouchard scored twice, Dylan Holloway scored his first career NHL goal and Leon Draisaitl tallied the winning goal as the Oilers rise to 11-10-0. Ryan Lindgren collected two assists for the 10-8-4 Rangers.

Speaking of comebacks, the St. Louis Blues also scored four unanswered goals in a 5-4 win over the Florida Panthers. Jordan Kyrou tallied twice, including the winner in overtime, as the Blues improved to 11-10-0. Sam Reinhart had two assists for the Panthers (10-8-3), who were playing without captain Aleksander Barkov as he was sidelined by a non-COVID-related illness.

The New York Islanders also staged a four-goal rally as they dumped the Philadelphia Flyers 5-2. Zach Parise scored twice, Ryan Pulock collected four assists and Semyon Varlamov stopped 26 shots for the 15-8-0 Islanders. Lukas Sedlak and Joel Farabee scored for the Flyers (7-10-5) as their winless skid extends to 10 games.

A third-period goal by Brett Pesce lifted the Carolina Hurricanes (11-6-5) to a 3-2 win over the Calgary Flames, ending their winless skid at five games. Dan Vladar made 30 saves for the 9-9-3 Flames but they’ve dropped three straight games. Flames defenseman Michael Stone returned to the lineup after missing 10 games with a non-disclosed injury.

HEADLINES

WINNIPEG SUN: Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck wants a rule change for an immediate stoppage of play when a netminder’s mask is knocked off or comes off during play. Hellebuyck lost his mask during a collision in Friday’s game against the Dallas Stars and was lying prone and shaken up on the ice with no stoppage of play, enabling the Star to score an empty-net goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL situation rule allowed the Stars’ goal to stand. Hellebuyck was able to resume playing but he and teammate (and NHLPA representative) Adam Lowry would like clarity on this issue. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek suggest this could lead to a new directive from the league.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Friday’s 5-2 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. No word as to the seriousness of his undisclosed injury but he will be sidelined for at least a week.

THE ATHLETIC’S Michael Russo tweeted the Wild have recalled goaltender Zane McIntyre as a precautionary measure after one of their goalies had an issue at practice on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Netminder Filip Gustavsson apparently left practice early.

CBS SPORTS: Tampa Bay Lightning forward Rudolfs Balcers is expected to miss the club’s upcoming three-game road trip with an upper-body injury.