NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 12, 2024

by | Mar 12, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 12, 2024

Recaps of Monday’s games, the three stars of the week are revealed, and injury updates on Thatcher Demko, Gabriel Landeskog, Aaron Ekblad and Josh Norris. Get the details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 23 saves for his fourth shutout of the season to blank the Washington Capitals 3-0. Neal Pionk, Alex Iafallo and Kyle Connor were the goalscorers for the 41-18-5 Jets, as they sit in second place in the Central Division with 87 points. Charlie Lindgren made 26 stops for the 30-24-9 Capitals as they remain three points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 69 points.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck also reached the 30-win plateau for the fifth time in his NHL career. Capitals forward T.J. Oshie returned to action after missing seven games with an upper-body injury. However, teammate Tom Wilson missed this game with an upper-body injury.

Speaking of that final Eastern wild-card spot, the New York Islanders slipped out of it after a 3-0 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. Adrian Kempe, Phillip Danault and Trevor Moore scored for the Kings (33-20-11) as they sit third in the Pacific Division with 77 points. Ilya Sorokin turned aside 22 shots for the 29-21-14 Islanders, who sit behind the Detroit Red Wings with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE The Islanders and Red Wings have the same number of points, but the Wings hold the wild-card berth with more wins (33).

New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad scored his first even-strength goal in 30 games as his club downed the New Jersey Devils 3-1. Jonathan Quick made 19 saves for the 42-18-4 Rangers (88 points) as they hold first place in the Metropolitan Division and sit fifth in the overall standings. Simon Nemec scored for the Devils (31-30-4), who remain six points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot with 66 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zibanejad became the fifth player in Rangers history to score at least 20 goals in seven straight seasons, joining Jean Ratelle, Rod Gilbert, Vic Hadfield and Andy Bathgate. Meanwhile, Rangers forward Matt Rempe could face supplemental discipline after being ejected during the second period for elbowing Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler in the head.

The St. Louis Blues upset the Boston Bruins 5-1 with Kasperi Kapanen scoring a goal and collecting two assists. Joel Hofer kicked out 36 shots for the 33-29-3 Blues (69 points) as they moved to within six points of the final Western Conference wild-card berth. David Pastrnak tallied his 41st goal of the season for the Bruins (38-14-15) as they remain one point behind the first-overall Florida Panthers with 91 points.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Boston Bruins forward Pavel Zacha, and Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending March 10, 2024.

THE PROVINCE: Speaking of Demko, he’ll be sidelined for two to three weeks after suffering a knee injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’ll be interesting to see how well the Canucks handle the loss of their starting goaltender over that period. A healthy Demko is a crucial part of their Stanley Cup aspirations.

TSN: Colorado Avalanche head coach Jared Bednar said team captain Gabriel Landeskog could return to action with what he called the “playoff timeframe.” The 31-year-old winger has been sidelined by a knee injury since the end of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. Bednar stressed that Landeskog won’t be rushing his timetable to return.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That timeframe could be the start of the playoffs next month or the Stanley Cup Final in June if the Avalanche get that far.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators center Josh Norris will miss the rest of the regular season after undergoing a third surgery on his left shoulder following an injury on Feb. 27. He’s expected to be recovered in time for training camp in September.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a significant setback for Norris. Whether the 24-year-old center will be able to continue his playing career or be as effective as he once was remains to be seen.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad will be sidelined for at least two weeks with a knee injury. Head coach Paul Maurice said the blueliner didn’t suffer any long-term damage.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers center Ryan Johansen is believed to be battling an injury or ailment that has prevented him from playing for their AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley. Johansen also hopes to reconcile with Flyers coach John Tortorella as the two clashed when they were with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

ESPN.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes signed forward Brendan Lemieux to a one-year, $775K contract extension.

SPORTSNET: The Arizona Land Department’s Board of Appeals will meet on Thursday to discuss a Phoenix site where the Coyotes hope to build a new arena.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 27, 2024

by | Feb 27, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 27, 2024

Oilers captain Connor McDavid reaches two milestones, the three stars of the week are unveiled, Valeri Nichushkin returns to the Avalanche, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected two assists in a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings to reach the 90-point plateau for the eighth consecutive season. Evan Bouchard, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had a goal and an assist for the 34-20-2 Oilers, who sit third in the Pacific Division with 70 points. Trevor Moore and Alex Laferriere replied for the Kings (29-18-10) as they hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 68 points.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid is the sixth player to reach 90 points in eight straight seasons, sitting in a tie for the third-most all-time with Jari Kurri, Dale Hawerchuk and Marcel Dionne. Wayne Gretzky is the all-time leader with 13 followed by Mike Bossy with nine.

The Oilers’ superstar also netted 70 assists for the fourth straight season to become the sixth player to reach that milestone. Gretzky is the all-time leader in that category with 13, followed by Bobby Orr (six), Adam Oates (five) Peter Stastny and Guy Lafleur (four each).

By the way, McDavid also stretched his home points streak to 23. With 91 points, he’s third among this season’s leading scorers.

The Seattle Kraken upset the Boston Bruins 4-3 on a shootout goal by Kailer Yamamoto. Philipp Grubauer made 29 saves for the Kraken as they improved to 25-22-11 (61 points) and sit five points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot. David Pastrnak scored twice and collected an assist for the Bruins (34-12-14) as they collected a point to move into second place in the overall standings with 81 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the sixth straight game that has gone to overtime or a shootout for the Bruins, winning just two of those. Speaking of the Bruins, defenseman Derek Forbort was a healthy scratch after missing a team meeting.

An overtime goal by Bo Horvat gave the New York Islanders a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars. Ilya Sorokin kicked out 30 shots for the 24-20-14 Islanders. Rookie Logan Stankoven scored his first NHL goal and collected his first assist for the Stars (35-16-9), who hold first place in the Central Division with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Stars announced that forward Tyler Seguin is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

The Washington Capitals defeated the Ottawa Senators 6-3. Hendrix Lapierre tallied twice while Aliaksei Protas had a goal and two assists for the 27-21-9 Capitals. Brady Tkachuk and Shane Pinto each had a goal and two assists for the 25-28-3 Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals’ John Carlson reached a franchise milestone by moving past Calle Johansson into first place for most games played by a defenseman with 984. He’s also third all-time on their games-played list behind Alex Ovechkin (1,401) and Nicklas Backstrom (1,105).

Earlier in the day, the Capitals announced winger T.J. Oshie is week-to-week with an upper-body injury while Nic Dowd (upper body) is day-to-day.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov, Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner, and New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin as the league’s three stars for the week ending Feb. 25, 2024.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Valeri Nichushkin has been cleared to return to practice with the Avalanche. The 28-year-old winger entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program on Jan. 15 and is now in the follow-up care phase.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No word yet as to when Nichushkin will be cleared to resume playing but it’s good news for the Avalanche that he’s a step closer to doing so.

STLTODAY.COM: The Blues activated defenseman Justin Faulk (lower body) off long-term injured reserve. He could be in the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale is reportedly week-to-week with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 23, 2024

by | Feb 23, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 23, 2024

The Rangers move within one game of tying a franchise-record win streak, the Bruins rise while the Canucks slump and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The New York Rangers extended their win streak to nine games by beating the New Jersey Devils 5-1. Igor Shesterkin made 39 saves while Alexis Lafreniere scored two goals and Artemi Panarin collected three assists for the 38-16-3 Rangers (79 points), who lead the Metropolitan Division and sit one point behind the league-leading Boston Bruins. Jack Hughes scored for the 28-24-4 Devils (60 points) as they sit five points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

New York Rangers winger Alexis Lafreniere (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers are within one game of their franchise-record win streak of 10 games held by the 1939-40 Blueshirts and the 1972-73 edition. Rangers forward Matthew Rempe received a match penalty for an illegal hit on Devils forward Nate Bastian.

Speaking of the Bruins, they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Calgary Flames on an overtime goal by Nazem Kadri. Jacob Markstrom stopped 32 shots for the 27-25-2 Flames (59 points) as they sit three points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Charlie Coyle tallied both goals for the Bruins (34-12-12) as they gained a point and moved into first place in the overall standings with 80 points, holding a game in hand over the slumping Vancouver Canucks.

As for the Canucks, they dropped their fourth straight game by falling to the Seattle Kraken 5-2. Jared McCann led the way with a goal and three assists while Jordan Eberle scored twice and collected an assist as the Kraken improved to 24-21-11 (59 points) and sit three points out of the final Western wild-card berth. J.T. Miller and Sam Lafferty replied for the 37-16-6 Canucks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the first significant losing skid for the Canucks this season. They’re not in any danger of tumbling out of a playoff berth but two of their four losses came against teams like Seattle and Minnesota that are trying to get into postseason contention. This could be merely a bump in the road in what’s been a successful regular season thus far for the Canucks. Nevertheless, it’s making some of their fans nervous given the club’s inconsistency in recent years.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews scored his league-leading 52nd goal of the season in a 7-3 rout of the Vegas Golden Knights. Max Domi scored two goals and Mitch Marner picked up two assists for the Leafs (32-16-8) as they sit third in the Atlantic Division with 72 points. Jonathan Marchessault and Shea Theodore each had two points for the 32-19-6 Golden Knights (70 points), who sit in second place in the Pacific Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews has scored 10 goals in the last five games and has widened his league in the goal-scoring race over Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart, who sits in second place with 39 goals…Before this game, the Golden Knights announced captain Mark Stone is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov kicked out 44 shots to shut out the Florida Panthers 1-0. Sebastian Aho scored with 19 seconds remaining in regulation for the Hurricanes as they improved to 34-17-5 and sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 73 points. Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves for the Panthers (37-16-4) as they sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 78 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk and defenseman Gustav Forsling left this game with injuries during the first period. They’re considered day-to-day as they undergo further evaluation.

The St. Louis Blues scored three goals within 32 seconds to blank the New York Islanders 4-0. Pavel Buchnevich tallied a natural hat trick, Robert Thomas had three assists and Jordan Binnington turned in a 38-save shutout performance for the 30-24-2 Blues (62 points) as they hold the final Western wild-card berth. Semyon Varlamov stopped 21 shots as the Islanders dropped to 23-19-14 (60 points) and sit five points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

Speaking of that wild-card berth, the Washington Capitals (26-21-8) also moved to within five points of it with a 5-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning (30-23-5) as they hold that spot with 65 points. Connor McMichael scored twice and Alex Ovechkin picked up an assist to extend his points streak to 10 games. Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov collected an assist as he sits atop the scoring race with 95 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals forward T.J. Oshie left this game in the third period following a non-contact injury. He will be evaluated on Friday.

An overtime goal by Patrick Kane lifted the Detroit Red Wings over the Colorado Avalanche by a score of 2-1. Dylan Larkin also scored while Alex Lyon turned aside 30 shots for the 30-20-6 Red Wings as they hold the first Eastern wild-card spot with 66 points. Nathan MacKinnon replied for Colorado to move within two points of Kucherov in the scoring race. The 35-18-5 Avs, meanwhile, gained a point (75) and sit one point behind the Central Division-leading Dallas Stars.

The Stars, meanwhile, suffered a 4-1 upset loss to the Ottawa Senators. Josh Norris scored two goals and Drake Batherson collected two assists for the 24-27-3 Senators. Joe Pavelski scored for the 34-18-8 Stars.

Nashville Predators forward Colton Sissons had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Juuse Saros stopped 27 shots for the 30-25-2 Predators, who won their third straight and are tied with the Blues with 60 points. Kevin Fiala scored for the Kings (28-17-10) as their four-game winning streak came to an end. They hold the first Western wild-card spot with 66 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues maintain their hold on that final wild-card spot with a game in hand over the Predators.

The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the Montreal Canadiens 4-1. Kris Letang tallied twice and Tristan Jarry made 30 saves for the 25-21-8 Penguins. Mike Matheson replied for the 22-27-8 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Canadiens claimed center Colin White off waivers from the Penguins.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 18, 2023

by | Dec 18, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 18, 2023

Nathan MacKinnon extends his point streaks, Jack Eichel establishes a Golden Knights record, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scored twice and collected two assists in a 6-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. MacKinnon extended his season-opening home points streak to 16 games and his overall points streak to 15 games as the Avalanche (19-10-2) reclaimed first place in the Central Division with 40 points. Tomas Hertl scored both goals for the 9-19-3 Sharks while Anthony Duclair was a healthy scratch from this contest.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon is having an MVP-worthy season thus far. With 47 points, he’s now five behind Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov, who leads all scorers with 52 points.

Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel had a goal and an assist to lead his club over the Ottawa Senators 6-3. Mark Stone collected three assists for the Golden Knights (21-6-5), who sit atop the overall standings with 47 points. Josh Norris had a goal and an assist for the 11-15-0 Senators, who’ve dropped four straight and remain at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with 22 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Eichel extended his points streak to a franchise-record 10 games. Meanwhile, Vegas goaltender Adin Hill left this game in the first period with an undisclosed injury. It was his first game since being sidelined for the last seven with a lower-body injury.

A hat trick by Adam Henrique powered the Anaheim Ducks to a 5-1 upset of the New Jersey Devils. Alex Killorn had a goal and two assists for the 11-19-1 Ducks as they snapped a five-game losing skid. Michael McLeod replied for the 16-12-1 Devils (33 points), who sit one point out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

The Vancouver Canucks netted three goals in the second period to hold off the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3. J.T. Miller picked up two assists as he leads his teammates with 45 points to sit third in the league scoring race. The Canucks (21-9-2) sit second in the Western Conference with 44 points. Nick Foligno tallied twice for the Blackhawks (9-20-1), who sit at the bottom of the overall standings with 19 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks winger Brock Boeser netted his 23rd goal of the season to move into a tie with Toronto’s Auston Matthews for the league lead in goals. Meanwhile, the ranks of injured Blackhawks is growing as winger Joey Anderson left this game with an upper-body injury. He joins Seth Jones (left shoulder), Alex Vlasic (upper body), Andreas Athanasiou (groin), Colin Blackwell (lower body), Jarred Tinordi (concussion) and Taylor Hall (season-ending ACL injury) on the sidelines.

A shootout goal by Evgeny Kuznetsov gave the Washington Capitals a 2-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. Darcy Kuemper made 28 saves for the Capitals (15-9-4), who hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 34 points and two games in hand over the Detroit Red Wings, who also have 34 points. Sebastian Aho scored for the 16-12-3 Hurricanes, who’ve dropped six of their last eight games and cling to the first Eastern wild-card spot with 35 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals winger TJ Oshie was a late scratch from this game with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, Hurricanes goaltender Antti Raanta cleared waivers and was assigned to the AHL’s Chicago Wolves. The Canes got some good news as goalie Frederik Andersen was cleared to resume skating after being sidelined for six weeks with a blood clot issue.

IN GOALIE NEWS…

CALGARY SUN: Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom was activated off injured reserve after missing seven games with a fractured finger. Goalie Dustin Wolf has been assigned to their AHL affiliate.

LA KINGS INSIDER: The Kings placed goaltender Pheonix Copley on long-term injury reserve with an undisclosed injury. They called up David Rittich from their AHL affiliate over the weekend. Copley suffered the injury during practice on Friday.

CBS SPORTS: Detroit Red Wings goalie Alex Lyon suffered a lower-body injury during Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers. No updates were released regarding his condition.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils recalled netminder Nico Daws from their AHL affiliate as Vitek Vanecek is not feeling “physically well”, though it is not related to any illness.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 28, 2023

by | Nov 28, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 28, 2023

Three division leaders suffering upset defeats, the Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky reaches a career milestone and the Wild fire head coach Dean Evason. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch scored two goals as his club upset the league-leading New York Rangers 5-1. Casey Mittelstadt had a goal and two assists and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen stopped 25 shots as the Sabres improved to 10-10-2 on the season. Mika Zibanejad replied for the Rangers (15-4-1), who remain in first place in the overall standings with 31 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers also lost winger Kaapo Kakko as he left the game in the second period with what appeared to be an injured left knee. There was no postgame update regarding his condition.

The Boston Bruins suffered their third straight defeat as a result of a 5-2 upset at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets. Yegor Chinakhov had a goal and an assist while Spencer Martin made 31 saves for the Blue Jackets (7-12-4), who’ve won three of their last four games following a nine-game losing skid. Matthew Poitras and John Beecher scored for the Bruins, who also have 31 points but remain behind the Rangers with a record of 14-4-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins’ defensive play was becoming a legitimate concern before this game, in part because they’ve faced tougher opponents in recent games. Those worries won’t be alleviated by falling to the lowly Blue Jackets while giving up five goals for the fourth time in five games.

An overtime goal by MacKenzie Weegar lifted the Calgary Flames to a 2-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. A.J. Greer also scored while Dan Vladar got the win with a 25-save performance as the Flames boosted their record to 9-10-3, sitting in the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 21 points. William Karlsson tallied for the Golden Knights (14-5-3), who remain in first place in the Western Conference with 31 points and third in the overall standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames were forced to use an emergency backup goalie named Dusty Nickel after starter Jacob Markstrom was sidelined by an illness. There was a moment early in the first period when it appeared Nickel would have to relieve Vladar after the latter was briefly shaken up but he was able to finish the game.

The Colorado Avalanche got two goals from Ryan Johansen to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-1, extending their win streak to four games. Alexandar Georgiev kicked out 37 shots while Cale Makar had a goal and an assist as the Avalanche (15-6-0) sit atop the Central Division with 30 points, one back of the Golden Knights in the conference standings. Anthony Cirelli scored for the Lightning as they slipped to 10-7-5.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (NHL Images).

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky made 20 saves for his 40th career shutout in a 5-0 blanking of the Ottawa Senators. Sam Reinhart tallied twice while Aleksander Barkov collected three assists for the 13-7-1 Panthers. Joonas Korpisalo made 33 saves for the Senators (8-9-0), who dropped into last place in the Eastern Conference standings with 16 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers and Senators combined for 167 penalty minutes with most of those coming in the third period as a result of a line brawl with 7:22 remaining in the frame. That resulted in every player on the ice receiving 10-minute misconducts.

A third-period goal by Luke Kunin carried the San Jose Sharks over the Washington Capitals 2-1. Fabian Zetterlund also scored while Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside 33 shots for the 5-12-2 Sharks, who remain at the bottom of the overall standings with 12 points. Evgeny Kuznetsov had the only goal for the 10-6-2 Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks got the win without Tomas Hertl as he was sidelined with an injury to his midsection. He is listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, the Capitals placed winger T.J. Oshie (upper body) on injured reserve and activated defenseman Martin Fehervary off IR.

HEADLINES

STARTRIBUNE.COM: The Minnesota Wild fired Dean Evason as head coach on Monday, replacing him with John Hynes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coming off a 103-point performance last season, the Wild have been in a swoon since October. They are in the midst of a seven-game losing skid which prompted general manager Bill Guerin to make the coaching change.

Guerin had defended Evason earlier this month, stressing that improvement would have to come from within. That’s because the cap-strapped Wild can’t afford to make a significant trade to shake things up in a league where only five teams have at least $5 million in cap space.

Perhaps the Wild can rediscover their winning ways under a proven NHL bench boss like Hynes. If not, a roster retool could be next starting at the trade deadline when clubs will accrue sufficient cap room to make deals with each other.

Speaking of the Wild, Ryan Hartman received a two-game suspension from the NHL department of player safety for tripping Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat on Sunday.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov and Nashville Predators goaltender Juuse Saros are the league’s three stars for the week ending Nov. 26.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Islanders defenseman Sebastian Aho (upper body) was placed on IR retroactive to Nov. 24.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins and Panthers will honor Patric Hornqvist during their Dec. 8 game in Florida. Hornqvist played for both clubs during his 15-season NHL career before retiring due to injuries following last season.

NHL.COM: The player draft will be returning to NHL All-Star Weekend this season as part of a new event called NHL All-Star Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The player draft was one of the few ideas that worked to make the All-Star Game a little more interesting than the pond-hockey yawnfest it usually tends to be.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 25, 2023

by | Nov 25, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 25, 2023

The Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov matches a franchise scoring record as Andrei Vasilevskiy returns to action, the Kings extend their road win streak and a goalie mask brouhaha involving the Wild’s Marc-Andre Fleury. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Nikita Kucherov tied a franchise record for most points in a game with six as the Tampa Bay Lightning thumped the Carolina Hurricanes 8-2. Kucherov scored two goals and set up four others to take over the lead in the NHL scoring race with 35 points. Teammate Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 22 shots for the Lightning (10-6-5) in his season debut since undergoing back surgery in September. Brayden Point tallied a hat trick and added two assists. Michael Bunting had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes as they slipped to 11-8-0.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning lit up the Hurricanes on the power play, going four-for-five with the man advantage. Carolina goalie Antti Raanta gave up eight goals on 14 shots.

The Los Angeles Kings extended their season-opening road win streak to nine games with a 5-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Kevin Fiala tallied twice, Drew Doughty collected two assists and Cam Talbot stopped 29 shots as the Kings improved to 12-3-3. Radko Gudas and Alex Killorn replied for the 9-11-0 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After riding a six-game win streak to a 7-4-0 start the Ducks have plummeted back to earth, losing seven of their last nine contests.

The Colorado Avalanche (13-6-0) nipped the Minnesota Wild by a score of 3-2. Kurtis McDermid broke a 2-2 tie in the third period with the winning goal while teammate Valeri Nichushkin scored to extend his goal streak to six games. Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and an assist for the struggling Wild as they dropped to 5-9-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game was overshadowed by the news that the league wasn’t going to allow Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to wear a custom mask before this game for the club’s Native American Heritage Night.

Fleury wanted to honor his wife Veronique, who is an Indigenous woman. However, the league threatened to fine him for violating their policy prohibiting players from wearing specialty gear, jerseys or hockey tape for theme nights.

Allan Walsh, Fleury’s agent, said his client was willing to pay whatever fine the NHL would hand down for wearing the mask. The league then threatened to levy an “additional significant fine” on the Wild if he did.

Fleury wore the mask during the warmup.

Good on Fleury and good on the Wild for supporting his decision. This was another example of how the NHL continuously shoots itself in the foot with its tone-deaf policies.

Meanwhile, Avalanche defenseman Sam Girard has entered the NHL/NHLPA Players Assistance Program. He released a statement through his agency that he is seeking treatment for severe anxiety and depression that led to alcohol abuse. Best wishes to Girard in his recovery.

Detroit Red Wings forwards Alex DeBrincat and JT Compher each had a goal and an assist to defeat the Boston Bruins 5-2, handing the latter just their second regulation loss. Ville Husso picked up the win with a 25-save performance for the 10-6-3 Red Wings. Jake DeBrusk and Danton Heinen replied for the Bruins (14-2-3), who remain atop the overall standings with 31 points.

The New York Rangers got two goals from Mika Zibanejad and 36 saves from Igor Shesterkin in a 3-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. It was the 12th win in the last 14 games for the 14-3-1 Rangers, who hold first place in the Metropolitan Division with 29 points. Sean Couturier scored for the Flyers as they dropped to 10-9-1.

An overtime goal by Kevin Korchinski lifted the Chicago Blackhawks to a 4-3 upset of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Jason Dickinson had a hat trick as the Blackhawks (6-12-0) overcame a 3-1 deficit. William Nylander’s season-opening 17-game points streak came to an end as the Leafs sit at 10-5-3 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nylander had a golden opportunity to win the game on an overtime breakaway but his backhander struck the post and the crossbar and ricocheted away.

Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins kicked out 37 shots to nip the New Jersey Devils 2-1. Eric Robinson’s tie-breaking goal in the first period held up as the game-winner for the 6-11-4 Blue Jackets, who’ve won two straight following a nine-game losing skid. Alexander Holtz scored for the struggling Devils (8-9-1), who’ve dropped six of their last seven contests.

The Nashville Predators (9-10-0) picked up their fourth straight victory with an 8-3 romp over the St. Louis Blues. Filip Forsberg and Luke Evangelista each had two goals and an assist while Ryan O’Reilly scored in his first game in St. Louis against his former club since being traded to Toronto last February. Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich each had a goal and an assist for the 10-8-1 Blues.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had four assists, Leon Draisaitl had two goals and an assist and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins got a goal and two assists to blank the Washington Capitals 5-0. Stuart Skinner turned in a 25-save shutout for the 6-12-1 Oilers. Charlie Lindgren stopped 30 shots for the 10-5-2 Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals forward T.J. Oshie left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury and won’t be traveling with the club during their upcoming road trip.

A shootout goal by Jesse Ylonen gave the Montreal Canadiens a 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks. Cole Caufield had a goal and an assist while Cayden Primeau stopped 31 shots for the 9-9-2 Canadiens as they overcame a 2-0 deficit. William Eklund had a goal and an assist for the Sharks (3-15-2), who remain at the bottom of the overall standings with just eight points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens recalled forward Joel Armia and placed sidelined defenseman Arber Xhekaj (upper body) on injured reserve. Meanwhile, San Jose winger Filip Zadina left this game with an undisclosed injury. Earlier in the day, the Sharks announced defenseman Jan Rutta is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

The Buffalo Sabres overcame a 2-0 deficit to down the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch each had a goal and an assist for the Sabres, who improved their record to 9-9-2. Sidney Crosby netted his 13th goal of the season as the Penguins fell to 9-10-0.

New York Islanders forwards Kyle Palmieri and Oliver Wahlstrom each had a goal and an assist in a 5-3 win over the Ottawa Senators. The Isles (8-6-5) have won three straight games. Drake Batherson tallied twice for the 8-8-0 Senators.

The Winnipeg Jets got a 32-save shutout from Connor Hellebuyck to defeat the Florida Panthers 3-0. Nino Niederreiter, Nikolaj Ehlers and Adam Lowry scored for the 12-5-2 Jets as they picked up their fifth straight victory. Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 28 shots for the 12-7-1 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets head coach Rick Bowness returned behind the bench following a leave of absence to care for his ailing wife Judy, who is recovering from a seizure she suffered last month in Winnipeg.

The Panthers, meanwhile, placed defenseman Mike Reilly on waivers, sparking some speculation over whether this move is being made to clear a roster spot for Patrick Kane. The free-agent forward has been linked to the Panthers and is expected to reach a decision next week on where he’ll sign.

A four-goal third period carried the Calgary Flames to a 7-4 win over the Dallas Stars. Blake Coleman, Elias Lindholm, Mikael Backlund and Nazem Kadri were the goal scorers as the Flames overcame a 4-3 deficit to improve their record to 8-9-3. Wyatt Johnston scored twice for the Stars as they slipped to 12-5-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After stumbling through October and at one point finding themselves near the bottom of the Western Conference standings, the Flames (19 points) are just two points out of a wild-card berth.

The Vancouver Canucks defeated the Seattle Kraken 5-1. Connor Garland picked up two assists while Quinn Hughes had an assist to extend his points streak to 10 games for the 14-6-1 Canucks (29 points), who sit one point back of the Western Conference-leading Vegas Golden Knights. Tye Kartye scored for the 8-9-5 Kraken, who lost forward Brandon Tanev during this game to a lower-body injury.