NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 17, 2026

by | Feb 17, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 17, 2026

The qualification round of the Olympic Men’s hockey tournament goes on Tuesday, the Hurricanes sign goalie Brandon Bussi to a new contract, the Sharks terminate Jeff Skinner’s contract, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

OLYMPIC MEN’S HOCKEY NEWS

NHL.COM: The qualification round for Olympic Men’s ice hockey goes today. France takes on Germany, Italy faces Switzerland, Denmark meets Czechia, and Latvia faces off against Sweden.

The winners of this round advance to the quarterfinal on Wednesday. France or Germany will go on to face Slovakia, Italy or Switzerland will meet Finland, Denmark or Czechia will play Canada, and Latvia or Sweden will go up against the United States.

Czechia winger David Pastrnak (NHL.com).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most media predictions have Germany, Switzerland, Czechia, and Sweden advancing to the quarterfinal.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Czechia winger and Bruins star David Pastrnak said he felt that his performance must be better as his club entered the qualification round. Pastrnak had a goal and two assists in the preliminary round as Czechia went 1-0-1-1. Avalanche winger Martin Necas led Czechia with two goals and three assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Czechia needs more production from Pastrnak if they hope to win a medal in this tournament.

DAILY FACEOFF: The boards at Santagiulia Arena will be a lighter color when the men’s qualification round begins Tuesday. This color change comes following feedback from teams and national Olympic committees.

The previous darker color of the boards may have contributed to United States goaltender Jeremy Swayman giving up a goal from center ice during his club’s game against Denmark in the preliminary round.

SPORTSNET: The French Ice Hockey Federation suspended defenseman Pierre Crinon of France from further competition in this tournament, citing his “provocative behavior” during France’s 10-2 loss to Canada on Sunday.

Crinon fought Canadian winger Tom Wilson during that game, resulting in both players receiving match penalties. They did not receive supplemental discipline for their actions from the International Ice Hockey Federation.

A statement released by Pierre-Yves Gerbeau, president of the French Ice Hockey Federation, claimed that Crinon’s actions were “a clear violation of the Olympic spirit and also undermines the values of our sport.”

NHL HEADLINES

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Carolina Hurricanes signed goaltender Brandon Bussi to a three-year, $5.7 million contract extension.

Bussi, 27, was claimed off waivers from the Florida Panthers at the start of this season. He’s become one of the biggest stories of the regular season, sporting a record of 23-3-1 with a .908 save percentage and two shutouts.

To celebrate Bussi’s new contract, the Hurricanes have made a $10,000 donation to the Autism Society of North Carolina. Bussi’s younger brother, Dylan, has autism.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bussi became the fastest goaltender to win 20 games in an NHL season, doing so in 24 games.

The average annual value of his new one-way contract is $1.9 million. That’s an affordable move by the Hurricanes while still giving Bussi a nice raise over the $775,000 cap hit on his current two-way deal. This is also an insurance move, given that oft-injured starter Frederik Andersen is UFA-eligible this summer and questions over Pyotr Kochetkov’s development.

TSN: The San Jose Sharks placed winger Jeff Skinner on unconditional waivers on Monday with the intention of terminating his contract by mutual agreement. Skinner, 33, will become an unrestricted free agent once he clears waivers on Tuesday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Skinner signed a one-year, $3 million contract with the Sharks last summer. He has 13 points in 34 games this season, and has been a healthy scratch since Jan. 15. It will be interesting to see if he lands with another NHL club.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 27, 2026

by | Jan 27, 2026

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 27, 2026

Mattias Ekholm scored his first hat trick as the Oilers set a league record, the Rangers traded Carson Soucy, the three stars of the week, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers defenseman Mattias Ekholm tallied his first NHL hat trick in a 7-4 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Leon Draisaitl collected four assists while Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman each had a goal and an assist for the 27-19-8 Oilers. Ducks forward Mikael Granlund also netted a hat trick as his club dropped to 28-22-3, and their seven-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a record-setting performance for the Oilers, becoming the first team in league history to have defensemen score hat tricks in consecutive games, with Evan Bouchard scoring three goals in a six-point performance in the Oilers’ previous game.

