NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 16, 2026

by | Feb 16, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 16, 2026

Canada secures the top seed in the quarterfinals, the United States clinches first place in Group C, and more from Olympic Men’s hockey in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Canada thumped France 10-2 to earn the top seed in the Olympic Men’s quarterfinals. Connor McDavid, Sidney Crosby, and Macklin Celebrini each had three points as the Canadians outshot France 46-14 to finish with a 3-0-0-0 record. Floran Douay and Sacha Treille replied for France (0-0-3-0).

Team Canada captain Sidney Crosby (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby now has 16 points in Olympic competition, setting the Canadian record for most points in the Olympics featuring NHL players. Before this game, he was one point behind Jarome Iginla’s 14 points.

McDavid is the tournament’s leading scorer with nine points in three games. Celebrini is tied with Germany’s Tim Stutzle for the most goals with four. Celebrini also became the first NHL player to score on a penalty shot in the Olympics.

Canadian winger Tom Wilson had a rare Gordie Howe hat trick in Olympic competition. He opened the scoring, collected an assist, and fought France’s Pierre Crinon late in the third period after the latter served a penalty for elbowing Canada’s Nathan MacKinnon in the head. Wilson and Crinon were ejected from the game, but won’t face supplemental discipline.

The United States defeated Germany 5-1 to go 3-0-0-0 and clinch first place in Group C. Auston Matthews scored twice and collected an assist, and Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves for the Americans. Tim Stutzle scored for Germany (1-0-2-0).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, Matthews was the subject of some media criticism about his performance and leadership in this tournament. Teammate Jake Guentzel stuck up for his captain following Sunday’s game. “He’s been great all tournament,” Guentzel said to reporters. “You guys put a lot of heat on him for no reason. He’s just an unbelievable player, and he plays well in all situations.”

An overtime goal by former NHL defenseman Dean Kukan lifted Switzerland to a 4-3 victory over Czechia. Roman Josi and Timo Meier each had a goal and an assist for Switzerland (1-1-1-0). Martin Necas had a goal and two assists for Czechia (1-0-1-1), with his goal sending the game to overtime.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a solid bounce-back effort from the Swiss after losing scoring winger Kevin Fiala to a season-ending leg injury on Friday in their 5-1 loss to Canada. The Los Angeles Kings (Fiala’s NHL club) released a statement on Sunday indicating that he suffered a fracture in his lower left leg and will be re-evaluated at the end of the regular season.

Denmark doubled up Latvia 4-2. Nick Oleson had two goals and an assist, Frederik Andersen made 33 saves, and Nikolaj Ehlers tallied the winning goal for the Danes, who finished the preliminary round 1-0-2-0. Kristaps Zile and Eduards Tralmak replied for Latvia (1-0-2-0).

NHL.COM: The preliminary round has been completed, with Canada, the United States, Finland, and Slovakia each earning a bye to the quarterfinal.

The qualification playoff games will take place on Tuesday, with Switzerland facing Italy, Germany meeting France, Sweden taking on Latvia, and Czechia facing off against Denmark.

The winners of those games will advance to the quarterfinal round on Wednesday.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 11, 2026

by | Jan 11, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 11, 2026

The Bruins score 10 goals in a game for the first time since 1988, Nikita Kucherov leads the Lightning over the Flyers, Connor McDavid and Macklin Celebrini extend their points streaks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins crushed the New York Rangers 10-2, marking the first time they scored 10 goals in a game since doing so against the Chicago Blackhawks on Oct. 16, 1988. Marat Khusnutdinov had four goals and an assist, Pavel Zacha scored a hat trick, and David Pastrnak tied a team record with a career-high six assists for the 24-19-2 Bruins. Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller scored for the Rangers (20-19-6), who are 1-3-2 in their last six contests.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins winger Morgan Geekie left this game to attend to a family matter. Center Elias Lindholm suffered a lower-body injury and didn’t return.

Nikita Kucherov had two goals and two assists to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 7-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Kucherov extended his points streak to nine games while Gage Goncalves tallied twice and Brayden Point collected three assists as the Lightning (27-13-3) picked up their ninth straight win. Garnet Hathaway and Owen Tippett replied for the 22-13-8 Flyers.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored the tying goal to extend his points streak to 18 games, but his club fell 4-3 to the Los Angeles Kings on a shootout goal by Adrian Kempe. Brandt Clarke had two assists, and Corey Perry picked up his 10th goal of the season for the 19-15-10 Kings. Leon Draisaitl tallied twice for the Oilers (22-16-7).

San Jose Sharks winger Tyler Toffoli scored twice, including the winner in overtime, to nip the Dallas Stars 5-4. Macklin Celebrini had three assists to extend his points streak to 13 games as the Sharks (23-18-3) rallied from a 4-2 deficit to pick up their third straight win. Jason Robertson had a goal and an assist for the 26-10-9 Stars, who have one win in their last eight games (1-3-4).

The Colorado Avalanche got a 29-save shutout from goaltender Trent Miner for his first NHL win as he blanked the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0, extending his club’s home points streak to 21 games (19-0-2). Brent Burns scored two goals for the 33-4-7 Avalanche, who hold first place in the overall standings with 73 points. Elvis Merzlikins made 27 saves for the Blue Jackets (18-19-7), who are winless in their last four games (0-3-1).

Goals from Jordan Martinook and William Carrier lifted the Carolina Hurricanes to a 3-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Jordan Staal had two assists as the Hurricanes (28-14-3) picked up their fourth straight win and hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 59 points. Matty Beniers and Berkly Catton scored for the 20-15-8 Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin returned to the lineup after missing 10 games with an upper-body injury. The Kraken activated forward Jaden Schwartz from injured reserve.

Detroit Red Wings goalie John Gibson made 27 saves in a 4-0 shutout of the Montreal Canadiens. Alex DeBrincat had a goal and two assists for the Red Wings (27-15-4), who took over sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division with 58 points. Jacob Fowler stopped 20 of 23 shots for the 25-14-6 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle returned to action for the first time since suffering an abductor injury on Oct. 16 against the Nashville Predators.

The Vegas Golden Knights doubled up the St. Louis Blues 4-2. Mark Stone scored for the seventh straight game while Mitch Marner had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights (20-11-12), who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 52 points. Robert Thomas had a goal and an assist for the 17-21-8 Blues, who have lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Blues announced defenseman Philip Broberg signed a six-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $8 million. He left the game early in the first period with an upper-body injury.

Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore scored in his first game since being sidelined with an upper-body injury on Dec. 13. Meanwhile, the club announced that goaltender Carter Hart is out week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Winger Brandon Saad missed this game with an undisclosed injury.

Buffalo Sabres forward Jack Quinn scored two goals in a 5-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 31 shots as the Sabres (24-15-4) won 13 of their last 14 games for the first time in franchise history. Leo Carlsson had a goal and an assist for the struggling Ducks (21-21-3) as their winless skid reached nine games (0-8-1).

The Toronto Maple Leafs blanked the Vancouver Canucks 5-0. Joseph Woll turned in a 29-save shutout, and William Nylander returned to action with a goal and two assists for the 22-15-7 Maple Leafs, extending their points streak to nine games (7-0-2). Canucks starting goalie Thatcher Demko left this game after the first period with a lower-body injury as his club dropped to 16-23-5.

An overtime goal by Simon Holmstrom gave the New York Islanders a 4-3 win over the Minnesota Wild. Holmstrom finished with two goals and an assist while Ilya Sorokin made 33 saves for the Islanders, who improved to 25-15-5. Quinn Hughes had three assists for the Wild (26-11-9).

