NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 24, 2023

by | Mar 24, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 24, 2023

The Hurricanes clinch a playoff berth, John Carlson makes his return to the Capitals, the Bruins continue their quest for the single-season wins record and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes dropped a 2-1 decision to the New York Rangers but still clinched a playoff spot for the fifth straight season. Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox scored for the 42-20-10 Rangers, who sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 94 points. Sebastian Aho netted his 31st goal of the season for the 46-16-8 Hurricanes as they sit on top of the Metro with 100 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers defensemen Ryan Lindgren missed this game as he remains plagued by a nagging shoulder injury that had sidelined him for 11 straight games.

The Hurricanes clinched that spot thanks to the Toronto Maple Leafs downing the Florida Panthers 6-2. Auston Matthews scored two goals and John Tavares collected three assists for the Leafs (43-19-9) as they sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 95 points. Matthew Tkachuk netted his 35th goal of the season for the 36-29-7 Panthers (79 points) as they remain one point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Eric and Marc Staal of the Panthers became the latest NHL players to opt out of wearing Pride-themed warmup jerseys for their club’s Pride Night, citing their religious beliefs. However, Eric Staal took part in a similar ceremony with the Montreal Canadiens in 2021.

A handful of players opting out of Pride Night has overshadowed the fact that most of their teammates are willingly taking part in these events.

Some teams, like the Chicago Blackhawks, opted not to participate but those were reportedly front-office decisions. The Blackhawks cited safety concerns for their Russian players over potentially violating their native country’s homophobic law banning “gay propaganda”. However, that theory was punctured by Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky taking part in his club’s Pride-themed warmup.

Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson (NHL Images).

Washington Capitals defenseman John Carlson had a goal and an assist in a 6-1 romp over the Chicago Blackhawks. It was his first game since being in the head by a slapshot on Dec. 23 resulting in a fractured skull and severed temporal artery. Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom also had a goal and an assist for the Capitals as they improved to 34-31-8 to sit four points behind the Penguins with 76 points. Nikita Zaitsev scored for the 24-41-6 Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chicago forward Colin Blackwell underwent season-ending sports hernia surgery on Wednesday.

Speaking of the Penguins, they dropped a 3-2 decision to the Dallas Stars. Joe Pavelski and Jamie Benn scored 31 seconds apart in the third period to take the lead while Joel Oettinger held off the Penguins with a 40-save performance as the Stars (39-19-14) hold first place in the Central Division with 92 points. Sidney Crosby and Pierre-Olivier Joseph replied for the 35-27-10 Penguins as they cling to the final Eastern wild-card spot with 80 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen set a franchise record for defensemen by extending his points streak to 12 games. Penguins starting goalie Tristan Jarry missed this game with a lower-body injury.

The Boston Bruins continued their quest for the single-season wins record by doubling up the Montreal Canadiens 4-2. David Pastrnak netted his 49th of the season while Tyler Bertuzzi scored his first goal since joining the Bruins before the trade deadline. Boston sits atop the overall standings with 115 points thanks to their record of 55-11-5. Nick Suzuki and Kirby Dach replied for the 28-38-6 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins have 11 games remaining in their regular-season schedule to break the record of 62 wins co-held by the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings and 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning. Meanwhile, the injury-ravaged Canadiens announced Josh Anderson suffered a season-ending high-ankle sprain on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

A shootout goal by James van Riemsdyk gave the Philadelphia Flyers a 5-4 win over the Minnesota Wild. Joel Farabee had a goal and an assist for the 27-32-10 Flyers. Matt Boldy scored twice for Minnesota (41-22-9) as they sit one point back of the first-place Stars in the Central Division. Wild defenseman John Klingberg missed this game with an upper-body injury.

The Vegas Golden Knights held off the Calgary Flames by a score of 3-2. Vegas goaltender Logan Thompson made 37 saves before leaving the game with an injury with six minutes remaining. Jonathan Quick stopped all five shots he faced as the Golden Knights (45-21-6) hold first place in the Western Conference with 96 points. Milan Lucic and Nazem Kadri replied for the 32-26-15 Flames (79 points) as they slipped six points back of the Winnipeg Jets for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Thompson’s first game after missing 17 games with a leg injury. Golden Knights winger Reilly Smith also left the game with an injury during the second period.

Speaking of the Jets, they got a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks when Adam Lowry broke a 2-2 tie in the third period. The win improved their record to 41-29-3 and opened a five-point cushion over the Nashville Predators with 85 points. Cam Fowler and Frank Vatrano scored for the 23-39-10 Ducks.

Meanwhile, the Predators surpassed the Flames in the standings by nipping the Seattle Kraken 2-1 on shootout goals by Matt Duchene and Philip Tomasino. Kiefer Sherwood also scored and Juuse Saro stopped 27 shots for the 36-26-8 Predators (80 points). Daniel Sprong scored for the Kraken (39-24-8) as they sit one point up on the Jets in the first wild-card spot.

The Ottawa Senators kept their playoff hopes alive with a 7-2 upset of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Alex DeBrincat and Brady Tkachuk each scored twice and Mads Sogaard stopped 27 shots for the 35-32-5 Senators (75 points) as they sit five points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth. Brayden Point tallied his 45th goal of the season for the Lightning (42-25-6) as they hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 90 points.

Vancouver Canucks forward Andrei Kuzmenko set a franchise record for most goals by a first-year player with 35 in a 7-2 drubbing of the San Jose Sharks. The Canucks improved to 32-34-5 on the season while the Sharks are 19-38-15.

The St. Louis Blues held off the Detroit Red Wings 4-3. Joel Hofer made 25 saves for the win as the Blues improved to 32-33-6. Simon Edvinsson tallied his first career NHL goal for the 31-31-9 Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues forward Richard Thomas was a late scratch due to an illness.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 22, 2023

by | Mar 22, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 22, 2023

Alex Ovechkin passed Wayne Gretzky to claim a scoring record, the Hurricanes and Stars remain on top of their respective divisions, Jonathan Quick reaches a goaltending milestone and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin surpassed Wayne Gretzky for the most 40-goal seasons in a 7-6 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ovechkin has now reached the 40-goal plateau a record 13 times in his NHL career but his Capitals dropped to 33-31-8 (74 points) and sit five points behind the Florida Panthers for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Jack Roslovic scored twice, including the game-winner, for the 22-41-7 Blue Jackets.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 10 games left in the Capitals’ schedule, Ovechkin has a shot at reaching 50 goals for a record 10th season.

A three-goal third period lifted the Carolina Hurricanes over the New York Rangers 3-2 with Teuvo Teravainen tallying the winning goal late in the third period. The Hurricanes (46-15-8)  became the second team this season to reach 100 points and sit two ahead of the New Jersey Devils for first place in the Metropolitan Division. The 41-20-10 Rangers got a 36-save performance by Igor Shesterkin but remain in third place in the Metro with 92 points.

The Dallas Stars dropped a 5-4 decision to the Seattle Kraken as Adam Larsson scored the game-winner in overtime. Brandon Tanev tallied twice and collected an assist for the Kraken (39-24-7) as they hold the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 85 points. Stars captain Jamie Benn had a goal and two assists as his club rose to 38-19-14 to maintain their hold on first place in the Central Division with 90 points.

An overtime goal by Matt Boldy carried the Minnesota Wild over the New Jersey Devils 2-1. Filip Gustavsson kicked out a career-high 47 shots as the Wild (41-22-8) sit second in the Central with 90 points on the basis of regulation wins. Timo Meier netted his 35th goal of the season for the 45-18-8 Devils (98 points), who sit two points back of the first-place Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division.

The league-leading Boston Bruins nipped the Ottawa Senators 2-1 with Linus Ullmark stopping 40 shots for the win. David Krejci and Jake DeBrusk scored for the 54-11-5 Bruins (113 points) while Dylan Gambrell scored for the 34-32-5 Senators (73 points) as they sit six points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Bruins announced defenseman Derek Forbort will be sidelined by a lower-body injury for the remainder of the regular season.

Speaking of the final Eastern wild-card spot, the Florida Panthers (36-28-7) failed to widen the gap between them and the teams chasing them after dropping a 6-3 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers. Travis Sanheim tallied two goals and Carter Hart made 41 saves for the 26-32-12 Flyers. Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart and Brandon Montour each had two points for the Panthers (79 points), who remain one up on the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The New York Islanders improved to 37-27-8 by thumping the Toronto Maple Leafs 7-2 to widen their lead over the Panthers for the first Eastern wild-card berth with 82 points. Cal Clutterbuck scored twice and chipped in an assist for the Islanders. Mitch Marner tallied his 27th goal of the season for the Leafs (42-19-9) as they sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 93 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders center Brock Nelson left the game in the first period following a hit by Leafs forward Noel Acciari. There was no immediate update on his condition.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Jonathan Quick (31 saves) took over second place for most wins among American-born goaltenders (375) by backstopping his club over the Vancouver Canucks 4-3. The Golden Knights (44-21-6) hold first place in the Pacific Division with 94 points. J.T. Miller scored twice and added an assist while Quinn Hughes set a franchise single-season assist record for defensemen (61) as they fell to 31-34-5 on the season.

Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 29 shots in a 2-1 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Nikolaj Ehlers and Adam Lowry scored for the Jets (40-29-3) as they hold the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 83 points. Barrett Hayton tallied for the 27-33-11 Coyotes.

The Calgary Flames kept pace with the Jets by dropping the Anaheim Ducks 5-1. Tyler Toffoli had three assists for the 32-25-11 Flames (79 points) as they remain four back of the Jets. Frank Vatrano scored for the 23-38-10 Ducks. Flames defenseman Chris Tanev missed this game with an upper-body injury. 

Montreal Canadiens netminder Sam Montembeault stopped 31 shots as his club upset the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2. Nick Suzuki had two assists and Kirby Dach scored in his return to action for the 28-37-6 Canadiens after missing 16 games with a lower-body injury. Brayden Point netted his 44th goal of the season for the Lightning (42-24-6) as they remain three points back of the Leafs in the Atlantic Division with 90 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The good news for the depleted Canadiens is Dach and Brendan Gallagher returning to the lineup following lengthy injuries. The bad news is winger Josh Anderson left the game with an ankle injury and is expected to miss their next game while defenseman Kaiden Guhle is done for the season with a high-ankle sprain suffered last week against the Panthers.

The Nashville Predators snapped a three-game skid with a 7-3 drubbing of the Buffalo Sabres. Luke Evangelista scored twice and added two assists while Matt Duchene scored twice for the Predators (35-26-8) as they are five points behind the Jets with 78 points. Tage Thompson scored his 43rd of the season while Jeff Skinner netted his 30th for the 33-31-6 Sabres (72 points) as they remain seven points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

A shootout goal by Lucas Raymond gave the Detroit Red Wings a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Filip Zadina and Alex Chiasson scored for the 31-30-9 Wings, who sit eight points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth. Marco Scandella and Robert Bortuzzo replied for the 31-33-6 Blues.

IN OTHER NEWS…

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche signed head coach Jared Bednar to a three-year contract extension. He’s led the Avs to five straight playoff appearances, two consecutive division titles and the 2022 Stanley Cup.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a well-deserved extension for Bednar, who took over this club during the lowest period in its history after Patrick Roy quit as head coach before the 2016-17 season. Their rise among the league’s elite over the past five seasons is in part due to his coaching.

TSN: The NHL announced Fanatics will take over as its’ on-ice jersey provider beginning in 2024-25, taking over from Adidas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That move reportedly isn’t sitting well with hockey fans familiar with Fanatics products.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 15, 2023

by | Mar 15, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 15, 2023

The Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl reaches 100 points on the season, the Penguins’Jake Guentzel reaches a career milestone, plus the latest on the Leafs’ Auston Matthews, the Hurricanes’ Andrei Svechnikov and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl scored twice to become the second player this season to reach 100 points in a 6-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had a goal and an assist as the Oilers improved to 37-23-8 to vault over the Seattle Kraken into third place in the Pacific Division with 82 points. Tim Stutzle tallied twice for the 33-30-4 Senators (70 points), who’ve dropped three straight and remain six points behind the New York Islanders (76 points) for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid now leads all active players for most points in a season with 129. Meanwhile, Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot and winger Mathieu Joseph missed this game due to injuries.

The Montreal Canadiens (27-35-6) snapped a seven-game winless skid by upsetting the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-4 on third-period goals by Anthony Richard and Josh Anderson. Jake Guentzel scored twice and collected an assist to reach 400 career points for the 34-23-10 Penguins (78 points) as they remain two points over the Islanders for the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot. They played without defenseman Dmitry Kulikov as he’s week-to-week with an undisclosed injury.

Speaking of the Islanders, they dropped a 5-2 decision to the Los Angeles Kings, who blew the game open with a four-goal second period. Joonas Korpisalo made 28 saves and Vladislav Gavrikov collected two assists for the Kings (39-20-9) as they sit in second place in the Pacific Division with 87 points. Ryan Pulock had two assists for the 34-27-8 Islanders.

The New York Rangers defeated the Washington Capitals 5-3. Mika Zibanejad scored twice and Patrick Kane scored his first goal on home ice as a Ranger. With a record of 38-19-10, the Rangers sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 86 points. Injuries sidelined Alex Ovechkin and Sonny Milano for this game as the Capitals (32-29-7) remain five points behind the Islanders in the chase for the final Eastern wild-card spot.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 win over the New Jersey Devils, who lost their grip on first place in the Metropolitan Division. Despite the absence of sidelined captain Steven Stamkos, the Lightning (40-22-6) moved within two points of the second-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division with 86 points. Damon Severson replied for the 44-17-6 Devils (94 points) as they fell two points behind the Carolina Hurricanes.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, they got two goals and an assist by Jesperi Kotkaniemi as they downed the Winnipeg Jets 5-3. With a record of 44-14-8, the Hurricanes sit in second place in the overall standings with 96 points. The Jets (38-27-3) hold the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Hurricanes announced winger Andrei Svechnikov will undergo season-ending surgery on his right ACL on Thursday. His absence will be keenly felt among their top-six scorers over the remainder of the season. Meanwhile, Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey remains sidelined by an injury.

The Nashville Predators improved to 34-28-9 and moved within four points of the Jets by holding off the Detroit Red Wings 2-1. Juuse Saros made 28 saves while Kiefer Sherwood and Tommy Novak scored for the Predators, who played without sidelined defenseman Ryan McDonagh. Alex Chiasson replied for the 30-28-9 Red Wings.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Jonathan Quick (27 saves) picked up his fourth straight win since joining the club in a 5-3 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Jonathan Marchessault had a goal and two assists while Ivan Barbashev tallied twice for the Golden Knights (42-20-6) as they hold first place in the Western Conference with 90 points. The Flyers sank to 24-32-11.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sidelined Flyers Sean Couturier took part in his first morning skate with the club this season after being sidelined by his second back surgery. His plan is to return to action for a handful of games before the end of the season.

Chicago Blackhawks forward Taylor Raddysh scored his first career hat trick to lead his club to a 6-3 upset of the Boston Bruins. Boris Katchouk had a goal and two assists for the Blackhawks as they improved to 23-38-6, though they lost goalie Petr Mrazek in the second period with his third groin injury of the season. Hampus Lindholm had a goal and an assist for the Bruins (50-11-5) as they remain comfortably atop the overall standings with 105 points.

The Vancouver Canucks collected their fifth straight win by upsetting the Dallas Stars 5-2. Brock Boeser had three assists for the 29-32-5 Canucks while Jamie Benn and Miro Heiskanen each had two points for the 37-18-13 Stars, who played without sidelined winger Mason Marchment in this game. The Stars are in first place in the Central Division with 87 points.

An overtime goal by Travis Boyd gave the Arizona Coyotes a 4-3 win over the Calgary Flames. Clayton Keller scored twice, including his 31st goal of the season for the 25-31-11 Coyotes. Jonathan Huberdeau scored the tying goal for the 30-24-14 Flames (74 points) as they sit five points out of the final Western wild-card spot.

Columbus Blue Jackets winger Johnny Gaudreau scored twice (including the winner in overtime) and collected three assists in a 6-5 victory over the San Jose Sharks to officially eliminate the latter from playoff contention. The Blue Jackets sit at 21-38-7 on the season and sit last in the overall standings. Logan Couture had a goal and two assists for the 19-36-13 Sharks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE ATHLETIC: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews revealed he’s been nursing a hand injury that has hampered his performance this season. However, he claims it’s feeling a lot better now.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s good news for the Leafs as they head down the stretch toward what will be a crucial postseason for this team.

SPORTSNET: Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas said he’s expecting Ryan O’Reilly to return before the playoffs. He’s been sidelined with a broken finger since March 4 and underwent surgery on March 7 with a recovery timeline of four weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That would mean returning by April 7 but it’s possible O’Reilly might not be good to go until the first game of the playoffs.

TSN: Speaking of broken fingers, Colorado Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen is expected to be sidelined for four to six weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s a big loss for the Avalanche. Lehkonen is fourth among Avalanche scorers with a career-best performance of 20 goals and 49 points in 62 games.

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Diamond Sports Group, which owns the Bally Sports regional network in the United States, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Tuesday. The company released a statement indicating it expects to continue operations during the bankruptcy process and that the coverage of games would not be affected. That coverage includes 12 NHL teams.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 13, 2023

by | Mar 13, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 13, 2023

The Devils’ Jack Hughes matches a franchise record in their win over the Hurricanes, the Penguins’ Kris Letang buries the Rangers in overtime, interim Flyers GM Daniel Briere says the “R” word and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes had a goal and two assists, Jesper Bratt tallied twice and Vitek Vanecek made 32 saves to shut out the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0. Hughes tied a franchise record with his 27th multi-point game this season as the Devils (44-16-6) moved into a tie with Carolina (43-14-8) with 94 points. The Hurricanes played without Andrei Svechnikov as he’s sidelined by a lower-body injury.

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes still hold first place in the Metropolitan Division on the basis of a game in hand. Nevertheless, the Devils have overtaken the Canes, who’ve held sole possession of the top spot in the Metro since Dec. 20. It’s shaping up to be an exciting battle down the stretch between these two for the division title.

An overtime goal by Kris Letang lifted the Pittsburgh Penguins to a 3-2 win over the New York Rangers. Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin each collected two assists while Tristan Jarry turned aside 27 shots for the 34-22-10 Penguins, who hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth and have won seven of their last nine games. Jaroslav Halak stopped 32 shots for the 37-19-10 Rangers as they sit third in the Metro with 84 points.

Winnipeg Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck kicked out 33 shots to hold off the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2. Nino Niedereitter scored as he has six points in seven games with the 38-26-3 Jets (79 points) as they moved past the Colorado Avalanche into third place in the Central Division. Anthony Cirelli had a goal and an assist for the Lightning (39-22-6) as they sit third in the Atlantic Division with 84 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning captain Steven Stamkos played in this game, showing no ill effects from the leg injury that forced him out of Saturday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

The Jets, meanwhile, played without sidelined defenseman Josh Morrissey, who could return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Hurricanes. Jets center Pierre-Luc Dubois (upper-body) is not expected to rejoin the club for the remainder of this road trip.

The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the St. Louis Blues 5-3. Jiri Patera stopped 30 shots to win his first-ever NHL game while Alex Pietrangelo, William Karlsson and Pavel Dorofeyev each had a goal and an assist as the Golden Knights improved to 41-20-6 to sit atop the Western Conference with 88 points. Jordan Kyrou had a goal and an assist for the 29-32-5 Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights winger Keegan Kolesar missed this game as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Calgary Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom made 30 saves while Jonathan Huberdeau, Elias Lindholm and Rasmus Andersson each had a goal and an assist in a 5-1 victory over the Ottawa Senators. With 73 points, the Flames (30-24-13) are five points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Tim Stutzle scored for the Senators (33-29-4) as they sit six points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

The Detroit Red Wings kept their fading playoff hopes alive with a 5-3 upset of the Boston Bruins. Dylan Larkin had a goal and two assists while Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond each had two points for the 30-27-9 Red Wings (69 points) as they sit seven points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist for the Bruins (50-10-5) as they sit atop the overall standings with 105 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Hampus Lindholm missed this game with a foot injury suffered during Saturday’s game with the Wings.

Arizona Coyotes forward Clayton Keller scored the tying and winning goals in a 5-4 overtime upset of the Minnesota Wild. Keller finished with three points while Barrett Hayton scored twice and collected two assists for the 24-32-11 Coyotes. The 38-21-8 Wild (84 points) matched a franchise-record points streak at 13 as they sit one point out of first place in the Central Division.

The Nashville Predators nipped the Anaheim Ducks 5-4 on an overtime tally by Tommy Novak, who finished the game with two goals. The Predators (33-24-7) are five points out of the final Western wild-card spot with 73 points. Mason McTavish scored twice and Cam Fowler collected three assists for the 22-35-10 Ducks.

HEADLINES

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Interim Flyers general manager Daniel Briere believes a rebuild is necessary for his club but stressed that doesn’t mean there will be a fire sale of roster players. He added they will look at every possible option to improve the team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Briere’s predecessor avoided the “R” word over the final two years of his tenure when it was becoming clear to fans and pundits that a rebuild was necessary. I’ll have more about Briere’s comments and plans for the Flyers in today’s Rumor Mill.

NHL.COM: The department of player safety fined Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares $5,000.00 for slashing Edmonton Oilers defenseman Vincent Desharnais on Saturday.

NBC SPORTS WASHINGTON: Rasmus Sandin is thriving since joining the Capitals in a trade with the Maple Leafs on Feb. 28. Buried on the Leafs’ third defense pairing, the 23-year-old blueliner is skating on the Capitals’ top pairing, collecting eight points in his first four games with his new club.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs shipped out Sandin to bolster their defense corps by adding Erik Gustafsson along with acquiring a 2023 first-round pick that originally belonged to the Bruins. Gustafsson has no points in their first three games with the Leafs after collecting 38 in 61 games with Washington.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Buffalo Sabres announced defenseman Rasmus Dahlin is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Blueliner Mattias Samuelsson (upper body) and goaltender Eric Comrie (lower body) are week-to-week.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks signed winger Phillip Di Giuseppe to a two-year, two-way contract extension.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 12, 2023

by | Mar 12, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 12, 2023

The Bruins become the fastest team in history to reach 50 wins, Leafs winger Mitch Marner collects four points to beat the Oilers and Lightning captain Steven Stamkos sidelined by an injured leg. Details and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins defeated the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 to become the fastest team in league history to reach 50 wins in a season by doing so in their 64th game. They overcame a 2-0 deficit on goals by Hampus Lindholm, Patrice Bergeron and Garnet Hathaway. With a record of 50-9-5, the Bruins lead the league with 105 points and became the first team this season to clinch a playoff berth. The Red Wings fell to 29-27-9 on the season.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner had a goal and three assists as his club overcame a 3-1 deficit to beat the Edmonton Oilers 7-4. John Tavares and Noel Acciari each scored two goals while Auston Matthews tallied his 30th of the season for the 40-17-8 Maple Leafs, who sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 88 points. Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists for the Oilers (36-23-8) as they hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 80 points.

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks was overshadowed by a leg injury suffered by captain Steven Stamkos during the first period. Brayden Point scored twice for the 39-21-6 Lightning (84 points) as they remain four points back of the Leafs in third place in the Atlantic Division. The Blackhawks dropped to 22-38-6.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Early indications are the injury may not be as serious as originally feared. He was seen in the dressing room following the game walking normally without a limp.

A 33-save performance from Jonathan Quick carried the Vegas Golden Knights to a 4-0 shutout of the Carolina Hurricanes. Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, Paul Cotter and Brett Howden scored for the Golden Knights (40-20-6), who sit atop the Western Conference with 86 points. The Hurricanes (43-13-8) sit second in the overall standings with 94 points.

New Jersey Devils forward Dawson Mercer collected an assist to extend his points streak to 12 games in a 3-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Nico Hischier had a goal and an assist for the 43-16-6 Devils as they moved to within two points of the Hurricanes in third overall. The Canadiens (26-34-6) have dropped six straight games.

The Winnipeg Jets defeated the Florida Panthers 5-4 on two goals by Mark Scheifele, including the winner in overtime. Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers and Vladislav Namestnikov each had three points as the Jets improved to 37-26-3, sitting in the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 77 points. Matthew Tkachuk scored twice and collected an assist as the Panthers (33-27-7) sit three points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 73 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Jets as Josh Morrissey and Adam Lowry left this game with lower-body injuries. They’re doubtful for today’s game against the Lightning.

An overtime goal by Cale Makar gave the Colorado Avalanche a 3-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen each collected two points for the 36-22-6 Avalanche, who sit third in the Central Division with 78 points. Connor Ingram made 41 saves for the Coyotes as they slipped to 23-32-11.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Makar set a franchise record for Avalanche defensemen with five overtime goals.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 35 shots to down the San Jose Sharks 5-2. Mats Zuccarello, Jared Spurgeon, Matt Boldy and Marcus Johansson each had a goal and an assist for the Wild (38-21-7), who sit second in the Central Division with 83 points. Erik Karlsson collected an assist to set a single-season points record for Sharks defensemen with 84 points. The Sharks dropped to 19-36-12.

Pittsburgh Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan picked up his 400th career NHL win in a 5-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Jake Guentzel and Mikael Granlund each had a goal and an assist for the 33-22-10 Penguins as they hold the first Eastern wild-card berth with 76 points. The Flyers fell to 24-31-11.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins center Nick Bonino underwent a surgical procedure to repair a lacerated kidney suffered during Thursday’s loss to the New York Islanders. He’s listed as week-to-week.

The New York Rangers got an overtime goal from Artemi Panarin to nip the Buffalo Sabres 2-1. Patrick Kane also scored for the Rangers (37-19-9) as they sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 83 points. Jeff Skinner replied for the 32-28-5 Sabres, who sit seven points behind the New York Islanders for the final Eastern wild-card spot.

Speaking of the Islanders, they dropped a 5-1 decision to the Washington Capitals. Rasmus Sandin collected three assists for the Capitals (32-28-7), who sit five points back of the Islanders with 71 points. Pierre Engvall scored for the 34-26-8 Islanders, who welcomed back Cal Clutterbuck into the lineup after he missed 20 games with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Capitals announced the signing of Trevor van Riemsdyk to a three-year, $9 million contract extension. The average annual value is $3 million.

A shootout goal by Matt Duchene lifted the Nashville Predators over the Los Angeles Kings 2-1. Tommy Novak also scored and Kevin Lankinen made 26 saves for the 32-24-7 Predators, who sit six points behind the Jets for the final Western wild-card berth. The Kings (38-20-9) played without Kevin Fiala, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. They sit second in the Pacific Division with 85 points.

The Dallas Stars got an overtime goal from Miro Heiskanen in a 4-3 win over the Seattle Kraken. Heiskanen and Roope Hintz each finished with two points while Joe Pavelski tallied the tying goal for the 36-17-13 Stars, who hold first place in the Central Division with 85 points. Vince Dunn had two assists for the 37-22-7 Kraken as they sit third in the Pacific Division with 81 points.

St. Louis Blues forward Jordan Kyrou tallied a hat trick to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-2. Sammy Blais had a goal and two assists for the 29-31-5 Blues while Patrik Laine and Boone Jenner replied for the 20-38-7 Blue Jackets.

The Vancouver Canucks got two goals from Andrei Kuzmenko in a 5-2 win over the Ottawa Senators. The Canucks improved to 28-32-5 and have gone 7-2-1 in their last 10 games. Tim Stutzle collected two assists for the 33-28-4 Senators as they sit six points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth.










NHL Rumor Mill – March 10, 2023

by | Mar 10, 2023

NHL Rumor Mill – March 10, 2023

Check out the latest on the Devils’ Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier, the Flyers’ Kevin Hayes, the Predator’s Juuse Saros and the Flames’ Elias Lindholm plus a look at the Red Wings in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

TIDBITS FROM SPORTSNET’S LATEST “32 THOUGHTS” COLUMN

SPORTSNET: In his latest “32 Thoughts” column, Elliotte Friedman wrote the New Jersey Devils are engaged in contract extension talks with Jesper Bratt. He’s a restricted free agent who is a year away from unrestricted free-agent eligibility.

New Jersey Devils winger Jesper Bratt (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: You know who else is an RFA this summer who’s a year away from UFA status? Timo Meier, the guy the Devils acquired nearly two weeks ago.

Cap Friendly indicates they have $47.8 million invested in 11 players for next season. There’s plenty of money to re-sign Bratt and Meier but it will take a big chunk out of their remaining payroll.

Meier could seek a multi-year deal worth around $9 million annually while Bratt could seek around $8 million. Both have comparable offensive numbers over the past two seasons but Meier has a more established record.

I’ve suggested that Meier could be insurance for the Devils if contract talks with Bratt go sideways. It’ll be interesting to see how those negotiations pan out.

Speaking of Meier, Friedman wonders if the Devils might consider club-elected arbitration with the 26-year-old winger for 85 percent of his $10 million qualifying offer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If the Devils did that and won they’d get Meier for one year at $8.5 million. That comes with the risk, however, of the winger deciding to test next summer’s UFA market. That’s fine if they only see Meier as an option for this season and next but not such a good idea if they want to fit him into their long-term plans.

Friedman doesn’t think there was much linking Philadelphia Flyers forward Kevin Hayes to the Carolina Hurricanes before last Friday’s trade deadline. However, he thinks there could be something with the Columbus Blue Jackets. “Two of his biggest fans – Johnny Gaudreau and Rick Nash – are there.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets have a longstanding need for skilled depth at the center position. There was a recent report claiming a team was interested in acquiring Hayes and employing him as a center. Perhaps that unnamed club was the Blue Jackets. We’ll find out in the offseason if there’s anything to it.

Speaking of the Hurricanes, Friedman cited The Athletic’s Michael Russo reporting they contacted the Calgary Flames about center Elias Lindholm. He’s among six Flames who are a year away from UFA eligibility.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As Friedman observed, the Flames weren’t going to part with Lindholm while they were still battling for a playoff berth in the Western Conference. However, it could be something worth monitoring in the offseason depending on how things shake out for the Flames down the stretch. Those other players Friedman was referring to were probably Mikael Backlund, Tyler Toffoli, Noah Hanifin, Nikita Zadorov and Oliver Kylington.

The Detroit Red Wings are thin on the right side of their blueline after trading Filip Hronek to Vancouver. It’s something they’ll have to address in the offseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Perhaps the Red Wings will use one of their two first-rounders in this year’s draft and next year’s draft or one of their three 2023 second-rounders as trade bait this summer to address that need. That’s something The Athletic’s Max Bultman touched on during a recent mailbag segment.

The Wings will have over $32 million in cap space for next season. With that trade capital, they could target cap-strapped clubs with surplus defensemen looking to shed salary this summer.

Friedman believes the Los Angeles Kings made an exploratory call to the Nashville Predators regarding goaltender Juuse Saros.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A report post-trade deadline out of Nashville indicated the Predators viewed Saros, Roman Josi and Filip Forsberg as their untouchables. It doesn’t hurt to ask, of course, but it appears the Predators are looking at a quick turnaround rather than a major roster rebuild. Saros will be part of that anticipated bounce-back season.