NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2020

by | Mar 27, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2020

An Avalanche player tests positive for COVID-19, plus the latest on Sidney Crosby, Alex Ovechkin, P.K. Subban, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

THE DENVER POST: A Colorado Avalanche player has tested positive for COVID-19. He’s been in isolation and has recovered. The club has not released his name. The Avs were in a coronavirus “hot spot” in San Jose between March 7 and 8, during which they played the Sharks the night after the Ottawa Senators also played there. Two Senators tested positive for COVID-19. The Avs also played the Los Angeles Kings at Staples Center on March 9. The Kings share that venue with the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers, who had two players test positive for the virus.

TSN: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin indicated they wouldn’t mind if the 2020 playoffs began right away if the NHL resumes this season. New Jersey Devils defenseman P.K. Subban would be in favor of a 31-team playoff tournament. His club is 13 points out of a playoff spot.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (Photo via NHL Images).

Columbus Blue Jackets captain Nick Foligno cautioned against agreeing to a schedule where the 2020-21 season begins soon after completion of the current one. “We’ve got to think about the health and safety of our star players,” Foligno said. “That’s a lot of games in one [calendar] year that we’re not used to. “I’m not saying guys won’t grind out a way to do it, because us hockey players will find a way. But you’ve got to think about the longevity of guys’ careers and their health as well.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I understand why players on teams currently not in playoff contention favoring a tournament that provides their clubs with some sort of relevant finish to this season. Otherwise, as Subban pointed out, they’d be working out to stay in shape simply to play some meaningless games if the league resumes the remainder of the current schedule.

Foligno makes a great point about looking after the health and safety of the players. Staging the two seasons close together without much recovery time in between will put the players at a greater risk to suffers injuries.

SPORTSNET: Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews donated $100K to the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund.

BANGOR DAILY NEWS: Detroit Red Wings goaltender (and former UMaine goalie) Jimmy Howard hopes to play one more NHL season. He acknowledged he’d have to transition to a backup role, but feels he could be a good mentor to a young netminder. Howard acknowledged that will depend on whether any other general managers feel the same way. Howard is eligible for unrestricted free agent status this summer.

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the NHL is considering several options regarding its recently postponed 2020 Draft. One is staging the full draft at a later date in Montreal, though that appears a long shot. Another is holding a smaller scale draft similar to that which followed the season-killing 2004-05 lockout. A third is staging a virtual draft involving all the NHL teams’ front offices. The latter seems the likeliest option, with the Canadiens hosting a full draft in 2021 or 2022.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The full draft won’t be held. It’ll either be a stripped-down one or the virtual draft.

 










These NHL Milestones Were Lost To COVID-19 Stoppage

by | Mar 21, 2020

These NHL Milestones Were Lost To COVID-19 Stoppage

 










NHL Unfinished Business: The 2019-20 Scoring Race

by | Mar 17, 2020

NHL Unfinished Business: The 2019-20 Scoring Race

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2020

by | Mar 10, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2020

Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon injured against the Kings, the NHL limits locker-room access over coronavirus concerns, and more in today’s morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Nathan MacKinnon suffered a lower-body injury as his Colorado Avalanche dropped a 3-1 decision to the Los Angeles Kings, who extended their winning streak to six games. Avs coach Jared Bednar had no update on MacKinnon’s condition. Colorado (90 points) sit two points behind the St. Louis Blues for first place in the Western Conference.

Colorado Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon was injured during a 3-1 loss to the LA Kings on Monday (Photo via NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche has persevered despite their injury-depleted roster throughout this season. A potentially lengthy absence of their leading scorer, however, will be a serious test. 

Despite a 3-2 shootout loss to the Buffalo Sabres, the Washington Capitals regained sole possession of first place in the Metropolitan Division with 91 points. Sabres captain Jack Eichel netted his 36th of the season while teammate Dominik Kahun potted the winning. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin tallied his 48th goal of the season, tying Boston’s David Pastrnak for first place among this season’s goal scorers. Washington has just four wins in their last 10 games.

The Florida Panthers upset the Blues 2-1. Mike Hoffman and Brett Connolly were the Panthers’ goal scorers while Chris Driedger made 26 saves for the win. The Panthers moved within a point of an Eastern Conference wild-card spot and the third-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division with a 2-1 upset of the Blues.

Shea Theodore’s overtime goal lifted the Vegas Golden Knights to a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. With 86 points, the Golden Knights hold a three-point lead over the Oilers for first place in the Pacific Division. Oilers goalie Mikko Koskinen made 45 saves in a losing cause. Edmonton captain Connor McDavid missed the game due to an illness.

