NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 23, 2024

by | Feb 23, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 23, 2024

The Rangers move within one game of tying a franchise-record win streak, the Bruins rise while the Canucks slump and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The New York Rangers extended their win streak to nine games by beating the New Jersey Devils 5-1. Igor Shesterkin made 39 saves while Alexis Lafreniere scored two goals and Artemi Panarin collected three assists for the 38-16-3 Rangers (79 points), who lead the Metropolitan Division and sit one point behind the league-leading Boston Bruins. Jack Hughes scored for the 28-24-4 Devils (60 points) as they sit five points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers are within one game of their franchise-record win streak of 10 games held by the 1939-40 Blueshirts and the 1972-73 edition. Rangers forward Matthew Rempe received a match penalty for an illegal hit on Devils forward Nate Bastian.

Speaking of the Bruins, they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Calgary Flames on an overtime goal by Nazem Kadri. Jacob Markstrom stopped 32 shots for the 27-25-2 Flames (59 points) as they sit three points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Charlie Coyle tallied both goals for the Bruins (34-12-12) as they gained a point and moved into first place in the overall standings with 80 points, holding a game in hand over the slumping Vancouver Canucks.

As for the Canucks, they dropped their fourth straight game by falling to the Seattle Kraken 5-2. Jared McCann led the way with a goal and three assists while Jordan Eberle scored twice and collected an assist as the Kraken improved to 24-21-11 (59 points) and sit three points out of the final Western wild-card berth. J.T. Miller and Sam Lafferty replied for the 37-16-6 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the first significant losing skid for the Canucks this season. They’re not in any danger of tumbling out of a playoff berth but two of their four losses came against teams like Seattle and Minnesota that are trying to get into postseason contention. This could be merely a bump in the road in what’s been a successful regular season thus far for the Canucks. Nevertheless, it’s making some of their fans nervous given the club’s inconsistency in recent years.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews scored his league-leading 52nd goal of the season in a 7-3 rout of the Vegas Golden Knights. Max Domi scored two goals and Mitch Marner picked up two assists for the Leafs (32-16-8) as they sit third in the Atlantic Division with 72 points. Jonathan Marchessault and Shea Theodore each had two points for the 32-19-6 Golden Knights (70 points), who sit in second place in the Pacific Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews has scored 10 goals in the last five games and has widened his league in the goal-scoring race over Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart, who sits in second place with 39 goals…Before this game, the Golden Knights announced captain Mark Stone is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov kicked out 44 shots to shut out the Florida Panthers 1-0. Sebastian Aho scored with 19 seconds remaining in regulation for the Hurricanes as they improved to 34-17-5 and sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 73 points. Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves for the Panthers (37-16-4) as they sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 78 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk and defenseman Gustav Forsling left this game with injuries during the first period. They’re considered day-to-day as they undergo further evaluation.

The St. Louis Blues scored three goals within 32 seconds to blank the New York Islanders 4-0. Pavel Buchnevich tallied a natural hat trick, Robert Thomas had three assists and Jordan Binnington turned in a 38-save shutout performance for the 30-24-2 Blues (62 points) as they hold the final Western wild-card berth. Semyon Varlamov stopped 21 shots as the Islanders dropped to 23-19-14 (60 points) and sit five points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

Speaking of that wild-card berth, the Washington Capitals (26-21-8) also moved to within five points of it with a 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning (30-23-5) as they hold that spot with 65 points. Connor McMichael scored twice and Alex Ovechkin picked up an assist to extend his points streak to 10 games. Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov collected an assist as he sits atop the scoring race with 95 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals forward T.J. Oshie left this game in the third period following a non-contact injury. He will be evaluated on Friday.

An overtime goal by Patrick Kane lifted the Detroit Red Wings over the Colorado Avalanche by a score of 2-1. Dylan Larkin also scored while Alex Lyon turned aside 30 shots for the 30-20-6 Red Wings as they hold the first Eastern wild-card spot with 66 points. Nathan MacKinnon replied for Colorado to move within two points of Kucherov in the scoring race. The 35-18-5 Avs, meanwhile, gained a point (75) and sit one point behind the Central Division-leading Dallas Stars.

The Stars, meanwhile, suffered a 4-1 upset loss to the Ottawa Senators. Josh Norris scored two goals and Drake Batherson collected two assists for the 24-27-3 Senators. Joe Pavelski scored for the 34-18-8 Stars.

