NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 5, 2025

by | Feb 5, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 5, 2025

Alex Ovechkin moves closer to Wayne Gretzky’s goal record, the Jets remain in sole possession of first overall, William Nylander’s hat trick lifts the Leafs to victory, and more from a busy Tuesday evening in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin moved closer to Wayne Gretzky’s goal record with an empty-net goal in the final second of the third period in a 6-3 win over the Florida Panthers. Logan Thompson made 30 saves and Nick Dowd had a goal and two assists for the Capitals, who lead the Eastern Conference with 77 points. Sam Bennett had a goal and an assist for the Panthers, who sit atop the Atlantic Division with 67 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin has 878 regular-season goals, moving within 17 of breaking Gretzky’s record of 894. The Capitals extended their home points streak to 14 games. Meanwhile, Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk looks forward to a potential playoff matchup against the Ottawa Senators and his younger brother Brady.

The Winnipeg Jets picked up their seventh straight win by blanking the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0. Eric Comrie turned in a 29-save shutout while Nino Niederreiter had a goal and an assist for the Jets, who lead the overall standings with 79 points. The Hurricanes have dropped their second straight game and sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 68 points.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander’s hat trick carried his club to a 6-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. Leafs captain Auston Matthews collected three assists as the Leafs moved within one point of the Panthers in the Atlantic Division. Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri and MacKenzie Weegar each collected two assists for the Flames, who lost four of their last six contests and cling to the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 59 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs winger Mitch Marner missed this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists in a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Leon Draisaitl scored his league-leading 37th goal and Connor Brown tallied the winner in overtime for the Oilers, who sit atop the Pacific Division with 70 points. Jordan Kyrou and Colton Parayko replied for the Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl has 79 points, one back of league leader Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche. Blues defenseman Nick Leddy returned to action after missing 49 games with a lower-body injury.

A shootout goal by Patrick Kane lifted the Detroit Red Wings over the Seattle Kraken 5-4 to extend their win streak to seven games. Lucas Raymond scored his 21st goal of the season as the Wings hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 61 points. Shane Wright tallied twice for the Kraken.

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko stopped 25 shots to shut out the Colorado Avalanche 3-0. Jake DeBrusk, Brock Boeser and Drew O’Connor scored for the Canucks, who sit just behind the Flames for that final Western wild card with 59 points. Avalanche netminder Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside 28 shots as his club holds the first Western wild-card berth with 64 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks got the win without captain Quinn Hughes. He missed his second straight game with an undisclosed injury suspected to be in his abdominal area.

The Tampa Bay Lightning held off the Ottawa Senators 4-3, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Third-period goals by Brandon Hagel and Ryan McDonagh secured the win for the Lightning as they’re clinging to the final Eastern wild card with 60 points. Linus Ullmark made 34 saves in his return to action as the Senators hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 62 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Ullmark’s first game since being sidelined by a back injury on Dec. 22. His teammate Shane Pinto left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury while Lightning forward Nick Paul departed in the same period with an undisclosed injury.

Boston Bruins goalies Jeremy Swayman kicked out 35 shots in a 3-0 shutout of the Minnesota Wild. Charlie McAvoy, Trent Frederic and Morgan Geekie tallied for the Bruins, who sit just behind the Lightning with 60 points. Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made 32 saves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild activated defenseman Jonas Brodin from long-term injury reserve and forward Marcus Johansson from injured reserve for this game.

The New Jersey Devils got two goals from Jack Hughes to nip the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in a shootout. Timo Meier scored the game-winner and Jesper Bratt collected two assists as the Devils (66 points) sit two points behind the Hurricanes in third place in the Metropolitan Division. Rickard Rakell and Kevin Hayes scored for the Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler left this game with an injured right leg in the first period. Following the game, head coach Sheldon Keefe said Siegenthaler is expected to miss some time.

New York Islanders center Brock Nelson broke a 1-1 tie in the third period as his club defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1, handing the latter their fourth straight loss. Bo Horvat also scored and Ilya Sorokin made 34 saves for the Islanders, who sit three points behind the Lightning with 57 points. Brandon Saad scored his first goal for the Golden Knights since joining them as a free agent last week. They sit second in the Pacific Division with 68 points.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson stopped 26 shots in a 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars. Cutter Gauthier and Trevor Zegras scored for the Ducks, who’ve won five of their last six contests. Colin Blackwell replied for the Stars, who sit second in the Central Division with 69 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson became the first goaltender to play 500 regular-season games for the Ducks. Before this game, the Stars announced that defenseman Miro Heiskanen underwent knee surgery on Tuesday and is listed as month-to-month. They also played without forward Mavrik Bourque as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

The Buffalo Sabres picked up their fourth straight win by beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2. Alex Tuch netted two goals and an assist and Jason Zucker had two assists for the Sabres. Kent Johnson and Ivan Provorov scored for the Blue Jackets as they slipped out of a wild-card spot in the East with 59 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The injury-wracked Blue Jackets played without defenseman and scoring leader Zach Werenski, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, the Sabres were without center Tage Thompson, defenseman Mattias Samuelsson and goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

A shorthanded goal by Joel Armia with 4:04 remaining in the third period gave the Montreal Canadiens a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Sam Montembeault made 27 saves while Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook each had two points for the Canadiens (55 points) as they’re five points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Sharks forwards Macklin Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov set the KHL single-season scoring record for an under-20 player with 43 points. Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov held the former record of 42 points.

The Utah Hockey Club defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. Dylan Guenther scored with one second remaining in overtime to finish with two goals and an assist. Mikhail Sergachev had a goal and two assists for Utah to end their five-game losing skid. Samuel Ersson made 39 saves for the Flyers, who’ve lost four straight.

IN OTHER NEWS…

DAILY FACEOFF: Los Angeles Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson is day-to-day with an injured finger.

The Nashville Predators placed forward Vinnie Hinostroza on waivers.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers forward Adam Edstrom will miss the next six to 10 weeks with a lower-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 25, 2024

by | Nov 25, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 25, 2024

The Leafs defeat the Utah Hockey Club, reaction to the Blues hiring Jim Montgomery as their new head coach, an update on the injury status of Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner scored two goals in a 3-2 victory over the Utah Hockey Club in Sunday’s only NHL game. William Nylander had a goal and an assist and Joseph Woll made 23 saves for the Leafs, who’ve won seven of their last eight contests. Logan Cooley and Jack McBain replied for Utah, who are 3-6-1 in their last 10 games.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs opened a three-point lead over the Florida Panthers for first place in the Atlantic Division. William and Alex Nylander played together for the first time in their NHL careers in this game, becoming the 13th set of brothers to play for the Leafs and the fifth set to play a game together for the franchise.

Despite several regulars sidelined by injuries (including Auston Matthews), Toronto is playing well. The Maple Leafs captain is dealing with an undisclosed injury but hinted he might return as early as Wednesday against the Panthers.

Marner has stepped up for the Leafs in Matthews’ absence. The much-maligned winger has collected two points in seven of his last eight games (6 goals and 8 assists) since Matthews’ last game on Nov. 3.

ASSOCIATED PRESS: St. Louis Blues general manager Doug Armstrong said he didn’t anticipate making a coaching change until the Boston Bruins fired coach Jim Montgomery last week. Montgomery signed a five-year contract with the Blues on Sunday.

Montgomery replaced Drew Bannister, who became the club’s full-time head coach in May. Bannister had filled the role on an interim basis after Armstrong fired Craig Berube last December.

“This was more of an opportunity to get someone of Jim’s caliber than anything else,” Armstrong said on a video call with reporters. “When I talked to Drew today I told him this was more of a decision based on the availability of someone I think is a top NHL coach, someone that we have experience with, someone I really do believe can coach this team and also coach the team when it reaches its ultimate level of competitiveness.”

Armstrong and Montgomery have worked together before. The Blues GM hired him as an assistant coach in 2020 until 2022 when he joined the Bruins.

STLTODAY.COM: Matthew DeFranks reports Armstrong now feels that coaching isn’t an issue anymore for the Blues. “If there’s an off-ramp of inexperience, that is no longer there,” he said.

DeFranks also observed Montgomery’s new contract is abnormally long for an NHL coach. Armstrong explained it’s because he believes his new bench boss can help this retooling club now and as it grows. He pointed out how Jon Cooper’s longevity with the Tampa Bay Lightning kept that club competitive for years.

Benjamin Hochman noted this move was a bold cutthroat decision by Armstrong. Hochman acknowledged the injuries that sidelined several key players affected the club’s performance this season under Bannister but also noted that other players didn’t step up.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Armstrong saw an opportunity for an upgrade behind the bench. It didn’t hurt that he had a positive history with Montgomery, giving the Blues GM the inside track. Montgomery also has longstanding ties with St. Louis and maintains his offseason home there.

Armstrong’s remark about coaching no longer being an issue could also be a shot across the bow to his players. It could be a warning that the next changes could be to the roster if the Blues fail to improve under Montgomery.

SPORTSNET: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov underwent an MRI on Sunday that revealed his lower-body injury was not serious. The team will see how he feels over the next several days.

ROTOBALLER: The Carolina Hurricanes removed Seth Jarvis from injured reserve, making him eligible to join the roster for their game against the Dallas Stars on Monday. Jarvis missed the last seven games with an upper-body injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Ottawa Senators place forward Zack MacEwen on waivers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 16, 2024

by | Oct 16, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 16, 2024

In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines, the Blue Jackets honor Johnny Gaudreau in their home opener, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin reaches an assist milestone, the struggling Oilers picked up their first win of the season, and more.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Columbus Blue Jackets honored Johnny Gaudreau before their home opener against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday.

With Gaudreau’s family on the ice, the Jackets raised a banner with his number 13 in a pregame ceremony. During the opening faceoff, the Jackets started without a left winger, which was Gaudreau’s position. Both teams didn’t move following the puck drop, letting the puck come to rest where Gaudreau would’ve stood, and remained in place for 13 seconds.

Once the game resumed, the Panthers held off the Blue Jackets 4-3. Sam Reinhart had a goal and two assists and Spencer Knight made 35 saves for his first win in 21 months. Sean Monahan scored for the Blue Jackets and pointed to Gaudreau’s banner to honor his long-time friend and former Calgary Flames teammate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets defenseman Erik Gudbranson left the game with an upper-body injury after accidentally colliding with Monahan during the second period. Jackets coach Dean Evason described the injury as “not looking good”. That suggests Gudbranson could be sidelined for some time.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin had two assists, including the 700th of his NHL career, as his club doubled up the Vegas Golden Knights 4-2. Logan Thompson made 24 saves for the win over his former team and Jakub Vrana scored on his first shot in his return with the Capitals. Victor Olofsson and Jack Eichel replied for the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin becomes the sixth player in NHL history to score 700 goals and collect 700 assists. He joins Wayne Gretzky, Gordie Howe, Jaromir Jagr, Marcel Dionne, and Phil Esposito. He’s also the 60th player to reach the 700-assist plateau.

Ovechkin has three assists in two games but still seeks his first goal of the season and remains at 853 career goals. He remains 41 goals behind Gretzky’s record of 894.

The Golden Knights also lost Olofsson late in the third period when he injured his left leg. Vegas coach Bruce Cassidy said it didn’t look good but hopes it’s not severe. Olofsson was seen on crutches after the game.

An overtime goal by Leon Draisaitl lifted the Edmonton Oilers to a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers, snapping their season-opening three-game losing skid. Draisaitl finished with a goal and an assist and Connor McDavid collected two assists as they were put on the same line for the first time this season. The Flyers opened the scoring with a 2-0 lead as rookie Matvei Michkov tallied the first two goals of his NHL career.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A big comeback win by the Oilers, perhaps signaling that the slumbering Stanley Cup finalist is finally awakening from its season-opening slumber. It was a disappointing finish for the Flyers but their promising rookie Michkov finally breaks through after being limited to an assist in his first two games.

The Dallas Stars extended their season-opening win streak to 4-0-0 by nipping the San Jose Sharks 3-2 on a shootout goal by Wyatt Johnston. Matt Duchene and Roope Hintz scored for the Stars while Tyler Toffoli and former Star Ty Dellandrea replied for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars played without forward Tyler Seguin and defenseman Matt Dumba. Seguin is day-to-day with a lower-body injury while Dumba (lower body) is week-to-week.

Meanwhile, the Calgary Flames are also 4-0-0 after beating the Chicago Blackhawks 3-1. Matt Coronato had two goals and goaltender Dustin Wolf turned aside 31 shots. Nick Foligno had the only goal for the Blackhawks.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson made 27 saves and tallied an empty-net goal in a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Kirill Kaprizov collected two assists while Jakub Lauko scored the game-winner. Mathieu Joseph replied for the Blues.

The Tampa Bay Lightning won their home opener by beating the Vancouver Canucks 4-1. Brayden Point, Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli each had a goal and an assist for the Lightning. Conor Garland had the lone goal for the Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was the first professional sports event in Tampa Bay since the second of back-to-back hurricanes in the region.

Four unanswered third-period goals lifted the Seattle Kraken to a 7-3 win over the Nashville Predators. Jaden Schwartz, Jared McCann, Oliver Bjorkstrand and Adam Larsson each had a goal and an assist for the Kraken. Michael McCarron, Tommy Novak and Brady Skjei scored for the Predators, who’ve dropped their first three games of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators may have “won” free agency by signing Skjei, Steven Stamkos, and Jonathan Marchessault but that hasn’t resulted in significant improvement thus far.

Head coach Andrew Brunette said his team deserves to be where it is right now, claiming they’re playing firewagon hockey. “We’re trying to be cute. We’re trying to show how talented we are to everybody. But we’re not really playing with a purpose,” he said.

The Carolina Hurricanes got a 23-save performance from goalie Pyotr Kochetkov in his season debut to double up the New Jersey Devils 4-2. Hurricanes rookie Jackson Blake tallied his first career NHL goal. Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier replied for the Devils.

IN OTHER NEWS…

RG.ORG: James Murphy reports NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said he doesn’t see any reason for concern regarding the next round of collective bargaining with the NHL Players’ Association. Those talks are expected to begin in 2025.

Daly also admitted he’s surprised by the league’s strong and fast comeback from the COVID-19 pandemic. He believes the COVID period created a stronger demand and appreciation from fans for the live product, and feels the game is in better shape than ever before.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daly also discussed the Utah Hockey Club and the league’s 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Follow the link above for the full interview.

TORONTO STAR: The good news for the Maple Leafs is John Tavares is out of sick bay. The bad news is William Nylander has caught the flu bug and is questionable for Wednesday’s game against the Los Angeles Kings.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Buffalo Sabres hope to have JJ Peterka in the lineup when they face the Pittsburgh Penguins on Wednesday. He’s been sidelined for the last two games after suffering a concussion in Czechia. Peterka was a full participant in practice on Tuesday.

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Hockey Club defenseman Sean Durzi is out for the foreseeable future with an upper-body injury.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils goaltender Jake Allen set an NHL record with his 3-0 win over Utah on Monday. He’s the first goaltender to secure a win against 33 NHL clubs in his career.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 27, 2024

by | Sep 27, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 27, 2024

Recapping Thursday’s preseason action, Sabres name their new captain, an update on Drew Doughty’s injury, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

2024-25 NHL PRESEASON RECAP – SEPTEMBER 26

NHL.COM: Philadelphia Flyers rookie Matvei Michkov scored his first preseason goal and collected an assist as his club blanked the New York Islanders 2-0. Samuel Ersson turned in a 37-save shutout for the Flyers.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

The Toronto Maple Leafs nipped the Montreal Canadiens 2-1 with Nick Robertson tallying the winning goal. Leafs forward William Nylander left the game for precautionary reasons after suffering an upper-body injury in the first period.

New York Rangers forwards Chris Kreider and Brennan Othman each had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 victory over the Boston Bruins.

An overtime goal by Noah Ostlund lifted the Buffalo Sabres over the Ottawa Senators 3-2. Goaltender Linus Ullmark made his preseason debut with the Senators, turning aside 28 shots before being replaced in the second period by Dustin Tokarski.

The San Jose Sharks beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 on an overtime goal by Luca Cagnoni. Klim Kostin had a goal and an assist for the Sharks while Mason McTavish and Leo Carlsson tallied for the Ducks.

HEADLINES

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: The Sabres announced defenseman Rasmus Dahlin as their new team captain. Alex Tuch, Dylan Cozens, Mattias Samuelsson, and Tage Thompson were named alternate captains.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dahlin, 24, steadily developed into a leader with the Sabres on and off the ice over the past several seasons. He was the obvious choice for team captain.

THE ATHLETIC: Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty suffered a serious leg injury during Wednesday’s preseason game against the Vegas Golden Knights. Early reports indicate an X-ray after the game showed an ankle fracture. Further imaging, including a CT scan, will be done to rule out any further damage.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This will be a big blow to the Kings’ defense corps. Doughty’s been a constant, reliable presence on their blueline for years. He will be difficult to replace if he’s out for a significant period.

DAILY FACEOFF: Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson will be sidelined for three to six weeks following an emergency appendectomy on Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lukas Dostal will take over the starter’s job while Gibson is sidelined.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Golden Knights center William Karlsson has been sidelined since Sunday for injury-related maintenance.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The NHL Players’ Association has filed a grievance against the Philadelphia Flyers on behalf of Ryan Johansen. They’re contesting the Flyers terminating Johansen’s contract citing a “material breach” regarding his progress in treating an injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report suggests this could end in a settlement between the team, the player and the NHLPA. Stay tuned.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Speaking of the Flyers, their standoff with goaltender Alexei Kolosov is reportedly over. His agent indicates his client will report to training camp and could get in some preseason games. He could play with their AHL affiliate and a loan back to the KHL is possible.

SPORTSNET: The Winnipeg Jets revealed defenseman Ville Heinola underwent surgery to remove a pin in his ankle, which he had surgically repaired last fall. The timeline for his return is uncertain but could be at least four weeks.

Defenseman Logan Stanley is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed ailment. Blueliner Dylan Samberg skipped Thursday’s practice for a maintenance day.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The San Jose Sharks signed goaltender Aaron Dell to a one-year, AHL contract.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 26, 2024

by | Apr 26, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 26, 2024

The Lightning and Islanders are on the brink of elimination, broadcasting legend Bob Cole has passed away, and further playoff updates in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers have pushed the Tampa Bay Lightning to the brink of elimination with a 5-3 victory in Game 3 of their best-of-seven opening-round series. Matthew Tkachuk scored twice and Sergei Bobrovsky made 26 saves for the Panthers as they’ve taken a commanding 3-0 lead in the series. Steven Stamkos, Tyler Motte and Nick Paul replied for the Lightning. The Panthers can wrap things up in Game 4 on Saturday, Apr. 27 starting at 5 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a deeper, more experienced Florida team than the one the Lightning faced in the last two series between these clubs. That was evident when they reclaimed control of this game after the Lightning went up 2-1 in the second period.

The Panthers successfully hemmed the Bolts in their own zone before scoring the tying and go-ahead goals. They also killed all four Lightning power-play opportunities and forced 14 giveaways.

Kyle Okposo made his postseason debut for the Panthers. He collected an assist in his first playoff game since 2016 with the New York Islanders.

Speaking of the Islanders, they’re also on the verge of elimination after dropping a 3-2 decision to the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of their first-round series. Frederik Andersen stopped 29 shots and Brent Burns, Dmitry Orlov and Sebastian Aho scored for the Hurricanes. Pierre Engvall and Brock Nelson replied for the Islanders. Game 4 is Saturday at 2 pm EDT with the Hurricanes holding a 3-0 series lead.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders rebounded after goaltender Semyon Varlamov replaced Ilya Sorokin in the second period after he gave up three goals on 14 shots. However, the Hurricanes wore them down and won most of the puck battles in the third period. Andersen also made several big saves to preserve this win for the Canes.

Before this game, Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour announced that winger Jesper Fast is expected to be sidelined for the remainder of the playoffs with an upper-body injury.

BOB COLE 1933-2024

NHL.COM: Legendary hockey play-by-play man Bob Cole died Wednesday night in his hometown of St. John’s, NL at age 90.

Former Hockey Night in Canada play-by-play man Bob Cole (NHL.com).

Cole spent five decades calling games on CBC’s “Hockey Night in Canada”. He started on radio in 1969, moved to television in 1973, and became their lead play-by-play man from 1980 to 2008. He called his final NHL game in 2019.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Cole was the last of the great national NHL broadcasters in Canada that spawned icons such as Foster Hewitt (Cole’s idol and mentor) and Danny Gallivan. He rose to prominence in an era before cable television when the CBC was the only source in Canada for hockey coverage. Cole was an instantly recognizable symbol of the game, beloved by players as much as fans.

Like Hewitt and Gallivan, he had a distinctive delivery instantly recognizable to hockey fans. In his prime, he called many great games, capturing spectacular moments that have become cherished memories among Canadian hockey fans, sometimes punctuated with his memorable catchphrase, “Ooooh, baby!”

Few of today’s play-by-play broadcasters can match Cole’s delivery. He brought out the excitement and drama of a game that kept fans on the edge of their seats.

Cole’s coverage began to falter during his final years behind the mike. His delivery slowed and at times he would forget players’ names. However, Cole truly was the voice of Saturday Night for Canadian hockey fans during his prime from 1980 to 2009.

Everyone has their favorite Bob Cole game. Mine is his coverage of Game 5 of the 1984 Patrick Division semifinal between the New York Rangers and New York Islanders. The Isles were four-time defending champions that year but the Rangers proved a worthy foe in this series. Cole’s call of that game was the perfect complement to the on-ice action in one of the greatest playoff games I’ve ever seen.

My condolences to Cole’s family, friends and broadcasting colleagues. Hockey has lost one of its greatest voices but his memory will live on.

NHL PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko isn’t expected to return from a suspected knee injury until the Western Conference Final if the Canucks make it that far. Backup Casey DeSmith takes over as their starter in Demko’s absence.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander is suffering from a migraine issue so severe that team doctors tested him for a suspected concussion. He first experienced the symptoms the day after his club’s final regular-season game. It’s hope he’ll return to action for Game 4 against the Boston Bruins on Saturday.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: There’s concern among Oilers followers over the goaltending of Stuart Skinner. He’s given up nine goals in the club’s first two games of their opening-round series against the Los Angeles Kings.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars rookie Logan Stankoven was named the AHL’s Rookie of the Year for 2023-24. The 21-year-old forward led the league with 57 points before his call-up to the Stars on Feb. 24.

CBS SPORTS: Washington Capitals forward Sonny Milano could miss Game 4 of his club’s first-round series against the New York Rangers on Friday. He’s nursing an undisclosed injury.

IN OTHER NEWS…

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: The Blackhawks signed Alex Vlasic to a six-year contract with an average annual value of $4.6 million. The 22-year-old defenseman exceeded expectations this season, establishing himself as one of the club’s core players.

THE SCORE: National NHL broadcasts on Monday nights will be seen exclusively on Amazon in Canada starting next season and for 2025-26 in partnership with Rogers Communications. Rogers remains the NHL’s primary rights shareholder for national broadcasts in Canada.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 24, 2024

by | Apr 24, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 24, 2024

The Panthers and Rangers take 2-0 series leads while the Avalanche and Predators tie their first-round series. Get the details and the latest on the other playoff clubs and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Carter Verhaeghe lifted the Florida Panthers to a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2 of their best-of-seven opening-round series. Sam Bennett and Vladimir Tarasenko also scored for the Panthers, who hold a 2-0 series lead. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 34 shots and Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos replied for the Lightning. The series shifts to Tampa Bay for Games 3 and 4 with Game 3 on Thursday, Apr. 25 at 7 pm ET.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made an acrobatic stop on a backhander by Lightning defenseman Matt Dumba that could be considered an early favorite for “save of the playoffs.”

Bennett left this game in the second period after being struck in the hand by a slapshot from teammate Brandon Montour. There was no update on his condition following the game.

New York Rangers forwards Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck each had a goal and an assist as their club held off the Washington Capitals 4-3 to take a 2-0 lead in their first-round series. Tom Wilson had a goal and an assist for the Capitals while teammate Alex Ovechkin was held without a point for the second straight game. The series moves to Washington for Games 3 and 4 with the third game set for Friday, Apr. 26 at 7 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Special teams made the difference in this game as the Rangers got power-play goals from Zibanejad and Jack Roslovic and a shorthanded tally by K’Andre Miller. Meanwhile, Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery said he felt Ovechkin was struggling to get scoring chances in part because of the Rangers’ shot blocks.

A four-goal second period carried the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-2 victory in Game 2 of their series with the Winnipeg Jets, tying their opening-round series at a game apiece. Miles Wood, Artturi Lehkonen, Zach Parise and Josh Manson were the second-period goal scorers while goaltender Alexandar Georgiev made 28 saves. David Gustafsson and Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets. Games 3 and 4 will be held in Denver with Game 3 on Friday at 10 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was redemption for Georgiev following his brutal performance in Game 1. The Jets did themselves no favors with their sloppy defensive play in the second period.

The Nashville Predators tied their first-round series with the Vancouver Canucks at one apiece with a 4-1 win. Filip Forsberg and former Canuck Anthony Beauvilier each had a goal and an assist for the Predators while Nikita Zadrov scored for the Canucks. The series heads to Nashville for Games 3 and 4 with the third game starting at 7:30 pm on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Casey DeSmith suited up for Vancouver as starting goalie Thatcher Demko is out week-to-week with an undisclosed injury. Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet said it is unrelated to the knee injury that sidelined Demko for 14 games this season. Nevertheless, the Canucks will be without their starting goalie for perhaps the remainder of this series.

Demko wasn’t the only Canuck on the shelf for this game. Defenseman Tyler Myers is sidelined with the flu.

DeSmith wasn’t to blame for the Canucks loss in this game. His teammates went 0-4 on the power play, had 32 shots blocked and missed the net 31 times.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe hinted it was possible William Nylander might return to action in Game 3 against the Boston Bruins on Wednesday in Toronto. The 27-year-old winger missed the first two games of this series with an undisclosed injury as the club has kept mum on his condition.

SPORTSNET: Speaking of the Bruins, defenseman Andrew Peeke is week-to-week with an upper-body injury (finger) suffered during Game 2 against the Leafs. The Bruins recalled defenseman Mason Lohrei from their AHL affiliate in Providence.

IN OTHER NEWS…

GOPHNX.COM: Craig Morgan reports Alex Meruelo has a steep hill to climb to convince anyone he should remain as owner of the Arizona Coyotes.

Public opinion of Meruelo in Arizona is at an all-time low. His method of operation has burned many bridges with local politicians, business leaders and community leaders. There is skepticism he can get a new arena built to meet the league’s five-year timeline to bring back the Coyotes as an expansion franchise.

Morgan also reported that Meruelo must reactive the franchise at least 18 months before the end of that five-year window. He can do it earlier but the new arena must be at least 50 percent completed at the time he reactivates.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I recommend reading Morgan’s report. He details the number of issues dogging Meruelo that raise questions about his efforts to construct a new arena and bring the NHL back to Arizona and his suitability as an NHL owner.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Remy Mastey looks at the potential consequences if Meruelo fails to meet the league’s timeline for arena construction.

Meruelo still technically owns the Coyotes as part of the recent agreement that relocates the franchise to Salt Lake City. The team is considered inactive until Meruelo gets a new NHL-suitable arena within five years.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly told Craig Morgan that the NHL will not entertain competing bids for the Coyotes as long as Meruelo owns the rights. Once he no longer does, Arizona would become like any other expansion team.

Muruel intends to bid on a parcel of land for his new arena project at an auction on June 27. If he loses that auction he could have other options but it would be a significant setback for his plans.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports a record 11 NHL teams will carry salary-cap overages into 2024-25. Multiple teams are expected to carry over more than $2 million in penalties.

Some overages were pre-planned as the clubs knew the salary cap would significantly rise for next season. Other overages are due to younger players reaching their performance bonuses this season.

The Edmonton Oilers top the list with projected overage penalties of $3.45 million, followed by the Dallas Stars ($2.595 million) and the Washington Capitals ($2.252 million).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Click the link provided for the complete list. The flattened cap for this season put some of those teams into this bind regarding those players reaching their performance bonuses.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: Devils forward Timo Meier underwent voluntary arthroscopic surgery on his shoulder yesterday. He’s expected to make a full recovery and be available for the start of the Devils’ training camp in September.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: The Flyers signed goaltender Ivan Fedotov to a two-year, $6.5 million contract extension. He appeared in three games with the Flyers this season after finally being allowed to leave the KHL to pursue his NHL career.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former NHL winger Jakub Voracek announced his retirement on Tuesday. The 34-year-old winger was in the final season of his contract but didn’t play due to concussion issues.

Voracek spent 15 seasons with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Philadelphia Flyers, scoring 223 goals and 583 assists for 806 points in 1,058 regular-season games. He also had 28 points in 49 playoff contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Voracek’s contract was traded last year to the Coyotes. He returned to Czechia and has taken up coaching there.

TORONTO SUN: Former Maple Leafs goaltender Ed Chadwick has passed away at age 90. He spent five seasons with the Leafs from 1955-56 to 1961-62, including back-to-back 70-game seasons. In 184 career games, he had a record of 57 wins, 92 losses and 35 ties with a 2.94 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. From 1982 to 2001, he was a scout with the Edmonton Oilers.

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