NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 16, 2025

by | Dec 16, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 16, 2025

A notable hat trick by Predators winger Filip Forsberg, the Ducks’ Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba return to New York, the Sabres make a management change, the three stars of the week, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: A hat-trick performance by Filip Forsberg carried the Nashville Predators to a 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Roman Josi and Ryan O’Reilly each collected two assists for the 13-15-4 Predators, who have won seven of their last 10 games. Dalibor Dvorsky netted both goals for the Blues, who dropped to 12-15-7.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Forsberg picked up his 11th career hat trick, tying Markus Naslund for the second-most NHL hat tricks by a Swedish player. Kent Nilsson is the leader with 14.

Before this game, the Blues announced that winger Dylan Holloway would miss at least six weeks with an ankle injury.

Anaheim Ducks winger Cutter Gauthier scored twice, and goalie Lukas Dostal stopped 26 shots to defeat the New York Rangers 4-1. Ryan Poehling had two assists for the Ducks (20-12-1), as they ended a two-game losing skid. Matthew Robertson replied for the Rangers (16-14-4), who have dropped four of their last five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the first game back in New York for former Rangers Chris Kreider and Jacob Trouba, who received ovations from the fans at Madison Square Garden during tribute videos for both players. Both were traded to the Ducks in separate trades last season.

Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad was benched from this game for missing a team meeting.

Florida Panthers winger Sam Reinhart tallied two goals in a 5-2 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist, and Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 26 shots for the 17-13-2 Panthers, who’ve won five of their last six contests. Brayden Point had two assists for the Lightning (18-12-3), who hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 39 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning forward Brandon Hagel left this game in the third period after a questionable hit by Panthers defenseman Seth Jones. Earlier in the day, the Lightning announced that defenseman Emil Lilleberg will miss several weeks with an injury, while sidelined goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy could return to the lineup before Christmas.

The Dallas Stars beat the Los Angeles Kings by a score of 4-1. Mikko Rantanen, Matt Duchene, and Wyatt Johnston each had a goal and an assist, and Casey DeSmith made 27 saves for the 22-7-5 Stars. Andrei Kuzmenko scored for the Kings (14-9-9), who are 0-1-2 in their last three games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings goaltender Darcy Kuemper left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury following a collision with Rantanen.

An overtime goal by Brady Tkachuk gave the Ottawa Senators a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Tim Stutzle had three assists, and Jake Sanderson scored the tying goal late in the third period for the Senators (15-13-4). Neal Pionk and Logan Stanley replied for the 15-15-2 Jets, who have three wins in their last 10 games.

HEADLINES

TSN: The Buffalo Sabres fired general manager Kevyn Adams, replacing him with Jarmo Kekalainen on a full-time basis.

Adams was in his sixth season as the Sabres’ general manager. He was criticized for mismanaging the team’s assets, his inability to secure a franchise goaltender, and his failure to address a lingering leadership void within the team.

In June, Adams hired Kekalainen as a senior advisor. He spent 10 seasons as general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A recent report in The Athletic indicated the Sabres were internally discussing replacing Adams. During his tenure, the Sabres’ postseason drought stretched to a league-record 14 seasons and counting. His two biggest blunders were trading Jack Eichel to the Vegas Golden Knights and Sam Reinhart to the Florida Panthers. Both players flourished with their new teams, becoming Stanley Cup champions.

Adams lacked management experience when he was hired for the job. He did his best, but he had no business being in that role. It was yet another example of the ineptitude of the club’s ownership, which has gone through five general managers, eight head coaches, 28 goaltenders with more than one game played, and seven team captains since 2011.

Kekalainen has considerable management experience. He guided the Blue Jackets through their most successful period in franchise history from 2016 to 2020, reaching the playoffs in four straight seasons. However, things fell apart soon afterward, leading to his firing last year. Whether he fares better than his four predecessors remains to be seen.

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, Detroit Red Wings goaltender John Gibson, and Minnesota Wild center Joel Eriksson Ek are the league’s stars for the week ending Dec. 14, 2025.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: The Blackhawks placed center Connor Bedard (upper body) on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 12.