The Florida Panthers nipped the Ottawa Senators by a score of 3-2. Gustav Forsling and Carter Verhaeghe each had a goal and an assist for the 23-18-3 Panthers. Fabian Zetterlund and Drake Batherson replied for the Senators (20-19-5), who have lost four straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, Senators captain Brady Tkachuk spoke out against social media rumors regarding teammate Linus Ullmark’s leave of absence for personal reasons, calling the rumors “f**king bulls**t”. The club released a statement late last week condemning the unfounded speculation.

Calgary Flames goaltender Devin Cooley kicked out 27 shots as his club downed the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1. Matt Coronato snapped a 1-1 tie just 42 seconds into the third period for the Flames (19-22-4), ending a four-game losing skid. Yegor Chinakhov replied for the Penguins (21-13-9) as their six-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins winger Bryan Rust missed this game as he’s day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Chicago Blackhawks netminder Drew Commesso got his first NHL win with a 36-save shutout to blank the Nashville Predators 3-0. Tyler Bertuzzi had a goal and an assist, and Connor Bedard picked up two assists for the Blackhawks, who improved to 19-19-7. Predators goalie Juuse Saros gave up two goals on 20 shots as his club dropped to 20-20-4.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 2, 2026

by | Jan 2, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 2, 2026

Recapping the New Year’s Day games, injury updates, and the three stars and Rookie of the Month for December are revealed in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Auston Matthews tallied his 14th career NHL regular-season hat trick to rally the Toronto Maple Leafs from a 4-1 deficit to a 6-5 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Matthews’ third goal snapped a 5-5 tie in the third period, and he also collected an assist for the 19-15-6 Maple Leafs, who’ve won four of their last five games. Mark Scheifele scored two goals and picked up an assist for the Jets (15-20-4) as their winless skid reached eight games (0-5-3).

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 419 NHL career regular-season goals, Matthews needs one more to tie Mats Sundin for the franchise goals record. The Maple Leafs replaced goaltender Joseph Woll with Dennis Hildeby after Woll gave up 4 goals on 17 shots. Since Nov. 11, the Jets have won only six times in their last 24 games.

Utah Mammoth winger Dylan Guenther collected his first NHL hat trick and picked up an assist as his club thumped the New York Islanders 7-2. Nick Schmaltz, Clayton Keller, and Mikhail Sergachev each had three-point performances as the Mammoth improved to 19-19-3. Calum Ritchie and Matthew Schaefer replied for the 22-15-4 Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders center Bo Horvat left this game in the third period with a lower-body injury. He will see a doctor on Friday. Mammoth goaltender Karel Vejmelka stopped 20 shots for the win as he returned to action after missing the last two games with an upper-body injury.

Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang celebrated his 1,200th career NHL regular-season game by scoring in overtime in a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Sidney Crosby scored twice and collected an assist for the 18-12-9 Penguins, who have won three straight games. James van Riemsdyk, Andrew Copp, and Alex DeBrincat scored for the Red Wings (24-14-4), who hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 52 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson had two assists to reach 900 career NHL regular-season points. The last time the Red Wings were in first place in the Eastern Conference at this stage or later in the season was Feb. 7, 2015.

The Montreal Canadiens picked up their first win in Carolina since 2016 by defeating the Hurricanes 7-5. Juraj Slafkovsky, Lane Hutson, and Sammy Blais each had a goal and an assist, and Cole Caufield sniped his 20th goal of the season for the Canadiens (22-12-6) as they extended their points streak to seven games (5-0-2). Sebastian Aho had two goals and three assists for the 24-13-3 Hurricanes, who slipped out of first place in the Eastern Conference but hold first place in the Metropolitan Division with 51 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Montreal defenseman Mike Matheson missed this game with an upper-body injury, while winger Josh Anderson left in the second period with an undisclosed injury. Canadiens rookie Ivan Demidov collected two assists to become the first rookie to reach 35 points this season.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Anthony Cirelli, Gage Goncalves, and Nikita Kucherov lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-3 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Kucherov finished with three points, and Brandon Hagel scored twice for the 24-13-3 Lightning, who extended their win streak to six games. Corey Perry picked up three assists for the Kings (16-14-9), who have only two wins in their last 10 contests.

The Ottawa Senators overcame a 2-0 deficit to nip the Washington Capitals 4-3. Fabian Zetterlund snapped a 3-3 tie late in the third period while Tim Stutzle collected an assist to extend his points streak to 11 games for the 19-15-1 Senators, ending their three-game winless skid. Tom Wilson had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (21-15-5), who have only two wins in their last seven games (2-4-1).

Chicago Blackhawks forward Ilya Mikheyev tallied twice in a 4-3 win over the Dallas Stars. Spencer Knight stopped 22 shots while Ryan Donato and Andre Burakovsky each had two assists for the 15-18-7 Blackhawks. Mikko Rantanen, Jason Robertson, and Matt Duchene each had a goal and an assist for the slumping Stars (25-9-7), who are winless in their last four games (0-2-2).

Seattle Kraken center Matty Beniers scored two goals in a 4-1 victory against the Nashville Predators. Philipp Grubauer made 24 saves for the Kraken (17-14-7), who are 5-0-1 in their last six contests. Roman Josi replied for the 18-18-4 Predators.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, and San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini are the league’s three stars for December 2025. Montreal Canadiens winger Ivan Demidov was the Rookie of the Month.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks forwards Conor Garland and Marco Rossi have been sidelined for at least a week due to injuries.

DAILY FACEOFF: Edmonton Oilers goaltender Tristan Jarry is out until at least mid-January with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, Columbus Blue Jackets forward Miles Wood is week-to-week with a lower-body injury and was placed on injured reserve.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche forward Joel Kiviranta and Gavin Brindley are day-to-day with injuries.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2025

by | Dec 22, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2025

Sidney Crosby surpasses Mario Lemieux as the Penguins’ all-time points leader, Oilers captain Connor McDavid overtakes Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon for the lead in the scoring race, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Sidney Crosby scored and collected an assist to surpass Hall of Famer Mario Lemieux as the Pittsburgh Penguins’ all-time points leader (1,724) in a 4-3 shootout victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Rickard Rakell also had a goal and an assist and tallied the game-winner as the Penguins (15-11-9) ended an eight-game winless skid (0-4-4). Ivan Demidov, Oliver Kapanen, and Juraj Slafkovsky each had two points for the 19-12-5 Canadiens.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby also moved past Lemieux into eighth place among the NHL’s all-time points leaders. He needs 32 points to surpass Steve Yzerman (1,755) for seventh. Crosby now needs 46 goals to break Lemieux’s all-time franchise goals record of 690.

Lemieux applauded Crosby’s achievement in a 30-second video message that was played later in the first period. Crosby was humble after the game, praising Lemieux for what he’s done for the Penguins. “I don’t think you can put a stat line or a number on what he means to this team and to hockey, so yeah, in my mind, he’s No. 1,” Crosby said.

Meanwhile, the Canadiens announced goaltender Sam Montembeault will rejoin the roster ahead of next Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Montembeault was loaned to the Canadiens’ AHL affiliate in Laval last week on a conditioning stint.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored for the fourth straight game and collected two assists as his club held off the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 4-3. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tallied twice and collected an assist, and Leon Draisaitl and Zach Hyman each had two points for the 18-13-6 Oilers, who’ve won seven of their last 10 games. Tomas Hertl and Noah Hanifin each had three points for the Golden Knights (16-8-10), who are winless in their last three games (0-2-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid has overtaken Nathan MacKinnon, sitting in first place in the scoring race with 62 points, one ahead of the Colorado Avalanche center.

Oilers forward Trent Frederic was a healthy scratch from this game. The club also announced that goaltender Tristan Jarry will be out for two weeks with an injury, and activated winger Jack Roslovic from long-term injury reserve.

Speaking of MacKinnon, he scored twice to become the first player to reach 30 goals this season in a 5-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. Cale Makar and Brock Nelson each had a goal and two assists for the 26-2-7 Avalanche, who’ve won five straight games and remain in first place in the overall standings with 59 points. Ryan Hartman replied for the Wild (22-10-5) as their seven-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon had led the points race for weeks and seemed poised to run away with the Art Ross Trophy. McDavid’s surge in recent weeks indicates this could be an exciting race over the second half of the season.

An overtime goal by Moritz Seider lifted the Detroit Red Wings over the Washington Capitals 3-2. Cam Talbot made 31 saves for the Red Wings (21-13-3), as they hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 45 points. Ethen Frank scored both goals for the 19-12-5 Capitals, who have two wins in their last seven contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings forward Patrick Kane missed his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury and is expected to miss Tuesday’s match against the Dallas Stars. Meanwhile, the Wings removed Mason Appleton from injured reserve after a 10-game absence.

The Ottawa Senators defeated the Boston Bruins 6-2. Fabian Zetterlund scored two goals and picked up an assist while Drake Batherson and Dylan Cozens each had a goal and two assists for the Senators (18-13-4), as they collected their fourth straight win. David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha tallied for the 20-16-1 Bruins, who are 1-3-1 in their last five contests.

Buffalo Sabres goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 26 shots as his club extended its win streak to six games with a 3-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Josh Norris, Zach Benson, and Peyton Krebs scored for the 17-14-4 Sabres. Jack Hughes scored for the Devils (20-15-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Hughes’ first game since missing 18 games with an injured hand. Speaking of the Sabres, it has been confirmed that they’ve added Marc Bergevin as associate general manager and Josh Flynn as assistant GM.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg scored to extend his points streak to eight games as his club nipped the New York Rangers 2-1. Steven Stamkos also scored for the Predators (15-16-4), who have won five of their last seven contests. Jonny Brodzinski replied for the 18-16-4 Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers were without team captain J.T. Miller, who is considered week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

The Dallas Stars picked up their fourth straight win by downing the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-1. Jake Oettinger made 27 saves, and Jamie Benn had a goal and an assist for the 25-7-5 Stars. Scott Laughton scored for the Maple Leafs (15-15-5), who have lost four of their last five games.

An overtime goal by Clayton Keller gave the Utah Mammoth a 4-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Keller and Mikhail Sergachev each finished with two points for the Mammoth, who improved to 18-17-3. Kyle Connor scored two goals for the (15-17-3) Jets, who have three wins in their last 16 games.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 19, 2025

by | Dec 19, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 19, 2025

Recaps of Thursday’s action and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Connor McDavid scored a shorthanded goal and picked up an assist in a 3-1 victory over the Boston Bruins. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins also had a goal and an assist for the 17-12-6 Oilers, who have won six of their last eight games. Pavel Zacha replied for the Bruins (20-15-0), who dropped two of their last three contests.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid has caught up with Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon for first place in the scoring race, with each player having 58 points. Calvin Pickard replaced Oilers starting goalie Tristan Jarry as the latter left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury. There was no postgame update on his status.

The Minnesota Wild extended their win streak to six games by downing the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2. Matt Boldy and Kirill Kaprizov each had a goal and two assists, and Jesper Wallstedt made 27 saves as the Wild improved to 21-9-5. Zach Werenski scored both goals for the Blue Jackets (14-14-6), who have lost six of their last seven games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Boldy join Kaprizov with his 20th goal of the season, making the Wild the only team thus far this season to have two 20-goal scorers.

Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson stopped 22 shots to shut out the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-0. Jakob Chychrun tallied twice, and John Carlsson had a goal and two assists for the Capitals (19-11-4) as they snapped a three-game losing skid. Dennis Hildeby made 25 saves for the Maple Leafs, who slipped to 15-13-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube pulled no punches about his team’s performance following this game, laying the blame for the loss at the feet of his players. He pointed out that the Capitals played with more passion and urgency. When asked why his players were so flat in this game, Berube replied, “Ask those guys, not me.”

Speaking of 4-0 wins, Ottawa Senators netminder Linus Ullmark made 24 saves to earn his shutout over the Pittsburgh Penguins, handing the latter their seventh straight loss (0-3-4). Brady Tkachuk netted two goals, and Drake Batherson collected two assists for the 16-13-4 Senators, who have won three of their last four games. Arturs Silovs stopped 22 shots for the Penguins as their record dropped to 14-10-9.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Senators announced that former head coach Jacques Martin will be inducted into their Ring of Honour in a pregame ceremony on Jan. 24, 2026. Martin coached the Senators from 1996 to 2004, following a brief return behind the bench in 2023-24. In 748 games with the Senators, his record was 367-261-96-24.

Los Angeles Kings winger Adrian Kempe scored two goals, and Anton Forsberg kicked out 31 shots for a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. With the win, the Kings (15-10-9) ended a four-game winless streak (0-2-2). Oliver Bjorkstrand replied for the Lightning (18-13-3), who are winless in their last three games (0-1-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and defenseman Ryan McDonagh returned to action after missing time with injuries.

An overtime goal by J.T. Miller lifted the New York Rangers over the St. Louis Blues by a score of 2-1. Igor Shesterkin made 26 saves, and Gabe Perreault also scored for the Rangers, who improved to 17-15-4. Jonatan Berggren tallied for the Blues (13-15-8).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers winger Artemi Panarin missed this game with an illness.

Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson scored to extend his goal streak to five games in a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Zach Benson and Mattias Samuelsson each had two assists for the Sabres, who won their fourth straight game and improved to 15-14-4. Bobby Brink had two points for the Flyers (17-10-6).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Buffalo head coach Lindy Ruff picked up his 915th win to move into fourth place on the all-time list. Sabres defenseman Michael Kesselring returned to action after missing a month with an injury. However, the Sabres lost defenseman Conor Timmins to a broken leg that will sideline him for six to eight weeks, while forward Tyson Kozak departed with an upper-body injury.

The Calgary Flames got two goals from Mikael Backlund to double up the Seattle Kraken 4-2. Nazem Kadri had a goal and an assist for the 14-17-4 Flames. Joey Daccord made 42 saves for the Kraken (12-14-6), who have lost four straight games and have one win in their last 11 contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Flames announced defenseman Jake Bean will be sidelined indefinitely as he will undergo surgery for an undisclosed injury.

Montreal Canadiens winger Zachary Bolduc tallied twice in a 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Lane Hutson had three assists for the 18-12-4 Canadiens. Frank Nazar scored, and Spencer Knight had 31 saves for the Blackhawks (13-15-6), who have lost four straight.

Dallas Stars center Wyatt Johnston had two goals as his club held off the San Jose Sharks by a score of 5-3. Roope Hintz had a goal and an assist, and Jake Oettinger stopped 34 shots for the Stars (23-7-5). Chad Graf scored twice for the 17-15-3 Sharks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 16, 2025

by | Dec 16, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 16, 2025

A notable hat trick by Predators winger Filip Forsberg, the Ducks’ Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba return to New York, the Sabres make a management change, the three stars of the week, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: A hat-trick performance by Filip Forsberg carried the Nashville Predators to a 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Roman Josi and Ryan O’Reilly each collected two assists for the 13-15-4 Predators, who have won seven of their last 10 games. Dalibor Dvorsky netted both goals for the Blues, who dropped to 12-15-7.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Forsberg picked up his 11th career hat trick, tying Markus Naslund for the second-most NHL hat tricks by a Swedish player. Kent Nilsson is the leader with 14.

Before this game, the Blues announced that winger Dylan Holloway would miss at least six weeks with an ankle injury.

Anaheim Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier scored twice, and goalie Lukas Dostal stopped 26 shots to defeat the New York Rangers 4-1. Ryan Poehling had two assists for the Ducks (20-12-1), as they ended a two-game losing skid. Matthew Robertson replied for the Rangers (16-14-4), who have dropped four of their last five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the first game back in New York for former Rangers Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba, who received ovations from the fans at Madison Square Garden during tribute videos for both players. Both were traded to the Ducks in separate trades last season.

Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad was benched from this game for missing a team meeting.

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart tallied two goals in a 5-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist, and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 26 shots for the 17-13-2 Panthers, who’ve won five of their last six contests. Brayden Point had two assists for the Lightning (18-12-3), who hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 39 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning forward Brandon Hagel left this game in the third period after a questionable hit by Panthers defenseman Seth Jones. Earlier in the day, the Lightning announced that defenseman Emil Lilleberg will miss several weeks with an injury, while sidelined goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy could return to the lineup before Christmas.

The Dallas Stars beat the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 4-1. Mikko Rantanen, Matt Duchene, and Wyatt Johnston each had a goal and an assist, and Casey DeSmith made 27 saves for the 22-7-5 Stars. Andrei Kuzmenko scored for the Kings (14-9-9), who are 0-1-2 in their last three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury following a collision with Rantanen.

An overtime goal by Brady Tkachuk gave the Ottawa Senators a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Tim Stutzle had three assists, and Jake Sanderson scored the tying goal late in the third period for the Senators (15-13-4). Neal Pionk and Logan Stanley replied for the 15-15-2 Jets, who have three wins in their last 10 games.

HEADLINES

TSN: The Buffalo Sabres fired general manager Kevyn Adams, replacing him with Jarmo Kekalainen on a full-time basis.

Adams was in his sixth season as the Sabres’ general manager. He was criticized for mismanaging the team’s assets, his inability to secure a franchise goaltender, and his failure to address a lingering leadership void within the team.

In June, Adams hired Kekalainen as a senior advisor. He spent 10 seasons as general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A recent report in The Athletic indicated the Sabres were internally discussing replacing Adams. During his tenure, the Sabres’ postseason drought stretched to a league-record 14 seasons and counting. His two biggest blunders were trading Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights and Sam Reinhart to the Florida Panthers. Both players flourished with their new teams, becoming Stanley Cup champions.

Adams lacked management experience when he was hired for the job. He did his best, but he had no business being in that role. It was yet another example of the ineptitude of the club’s ownership, which has gone through five general managers, eight head coaches, 28 goaltenders with more than one game played, and seven team captains since 2011.

Kekalainen has considerable management experience. He guided the Blue Jackets through their most successful period in franchise history from 2016 to 2020, reaching the playoffs in four straight seasons. However, things fell apart soon afterward, leading to his firing last year. Whether he fares better than his four predecessors remains to be seen.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson, and Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek are the league’s stars for the week ending Dec. 14, 2025.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: The Blackhawks placed center Connor Bedard (upper body) on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 12.

DAILY FACEOFF/DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane will miss the next two games with an upper-body injury. The Wings also placed forward Jonatan Berggren on waivers.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Former Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner and defenseman Brett Kulak joined the Pittsburgh Penguins’ active roster after resolving their immigration status over the weekend. On Friday, the Oilers traded Skinner and Kulak to the Penguins for goalie Tristan Jarry and forward Sam Poulin.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks placed forwards Will Smith and Philipp Kurashev on injured reserve.

TSN: The Vancouver Canucks agreed to a two-year contract extension with center Max Sasson. He will earn an average annual value of $1 million.

RG.ORG: Prospect winger Gavin McKenna is hoping for redemption at the 2026 World Junior Championship. He was part of Canada’s junior team that failed to medal last season.

McKenna believes his move from the CHL to the NCAA with Penn State University this season has improved his decision-making, defensive play, and physical growth. He thinks those attributes will help his performance in this year’s tournament.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McKenna said his focus is on winning gold, and he’s not looking at this tournament as an opportunity to elevate his status in the 2026 NHL Draft. Nevertheless, he has slipped from the top spot in some recent draft rankings. A strong performance at the WJC could help him regain that placement.