Those three-goal performances by Ekholm and Granlund bring the number of hat tricks scored in January to 27, matching the third-most in a single month (December 1981) in league history. The record is 29, set in December 1985.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images)

The New York Rangers nipped the Boston Bruins 4-3 on an overtime goal by Matthew Robertson. Will Cuylle, J.T. Miller, and Will Borgen also scored for the 22-25-6 Rangers, snapping a three-game losing skid. David Pastrnak collected three assists to reach the 900-point plateau, and Elias Linholm netted two goals for the Bruins (30-20-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pastrnak is the sixth player in Bruins history to record 900 points, joining Raymond Bourque (1,506), Johnny Bucyk (1,339), Patrice Bergeron (1,040), Phil Esposito (1,012), and Brad Marchand (976).

Before this game, the Rangers held defenseman Carson Soucy out of the lineup. They subsequently announced they had traded Soucy to the New York Islanders in exchange for a 2026 third-round pick.

Soucy, 31, is in the final season of his three-year contract with an AAV of $3.25 million and is eligible for unrestricted free-agent status this summer. He’s a short-term fix for the Islanders’ blueline with Alexander Romanov on long-term injury reserve, and Ryan Pulock sidelined with an upper-body injury.

As for the Rangers, the Soucy trade is expected to be the first of what could be several moves this season by the retooling franchise before the March 6 trade deadline.

Speaking of the Islanders, they got a 21-save shutout from Ilya Sorokin to defeat the Philadelphia Flyers 4-0. Jean-Gabriel Pageau scored twice, and Mathew Barzal had a goal and an assist for the Islanders, who improved to 28-19-5. Samuel Ersson turned aside 19 of 23 shots for the Flyers (24-18-9).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers activated defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who had been sidelined since Jan. 14 with an upper-body injury.

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy turned in a 28-shot shutout in a 2-0 victory over the Utah Mammoth. Darren Raddysh and Anthony Cirelli scored for the Lightning (33-14-4), who regained first place in the Eastern Conference with 70 points. Karel Vejmelka stopped 27 shots for the 27-21-4 Mammoth as their five-game win streak ended.

The game between the Los Angeles Kings and Columbus Blue Jackets at Columbus’ Nationwide Arena was postponed due to inclement weather. It has been rescheduled for March 9.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov, Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, and Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal are the league’s three stars for the week ending Jan. 25, 2026.

TSN: Marc-Andre Fleury said a couple of NHL teams have contacted him about coming out of retirement, but the 41-year-old goaltender and future Hall of Famer has no plans to return to action. He still hangs out with his former club, the Minnesota Wild, and has skated with them in several practices, but his next role could be working in their front office.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury has until the March 6 trade deadline to sign an NHL contract if he intends to unretire. Even then, it would likely take several weeks of intense training for him to return to game shape.

Fleury said there were several reasons why he’ll remain retired. One of them is probably the wear and tear of his 21 NHL seasons on his aging body. He alluded to a sore hip during his one-period appearance in a preseason game with the Pittsburgh Penguins in September as he brought his NHL career full circle.

RG.ORG: DJ Siddiqi reports Florida Panthers general manager Bill Zito believes the health of the players his club is sending to the Olympics next month will be a factor in their attempt to win a third-straight Stanley Cup.

The defending champion Panthers have been battered by injuries, leaving them four points out of the final wildcard berth in the Eastern Conference as of Jan. 27. Managing fatigue, ice time, and emotional drain, as well as avoiding further injuries, will be crucial to their playoff hopes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers are sending eight players to the Olympics, including core players Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Reinhart, Brad Marchand, and Anton Lundell.

PUCKPEDIA: Speaking of the Olympics, the trade and assignment regulations for the NHL’s break period (Feb. 4-22) have been revealed. No trades will be permitted during that period.

TORONTO SUN: The league has fined Maple Leafs winger William Nylander $5,000.00 for flipping off a TSN camera during Sunday’s game against the Colorado Avalanche. Nylander made the gesture while watching the game in the press box with several other sidelined teammates.

THE PROVINCE: The Canucks placed winger Brock Boeser and defenseman Zeev Buium on injured reserve.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins winger Bryan Rust faces a hearing on Tuesday with the league’s department of player safety regarding his high hit on Boeser during Sunday’s game between the two clubs.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvinsson is out until the end of next month’s Olympic break with a lower-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 10, 2025

by | Dec 10, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 10, 2025

Four games see tying goals in the final seconds of regulation, Hurricanes goalie Brandon Bussi extends his win streak, Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon is the first player to reach 50 points this season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Anaheim Ducks nipped the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3 on a shootout goal by Leo Carlsson. Ducks rookie Beckett Sennecke got credit for the shorthanded tying goal with 1 second remaining after Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson accidentally deflected the puck into his own net. Ville Husso kicked out 44 shots for the 19-10-1 Ducks, who picked up their third straight win to remain in first place in the Pacific Division with 39 points. Karlsson finished with two assists for the Penguins (14-7-7).

Anaheim Ducks forward Beckett Sennecke (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sennecke leads all rookie scorers with 26 points. Ivan Demidov of the Montreal Canadiens is second with 23 points, followed by New York Islanders defenseman Matthew Schaefer with 22 points.

Before this game, the Penguins placed forwards Evgeni Malkin and Blake Lizotte on injured reserve.

Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch scored in overtime to lift his club to a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Connor McDavid scored twice for the 13-11-6 Oilers, including the tying goal with two seconds remaining in the third period. Tage Thompson and Rasmus Dahlin each had three points, and Josh Doan tallied two goals for the Sabres (12-14-4), who snapped a three-game losing skid.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Sabres placed winger Jason Zucker on IR after he suffered upper and lower-body injuries during Monday’s loss to the Calgary Flames. Center Josh Norris was a late scratch due to illness and muscle stiffness, and goaltender Colten Ellis was replaced by Alex Lyon in the first period after being removed by concussion spotters following a collision with Oilers winger David Tomasek.

Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly’s shootout goal gave his club a 4-3 win against the Colorado Avalanche. Cale Makar tied it for the Avalanche with eight seconds left in regulation time. Juuse Saros stopped 39 shots for the 11-14-4 Predators. Nathan MacKinnon collected two assists for the league-leading Avalanche (21-2-7, 49 points), becoming the first player to reach 50 points this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood returned to the lineup after suffering an upper-body injury last Tuesday against the Vancouver Canucks. During the shootout, he was pulled by the concussion spotters after Predators winger Filip Forsberg lost his footing and accidentally collided with the Avs goalie.

The New York Islanders got a shootout goal from Emil Heineman to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights by a score of 5-4 after Vegas winger Pavel Dorofeyev tied the game with 14 seconds left in the third period. Bo Horvat scored twice for the Islanders (17-11-3), as they’ve won four of their last five games. Jack Eichel, Mitch Marner, and Mark Stone each collected two points for the 14-6-9 Golden Knights as their four-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders center Jean-Gabriel Pageau returned to action after missing eight games with an upper-body injury.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Brandon Bussi turned aside 23 shots to pick up his seventh straight win in a 4-1 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Andrei Svechnikov collected two assists for the Hurricanes (18-9-2). Dmitri Voronkov scored for the 13-11-6 Blue Jackets as their losing streak reached three games.

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Darren Raddysh scored two goals as his club ended a four-game losing skid by thumping the Montreal Canadiens 6-1. Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point each had a goal and an assist for the 17-11-2 Lightning, who regained first place in the Atlantic Division with 36 points. Oliver Kapanen replied for the Canadiens, who dropped to 15-11-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning captain Victor Hedman left this game after the first period with an undisclosed injury. This was his third game back after missing 12 games.

Following the game, the Canadiens called up center Owen Beck, defenseman Adam Engstrom, and goaltender Jacob Fowler from their AHL affiliate in Laval. The addition of Fowler is notable because the Canadiens’ tandem of Sam Montembeault and Jakub Dobes has the league’s second-worst goals-against per game (3.55) this season. He could make his NHL debut as early as Thursday in Pittsburgh against the Penguins.