DAILY FACEOFF/DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane will miss the next two games with an upper-body injury. The Wings also placed forward Jonatan Berggren on waivers.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Former Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner and defenseman Brett Kulak joined the Pittsburgh Penguins’ active roster after resolving their immigration status over the weekend. On Friday, the Oilers traded Skinner and Kulak to the Penguins for goalie Tristan Jarry and forward Sam Poulin.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks placed forwards Will Smith and Philipp Kurashev on injured reserve.

TSN: The Vancouver Canucks agreed to a two-year contract extension with center Max Sasson. He will earn an average annual value of $1 million.

RG.ORG: Prospect winger Gavin McKenna is hoping for redemption at the 2026 World Junior Championship. He was part of Canada’s junior team that failed to medal last season.

McKenna believes his move from the CHL to the NCAA with Penn State University this season has improved his decision-making, defensive play, and physical growth. He thinks those attributes will help his performance in this year’s tournament.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McKenna said his focus is on winning gold, and he’s not looking at this tournament as an opportunity to elevate his status in the 2026 NHL Draft. Nevertheless, he has slipped from the top spot in some recent draft rankings. A strong performance at the WJC could help him regain that placement.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 14, 2025

by | Dec 14, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 14, 2025

The Sharks’ five-goal comeback win, Tristan Jarry’s debut with the Oilers, and Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck’s return to action highlight the recaps of Saturday’s action in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The San Jose Sharks rallied from a 5-1 deficit in the third period to upset the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-5 on an overtime goal by John Klingberg, who finished the game with two goals. Tyler Toffolli scored twice and assisted on two others while Macklin Celebrini and Alexander Wennberg each had three points as the Sharks improved to 16-14-3. Bryan Rust and Anthony Mantha each had a goal and two assists for the Penguins (14-8-8), who are winless in their last four games (0-1-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks forwards Will Smith and Philipp Kurashev left this game with upper-body injuries. Earlier in the day, the Sharks provided an update on center Michael Misa, saying he was not injured as originally reported and will report to Canada’s training camp for the upcoming 2026 World Junior Championship.

Penguins defenseman Matt Dumba cleared waivers and was sent to their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.

Tristan Jarry made 25 saves to win his first game with the Edmonton Oilers as they downed the Toronto Maple Leafs 6-3. Connor McDavid scored two goals and set up another, Leon Draisaitl had three assists, and Vasily Podkolzin tallied twice for the 15-11-6 Oilers. Steven Lorentz had a goal and an assist for the Maple Leafs, who sank to 14-12-5.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In case you missed it, the Oilers acquired Jarry from the Penguins in exchange for Stuart Skinner in a multiplayer trade on Friday.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck (NHL Images).

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck stopped 24 shots in his return from knee surgery to defeat the Washington Capitals 5-1. Gabriel Vilardi scored two goals while Mark Scheifele, Kyle Connor, Josh Morrissey, Adam Lowry, and Alex Iafallo each had two points for the 15-15-1 Jets, snapping a three-game losing skid. Jakob Chychrun tallied for the Capitals (18-10-4), who have lost two straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets are a different team with Hellebuyck in the lineup. They were 12-7-0 before his surgery, and 2-8-1 during his absence. Meanwhile, the Capitals took goalie Charlie Lindgren off injured reserve.

The league-leading Colorado Avalanche picked up their 11th straight home win with a 4-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche, who improved to 23-2-7 (53 points). Jonathan Marchessault and Tyson Jost replied for the 12-15-4 Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads the league this season with 26 goals and 55 points in 32 games.

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb snapped a 2-2 tie as his club nipped the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2. Mitch Marner had three assists as the Golden Knights (16-6-9) extended their points streak to seven games. Charlie Coyle and Yegor Chinakhov scored for the Blue Jackets, who have lost five straight and dropped to 13-13-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With the win, the Golden Knights hold first place in the Pacific Division with 51 points.

The Carolina Hurricanes overcame an early 2-0 deficit for a 4-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Jackson Blake scored the winner in the shootout while Shayne Gostisbehere picked up two assists for the Hurricanes (20-9-2), who collected their third straight win. Trevor Zegras had a goal and an assist for the 16-9-5 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes hold first place in the Metropolitan Division with 42 points.

New York Islanders forward Emil Heineman scored the winning goal in the shootout to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2. Ilya Sorokin made 32 saves while Matthew Schaefer and Calum Ritchie scored for the Islanders (19-11-3), who have won three straight games. Darren Raddysh and J.J. Moser scored for the Lightning (18-11-3) as they overcame a 2-0 deficit to tie the game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Islanders inducted Pat LaFontaine into their Hall of Fame in a pregame ceremony. LaFontaine began his 15-season NHL career with the Islanders in 1983-84, spending eight seasons with them and netting 566 of his 1,013 regular-season points with them. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2003.

An overtime goal by J.T. Miller gave the New York Rangers a 5-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens. It was the second of two goals for Miller, and teammates Will Cuylle and Noah Laba each had a goal and an assist for the 16-13-1 Rangers, who ended a three-game winless skid. Nick Suzuki and Lane Hutson each had two assists for the Canadiens (16-11-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, it was announced that former Canadiens forward Bobby Rousseau had passed away at the age of 85. He spent 10 of his 15 NHL seasons with the Canadiens from 1960-61 to 1969-70, winning four Stanley Cups. Rousseau also played for the Rangers and Minnesota North Stars. He had 245 goals and 458 assists for 703 points in 942 regular-season games, and 84 points in 128 playoff games.

My condolences to Rousseau’s family, friends, and former teammates.

The Minnesota Wild squeaked past the Ottawa Senators 3-2 on a goal by Joel Eriksson Ek with 24 seconds left in the third period. Jesper Wallstedt made 34 saves while Tyler Pitlick and Ryan Hartman scored for the 18-9-5 Wild, who picked up their third straight win. Tim Stutzle and Dylan Cozens scored for the Senators (14-13-4) as they overcame a 2-0 deficit.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Quinn Hughes will make his debut with Minnesota on Sunday against the Boston Bruins. The Wild acquired the superstar defenseman from the Vancouver Canucks on Friday.

New Jersey Devils goaltender Jake Allen stopped 30 shots in a 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, ending a five-game losing streak. Ondrej Palat, Colton White, and Juho Lammikko each had two assists for the 18-13-1 Devils. Troy Terry replied for the 19-12-1 Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils defenseman Simon Nemec missed this game with an undisclosed injury and is expected to miss some time, though no details have been provided yet as to how long he’ll be sidelined. He joins a growing list of injured Devils, including Jack Hughes, Brett Pesce, Arseny Gritsyuk, Evgenii Dadonov, Zack MacEwen, and Johnathan Kovacevic.

Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane tallied his 498th career regular-season NHL goal as his club blanked the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0. John Gibson turned in a 26-save shutout while Alex DeBrincat scored twice and had an assist for the 18-12-3 Red Wings. Arvid Soderblom made 20 saves on 23 shots for the 13-13-6 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Blackhawks called up top prospect Nick Lardis for some offensive support. Meanwhile, Blackhawks center Connor Bedard missed this game with an upper-body injury. More information on his status is expected on Monday.

The Florida Panthers got a 15-save shutout from Sergei Bobrovsky to defeat the Dallas Stars 4-0. Brad Marchand had two goals and an assist for the Panthers, who improved to 16-13-2. Jake Oettinger made 19 saves on 22 shots for the 21-7-5 Stars.

Calgary Flames forward Morgan Frost scored in overtime for a 2-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Blake Coleman also scored, and Dustin Wolf turned aside 20 shots for the 13-16-4 Flames, who’ve won four of their last five contests. Adrian Kempe scored, and Darcy Kuemper kicked out 36 shots for the 14-8-9 Kings.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 11, 2025

by | Dec 11, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 11, 2025

Recapping Wednesday’s games, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin talked about his future, injury updates, ongoing concerns about the slow construction of the 2026 Winter Olympics rinks, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat scored twice and collected an assist as his club held off the Calgary Flames by a score of 4-3. John Gibson made 34 saves for the Red Wings (17-11-3), extending their win streak to three games as they moved into first place in the Atlantic Division with 37 points. Nazem Kadri had two assists for the Flames (12-16-4) as their three-game win streak ended.

Detroit Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Down 4-0, the Flames got three unanswered goals in the third to make it interesting, but they ultimately came up short. Speaking of Kadri, he donated $50,000.00 to a food bank in his hometown of London, Ontario.

The Chicago Blackhawks got a 21-save shutout from goaltender Spencer Knight to blank the New York Rangers 3-0. Connor Bedard had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks, who improved to 13-11-6. Igor Shesterkin stopped 22 shots for the 15-13-4 Rangers, who have lost three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Rangers placed sidelined center Adam Edstrom (lower body) on injured reserve.

Florida Panthers center Anton Lundell scored with 52 seconds remaining in the third period to lift his club to a 4-3 victory over the Utah Mammoth. Sam Bennett had two goals and an assist, and Sergei Bobrovsky turned aside 27 shots for the Panthers (15-12-2), who picked up their third consecutive win. Dylan Guenther tallied two goals as the Mammoth lost its third straight game, slipping to 14-15-3.

An overtime goal by Vince Dunn capped his three-point performance as the Seattle Kraken nipped the Los Angeles Kings 3-2. Matty Beniers scored with 24 seconds left in the game to force overtime for the Kraken (12-10-6) as they snapped a six-game losing skid. Alex Laferriere and Kevin Fiala scored for the 14-8-8 Kings.

HEADLINES

RG.ORG: Alex Ovechkin discussed his future in a recent interview with Andrew Knoll.

The Washington Capitals captain is in the final season of his contract. He isn’t thinking beyond this season, but hasn’t ruled out bringing his career full circle by returning to the KHL’s Dynamo Moscow in a ceremonial or competitive role.

Having surpassed 900 NHL regular-season goals, Ovechkin has shifted from chasing scoring milestones to the Capitals’ resurgence as they jockey for first place in the Eastern Conference for the second straight season.

ESPN.COM: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman expressed concern about the delays plaguing the construction of the hockey rinks for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. He pointed out that constructions of rinks for previous Winter Games had never stretched on this long, calling the delays “disappointing.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Once the arenas are completed, the league will be sending its experts to determine that the ice surface is safe for its players. There are no alternate venues if the ice isn’t up to the standard expected by the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association. NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly stated the players won’t participate if the ice surface isn’t suitable.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: The Flyers’ blue line will soon get a boost when sidelined defensemen Cam York and Rasmus Ristolainen return to action. Ristolainen has been recovering from surgery in March to repair a ruptured triceps tendon. York has missed the past five games with a lower-body injury.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Carolina Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi is sidelined again with a lower-body injury.

SPORTSNET: Montreal Canadiens center Jake Evans will miss Thursday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins for personal reasons.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Toronto Maple Leafs placed defenseman Dakota Mermis (lower body) on injured reserve.

DAILY FACEOFF/TSN: The St. Louis Blues announced that center Nick Bjugstad is out for at least five days with an upper-body injury. They also signed forward Robby Fabbri to a one-year, two-way contract, and signed forward Dillon Dube to an AHL professional tryout contract.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 8, 2025

by | Dec 8, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 8, 2025

Recaps of Sunday’s games and injury updates in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini had a goal and two assists to lead his club over the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 4-1. Alexander Wennberg and John Klingberg each had a goal and an assist, and Alex Nedeljkovic made 28 saves as the Sharks improved to 14-13-3. Jordan Staal replied for the Hurricanes (17-9-2).

San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini played his 100th career NHL regular-season game. It was also his 28th multipoint game, sitting seventh among NHL players for the most multipoint games through their first 100 games as teenagers. Wayne Gretzky is the all-time leader with 53 multipoint games.

The Colorado Avalanche held off the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. Mackenzie Blackwood stopped 23 shots, including a penalty shot by Trevor Zegras in the third period. Brent Burns, Brock Nelson, and Valeri Nichushkin scored for the Avalanche (21-2-6), who hold first place in the overall standings with 48 points. Sean Couturier and Travis Konency scored for the 15-9-3 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon collected an assist as he holds first place in the scoring race with 49 points. Macklin Celebrini is second with 43 points.

Washington Capitals netminder Logan Thompson picked up his 100th career NHL regular-season win by shutting out the Columbus Blue Jackets 2-0, sitting eighth on the list of fewest games to reach 100 wins by undrafted goalies (167 games). Jakob Chychrun and Aliaksei Protas were the goal scorers as the Capitals (18-9-3) opened a three-point lead over the Hurricanes for first place in the Eastern Conference with 39 points. Jet Greaves stopped 36 of 37 shots for the 13-10-6 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Capitals placed forward Ryan Leonard and goalie Charlie Lindgren on injured reserve with upper-body injuries.

The Dallas Stars nipped the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1 on a shootout goal by Mikko Rantanen. Jamie Benn and Miro Heiskanen scored for the Stars (20-5-5), who collected their seventh win in their last eight games. Connor Dewar and Tommy Novak scored for the Penguins (14-7-6).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins center Evgeni Malkin missed this game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, Stars center Matt Duchene and defenseman Nils Lundkvist returned to action after being out since mid-October with injuries.

St. Louis Blues captain Brayden Schenn scored twice and picked up an assist to lead his team to a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Dylan Holloway had a goal and two assists for the Blues, who improved to 11-12-7. Cole Caufield scored to extend his points streak to 11 games, and Noah Dobson had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens (15-10-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues winger Jordan Kyrou missed this game with a lower-body injury.

Florida Panthers winger Carter Verhaeghe scored his fourth goal in his last three games in a 4-1 victory over the New York Islanders. Sam Reinhart had a goal and an assist for the Panthers, who improved to 14-12-2. Mathew Barzal scored for the Islanders (16-11-3) as their three-game win streak ended.

An overtime goal by Jack Eichel lifted the Vegas Golden Knights over the New York Rangers 3-2. Eichel, Mark Stone, and Brett Howden each had two points, and Carter Hart made 21 saves for the Golden Knights (14-6-8) as they picked up their fourth straight win. Alexis Lafreniere and Mika Zibanejad each had a goal and an assist for the 15-12-3 Rangers.

The Anaheim Ducks crushed the Chicago Blackhawks 7-1. Leo Carlsson tallied twice while Cutter Gauthier, Beckett Sennecke, Chris Kreider, and Ryan Strome each picked up two points for the Ducks (18-10-1), who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 37 points. Tyler Bertuzzi scored for the 12-11-6 Blackhawks, who’ve lost three of their last four contests.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 7, 2025

by | Dec 7, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 7, 2025

Nathan MacKinnon ties the Avalanche goals record, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Nathan MacKinnon scored twice, including the winner in overtime, as the Colorado Avalanche nipped the New York Rangers 3-2. Martin Necas collected three assists as the league-leading Avalanche (46 points) became the first team to reach the 20-win plateau (20-2-6). Igor Shesterkin kicked out 39 shots while Conor Sheary and Artemi Panarin replied for the 15-13-3 Rangers.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads the league with 24 goals and 48 points. He also reached 391 career NHL regular-season goals, tying Joe Sakic for the most goals in Avalanche history. Sakic remains the overall franchise leader (Avalanche and Quebec Nordiques) with 625.

The Florida Panthers overcame 4-1 and 6-4 deficits to defeat the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-6 on an overtime goal by Sam Bennett, who also collected three assists. Brad Marchand also had a goal and three assists, and Carter Verhaeghe tallied twice and picked up an assist for the Panthers, who snapped a four-game losing skid and improved to 13-12-2. Dmitri Voronkov, Miles Wood, Cole Sillinger, and Isac Lundestrom each had a goal and an assist for the 13-9-6 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers forward Eetu Luostarinen returned to action after being sidelined since Nov. 15 from burns to his lower body suffered when his propane grill malfunctioned and exploded while he was cooking.

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin turned in a 32-save shutout to blank the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-0. Calum Ritchie and Casey Cizikas were the goal scorers for the 16-10-3 Islanders. Jonas Johansson stopped 17 of 18 shots for the Lightning (16-10-2), who have lost three straight but remain in first place in the Atlantic Division with 34 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning captain Victor Hedman returned to action after missing the last 12 games with an undisclosed injury. Starting goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy and winger Nikita Kucherov missed this game and are day-to-day with undisclosed injuries.

A shootout goal by Alexandre Texier lifted the Montreal Canadiens to a 2-1 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Cole Caufield scored to extend his points streak to 10 games for the Canadiens (15-9-3). Dennis Hildeby made 33 saves, and Scott Laughton scored for the 13-11-4 Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Maple Leafs placed starting goalie Joseph Woll (lower body) on injured reserve.

St. Louis Blues netminder Joel Hofer turned aside 41 shots, and Jake Neighbours scored twice to beat the Ottawa Senators by a score of 2-1. Fabian Zetterlund replied for the Senators (13-11-4), who have dropped four of their last five games. The Blues now sit at 10-12-7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues winger Jordan Kyrou left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury. Meanwhile, the Senators played without center Shane Pinto, who suffered a lower-body injury during Thursday’s 3-2 loss to the New York Rangers. Pinto will be sidelined for at least two weeks.

Vancouver Canucks center Aatu Raty had his first multipoint NHL game with two goals and an assist in a 4-2 upset of the Minnesota Wild. Rookie defenseman Tom Wallinder scored his first NHL goal, and goalie Nikita Tolopilo stopped 28 shots for the Canucks (11-15-3) as they ended a four-game losing skid. Matt Boldy and Mats Zuccarello each had a goal and an assist, and goalie Jesper Wallstedt suffered his first regulation loss of the season for the Wild (15-9-5), who’ve dropped three of their last four contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks center Elias Pettersson left the warmup for this game with an upper-body injury.

The Calgary Flames blanked the Utah Mammoth 2-0. Dustin Wolf made 27 saves for the shutout while Yegor Sharangovich and Connor Zary scored for the 11-15-4 Flames, who are 6-2-1 in their last nine games. Vitek Vanecek stopped 21 of 22 shots for the 14-13-3 Mammoth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mammoth center Logan Cooley was a late scratch from this game with a lower-body injury.

Carolina Hurricanes forwards Jackson Blake and Nikolaj Ehlers each had three points in a 6-3 victory over the Nashville Predators. Goalie Brandon Bussi made 19 saves for his sixth straight win for the 17-8-2 Hurricanes. Filip Forsberg had a goal and an assist for the Predators, who dropped to 10-14-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes center Jesperi Kotkaniemi returned to action after missing nine games with a lower-body injury.

Boston Bruins winger Morgan Geekie scored for the 10th time in nine games in a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Jeremy Swayman kicked out 29 shots as the Bruins improved to 17-13-0. Timo Meier replied for the Devils (16-12-1), who have lost five straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Geekie sits second among NHL skaters this season with 22 goals.

A four-goal first period carried the Edmonton Oilers over the Winnipeg Jets by a score of 6-2. Leon Draisaitl, Evan Bouchard, and Connor McDavid each had two points for the 13-11-5 Oilers. Gabriel Vilardi and Cole Koepke replied for the Jets (14-13-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid has been rising in the points race lately, sitting second to the Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon with 42 points.

A late goal by Patrick Kane gave the Detroit Red Wings a 4-3 win over the Seattle Kraken. John Gibson made 24 saves for the win as the Red Wings improved to 15-11-3. Adam Larsson had a goal and an assist for the 11-9-6 Kraken, who have lost five straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kane is closing in on the 500-goal milestone with 497.

The Los Angeles Kings thumped the Chicago Blackhawks 6-0. Darcy Kuemper turned in a 23-save shutout, and Brandt Clarke scored two goals for the 13-8-7 Kings. Blackhawks goalie Spencer Knight made 26 saves as his club dropped to 12-10-6.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars placed forward Tyler Seguin (ACL) on long-term injury reserve and put defenseman Lian Bichsel on injured reserve following surgery on his left leg.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: For now, the Stars will get just over $3.8 million in cap relief by placing Seguin on LTIR. If it’s determined that he’ll miss the rest of the season (including the playoffs), he’ll be moved to season-ending LTIR, enabling them to exceed the salary cap by the remainder of his $9.8 million cap hit.

Meanwhile, Bichsel is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks.

ESPN.COM: Former Stars owner Tom Hicks died on Saturday at age 79. He owned the club from 1995 to 2011, during which they won the Stanley Cup in 1999 and reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2000.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Hicks’ family and the Stars organization.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 25, 2025

by | Nov 25, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 25, 2025

A career-best single-game performance by Mammoth center Logan Cooley, a lopsided victory by the Panthers over the Predators, the three stars of the week are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley had a career-best single-game performance with four goals and an assist in a 5-1 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights. Karel Vejmelka made 33 saves, and Dylan Guenther had a goal and an assist for the Mammoth, who improved to 12-8-3. Ivan Barbashev replied for the 10-5-7 Golden Knights.

Utah Mammoth center Logan Cooley (NHL Images).

The Florida Panthers romped to an 8-3 drubbing of the Nashville Predators. A.J. Greer scored twice and collected an assist, while Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe each had a goal and two assists for the Panthers (12-9-1). Filip Forsberg, Fedor Svechkov, and Nick Blankenburg replied for the Predators, who’ve lost three straight and dropped to 6-12-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This loss came after Predators general manager Barry Trotz backed head coach Andrew Brunette while calling for his players to do more, especially on offense. However, the message fell on deaf ears.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel had two goals and an assist, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 20 saves to shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0. Nikita Kucherov collected three assists as the Lightning improved to 13-7-2, picking up their fourth straight win and moving into first place in the Atlantic Division with 28 points. Samuel Ersson stopped 15 of 17 shots for the Flyers, who dropped to 11-7-3 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: What a difference a month makes. On Oct. 23, the Lightning were off to the worst start in franchise history, sitting in last place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 1-4-2. Some observers suggested that they were past their prime and incapable of fending off the hungry younger teams in the conference. They’ve since won 12 of their last 15 games.

Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun tallied two goals as his club defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-1. Tom Wilson and John Carlson each had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (12-9-2), who’ve won four of their last five games. Denton Mateychuk scored for the 11-9-3 Blue Jackets as they dropped four of their last six contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski and winger Mathieu Olivier left this game with upper-body injuries. Winger Kirill Marchenko missed this game with an upper-body injury. Earlier in the day, the Jackets announced the signing of defenseman Brendan Smith to a one-year, two-way contract.

The Los Angeles Kings nipped the Ottawa Senators 2-1 on a third-period goal by Brandt Clarke. Warren Foegele also scored, and Darcy Kuemper made 27 saves for the 11-6-6 Kings, who ended a three-game winless skid (0-1-2). Fabian Zetterlund netted the only goal for the Senators (11-7-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot missed this game as he returned to the injury list with an upper-body ailment. He’s listed as day-to-day and could return to the lineup when the Senators face the St. Louis Blues on Friday.

New Jersey Devils forwards Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, and Connor Brown each had a goal and an assist in a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings, extending their home points streak to nine games. Jacob Markstrom turned aside 32 shots for the 14-7-1 Devils, who snapped a three-game losing skid. Moritz Seider picked up two points for the Red Wings (13-9-1).

The New York Rangers snapped a four-game losing skid by dropping the St. Louis Blues 3-2. Igor Shesterkin stopped 19 shots for the win while defensemen Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov each had two assists for the Rangers, who improved to 11-11-2. Dylan Holloway and Brayden Schenn replied for the Blues, who dropped to 7-10-6.

NHL.COM: Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson, Columbus Blue Jackets blueliner Zach Werenski, and San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini are the league’s three stars for the week ending Nov. 23, 2025.