NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 10, 2025

by | Jun 10, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 10, 2025

In today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines: the Panthers maul the Oilers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, T.J. Oshie officially retires, and the Islanders hired two new assistant coaches.

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers romped to a 6-1 victory over the Edmonton Oilers in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, taking a 2-1 lead in the series.

Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart and Evan Rodrigues each had a goal and an assist, Brad Marchand and Sam Bennett scored again, and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 32 shots for the Panthers. Corey Perry had the only goal for the Oilers, who pulled goalie Stuart Skinner in the third period after he gave up five goals on 23 shots.

Florida Panthers forward Carter Verhaeghe (NHL Images).

Game 4 is Thursday in Florida at 8 pm ET

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The scoresheet doesn’t tell the full story. Put simply, the Panthers mauled the Oilers from start to finish.

Marchand opened the scoring just 56 seconds into the game, Verhaeghe scored what proved to be the winning goal later in the period, and the Panthers’ relentless forechecking put the game out of reach after Perry got the Oilers to within one goal early in the second period.

More importantly, the Panthers’ agitating style antagonized the Oilers throughout the game, getting under their skin and disrupting their rhythm. This was the worst performance by the Oilers in this postseason, and the Panthers knew it, laughing in their faces during the scrums and suckering them into taking retaliatory penalties.

Another performance like that by the Oilers in Game 4, and they can write off any hope of wrenching the Stanley Cup from the Panthers.

DAILY FACEOFF: This was a milestone game for Panthers head coach Paul Maurice. He became the third bench boss in NHL history to reach 1,000 combined regular-season and playoff wins.

TSN: Panthers forward A.J. Greer returned to action after missing the last two games with an undisclosed injury.

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals winger T.J. Oshie officially announced his retirement after 16 seasons in an event held at the Washington Harbor on Monday.

A chronic back injury had Oshie on long-term injury reserve throughout 2024-25. This season was the final one of his eight-year contract.

Oshie had 302 goals and 393 assists for 695 points in 1,010 regular-season games with the St. Louis Blues and the Capitals. He also had 34 goals and 69 points in 106 playoff games, winning the Stanley Cup with the Capitals in 2018.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The Islanders hired Ray Bennett and Bob Boughner as new assistant coaches on Monday. Bennett was the power-play coach for the Colorado Avalanche from 2017 until being fired this spring. Boughner spent the past three seasons as the Detroit Red Wings’ defense and penalty-killing coach.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 5, 2025

by | Jun 5, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 5, 2025

The Oilers draw first blood in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, Nikita Kucherov wins the Ted Lindsay Award, the Avalanche re-sign Brock Nelson, the Penguins and Bruins have new head coaches, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

OILERS DEFEAT PANTHERS IN THE OPENING GAME OF THE STANLEY CUP FINAL

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl opened and closed the scoring as his club overcame a 3-1 deficit for a 4-3 overtime victory over the Florida Panthers in Game 1 of the 2025 Stanley Cup Final.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

Draisaitl scored early in the first period, but the Panthers rallied on goals by Sam Bennett and Brad Marchand midway through the period. Bennett’s second goal of the game early in the second period gave the Panthers a two-goal lead, but a slapshot by Oilers winger Viktor Arvidson quickly cut that lead to one goal.

Connor McDavid set up Mattias Ekholm for the tying goal at 6:33 of the third period. McDavid also picked up the primary assist on Draisaitl’s game-winner on the power play at 19:29 of overtime.

Game 2 is Friday, June 6, in Edmonton at 8 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl tied a Stanley Cup Playoff record with three overtime goals in a single postseason. Teammate Stuart Skinner settled down after giving up three goals, making 24 saves over the rest of the game, including 16 in the second period.

McDavid leads all playoff skaters with 22 assists, holding a one-point lead over Draisaitl (28-27).

Bennett scored his 12th goal to lead all scorers in these playoffs. He also set a franchise record for the most goals in a single postseason. Jesper Boqvist rejoined the Panthers’ lineup for Game 1. He replaced A.J. Greer, who is day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

Before this game, Oilers winger Zach Hyman revealed he dislocated and tore ligaments in his right wrist in a collision with Dallas Stars winger Mason Marchment in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final. He’s out for the remainder of the playoffs, but hopes to be ready for training camp in September.

Meanwhile, Aaron Ekblad told reporters he hopes to remain in Florida after this season. The long-time Panthers defenseman is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

“I live and breathe for the Florida Panthers,” said Ekblad. “I bleed for the Florida Panthers. I’ve given my body and everything to this team. I want to keep doing it forever, for as long as they’ll let me keep coming to the rink.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ekblad is completing an eight-year contract with an average annual value of $7.5 million. The Panthers must also re-sign Bennett, meaning Ekblad might have to accept a significant pay cut on a shorter term to remain in Florida.

HEADLINES

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov is the 2024-25 winner of the Ted Lindsay Award as the NHL’s MVP, as voted by the membership of the NHL Players’ Association. The team surprised Kucherov with the award during a training session on Monday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov previously won this award in 2018-19, the same season he won the Hart Memorial Trophy. He’s up for that award this season with Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl and Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. Kucherov also took home his first Art Ross Trophy in ’18 -’19 and won it this season for the third time.

THE DENVER POST: The Colorado Avalanche signed Brock Nelson to a three-year contract extension with an average annual value of $7.5 million. Acquired from the New York Islanders at the March trade deadline, the 33-year-old center was due to become a UFA on July 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Re-signing Nelson addresses the Avalanche’s long-term need for a second-line center. However, it leaves them with $1.2 million in cap space, with 19 active roster players under contract for the 2025-26 season. Expect a cost-cutting trade in the coming weeks.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins named Dan Muse as their new head coach. He served previously as an assistant coach with the Nashville Predators and New York Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hiring Muse surprised observers expecting the Penguins to choose a more experienced NHL head coach. Nevertheless, he’s considered a smart bench boss who works well with young players, which should make him a good fit for the rebuilding Penguins.

EISHOCKEY NEWS: The Boston Bruins announced Marco Sturm as their new head coach. “A dream come true,” said Sturm. “I’m proud and super happy that it worked out.” He’s returning to the club that he played for from 2005-06 to 2009-10.  Sturm was the head coach of the AHL’s Ontario Reign for the past three seasons. He’s the first German-born head coach in NHL history. 

NHL.COM: League commissioner Gary Bettman and NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh said collective bargaining discussions between the two sides are going well. They didn’t offer a timetable for when an agreement will be reached, but Bettman felt it should be in place before the current agreement expires in September 2026.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Talks are likely to continue throughout the summer.

Bettman said the league has had discussions with parties interested in adding new markets, but insisted there are no plans to expand beyond the current 32 teams.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speculation suggests Houston and Atlanta could become the next destinations for NHL expansion clubs. It won’t be surprising if there are new franchises in those markets by the end of this decade.

Bettman also said an All-Star event will be hosted by the New York Islanders in 2027. The franchise was supposed to host the 2026 All-Star Game, but that plan was scuttled by the success of this year’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.

SPORTSNET: The NHL and NHLPA indicated there will be no changes in the upcoming CBA to address any perceived advantages for teams located in no-tax states.

NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said there are many reasons why a player chooses to play in a certain location, a particular team or a particular coach that have nothing to do with the tax situation in that market.

NHLPA assistant executive director Ron Hainsey pointed out that clubs in higher-tax states like Detroit, Pittsburgh, Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston dominated the league between 2008 and 2020. He noted that superstars like Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Patrice Bergeron, and Zdeno Chara could’ve made more money playing elsewhere, but stayed put because they were playing for contenders, they liked where they lived, and didn’t want to move.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stick tap to Hainsey for pointing out the blatantly obvious to punch holes in this “issue”.

The notion of teams in no-tax states having an advantage over other clubs has been recently trotted out by critics of the Florida Panthers, insinuating it’s the main reason behind their recent success. It’s the same excuse being used to explain why a Florida-based team has reached the Stanley Cup Final in every season since 2020.

That critique, of course, is nonsense.

The Panthers, and the Tampa Bay Lightning before them, were built by smart general managers and guided by shrewd coaches. To suggest otherwise is insulting to the hard work that those franchises have done to become champions.

THE ATHLETIC: Hainsey confirmed that the league and the PA are working to address the long-term injury reserve loophole in the next CBA. He didn’t get into the details, but said they continue to discuss finding a mechanism to put into place to manage that issue.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: LTIR is legalized salary-cap circumvention because there is no salary cap during the postseason. Every team has used it at one time or another, but some clubs have used it to bolster their rosters in preparation for the playoffs.

The Panthers are the most recent example. Matthew Tkachuk suffered an injury during the 4 Nations Face-Off that sidelined him for the final weeks of the regular season. The Panthers used the salary-cap savings to acquire Seth Jones and Brad Marchand before the trade deadline. Tkachuk returned to action for the start of this postseason, able to rejoin the roster because the salary cap only applies to the regular season.

The Panthers operated within the rules as laid out in the CBA. They did nothing wrong, and they aren’t the only team to have used LTIR to their advantage. Nevertheless, this loophole allowed them to bolster their roster for the playoffs in a way that they wouldn’t have had if Tkachuk had been healthy.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: T.J. Oshie will make an announcement on Monday, in which he is expected to reveal his intention to retire. The 38-year-old Washington Capitals winger missed all of this season dealing with back issues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oshie tallied 302 goals and 393 assists for 695 points in 1,010 games between 2008-09 and 2023-24. He began his career with the St. Louis Blues before being traded to the Capitals in 2015, and helped the latter win the Stanley Cup in 2018. He had 34 goals and 69 points in 106 playoff games.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 19, 2024

by | Sep 19, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 19, 2024

The Lightning and Blackhawks name their new captains, the latest on Jeremy Swayman’s contract talks, several notable players are already sidelined by injuries, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: The Lightning named Victor Hedman as their new captain. He replaces Steven Stamkos, who signed with the Nashville Predators on July 1.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise here. Hedman was the logical choice to succeed Stamkos having spent his 15-season NHL career with the Lightning.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: The Blackhawks announced Nick Foligno as the 35th captain in franchise history. He’s the first to wear the “C” since Jonathan Toews from 2008 to 2023.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Foligno has plenty of experience as a team captain. He held that role with the Columbus Blue Jackets from 2015-16 to 2020-21. This move could pave the way for franchise player Connor Bedard to succeed Foligno when the latter’s contract expires in 2026.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman will not be in training camp as he remains unsigned. He and Bruins management still haven’t agreed on a new contract.

Bruins GM Don Sweeney expressed disappointment that the 25-year-old restricted free agent is not under contract in time for training camp. He didn’t forecast when an agreement could be reached but stressed that every day Swayman is absent is detrimental to the goalie and the team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s believed a wide gap exists between the two sides with Swayman rumored to be seeking an AAV between $8.5 million and $9.5 million while Bruins are said to be offering around $6.2 million annually.

Swayman has until Dec. 1 to sign or become ineligible to play the rest of this season. He doesn’t want to risk that as it’ll cost him a season of work and wages. I’ll have more about this situation in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: The Blue Jackets will memorialize Johnny and Matthew Gaudreau this season with helmet stickers featuring the brothers’ last name and their respective jersey numbers. They’ll wear jersey patches with Johnny’s No. 13 once the regular season begins.

The brothers were killed on Aug. 30 by an alleged drunk driver while they were bicycling in Oldmans Township, New Jersey.

SPORTSNET: As expected, Thatcher Demko will miss the start of the Vancouver Canucks’ training camp as he continues rehabbing a nagging knee injury. Checking-line forward Teddy Blueger will be out for a week with a lower-body injury and defenseman Tucker Poolman (migraines) will be placed on long-term injury reserve for the entire season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks general manager Patrik Allvin said Demko will speak to the media on Thursday about his condition. Meanwhile, Poolman also missed last season and hasn’t played since Oct. 2022.

TSN: The Washington Capitals placed winger T.J. Oshie on LTIR for the entire 2024-25 season. Oshie, 37, has been plagued by a chronic back injury that limited him to 52 games last season. The decision was made following his training camp medical.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oshie is in the final season of his eight-year contract with an average annual value of $5.75 million.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Vegas Golden Knights are reviewing their options after goaltender Robin Lehner failed to report for his mandatory training camp medical. Lehner, 33, is expected to miss his third straight season after undergoing hip surgery in Aug. 2022. He’s entering the final season of his five-year contract with an AAV of $5 million and $4.5 million in actual salary.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report indicates contract termination is among those options, which would remove his $5 million cap hit from the Golden Knights’ books.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers winger Evander Kane reveals he’ll be undergoing surgery to repair two sports hernias and four muscle tears that took him out of the lineup for his club’s final five playoff games last spring.

TSN: Speaking of the Oilers, they’ve signed winger Mike Hoffman to a professional tryout offer (PTO).

THE HOCKEY NEWS: St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug underwent season-ending surgery on his left ankle on Tuesday to address a pre-arthritic condition. Teammate Oskar Sundqvist continues to recover from offseason surgery to repair a torn right ACL. He’s not expected to participate in training camp but should be ready for the start of the season.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Blues announced they’ve signed Scott Harrington, Matthew Peca, Nikita Alexandrov and Sam Bitten to PTOs.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars winger Jason Robertson will miss most of training camp after undergoing offseason surgery to remove a cyst from his foot. He’s expected to be ready for their season-opener against the Nashville Predators on Oct. 10.

Speaking of the Stars, recently retired defenseman Jordie Benn has returned to the club as a player development assistant and AHL scout.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

BUFFALO HOCKEY NOW: Sabres blueliner Rasmus Dahlin left practice on Wednesday. Head coach Lindy Ruff described the injury as “mid-range” when asked if it was upper or lower body. It’s not believed to be serious.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings signed winger Alex Chiasson to a PTO.

NASHVILLE HOCKEY NOW: The Predators signed winger Philip Tomasino to a one-year, $825K contract.

CALGARY SUN: Former Flames forward Matt Stajan has joined the team as a skills consultant.

SPORTSNET: released their preseason broadcast schedule beginning Sept. 21 and running through Oct. 2.

TSN: Bell sold its 37.5 percent interest in Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment to Rogers Communication, giving the latter the majority stake in Canada’s most valuable sports empire.

As part of the deal, Bell Media secured access to content rights for the Toronto Maple Leafs and the NBA’s Toronto Raptors on TSN for the next 20 years.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 28, 2024

by | Jun 28, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 28, 2024

The remaining 2024 NHL Awards are handed out, the Predators and Juuse Saros agree to a new contract, the Stars will buy out Ryan Suter, the Flames trade Andrew Mangiapane to the Capitals, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The major remaining NHL Awards were handed out on Thursday.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images)

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon took home the Hart Memorial Trophy as the most valuable player to his team and the Ted Lindsay Award as MVP as voted by the NHLPA membership. It’s the first time MacKinnon won those awards.

Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender. He previously took home that award in 2018-19.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck and Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers are the only active NHL goalies to win the Vezina twice.

Vancouver Canucks captain Quinn Hughes won the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman. It’s the first time Hughes has won this trophy.

Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard won the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL Rookie of the Year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to this year’s winners of the NHL Awards.

MacKinnon, Hellebuyck and Hughes were part of the 2023-24 First All-Star Team along with Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin and Nashville Predators defenseman Roman Josi.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid leads the 2023-24 Second All-Star Team. David Pastrnak and Filip Forsberg of the Nashville Predators are the wingers, Cale Makar of the Colorado Avalanche and Adam Fox of the New York Rangers are the defenseman, with Thatcher Demko of the Vancouver Canucks filling the goaltender’s spot.

Bedard headed the All-Rookie Team. The Minnesota Wild’s Brock Faber and New Jersey Devils’ Luke Hughes are the defensemen, Logan Cooley of the Arizona Coyotes (now Utah Hockey Club) and Faber’s teammate Marco Rossi are the forwards, with Pyotr Kochetkov as the goaltender. 

TSN: The Nashville Predators have reached an agreement with goaltender Juuse Saros on an eight-year contract extension with an average annual value of $7.74 million. He is eligible to sign the extension on July 1, the opening day of free agency.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Saros, 29, is coming off a four-year deal with an AAV of $5 million. He was the frequent subject of trade speculation this season, especially with promising Yaroslav Askarov expected to join their roster in 2024-25. How this affects Askarov’s future with the Predators remains to be seen.

At the very least, this ends the baseless speculation suggesting Saros would be part of a trade offer to the Toronto Maple Leafs for Mitch Marner.

SPORTSNET: Jeff Marek reported the Dallas Stars will buy out Ryan Suter’s contract. The 39-year-old defenseman had a year remaining on his deal with a cap hit of $4.3 million. The buyout will count as over $783K against the Stars’ cap for 2024-25 and $1.433 million for 2025-26.

Suter is a plus-35 player but is exempt from the 35-plus buyout rules because his contract was not frontloaded and doesn’t contain a signing bonus beyond the first year of the deal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the second time Suter has been bought out of a contract. The Minnesota Wild bought out the remaining four years of his deal with them in 2021.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames traded winger Andrew Mangiapane to the Washington Capitals on Thursday evening for a second-round pick in 2025. Mangiapane, 28, spent the past seven seasons with the Flames. He has a year remaining on his contract with an average annual value of $5.85 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The rebuild continues in Calgary as Mangiapane joins Jacob Markstrom, Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev and Elias Lindholm among the players traded by the Flames in 2024. Meanwhile, the Capitals continue to bolster their scoring depth, acquiring Pierre-Luc Dubois last week from the Los Angeles Kings.

TVA SPORTS: Former Montreal Canadiens captain Shea Weber shed light on the left foot and ankle injuries that ended his career.

“There were days when I couldn’t get out of bed, when I couldn’t walk. I don’t walk to talk about the amount of medication I took because it was adding up,” said Weber. He knew halfway through the 2020-21 season that it would be his last. Team doctors confirmed it following the end of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.

Weber admitted he initially struggled mentally with the premature end of his playing career. He said getting involved in his children’s sports helped him out of his depression.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Weber was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame Class of 2024 earlier this week.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Washington Capitals GM Brian MacLellan said winger T.J. Oshie is still weighing his options regarding treatment for his chronic back issues. “He’s still in search of a permanent solution, talking to doctors, training staff,” said MacLellan.

Oshie, 37, was limited to 52 games in 2023-24 by recurring injuries, managing 12 goals and 25 points. Over the past several seasons, he was also plagued by back problems.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks signed forward Dakota Joshua to a four-year contract extension with an average annual value of $3.25 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No surprise here. Joshua, 28, tallied a career-high 18 goals last season on the Canucks’ third line and provided a physical presence to the lineup. He thrived under head coach Rick Tocchet.

The Canucks also re-signed Tyler Myers to a three-year contract with an AAV of $3 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Entering this season, it was expected the Canucks would let Myers depart this summer as a free agent. Like Joshua, however, Myers performed well under Tocchet and became a valuable part of their defense corps.

It’s also believed the Canucks are considering bringing back Casey DeSmith to back up starter Thatcher Demko. While Arturs Silovs battled hard during the playoffs replacing both sidelined netminders, he still has some weaknesses in his game to sort out.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The San Jose Sharks have moved up in the order of the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft. They traded the No. 14 pick (acquired from Pittsburgh last summer in the Erik Karlsson deal) and No. 42 pick to the Buffalo Sabres for the No. 11 pick.

The Sharks also acquired forechecking winger Carl Grundstrom from the Los Angeles Kings for defenseman Kyle Burroughs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks general manager Mike Grier is wasting no time making moves in this offseason. He’s facing another busy summer as he continues rebuilding his roster.

STLTODAY.COM: The St. Louis Blues hired Claude Julien as an assistant coach and promoted Steve Ott to associate head coach.

TSN: Former NHL forward Daniel Winnik announced his retirement. He spent 11 seasons in the NHL from 2007-08 to 2017-18 with the Arizona Coyotes, Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals and Minnesota Wild. He had 251 points in 798 games.

Winnik spent the past six seasons playing for Geneve Servette in Switzerland.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 1, 2024

by | May 1, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 1, 2024

The Avalanche and Hurricanes advance to the second round, the Leafs and Predators avoid elimination, the Calder Trophy Finalists are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Winnipeg Jets 6-3 to win their best-of-seven opening-round series four games to one. Mikko Rantanen scored twice and Alexandar Georgiev stopped 34 shots for the Avalanche. They await the winner of the Dallas Stars-Vegas Golden Knights series.

Colorado Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Georgiev silenced his critics (including me) with his performance during this series. After giving up seven goals on 23 shots in Game 1, he allowed eight in the next four games with a .931 save percentage.

Winnipeg entered this series tied with the Florida Panthers for the fewest goals-against per game (2.41). Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck is a Vezina Trophy finalist who won the Jennings Trophy as the goalie who played a minimum of 25 games for the team allowing the fewest regular-season goals.

However, the Jet couldn’t contain the Avs’ offense, finishing this round with the highest goals-against per game (5.40) while Hellebuyck allowed the most goals (24) among all first-round goalies thus far. They are also the first team in NHL playoff history to allow at least five goals in five straight games in a postseason round.

Three unanswered third-period goals gave the Carolina Hurricanes to a 6-3 victory over the New York Islanders to take their first-round series four games to one. Jack Drury scored the winning goal and Seth Jarvis had a goal and two assists for the Hurricanes, who will face the New York Rangers in the second round.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carolina’s offensive depth proved too much to contain for the Islanders. Credit Isles goaltender Semyon Varlamov for keeping his club in most of these games but his teammates lack the scoring punch to hand with the Hurricanes.

An overtime goal by Matthew Knies lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs over the Boston Bruins 2-1 in Game 5 of their first-round series. Jake McCabe also scored and Joseph Woll made 27 saves for the Leafs. Trent Frederic replied for the Bruins as they hold a 3-2 series lead. Game 6 is Thursday, May 2 at 8 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the Leafs’ best game of the series. Woll’s steady goaltending gave them confidence and they did a good job containing Boston’s leading scorers. The Bruins at times appeared flat during this contest while the Leafs were fighting to keep their season alive.

The Leafs got the win without top center Auston Matthews, who missed this game with an undisclosed illness.

The Nashville Predators overcame a 1-0 deficit to beat the Vancouver Canucks 2-1 in Game 5 of their first-round series on goals by Roman Josi and Alexandre Carrier. Juuse Saros made 19 saves for the win. Nikita Zadorov scored and Arturs Silov turned aside 20 shots for the Canucks, who hold a 3-2 lead in this series. Game 6 is Friday (start time TBA).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a goaltender’s duel through the first two periods. It looked like the Canucks were going to put this one away following Zadorov’s goal but the Predators refused to quit.

The Predators caught a break on Josi’s goal as the puck squirted behind Silov. The Canucks goalie tried to roll over to cover the puck but was inadvertently pushed during a goalmouth scramble, knocking the puck across the goal line.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard, Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber, and New Jersey Devils blueliner Luke Hughes are this season’s finalists for the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL’s Rookie of the Year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the finalists. Bedard is considered the favorite to win but Faber could make this interesting. He enjoyed a strong debut with the Wild, finishing among the rookie leaders in points and sitting among the league’s top-10 skaters in time on ice per game.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: T.J. Oshie said he has much to consider regarding his future as a player. The 37-year-old Washington Capitals winger said he’s been dealing with chronic back issues for years among other ailments.

Oshie has a year left on his contract. He said he’d love to play next season but needs assurances that he can do so without his back giving out. The Capitals winger intends to seek treatment during the offseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oshie has never played a full NHL season due to injuries. He saw action in only 52 games in 2023-24.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers captain Sean Couturier recently changed agents and is now represented by Pat Brisson. One reason behind the change could be due to his former agent criticizing Flyers coach John Tortorella for benching Couturier for two games. The veteran center took responsibility for his poor play leading to his benching.

Speaking of the Flyers, top prospect Matvei Michkov might be able to join the club next season if the KHL allows him out of his contract with SKA St. Petersburg. Michkov’s contract runs through 2025-26 but SKA chairman Alexander Medvedev said he has a good relationship with the Flyers front office and has regularly spoken with them.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s nothing set in stone here but Medvedev said a decision on Michkov’s future could come by the end of June.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot could undergo wrist surgery in the coming weeks. The recovery time would be between two and three months.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The sooner Chabot has the surgery the more likely he’ll be fully recovered in time for training camp in September.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Senators, they reportedly interviewed Travis Green for their vacant head-coaching position. Green is currently the interim coach of the New Jersey Devils.

THE ATHLETIC: And speaking of New Jersey, Pittsburgh Penguins general manager Kyle Dubas denied speculation that head coach Mike Sullivan could become the next Devils head coach. Dubas said the Devils haven’t sought permission to speak with Sullivan nor have they been granted permission.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This sounds like another example of the hockey media “telephone” game. A pundit wonders whether Sullivan would be interested in coaching the Devils because he’s friends with their general manager. People start talking about it and it morphs into Sullivan trying to get out of his contract with the Penguins to coach the Devils.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Canadiens winger Juraj Slakovskiy is undergoing some medical procedures in Montreal. It will delay him joining Slovakia at the upcoming World Championships in Czechia but isn’t expected to prevent him from playing in the tournament.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 29, 2024

by | Apr 29, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 29, 2024

The Rangers sweep the Capitals while the Avalanche, Canucks and Oilers are on the verge of advancing to the second round. Check out the details in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The New York Rangers became the first team in the 2024 postseason to advance to the second round with a 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals to sweep their best-of-seven series 4-0. Artemi Panarin broke a 2-2 tie in the third period, Jack Roslovic netted the insurance goal and Igor Shesterkin made 23 saves for the win. Martin Fehervary and Hendrix Lapierre replied for the Capitals. The Rangers await the winner of the Carolina Hurricanes-New York Islanders series.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers’ roster depth and special teams proved too much for the Capitals.

For the first time in his long career, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was held pointless in a playoff series. The Rangers did a fine job limiting his scoring opportunities.

Following Game 4, Capitals forward Dylan Strome revealed teammate T.J. Oshie played with a broken hand. Oshie faces an uncertain future after dealing with a concussion and lingering back issues during the regular season.

I’ll have more about the Capitals in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser (NHL Images).

A hat trick by Brock Boeser set the stage for Elias Lindholm’s overtime goal as the Vancouver Canucks overcame a 3-1 deficit in Game 4 to defeat the Nashville Predators 4-3. Boeser scored twice in the final three minutes of regulation after the Canucks pulled goaltender Arturs Silovs for an extra attacker. Silovs made 27 saves and J.T. Miller collected three assists for the Canucks to take a 3-1 lead in the first-round series. Mark Jankowski, Gustav Nyquist and Filip Forsberg scored for the Predators. The Canucks can wrap up the series in Game 5 on Tuesday, Apr. 30 at 10 pm EDT in Vancouver.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Silovs got the start as Casey DeSmith was dealing with an undisclosed injury. He’s the third goalie to start for the Canucks in this series as Thatcher Demko is sidelined for the series with a knee injury.

Colorado Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin scored a hat trick in a dominant 5-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets in Game 4 of their opening-round series. Nathan McKinnon had two assists while Cale Makar scored a highlight-reel end-to-end goal for the Avalanche, who can wrap up this series in Game 5 in Winnipeg on Tuesday starting at 9:30 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After dropping the opening game, the Avalanche have dominated the Jets in this series. They’ve controlled the game with speed, two-way play and special teams.

Jets forward Vladislav Namestnikov left the game early in the third period after being struck in the face by a shot from teammate Nate Schmidt. He was helped off the ice and was taken to a hospital. There was no postgame report about his condition.

Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner turned in a 33-save shutout to blank the Los Angeles Kings 1-0 in Game 4 of their first-round series. Evan Bouchard scored the only goal for the Oilers, who hold a 3-1 series lead as the series returns to Edmonton for Game 5 on Wednesday, May 1 (start time TBA). Connor McDavid collected an assist to become the first player in this postseason to reach 10 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings outplayed the Oilers but the latter put up a stingy defense around their net. Skinner earned this shutout but his teammates did a good job limiting the number of high-danger shots sent his way.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs are giving center Auston Matthews as much time as he needs to recover from an illness that forced him to leave Game 4 of their first-round series with the Boston Bruins. Head coach Sheldon Keefe didn’t indicate what type of illness Matthews has but said it’s gotten worse when he’s playing. Game 5 of their series takes place on Tuesday in Boston with the Leafs on the verge of elimination.

DAILY FACEOFF: Toronto Marlies forward (and former Leaf) Kyle Clifford went after Belleville Senators winger Bokondji Imama in the handshake line after the Senators won the best-of-three playoff series. It’s unclear what sparked Clifford’s angry reaction but the two players have a history of ill will toward each other.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marlies play-by-play man Todd Crocker claimed what precipitated the exchange was Imama saying “some horrible things” to Clifford on the bench during Game 2. It remains to be seen if the Marlie will file a protest to the AHL or if the league will investigate the incident.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins head coach J.D. Forrest and assistant coach Kevin Porter will not have their contracts renewed. The club is the AHL affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins.