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 7, 2022

by | Nov 7, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 7, 2022

The Leafs, Red Wings and Panthers emerge the winners in Sunday’s game, the Bruins release Mitchell Miller two days after signing him, and the Panthers’ Matthew Tkachuk and the Canadiens’ Josh Anderson get suspended. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares’ 399th career goal was a game-winner in a 3-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Erik Kallgren made 29 saves for his first career NHL victory while Calle Jarnkrok and William Nylander also scored for the Leafs (7-4-2). Stefan Noesen replied for the 8-3-1 Hurricanes.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs have won three straight in early November after stumbling through October with a 4-4-2 record. Earlier in the day, they announced goaltender Ilya Samsonov was placed on injured reserve with a knee injury and could be sidelined for at least a week.

The Detroit Red Wings nipped the New York Rangers 3-2 on an overtime goal by Dominik Kubalik. Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 27 shots for the win as the Wings improved to 7-3-2 while the Rangers fell to 6-4-3. Mika Zibanejad and Kaapo Kakko scored for the Blueshirts.

Florida Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour had a goal and three assists to lead his club over the Anaheim Ducks 5-3. Sam Reinhart scored two goals and Spencer Knight made 32 saves as the Panthers improved to 7-5-1. John Gibson kicked out 43 shots for the Ducks as they fell to 4-8-1.

HEADLINES

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Two days after the Bruins signed Mitchell Miller to an entry-level contract, team president Cam Neely yesterday released a statement announcing they were parting ways with the 20-year-old defenseman effective immediately.

The Bruins came under heavy scrutiny for signing Miller, who had pleaded guilty in juvenile court six years ago for racially and physically abusing and bullying a Black classmate with developmental disabilities.

In his statement, Neely indicated the Bruins’ decision to sign Miller was based on “careful consideration” of the facts as they were aware of them. The club believed the incident was an isolated one and that Miller had taken “meaningful action to reform and was committed to ongoing development.” However, Neely claimed the decision to terminate the contract was based “on new information.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins’ front office faced a firestorm of criticism for signing Miller. It came not just from around the league but also from their fans, from local media, and from Bruins veterans like Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Nick Foligno. Even league commissioner Gary Bettman expressed his displeasure when asked about the signing on Saturday.

Neely and the rest of the Bruins front office could’ve spared themselves all of this had they properly vetted Miller’s past in the first place. This was not an “isolated incident” as Miller engaged in physical and verbal abuse of his victim for several years A detailed report about his actions by the Arizona Republic prompted the Arizona Coyotes to relinquish his rights just weeks after selecting him in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL draft. He offered no attempt at contrition until about a week before signing with the Bruins.

The fallout from this could leave a stain on the Bruins’ organization for some time.

NHL.COM: The department of player safety suspended Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk for two games for high-sticking Los Angeles Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick on Saturday. Tkachuk jabbed the blade of his stick into the cage on Quick’s mask. The Kings goalie was not injured.

Montreal Canadiens winger Josh Anderson received a two-game suspension for boarding Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo on Saturday. Pietrangelo was bleeding from the nose following the hit but stayed in the game.

DAILY FACEOFF: Detroit Red Wings forward Filip Zadina is listed as month-to-month after suffering a leg injury blocking a shot against the New York Islanders on Saturday.

TWINCITIES.COM: The Minnesota Wild placed Jordan Greenway and Ryan Hartman on injured reserve with upper-body injuries. They recalled forwards Adam Beckman and Joseph Cramarossa from their AHL affiliate in Iowa.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche defenseman Bo Byram is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

GOPHNX.COM: Dylan Guenther will be staying with the Arizona Coyotes this season. The 2021 first-round pick earned his place with two goals and six points in nine games.

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES: The Blackhawks’ rebuilding process is being felt at the gate this season. They’re averaging 14, 788 fans at the United Center thus far. That’s the lowest it’s been since 2007-08.

THE DENVER POST: Colorado Avalanche broadcaster and former NHL forward Peter McNab has died of cancer at age 70.

Considered “The Father of Colorado Hockey”, McNab was a standout player at Denver University and went on to play 14 seasons with the Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins, Vancouver Canucks and New Jersey Devils from 1973-74 to 1986-87, scoring 363 goals and 813 points in 955 career games. He had been calling Avalanche games since their first season in 1995-96 and was inducted into the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame in 2021.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to McNab’s family, friends, former teammates and broadcast partners.










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.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 4, 2022

by | Nov 4, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 4, 2022

Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin ties an NHL scoring record while the Sharks’ Erik Karlsson sets one for defensemen, the Canucks Elias Pettersson has a five-point night, and much more from a busy night in the NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin tied Gordie Howe for the most goals by one player with a single franchise (786) in a 3-1 loss to the Detroit Red Wings. Andrew Copp snapped a 1-1 in the third period and Dylan Larkin sealed the win for the Red Wings (5-3-2) while the Capitals‘ record drops to 5-5-2.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin can take over sole possession of the single-team goals record on Saturday against the Arizona Coyotes. He is also 16 goals away from overtaking Howe’s 801 career goals for second place on the all-time NHL list. Prior to last night’s game, Ovechkin met with Gordie’s son Mark Howe for the first time. Mark wished the Capitals superstar the best in his pursuit to become the league’s all-time leading scorer.

The San Jose Sharks’ Erik Karlsson became the fastest defenseman in the NHL’s modern era (since 1943-44) to reach 10 goals in a season (13 games) but his club fell 4-3 to the Florida Panthers. Karlsson finished the night with three points for the Sharks as they fell to 3-8-2. Sam Reinhart scored the only goal in the shootout, Matthew Tkachuk collected three assists and Sergei Bobrovsky made 36 saves for the win as the Panthers improved to 6-4-1.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson had a goal and four assists while rookie Andrei Kuzmenko netted his first career NHL hat trick to down the Anaheim Ducks 8-5. Bo Horvat had a goal and two assists as the Canucks improved to 3-6-2. Troy Terry had a goal and two assists for the Ducks as they dropped to 3-7-1.

The league-leading Boston Bruins (10-1-0) defeated the New York Rangers 5-2 for their seventh straight win. David Pastrnak scored to extend his points streak to eight games while Hampus Lindholm, Taylor Hall and Nick Foligno each had two points. Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren left the game with an upper-body injury as his club’s record fell to 6-4-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Bruins announced goaltender Jeremy Swayman and defenseman Derek Forbort are listed as week-to-week with injuries.

Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Logan Thompson made 42 saves as his club held off the Ottawa Senators 5-4. The Golden Knights improved to 10-2-0 while the Senators (4-6-0) have dropped four straight games. Mark Stone had a goal and an assist for the Golden Knights. Senators forwards Claude Giroux and Tim Stutzle each scored twice for the Senators while Brady Tkachuk collected three assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators goaltender Cam Talbot was activated off injured reserve for this game. He wasn’t expected to play in this contest but he played the final 27 minutes as Anton Forsberg got the hook after giving up five goals on 19 shots.

The Carolina Hurricanes nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 on shootout goals by Teuvo Teravainen and Sebastian Aho to improve their record to 7-2-1. Andrei Vasilevskiy kicked out 52 shots for the Lightning (6-4-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game wasn’t as close as the score suggests. Vasilevskiy stole a point for his teammates as they were dominated by the Hurricanes.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Miles Wood, Ryan Graves and Jesper Bratt lifted the New Jersey Devils over the Edmonton Oilers 4-3. The Devils are 8-3-0 and have won five straight, though this one proved costly as goaltender Mackenzie Blackwood left this contest in the second period with an undisclosed injury. Connor McDavid and Tyson Barrie each had two points as the Oilers drop to 7-4-0.

The Dallas Stars boosted their record to 7-3-1 by thumping the Arizona Coyotes 7-2. Jamie Benn had a goal and two assists while Jason Robertson tallied twice for the Stars. Juuso Valimaki and Lawson Crouse replied for the Coyotes, who fall to 3-6-1.

An overtime goal by Kyle Connor gave the Winnipeg Jets a 3-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Connor and Pierre-Luc Dubois each had a goal and an assist for the Jets (6-3-1). Samuel Montembeault stopped 33 shots for the Canadiens (5-5-1) while Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield each had two points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens defenseman Joel Edmundson made his season debut as he returned from a back injury. To make room for Edmundson, they placed winger Evgenii Dadonov on injured reserve. Meanwhile, the Jets announced before this game that forward Morgan Barron would miss four-to-five weeks following wrist surgery.

New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin made 32 stops while Anders Lee, Brock Nelson and Noah Dobson each had two points to defeat the St. Louis Blues 5-2. The Islanders (7-4-0) have won five straight games while the slumping Blues (3-6-0) have lost six straight.

The Seattle Kraken got a 22-save shutout from Martin Jones and two goals from Alex Wennberg to tame the Minnesota Wild 4-0. The Kraken’s record is now 6-4-2 while the Wild fall to 5-5-1. Kraken rookie Shane Wright played a season-high 13:45 and saw some power-play time but was held scoreless.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wright’s playing time has become the focus of criticism among pundits around the league. However, the 18-year-old center said he’s on board with the Kraken’s plans for his development and remains keen to stick with the club this season.

Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews tallied in overtime to lift his club past the Los Angeles Kings 2-1. It was Toews’ seventh goal of the season. Arvid Soderblom kicked out 32 shots for his first NHL victory as the Blackhawks improve to 5-4-2. Blake Lizotte scored for the 6-6-1 Kings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Toews missed all of the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season due to chronic immune response syndrome and netted a career-worst 37 points in 71 games last season. The Blackhawks captain leads his club in goals and sits among the league leaders in that category.

The Nashville Predators (4-6-1) picked up just their second win in the past nine games by dousing the Calgary Flames 4-1. Filip Forsberg and Matt Duchene each had two points while Kevin Lankinen got the win by stopping 29 shots. Blake Coleman had the only goal for the Flames (5-4-0), who’ve now lost three straight games.










Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – October 30, 2022

by | Oct 30, 2022

Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – October 30, 2022

Will the Red Wings sign Dylan Larkin or replace him with Bo Horvat? What’s the latest on the Canucks and Penguins? Find out in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.

WILL THE RED WINGS SIGN LARKIN?

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Max Bultman was asked why the Detroit Red Wings hadn’t signed captain Dylan Larkin to a contract extension. The 26-year-old center is in the final season of his contract and eligible for unrestricted free-agent status next July.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin (NHL Images).

Bultman was surprised that the Wings haven’t re-signed Larkin yet. He speculates that Mathew Barzal’s recent contract extension (with an average annual value of $9.15 million) could be affecting Larkin’s negotiations. Bultman wondered if the Wings captain would accept $9.5 million annually on a seven-year deal or perhaps something between $8.2 million to $8.3 million on an eight-year deal as the total dollars would still be around the same.

TORONTO STAR: Nick Kypreos suggested keeping an eye on the Red Wings should trade rumors start up on Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat later this season. He indicated Larkin was seeking a deal as high as Barzal’s and speculated Wings general manager Steve Yzerman could instead “choose to spend a good portion of that on Horvat.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Larkin is earning an annual cap hit of $6.1 million on his current deal and has a full no-trade clause for this season. The Michigan native has indicated there’s nowhere else he’d rather play that in Detroit. With the Wings finally showing signs of improvement after years of rebuilding, he could stick around and lead this club to the next level.

Bultman is of the opinion that the Wings cannot afford to lose their leader in Larkin, fearing it would set their rebuild back for years. He also noted, however, that Yzerman has a history of taking negotiations with his stars down to the wire, having done so with Steven Stamkos in Tampa Bay back in 2016.

Plenty of time remains for the two sides to work out an agreement. Nevertheless, Larkin could become the subject of growing trade speculation if he’s not re-signed leading up to the March 3 trade deadline, especially if the Wings are out of playoff contention by then.

As for Horvat, he’s also eligible for UFA status next summer and could become a trade candidate if the Canucks fail to improve over the course of this season. His contract talks reportedly stalled when he rejected what Kypreos called a lowball offer from management this summer.

Maybe Yzerman will pursue Horvat at the trade deadline if he can’t get Larkin under contract by then. However, I doubt he’ll waste trade assets on acquiring the Canucks captain unless Horvat is willing to sign a contract extension. He could wait and attempt to sign Horvat via free agency but the 27-year-old center could have other destinations in mind.

LATEST ON THE CANUCKS AND PENGUINS

SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman reports the Vancouver Canucks made it clear to some of their players that if changes were to be made it wouldn’t potentially be just the head coach. They told those players they’ve had two coaches with this group and it isn’t working so far. If anybody thinks they can sit back and wait for a coaching change, the changes might instead be with the roster.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That’s a point that has been raised by some other pundits as well. Having already done a coaching change last season, at some point you have to start making the players accountable as well.

As Friedman reported, those Canucks seemed to get the message as they won their last two games. It’ll be interesting to see if that message sticks as they attempt to dig themselves out of the current hole they dug for themselves.

THE ATHLETIC: In a recent mailbag segment, Josh Yohe was asked if the Pittsburgh Penguins still intend to trade a defenseman. He doesn’t feel they’re urgently trying to make a move but doesn’t rule it out at some point.

Yohe acknowledged Pierre-Olivier Joseph has played well thus far and the Penguins don’t dislike him. However, he still believes they want to get Ty Smith into the roster at some point sooner rather than later, which would entail shipping out Joseph for perhaps a forward prospect.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 30, 2022

by | Oct 30, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 30, 2022

The Canadiens rally to beat the Blues, the Oilers win the latest chapter of “The Battle of Alberta”, the Stars lose Jake Oettinger to injury, and Flyers center Sean Couturier is sidelined for months by back surgery. Details and much more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Montreal Canadiens overcame a 3-1 deficit to upset the St. Louis Blues 7-4. Christian Dvorak had a hat trick while Nick Suzuki and Cole Caufield each collected three points for the Canadiens (5-4-0). Jordan Kyrou scored twice for the Blues, whose record falls to 3-4-0. Pavel Buchnevich returned to the Blues lineup after missing five games with a lower-body injury.

Montreal Canadiens center Christian Dvorak (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the most surprising outcome of the evening. A big comeback win against the Blues for the Canadiens, who would’ve folded like a cheap lawnchair at this point last season had they fallen behind 3-1 to the Blues or any other club. Habs rookie Juraj Slafkovsky tallied his first-ever NHL power-play goal in this contest while fellow rookie Jordan Harris collected two assists.

Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists and Zach Hyman scored twice to lift the Edmonton Oilers to a 3-2 victory over the Calgary Flames in the latest chapter of “The Battle of Alberta”. Stuart Skinner kicked out 40 shots to pick up the win for the Oilers, who improved to 6-3-0. Mikael Backlund and Brett Ritchie replied for the Flames (5-2-0).

The Florida Panthers got three-point performances from Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Carter Verhaeghe and Brandon Montour as they dropped the Ottawa Senators 5-3. Verhaeghe tallied twice as the Panthers improved to 5-3-1. Senators goaltender Anton Forsberg made 53 saves as his club’s record fell to 4-4-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The score flattered the Senators, who would’ve lost by a more lopsided margin if not for Forsberg, who deserved better from his teammates as they wasted his performance in this one. He kept them in this game despite facing 47(!) shots through the first two periods. Yes, the Sens were playing without one of their top-four defensemen in Artem Zub, but they still should’ve put forth a better defensive effort.

Four straight third-period goals (two within 17 seconds by Scott Mayfield and Anthony Beauvillier) lifted the New York Islanders from a 3-1 deficit to hold off the Colorado Avalanche 5-4. The Isles were down 3-0 at one point in the second period until Noah Dobson got them on the scoreboard. Their record now sits at 5-4-0. Evan Rodrigues scored twice for the Avalanche as the defending champions fall to 4-4-1.

Three goals in a 2:07 span in the third period lifted the New York Rangers over the Dallas Stars 6-3 to snap a four-game winless skid. Vincent Trocheck scored twice and collected an assist while Mika Zibanejad had a goal and two assists for the Rangers (4-3-2). The Stars dropped to 5-3-1 but also lost starting goalie Jake Oettinger to a lower-body injury midway through the second period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oettinger will be reevaluated today. The Stars will be hoping his injury isn’t serious. He’s the league leader in goals-against average (1.40) while his .952 save percentage is second overall.

Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist and Anze Kopitar picked up two helpers as the Los Angeles Kings doubled up the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-2. John Tavares and Pierre Engvall scored for the slumping Leafs (4-4-1), who have lost three straight games. The Kings improved their record to 5-5-0.

A late goal by Nikita Kucherov carried the Tampa Bay Lightning over the San Jose Sharks 4-3. Brayden Point and Brandon Hagel each had two assists while Alex Killorn had a goal and an assist for the Lightning (5-4-0). Erik Karlsson tallied twice for the Sharks but their record now stands at 3-8-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Karlsson’s been among the few bright spots in an otherwise horrible start for the Sharks. He leads all NHL defensemen with six goals and 11 points.

An overtime goal by Brent Burns gave the Carolina Hurricanes a 4-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Hurricanes captain Jordan Staal had a goal and an assist in his 1,100th career game as his club improves to 5-2-1. Wade Allison and Nicolas Deslauriers each had a goal and an assist for the 5-2-1 Flyers. Hurricanes center Derek Stepan left this game with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers also announced Sean Couturier will be sidelined for three-four months due to back surgery while winger James van Riemsdyk will miss six weeks recovering from surgery to repair a broken finger. Couturier has now undergone two procedures on his back since February, raising concerns that his condition could prematurely end his career.

Washington Capitals goaltender Darcy Kuemper stopped 34 shots to shut out the Nashville Predators 3-0. Alex Ovechkin tallied the Capitals’ third goal. It was a costly win for the Capitals (5-4-0) as T.J. Oshie and John Carlson left the game with lower-body injuries in the first period. The Predators dropped to 3-5-1.

Three unanswered goals by Jordan Eberle, Morgan Geekie and Jaden Schwartz gave the Seattle Kraken a 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins, extending the latter’s losing streak to four games. Jake Guentzel and Jason Zucker returned to the lineup with Guentzel tallying the only goal for the Penguins, who fall to 4-4-1 while the Kraken improve to 4-4-2.

The Buffalo Sabres got two goals each from Tage Thompson and Victor Olofsson as they overcame a 3-1 deficit to nip the Chicago Blackhawks 4-3 in overtime. Olofsson opened and closed the scoring for the Sabres, who improve to 5-3-0. Blackhawks goalie Arvid Soderblom made 41 saves for the Blackhawks as their record sits at 4-3-1.

Detroit Red Wings forward Lucas Raymond scored his first two goals of the season and Ville Husso made 30 saves in a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. Kirill Kaprizov tallied for the Wild (3-4-1) while the Wings improve to 4-2-2.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NJ.COM: The New Jersey Devils placed winger Ondrej Palat on injured reserve with a lower-body injury retroactive to Oct. 24.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks are awaiting test results on Jamie Drysdale, who suffered an upper-body injury in Friday’s loss to the Vegas Golden Knights. Drysdale was hurt following a hit by Golden Knights’ forward William Carrier.

TSN: Devan Dubnyk yesterday officially announced his NHL retirement after 12 seasons and 542 games with the Edmonton Oilers, Nashville Predators, Arizona Coyotes, Minnesota Wild, San Jose Sharks and Colorado Avalanche. He won 253 games with a career 2.61 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage and 33 shutouts. In 2014-15, he was a finalist for the Vezina Trophy and was named to the Second All-Star Team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubnyk spent nearly six seasons with the Wild, where he played his best hockey. He’s now working as an analyst for NHL Network. Best wishes to him in his post-playing career.