Nikolaj Ehlers scored and set up two others as the Winnipeg Jets picked up their third straight victory by doubling up the Arizona Coyotes 4-2. With 78 points, the Jets hold the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference. The Coyotes, meanwhile, sit three points out of a playoff spot in the West.

HEADLINES

The NHL is joining the NBA, Major League Baseball, and Major League Soccer by limiting access to locker rooms and clubhouses to players and essential personnel over concerns about the coronavirus. Media groups responded with a statement expressing their understanding of this situation, but hoping access won’t be unnecessarily limited in the short and long term.

NBC SPORTS: The San Jose Sharks released a statement in response to Santa Clara county banning all mass gatherings exceeding 1,000 people for the rest of the month over coronavirus concerns. The team will be reviewing each upcoming event scheduled at SAP Center and will provide updates in the coming days. The Sharks have three homes games scheduled for March 19, 21, and 29.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those games could be postponed, though rescheduling them will be difficult with the Stanley Cup playoffs beginning on April 8. The Sharks could also end up playing those games in an empty arena.

NHL.COM: New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad, Colorado Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog, and Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending March 8.

The department of player safety fined Blues winger Oskar Sundqvist $5,000.00 for roughing Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Adam Boqvist on Sunday.

CBS SPORTS: The Sharks officially announced the re-signing of defensesman Radim Simek to a four-year, $9-million contract extension.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Alex Tuch suffered a setback in his recovery from a lower-body injury and has returned to Las Vegas

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: With goaltender Petr Mrazek set to return to action, the Carolina Hurricanes sent Alex Nedeljkovic to the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers.

NBC SPORTS: Philadelphia Flyers winger Oskar Lindblom joined his teammates for their annual team photo yesterday. Lindblom has been sidelined since December as he undergoes treatment for Ewing’s sarcoma.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 6, 2020

by | Mar 6, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 6, 2020

Mika Zibanejad lights up the Capitals, the Flyers keep rising in the Metro, the Wild and Blackhawks surge into playoff contention and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Mika Zibanejad scored five goals, including the winner in overtime, as the New York Rangers edged the Washington Capitals 6-5. Artemi Panarin and Tony DeAngelo each had three points for the Blueshirts. Zibanejad tied the club record for most goals in a single game. Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored twice to move into a tie for the goal-scoring lead with 47 goals. With the win, the surging Rangers (76 points) are two points behind the New York Islanders for the final Eastern Conference playoff spot. The slumping Capitals, meanwhile, move into a tie with the Philadelphia Flyers for first in the Metropolitan Division with 87 points.

New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad tallied five goals in a 6-5 win over the Washington Capitals (Photo via NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers are in a good position to overtake the Isles and the stumbling Columbus Blue Jackets. They must now be taken seriously as a playoff contender. The Capitals, on the other hand, appear to be in trouble. As per The Washington Post, a lack of cohesive team player (especially on defense) has led to a record of 14-15-2 since Dec. 23.

Meanwhile, the Flyers picked up their eighth straight victory by downing the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1. Earlier in the day, however, the Flyers learned winger James van Riemsdyk will be sidelined four-to-six weeks with an injured hand. The struggling Hurricanes (75 points) slipped three points out of playoff contention in the Eastern Conference. They also learned defenseman Brett Pesce is out for the season following shoulder surgery. His expected recovery period is four-to-six weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: While the Capitals flounder, the Flyers are poised to take over first place in the Metro. They’ve been red hot in 2020, showing no sign of slowing. The Hurricanes are really struggling with goaltenders James Reimer and Petr Mrazek sidelined since late February. If they don’t return to action soon, the Canes’ playoff hopes could be dashed.

The Ottawa Senators spoiled the return of former Senator Jean-Gabriel Pageau by hanging on to defeat the New York Islanders 4-3. Pageau was dealt by the Sens to the Isles at last Monday’s trade deadline. The loss leaves the Islanders (78 points) clinging to the final Eastern wild-card spot. They’ve won just two of their last 11 contests.

An overtime goal by Torey Krug carried the Boston Bruins over the Florida Panthers 2-1. It was the Bruins’ fourth consecutive victory while the Panthers dropped their eighth straight home game. The Bruins sit atop the overall standings with 98 points, while the Panthers (74 points) sit four points out of a playoff spot in the East.

The Tampa Bay Lightning blanked the Montreal Canadiens 4-0. Andrei Vasilevskiy kicked out 32 shots for the shutout while Victor Hedman tallied twice. The Bolts sit second in the Atlantic Division with 89 points. Before the game, Canadiens winger Tomas Tatar returned to Montreal for evaluation of an upper-body injury.

Patric Hornqvist scored twice and Evgeni Malkin collected two assists as the Pittsburgh Penguins doubled up the Buffalo Sabres 4-2, handing the latter their fifth straight defeat. The Pens have won two straight and sit third in the Metro with 84 points.

Zach Parise extended his goal streak to four games and Alex Stalock made 30 stops as the Minnesota Wild nipped the San Jose Sharks 3-2. With 75 points, the Wild leaped over four other clubs into the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A month ago, the Wild seemed done like dinner, especially after winger Jason Zucker was traded to Pittsburgh on Feb. 10. Since then, the Wild have won eight of their last 12 games and put themselves into the middle of the Western Conference playoff race.

The Nashville Predators got a 33-save shutout from Juuse Saros to blank the Dallas Stars 2-0. Filip Forsberg and Matt Duchene were the goal scorers. The Stars (82 points) remain in third place in the Central Division while the Predators (74 points) moved into a four-way tie with the Vancouver Canucks, Winnipeg Jets, and Arizona Coyotes for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. The Canucks hold the spot due to games in hand.

Alex DeBrincat scored twice to lead the Chicago Blackhawks over the Edmonton Oilers 4-3. Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane also netted his 30th goal of the season. Chicago (74 points) are four points out of playoff contention in the West, while the Oilers (80 points) remain two back of the first-place Vegas Golden Knights in the Pacific Division.

Shootout goals by Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe gave the Los Angeles Kings a 1-0 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Kings goalie Jonathan Quick made 36 saves while the Leafs’ Frederik Andersen made 30. The Leafs (79 points) picked up a point and sit third in the Atlantic Division.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NJ.COM: Devils defenseman Will Butcher underwent season-ending surgery to repair ruptured ligaments in his right thumb.

TSN: The NHL Players Association canceled its April meeting with player agents because of the spread of the coronavirus.

NEW YORK POST: Former NHL player Matthew Barnaby was arrested on assault and public intoxication charges at a Nashville bar early Thursday morning.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 2, 2020

by | Mar 2, 2020

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 2, 2020

Game recaps, players and rookie of the month for February, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Alex Ovechkin scored twice and added an assist as the Washington Capitals edged the Minnesota Wild 4-3. Ovechkin has 45 goals on the season, moving into a second-place tie with Toronto’s Auston Matthews in the NHL goal-scoring race. The Capitals (86 points) opened a three-point lead over the Philadelphia Flyers for first place in the Metropolitan Division. Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist for the Wild (71 points), who remain one point out of a Western Conference wild-card spot.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin led his club to a 5-3 win over the New York Rangers (Photo via NHL Images).

The Flyers jumped to a 4-0 lead and cruised to a 5-3 win over the New York Rangers. They scored three goals in the first period, two on the power-play and one shorthanded. Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist allowed five goals on 26 shots in his first start since Feb. 3. The Flyers (83 points) opened a three-point lead over the Pittsburgh Penguins for second place in the Metropolitan Division. The Rangers (74 points) are four behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

Speaking of the Blue Jackets, they overcame a 3-1 deficit to beat the slumping Vancouver Canucks 5-3. Zach Werenski and Ryan Murray each had two points for the Jackets (78 points), opening a three-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes for the final Eastern wild-card spot. Elias Pettersson and J.T. Miller each had a goal and two assists for the Canucks, who dropped into the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference.

Cam Talbot made 38 saves as the Calgary Flames blanked the Florida Panthers 3-0. Flames captain Mark Giordano collected three assists while Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and an assist. With 75 points, the Flames moved one point ahead of the Canucks into third place in the Pacific Division. The Panthers (73 points) have dropped seven-straight games and remain five points behind the third-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division.

The Los Angeles Kings upset the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1. Calvin Petersen stopped 42 shots while Anze Kopitar scored two goals to snap the Golden Knights’ eight-game winning streak. With 80 points, the Golden Knights remain atop the Pacific Division. Earlier in the day, they revealed winger Mark Stone is week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Cory Schneider turned in a 34-save shutout and Pavel Zacha scored twice to give the New Jersey Devils a 3-0 win over the Anaheim Ducks.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl, New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad, and Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak are the NHL’s three stars for February 2020. Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes was the rookie of the month.