NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 1, 2025

by | Jan 1, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 1, 2025

The Blues defeat the Blackhawks in the Winter Classic, both clubs reveal their quarter-century teams, the Rangers get bad news about Igor Shesterkin and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: St. Louis Blues defenseman Cam Fowler scored two goals in his 1,000th NHL regular-season game, leading his club to a 6-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2025 Winter Classic at Wrigley Field before a sellout crowd of 40, 933 fans.

St. Louis Blues defenseman Cam Fowler celebrates a goal at the 2025 NHL Winter Classic (NHL.com).

Justin Faulk had a goal and two assists for the Blues (40 points), moving within three points of the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Taylor Hall and Tyler Bertuzzi replied for the Blackhawks as their losing skid stretched to five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hall was among several Blackhawks who apologized to their fans for their poor performance in this game.

No offense to Chicago or the Blackhawks but I hope we don’t see them in any more Winter Classics for a while, or at least until they’re a competitive team again. This was their seventh appearance and the worst thus far.

The Winter Classic has become an afterthought. The league must consider new locations, teams, or formats to reinvigorate their annual New Year’s Eve outdoor game. They should also consider scaling back some of its annual Stadium Series games to focus more on the Winter Classic.

Edmonton Oilers superstars Connor McDavid collected two assists and Leon Draisaitl scored in a 4-1 victory over the Utah Hockey Club. McDavid and Draisaitl extended their points streaks to 12 games while McDavid moved past Mark Messier into third place on the Oilers’ all-time points list with 1,036. Jaxson Stauber stopped 34 shots for Utah.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah sent goaltender Connor Ingram to their AHL affiliate in Tucson on a conditioning stint. He’s working his way back from a lower-body injury that has sidelined him for 18 games.

The Washington Capitals remained in first place in the Eastern Conference by defeating the Boston Bruins 3-1. Aliaksei Protas scored two goals and Tom Wilson had two assists for the Capitals (52 points), who sit one point up on the New Jersey Devils. Justin Brazeau scored for the Bruins.

Speaking of the Devils, they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Anaheim Ducks. Ryan Strome tallied the tie-breaker with 3:24 remaining in the third period, finishing the night with two points. Lukas Dostal made 32 saves for the Ducks. Jonas Siegenthaler and Timo Meier were the Devils’ goal scorers as they’ve lost two in a row.

The Montreal Canadiens picked up their third straight victory by upsetting the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2, snapping the latter’s seven-game win streak. Vegas took a 2-0 lead on goals by Zach Whitecloud and Noah Hanifin but the Canadiens stormed back with unanswered goals from Cole Caufield, Emil Heineman and Kirby Dach.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights sit second in the Western Conference standings with 53 points. Meanwhile, the Canadiens have won six of their last seven and sit three points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

Colorado Avalanche center Casey Mittelstadt scored the winning goal in a 5-2 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. It was Mittelstadt’s first goal in 19 games. Jonathan Drouin picked up two assists in his return from injury as the Avalanche collected their fifth straight win. Rasmus Kupari and Gabriel Vilardi scored and Eric Comrie stopped 33 shots for the league-leading Jets (55 points) as their win streak ended at four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin left this game in the second period with a lower-body injury.

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the New York Islanders 3-1. Steven Lorentz ended a 23-game scoreless drought with the game-winner while Joseph Woll made 30 saves to give the Leafs the win. Jean-Gabriel Pageau replied for the Islanders, who are 2-5-0 in their last seven contests. Isles forward Simon Holmstrom missed this game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders head coach Patrick Roy surprised everyone by pulling goalie Ilya Sorokin with 42.3 seconds while the faceoff was in his own zone. The Isles failed to clear the zone and John Tavares scored an empty-netter to seal the win for Toronto. Leafs captain Auston Matthews missed his fifth straight game as he deals with a nagging upper-body injury.

Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi tallied twice and collected an assist while goalie Filip Gustavsson kicked out 43 shots in a 5-3 victory over the Nashville Predators. Wild superstar Kirill Kaprizov missed his third straight game with a lower-body injury. Colton Sissons, Jonathan Marchessault and Ryan O’Reilly scored for the Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predator forward Zachary L’Heureux received a match penalty for slew-footing Wild captain Jared Spurgeon during the second period. Spurgeon crashed heavily into the end boards and left the game with a lower-body injury.

The Dallas Stars doubled up the Buffalo Sabres 4-2. Jason Robertson led the way with a goal and two assists as the Stars are 6-3-1 in their last 10 and sit in the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 45 points. Jason Zucker and Beck Malenstyn replied for the Sabres as their three-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars defenseman Matt Dumba returned to action after missing eight games with an upper-body injury. They loaned blueliner Lian Bichsel back to their AHL affiliate.

Calgary Flames center Nazem Kadri snapped a 1-1 tie and Jonathan Huberdeau netted the insurance goal to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 3-1. Brock Boeser tallied his 14th goal for the Canucks, who are winless in five of their last six games (1-2-3). The win vaults the Flames (43 points) over the Canucks into the final Western wild-card berth.

Shootout goals by Kent Johnson and Adam Fantelli lifted the Columbus Blue Jackets to a 4-3 upset of the Carolina Hurricanes. Kirill Marchenko scored two goals, Sean Monahan had three assists and Elvis Merzlikins made 33 saves for the Blue Jackets as they’ve won three of their last four games. Sebastian Aho collected two assists for the Hurricanes, who are 1-2-1 in their last four contests.

Third-period goals by J.T. Compher and Dylan Larkin gave the Detroit Red Wings a 5-2 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. It was their second straight victory under new head coach Todd McLellan, who collected his 600th NHL win. Drew O’Connor netted two goals for the Penguins (39 points), who remain one point behind the Ottawa Senators for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins activated defenseman Marcus Pettersson (lower body) off injured reserve for this game and placed blueliner Kris Letang (lower body) on IR.

The Philadelphia Flyers blanked the San Jose Sharks 4-0, handing the latter their eighth straight loss. Samuel Ersson and Aleksei Kolosov combined for the shutout when Ersson left the game after the second period with an undisclosed injury. The goal scorers were Nick Seeler, Ryan Poehling, Travis Konecny and Egor Zamula. Alexandar Georgiev stopped 30 shots for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The win puts the Flyers two points behind the Senators for that wild-card spot in the East. The Sharks placed forward William Eklund (upper body) on injured reserve.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: The Blackhawks and Blues revealed their quarter-century teams on Wednesday.

Patrick Kane, Jonathan Toews and Duncan Keith were among the Blackhawks’ First Team selections while Hall-of-Famer Marian Hossa made their Second Team. Hall-of-Fame defenseman Chris Pronger and former Blues Vladimir Tarasenko and Alex Pietrangelo highlight those who made the Blues’ First Team with Hall-of-Fame defenseman Al MacInnis among those on their Second Team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the links provided for the full lists. Many were no-brainers but there were a few interesting selections as well.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers placed goaltender Igor Shesterkin on IR with an upper-body injury. The move ensures they’ll be without their starting goaltender for the next three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This could be the death blow to the free-falling Rangers’ fading playoff hopes if Shesterkin is sidelined for a lengthy period.










NHL Rumor Mill – December 30, 2024

by | Dec 30, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – December 30, 2024

In today’s NHL Rumor Mill, we review some proposed destinations for recent notable trade candidates.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston recently played “NHL Trade Matchmaker” by predicting where the top trade candidates could end up by the March 7 deadline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the links above to see their full lists and the reasons behind their proposed deals. I’m singling out the five most notable, offering a brief take on each.

Ivan Provorov, Columbus Blue Jackets: LeBrun has the 27-year-old defenseman going to the Colorado Avalanche while Johnston sees the Tampa Bay Lightning as a landing spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche have $3.75 million in trade-deadline cap space while the Lightning have 4.5 million. The Blue Jackets carry $4.725 million of his $6.75 million. Both clubs could want the Blue Jackets to retain salary or take on a salaried player in the deal. They also lack 2025 first-rounders to offer up as trade bait but the Lightning carry two 2025 second-rounders.

Brock Nelson, New York Islanders: Johnston suggests the Minnesota Wild as a good destination for the 34-year-old center. LeBrun mentions the Dallas Stars as his best guess.

New York Islanders center Brock Nelson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nelson’s cap hit is $6 million. The Wild have almost $2.1 million in projected cap space. The Stars have $1.5 million but they’re expected to place sidelined center Tyler Seguin and his $9.85 million AAV on long-term injury reserve (LTIR) and use the savings to make one or two significant additions. They can more easily afford the remainder of Nelson’s daily cap hit by the March 7 deadline.

John Gibson, Anaheim Ducks: LeBrun thinks the 31-year-old goaltender could head to the Carolina Hurricanes. Johnston proposed the Edmonton Oilers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LeBrun and Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos and Elliotte Friedman claimed the Hurricanes had trade discussions with the Ducks about Gibson last summer. LeBrun believes both clubs have “re-engaged” about this topic.

The Hurricanes seem a more likely destination for Gibson and his $6.4 million AAV through 2026-27 than the Oilers. Kurt Leavins of the Edmonton Journal doesn’t see him as an upgrade over the current Oilers tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. Even if the Oilers took him on at half his cap hit, it would put a significant dent into their long-term cap space when they’ve got Evan Bouchard to re-sign next summer and Connor McDavid in 2026.

Taylor Hall, Chicago Blackhawks: Johnston pitched the Avalanche for the 33-year-old left wing. LeBrun suggested the Utah Hockey Club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hall carries an AAV of $6 million for this season. Picking up the remainder of it at the deadline will be a tight squeeze for the Avs, though the asking price could be more affordable than what the Blue Jackets could seek for Provorov. Utah can easily fit him within their $24 million projected trade deadline cap space. They also have three second-rounders in 2026 to use as trade bait.

Rasmus Ristolainen, Philadelphia Flyers: LeBrun sees the 30-year-old blueliner heading to the Winnipeg Jets. Johnston sees the Stars as his eventual destination.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ristolainen is signed through 2026-27 with an AAV of $5.1 million. The Jets can afford to fit him into their $11.7 million AAV for the trade deadline. They also have plenty of cap room to fit him within their payroll beyond this season. The Stars can afford him if they put Seguin on LTIR but keeping him beyond this season could complicate efforts to re-sign Jamie Benn, Matt Duchene and Wyatt Johnston next summer.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – December 29, 2024

by | Dec 29, 2024

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – December 29, 2024

In the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup: the latest on the Oilers, Rangers, Sabres and Red Wings plus updates on Blues winger Brandon Saad and Canadiens center Jake Evans.

PROPOSED TRADE TARGETS FOR THE OILERS

THE ATHLETIC: Allan Mitchell recently looked at possible trade targets for the Edmonton Oilers.

The Oilers could use a left-shot defenseman who regularly faces elite talent. Three options include Bowen Byram of the Buffalo Sabres, Olli Maatta of the Utah Hockey Club and Mike Matheson of the Montreal Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s unlikely the Sabres will move Byram. If anything, they could use another defenseman like him. Maatta could be available if Utah isn’t in playoff contention by the trade deadline.

Pundits like bringing up Matheson because he’s playing on a rebuilding team and has a year remaining on his contract. However, it will take a significant offer to pry him out of Montreal given their lack of experienced blueliners. The most likely to move is pending free agent David Savard but he’s a right-hand shot who plays second or third-pairing minutes.

Mitchell also suggested the possibility of the Oilers acquiring a low-cost, experienced backup goaltender. However, he doesn’t see them landing John Gibson of the Anaheim Ducks, citing the cost of the return and his $6.4 million annual average value.

St. Louis Blues winger Brandon Saad (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson also has a 10-team no-trade clause. It’s rumored all seven Canadian teams are on that last.

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports Brandon Saad’s future with the St. Louis Blues continues to be something to monitor moving into 2025.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Friedman mentioned Saad two weeks ago, claiming the Blues would like to move him. The 32-year-old winger has a year left on his contract with an average annual value of $4.5 million. He has a no-trade clause but Friedman claimed he’s willing to accept other options.

The struggling New York Rangers remain a team “everyone’s watching” now that the holiday roster freeze has been lifted.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers were defeated 6-2 on Saturday by the Tampa Bay Lightning with goalie Igor Shesterkin lifted after giving up five goals on 13 shots. That was their third straight loss and the sixth in their last seven games. They’ve won only four of their last 18 games and are five points out of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with the lowly Montreal Canadiens threatening to overtake them.

Trading Jacob Trouba to Anaheim and Kaapo Kakko to Seattle earlier this month did nothing to improve the Rangers’ lot. If management’s plan isn’t to make a season-saving deal or a coaching change then we must assume they intend to become sellers at the March 7 trade deadline.

Friedman also indicated that the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings continue to scout each other. He thinks they “looked at something” before the holiday roster freeze, adding “We’ll see if that continues”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The two clubs faced off on Dec. 9 with the Wings winning 6-5 in a shootout. They don’t meet again until after the March 7 trade deadline (March 12) so it’s unlikely they’re keeping tabs on each other for that game.

WILL THE CANADIENS MOVE JAKE EVANS?

THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Stu Cowan believes Jake Evans could be too expensive for the Canadiens to re-sign. The 28-year-old checking-line center is on pace for a career-best performance in his contract year with nine goals and 22 points in 35 games.

Evans is in the final season of a three-year contract with an AAV of $1.7 million and is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent next July.

Cowan thinks Evans is worth at least double that annual cap hit if not more on a four-year deal. He doubts the rebuilding Canadiens will pay that much for that long, suggesting Evans could be shopped by the trade deadline unless he accepts a hometown discount.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Evans has developed into a reliable two-way checking-line center. If the Canadiens were poised to become Stanley Cup contenders they’d pay to keep him around.

However, Evans turns 29 in June and will want to use his UFA status to cash in. Management could balk at a long-term investment with so many promising young players coming up in the roster. He could fetch a solid return from a contender seeking depth at center.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 23, 2024

by | Dec 23, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 23, 2024

The Avalanche and Oilers tie for the most wins in December, Sam Reinhart reaches a milestone for special-teams goals, Matt Rempe receives a lengthy suspension, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche forward Joel Kiviranta tallied a natural hat trick in a 5-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Cale Makar had a goal and two assists and Nathan MacKinnon had two assists for the Avalanche as they picked up their third straight win, Kappo Kakko scored his first goal as a member of the Kraken as they’ve lost five straight games.

Colorado Avalanche forward Joel Kiviranta (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche have eight wins in December, tying them with the Edmonton Oilers for the most in this calendar month. MacKinnon sits first in the scoring race with 57 points, holding a five-point lead over Oilers center Leon Draisaitl.

Speaking of the Oilers, they got their eighth victory by defeating the Ottawa Senators 3-1, snapping the latter’s six-game win streak. Draisaitl collected an assist while Viktor Arvidsson, Zach Hyman and Adam Henrique scored for the Oilers. Nick Cousins replied for the Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark left this game following the first period with an upper-body injury. Head coach Travis Green said Ullmark indicated his back had tightened up. Meanwhile, Oilers center Ryan Nugent-Hopkins missed this game due to illness.

The Florida Panthers got shorthanded goals by A.J. Greer and Eetu Luostarinen within 42 seconds in the second period to double up the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2. Panthers forward Sam Reinhart opened the scoring on the power play, tying Hall-of-Famer Dave Andreychuk for the fourth-most special team goals in a calendar year with 31. Nick Paul and Brayden Point scored for the Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Andreychuk is also the all-time leader for most special-team goals in a calendar year with 38, followed by Mario Lemieux (37) and Pat Lafontaine (33). The Panthers have won four straight games while the Lightning’s four-game win streak ended.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 22 shots and collected two assists in a 3-1 victory over the New York Rangers. William Carrier, Jack Roslovic, and Sebastian Aho scored for the Hurricanes. Rangers forward Jimmy Vesey scored his club’s only goal as they’ve lost four of their last five.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers played without enforcer Matt Rempe. He received an eight-game suspension from the league’s department of player safety for boarding and elbowing Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen during Friday’s game between the two clubs.

The Washington Capitals (48 points) regained first place in the Eastern Conference standings by downing the Los Angeles Kings 3-1. Aliaksei Protas tallied twice and Pierre-Luc Dubois collected two assists against his former team. Kevin Fiala scored for the Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings dropped into third place in the Pacific Division with 43 points.

A shootout goal by Mason McTavish lifted the Anaheim Ducks to a 5-4 win over the Utah Hockey Club. The Ducks overcame a 4-1 deficit to force overtime and the shootout. Robby Fabbri tallied two goals while Cutter Gauthier and Olen Zellweger each had two assists for the Ducks. Utah forward Clayton Keller had two goals and two assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A disappointing finish for Utah (38 points) as their four-game win streak ended. However, their points streak extended to eight games (6-0-2) as they sit within one point of the Calgary Flames for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2024

by | Dec 22, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2024

Check out the recaps of Saturday’s action and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 19 saves for his league-leading fourth shutout of the season to blank the Minnesota Wild 5-0. Cole Perfetti had a goal and two assists as the Jets sat atop the overall standings with 49 points. It’s the fourth straight loss for the Wild.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck tied Jonathan Quick and Tim Thomas for the most shutouts in one calendar year by an American NHL goaltender.

Boston Bruins captain Brad Marchand scored to extend his points streak to nine games in a 3-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Charlie Coyle and Morgan Geekie also scored for the Bruins, who hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 38 points. JJ Peterka replied for the Sabres, who are winless in 13 straight games (0-10-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: So much for the Sabres’ hopes of reaching the playoffs. Stick a fork in ’em, they’re done. What a waste.

The New York Islanders upset the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3. Bo Horvat led the way with a goal and two assists and Anthony Duclair had an assist in his return to action after missing 28 games with a leg injury. William Nylander scored twice for the Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs captain Auston Matthews missed this game as his status remains uncertain after re-aggravating the upper-body injury that sidelined him for nine games in November. Meanwhile, the Leafs sent goaltender Matt Murray back to their AHL affiliate and recalled Dennis Hildeby to back up Joseph Woll.

An overtime goal by Leon Draisaitl lifted the Edmonton Oilers to a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Connor McDavid collected two assists as the Oilers have won seven of their last eight games. Rookie goalie Yaroslav Askarov kicked out 38 shots for the Sharks as they’ve dropped seven of their last eight (1-6-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl moved into second place in the NHL scoring race with 51 points, four behind Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon.

Ottawa Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson scored 15 seconds into overtime to beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-4 in an entertaining back-and-forth contest. Shane Pinto scored twice and collected an assist for the Senators as they picked up their sixth straight victory, winning eight of their last nine games. Quinn Hughes had a goal and two assists and Brock Boeser tallied two goals for the Canucks, who’ve dropped three straight (0-1-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators (38 points) hold a three-point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Canucks (39 points) hold the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

Speaking of the Penguins, they were blanked 3-0 by the New Jersey Devils. Nico Hischier had a goal and two assists while Jacob Markstrom only had to make 12 saves for the shutout. Tristan Jarry stopped 25 shots for the Penguins. The Devils sit first in the Eastern Conference with 47 points, two back of the league-leading Jets.

The Vegas Golden Knights picked up their seventh win in their last eight games with a 6-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. Golden Knights captain Mark Stone had a goal and two assists as his club sits in first place in the Pacific Division with 47 points, two behind the league-leading Jets.

Nashville Predators defenseman Nick Blankenburg scored in overtime to nip the Los Angeles Kings 3-2. Predators winger Filip Forsberg had two assists while captain Roman Josi collected an assist in his return to a lineup after missing four games with a lower-body injury. Quinton Byfield and Alex Laferriere scored as the Kings overcame a 2-0 deficit to force OT.

Calgary Flames forwards Jonathan Huberdeau, Blake Coleman, Matt Coronato and Connor Zary each had a goal and an assist to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 6-4. The win pushed the Flames (39 points) into the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Blackhawks forwards Connor Bedard and Tyler Bertuzzi finished the night with three points each.

The Montreal Canadiens picked up their third straight win by downing the Detroit Red Wings 5-1 to sweep their home-and-home series. Patrik Laine scored his eighth straight power-play goal while Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson each collected two assists. Joe Veleno tallied the Wings’ only goal as they dropped their third straight game.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Owen Tippett scored in overtime and collected three assists in regulation in a 5-4 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Travis Konecny had three assists and Morgan Frost tallied two goals for the Flyers to snap their three-game losing skid. Blue Jackets forward Dmitri Voronkov collected two assists.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe was offered an in-person hearing by the league’s department of player safety for boarding and elbowing Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen during Friday’s game between the two clubs.

The hearing will take place over Zoom on Sunday. Rempe could face a suspension of six games or more.

DAILY FACEOFF: Former NHL players Sam Gagner, Josh Jooris and Matt Irwin will be part of Canada’s roster for the upcoming Spengler Cup tournament in Davos, Switzerland. Canada has won the tournament a record 16 times but hasn’t taken home the title since 2019.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Christmas holidays are the most wonderful time of the year for international tournaments with the Spengler Cup and the World Junior Championships.

MLIVE.COM: Long-time Detroit sports broadcaster John Keating announced his intention to retire at the end of the Red Wings season. He’s covered the Red Wings and MLB’s Detroit Tigers since 1997.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 20, 2024

by | Dec 20, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 20, 2024

Recaps of Thursday’s games, Rangers GM Chris Drury meets with his team to clear the air following two recent trades, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins forwards Sidney Crosby and Bryan Rust each had four points in a 5-4 win over the Nashville Predators. Rust scored twice (including the winner in overtime) and Crosby snapped a 10-game goal drought as the Penguins (35 points) remain one point behind the Ottawa Senators for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Filip Forsberg and Brady Skjei each had two points for the Predators, who remain at the bottom of the overall standings with 25 points.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Predators placed captain Roman Josi on injured reserve and activated blueliner Jeremy Lauzon for this game. Josi is expected to be sidelined for at least one week.

Meanwhile, the Senators got an overtime goal by Brady Tkachuk to defeat the Calgary Flames 3-2. Goaltender Linus Ullmark turned aside 29 shots for his seventh straight win as the Senators have won five straight games. Blake Coleman and Jonathan Huberdeau scored for the Flames (37 points) as they remain one point behind the Colorado Avalanche for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

The Avalanche netted three unanswered third-period goals to double up the San Jose Sharks 4-2. Joel Kiviranta tallied the winning and insurance goals and Mackenzie Blackwood made 32 saves in his first game against his former club. Luke Kunin had two assists for the Sharks.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins kicked out 40 shots to backstop his club over the New Jersey Devils 4-2, ending the latter’s three-game win streak. Sean Monahan had two goals and an assist for the Jackets as they snapped a five-game losing skid. Luke Hughes and Timo Meier replied for the Devils, who remain in first place in the Eastern Conference with 45 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Jack Hughes fired a career-high 13 shots on Merzlikins, who robbed him of two sure goals with spectacular saves. That effort earned Hughes the praise of Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe, calling his effort “outstanding”.

Los Angeles Kings forwards Anze Kopitar and Kevin Fiala each tallied twice in a 7-3 romp over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Kings (42 points) have won eight of their last 10 games (8-1-1) and sit three points behind the first-place Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific Division. Tyson Foerster scored two goals and collected an assist for the slumping Flyers as they’ve dropped three straight.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers head coach John Tortorella made Cam York a healthy scratch, saying the 23-year-old defenseman has struggled in his last 12 games since returning from an upper-body injury on Nov. 23.

Speaking of the Golden Knights, William Karlsson snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period as they defeated the Vancouver Canucks 3-1. Brett Howden had a goal and an assist as Vegas has won six of their last seven contests. Teddy Blueger replied for the Canucks, who’ve won two of their last seven games (2-3-2).

The Edmonton Oilers overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Boston Bruins 3-2 on an overtime goal by Mattias Ekholm. Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid scored in the third period to set the stage for Ekholm’s heroics in OT as the Oilers have won six of their last seven games and 10 of their last 13. Elias Lindholm and Mark Kastelic tallied for the Bruins, who hold the first Eastern wild-card spot with 38 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers winger Viktor Arvidsson returned to the lineup after missing 15 games with an undisclosed injury. Meanwhile, the Bruins placed forward Tyler Johnson on unconditional waivers to terminate his contract. The 34-year-old center signed a one-year contract on Nov. 3 but appeared in nine games, collecting two points.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov collected two assists to extend his points streak to nine games in a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 31 shots and Gage Goncalves tallied his first NHL goal as the Lightning won their fourth straight game. Pavel Buchnevich replied for the Blues as they’ve dropped four of their last five (1-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning played without defenseman J.J. Moser as he’ll be sidelined for eight to 10 weeks with a lower-body injury. An illness forced Blues rearguard Philip Broberg to be sidelined for this game.

The Chicago Blackhawks picked up their third straight win by downing the Seattle Kraken 3-1. Ilya Mikheyev scored twice and Nolan Allan got his first-ever NHL goal. Ryker Evans replied for the Kraken.

HEADLINES

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL holiday roster freeze is in effect from Dec.20 to 12:01 am on Dec. 28.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers president and general manager Chris Drury addressed the entire team for the first time before their practice on Thursday. Afterward, the club engaged in a fun, energetic session that concluded with a full-team shootout game.

Following practice, Rangers forward Vincent Trocheck met with the media to deny a report claiming a recent players-only meeting was to criticize Drury. “That could not be further from the truth,” he said. “When we have closed-door meetings in here, it’s about us. It’s about what we can do.”

The Rangers have been the hot topic of speculation among pundits and fans in recent weeks following their slide in the standings and Drury’s league-wide memo last month indicating he was willing to entertain trade offers for certain players.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jacob Trouba was on Drury’s list and was shipped to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 6. Winger Kaapo Kakko was traded to Seattle on Wednesday but it’s not known if he was also on that list.

The report indicated a lighthearted mood among the players during practice following their meeting with Drury. Whether this marks the moment the Rangers snap out of their funk remains to be seen.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The Islanders placed goaltender Semyon Varlamov on long-term injury reserve, potentially clearing the way for sidelined winger Anthony Duclair’s return on Saturday.

SPORTSNET: Buffalo Sabres winger Jordan Greenway will be sidelined long-term following surgery for a middle-body injury. There is no timetable for his return but head coach Lindy Ruff expects he’ll be back later this season.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings sent goaltender Ville Husso to their AHL affiliate in Grand Rapids. The move suggests sidelined netminder Cam Talbot will soon return to action.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Minnesota Wild placed forward Yakov Trenin (upper body) on injured reserve.