NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 22, 2022

by | Nov 22, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 22, 2022

The Bruins’ Patrice Bergeron tallies his 1,000th career point, the Devils tie a franchise wins record, the Avalanches’ Cale Makar reaches a milestone for defensemen, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron collected an assist for his 1,000th career NHL point in a 5-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Charlie McAvoy, Jake DeBrusk and David Krejci each had two-point performances for the Bruins (17-2-0), who picked up their seventh straight win and sit atop the overall standings with 34 points. Nick Paul scored twice for the Lightning, whose record drops to 11-7-1.

Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bergeron joins Raymond Bourque, John Bucyk and Phil Esposito as the only Bruins to reach the 1,000-point plateau. The 37-year-old Bruins captain is off to a good start to this season with 18 points in 19 games.

The New Jersey Devils tied a franchise record 13-game winning streak as they defeated the Edmonton Oilers 5-2. Nico Hischier collected three assists while Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt each collected two points for the 16-3-0 Devils, who sit two points behind the first-place Bruins in the overall standings. Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins replied for the Oilers as they slide to 10-9-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The red-hot Devils are drawing considerable praise for their strong start to this season. However, not everyone thinks they’re going to make the playoffs. Sportsnet’s Keith Yandle is a doubter, citing their goaltending while suggesting they’ll start cooling off following the upcoming US Thanksgiving weekend. It’ll be interesting to see if the Devils can prove him wrong.

Oilers goalie Jack Campbell left the game in the second period after being clipped by the puck near his eye while sitting on the bench as a backup for Stuart Skinner. He left the bench and didn’t return. Head coach Jay Woodcroft had no update on Campbell’s condition following the game but Skinner told reporters Campbell had a bloody nose but was joking around and was otherwise okay.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar became the fastest blueliner in NHL history to reach the 200-point plateau in a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars. Makar opened the scoring to achieve the milestone in 195 career games. Meanwhile, Miko Rantanen scored the only goal in the shootout as the Avalanche improved to 11-5-1. Jason Robertson scored both goals for the 11-5-3 Stars.

Three unanswered goals by William Carrier, Reilly Smith and Alex Pietrangelo lifted the Vegas Golden Knights to a 5-4 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Pietrangelo finished the night with three points while Carrier tallied two goals as the Golden Knights remain atop the Western Conference with a record of 15-4-1. Quinn Hughes and Andrei Kuzmenko each had two points for the struggling Canucks as they drop to 6-10-3.

The St. Louis Blues picked up their seventh straight win by downing the Anaheim Ducks 3-1. Noel Acciari scored twice while Justin Faulk netted the winning goal in the third period. The surging Blues are now at 10-8-0 on the season while the Ducks are at 5-13-1. Colton Parayko returned to the Blues lineup after missing three games with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Anthony Beauvillier lifted the New York Islanders over the Toronto Maple Leafs by a score of 3-2. Josh Bailey scored the only goal in the third period, setting the stage for Beauvillier’s game-winner for the Islanders (12-8-0). John Tavares and Auston Matthews replied for the 10-5-5 Leafs, who also lost defenseman Morgan Rielly to an apparent knee injury in the third period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs went into this game with defensemen Jake Muzzin and T.J. Brodie sidelined by injuries. No word yet on how long Rielly could be out. He will undergo imaging on the knee today.

The Nashville Predators nipped the Arizona Coyotes 4-3 on a shootout goal by Cody Glass. Roman Josi and Mikael Granlund each had a goal and an assist for the Predators (9-8-2)while Nick Bjugstad scored twice for the Coyotes as they fall to 6-9-3. Earlier in the day, the Coyotes announced winger Zack Kassian was moved to injured reserve retroactive to Oct. 30.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coyotes defenseman Jakob Chychrun made his much-anticipated season debut after being sidelined for weeks by offseason wrist surgery. The subject of considerable trade speculation stretching back to last season, Chychrun was held scoreless and took a minor penalty, finishing with a plus-minus of minus-1. He was credited with four hits, two shots on goal and two blocked shots while logging 23:04 of ice time.

Calgary Flames winger Blake Coleman commemorated his 400th career NHL game with a goal and two assists in a 5-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Jacob Markstrom made 23 saves for the Flames as they improved their record to 9-7-2 while the slumping Flyers drop to 7-8-4.

The Winnipeg Jets blew a 3-0 lead over the Carolina Hurricanes late in the third period before going on to a 4-3 win as Josh Morrissey scored in overtime. Morrissey finished the night with two goals while Pierre-Luc Dubois had a goal and two assists as the Jets rise to 11-5-1. Jaccob Slavin, Andrei Svechnikov and Martin Necas scored in the final minutes of the third as the 10-5-4 Hurricanes pulled goalie Pyotr Kochetkov to go with six attackers.

San Jose Sharks goaltender Kaapo Kahkonen made 37 saves and Luke Kunin collected three assists in a 5-1 win over the Ottawa Senators. Timo Meier tallied what proved to be the game-winner for the Sharks (7-11-3). Tim Stutzle replied for the 6-11-1 Senators.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, St. Louis Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich and Seattle Kraken goaltender Martin Jones are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Nov. 20, 2022.

ESPN.COM: Rookie center Matty Beniers is having a positive effect on the Kraken’s performance in their second NHL season. The 20-year-old’s 11 points have him tied with the Coyotes’ Matias Maccelli for the lead among this season’s rookie scorers. He’s also drawn praise from his teammates for his maturity and sociable personality.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: Canadiens players are pushing back against some criticisms leveled at the club by former equipment manager Pierre Gervais in his recently-released biography. Gervais claimed former head coach Dominique Ducharme lost the room due to questionable decision-making while former general manager Marc Bergevin’s maturity issues lost him some respect among the players.

Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki and alternate captain Brendan Gallagher expressed their admiration for Gervais but disputed his criticisms of Ducharme and Bergevin.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 19, 2022

by | Nov 19, 2022

NHL Rumor Mill – November 19, 2022

Could the Capitals be interested in Canucks captain Bo Horvat or Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson? Should the Penguins make a move for a third-line forward? What’s the latest on the Flames? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST CAPITALS SPECULATION

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Sammi Silber cited Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman wondering if the Capitals might pursue Bo Horvat if sidelined center Nicklas Backstrom’s playing career is over.

Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat (NHL Images).

Friedman noted that the Vancouver Canucks center is a shooter rather than a passer like Backstrom. The Capitals already have a shooter in captain Alex Ovechkin.

SPORTSNET (via NHL WATCHER): During the latest “32 Thoughts” podcast, Elliotte Friedman suggested the Capitals as a possible destination for Erik Karlsson if the San Jose Sharks defenseman would agree to a trade.

Friedman observed the Capitals only have one defenseman under contract for 2023-24. He also suggested the Florida Panthers as a destination as they’ll have money coming off their salary-cap payroll next season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the week, Silber speculated Capitals general manager Brian MacLellan might want to consider making a trade to bolster his struggling lineup while they’re still in playoff contention with the season still young. She noted recent rumors linking the Capitals to the Montreal Canadiens and Ottawa Senators.

Acquiring someone like Horvat or Karlsson will be costly. Silber recently wondered at what point the Capitals would consider trading struggling sophomore center Connor McMichael. I think he’d almost certainly have to be part of a package for an impact player such as Horvat or Karlsson.

Whether such a deal can be made, however, is another story. The Capitals could lack sufficient tradeable assets to pry either guy away from their current teams.

SHOULD THE PENGUINS MAKE A MOVE OR TWO?

THE ATHLETIC: Rob Rossi suggested two moves the Pittsburgh Penguins could make to snap them out of their current rut.

One is placing Kasperi Kapanen on waivers due to his disappointing performance. Rossi doubted anyone would claim the underachieving winger’s contract and believes he should be sent to their AHL affiliate in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton once he clears waivers.

Rossi also believes the Penguins must find a role player with an edge for their third line. He suggested making a move for Nashville Predators winger Tanner Jeannot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I agree with Rossi’s take on Kapanen. He’s been in and out of the lineup of late and hasn’t contributed when he is playing. He could become a distraction for their farm team if he’s unhappy with demotion but, as Rossi suggests, the Penguins must be confident enough in their AHL coaching staff to handle the situation.

Adding a gritty role player like Jeannot is a good idea but I don’t believe the Predators are keen to part with him, at least not yet. The positives he could bring to the Penguins could also make him valuable to their current club. Perhaps that might change if the Preds fail to rise in the standings. For now, if the Penguins are in the market for such a forward they might have to consider other options.

UPDATE ON THE FLAMES

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: Steve Macfarlane wonders if Adam Ruzicka’s recent promotion to the Flames’ top line might take them out of the trade market for a scoring forward. The 23-year-old winger has played well in that role thus far after being a healthy scratch in 10 of the Flames’ first 11 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Macfarlane admits we’ve only seen a small sample size of Ruzicka’s play on the top line thus far. In the five games since his promotion, however, he has two goals and five points. If Ruzicka can maintain that chemistry with Elias Lindholm and Tyler Toffoli, it would take the pressure off management to shop around for another scorer.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 18, 2022

by | Nov 18, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 18, 2022

The Devils and Bruins continue their win streaks, Phil Kessel extends his Ironman record, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Yegor Sherangovich gave the New Jersey Devils their 11th straight win by downing the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2. Jesper Bratt and Nico Hischier also scored for the Devils (14-3-0), who sit atop the Metropolitan Division with 28 points. Auston Matthews and William Nylander replied for the 9-5-4 Maple Leafs.

The Boston Bruins extended their home winning streak to 10 games in a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. David Krejci scored twice as the Bruins (15-2-0) are on top of the overall standings with 30 points, two points up on the Devils and Vegas Golden Knights. The Flyers dropped to 7-7-3 and lost winger Travis Konecny in the second period with an injured right hand.

Vegas Golden Knights winger Phil Kessel (NHL Images).

Speaking of the Golden Knights, they extended their record to 14-4-0 by beating the Arizona Coyotes 4-1. Alex Pietrangelo had a goal and two assists for the Golden Knights while teammate Phil Kessel became the first player in NHL history to play in 1,000 consecutive regular-season games. Clayton Keller scored for the Coyotes as they fall to 6-9-1.

Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor tallied a hat trick to lead his club to a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Trevor Zegras and Troy Terry replied for the 5-11-1 Ducks while the Jets (10-4-1) have won eight of their last 10 contests. Before the game, the Jets inducted Teemu Selanne and Teppo Numminen into their Hall of Fame.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Jets revealed Nikolaj Ehlers’ lower-body injury that has sidelined him since Oct. 18 could be more serious than originally reported. Head coach Rick Bowness suggested the possibility of surgery for Ehlers. Meanwhile, defenseman Dylan DeMelo missed this game with an undisclosed ailment. As for the Ducks, they placed sidelined defenseman Nathan Beaulieu (undisclosed) on injured reserve earlier in the day.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored twice and set up two others to beat the Minnesota Wild 6-4. Jake Guentzel had a goal and two assists for the Penguins, who improved to 7-7-3. Joel Eriksson Ek scored twice for the Wild as their record drops to 7-8-3.

Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi collected four assists as his club held off the New York Islanders 5-4. Juuso Parssinen scored twice and collected an assist as the Predators (8-8-1) have won three straight games. Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Adam Pelech each had a goal and an assist for the 11-7-0 Islanders.

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Pavel Francouz made 46 saves and Artturi Lehkonen tallied in overtime to down the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 3-2. Martin Necas had a goal and an assist for the 10-5-2 Hurricanes while the Avalanche rose to 9-5-1.

The Dallas Stars (10-5-2) got two goals from Roope Hintz in their 6-4 win over the Florida Panthers. Tyler Seguin, Jamie Benn and Ty Dellandrea each had a goal and an assist for the Stars. Sam Bennett collected three assists for the 9-7-1 Panthers. Stars goaltender Scott Wedgewood was stretchered from the game in the second period with an apparent back injury but was reportedly responsive and in good spirits. He will be re-evaluated on Friday in Dallas.

St. Louis Blues netminder Thomas Greiss kicked out 47 shots and Pavel Buchnevich tallied the winning goal in a shootout to nip the Washington Capitals 5-4. Vladimir Tarasenko collected two assists as the Blues improved their record to 8-8-0. Alex Ovechkin had a goal and two assists while John Carlson scored two goals for the 7-9-3 Capitals.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov scored twice, Steven Stamkos had two points and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 39 saves to douse the Calgary Flames 4-1. Elias Lindholm scored the only goal for Calgary. With the win, the Lightning move to 10-6-1 while the Flames fall to 7-7-2.

The Seattle Kraken got an overtime goal from Justin Schultz to defeat the New York Rangers 3-2 and improve their record to 9-5-3. Schultz finished the night with two goals while Martin Jones picked up the win by stopping 28 shots. Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck replied for the 8-6-4 Rangers.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Moritz Seider, Pius Suter and Dominik Kubalik lifted the Detroit Red Wings to a 7-4 win over the San Jose Sharks. David Perron had a goal and two assists for the Wings (8-5-4) while Erik Karlsson had four points for the 6-10-3 Sharks.

The Columbus Blue Jackets (6-9-1) extended their points streak to four games by dropping the Montreal Canadiens 6-4. Sean Kuraly scored twice and collected an assist for the Jackets while Nick Suzuki and Brendan Gallagher each had a goal and an assist for the 8-8-1 Canadiens.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 16, 2022

by | Nov 16, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 16, 2022

The Leafs’ John Tavares tallies his 400th career goal, the Devils extend their win streak to 10 games, the latest on the sale of the Senators, the Hurricanes owner is sued for $184 million, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares tallied his 400th career NHL goal in a 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Matt Murray made 35 saves in his first game for the Leafs (9-5-3) since being sidelined following their season-opener on Oct. 12 while Michael Bunting scored twice. Sidney Crosby and Rickard Rakell scored for the Penguins as they fell to 6-7-3.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins forward Teddy Blueger was activated off injured reserve for this game.

The New Jersey Devils extended their winning streak to 10 games by downing the Montreal Canadiens 5-1. Jack Hughes led the way with two goals and an assist while Vitek Vanecek made 25 saves for the win as their record rose to 13-3-0. Evgenii Dadonov scored his first of the season for the 8-7-1 Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens announced before the game that Jonathan Drouin would miss four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury while Joel Armia is also out with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Canadiens executive VP Jeff Gorton revealed they’re laying the groundwork on a contract extension for winger Cole Caufield.

An overtime goal by Alex Killorn lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 5-4 win over the Dallas Stars. Killorn also collected two assists for the Lightning (9-6-1) while teammate Steven Stamkos picked up his 500th career assist. Joe Pavelski, Jason Robertson and Miro Heiskanen each had two points for the 9-5-2 Stars.

Back-to-back third-period goals by Carter Verhaeghe gave the Florida Panthers a 5-2 victory against the Washington Capitals. The Panthers improved to 9-6-1 as Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 41 shots while Matthew Tkachuk collected three assists and Aleksander Barkov had a three-point night. John Carlson had two points for the Capitals (7-9-2) as they’ve lost seven of their last nine games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette returned behind the bench after being sidelined by a bout with COVID-19.

Nashville Predators center Matt Duchene collected his 700th career assist and scored the game-winning goal as his club held off the Minnesota Wild 2-1. Juuse Saros kicked out 32 shots for the Predators (7-8-1) while Frederick Gaudreau scored for the 7-7-2 Wild.

The San Jose Sharks (6-9-3) picked up their third straight win with four unanswered third-period goals to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 5-2. Logan Couture, Erik Karlsson and Alexander Barabanov each had two points for the Sharks. Jack Eichel scored for the Golden Knights (13-4-0) to reach his 400th career point.

An overtime goal by Vladislav Gavrikov gave the Columbus Blue Jackets a 5-4 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Boone Jenner scored twice for the Jackets as they move to a record of 5-9-1. Travis Konecny, Kevin Hayes and Noah Cates each had two points for the 7-6-3 Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The injuries continue to mount for the banged-up Blue Jackets. Goaltender Elvis Merzlikins left the game in the second period with an injured left leg while defenseman Jake Bean left with an undisclosed injury later in the period. Earlier in the day, the Flyers announced winger Wade Allison will miss at least three weeks with an oblique strain and a hip pointer.

Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat had a goal and two assists as his club hung on to beat the Buffalo Sabres 5-4. Jeff Skinner tallied twice for the 7-9-3 Sabres, who’ve now dropped six straight games. The Canucks improved their record to 5-9-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Canucks announced center Jack Studnicka was being placed on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. Meanwhile, the Sabres welcomed back defenseman Henri Jokiharju off injured reserve after missing 11 games with a facial fracture.

The Anaheim Ducks nipped the Detroit Red Wings 3-2 on an overtime goal by Ryan Strome. Trevor Zegras and Cam Fowler each collected two assists while John Gibson made 31 saves for the Ducks (5-10-1). Rookie Jonatan Berggren tallied his first career NHL goal for the 7-5-4 Red Wings.

HEADLINES

OTTAWA SUN: NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly indicated there’s been “a fair level of interest” in the Senators since the club was put up for sale by its current ownership. He said several groups have come forward expressing interest in buying the franchise.

A condition of the purchase is the Senators must remain in Ottawa. Daly didn’t give a timeline for the completion of the sale but cautioned it wouldn’t be quick.

Sources told the Sun that Toronto-based businessman Paul Rivett is trying to put together a wealthy group of investors to buy the club. Meanwhile, Andre Desmarais of Montreal-based Power Corp is teaming up with former Pittsburgh Penguins minority owners Jeffrey and Michael Kimel to partner on a deal to purchase the Senators and build a new arena.

Other potential buyers could include Toronto billionaire Michael Andlauer, who owns the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs. Oshawa Generals owner Rocco Tullio could also be in the mix.

THE ATHLETIC: Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon is being sued for at least $184 million by the Alliance for American Football. The suit alleges Dundon tanked the startup when there were financial alternatives. Dundon, meanwhile, is suing the AAF’s founder, Charlie Ebersol, for $70 million alleging he was misled over the financial start of the AAF.

DAILY FACEOFF: The NHL’s bi-annual general managers’ meetings discussed whether to ask the NHL Players’ Association about making the wearing of cut-resistant gear mandatory. This comes days after Edmonton Oilers winger Evander Kane suffered a gruesome wrist injury when he was accidentally slashed by the skate blade of Tampa Bay Lightning forward Pat Maroon.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The league cannot unilaterally impose that ruling on the players. As per the collective bargaining agreement, they need the PA’s concurrence.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The Bruins have hired former U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch to conduct an independent review of their player-vetting process. This comes following the club’s ill-advised signing of Mitchell Miller to an entry-level contract. They’re now attempting to get out of that deal after learning of Mitchell’s bullying and physical assault of a disabled Black classmate as a teenager.

NHL.COM: Ottawa Senators forward Mathieu Joseph was fined $5,000.00 for high-sticking New York Islanders defenseman Sebastian Aho on Monday.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 13, 2022

by | Nov 13, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 13, 2022

The Leafs honor Borje Salming, the Devils remain red hot, Cale Makar approaches a league record, and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 3-2. Jordie Benn completed the Leafs’ three-goal rally in the second period while Erik Kallgren made 27 saves to improve their record to 8-5-3. Bo Horvat and J.T. Miller scored for the Canucks as they fall to 4-8-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs honored Hall-of-Fame defenseman Borje Salming in a pregame ceremony. The 71-year-old Salming, who is battling ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease), made the ceremonial puck drop assisted by his family following a video retrospective of his trailblazing 17-season NHL career, all but one of which was spent with the Leafs.

This was a touching, beautiful and heartfelt tribute by the Leafs to one of their greatest players. They also started the game with five of Salming’s Swedish countrymen – Kallgren, Timothy Liljegren, Rasmus Sandin, William Nylander, Pierre Engvall and Calle Jarnkrok – on the ice. That’s a testament to his legacy as a pioneer for Swedish (and European) players in the NHL.

Second-period goals by Jesper Boqvist and Dougie Hamilton lifted the New Jersey Devils to a 4-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes to extend their win streak to nine games. Tomas Tatar had a goal and an assist for the 12-3-0 Devils while Dylan Guenther and Clayton Keller replied for the 6-7-1 Coyotes.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar scored two goals while teammate Mikko Rantanen had a goal and three assists to down the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1. The Avalanche’s record sits at 8-4-1. Jordan Staal scored for the 9-5-1 Hurricanes, who placed sidelined winger Teuvo Teravainan in injured reserve with an upper-body injury retroactive to Nov. 10.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Makar is closing in on a potential NHL record. With 196 career points in 191 games, he is poised to become the fastest defenseman in league history to reach 200 points, a record currently held by Sergei Zubov with 207 games played.

Edmonton Oilers superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each collected an assist as their club doubled up the Florida Panthers 4-2. Stuart Skinner picked up the win by kicking out 42 shots for the Oilers (9-7-0) while McDavid and Draisaitl extended their points streaks to 10 and 11 games respectively. Sam Bennett scored twice for the Panthers (8-6-1) while defenseman Aaron Ekblad returned to the lineup for the first time since suffering a groin pull on Oct. 17.

Boston Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron scored twice and Keith Kinkaid stopped 30 shots in a 3-1 victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Brad Marchand collected two assists for the Bruins as their record improves to 13-2-0. Tage Thompson had the only goal for the 7-8-0 Sabres, who played without captain Kyle Okposo due to what was described as “general soreness.”

The Ottawa Senators’ Claude Giroux collected three assists as his club snapped a seven-game winless skid by dropping the Philadelphia Flyers 4-1. Alex DeBrincat scored twice for the 5-8-1 Senators while Kevin Hayes netted the only goal for the 7-5-2 Flyers, who also lost defenseman Wade Allison in the second period with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was Giroux’s first game in Philadelphia since they traded him last March to the Florida Panthers. The Flyers honored their former captain with a pregame video tribute.

An overtime goal by Mike Hoffman lifted the Montreal Canadiens over the Pittsburgh Penguins by a score of 5-4. Nick Suzuki, Kirby Dach and Kaiden Guhle each collected two points as the Canadiens improved to 8-6-1. Jason Zucker collected three assists and former Hab Jeff Petry had two points for the Penguins, who drop to 6-6-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The rebuilding Canadiens continue to exceed expectations over a month into this season. They’ll likely return to earth as the season wears on but young players like Suzuki, Dach and Guhle continue to provide Habs fans with the hope that a better future might not be as far away as originally thought.

The New York Islanders nipped the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-3 on an overtime goal by Zach Parise. Brock Nelson tallied twice for the Islanders (10-6-0) while Joonas Korpisalo made 42 saves to help the injury-ravaged Jackets (4-9-1) steal a point.

Two unanswered third-period goals by Ivan Barbashev and Ryan O’Reilly lifted the St. Louis Blues over the Vegas Golden Knights 3-2, improving their record to 5-8-0. Jordan Binnington made 34 saves (22 of those in the third period) for the win. Reilly Smith and Phil Kessel replied for the 13-3-0 Golden Knights.

The Calgary Flames ended a seven-game winless skid with a 3-2 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Elias Lindholm and Adam Ruzicka each had a goal and an assist for the Flames to boost their record to 6-6-2. Connor Hellebuyck made 32 stops for the 8-4-1 Jets.

Nashville Predators netminder Juuse Saros kicked out 34 shots as his club held off the New York Rangers 2-1. Juuso Parssinen and Mark Jankowski tallied for the Predators while Filip Chytil scored for the Rangers. Nashville’s record now sits at 6-8-1 while the Rangers are 7-6-3. Predators forward Yakov Trenin missed this contest with a lower-body injury.

Los Angeles Kings defenseman Sean Durzi tallied twice in a 4-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, improving the Kings’ record to 10-6-1. Dominik Kubalik and Filip Hronek each had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings, who fall to 7-5-3.

A goal by Jarred Tinordi late in the third period lifted the Chicago Blackhawks over the Anaheim Ducks 3-2. Tinordi had two goals on the night while Arvid Soderblom got the wing for the 6-5-3 Blackhawks with a 39-save performance. Troy Terry had a goal and an assist for the 4-10-1 Ducks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: Capitals winger Nicolas Aube-Kubel received a three-game suspension from the NHL department of player safety for an illegal check to the head of Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Cal Foote on Friday.

TSN: Capitals forward Garnet Hathaway and Lightning forward Pat Maroon were both fined for unsportsmanlike conduct stemming from Aube-Kubel’s hit on Foote. Hathaway was tagged for over $4,000.00 while Maroon will pay over $2,700.00

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Lightning, they claimed forward Rudolfs Balcers off waivers from the Florida Panthers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 6, 2022

by | Nov 6, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 6, 2022

Alex Ovechkin tallies another goal-scoring record, the Golden Knights take over first overall, commissioner Gary Bettman weighs in on the Bruins signing controversial prospect Mitchell Miller, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin tallied his 787th career goal in his club’s 3-2 loss to the Arizona Coyotes. He moved past Gordie Howe to set the record for the most goals scored by one player on one NHL team. However, Washington blew a 2-0 lead as Arizona rallied for the win on two goals by Nick Ritchie. The Capitals dropped to 5-6-2 while the Coyotes improved to 4-6-1.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The injury-ravaged Capitals suffered another blow as defenseman Dmitry Orlov left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury. Earlier in the day, they claimed forward Nicolas Aube-Kubel off waivers from the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Vegas Golden Knights (11-2-0) took over sole possession of first place in the overall standings with 22 points as they held off the Montreal Canadiens 6-4. Reilly Smith scored two goals as the Golden Knights rode a four-goal third period to victory. Nick Suzuki tallied twice and Kirby Dach collected three assists for the Canadiens as their record falls to 5-6-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens winger Josh Anderson received a match penalty and could face supplemental discipline for boarding Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who was unhurt on the play.

Auston Matthews scored twice as the Toronto Maple Leafs held on for a 2-1 lead over the Boston Bruins (10-2-0), dropping the latter two points behind the Golden Knights in the overall standings and snapping their seven-game winning streak. Brad Marchand replied for the Bruins on a penalty shot for his 800th career point. Mitch Marner collected two assists for the Leafs as they raise their record to 6-4-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov left this game with a knee injury, leaving them with just one healthy goalie in third-stringer Erik Kallgren. Following the game, the Leafs signed Toronto Marlies netminder Keith Petruzzelli to a one-year, two-way NHL contract. Meanwhile, Bruins center David Krejci returned to the lineup after missing three games with an upper-body injury.

Colorado Avalanche stars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar each had three assists to lead their club over the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-1 at Nokia Arena in Tampere, Finland, sweeping their two-game Global Series. The Avalanche elevated their record to 6-4-1 while the struggling Blue Jackets are 3-9-0 thus far.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets winger Jakub Voracek missed this game with an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day.

The Dallas Stars got a hat trick from captain Jamie Benn and a three-point performance from Jason Robertson to down the Edmonton Oilers 6-2. Leon Draisaitl and Darnell Nurse scored for the Oilers (7-5-0) while the Stars rise to 8-3-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was another rough game for Oilers starting goaltender Jack Campbell, who acknowledged his performance thus far this season has been “pathetic”. Signed to a five-year, $25 million contract by the Oilers in July as a free agent, the 30-year-old Campbell has a bloated 4.20 goals-against average and a measly save percentage of .874. Backup Stuart Skinner could see more starts in the coming games. He’s among the league leaders with a sparkling .944 save percentage and a 2.10 GAA in five games.

New Jersey Devils winger Fabian Zetterlund scored twice, including the winner in overtime, in a 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. The Devils (9-3-0) have won seven straight games to sit second overall in the Eastern Conference with 18 points. Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zaitsev scored as the Flames (5-4-1) rallied from a 3-1 deficit to force overtime.

Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 5-3 to improve their record to 7-4-1. Brandon Hagel had a goal and two assists for the Lightning. Owen Power collected two assists for the Sabres as they drop to 7-5-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The banged-up Sabres blueline had to make do without star defenseman Rasmus Dahlin for this match. He’s listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck kicked out 30 shots to shut out the Chicago Blackhawks 4-0. Pierre-Luc Dubois and Josh Morrissey each had a goal and an assist as the Jets move to 7-3-1. The Blackhawks (5-5-2) had to turn to fifth-string goalie Dylan Wells after Arvid Soderblom left the game in the second period with an undisclosed injury.

The Detroit Red Wings got a 24-save shutout from Ville Husso in a 3-0 victory over the New York Islanders. Dominik Kubalik had a goal and an assist for the 6-3-2 Red Wings while the Islanders drop to 7-5-0. It was a costly win for the Wings as forward Filip Zadina left the game in the second period with an injured right leg.

A tie-breaking goal late in the third period by Brandon Tanev lifted the Seattle Kraken over the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2. Yanni Gourde had a goal and two assists as the Kraken rise to 7-4-2. Sidney Crosby and Jake Guentzel replied for the Penguins (4-6-2) as their winless skid extends to seven games.

The Los Angeles Kings got a tie-breaking goal by Gabriel Vilardi late in the third period to nip the Florida Panthers 5-4. Anze Kopitar and Viktor Arvidsson each had two points for the 7-6-1 Kings while Carter Verhaeghe scored twice for the 6-5-1 Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers winger Patric Hornqvist missed this game with an upper-body injury and is considered day-to-day.

Ottawa Senators forward Claude Giroux tallied his 300th career goal against the Philadelphia Flyers but his former club went on to win this game 2-1 on goals by Kevin Hayes and Zack MacEwen. Carter Hart made 31 saves for the Flyers (6-3-2) while the Senators’ record sits at 4-6-2.

A shootout goal by Matt Duchene gave the Nashville Predators (5-6-1) a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks, dropping the latter’s record to 3-6-3. The Predators overcame a 3-0 deficit with Jordan Gross scoring his first two goals of his NHL career.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blown leads continue to plague the Canucks this season and will be their downfall if they don’t address this issue soon.

The Anaheim Ducks improved their record to 4-7-1 by downing the San Jose Sharks 5-4 on a shootout goal by Adam Henrique. Trevor Zegras, Mason McTavish and Brett Leason each had two points and Antony Stolarz made 48 saves for the win. Tomas Hertl and Timo Meier each had a goal and two assists for the 3-8-3 Sharks.

COMMISSIONER BETTMAN WEIGHS IN ON BRUINS SIGNING MITCHELL MILLER

NHL.COM: Commissioner Gary Bettman said the league was not consulted by the Boston Bruins before they signed controversial prospect Mitchell Miller on Friday. Speaking at the 2022 NHL Global Series on Saturday at Tampere, Finland, Bettman stated that Miller is not eligible to play in the NHL.

“What I understand and I’ve heard through the media anecdotally, what (Miller) did as a 14-year-old is reprehensible, unacceptable,” said Bettman. He indicated he’s spoken with Bruins president Cam Neely since the signing on Friday.

“He’s not coming into the NHL, he’s not eligible at this point to come into the NHL”, said Bettman. “I can’t tell you that he’ll ever be eligible to come into the NHL.” He added that if Miller ever reached that point, the league will have to clear him and his eligibility based on first-hand information at the time.

ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski reports the NHL Players Association said the league hasn’t informed them about any suspension for Miller or anything that would impact his eligibility. They added they require more information from the league regarding Bettman’s statements.

Wyshynski also reported a source claims Miller’s contract has been registered with the league and there was nothing official preventing the Bruins or any other club from signing him.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I don’t think we’ve heard the end of this story. Suffice it to say that this has become yet another black eye for a league reeling from ongoing revelations of abusive behavior at various levels of the sport.

Miller’s defenders suggest he just “made a mistake”, claiming his physical and verbal bullying and racist behavior toward Isaiah Meyer-Crothers was an isolated incident by a teenager who didn’t know any better.

Meyer-Crothers’ parents, however, indicate their disabled son was tormented for years by Miller. They said he has never apologized to them for his actions and only reached out to their son on Snapchat about a week before he was signed by the Bruins.