NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 3, 2024

by | Jun 3, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 3, 2024

The Oilers eliminate the Stars and advance to the Stanley Cup Final. Check out the recap and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers are going to the Stanley Cup Final after holding off the Dallas Stars 2-1 in Game 6 of the Western Conference Final, taking the series four games to two.

Edmonton captain Connor McDavid opened the scoring on the power play in the first period with a brilliant display of stickhandling. Zach Hyman made it 2-0 for the Oilers on another power-play goal. Mason Marchment got Dallas on the board in the third period but the Oilers withstood a furious push by the Stars for the win. McDavid finished with two points and Evan Bouchard collected two assists. 

2023-24 Western Conference Champion Edmonton Oilers (NHL.com).

The Oilers will face the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final on Saturday, June 8 at 7:30 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars dominated the play in this game except on the score sheet. They outshot the Oilers 35-10, outhit them 31-18, and had three power-play opportunities to the Oilers’ two.

The difference was Edmonton cashed in on the man advantage and stymied the Stars at 5-on-5. Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner played his best game of the postseason, kicking out 34 shots. They got the win with winger Evander Kane sidelined for the third period after he was injured in the opening frame throwing a hit on Dallas’ Alex Petrovic. Head coach Kris Knoblauch is optimistic that the six-day break before the Cup Final will do Kane some good.

Oilers winger Corey Perry became the first player in NHL history to play for five teams in the Stanley Cup Final. He won the Cup in 2007 with the Anaheim Ducks and would play for the Stars (2020), Montreal Canadiens (2021) and Tampa Bay Lightning (2022) before joining the Oilers as a free agent in January.

The Stars were understandably overcome with emotion following the loss, but the thought of teammate Joe Pavelski’s possible retirement had several of them on the verge of tears. He turns 40 next month and his contract expires on July 1. Pavelski had 27 goals and 67 points in the regular season but his performance noticeably declined during this postseason with four points in 19 games.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NEW YORK POST: Rangers long-time goaltending guru, Benoit Allaire, will scale back his workload. He will continue serving as their director of goaltending but will no longer serve as their goalie coach on a day-to-day basis. Allaire completed his 20th season with the Rangers, playing a key role in the careers of netminders Henrik Lundqvist and Igor Shesterkin.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Saginaw Spirit got a late goal from Vancouver Canucks prospect Josh Bloom to defeat the London Knights 4-3, winning the Memorial Cup for the first time in franchise history.

Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck won the Stafford Smythe Memorial Trophy as tournament MVP. He scored twice in the championship game and registered four goals and an assist in the tournament.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the Spirit on winning their first-ever Memorial Cup championship.

Seattle Kraken prospect Jagger Firkus won the David Branch Player of the Year as the top player in the Canadian Hockey League (CHL). The Moose Jaw Warriors winger is the first player in his club’s history to win this award, leading the CHL with 61 goals and 65 assists for 126 points in 63 regular-season games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Firkus was mentioned as a potential trade candidate for the Kraken to add more immediate help to their roster. Given his performance this season, they might want to rethink that option.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 2, 2024

by | Jun 2, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 2, 2024

The Panthers advance to the Stanley Cup Final, the latest on the Stars and Oilers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers have advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year, holding off the New York Rangers 2-1 in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final to win the series four games to two.

Sam Bennett opened the scoring in the first period, Vladimir Tarasenko added the insurance goal in the third period, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves for the win. Artemi Panarin scored for the Rangers to make it interesting late in the third period while Igor Shesterkin stopped 32 shots.

The Florida Panthers are the 2024 Eastern Conference champions (NHL.com).

The Panthers posed with the Prince of Wales Trophy when awarded to them at the end of the game but didn’t touch it like they did last year. “We touched it last year and it didn’t work for us,” said Sam Bennett, referring to their five-game defeat at the hands of the Vegas Golden Knights in the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. “So, we thought we’d try something different this year.”

Bennett and his teammates will get a six-day break as they await the winner of the Western Conference Final between the Edmonton Oilers and Dallas Stars. The Oilers hold a 3-2 series lead and can wrap things up with a win on Sunday night in Edmonton.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers might be hoping to change their luck in this year’s Stanley Cup Final but they didn’t need luck to defeat the Rangers. Their experience, disciplined defensive game, and physical style made the difference in Game 6 just as it had in each of their three previous victories in this series.

The Rangers played better in the last two games but couldn’t mount sustained offensive pressure against Florida. The Panthers snuffed out their power play and neutralized scoring forwards like Panarin, Chris Kreider, and Mika Zibanejad. They also prevented the Rangers from generating offense from the blueline, though the Blueshirts were hampered in that department with defenseman Adam Fox hobbled by a knee injury.

Shesterkin was outstanding for the Rangers, giving his teammates a chance to win throughout this series whenever they fell behind. However, his teammates couldn’t match the Panthers’ heavy game.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers are on the cusp of advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2006.

Their offense has dominated this postseason. Connor McDavid (29 points), Leon Draisaitl (27), and Evan Bouchard (25) hold the top three positions among this year’s playoff points leaders, with Ryan Nugent-Hopkins tied for fourth with New York’s Vincent Trocheck. Meanwhile, Zach Hyman leads all goal scorers with 13, followed by Draisaitl with 10 goals.

Their defense has a league-leading 46 points in this postseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers sit second in goals-per-game average (3.59) and power-play percentage (34.7) only because the Colorado Avalanche ran up big numbers during their five-game opening-round elimination of the Winnipeg Jets. It’s also worth noting that their penalty-killing percentage (93.5) is first overall.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars hope their strong road record will help them in Game 6 as they try to force a seventh and deciding game against the Oilers. They tied with Florida for the most road wins during the regular season (26) and have six road wins in this postseason. They also need scoring from a power play that has gone 0-for-11 in this series.

Stars coach Pete DeBoer said Chris Tanev was sore following Friday’s game against the Oilers but he’s confident the 34-year-old defenseman will be ready to go for Game 6. Meanwhile, Stars blueliner Jani Hakanpaa didn’t make the trip to Edmonton as he recovers from a lower-body injury.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DENVER POST: Corey Masisak points out Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen is poised for a big pay raise. He’s eligible next July to become an unrestricted free agent but the Avs can sign him to an extension this July 1. He will enter the final season of his six-year, $55.5 million contract with an annual average value of $9.25 million.

A comparable is Boston Bruins’ right wing David Pastrnak, who’s in the second season of an eight-year deal with an AAV of $11.25 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Masisak noted that paying Rantanen $11.75 million on his next contract would be a raise of only $2.5 million annually from his current salary.

The Avs’ offer to Rantanen won’t exceed Nathan MacKinnon’s team-leading $12.6 million. As one of the NHL’s top right wings, he will likely get between $11.5 million and $12 million on his next contract.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports Daniel Alfredsson is leaning toward returning to the Senators’ coaching staff next season.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Steve Warne cited The Athletic’s Mike Russo reporting that the Senators didn’t renew assistant coach Jack Capuano’s contract, which expires on July 1. Russo indicated that Capuano could be a contender to join the Minnesota Wild’s coaching staff.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Perhaps ensuring that Alfredsson will be back with the Senators next season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 1, 2024

by | Jun 1, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 1, 2024

The Oilers push the Stars to the brink of elimination in the Western Conference Final, the latest on the Panthers and Rangers on the eve of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers are a win away from reaching the Stanley Cup Final after beating the Dallas Stars 3-1 in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final, taking a 3-2 series lead.

Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored two power-play goals, Philip Broberg tallied his first career NHL playoff goal, and Evan Bouchard collected two assists for the Oilers. Wyatt Johnston replied for the Stars in the third period.

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

The series returns to Edmonton for Game 6 on Sunday, June 2 at 8 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the most complete game by the Oilers in this series. They broke through on the power play after going scoreless with the man advantage in the previous four games, stifled the Stars’ offense, and maintained their poise and discipline throughout this contest.

Meanwhile, the Stars continue to have difficulty at home in this postseason. Their best scorers struggled against the Oilers’ defense and they’re still looking for their first power-play goal in this series. This was the first time in this postseason that Dallas goalie Jake Oettinger failed to bounce back with a win following a loss in his previous game.

Dallas defenseman Chris Tanev returned for this game after leaving Game 4 with an injured foot. However, he appeared to be laboring throughout this contest.

Following this game, Stars head coach Pete DeBoer took exception to a reporter’s question about his club’s “lifeless” performance during the second period.

“Listen, there are always things you can do better,” said DeBoer. “You’re going to sit here and question our character if you want, you haven’t been here all year. I’m not going to do it. You go ahead and write whatever the f**k you want.”

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: The Panthers are a win away from advancing to the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year. However, the players’ focus is on defeating the New York Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final.

“I don’t think we’ve thought about it at all,” said forward Sam Bennett. “We’ve got business to take care of still. We’ve got Game 6 and our entire focus is on that.”

Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky and team captain Aleksander Barkov share Bennett’s view. “We don’t think that far,” said Bobrovsky. “Right now, we just need to recover and think about that,” Barkov said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers have been in this situation before. That experience should work to their advantage as they prepare to face the Rangers on Saturday evening.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin has been the best goaltender of this postseason, but he needs more support from his teammates to stave off elimination in Game 6, especially from his scorers. They’ve spent too much time in the defensive zone in this series with the Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers have dominated the last two games of this series. If the Rangers can’t find a way to break through in Game 6, they’ll be cleaning out their lockers on Monday.

IN OTHER NEWS…

STARTRIBUNE.COM: The Minnesota Wild dismissed long-time assistant coach Darby Hendrickson on Friday. An original member of the Wild as a player, he spent the past 14 seasons as an assistant to six different Wild head coaches.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators parted ways with assistant coach Dan Hinote. He was with the club for the past four seasons and was primarily responsible for their penalty kill.

PUCKPEDIA: This year’s restricted free agent offer sheet compensation list was released on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the link for the full breakdown. The top compensation is four first-round picks for an offer sheet of over $11.45 million.

DAILY FACEOFF: Scott Burnside is the 2024 winner of the Elmer Ferguson Award for excellence in hockey journalism. Pierre Houde is this year’s recipient of the Foster Hewitt Memorial Award for outstanding contributions as a hockey broadcaster.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Burnside and Houde for the well-deserved recognition of their work.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 30, 2024

by | May 30, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 30, 2024

The Oilers rally back to defeat the Stars and tie the Western Conference Final at two games apiece, the latest on the Rangers and Panthers, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers overcame an early 2-0 deficit to beat the Dallas Stars 5-2, squaring the Western Conference Final at two games apiece. Oilers captain Connor McDavid had three assists, Leon Draisaitl netted his 10th goal of this postseason, and Mattias Janmark scored the game-winner. Wyatt Johnston and Esa Lindell gave the Stars the early lead before the Oilers rallied. The series returns to Dallas for Game 5 on Friday, May 31 at 8:30 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It appeared the Stars were going to crush the Oilers until the latter got goals by Ryan McLeod and Evan Bouchard before the end of the first period. Janmark and Draisaitl blew the game open late in the second period with goals less than a minute apart and never looked back. Janmark’s goal was the Oilers’ first shorthanded tally of the postseason.

Edmonton Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse (NHL Images).

The Oilers were the most physical of the two clubs, outhitting the Stars 47-23. They also held the edge in shots 29-22.

Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse’s struggles in this postseason made him the target of criticism from the Edmonton media. He had a shaky start to Game 4 but finished strong with one assist, 12 hits, and three blocked shots.

Sportsnet’s Kevin Bieksa defended Nurse and slammed the Edmonton media, calling them “meat” because, in his opinion, they’re “raw, dead and dumb.” I can appreciate Bieksa sticking up for Nurse but his remarks seemed designed to pick a fight with the Edmonton press. As a former Canucks defenseman, he knows what it’s like to play under a sometimes harsh media spotlight in a Canadian city.

Dallas defenseman Chris Tanev left the game in the second period after blocking a shot with his right foot. There was no postgame update on his condition but Stars coach Pete DeBoer hopes Tanev will be ready for Game 5.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

Dallas Stars arena DJ Jonathan “Slippy” Shipman drew criticism from Edmonton fans for playing “La Bamba” following the Oilers’ loss in Game 2 of this series. Shipman was unaware of the song’s importance to the Oilers and their fans. He publicly apologized and donated to the Ben Stelter Foundation, joining Stars fans who contributed $20,000.00 to the fund.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stelter was a six-year-old Oilers fan who coined the phrase, “Play La Bamba, baby,” during the club’s run to the 2022 Western Conference final. He died of cancer later that year.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers need their top three forwards – Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad – to regain their scoring touch heading into Game 5 of the Eastern Conference Final with the Florida Panthers. They combined for just three assists in the previous four games. The series is tied at two games apiece.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Matthew Tkachuk was unfazed over Kreider grabbing the Florida Panthers winger’s mouthguard and attempting to toss it into the crowd following a heat third-period scrum in Game 4. “I told him it was the best play he made the whole game,” laughed Tkachuk on Wednesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk has a knack for getting under the skin of his opponents. That was a world-class chirp at Kreider, who’s been held scoreless in this series after netting seven goals and 10 points in his first 10 games of this postseason.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Anaheim Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier was named USA Hockey’s College Player of the Year.

NASHVILLE HOCKEY NOW: The Predators brought back Mitch Korn to oversee their goaltending department. Korn spent 16 seasons with the Predators from 1998 to 2014.

DAILY FACEOFF: Minnesota defeated Boston 3-0 in the fifth and deciding game of the Professional Women’s Hockey League Finals, becoming the first team in league history to win the Walter Cup. Minnesota forward Tayler Heise was the first winner of the Ilona Kloss Playoff MVP Award.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Minnesota, who barely squeaked into the playoffs but would upset heavily favored Toronto in the semifinal to reach the Walter Cup Final.

The PWHL had a record-setting inaugural campaign that bodes well for its future. Everyone who played in this league is a winner, laying the foundation for what could become a vibrant and successful women’s professional hockey league.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 29, 2024

by | May 29, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 29, 2024

The Panthers defeat the Rangers to tie the Eastern Conference Final at two games apiece, the latest on the Oilers and Stars, the Blue Jackets formally hire Don Waddell as president and GM, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: Sam Reinhart’s power-play goal in overtime lifted the Florida Panthers to a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers, squaring the Eastern Conference Final at two games apiece.

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart (NHL Images).

The Rangers opened the scoring in the first period on a goal by Vincent Trocheck. However, Sam Bennett and Carter Verhaeghe scored to give the Panthers the lead in the second period. Alexis Lafreniere tied it for the Rangers in the third period.

This series returns to New York for Game 5 on Thursday, May 30 at 8 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Like Game 3, the Panthers controlled the play for most of this contest. They outshot the Rangers 40-23, out-attempted them 88-44, and had more high-danger scoring chances (16-6). They also went two-for-six on the power play while the Rangers were one-for-three.

Blueshirts goaltender Igor Shesterkin stole Game 3 for his club. He nearly did it again in Game 4. Meanwhile, his teammates Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider have yet to pick up any points in this series. Zibanejad’s careless pass to Blake Wheeler led to the latter’s penalty that set the stage for Reinhart’s game-winning goal.

Both clubs made changes to their lineups for this contest. The Panthers replaced forwards Nick Cousins and Ryan Lomberg with Kyle Okposo and Steve Lorentz while Wheeler replaced Filip Chytil for the Rangers.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Roope Hintz’s return to the Stars’ lineup in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final provided a big boost to his teammates. Sidelined by an upper-body injury during their last four playoff games, Hintz collected two assists in their 5-3 win over the Edmonton Oilers to take a 2-1 series lead.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse has been struggling during this postseason. His plus-minus is a playoff-worst minus-12. Head coach Kris Knoblauch doesn’t put much stock in plus-minus but he believes Nurse can play better.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers need Nurse at his best if they hope to defeat the Stars and advance to the Stanley Cup Final.

Meanwhile, Oilers defenseman Troy Stecher’s postseason is over. He will be undergoing surgery soon for an injured ankle.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: The Columbus Blue Jackets officially named Don Waddell as their new general manager and president of hockey operations. Waddell resigned last Friday as GM of the Carolina Hurricanes. He replaced Jarmo Kekalainen, who was fired by the Blue Jackets in February.

Former Blue Jackets president John Davidson will remain with the club in an advisory role. He served as interim GM following Kekalainen’s firing.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets hope Waddell will have the same success as he did with the Hurricanes. He played a key role in turning them into one of the NHL’s best clubs. During his tenure, the Hurricanes drafted Andrei Svechnikov, Seth Jarvis and Pyotr Kochetkov and brought in Brent Burns, Jake Guentzel, Brady Skjei, Frederik Andersen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, and Dmitry Orlov through trades and free agency.

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken named Dan Bylsma as their new head coach on Tuesday. He’s currently the bench boss of their AHL affiliate, the Coachella Valley Firebirds. They’re currently playing against the Milwaukee Admirals in the AHL playoffs.

Bylsma is considering Jessica Campbell for a role on the Kraken coaching staff. She currently serves as an assistant coach for Bylsma with the Firebirds.

Campbell is a former Canadian women’s professional player and national team member who began her coaching career in 2017. She was an assistant coach for the Nuremberg Ice Tigers of Germany’s top pro men’s league and with the German Men’s National Team in the 2022 IIHF World Championships.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Campbell is also a trailblazer, becoming the first woman on the coaching staff of a men’s national team and the first woman to become a full-time AHL coach. If she joins the Kraken’s staff, she’ll become the first woman to coach in the NHL.

NHL.COM: New York Islanders captain Anders Lee is this season’s winner of the King Clancy Memorial Trophy. The award honors the NHL player “who best exemplifies leadership qualities on and off the ice and has made a noteworthy humanitarian contribution in his community.”

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks and assistant coach Mike Yeo have parted ways. Yeo was part of their coaching staff for the past two seasons and was largely responsible for the team’s penalty kill. He was offered a one-year contract extension by the Canucks but he decide to explore other options.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks signed highly-touted prospect Will Smith to an entry-level contract.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 28, 2024

by | May 28, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 28, 2024

The Stars rally to defeat the Oilers in Game 3 of the Western Conference Final, Rangers captain Jacob Trouba fined for elbowing, Dan Bylsma returns to the NHL coaching ranks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: A hat trick by Jason Robertson powered the Dallas Stars to a 5-3 comeback victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of the 2024 Western Conference Final.

The Oilers dominated the first period jumping to a 2-0 lead on goals by Zach Hyman and Connor McDavid. However, the Stars bounced back in the second with Robertson scoring twice and Wyatt Johnston giving them the lead.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (NHL Images).

Edmonton forward Adam Henrique tied the game late in the second but Robertson tallied the game-winner at 11:54 of the third period. Miro Heiskanen added the insurance goal into an empty net.

Roope Hintz, Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin had two assists each and Jake Oettinger stopped 28 shots for the win. McDavid had a goal and an assist to become the fourth-fastest player in NHL history to record 100 playoff points, reaching that milestone in 64 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Edmonton appeared on the verge of a rout in the first period, outshooting the Stars 10-3 and controlling most of the play. However, the Stars maintained their poise, received solid goaltending from Oettinger, and overwhelmed the Oilers in the second, outshooting them 16-7 and holding their opponent without a shot on net through the first half of the period.

The Oilers caught a break on Henrique’s goal to end the second period with a tie. They outshot the Stars 13-3 in the third but Oettinger shut the door and Robertson sank the dagger with his third goal of the game.

Following the Oilers’ second-round series against Vancouver, McDavid said he and his teammates don’t make it easy for themselves. This game was another example of the inconsistency that could prove their undoing against a deep, talented, confident club like the Stars.

Henrique and Hintz debuted in this series after being sidelined by injuries suffered earlier in this postseason.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba received the maximum fine ($5,000.00) for elbowing Florida Panthers forward Evans Rodrigues during Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Final. Trouba was assessed a minor penalty on the play.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is Trouba’s fourth fine and he’s been suspended twice. I detect a pattern here…

THE SEATTLE TIMES: Geoff Baker reports a source confirmed the Kraken will hire Dan Bylsma as their new head coach. Bylsma is currently the head coach of their AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bylsma coached the Pittsburgh Penguins from 2008-09 to 2013-14, guiding them to the Stanley Cup in 2009 and winning the Jack Adam Award in 2010-11. He also coached the Buffalo Sabres from 2015 to 2017.

Promoting Bylsma brings a degree of familiarity behind the Kraken bench. Joey Daccord, Shane Wright, and Tye Kartye are among a handful of their players who skated for their new head coach during their tenures in Coachella Valley.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the Sharks’ search for a new head coach has progressed to the second interview stage.

Sharks assistant coach Ryan Warsofsky has had two interviews and former Detroit Red Wings bench boss Jeff Blashill will have his second this week. Ontario Reign coach Marco Sturm has had one but there’s no indication if he’ll get a second.