NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 10, 2023

by | Apr 10, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 10, 2023

The Bruins set the single-season wins record as David Pastranak reaches the 60-goal plateau while the Avalanche take over first in the Central Division as Mikko Rantanen reaches 100 points. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins collect their 63rd victory to set the league’s single-season win record by downing the Philadelphia Flyers 5-3. David Pastrnak had a hat trick to reach the 60-goal plateau for the first time while Tyler Bertuzzi collected three assists as the Bruins sit atop the overall standings with 131 points. Owen Tippett and Joel Farabee each had a goal and an assist for the Flyers.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pastrnak is the first Bruin to score 60 goals in a season since Phil Esposito in 1974-75. He’s now four goals behind Edmonton’s Connor McDavid for the lead among this season’s top goal-scorers with both players having two games remaining in the schedule.

The Bruins played without goaltender Linus Ullmark as he missed this game with “a lower-body issue.”

An overtime goal by Nathan MacKinnon lifted the Colorado Avalanche to a 5-4 win over the Anaheim Ducks. MacKinnon scored twice and collected an assist, Devon Toews had three assists and Mikko Rantanen had two goals and two assists to reach the 100-point plateau for the first time. The Avalanche improved to 49-24-6 to take over first place in the Central Division with 104 points. Frank Vatrano tallied twice for the Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon (107 points) and Rantanen (102 points) are the first Avalanche duo to reach 100 points in a season since Joe Sakic (120 points)and Peter Forsberg (116) in 1995-96.

HEADLINES

THE PROVINCE: Former Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat raised some eyebrows over the weekend when the New York Islanders center was asked what he thought he thought of the energy in the Isles arena and their fans. “I mean it’s been unbelievable. A lot better than Vancouver, I can tell you that for free,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks fans could feel slighted by Horvat’s remarks. The team’s management, however, should be worried.

They’re trying to retool the roster and create a winning environment after the Canucks spent years wallowing through failed retooling efforts by the previous management. Horvat’s words validate concerns about the sour atmosphere that’s hung over the franchise for some time. It could make it difficult for management to attract and retain talent in their quest to build a winning roster.

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs signed top prospect and Hobey Baker Award finalist Matthews Knies to a three-year entry-level contract.

LA KINGS INSIDER: Speaking of signing promising players to entry-level contracts, the Kings did the same with center Alex Laferriere.

TWINCITIES.COM: So did the Wild with defenseman and Minnesota native Brock Faber.

Speaking of the Wild, they recalled forwards Marco Rossi and Nic Petan.

CBS SPORTS: The Seattle Kraken recalled goaltender Joey Daccord on an emergency basis.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 29, 2022

by | Nov 29, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 29, 2022

The Devils and Golden Knights each collect their 10th road win of the season, Mitch Marner and Jason Robertson extend their points streaks, the three stars of the week are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The New Jersey Devils picked up their 10th road win of the season with a 5-3 victory over the New York Rangers. Yegor Sherangovich scored two goals and Vitek Vanecek stopped 35 shots as the Devils (19-4-0) take over first place in the overall standings with 38 points. Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck replied for the 10-9-4 Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers’ struggles this season can be tied in part to Igor Shesterkin’s difficulties between the pipes. He seems to have lost the form that earned him the Vezina Trophy last season and shouldered the blame for the loss against the Devils.

A shootout goal by Paul Cotter lifted the Vegas Golden Knights to their 10th road win as they dropped the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2. William Karlsson and William Carrier gave Vegas a 2-0 lead but the Jackets rallied on goals by Johnny Gaudreau and Boone Jenner. The Golden Knights (17-6-1) sit in first place in the Western Conference with 35 points while the Blue Jackets (7-12-2) remain mired at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Devils and Golden Knights are the first clubs to reach 10 road wins this season. Vegas defenseman Alex Pietrangelo missed this game for personal reasons.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner scored to extend his points streak to 17 games as his club doubled up the Detroit Red Wings by a score of 4-2. Matt Murray kicked out 44 shots while Auston Matthews and Rasmus Sandin each had a goal and an assist for the Leafs (14-5-5), who are unbeaten in the last nine games (7-0-2). The Red Wings (11-6-4) got goals from Moritz Seider and Adam Erne.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson extended his points streak to 16 games in a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Robertson tallied his league-leading 19th goal of the season while Jamie Benn and Wyatt Johnston each had two points for the 13-6-4 Stars. Brandon Saad replied for the Blues as they fall to 11-11-0. They played without center Robert Thomas, who is day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Leon Draisaitl gave the Edmonton Oilers a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers. Connor McDavid and Zach Hyman each had three points for the Oilers as they improve their record to 12-10-0. Matthew Tkachuk remains a thorn in the Oilers’ side with his new team as he tallied a goal and collected an assist for the 10-8-4 Panthers.

The Tampa Bay Lightning got an overtime goal by Steven Stamkos to beat the Buffalo Sabres 6-5. Stamkos scored twice and collected an assist for the Lightning (13-7-1) as he now sits two points shy of 1,000 career points. Nikita Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev had three assists for the Bolts. Tage Thompson had a goal and an assist for the 9-12-1 Sabres.

HEADLINES

Stars winger Jason Robertson, Winnipeg Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey and New York Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Nov. 27, 2022.

SPORTSNET: The Philadelphia Flyers placed winger Travis Konecny (upper body) on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 17.

THE SCORE: Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark has been cleared to play after suffering an apparent arm injury on Friday against the Carolina Hurricanes.

NBC SPORTS BOSTON: The Bruins also placed defenseman Anton Stralman on waivers as they prepare to make room for blueliner Derek Forbort’s return from injury.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks have placed goaltender James Reimer on IR with a lower-body injury and is considered day-to-day. Defenseman Mario Ferraro has a foot injury that could sideline him on a week-to-week basis.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Avalanche signed winger Alex Galchenyuk on a one-year, two-way contract worth $750K at the NHL level.

TWINCITIES.COM: The Minnesota Wild sent struggling rookie forward Marco Rossi to their AHL affiliate in Iowa.

TSN: Hall-of-Famer Scott Niedermayer has been added to Team Canada’s staff for the upcoming Spengler Cup next month.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 25, 2022

by | Nov 25, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 25, 2022

Remembering Hall-of-Famer Borje Salming, Patrick Marleau adjusts to retirement, the Hurricanes’ offense has short-circuited, plus the latest on Marc-Andre Fleury, Marco Rossi and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Hockey Hall-of-Famer and former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Borje Salming passed away from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) on Thursday at age 71. He was diagnosed with the incurable disease in April but only revealed the diagnosis in August.

Toronto Maple Leafs Hall-of-Fame defenseman Borje Salming. (NHL.com).

Salming blazed a trail for European players to reach the NHL. Joining the Maple Leafs in 1973-74, the Swedish defenseman went on to play 16 seasons in Toronto, becoming their all-time points leader among blueliners (768).

He was a finalist for the Norris Trophy four times, named to the NHL First All-Star Team in 1976-77 and to the Second All-Star Team five times. He played one season with the Detroit Red Wings before returning to his native Sweden to finish his playing career.

Earlier this month, Salming returned to Toronto for the Hall-of-Fame weekend, where he received two standing ovations from Leafs fans.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Salming belongs with Bobby Orr, Denis Potvin, Larry Robinson and Brad Park among the top defensemen of the 1970s. He was the greatest blueliner in Leafs’ history and a true inspiration for European players hoping to join the NHL.

Salming was so beloved by Toronto fans that he received a standing ovation at Maple Leaf Garden during the 1976 Canada Cup tournament when he was introduced as part of Sweden’s starting lineup for a game against Team Canada.

THE ATHLETIC: Patrick Marleau revealed to Kevin Kurz that he had a difficult time adjusting to retirement when his 23-year NHL playing career came to an end in 2021. It even became difficult for him to watch the game on television as the reality that his career was over began to sink in before he officially announced his retirement in May 2022.

Marleau and his family have since relocated to Florida to help further the hockey career of his son, Landon. He also accepted an invitation from the San Jose Sharks to work with prospects at their development camp this past summer.

Marleau is now working as an assistant coach to head coach (and former NHL teammate) Shawn Heins in the under-16 AAA Florida Alliance program. He is also the head coach of the under-12 team, on which his son Jagger plays.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Marleau in his new career. Perhaps we’ll one day see him return to the NHL as a coach.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: The Carolina Hurricanes are struggling to score this season, managing just 18 goals in his last nine games and a league-worst shooting percentage of 7.7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes last season were ninth overall in goals-per-game average (3.38). This season, they’re 27th at 2.70. Losing top-line winger Teuvo Teravainen to injury is a contributing factor as is the absence of offseason acquisition of winger Max Pacioretty. Losing center Vincent Trocheck to free agency may be another factor. The eventual return of Teravainen and Pacioretty’s debut later this season should boost their production. They’ll need it if they hope to stage a serious run for the Stanley Cup next spring.

TSN: The Minnesota Wild have activated goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury off injured reserve ahead of this afternoon’s game against the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Speaking of the Leafs, Jordie Benn joins fellow defensemen Jake Muzzin, Morgan Rielly and TJ Brodie on the sidelines as he’s week-to-week with an upper-body injury. Don’t expect to see recently-acquired Conor Timmins in this game as the Leafs want to give him some time to get settled.

TWIN CITIES.COM: Speaking of the Wild, general manager Bill Guerin is considering his options for struggling rookie center Marco Rossi, who’s been held scoreless in 16 games and was a healthy scratch in the Wild’s last two contests. One of those options is sending him to their AHL affiliate in Iowa to regain his confidence and scoring touch.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rossi is a highly-touted young forward who was considered among this season’s potential candidates for the Calder Memorial Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. He won’t improve his play by sitting in the press box.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Avalanche forward Evan Rodrigues is to miss this afternoon’s game against the Nashville Predators as a precautionary measure. He suffered a lower-body injury during Wednesday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks.

OTTAWA SUN: More than 20 potential buyers have expressed interest in purchasing the Ottawa Senators. Among them are Michael Andlauer (owner of the OHL’s Hamilton Bulldogs), Rocco Tullio (owner of the OHL’s London Knights), Farmboy CEO Jeff York, Toronto Star co-owner Paul Rivett, and actor Ryan Reynolds.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A condition of the sale is the Senators cannot be relocated to another city. One reason why there’s so much interest is the potential to construct a new arena near downtown Ottawa. The report noted that the new venue could boost the franchise’s value, which was recently calculated at $655 million.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 21, 2022

by | Nov 21, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 21, 2022

Evgeni Malkin scores in his milestone game, the Blackhawks honor Marian Hossa, the Kraken send Shane Wright to their AHL affiliate and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin scored in his 1,000th career NHL game as his club defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3. Sidney Crosby scored and collected three assists as the Penguins improved to 9-7-3. Patrick Kane scored for the 6-9-3 Blackhawks, who honored Marian Hossa by retiring his No. 81 in a pregame ceremony.

Pittsburgh Penguins center Evgeni Malkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Malkin joins Crosby as the only two players to play 1,000 games in a Penguins uniform. He has 20 points in 19 games this season and sits third all-time among Penguins scorers with 452 goals, 714 assists and 1,166 points.

Hossa spent seven of his 19 NHL seasons with the Blackhawks, helping them win three Stanley Cups. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2020.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov made 47 saves as he carried his club to a 5-3 upset of the Florida Panthers. Johnny Gaudreau had a goal and two assists for the Blue Jackets (7-10-1) while the Panthers dropped to 9-8-2.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Blue Jackets placed goaltender Elvis Merzlikins on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 15. He’s expected to miss one-to-two weeks with a hip injury.

HEADLINES

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken have sent Shane Wright to their AHL affiliate in Coachella Valley on a one-time conditioning stint of five to 14 days. It is then expected he’ll be sent to play for Canada at next month’s IIHF World Junior Hockey Championships following his AHL stint. However, Kraken general manager Ron Francis indicated the club intends to recall him for a game or two before making that decision.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The report also indicates the Kraken used a loophole in NHL rules to send Wright to the AHL. As a teenager drafted from major junior last summer, he wouldn’t ordinarily be eligible to be sent to the minors. However, it’s allowed if the player is a healthy scratch for five consecutive games, which is what happened in Wright’s case.

Wright, 18, was projected as the top prospect entering the 2022 NHL Draft but he slipped to fourth overall when he was chosen by the Kraken. He’s seen limited playing time in just seven games this season. He can play two more NHL games before the Kraken must decide if they’ll keep him for the remainder of the season or send him back to junior, thus avoiding using up the first year of his entry-level contract.

SPORTSNET: The Capitals have loaned Connor McMichael to their AHL affiliate in Hershey. After tallying 18 points in 68 games as a rookie last season, the 21-year-old center has been held scoreless in six games. He was chosen 25th overall by the Capitals in the 2019 draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals hoped McMichael would make a significant step forward in his sophomore campaign, especially as injuries began to deplete the lineup. His struggles have resulted in his name surfacing in recent trade rumors as the Capitals try to avoid sinking further in the standings.

TWINCITIES.COM: Speaking of promising players struggling at the NHL level, Minnesota Wild center Marco Rossi was a healthy scratch on Saturday after being held to an assist in 16 games. It’s raising questions about whether it would be worthwhile to send the 21-year-old to their AHL affiliate to help him find his game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rossi was chosen ninth overall by the Wild in the 2020 NHL Draft. He missed the entire 2020-21 season to COVID-related complications but put up a respectable 53 points in 63 games last season with the Wild’s AHL affiliate in Iowa.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker will miss at least a month with a high-ankle sprain. Meanwhile, blueliner Thomas Chabot remains day-to-day with a concussion but has resumed skating again.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 1, 2021

by | Nov 1, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 1, 2021

​The Hurricanes remain perfect, Ryan Getzlaf becomes the Ducks’ all-time scoring leader and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes remain the NHL’s only undefeated teams by nipping the Arizona Coyotes 2-1. The Hurricanes extend their franchise-best season-opening win streak to eight straight games (8-0-0) Brett Pesce’s power-play goal late in the third period snapped a 1-1 tie. The Coyotes still seek their first win of the season with a league-worst 0-8-1 record.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Not to belittle the Hurricanes’ impressive start but they feasted on rebuilding clubs (Coyotes), struggling teams (Leafs, Bruins, Islanders) and god-awful ones (Canadiens, Blackhawks) in October. They’ll face a tougher test in November with the Florida Panthers, Tampa Bay Lightning, St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals on the calendar.

Anaheim Ducks captain Ryan Getzlaf (NHL Images).

Ryan Getzlaf collected an assist on Troy Terry’s game-winning goal to become the Anaheim Ducks’ all-time leading scorer (989 points) as his club doubled up the Montreal Canadiens 4-2. Adam Henrique, Kevin Shattenkirk and Cam Fowler each collected two points. Before the games, the Ducks placed Jakob Silfverberg on COVID protocol and announced Rickard Rakell is week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

The floundering Canadiens are off to their worst start (2-8-0) since 1941-42. Cedric Paquette was ejected from this game for boarding Ducks center Trevor Zegras. The Habs also announced forward Mathieu Perreault has been sidelined with an eye injury for two-three weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to Getzlaf on his achievement. He’s now just 11 points away from reaching the 1,000-point milestone. As for the Canadiens, they have no excuses for their poor performance. Yes, they’re missing Carey Price and Shea Weber while their depth at center remains an issue, but they lack the effort that got them to the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.

The New York Rangers (6-2-1) picked up their fifth straight road victory by dropping the Seattle Kraken 3-1. Igor Shesterkin made 31 saves for the win, Adam Fox snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period and Barclay Goodrow had a goal and an assist. Jordan Eberle tallied for the Kraken.

Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist as the Los Angeles Kings overcame a 2-0 deficit to squeak past the Buffalo Sabres 3-2. Jonathan Quick (22 saves) picked up his first win of the season. Before the game, the Kings placed Viktor Arvidsson and Gabriel Vilardi in COVID protocol.

The Columbus Blue Jackets defeated the New Jersey Devils 4-3 on a shootout goal by Jakub Voracek. Joonas Korpisalo kicked out 36 shots in regulation and overtime for the Jackets while Patrik Laine had a goal and an assist. P.K. Subban collected two assists for the Devils.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: Kyle Beach and his lawyer will be meeting with the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday. Beach filed a lawsuit against the club over their handling of the sexual assault allegations against former video coach Bradley Aldrich in 2010. Blackhawks CEO Danny Wirtz instructed the club’s lawyers to see if they can reach “a fair resolution consistent with the totality of the circumstances.” The Blackhawks filed a motion last week to dismiss Beach’s case but the club indicated it was simply a procedural move.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks’ motion could be a requirement in order to reach a settlement with Beach. We’ll see how things transpire in the coming weeks.

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins placed defenseman Marcus Pettersson and Chad Ruhwedel in COVID protocol.

STLTODAY.COM: The Blues did the same with goaltender Ville Husso.

THE SCORE: Minnesota Wild forward Brandon Duhaime won’t face supplemental discipline for cross-checking Colorado Avalanche defenseman Bowen Byram on Saturday. He received a five-minute major penalty and a 10-minute game misconduct.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Speaking of the Wild, prospect Marco Rossi is thankful to be alive and playing hockey again after complications from COVID-19 earlier this year threatened his career and his life.

 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 6, 2021

by | Jun 6, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – June 6, 2021

The Lightning push the Hurricanes to the brink of elimination, the Islanders tie their series with the Bruins, the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy finalists are announced, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: The Tampa Bay Lightning pushed the Carolina Hurricanes on the brink of elimination with a 6-4 victory in Game 4. They hold a commanding 3-1 lead in their second-round series. The teams combined for eight goals in the second period as the Lightning rallied from a 4-2 deficit. Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos each scored two goals and collected an assist.

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That second period was the most entertaining of this year’s playoff thus far. A lack of discipline proved costly for the Hurricanes as the Lightning tallied three power-play goals on six attempts with the man advantage. The series returns to Carolina for Game 5 on Tuesday.

Mathew Barzal broke a 1-1 tie as the New York Islanders beat the Boston Bruins 4-1 to even their second-round series at two games apiece. Semyon Varlamov made 28 saves for the win while Casey Cizikas and Jean-Gabriel Pageau padded the lead with empty-net goals. This series moves back to Boston for Game 5 on Monday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Brandon Carlo missed this game with an upper-body injury that is suspected to be a concussion. He remains day-to-day.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Jaccob Slavin, and Minnesota Wild blueliner Jared Spurgeon are this year’s finalists for the Lady Byng Memorial Trophy.

WINNIPEG SUN: The Jets need Pierre-Luc Dubois to make his presence felt if they hope to overcome a 2-0 series deficit against the Montreal Canadiens. He replaced suspended center Mark Scheifele on the Jets’ top line in Game 2 but his impact was minimal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dubois struggled throughout this season following his trade to Winnipeg from Columbus in January. He missed four games in February with a lower-body injury. Perhaps that’s an ongoing ailment he’s been trying to play through.

TSN: Speaking of the Jets, sidelined center Paul Stastny traveled with the team to Montreal for Game 3 tonight against the Canadiens. He missed the last two games with an undisclosed injury and there’s no indication if he’ll return to the lineup for the next two games.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars center Tyler Seguin is focusing on the last phase of his rehab from last fall’s hip surgery after missing all but the final three games of the regular season. He’s hoping to be fully healthy in time for training camp in September.

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild prospect Marco Rossi has resumed skating for the first time since January following complications from COVID-19. He was the ninth overall selection in the 2020 NHL Draft. It’s expected the 19-year-old center will be ready to report to training camp in September.