The Dallas Stars extended their points streak to 11 games (9-0-2) by holding off the Winnipeg Jets 4-3. Mikko Rantanen collected three assists as the Stars jumped to a 3-0 lead. The Jets rallied with two goals from Mark Scheifele before Jason Robertson scored what proved to be the winning goal for the 21-5-5 Stars. Kyle Connor had two assists for the Jets, who dropped to 14-14-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars defenseman Thomas Harley was held scoreless in his first game back in action since missing the last 12 games with an injured foot.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak collected three assists in his return to action in a 5-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Fraser Minten and Mark Kastelic each tallied twice for the 18-13-0 Bruins, extending their win streak to three games. Robert Thomas had two goals for the Blues, who slipped to 11-13-7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pastrnak missed the last five games with an undisclosed injury.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny had a goal and an assist to reach his 500th career NHL point in a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Christian Dvorak also had a goal and an assist for the Flyers as they improved to 16-9-3. Collin Graf replied for the 14-14-3 Sharks, who have dropped three of their last four contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks goaltender Yaroslav Askarov missed this game due to an illness, forcing them to turn to former collegiate netminder Justin Kowalkoski to back up Alex Nedeljkovic.

The New Jersey Devils defeated the Ottawa Senators 4-3. Cody Glass broke a 3-3 tie in the third period for New Jersey (17-12-1) as they ended a five-game losing skid. Connor Brown and Arseny Gritsyuk each had three points for the Devils. Drake Batherson had two goals for the 13-12-4 Senators as their losing skid reached three games.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks starting goaltender Thatcher Demko is expected to return to action against the Sabres on Thursday after missing 12 games with a groin strain. That’s good news for the struggling Canucks, who are 2-7-1 in their last 10 contests.

TORONTO SUN: The NHL’s department of player safety suspended Maple Leafs winger Bobby McMann for one game for high-sticking Lightning forward Oliver Bjorkstrand on Monday.

ESPN: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said the league projects the revenue for this season could reach $6.8 billion. He claimed it’s what the league was expecting and won’t change the salary cap figures for the next two seasons, as was agreed upon earlier this year by the NHL and the NHL Players Association.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The salary cap is $95.5 million for this season. It will rise to $104 million for 2026-27 and $113.5 million for 2027-28.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 3, 2025

by | Dec 3, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 3, 2025

Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt collects his fourth shutout in six starts, Steven Stamkos, Jamie Benn, and David Perron reach notable career milestones, the three stars and the rookie of the month for November are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt made 33 saves for his fourth shutout in his last six games to blank the Edmonton Oilers 1-0. Jonas Brodin scored the only goal as the Wild improved to 15-7-5. Stuart Skinner made 23 saves for the Oilers, who slipped to 11-11-5.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wallstedt became the second-fastest goaltender in NHL history to record five career shutouts, doing so in 15 games. Frankie Brimsek holds the record with nine games.

Nashville Predators forward Steven Stamkos scored to reach his 1,200th career NHL regular-season point in a 5-1 victory over the Calgary Flames. Juuse Saros stopped 27 shots, and Michael Bunting had a goal and an assist for the Predators (9-13-4). Morgan Frost replied for the 9-15-4 Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stamkos is the sixth active player to reach the 1,200-point milestone, joining Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin, Penguins center Evgeni Malkin, Detroit Red Wings forward Patrik Kane, and Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar.

Predators forward Ozzy Wiesblatt scored his first NHL goal. He pointed skyward to honor his late brother Orca Wiesblatt, who died in a car accident in September.

An overtime goal by Vladislav Gavrikov lifted the New York Rangers over the Dallas Stars 3-2. Artemi Panarin had two assists for the Rangers (14-12-2), who have three wins in their last four games. Kyle Capobianco and Mikko Rantanen scored for the 17-5-5 Stars as their four-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dallas captain Jamie Benn played his 1,200th career NHL regular-season game. Meanwhile, Stars winger Tyler Seguin left the game early in the first period after injuring his right leg following a collision with Gavrikov. Earlier in the day, the Stars announced defenseman Lian Bichsel will miss multiple weeks with a lower-body injury suffered in Sunday’s win over the Ottawa Senators.

The Ottawa Senators improved to 13-9-4 with a 5-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Brady Tkachuk and Fabian Zetterlund each had a goal and an assist. Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield each had two points for the 13-9-3 Canadiens, who have lost two straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators forward David Perron collected an assist in his 1,200th career regular-season NHL game. Tkachuk’s goal was his first of the season after missing 20 games with an injured thumb.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon tallied twice to lead his club over the Vancouver Canucks by a score of 3-1. The league-leading Avalanche (19-1-6, 44 points) extended its point streak to 17 games. Linus Karlsson scored for the 10-14-3 Canucks, who have two wins in their last 11 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads the league with 22 goals and 46 points. Avalanche goaltender Scott Wedgewood left this game in the second period for precautionary reasons with tightness in his back. Meanwhile, teammate Valeri Nichushkin returned to action after missing eight games with a lower-body injury.

Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider had a goal and two assists as his club held off the Boston Bruins 5-4, snapping a four-game losing skid. Lucas Raymond and Alex DeBrincat each had a goal and an assist for the 14-11-2 Red Wings. Hampus Lindholm had three assists, and Alex Steeves tallied two goals for the Bruins (15-13-0).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins winger David Pastrnak missed his third straight game with an undisclosed injury and is expected to be sidelined for the rest of this week. Meanwhile, winger Viktor Arvidsson returned to action after being out since Nov. 15 with a lower-body injury.

The Toronto Maple Leafs got their third win in their last four games by downing the Florida Panthers 4-1. Troy Stecher and Dakota Joshua each had a goal and an assist, and Joseph Woll turned aside 26 shots for the 12-11-3 Maple Leafs. Sam Reinhart got the only goal for the Panthers (12-12-1), who’ve dropped three straight contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs defenseman Brandon Carlo will be sidelined longer than expected with a lower-body injury. He’s been out since Nov. 13 and recently suffered a setback in his recovery.

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin stopped 27 shots to nip the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1, snapping the latter’s seven-game win streak. Bo Horvat and Anthony Duclair scored for the Islanders (14-10-3) as they ended a three-game losing skid. Dominic James scored for the 16-8-2 Lightning, who hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 34 points.

A shootout goal by Shea Theodore gave the Vegas Golden Knights a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Carter Hart made 27 saves in his season debut with the Golden Knights (12-6-8). Tyler Bertuzzi had a goal and an assist for the 11-9-6 Blackhawks, who have one win in their last seven games.

The Washington Capitals picked up their fifth straight win by defeating the Los Angeles Kings 3-1. Alex Ovechkin collected two assists for the Capitals (16-9-2). Adrian Kempe scored for the 12-7-7 Kings.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon, Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson, and Chicago Blackhawks center Connor Bedard are the league’s three stars for November 2025. Minnesota Wild goaltender Jesper Wallstedt is the Rookie of the Month for November.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: Flyers forward Tyson Foerster will be sidelined for two to three months with an upper-body injury.

CBS SPORTS: Columbus Blue Jackets winger Mathieu Olivier (upper body) was placed on injured reserve

DAILY FACEOFF: San Jose Sharks defenseman Vincent Desharnais is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

TSN: The NHL is sending a memo to its 32 teams reminding them about its rule requiring players to wear helmets during warmups. This comes after the Ottawa Senators and New Jersey Devils violated that rule in recent games. Neither club is expected to be punished beyond a warning.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 29, 2025

by | Nov 29, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 29, 2025

The Wild ended the Avalanche’s long win streak, Penguins captain Sidney Crosby reached another scoring milestone, the Canadiens re-signed Mike Matheson, the Flames re-signed general manager Craig Conroy, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Minnesota Wild extended their win streak to seven games with a 3-2 shootout victory over the Colorado Avalanche, ending the latter’s win streak at 10 games. Jesper Wallstedt kicked out 39 shots, Kirill Kaprizov tallied twice (including his 200th career goal), and Matt Boldy scored the winning goal for the 14-7-4 Wild. Nathan MacKinnon scored his league-leading 19th goal for the Avalanche (17-1-6), who picked up a point and sit atop the overall standings with 40 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Wild placed forward Marcus Foligno on injured reserve.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

Sidney Crosby scored two goals and Kris Letang tallied in overtime to lift the Pittsburgh Penguins over the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3. With the win, the Penguins improved to 12-6-5. Zach Werenski had a goal and an assist for the 11-9-5 Blue Jackets, who are winless in their last four games (0-2-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby scored his 640th career regular-season NHL goal, moving past Dave Andreychuk into 15th on the overall goal list. He also moved past Jarome Iginla into 20th place for the most multi-goal games with 109.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin had a goal and three assists in a 6-2 victory over the Boston Bruins. Mika Zibanejad scored two goals, and Adam Fox picked up three assists for the Rangers (13-11-2), who picked up their third straight win. Casey Mittelstadt and Morgan Geekie replied for the 14-12-0 Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins forwards David Pastrnak and Pavel Zacha missed this game due to injuries and are listed as day-to-day. Forward Matej Blumel was placed on long-term injury reserve.

The Montreal Canadiens got a 30-save performance from Sam Montembeault to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1. Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Zach Bolduc each had a goal and an assist for the Canadiens (13-7-3), who picked up their third straight win. Mark Stone scored for the slumping Golden Knights (10-6-8), who are winless in their last four contests (0-2-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Canadiens signed defenseman Mike Matheson to a five-year contract extension with an average annual value of $6 million. The 31-year-old Montreal native has been a reliable veteran presence on the Canadiens’ blueline. His cap hit is a bit pricey, but he likely would have received over $7 million annually on a longer term in next summer’s free-agent market. It’s a good move by the Habs, ensuring their top-four defensemen are all under long-term contracts.

Calgary Flames goalie Devin Cooley stopped 37 shots as his club overcame an early 2-0 deficit for a 5-3 upset of the Florida Panthers. Nazem Kadri had a goal and two assists for the 9-14-3 Flames, who’ve won four of their last five contests. Evan Rodrigues and Sam Bennett scored for the Panthers, who’ve dropped three of their last four and dropped to 12-11-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Flames announced the signing of general manager Craig Conroy and fellow front-office executives Don Maloney, Dave Nonis, and Brad Pascall to two-year contract extensions. It’s a vote of confidence from Flames’ ownership despite the club’s low placement in the standings thus far.

New Jersey Devils netminder Jake Allen turned in a 42-save shutout to blank the Buffalo Sabres 5-0. Arseny Gritsyuk had two goals for the Devils (16-7-1) as they picked up their third straight victory. Alex Lyon allowed five goals on 18 shots for the Sabres, who slipped to 9-11-4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With the win, the Devils hold first place in the Eastern Conference with 33 points.

The Tampa Bay Lightning downed the Detroit Red Wings by a score of 6-3. Yanni Gourde tallied twice, and Nikita Kucherov collected two assists to extend his points streak to eight games for the 15-7-2 Lightning, who picked up their sixth straight win. J.T. Compher and Michael Rasmussen each had a goal and an assist for the 13-11-1 Red Wings, who’ve lost four of their last five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning sit atop the Atlantic Division with 32 points, three ahead of the second-place Canadiens.

Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston snapped a 3-3 tie to give his club a 4-3 win over the Utah Mammoth. Mikko Rantanen and Miro Heiskanen each had two assists as the 16-5-4 Stars collected their third straight win. Logan Cooley, Kevin Rooney, and Jack McBain scored for the Mammoth (12-10-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mammoth winger Clayton Keller played in the game despite the sudden death of his father the previous day. As a tribute, he was named the game’s first star. My sincere condolences to Keller and his family.

The Philadelphia Flyers blew a 3-0 lead to the New York Islanders but picked up a 4-3 win on a shootout goal by Travis Konecny. Tyson Foerster, Sean Couturier, and Trevor Zegras scored in regulation for the 13-7-3 Flyers, who’ve won four of their last five games. Rookie defenseman Matthew Schaefer had a goal and an assist for the Islanders (13-9-3), who’ve dropped three of their last four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders winger Kyle Palmieri left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury. While on his way to the bench, he stole the puck from Flyers defenseman Emil Andrae and passed to Anders Lee, who set up Emil Heineman for the Isles’ first goal.

Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson scored the tying goal and had two assists as his club nipped the Los Angeles Kings 5-4 on a shootout goal by Mason McTavish. The win gave the Ducks (15-8-1) a two-point lead over the Kings for first place in the Pacific Division with 31 points. Defensemen Brandt Clarke and Brian Dumoulin each had two assists for the Kings (11-6-7), who have one win in their last five games (1-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Ducks announced that goaltender Lukas Dostal would be sidelined for two to three weeks with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Kings winger Warren Foegele missed this contest with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun scored to extend his goal streak to five games as his club overcame a 2-0 deficit to double up the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2. Connor McMichael and Tom Wilson each had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (14-9-3) as they’ve won six of their last seven contests. Morgan Rielly and Matthew Knies scored for the struggling Maple Leafs (10-11-3), who are 2-6-2 in their last 10 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs winger William Nylander missed this game due to an illness, and forward Max Domi was a healthy scratch.

A hat trick by Seth Jarvis powered the Carolina Hurricanes to a 5-1 victory over the Winnipeg Jets. Andrei Svechnikov and Shayne Gostisbehere each had two assists for the 15-7-2 Hurricanes. Mark Scheifele replied for the slumping Jets (12-11-0) as they lost their fourth straight game.

The St. Louis Blues squeaked past the Ottawa Senators 4-3 on a goal by Matthew Kessel. Jordan Binnington stopped 25 shots for the 8-10-7 Blues. Brady Tkachuk collected an assist in his return to action with the 12-8-4 Senators.

San Jose Sharks goalie Yaroslav Askarov stopped 32 shots, and Macklin Celebrini picked up two assists to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2. Adam Gaudette netted the winning goal for the 12-10-3 Sharks. Forwards Brock Boeser and Elias Pettersson replied for the Canucks (10-13-2), who have lost four of their last five games.

The Nashville Predators held off the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3. Ryan O’Reilly, Steven Stamkos, and Luke Evangelista each had a goal and an assist for the 8-12-4 Predators. Ryan Donato, Ryan Greene, and Teuvo Teravainen replied for the Blackhawks, who’ve lost four straight and dropped to 10-9-5.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 12, 2025

by | Nov 12, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 12, 2025

A milestone game for Bruins winger David Pastrnak, Nathan MacKinnon extends his points streak as the Avalanche widen their lead in the overall standings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak scored his 400th and 401st career NHL regular-season goals as his club picked up its seventh straight win by holding off the Toronto Maple Leafs 5-3. Pastrnak finished the night with three points while teammate Hampus Lindholm had a goal and an assist for the 11-7-0 Bruins. Steven Lorentz, Bobby McMann, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson replied for the Maple Leafs (8-8-1), who’ve dropped three straight games.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was only two weeks ago that the Bruins were sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings. They’re now tied with the Atlantic Division-leading Montreal Canadiens.

It was a tough night for the Maple Leafs, as team captain Auston Matthews left the game with a lower-body injury, and goaltender Anthony Stolarz didn’t return after the first period as he suffered an upper-body injury.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon collected three assists to extend his points streak to 10 games in a 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. Gabriel Landeskog scored his first regular-season goal since 2022, and Scott Wedgewood stopped 35 shots for the Avalanche (11-1-5), who won their fourth straight game and widened their lead atop the overall standings with 27 points. Leo Carlsson scored to extend his points streak to 11 games for the Ducks (11-4-1), whose seven- game win streak ended. They lead the Pacific Division with 23 points and sit four back of the Avalanche in the overall standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon leads the NHL scoring race with 32 points, six ahead of the second-place Carlsson. Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin left this game in the third period with a lower-body injury. He will be reevaluated on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, the Avalanche signed forward Gavin Brindley to a two-year contract extension with an average annual value of $875,000.

The San Jose Sharks overcame a 1-0 deficit to nip the Minnesota Wild 2-1. Macklin Celebrini set up the tying goal by Will Smith and the winning goal in overtime by Collin Graf. The Sharks picked up their fourth straight win and improved to 8-6-3. Matt Boldy scored for the 7-7-4 Wild.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini is tied with Leo Carlsson for second place in the scoring race with 26 points. Sharks winger William Eklund returned to action after missing the last four games with a lower-body injury.

St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington made 38 saves as his club held off the Calgary Flames 3-2. Dylan Holloway, Matthew Kessel, and Nathan Walker scored for the Blues (6-8-3). Matt Coronato and Rasmus Andersson replied for the Flames, who dropped to a league-worst 4-12-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Binnington set the franchise record for most games played by a Blues goaltender (348). He passed Mike Liut, who is now Binnington’s agent. Blues winger Mathieu Joseph missed this game with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Roope Hintz completed a three-goal comeback by the Dallas Stars in a 3-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Jason Robertson had a goal and two assists and Mikko Rantanen a goal and an assist as the Stars won their third straight game and improved to 10-4-3. Drake Batherson and Nick Jensen tallied for the Senators (8-5-4), who extended their points streak to six games (3-0-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot left this contest following the first period with an upper-body injury.

Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey had a goal and two assists, and Connor Hellebuyck made 30 saves to beat the Vancouver Canucks 5-3. Nino Niederreiter and Alex Iafallo each had a goal and an assist as the Jets moved to 10-6-0, snapping a three-game losing streak. Quinn Hughes collected three assists for the Canucks, who dropped to 8-9-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko left the game after the first period with a lower-body injury that he may have suffered during the pre-game warmup. Hughes left the game briefly after getting tangled up with Jets center Mark Scheifele, but he returned to action and said he was okay after the game.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin had a goal and an assist in a 4-1 win over the Carolina Hurricanes. John Carlson picked up two assists, and Logan Thompson turned aside 30 shots for the Capitals, who improved to 8-7-1. Nikolaj Ehlers scored for the Hurricanes (11-5-0).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Hurricanes announced that defenseman Charles Alexis Legault underwent surgery to repair multiple torn tendons in his right hand on Monday. He is expected to be sidelined for three to four months.

Three goals in a span of 4:05 early in the second period lifted the Los Angeles Kings to a 5-1 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Quinton Byfield and Joel Edmundson had a goal and an assist for the 8-5-4 Kings. Josh Anderson replied for the Canadiens (10-4-2), whose six-game points streak ended.

The Columbus Blue Jackets ended a four-game losing skid by defeating the Seattle Kraken 2-1. Charlie Coyle scored the winning goal in a shootout, and goaltender Jet Greaves stopped 22 shots for the 8-7-1 Blue Jackets. Ryan Winterton scored for the Kraken (7-4-5).

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE ATHLETIC: The NHL remains concerned over the state of construction for the hockey arena for the 2026 Milan Winter Olympics. They are sending two officials to conduct an in-person inspection of the arena. NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly said the league is receiving weekly updates, but wants a firsthand look at the progress.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Most of the participants in the 2026 Men’s Olympic Hockey tournament are from the NHL. Sub-standard conditions could put the players’ safety at risk.

RG.ORG: Speaking of the Olympics, Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby is looking forward to another opportunity to represent Canada in the Winter Olympics. He’s embracing the role of team leader while drawing inspiration from the enthusiasm of a new generation of Canadian stars chasing Olympic gold.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby famously won gold for Canada in the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and captained the 2014 team to gold in the Sochi Games.

DAILY FACEOFF: Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman is day-to-day and blueliner Ryan McDonagh is expected to miss several games with undisclosed injuries.

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Blackhawks forwards Frank Nazar and Jason Dickinson are unlikely to play against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday.