NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 27, 2024

by | Jan 27, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 27, 2024

Nathan MacKinnon regains the lead in the scoring race, Jonathan Marchessault sets a Golden Knights record, Zach Parise signs with the Avalanche, Brendan Gallagher receives a five-game suspension, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist to regain the NHL scoring lead (84 points) in a 5-1 victory over the Los Angeles Kings. Logan O’Connor scored two goals and Alexandar Georgiev made 26 saves for the 32-14-3 Avalanche, who hold first place in the Central Division with 67 points and sit third in the overall standings. Kevin Fiala scored for the struggling Kings (22-15-9), who’ve won just twice in their last 15 games and cling to the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 53 points.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon also extended his home points streak to 25 games, tying Bobby Orr for the second-longest home points streak to start a season. Wayne Gretzky holds the record with 40 games.

Speaking of the Avalanche, they signed free-agent winger Zach Parise to a one-year, prorated contract worth $825K with no performance bonuses. The 39-year-old Parise spent the last two seasons with the New York Islanders, tallying 21 goals in 2022-23. He’s considered an affordable short-term replacement for Tomas Tatar, who was traded last month to the Seattle Kraken after struggling offensively with the Avs.

Kings center Quinton Byfield missed the game due to an illness.

A hat-trick performance by Jonathan Marchessault powered the Vegas Golden Knights to a 5-2 win over the New York Rangers. Marchessault set a franchise record for most hat tricks with four. Adin Hill kicked out 36 shots for the 29-14-6 Golden Knights, who sit second in the Pacific Division with 64 points. Blake Wheeler had a goal and an assist for the Rangers (29-16-3) as they remain in first place in the Metropolitan Division with 61 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a difficult day for the Rangers. Defenseman Ryan Lindgren left this game with an upper-body injury in the first period. Center Filip Chytil suffered a setback in his recovery from a concussion when he suffered an upper-body injury in practice. Forward Nick Bonino cleared waivers and is expected to be sent to their AHL affiliate in Hartford following the All-Star break.

The Florida Panthers nipped the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 on a shootout goal by Sam Reinhart, who also scored in regulation to push his points streak to 12 games. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 35 shots while Evan Rodrigues also scored for the 30-14-4 Panthers, who sit in second place in the Atlantic Division standings. Jake Guentzel and Evgeni Malkin replied for the Penguins (21-17-7), who’ve won just three of their last 10 contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reinhart now has 36 goals on the season. He sits second in the league goal-scoring race, three behind Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews.

An overtime goal by Pavel Buchnevich completed a three-goal comeback by the St. Louis Blues in a 4-3 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Buchnevich finished the night with two goals and an assist while Robert Thomas and Brayden Schenn each collected two points for the 25-20-2 Blues (52 points). They’ve won four straight and sit one point out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot. Oliver Bjorkstrand had a goal and an assist for the Kraken (28-18-10), who are three points out of that wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken forward Matty Beniers returned to action after missing five games with an upper-body injury.

HEADLINES

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher received a five-game suspension from the NHL department of player safety for an illegal check to the head of New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech on Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I like Gallagher’s gritty style of play but that hit on Pelech was such an egregious cheap shot that I was surprised he received a telephone hearing, which guaranteed that he’d receive no more than five games. That should’ve been at least 10 games. There’s been no update on Pelech, who was helped from the ice and didn’t return.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Corey Perry will make his debut with the Oilers tonight against the Nashville Predators. Earlier in the week, he signed a one-year, $775K prorated deal with the Oilers.

TSN: Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele will miss tonight’s game with the Maple Leafs as he’s not ready yet to return to action from a lower-body injury.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: The Flyers signed winger Owen Tippett to an eight-year, $49.6 million contract extension. They also signed forward Ryan Poehling to a two-year, $3.8 million extension.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Worthwhile signings by the Flyers. Tippett’s annual average value is $6.2 million while Poehling’s is $1.9 million. Both have fit in well on this rebuilding club that has exceeded expectations this season.

After struggling to earn a roster spot with the Florida Panthers earlier in his career, Tippett is reaching his potential as a top-six forward with the Flyers. The 24-year-old winger is second among the Flyers with 18 goals and tied for third with 30 points in 46 games. He has the potential to become a consistent 30-plus goal scorer.

Poehling, 25, has found a home in Philadelphia as a checking-line forward after failing to stick with the Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Carolina Hurricanes activated goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov off injured reserve. He’d been sidelined since Jan. 11 after receiving a blow to the head against the Anaheim Ducks.

CBS SPORTS: Buffalo Sabres forward Zemgus Girgensons is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

TSN: The Toronto Maple Leafs placed forward Bobby McCann (undisclosed) on injured reserve and are awaiting word on the status of forward Calle Jarnkrok, who injured his hand during practice on Friday.

NHL.COM: The department of player safety fined Arizona Coyotes defenseman Michael Kesselring $2,408.85 for cross-checking Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Maxwell Crozier.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Nashville Predator signed defenseman Kevin Gravel to a two-year, two-way contract extension worth $775K per season at the NHL level.

TORONTO SUN: Former Maple Leafs forward Wayne Simmonds hasn’t officially retired as an NHL player but is moving on with his life. “I had a great career. It was the best time I’ve ever had in my life,” said the 35-year-old Simmonds. “Right now, it’s family time.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Simmonds played 15 seasons with the Leafs, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, Nashville Predators, Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils. In 1,037 games, he scored 263 goals and collected 263 assists for 526 points. He also had 22 points in 53 playoff contests.

A physical two-way winger, Simmonds’ best seasons were the eight he spent with the Flyers, scoring 20-plus goals six times (including two 30-plus goal campaigns) and exceeding 50 points four times.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 17, 2023

by | Mar 17, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 17, 2023

The Panthers and Canadiens tie a record for most first-period goals, Sidney Crosby reaches another scoring milestone, Connor McDavid tops 130 points on the season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers and Montreal Canadiens combined to tie a league record for most first-period goals with 10 as the Panthers romped to a 9-5 victory after scoring seven in the opening frame. Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and three assists while Aaron Ekblad and Carter Verhaeghe each tallied twice for the 34-27-7 Panthers (75 points), who moved to within three points of the New York Islanders for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. The Canadiens have dropped eight of their last nine and fell to 27-36-6 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers also set a franchise record for most goals in one period.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby collected two assists for his 18th career point-per-game season in a 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers. Chris Kreider scored twice while Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck each had two points as the Rangers (39-19-10) hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 88 points. The Penguins (34-24-10) continue to cling to the first Eastern wild-card spot with 78 points and two games in hand over the Islanders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby now sits second in most point-per-game seasons. Wayne Gretzky is the leader with 19 seasons. The Penguins activated Ryan Poehling off long-term injured reserve for this game.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid surpassed 130 points on the season with a goal and an assist to defeat the Dallas Stars 4-1. Mattias Janmark scored two goals as the Oilers improved to 38-23-8 and hold third place in the Pacific Division with 84 points. The 37-19-13 Stars cling to first place in the Central Division with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid is the first player to reach 130 points in a season since Mario Lemieux and Jaromir Jagr did it in 1995-96.

The Boston Bruins got a 36-save performance from Jeremy Swayman in a 3-0 shutout of the Winnipeg Jets. Trent Frederic, Pavel Zacha and Tomas Nosek scored for the Bruins (51-11-5) as they sit on top of the overall standings with 107 points. The Winnipeg Jets sank to 38-29-3 and hold the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Derek Forbort left the game in the second period with a lower-body injury. Earlier in the day, the Jets announced Sam Gagner (hip surgery) is done for the season.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos scored twice and collected an assist while Alex Killorn scored in the shootout to nip the New Jersey Devils 4-3. The 41-22-6 Lightning (88 points) moved within one point of the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division. Timo Meier tallied twice and Nico Hischier had two assists for the Devils (44-17-7). With 95 points, they sit one point back of the first-place Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division.

The Colorado Avalanche picked up their fourth straight win by holding off the Ottawa Senators 5-4. Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists while Nathan MacKinnon collected three assists for the 39-22-6 Avalanche, who sit third in the Central Division with 84 points. Tim Stutzle had three assists for the Senators (33-31-4) as they sit eight points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth with 70 points.

Calgary Flames forward Tyler Toffoli scored twice and added two assists in a 7-2 thumping of the Vegas Golden Knights. Blake Coleman also had two goals for the Flames as they improved to 31-24-14 (76 points) and move within three points of the Jets for the final Western Conference wild-card spot. It was Jonathan Quick’s first loss (4-1-0) with the Golden Knights (42-21-6) as they hold first place in the Western Conference with 90 points.

A four-goal second period carried the Los Angeles Kings over the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1. Pheonix Copley made 29 saves for the 40-20-9 Kings, who sit one point back of the Golden Knights in the Western Conference standings. The Blue Jackets (21-39-7) sit dead last in the overall standings with 49 points.

An overtime goal by Vince Dunn lifted the Seattle Kraken to a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Oliver Bjorkstand scored the game-tying goal and Philipp Grubauer stopped 31 shots as the Kraken improved to 38-23-7 and hold the first Western wild-card berth with 83 points. William Eklund scored his second goal in as many games for the 19-36-14 Sharks.

The Chicago Blackhawks got a 35-save effort from Alex Stalock to upset the Nashville Predators 2-1. Lukas Reichel and Joey Anderson scored for the 24-38-6 Blackhawks while Roman Josi replied for the 34-25-7 Predators (75 points), who sit four points out of the final Western wild-card spot.

Arizona Coyotes forward Travis Boyd scored twice in a 3-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Elias Pettersson had a goal and an assist for the Canucks. The Coyotes 26-32-11 extended their points streak to seven games while the Canucks dropped to 29-33-5.

IN OTHER NEWS…

STLTODAY.COM: St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington received a two-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for roughing Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Hartman on Wednesday.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: Anaheim Ducks goaltender Anthony Stolarz underwent season-ending knee surgery. His expected recovery time is six to eight weeks.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings defenseman Ben Chiarot could be sidelined on a week-to-week basis with an upper-body injury.

ESPN.COM: The Arizona Coyotes signed Josh Doan to a three-year entry-level contract. He’s the son of former Coyotes captain Shane Doan.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 23, 2023

by | Jan 23, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 23, 2023

The league-leading Bruins extend their win streak over the Sharks to 11 games, the Devils’ Jack Hughes reaches a notable scoring milestone, the Canucks replace Bruce Boudreau as head coach with Rick Tocchet, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins picked up their 11th straight win over the San Jose Sharks by blanking them 4-0. Linus Ullmark made 17 saves for the shutout, becoming the fastest goaltender in NHL history to win 25 games in a season. Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm each had a goal and an assist for the Bruins (37-5-4) as they sit atop the overall standings with 78 points, 12 ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Over the weekend, the Bruins announced that center Tomas Nosek will be sidelined for a month with a non-displaced fracture in his left foot.

The Bruins will have an opportunity to set the single-season record for wins if they maintain their current pace over the remainder of the schedule. The 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning share the current record of 62 victories.

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes (NHL Images)

An overtime goal by Dougie Hamilton lifted the New Jersey Devils to a 2-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jack Hughes scored his 30th goal of the season to become the first Florida-born player in NHL history to reach that single-season milestone as his Devils (30-12-4) sit two points back of the Hurricanes in second place in the Metropolitan Division. Sidney Crosby replied for the 23-15-8 Penguins, who hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 54 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins activated center Ryan Poehling from injured reserve for this game. He’d been sidelined by an upper-body injury since Dec. 30.

Arizona Coyotes winger Clayton Keller tallied a hat trick to upset the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1. Karel Vejmelka kicked out 35 shots for the win as the Coyotes improved to 15-27-5. Phil Kessel scored for the Golden Knights (29-17-2), who’ve lost four of their last five and hold a one-point lead over the Seattle Kraken for first place in the Pacific Division with 60 points.

The Winnipeg Jets blew a 3-0 lead but recovered to down the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 5-3. Karson Kuhlman tallied the winning goal while Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele also scored for the Jets (31-16-1), who move into a tie with the Central Division-leading Dallas Stars with 58 points. Kevin Hayes scored twice for the Flyers as they slipped to 20-21-7.

Los Angeles Kings forward Jaret Anderson-Dolan scored twice in a 2-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. The Kings (26-17-6) moved ahead of the Edmonton Oilers into third place in the Pacific Division with 58 points. Ian Mitchell replied for the 14-27-4 Blackhawks.

HEADLINES

VANCOUVER HOCKEY INSIDER: The Canucks yesterday fired Bruce Boudreau as head coach, replacing him with former Coyotes bench boss Rick Tocchet. They also announced Adam Foote has replaced Trent Cull as an assistant coach while Sergei Gonchar has been hired as a defensive development coach.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It had been speculated for a couple of weeks that Tocchet would take over as Canucks’ coach. He has six seasons of head-coaching experience with the Tampa Bay Lightning and Arizona Coyotes and was also an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins for three seasons.

Canucks fans knew this was coming but were understandably upset over management’s shoddy treatment of Boudreau leading up to his firing. Many took to social media to express their anger and disappointment with the organization.

Some fans also had a #FireTocchet hashtag trending on Twitter. However, that’s not fair to Tocchet, who had nothing to do with the Canucks’ shabby treatment of Boudreau. Let’s give him some time in the role to see how he does.

SPORTSNET: Eric Engels raised concern over the Montreal Canadiens’ treatment of Cole Caufield following the announcement on Saturday that he would undergo season-ending shoulder surgery. Engels wondered why the Canadiens’ medical staff didn’t shut down Caufield sooner rather than allowing him to continue playing through the injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s a justifiable concern by Engels and he’s not the only member of the Montreal media puzzled by the Canadiens’ handling of Caufield’s condition. To be fair, reports indicated the young winger had been gritting his way through his injury, following the time-honored code of all professional hockey players of playing through pain.

Nevertheless, it was revealed there was concern that Caufield’s injury would worsen if he were hit or fell a certain way. That would’ve sidelined him for much longer and perhaps put his effectiveness as a scorer at risk.

Caufield is a foundation player for the rebuilding Canadiens. It seems foolhardy to allow him to continue playing with an injury that had the potential to adversely affect his playing career.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 8, 2023

by | Jan 8, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 8, 2023

Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin matches a franchise record with five points, the Leafs’ Mitch Marner reaches the 500-point plateau, Jack Hughes sparks a Devils comeback over the Rangers, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres’ Rasmus Dahlin matched a franchise record for most points in a game by a defenseman with five points (two goals, three assists) as his club rallied to defeat the Minnesota Wild 6-5. Dahlin collected an assist on Victor Olofsson’s overtime winner as the Sabres (20-15-2) moved to within four points of the New York Islanders (46 points) for the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference. Joel Eriksson Ek and Ryan Hartman each had a goal and an assist for the Wild (22-13-3) as they sit third in the Central Division with 47 points.

Buffalo Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Sabres paid tribute to Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin as he recovers from cardiac arrest in hospital following a hit on the field during a game last week against the Cincinnati Bengals.

This is the point in the schedule when in recent years the Sabres would usually be in the midst of a free-fall in the standings. It’s a different story this season as they’ve won eight of their last 10 games and have moved into the Eastern Conference playoff chase.

Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury will be on temporary leave starting Sunday through Tuesday as he journeys to Montreal for personal reasons.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner had a goal and an assist to reach 500 career points in a 4-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. John Tavares scored two goals for the Leafs (24-9-7), who sit in third place in the Eastern Conference with 55 points. Jake Walman replied for the Red Wings (16-15-7), who sit seven points out of an Eastern wild-card spot with 39 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings’ promising season is being undone by its recent slump. They’ve won only three of their last 10 and are slipping out of the playoff race.

The New Jersey Devils got two goals and an assist from Jack Hughes to overcome a 3-1 deficit and beat the New York Rangers 4-3 on an overtime goal by Damon Severson. The Devils (25-12-3) hold a two-point lead over the Rangers for second place in the Metropolitan Division with 53 points. Igor Shesterkin made 39 saves for the 22-12-7 Rangers.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak tallied twice to double up the San Jose Sharks 4-2. The Bruins (31-4-4, 66 points) extended their win streak to three games and hold a nine-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes for first overall in the league standings. With a record of 12-21-8, the Sharks (32 points) finished with their worst record for the first half of a season in 27 years.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they dropped a 4-3 decision to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Rookie winger Kirill Marchenko collected his first career NHL hat trick for the Jackets (12-24-2) while Kent Johnson tallied the game-winning goal in the shootout. Max Pacioretty scored his first two goals of the season for the 25-8-7 Hurricanes.

An overtime goal by Cale Makar lifted the Colorado Avalanche over the Edmonton Oilers by a score of 3-2. Nathan MacKinnon and Brad Hunt scored for the Avalanche (20-15-3) as they overcame a two-goal deficit on goals by Oilers winger Zach Hyman. The Oilers (21-17-3) hold the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference with 45 points while the Avs are two points behind them.

The Seattle Kraken rolled to an 8-4 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Jordan Eberle and Andre Burakovsky each had a goal and two assists as the Kraken improved to 22-14-4 to sit in third place in the Pacific Division with 48 points. Senators forward Tim Stutzle had a hat trick and collected an assist for the Senators (18-18-3).

Los Angeles Kings winger Kevin Fiala’s hat trick powered his club over the Vegas Golden Knights 5-1. Gabriel Vilardi collected three assists for the Kings (23-14-6), who hold a four-point lead over the Kraken for second place in the Pacific Division. Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson was pulled following the second period after giving up three goals on 19 shots. His club still sits atop the Pacific with a record of 27-13-2 and 56 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights activated forward Jonathan Marchessault and defenseman Alec Martinez off injured reserve for this contest. They also moved blueliner Shea Theodore (lower body) on IR.

The Montreal Canadiens snapped a seven-game slide by nipping the St. Louis Blues 5-4. Joel Armia tallied two goals and Josh Anderson got the winner to break a 4-4 tie. The Canadiens now sit at 16-21-3 on the season while the Blues (19-18-3) sit four points behind the Oilers for the final Western wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues defenseman Nick Leddy missed this game with an upper-body injury. As yet, there is no timetable for his return.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET: Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom and winger Tom Wilson are scheduled to make their season debuts on Sunday against the Blue Jackets. Both players had been sidelined since the offseason as Backstrom underwent resurfacing surgery on his left hip while Wilson had surgery on his left knee.

CBS SPORTS: Pittsburgh Penguins forward Ryan Poehling is likely unavailable for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes with an upper-body injury.

Speaking of the Coyotes, they’ve sent Michael Carcone back to their AHL affiliate in Tucson as Dylan Guenther returns to their lineup from his stint with Team Canada in the 2023 World Junior Championship.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 31, 2022

by | Dec 31, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 31, 2022

Connor McDavid reaches 70 points with a five-point performance while the Hurricanes set a franchise-record win streak. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid scored a goal and collected four assists in a 7-2 thumping of the Seattle Kraken. He extended his points streak to 17 games while becoming the first player to reach 40 assists and 70 points this season. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had four assists while Zach Hyman and Klim Kostin each tallied twice for the Oilers (20-15-2). Daniel Sprong and Brandon Tanev replied for the Kraken (18-12-4), who are winless in their last three games.

Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid leads the NHL points race with 72, 15 more than teammate Leon Draisaitl, who missed this game nursing some bumps and bruises. The Oilers captain also leads the goal-scoring race with 32.

The Carolina Hurricanes picked up their franchise-best 10th straight win by blanking the Florida Panthers 4-0. Antti Raanta kicked out 19 shots for the shutout while Brent Burns, Seth Jarvis and Jesperi Kotkaniemi each collected two points. With 54 points (24-6-6), the Hurricanes sit six points up on the New Jersey Devils in first place in the Metropolitan Division. The Panthers, meanwhile, slipped to 16-17-4.

Speaking of the New Jersey Devils, they doubled up the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 to hand the latter their fourth straight loss. Jack Hughes scored twice while Vitek Vanecek made 25 saves for the win as the Devils improved to 23-11-2. Evgeni Malkin and Jeff Carter scored for the Penguins (19-11-6) as they went 0-9 on the power play in this game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins defenseman Kris Letang missed this game with a lower-body injury. Earlier in the day, the Pens activated forward Ryan Poehling off injured reserve after missing the last three games with an upper-body injury.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg scored and set up two others in his 600th career NHL game to lead his club to a 6-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. John Gibson made 37 saves for the Ducks as they dropped to 10-23-4. The Predators now sit at 15-14-5.

IN OTHER NEWS…

STLTODAY.COM: Vladimir Tarasenko remains questionable for Saturday’s game against the Minnesota Wild as he battles a non-COVID-related illness that sidelined him from Thursday’s win over the Chicago Blackhawks.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: Islanders winger Oliver Wahlstrom is listed as out indefinitely with a lower-body injury suffered during Tuesday’s win over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Winger Simon Holmstrom (knee) was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 23 but remained day-to-day.

SPORTSNET: Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle will miss Saturday’s game against the Washington Capitals with a lower-body injury suffered during Thursday’s loss to the Florida Panthers.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Former Capitals winger Devante Smith-Pelly, 30, has announced his retirement. He spent eight seasons in the NHL from 2011-12 to 2018-19 with the Anaheim Ducks, Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals, helping the latter win the Stanley Cup in 2018.

Smith-Pelly spent 2019-20 in the KHL and the last two seasons in the AHL. In 395 NHL games, he scored 44 goals and 57 assists for 101 points along with 13 goals and 16 points (including three game-winners) in 51 postseason contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Smith-Pelly in his future endeavors. Capitals fans will long remember his highlight-reel game-tying goal in Game 5 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Final that set the stage for Lars Eller’s Cup-winning goal.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 17, 2022

by | Jul 17, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – July 17, 2022

The reaction to the Penguins’ acquisitions of Jeff Petry and John Marino, what’s next for the Canadiens after trading Petry, David Pastrnak could get Johnny Gaudreau money, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes explained why he shipped Jeff Petry and Ryan Poehling to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday in exchange for Mike Matheson and a fourth-round pick in the 2023 draft.

Montreal Canadiens traded defenseman Jeff Petry to the Pittsburgh Penguins (NHL Images).

Hughes was acting on a trade request Petry made for family reasons during the season. He said the 34-year-old defenseman was appreciative that he was going to an American-based team that would be easier on his family, as well as one that’s going all in to try and win the Stanley Cup.

Matheson was a former client of Hughes’ from his days as a player agent. The Canadiens GM praised the Montreal native’s skating ability and character, adding that he’ll fit in well into head coach Martin St. Louis’ system.

The addition of Poehling in the deal was due to the Penguins’ belief that they’ll need a little more depth at center. With the Canadiens’ addition of Kirby Dach, Hughes felt they were solid enough at that position that they could afford to part with Poehling.

The move also freed up sufficient salary-cap space for the Canadiens to bring back Rem Pitlick on a two-year, $2.2 million contract. Hughes explained they had decided earlier this month not to qualify the 25-year-old center’s rights because their limited cap space would’ve made it difficult to meet what he might’ve received through arbitration.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those moves leave the Canadiens with over $1.2 million in salary cap space and 21 roster players under contract for 2022-23.

Shipping out Petry also leaves them short of a right-shot defenseman. Hughes indicated he’s open to adding that type of blueliner. He’s also still willing to make another cost-cutting trade.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Prior to acquiring Petry, the Penguins traded defenseman John Marino to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for blueliner Ty Smith and a third-round pick in 2023.

Dan Kingerski reports the move freed up the cap space the Penguins needed to add Petry, who is a bigger, more accomplished rearguard than Marino. He also cited Hextall expressing confidence in Poehling as a big-bodied forward who will have an opportunity to improve in Pittsburgh.

Hextall also thinks Smith has plenty of upside and the ability to regain the form from his promising rookie season after struggling through his sophomore campaign of 2021-22.

While the addition of Petry improves the Penguins’ right-side blueline depth, trading away Matheson to Montreal weakens them on the left side.

NHL.COM: Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald explained his addition of Marino by singling out his competitive nature and puck-handling abilities.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Like Hughes, Hextall might not be done making moves this summer. He could be in the market for an affordable left-side defenseman via free agency or the trade market as insurance in case Smith struggles to adjust with the Penguins.

THE BOSTON GLOBE: Kevin Paul Dupont believes Bruins winger David Pastrnak is in line to receive a contract similar to (or perhaps exceeding) Johnny Gaudreau’s $9.75 million average annual value with the Columbus Blue Jackets. Only five players have scored more goals than Pastrnak over the past six seasons.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins GM Don Sweeney and the Pastrnak camp are currently in contract extension talks. Dupont believes he could get an eight-year, $80 million deal with the Bruins. If the two sides fail to reach an agreement, the 26-year-old winger will probably land a seven-year deal exceeding $10 million annually on the open market.

TWINCITIES.COM: Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold admitted he’s feeling some nervousness over unconfirmed reports claiming winger Kirill Kaprizov is being detained in Russia while authorities investigate an alleged attempt to evade military service.

Leipold said Kaprizov is laying low and doing the right things, adding he just wants to be in his home country during the NHL offseason and visiting his family. The Wild owner doesn’t expect any problems with Kaprizov returning to his club in the coming season and remains hopeful there won’t be.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There have been no new developments regarding Kaprizov’s situation since it was reported over a week ago. Perhaps no news is good news in this case.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Panthers signed forward Chris Tierney to a one-year, two-way contract.