Nashville Predators forward Colton Sissons had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Juuse Saros stopped 27 shots for the 30-25-2 Predators, who won their third straight and are tied with the Blues with 60 points. Kevin Fiala scored for the Kings (28-17-10) as their four-game winning streak came to an end. They hold the first Western wild-card spot with 66 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues maintain their hold on that final wild-card spot with a game in hand over the Predators.

The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-1. Kris Letang tallied twice and Tristan Jarry made 30 saves for the 25-21-8 Penguins. Mike Matheson replied for the 22-27-8 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Canadiens claimed center Colin White off waivers from the Penguins.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 22, 2024

by | Feb 22, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 22, 2024

The Leafs’ Auston Matthews set a record as he reached 50 goals, Houston Rocket owner interested in an NHL franchise, and more in today’s morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews scored his 50th and 51st goals of the season in a 6-3 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Matthews became the fastest American-born player to reach 50 goals in a season (54 games) and the fastest NHL player to do so since Mario Lemieux tallied 50 in 50 games in 1995-96.

William Nylander scored twice while Mitch Marner collected three assists for the 31-16-8 Leafs as they hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 70 points. Mattias Maccelli, Barrett Hayton and Dylan Guenther replied for the Coyotes (23-29-4), who’ve dropped six in a row and are winless in their last 11 games (0-10-1).

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews is well on his way to winning his third Richard Trophy in four years as the NHL’s top goal scorer. His league-leading 51 goals puts him 12 ahead of Florida’s Sam Reinhart, who sits second with 39 goals.

This is the second time Matthews has reached the 50-goal plateau and he’s within range of reaching 60 goals for the second time in three years. At his current pace, he could become the first player to score 70 goals in a season since Alexander Mogilny and Teemu Selanne in 1992-93.

The Boston Bruins blew a 4-1 lead but recovered to nip the Edmonton Oilers 6-5 on an overtime goal by Charlie McAvoy. Mason Lohrei collected three assists while McAvoy, David Pastrnak and Jake DeBrusk each had a goal and an assist for the Bruins (34-12-11) as they reclaimed first place in the Eastern Conference with 79 points, one behind the league-leading Vancouver Canucks. Warren Foegele scored two goals while Connor McDavid extended his home points streak to 20 games with two assists for the 33-18-2 Oilers, who sit third in the Pacific Division with 68 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Boston defenseman Matt Grzelcyk left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury. The Bruins were already down a blueliner as Hampus Lindholm is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins missed this contest due to illness.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny scored to extend his points streak to seven games in a 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Travis Sanheim and Garnet Hathaway also scored for the 30-20-7 Flyers as they continue to hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 67 points. Colin Blackwell replied for the 15-39-3 Blackhawks.

A shorthanded goal by Alex Tuch late in the second period held up as the winner as the Buffalo Sabres defeated the Montreal Canadiens 3-2, handing the latter their third straight loss. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 29 shots for the Sabres (25-27-4). Arber Xhekaj and Jayden Struble replied for the Canadiens (22-26-8) as Nick Suzuki’s 10-game points streak and Juraj Slafkovsky’s seven-game points streak came to an end.

Columbus Blue Jackets forwards Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner each had a goal and two assists in a 7-4 drubbing of the Anaheim Ducks. Zach Werenkski and Sean Kuraly each tallied twice for the 18-27-10 Blue Jackets while Mason McTavish scored two goals for the 20-34-2 Ducks.

HEADLINES

BLOOMBERG: Houston Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is said to be in talks with the NHL about bringing a franchise to the Texas city. He’s been looking into it since 2017 but discussions have recently ramped up. He sees a professional hockey franchise being the next building block for the economy of downtown Houston.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ferttita’s increased interest in an NHL team comes weeks after the ownership group of the Utah Jazz requested the league initiate an expansion process to bring a team to Salt Lake City.

NHL commissioner Gary Bettman recently said the league had no formal plans to expand from its current 32 teams but was willing to talk to cities interested in adding NHL clubs. With the expansion fee for a team said to be $2 billion, which is split among the existing NHL team owners and is not considered hockey-related revenue, don’t be surprised if there are two new NHL teams within the next 10 years.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: Golden Knights general manager Kelly McCrimmon said team captain Mark Stone is expected to be sidelined “for a while” with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, he said that Jack Eichel is doing well with his rehab and should return “in the not-too-distant future.” Eichel (knee) is currently on long-term injury reserve.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Stone is placed on LTIR and is out for the rest of the regular season it will allow the Golden Knights to exceed the salary cap if necessary to add a player or two by the March 8 trade deadline.

DAILY FACEOFF: New York Rangers forwards Artemi Panarin and Jimmy Vesey are listed as day-to-day with lower-body injuries as they missed practice yesterday.

NEW YORK POST: Speaking of the Rangers, they signed forward Jonny Brodzinski to a two-year, one-way contract extension worth an average annual value of $785, 500.

ESPN: Kevin Weekes reports Los Angeles Kings forward Viktor Arvidsson could be sidelined week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers forward Ryan Lomberg was fined $2,083.33 by the NHL department of player safety for elbowing Ottawa Senators defenseman Jakob Chychrun during Tuesday’s game between the two clubs.

CBS SPORTS: The Vancouver Canucks placed forward Dakota Joshua (upper body) on injured reserve.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins placed forward Colin White on waivers.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former Toronto Maple Leafs forward Gerry James passed away at age 89. James spent five seasons with the Leafs from 1954-55 to 1959-60. At the same time, he had a 13-year career as a running back in the Canadian Football League and holds the distinction of being the only person to appear in a Stanley Cup Final and a Grey Cup Final in the same season (1959-60). He was inducted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1981.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to James’ family, friends and former teammates in both sports.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 20, 2024

by | Feb 20, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 20, 2024

Three hat-trick performances as the Wild defeat the Canucks, Leafs center Auston Matthews moves closer to the 50-goal plateau, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Minnesota Wild overcame 4-1 and 5-2 deficits in a 10-7 upset of the league-leading Vancouver Canucks. Minnesota forwards Joel Eriksson Ek and Kirill Kaprizov each scored three goals and three assists with the latter picking up his hat trick during his club’s seven-goal outburst in the third period. Matt Boldy and Mats Zuccarello each had a goal and three assists as the Wild improved to 26-23-6 and sit two points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 58 points.

Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov (NHL Images).

J.T. Miller collected a hat trick and added an assist for the 37-14-6 Canucks (80 points) as they hold a three-point lead over the Boston Bruins in the overall standings. Pius Suter had three assists while Brock Boeser and Quinn Hughes each had two points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild also set a franchise record for most goals in a single game. They capitalized on three 5-on-3 man-advantage scenarios to turn the game in their favor. They nearly blew an 8-5 lead when the Canucks scored twice to move within a goal but two empty-netters sealed the deal. Canucks winger Conor Garland left the game in the second period after blocking a shot but returned to action in the third period.

A shootout goal by Charlie McAvoy lifted the Boston Bruins to a 4-3 victory over the Dallas Stars. Jeremy Swayman kicked out 43 shots while David Pastrnak tied the game with his 35th goal of the season late in the third period for the 33-12-11 Bruins, who regained sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference with 77 points. Wyatt Johnson, Ryan Suter and Esa Lindell replied for the Stars (34-14-8) as they hold first place in the Central Division with 76 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins honored captain Brad Marchand for recently reaching the 1,000-game milestone in a pregame ceremony. Meanwhile, the Stars played without center Matt Duchene due to a lower-body injury.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews tallied his league-leading 49th goal of the season as his club doubled up the St. Louis Blues 4-2. Mitch Marner collected three assists and William Nylander netted a shorthanded goal for the Maple Leafs (30-16-8) as they picked up their fourth straight victory and sit third in the Atlantic Division with 68 points. Brandon Saad and Pavel Buchnevich scored for the 29-24-2 Blues as they cling to the final Western wild-card spot with 60 points.

A four-goal third period gave the Edmonton Oilers to a 6-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes, leaving the latter winless in their last 10 games (0-9-1). Leon Draisaitl had a goal and two assists, Evander Kane tallied twice and Evan Bouchard picked up three assists for the 33-18-1 Oilers as they hold third place in the Pacific Division with 67 points. Nick Bjugstad scored two goals and Clayton Keller had a goal and an assist for the Coyotes as they dropped to 23-28-4.

Vegas Golden Knights rookie Mason Morelli had a goal and an assist in his season debut while Logan Thompson made 29 saves to shut out the San Jose Sharks 4-0. Alec Martinez collected three assists for the Golden Knights (32-17-6) as they sit second in the Pacific Division with 70 points. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 22 shots for the 15-35-5 Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights activated defenseman Shea Theodore off injured reserve but he didn’t play in this game. He’s been sidelined since Nov. 22 with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, the Sharks activated Henry Thrun on injured reserve and placed captain Logan Couture on IR. The Sharks also made winger Alexander Barabanov a healthy scratch.

The Calgary Flames kept their playoff hopes alive with a 6-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Nazem Kadri scored twice and collected an assist while Jonathan Huberdeau and Andrew Mangiapane each had a goal and an assist for the Flames (26-25-5) as they overcame a 3-1 deficit. With 57 points, they’re three back of the Blues for the final Western wild-card berth. Sean Monahan tallied a natural hat trick for the 33-15-5 Jets as they remain in third place in the Central Division with 71 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets coach Rick Bowness was displeased by his club’s performance in this contest after they upset the league-leading Canucks in their previous game. “That’s as soft a five-on-five game as we’ve played all year,” he told reporters in a postgame interview. “That’s not us at all. That didn’t even look like the Winnipeg Jets out there.”

Carolina Hurricanes forwards Sebastian Aho and Martin Necas each had a goal and an assist to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-3. Seth Jarvis picked up two assists as the Hurricanes (33-17-5) sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 71 points. Rookie Connor Bedard had a goal and two assists for the 15-38-3 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard is showing no lingering effects from the fractured jaw that recently sidelined him for six weeks. He has six points in three games since returning to action on Feb. 15. Meanwhile, Hurricanes defenseman Jalen Chatfield missed this game with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Ben Chiarot gave the Detroit Red Wings a 4-3 win over the Seattle Kraken. Lucas Raymond had a goal and an assist while Alex Lyon made 38 saves for the 29-20-6 Red Wings, who hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 64 points. Jared McCann tallied twice for the Kraken (23-21-11) as they sit three points out of the final Western wild-card spot with 57 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings forward Patrick Kane collected an assist to reach 800 for his career.

The Ottawa Senators upset the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. Mathieu Joseph scored two goals while Tim Stutzle had a goal and an assist for the 23-27-2 Senators. Brayden Point and Mitchell Chaffee replied for the Lightning (30-22-5) as they hold the first Eastern wild-card spot with 65 points.

Anaheim Ducks winger Frank Vatrano scored twice as his club nipped the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 4-3. Troy Terry had a goal and two assists while John Gibson stopped 34 shots for the 20-33-2 Ducks. Dylan Cozens collected two assists for the 24-27-4 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Sabres announced defenseman Owen Power (hand) was placed on injured reserve.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL COM: Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Oilers captain Connor McDavid and Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk are the three stars for the week ending Feb. 18, 2024.

NASHVILLE HOCKEY NOW: The Predators’ poor performance since the All-Star break prompted the club to cancel the team’s plans to journey to Las Vegas following Saturday’s game against St. Louis to watch U2 perform at Sphere. General manager Barry Trotz said the team’s recent standards were “below expectations”, especially during home games, pointing to their 9-2 loss to the Dallas Stars last Thursday. They face the Golden Knights tonight in Las Vegas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, play well and be rewarded.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 18, 2024

by | Feb 18, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 18, 2024

The Devils defeat the Flyers in their Stadium Series matchup, Auston Matthews tallies another hat trick, and more from a busy Saturday in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The New Jersey Devils defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 6-3 in front of 70, 328 fans at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey in their NHL Stadium Series. Nico Hischier led the way with two goals and an assist, Nathan Bastian scored twice and Nico Daws made 45 saves for the 28-22-4 Devils (60 points), who sit two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Owen Tippett tallied two goals for the Flyers (29-20-7) as they hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 65 points.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews netted his second straight hat trick and his sixth of the season in a 9-2 drubbing of the Anaheim Ducks. Matthews also collected two assists, Bobby McMann scored twice and added an assist and Timothy Liljegren picked up three assists as the Leafs (29-16-8) vaulted over the Tampa Bay Lightning into third place in the Atlantic Division with 66 points. Ryan Strome had a goal and an assist for the 19-33-2 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews now has a league-leading 48 goals, nine more than second-place Sam Reinhart of the Florida Panthers. Leafs captain John Tavares missed this game with an undisclosed injury and is listed as day-to-day while defenseman William Lagesson left the game with an upper-body injury. The Ducks, meanwhile, activated Alex Killorn (knee surgery) off injured reserve for this game and placed winger Brock McGinn (upper body) on IR retroactive to Feb. 10.

Speaking of the Lightning, they were crushed 9-2 by the Florida Panthers as they picked up their fifth straight win. Matthew Tkachuk and Sam Bennett each had two goals and two assists while Carter Verhaeghe scored twice and picked up an assist for the 36-15-4 Panthers as they lead the Eastern Conference with 76 points. Brandon Hagel and Brayden Point scored for the Lightning (30-21-5) as they slipped into the first Eastern wild-card spot with 65 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad missed this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Lightning forward Tanner Jeannot also didn’t play as he’s day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

Los Angeles Kings rookie defenseman Brandt Clarke scored his first NHL goal in overtime to lift his club over the Boston Bruins 5-4. Anze Kopitar scored the tying goal late in the third period while Pierre-Luc Dubois picked up two assists for the 26-16-10 Kings, who hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 62 points. James van Riemsdyk scored twice and collected an assist for the 32-12-11 Bruins, who had a 3-1 lead at one point in this contest. With 75 points, they sit second overall in the Eastern Conference.

A four-point performance by Mark Schiefele (one goal, three assists) carried the Winnipeg Jets to a 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Gabriel Vilardi scored two goals and picked up an assist while Connor Hellebucyk stopped 35 shots for the Jets (33-14-5) as they moved past the Colorado Avalanche into second place in the Central Division with 71 points. Noah Juulsen and Tyler Myers replied for the 37-13-6 Canucks as they remain in first place in the overall standings with 80 points.

The Edmonton Oilers nipped the Dallas Stars 4-3 on an overtime tally by Evan Bouchard, who finished the game with two goals. Leon Draisaitl and Corey Perry each had two points for the Oilers (32-18-1) as they’re perched in third place in the Pacific Division with 65 points. Matt Duchene had a goal and two assists for the Stars (34-14-7) as they hold first place in the Central Division with 75 points and sit second overall in the Western Conference.

Third-period goals by Seth Jarvis and Stefan Noesen gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 3-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Seth Martin turned aside 29 shots for the 32-17-5 Hurricanes, who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 69 points. Jonathan Marchessault replied for the Golden Knights (31-17-6), who sit second in the Pacific Division with 68 points.

Detroit Red Wings goaltender James Reimer turned in a 38-save shutout to blank the Calgary Flames 5-0. Patrick Kane and Lucas Raymond each had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings (28-20-6) as they hold the final Eastern wild-card spot with 62 points. Jacob Markstrom got the hook after giving up four goals on 12 shots as the 25-25-5 Flames (55 points) have lost three straight and sit five points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A rough outing for Markstrom but he didn’t get much help from his teammates in this game. I’ll have more about the Flames in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

Speaking of the Predators, they rolled to a 5-2 win over the Blues. Juuse Saros kicked out 35 shots while Filip Forsberg and Ryan O’Reilly each had a goal and an assist for the 28-25-2 Predators (58 points) as they picked up their first regulation win in seven games. They sit two points behind the 29-23-2 Blues (60 points), who got goals from Jordan Kyrou and Nathan Walker.

The Washington Capitals kept their playoff hopes alive by downing the Montreal Canadiens 4-3. Aliaksei Protas snapped a 3-3 tie while Anthony Mantha had a goal and an assist for the 24-21-8 Capitals (56 points) as they sit six points behind the Red Wings. Nick Suzuki scored to extend his points streak to 10 games while linemate Juraj Slafkovsky collected an assist as his points streak reached eight games for the Canadiens, who dropped to 22-25-8 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary left this game with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Henri Jokiharju lifted the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-2 win over the Minnesota Wild. Casey Mittelstadt and Dylan Cozens also scored for the Sabres (24-26-4) while Joel Eriksson Ek and Declan Chisholm replied for the 25-23-6 Wild (56 points) as they moved to within four points of the Blues for that final Western wild-card berth.

Chicago Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard had a goal and an assist as his team downed the Ottawa Senators 3-2. Petr Mrazek made 40 saves for the 15-37-3 Blackhawks while Tim Stutzle had a goal and an assist for the 22-27-5 Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard has picked up from where he left off when he was sidelined on Jan. 5 with a fractured jaw. He now has three points in two games since his return to action and has regained the rookie scoring lead with 36 points.

A late goal by Boone Jenner gave the Columbus Blue Jackets a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks. Johnny Gaudreau, Yegor Chinakhov and Erik Gudbranson each had two assists for the 17-26-10 Blue Jackets while Anthony Duclair tallied twice for the 15-34-5 Sharks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 16, 2024

by | Feb 16, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 16, 2024

Hat trick performances by the Leafs’ Auston Matthews and the Rangers’ Chris Kreider, the Canucks expand their lead in the overall standings, Connor Bedard returns to action for the Blackhawks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews tallied his fifth hat trick of the season as his club nipped the Philadelphia Flyers 4-3 on an overtime goal by William Nylander. Mitch Marner collected three assists for the Leafs (28-16-8) as they hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 64 points. Travis Konecny had a goal and an assist for the 29-19-7 Flyers (65 points) as they hold third place in the Metropolitan Division.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews now has a league-leading 45 goals on the season, six more than Florida’s Sam Reinhart in second place. The Leafs center also set a franchise record with his 72nd multi-goal game.

New York Rangers winger Chris Kreider’s hat trick led his club over the Montreal Canadiens by a score of 7-4. Adam Fox collected four assists while Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad each had three points for the 35-16-3 Rangers, who picked up their sixth straight win as they lead the Metropolitan Division with 73 points. Cole Caufield scored twice while Juraj Slafkovsky had a goal and an assist for the 22-24-8 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Rangers as winger Blake Wheeler left the game in the first period with an injured leg following a hit by Montreal defenseman Jayden Struble. He was helped off the ice by teammates before heading down the tunnel on a stretcher. There was no postgame update on his condition. Meanwhile, the 19-year-old Slafkovsky set a franchise record for the longest Canadiens points streak by a teenager.

Elias Lindholm scored two goals as the Vancouver Canucks became the first team to reach 80 points this season with a 4-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Elias Pettersson picked up three assists and Thatcher Demko stopped 27 shots for the 37-12-6 Canucks as they’ve won three straight games. J.T. Compher scored for the Red Wings (27-20-6), who hold the final Eastern wild-card spot with 60 points but have dropped three of their last four games (1-2-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Red Wings announced that goaltender Ville Husso is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Chicago Blackhawks rookie star Connor Bedard collected an assist in his return to action but his club fell 4-1 to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Bedard missed 14 games with a fractured jaw. Sidney Crosby tallied twice for the Penguins (24-20-7) as they moved to within five points of the final Eastern wild-card spot with 55 points. Philipp Kurashev scored for the 14-37-3 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Penguins announced that winger Jake Guentzel will be sidelined for three to four weeks with an upper-body injury. I’ll have more about Guentzel in today’s Rumor Mill.

The Florida Panthers took over first place in the Eastern Conference by blanking the Buffalo Sabres 4-0. Anthony Stolarz kicked out 45 shots for his first shutout of the season while Carter Verhaeghe scored two goals for the 35-15-4 Panthers (74 points) as they picked up their fourth straight win and their 10th straight road victory. Eric Comrie turned aside 27 shots for the 23-26-4 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers and Boston Bruins each have the same amount of points but Florida has more wins. Meanwhile, Comrie got the start for the Sabres as Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Speaking of the Bruins, they dropped a 4-1 decision to the Seattle Kraken. Matty Beniers had a goal and two assists while Joey Daccord stopped 36 shots for the Kraken (23-21-10) as they moved to within four points of the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 56 points. David Pastrnak netted his 34th goal of the season for the 32-12-10 Bruins, who are winless in their last three games (0-2-1).

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov scored twice and collected an assist as his club defeated the Colorado Avalanche 6-3. Kucherov leads the league with 94 points while his Lightning (30-20-5) picked up their third straight win. They hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 65 points. Bowen Byram scored two goals while Nathan MacKinnon had two assists to sit four points behind Kucherov in the scoring race. The Avalanche (33-18-4) hold second place in the Central Division with 70 points.

The Dallas Stars (34-14-6) have a four-point lead over the Avalanche with 74 points after crushing the Nashville Predators 9-2. Wyatt Johnston scored twice and collected two assists, Matt Duchene tallied twice against his former club while Tyler Seguin and Ty Dellandrea each had three points. Cole Smith and Tommy Novak replied for the 27-25-2 Predators (56 points) as they sit four points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators have won just three of their last 10 games and are in danger of falling further out of the playoff race. That’s stoked recent trade speculation regarding goaltender Juuse Saros, which I’ll feature in today’s Rumor Mill. Meanwhile, Stars defenseman Nils Lundkvist left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

St. Louis Blues forwards Jake Neighbours and Robert Thomas each had a goal and two assists in a 6-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Jordan Binnington made 35 saves for the Blues (29-22-2), who’ve won eight of their last 10 games and hold the final Western wild-card berth with 60 points. Connor McDavid picked up three assists for the 31-18-1 Oilers as they remain in third place in the Pacific Division with 63 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid is in third place in the scoring race, sitting nine points back of MacKinnon and 13 behind Kucherov. He’s tallied three or more points in five of his last seven games.

The Los Angeles Kings (25-16-10) maintained their hold on the first Western wild-card spot (60 points) by nipping the New Jersey Devils 2-1. Quinton Byfield broke a 1-1 tie in the third period while David Rittich stopped 26 shots for the Kings. Tyler Toffoli replied for the 27-22-4 Devils (58 points) as they remain two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings welcomed back winger Viktor Arvidsson as he made his season debut following his recovery from an injured back.

San Jose Sharks forward Filip Zadina scored twice and collected two assists to lead his club to a 6-3 upset of the Calgary Flames. Luke Kunin tallied two goals and Justin Bailey had a goal and two assists for the 15-33-5 Sharks. Chris Tanev had two assists for the Flames (25-24-5) as they remain five points out of the final Western wild-card spot with 55 points.

Anaheim Ducks defenseman Cam Fowler and winger Frank Vatrano each had a goal and two assists in a 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. Mason McTavish scored twice for the 19-32-2 Ducks while Claude Giroux replied for the 22-26-2 Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks goaltender John Gibson left the game after the second period with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 5, 2024

by | Feb 5, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 5, 2024

The league returns to action from its All-Star break on Monday plus the latest on Mark Scheifele, Zach Parise, Ryan Pulock, Mattias Samuelsson, Jesse Puljujarvi and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon can regain first place in the race for the Art Ross Trophy as they visit the New York Rangers on Monday evening. MacKinnon (84 points) sits one point behind league-leader Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zach Parise will make his debut with Colorado in this game. The 39-year-old winger signed a one-year, prorated contract with the Avalanche on Jan. 26. He believes joining the Avs gives him a great opportunity to win the Stanley Cup.

Meanwhile, Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren is expected to return to action after missing the Blueshirts’ last game before the All-Star break with an upper-body injury.

In Toronto, Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews can build on his lead for the Maurice Richard Trophy when his club faces off against the New York Islanders. With 40 goals, Matthews holds a three-goal lead over Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders also got some good news as defenseman Ryan Pulock was activated off long-term injury reserve. He’d been sidelined since Dec. 7 with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, the Leafs placed forward Calle Jarnkrok on injured reserve while forward David Kampf remains out day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of returning from injury, Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele will suit up against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. He missed their last six games with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets went 2-3-1 during their leading scorer’s absence.

WGR 550: Buffalo Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson’s season is over as he faces surgery for an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, his teammate Jack Quinn will be sidelined for six to eight weeks recovering from surgery for a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Two big blows for the Sabres in a season that started with the promise of their long-awaited breakthrough as a playoff contender. Instead, they’re headed for another disappointing finish.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins yesterday signed Jesse Puljujarvi to a two-year contract with an average annual value of $800K. The 25-year-old winger underwent double hip resurfacing last summer. He’d been playing with the Pens’ AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on a professional tryout offer (PTO) last month, collecting nine points in 13 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Puljujarvi worked hard to save his career and return to the NHL. It remains to be seen where things go from here but it’s admirable that he reached this point.

CAP FRIENDLY: indicates the Minnesota Wild placed forward Pat Maroon on injured reserve.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames claimed defenseman Brayden Pachal off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights.