NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 15, 2023

by | Mar 15, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 15, 2023

The Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl reaches 100 points on the season, the Penguins’Jake Guentzel reaches a career milestone, plus the latest on the Leafs’ Auston Matthews, the Hurricanes’ Andrei Svechnikov and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl scored twice to become the second player this season to reach 100 points in a 6-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had a goal and an assist as the Oilers improved to 37-23-8 to vault over the Seattle Kraken into third place in the Pacific Division with 82 points. Tim Stutzle tallied twice for the 33-30-4 Senators (70 points), who’ve dropped three straight and remain six points behind the New York Islanders (76 points) for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid now leads all active players for most points in a season with 129. Meanwhile, Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot and winger Mathieu Joseph missed this game due to injuries.

The Montreal Canadiens (27-35-6) snapped a seven-game winless skid by upsetting the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-4 on third-period goals by Anthony Richard and Josh Anderson. Jake Guentzel scored twice and collected an assist to reach 400 career points for the 34-23-10 Penguins (78 points) as they remain two points over the Islanders for the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot. They played without defenseman Dmitry Kulikov as he’s week-to-week with an undisclosed injury.

Speaking of the Islanders, they dropped a 5-2 decision to the Los Angeles Kings, who blew the game open with a four-goal second period. Joonas Korpisalo made 28 saves and Vladislav Gavrikov collected two assists for the Kings (39-20-9) as they sit in second place in the Pacific Division with 87 points. Ryan Pulock had two assists for the 34-27-8 Islanders.

The New York Rangers defeated the Washington Capitals 5-3. Mika Zibanejad scored twice and Patrick Kane scored his first goal on home ice as a Ranger. With a record of 38-19-10, the Rangers sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 86 points. Injuries sidelined Alex Ovechkin and Sonny Milano for this game as the Capitals (32-29-7) remain five points behind the Islanders in the chase for the final Eastern wild-card spot.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils, who lost their grip on first place in the Metropolitan Division. Despite the absence of sidelined captain Steven Stamkos, the Lightning (40-22-6) moved within two points of the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division with 86 points. Damon Severson replied for the 44-17-6 Devils (94 points) as they fell two points behind the Carolina Hurricanes.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they got two goals and an assist by Jesperi Kotkaniemi as they downed the Winnipeg Jets 5-3. With a record of 44-14-8, the Hurricanes sit in second place in the overall standings with 96 points. The Jets (38-27-3) hold the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Hurricanes announced winger Andrei Svechnikov will undergo season-ending surgery on his right ACL on Thursday. His absence will be keenly felt among their top-six scorers over the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey remains sidelined by an injury.

The Nashville Predators improved to 34-28-9 and moved within four points of the Jets by holding off the Detroit Red Wings 2-1. Juuse Saros made 28 saves while Kiefer Sherwood and Tommy Novak scored for the Predators, who played without sidelined defenseman Ryan McDonagh. Alex Chiasson replied for the 30-28-9 Red Wings.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Jonathan Quick (27 saves) picked up his fourth straight win since joining the club in a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Jonathan Marchessault had a goal and two assists while Ivan Barbashev tallied twice for the Golden Knights (42-20-6) as they hold first place in the Western Conference with 90 points. The Flyers sank to 24-32-11.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sidelined Flyers Sean Couturier took part in his first morning skate with the club this season after being sidelined by his second back surgery. His plan is to return to action for a handful of games before the end of the season.

Chicago Blackhawks forward Taylor Raddysh scored his first career hat trick to lead his club to a 6-3 upset of the Boston Bruins. Boris Katchouk had a goal and two assists for the Blackhawks as they improved to 23-38-6, though they lost goalie Petr Mrazek in the second period with his third groin injury of the season. Hampus Lindholm had a goal and an assist for the Bruins (50-11-5) as they remain comfortably atop the overall standings with 105 points.

The Vancouver Canucks collected their fifth straight win by upsetting the Dallas Stars 5-2. Brock Boeser had three assists for the 29-32-5 Canucks while Jamie Benn and Miro Heiskanen each had two points for the 37-18-13 Stars, who played without sidelined winger Mason Marchment in this game. The Stars are in first place in the Central Division with 87 points.

An overtime goal by Travis Boyd gave the Arizona Coyotes a 4-3 win over the Calgary Flames. Clayton Keller scored twice, including his 31st goal of the season for the 25-31-11 Coyotes. Jonathan Huberdeau scored the tying goal for the 30-24-14 Flames (74 points) as they sit five points out of the final Western wild-card spot.

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau scored twice (including the winner in overtime) and collected three assists in a 6-5 victory over the San Jose Sharks to officially eliminate the latter from playoff contention. The Blue Jackets sit at 21-38-7 on the season and sit last in the overall standings. Logan Couture had a goal and two assists for the 19-36-13 Sharks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE ATHLETIC: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews revealed he’s been nursing a hand injury that has hampered his performance this season. However, he claims it’s feeling a lot better now.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s good news for the Leafs as they head down the stretch toward what will be a crucial postseason for this team.

SPORTSNET: Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said he’s expecting Ryan O’Reilly to return before the playoffs. He’s been sidelined with a broken finger since March 4 and underwent surgery on March 7 with a recovery timeline of four weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That would mean returning by April 7 but it’s possible O’Reilly might not be good to go until the first game of the playoffs.

TSN: Speaking of broken fingers, Colorado Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s a big loss for the Avalanche. Lehkonen is fourth among Avalanche scorers with a career-best performance of 20 goals and 49 points in 62 games.

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Diamond Sports Group, which owns the Bally Sports regional network in the United States, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Tuesday. The company released a statement indicating it expects to continue operations during the bankruptcy process and that the coverage of games would not be affected. That coverage includes 12 NHL teams.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2023

by | Mar 10, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2023

The Stars enjoy a 10-goal performance against the Sabres, the Oilers down the league-leading Bruins, Erik Karlsson sets a career-high for points, Kirill Kaprizov sidelined, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Dallas Stars crushed the Buffalo Sabres 10-4, marking their first 10-goal performance during a road game since October 1985. Jamie Benn and Mason Marchment each had a goal and two assists, Jason Robertson had three assists and Radek Faksa tallied twice for the Stars as they improved to 35-17-13 to sit atop the Central Division with 83 points. Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (32-28-4) as they sit six points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 68 points.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Stars as Tyler Seguin left the game in the first period after being cut by a skate blade above his left knee. There was no postgame word regarding his condition but he was spotted on crutches following the game.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson scored his 20th goal of the season in a 4-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues. Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich each had two points for the 28-31-5 Blues while the Sharks fell to 19-35-12 on the season. Karlsson set a career single-season high with 83 points and reached the 20-goal plateau for the first time since 2014-15.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Karlsson, 32, leads all NHL defensemen this season in goals and points. He’s considered the front-runner for the Norris Trophy as the league’s top blueliner.

The Edmonton Oilers nipped the Boston Bruins 3-2 to snap the latter’s 10-game winning streak. Darnell Nurse tallied the winning goal late in the third period as the Oilers (36-22-8) hold the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 80 points. David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist as the league-leading Bruins (103 points) are at 49-9-5.

An overtime goal by Brock Nelson completed a three-goal rally by the New York Islanders as they dumped the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3. Anders Lee tallied twice and Ilya Sorokin stopped 33 shots as the Islanders (34-25-8) hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 76 points, two ahead of the 32-22-10 Penguins as they remain in the final Eastern wild-card spot. Jeff Petry had two assists for the Penguins.

Patrick Kane scored his first goal for the New York Rangers as they downed the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on a shootout goal by Mika Zibanejad. Kane finished with two points while Artemi Panarin collected three assists for the 36-19-9 as the Rangers sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 81 points. The 26-33-6 Canadiens have dropped five straight all by one goal.

Los Angeles Kings forwards Phillip Danault and Adrian Kempe each scored twice to defeat the Colorado Avalanche 5-2. Anze Kopitar had three assists, Joonas Korpisalo had 28 saves and Trevor Moore collected an assist in his return to the lineup for the 38-20-8 Kings as they sit in second place in the Pacific Division with 84 points. Nathan MacKinnon scored for the Avalanche (35-22-6) as they cling to third place in the Central Division with 76 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of the Avalanche, there’s concern over whether captain Gabriel Landeskog will return in time for the 2023 playoffs. He’s still recovering from the knee injury that has sidelined him for the entire season thus far.

An overtime goal by Alec Martinez lifted the Vegas Golden Knights to a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jonathan Quick made 32 saves for the win as the Golden Knights (39-20-6) hold first place in the Pacific (84 points) with a game in hand over the Kings. Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov each had three points for the slumping Lightning (38-21-6) as they sit third in the Atlantic Division with 82 points.

The New Jersey Devils defeated the Washington Capitals 3-2 on a shootout goal by Timo Meier. Dawson Mercer extended his points streak to 11 games with a goal and an assist as the Devils (42-16-6) as they sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 90 points. The Capitals sank to 31-28-7 (69 points) and sit five points behind the Penguins for the final Eastern wild-card berth.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov made 19 saves to shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 1-0. Andrei Svechnikov’s first-period goal held up as the winner as the Hurricanes improved to 43-12-8 and sit second in the overall standings with 94 points. Felix Sandstrom made 28 saves for the 24-30-11 Flyers.

The Ottawa Senators kept their playoff hopes alive with a 5-4 victory over the Seattle Kraken thanks to third-period goals by Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat. With 70 points, the 33-27-4 Senators are four points behind the Penguins. Jared McCann tallied twice for the Kraken (37-22-6) as their five-game win streak came to an end. They sit third in the Pacific Division with 80 points.

Arizona Coyotes goalie Ivan Prosvetov kicked out 39 shots for his first NHL win to beat the Nashville Predators 4-1. Clayton Keller collected two assists for the 23-32-10 Coyotes while the Predators (31-24-7) are six points out of the final Western Conference playoff berth with 69 points.

IN OTHER NEWS…

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov will be sidelined for three to four weeks with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaprizov is the Wild’s leading scorer with 39 goals and 74 points. He’s their main offensive engine so losing him is a significant setback as they jockey for a playoff berth in the Western Conference. How they adapt to his absence will be a big test that could decide their postseason hopes in the very close Western standings.

SPORTSNET: cited a report by Sportico indicating nine different groups have submitted bids to purchase the Ottawa Senators. Some of those bids value the franchise at over $900 million USD.

The list of potential buyers is expected to be narrowed down within the next several days. The Remington Group (a Toronto-based real estate developer) and billionaire Michael Andlauer (minority owner of the Montreal Canadiens) are among the most prominent bidders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It appears the league hasn’t had any difficulty finding suitors willing to pay big bucks to purchase the Senators. Eugene Melnick, the club’s late owner, paid $92 million USD to purchase the team in 2003. Accounting for inflation, that would be worth nearly $150 million in 2023.

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins are planning upgrades to PPG Arena for 2023-24 starting at the conclusion of this season. They include a new video board, LED ribbon boards, sound system, control room, and content management system.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 7, 2023

by | Mar 7, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 7, 2023

Connor McDavid enjoys another multipoint game, the three stars of the week are announced, the Leafs place Ryan O’Reilly on LTIR and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid enjoyed another multipoint game by opening and closing the scoring with a 3-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, extending his points streak to 11 games. Stuart Skinner made 37 saves for the Oilers (35-22-8), who hold the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference with 78 points. Jeff Skinner and Dylan Cozens scored for the 32-26-4 Sabres (68 points), who’ve dropped three of their last four games and sit three points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 54 goals, McDavid sits 10 goals ahead of second-place David Pastrnak while his 124 points are 28 ahead of teammate Leon Draisaitl for the lead in the scoring race. With 17 games remaining in the season, he has a shot at becoming the first player since Alex Ovechkin in 2007-08 to reach 65 goals in a season and the first to reach 140 points since Jaromir Jagr (149) in 1995-96.

The Calgary Flames nipped the Dallas Stars 5-4 on a goal by Tyler Toffoli with 6.2 seconds remaining in the third period to snap a five-game losing skid. Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri and MacKenzie Weegar each collected two assists as the Flames improved to 28-23-13 and sit five points out of the final Western wild-card spot with 69 points. Jamie Benn scored a goal and an assist for the Stars (34-17-13) as they sit second overall in the Western Conference with 81 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was a big win for the flickering Flames to keep their playoff hopes alive. They’ll need to string together some more victories if they hope to climb back into the race.

The Los Angeles Kings picked up their fourth straight win by doubling up the Washington Capitals by a score of 4-2. Adrian Kempe had a goal and an assist while Pheonix Copley made 20 saves to earn his first-ever 20-win NHL campaign as the Kings (37-20-8) sit in second place in the Pacific Division with 82 points. Alex Ovechkin scored his 36th goal of the season as the Capitals dropped to 31-28-6 (68 points) to sit three points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth.

An overtime goal by Logan Couture lifted the San Jose Sharks to a 3-2 upset of the Winnipeg Jets. Tomas Hertl scored the tying goal for the 19-33-12 Sharks with 11 seconds remaining in the third period. Nino Niederreiter and Nate Schmidt replied for the Jets (36-25-3) as they sit third in the Central Division with 75 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets have nosedived over the last 10 games winning just twice over that stretch.

Chicago Blackhawks goalie Alex Stalock kicked out 35 shots to shut out the Ottawa Senators 5-0. Seth Jones scored twice for the 22-36-5 Blackhawks while Ottawa slipped to 32-27-4 and remain three points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Senators goalie Cam Talbot was a late scratch with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: All due respect to Stalock for his stellar play but this is a game the Senators should’ve won. They can’t afford duds like this game against one of the worst teams in the league when they’re battling for a wild-card spot.

A shootout goal by Elias Pettersson gave the Vancouver Canucks a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators. Pettersson also tallied his 30th goal of the season in regulation for the 26-32-6 Canucks. Luke Evangelista tallied twice for the Predators (31-23-7) to tie the game as they sit five points out of the final Western wild-card spot with 69 points.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins defenseman Dmitry Orlov, Ottawa Senators forward Claude Giroux, and Minnesota Wild netminder Filip Gustavsson are the three stars for the week ending March 5.

TSN: The Toronto Maple Leafs placed center Ryan O’Reilly (broken finger) on long-term injury reserve. He saw a specialist on Monday and is expected to return in time for the playoffs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: O’Reilly was the Leafs’ biggest acquisition leading up to the recent trade deadline. His absence won’t hurt their chances of reaching the playoffs but it could raise questions about his effectiveness for the postseason.

OTTAWA SUN: The first round of bids for the purchase of the Senators officially started on Monday. The sale of the club could eclipse $1 billion.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – March 5, 2023

by | Mar 5, 2023

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – March 5, 2023

The trade deadline may be over but the fallout remains. Here’s a look at some moves that didn’t happen plus a look ahead for the Canadiens and Blue Jackets in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

WHAT DIDN’T GO DOWN AT THE TRADE DEADLINE?

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Edmonton Oilers made a “legitimate pitch” to the San Jose Sharks for Timo Meier prior to his getting traded to the New Jersey Devils. Their intent was to bring him in and work out his contract situation after the season but they wanted him for the playoffs.

Friedman also believes the Calgary Flames looked into acquiring Meier but they were more interested in signing him to a contract extension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Meier is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights this summer who is also a year away from unrestricted free agent eligibility. His current cap hit is $6 million but he’s earning $10 million in actual salary, which is what it’ll cost to qualify his rights. The Devils haven’t yet re-signed Meier which suggests they’ll worry about dealing with that in the offseason.

Philadelphia Flyers center Kevin Hayes (NHL Images).

Friedman reports the Toronto Maple Leafs inquired about Mattias Ekholm prior to his getting traded to the Oilers by the Nashville Predators. They also looked into San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson. However, he thinks the math didn’t work for the Leafs in terms of salary retention.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Perhaps the Leafs revisit their interest in Karlsson during the offseason. However, they’ll still have a difficult time making the math work there unless it’s a three-team deal with the Sharks retaining half of Karlsson’s $11.5 million annual cap hit through 2026-27.

Jeff Marek mentioned the Philadelphia Flyers had some conversations with the Columbus Blue Jackets about Kevin Hayes. However, it sounds like any big move the Flyers have planned will take place around the June 2023 draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marek indicated that the players such as Hayes and Ivan Provorov have term remaining on their contracts which made them difficult to move at the trade deadline.

Speaking of the Oilers, Marek believes they had internal conversations about bringing in rugged forward Zack MacEwen from the Philadelphia Flyers. He was subsequently traded to the Los Angeles Kings. He also reported the Sharks looked at winger Jordan Greenway before the Minnesota Wild shipped him to the Buffalo Sabres.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Kate Shefte cited Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reporting there was speculation the Kraken was keeping an eye on John Klingberg before the trade deadline. They were also said to be entertaining offers on Carson Soucy and Will Borgen but both remained in Seattle.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Kraken general manager Ron Francis was eyeballing Klingberg before the deadline he can sign him this summer as an unrestricted free agent. That’s assuming he doesn’t re-sign pending UFA Soucy or trades restricted free agent Borgen in the offseason.

LATEST ON THE CANADIENS AND BLUE JACKETS

THE ATHLETIC: Arpon Basu speculated that the Montreal Canadiens could attempt to trade Joel Edmundson during the offseason if the 29-year-old defenseman can remain healthy over the remainder of this season. Failing that, they could try to move him during next season’s trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens GM Kent Hughes will likely listen to offers on Edmundson in the offseason. Much will depend upon the blueliner’s health over the remainder of this season.

Aaron Portzline believes the Columbus Blue Jackets will be shopping for blueline depth this summer. He pointed out that GM Jarmo Kekalainen attempted to acquire Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes before he was dealt to the Ottawa Senators.

The Jackets acquired a conditional first-round pick from the Los Angeles Kings as part of the return for Joonas Korpisalo and Vladislav Gavrikov. It could be used before the draft to acquire immediate roster help, or they could plunge into the free-agent market this summer.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 4, 2023

by | Mar 4, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 4, 2023

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has a four-point game in Oilers’ victory over the Jets, some of the fallout from the NHL trade deadline, plus the latest on Cale Makar, Ville Husso and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored two goals and collected two assists in a 6-3 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Leon Draisaitl also scored twice and had an assist while Connor McDavid collected three assists for the 34-21-8 Oilers (76 points) as they hold a four-point lead over the Jets for the first Western Conference wild-card berth. The Jets (72 points) hold the final Western wild-card spot but have lost five straight games, dropping to 35-25-2.

Edmonton Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (NHL Images).

The Carolina Hurricanes thumped the Arizona Coyotes 6-1. Sebastian Aho and Martin Necas each collected three points while Antti Raanta (17 saves) remains unbeaten in regulation (13-0-2) since Nov. 26 as the Hurricanes (40-12-8) sit second in the overall standings with 88 points. The Coyotes dropped to 21-32-9 on the season.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Adin Hill kicked out 47 shots backstopping his club to a 4-3 shootout victory over the New Jersey Devils. Shea Theodore scored the winning goal while Jonathan Marchessault scored twice and collected an assist for the 37-19-6 Golden Knights as they hold first overall in the Western Conference with 80 points. Dawson Mercer scored to extend his goals streak to eight games as the 40-15-6 Devils sit two points back of the Hurricanes in the overall standings.

The Seattle Kraken doubled up the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-2. Jared McCann became the first player in Kraken history to score 30 goals in a season as his club improved to 35-21-6 and sit third in the Pacific Division with 76 points. Patrik Laine collected two points for the 20-36-4 Blue Jackets.

Third-period goals by Mason McTavish and Jakob Silfverberg enabled the Anaheim Ducks to hold off the Montreal Canadiens by a score of 3-2. The Ducks are 21-34-8 on the season while the Canadiens dropped to 26-32-4.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: 21 trades involving 34 players took place during Friday’s trade deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Don’t be fooled by those numbers. The 2023 NHL trade deadline will go down as one of the quietest in league history in terms of significant moves involving notable talent. That’s because those moves were made in the weeks leading up to deadline day. 

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman explained why he became a seller in the days leading up to the March 3 trade deadline. He cited their back-to-back lopsided losses to the Ottawa Senators this week as an indication that his club still needs improvement. “I look at Ottawa and Buffalo, and in all honesty, I think they’re ahead of us with their group,” said Yzerman. He also indicated the Wings have to keep an eye on the rebuilding Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Yzerman made a blunt assessment of his club, thinking with his head and not his heart. It would’ve been tempting for him to sacrifice some futures for a quick fix but he still has his eye firmly on the prize: building a long-term Stanley Cup contender as he did in Tampa Bay. The Wings have been improving but there’s still more work to do.

SPORTSNET: Canadiens GM Kent Hughes pointed to the high number of injuries to his roster that hampered his ability to make more significant moves leading up to the trade deadline. Sources told Eric Engels that the club is undergoing a thorough examination of its medical staff, procedures, training and therapeutic procedures, rehabilitation procedures, and practice and travel schedules.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes believes no other NHL club has been wracked by injuries over the past two seasons like the Canadiens. One season leading the league in man-games lost to injury could be chalked up to bad luck but two consecutive years suggest there could be other issues at play here.

CALGARY SUN: Flames GM Brad Treliving said trading away young assets or a draft pick for a quick fix wasn’t on the table for him during the trade deadline. “We were not entertaining moving any ‘A’ assets, significant assets, for short-term,” he said. “Where we’re at right now, that was never an option for us.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames are five points out of a Western wild-card spot. The returns Treliving brought in were minor ones that won’t move the needle. It’s up to their core talent to carry them through. Treliving said he’s not worried about losing his job but he’s on an expiring contract. Missing the playoffs for the second time in four years could prove costly.

TSN: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar has been cleared to return from concussion protocol.

MLIVE.COM: Red Wings goaltender Ville Husso could miss Saturday’s game against the New York Islanders with a minor injury.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators re-signed defenseman Dante Fabbro to a one-year, $2.5 million contract and goaltender Kevin Lankinen to a one-year, $2 million deal.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: The Capitals re-signed forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel to a one-year, $1.225 million contract.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets center Sean Kuraly could miss the remainder of the season with an oblique strain.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington is expected to remain out of the lineup for the remainder of the season. He’s been out since the start of the season due to personal family reasons.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 3, 2023

by | Mar 3, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 3, 2023

On the eve of the March 3 trade deadline, the Bruins become the fastest team in league history to reach 100 points, Senators forward Derick Brassard scores twice in his 1,000th career game, the Blackhawks trade Max Domi to the Stars, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins became the fastest team to reach 100 points in league history (61 games) by thumping the Buffalo Sabres 7-1. Jakub Lauko scored twice and Dmitry Orlov had a goal and two assists for the Bruins (48-8-5) as they sit atop the overall standings with 101 points. The Sabres slipped to 31-25-4 (66 points) and are four points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins winger Brad Marchand left the game in the second period after being hit by Sabres defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin. Acquired early yesterday from the Red Wings, Tyler Bertuzzi did not appear in this contest.

Before the game, the Bruins placed winger Taylor Hall on long-term injury reserve and forward Nick Foligno on injured reserve. The Sabres placed defenseman Rasmus Dahlin on IR.

An overtime goal by Jason Zucker lifted the Pittsburgh Penguins to their fourth straight win with a 5-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. It was Zucker’s second goal of the game while Jeff Petry also scored twice for the 31-21-9 Penguins as they vaulted over the idle New York Islanders into the first Eastern wild-card spot with 71 points. Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point each had two points for the Lightning (37-19-5), who have dropped three straight and sit third in the Atlantic Division with 79 points.

Ottawa Senators forward Derick Brassard (NHL Images)

Ottawa Senators forward Derick Brassard scored twice in his 1,000th career NHL game to upset the New York Rangers 5-3. Claude Giroux had a goal and two assists for the Senators (31-26-4) as they sit four points behind the Islanders for the final Eastern playoff spot with 66 points. Mika Zibanejad collected two assists for the 35-18-9 Rangers, who sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Patrick Kane was held scoreless in his debut with the Rangers as was Jakob Chychrun in his first game with the Senators following their respective trades. Senators forward Austin Watson received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for charging Rangers forward Tyler Motte, who left the game with an upper-body injury.

The Toronto Maple Leafs nipped the Calgary Flames 2-1. Calle Jarnkrok broke a 1-1 tie early in the third period for the 38-16-8 Leafs as they hold second place in the Atlantic Division with 84 points. Jacob Markstrom made 32 saves for the flickering Flames as they slipped to 27-22-13 (67 points) and sit five points behind the Winnipeg Jets for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz tallied a hat trick in a 5-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. The Stars (33-16-13) sit in first place in the Central Division with 79 points, three up on the second-place Minnesota Wild. The Blackhawks dropped to 21-35-5 on the season.

Speaking of the Wild, Kirill Kaprizov scored twice as they downed the Vancouver Canucks 2-1. With a record of 35-21-6, the Wild (76 points) are three points ahead of the third-place Colorado Avalanche in the Central Division. Brock Boeser scored for the Canucks as they fell to 24-32-5.

Seattle Kraken winger Oliver Bjorkstrand tallied twice, including the winner in overtime, in a 5-4 win over the Detroit Red Wings. Jared McCann also scored two goals for the Kraken (34-21-6) as they moved into third place in the Pacific Division with 74 points. The Red Wings (28-24-9) dropped their fourth straight game and are five points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth with 65 points.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar scored the game-winner as his club held off the Montreal Canadiens for a 3-2 win. Gabe Vilardi scored his 20th of the season for the 35-20-8 Kings as they sit in second place in the Pacific Division with 78 points. Denis Gurianov scored his first goal with the Canadiens (26-31-4) since being acquired in a trade earlier this week.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens defenseman Justin Barron left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

The Nashville Predators kept their playoff hopes alive by beating the Florida Panthers 2-1. Matt Duchene and John Leonard scored for the Predators while Kevin Lankinen stopped 30 shots for the 30-23-6 Predators, who are six points out of the final Western wild-card berth with 66 points. Brandon Montour replied for the Panthers (30-27-6) as they are four points out of the Eastern wild-card spot with 66 points.

A four-goal second period lifted the St. Louis Blues to a 6-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Pavel Buchnevich collected four assists for the 27-29-5 Blues while Alexander Barabanov had a goal and an assist for the 18-32-12 Sharks.

HEADLINES

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Following last night’s game, the Stars acquired forward Max Domi and goaltender Dylan Wells from the Blackhawks in exchange for goalie Anton Khudobin and a 2025 second-round pick.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Domi was the Blackhawks’ leading scorer this season with 49 points in 60 games. A versatile forward who can play center or wing, he’ll provide a boost to the Stars’ middle-six down the stretch and into the postseason.

Khudobin was moved solely to make the dollars work for the cap-strapped Stars. He’s spent this season in the minors. Both players are slated to become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers acquired center Nick Bjugstad and minor-league defenseman Cam Dineen from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for minor-league defenseman Michael Kesselring and a 2023 third-round pick.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: The Sabres traded forward Ander Bjork to the Chicago Blackhawks for future considerations.

STLTODAY.COM: The Blues signed winger Sammy Blais to a one-year contract extension worth $1 million.