NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 21, 2024

by | Mar 21, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 21, 2024

A five-point performance by the Leafs’ Auston Matthews, Kings captain Anze Kopitar reaches a points milestone, Hall-of-Famer Lanny McDonald talks about his near-death experience, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews scored twice and collected three assists in a 7-3 victory over the Washington Capitals. Max Domi had four assists while William Nylander and John Tavares had a goal and two assists each for the 39-20-9 Maple Leafs, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 87 points. Alex Ovechkin scored twice for the 33-26-9 Capitals (75 points), who remain one point behind the Detroit Red Wings for the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews has a league-leading 57 goals, nine up on Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart. Some pundits are suggesting he could reach 70. He still has some distance to cover to reach that milestone but he’s within reach of 65, which was Ovechkin’s career high and the most scored by an NHL player in the salary-cap era.

Leafs defenseman T.J. Brodie was a healthy scratch from this game while teammate Ryan Reaves missed this contest with an eye injury. Capitals forwards T.J. Oshie (upper body) and Aliaksei Protas (lower body) missed this game and are listed as day-to-day.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist to reach 1,200 regular-season points as his club blanked the Minnesota Wild 6-0. Kevin Fiala, Phillip Danault and Viktor Arvidsson also had a goal and an assist each while David Rittich turned in a 31-save shutout for the 36-22-11 Kings, who sit third in the Pacific Division with 83 points. The 34-28-8 Wild (73 points) are three points behind the Vegas Golden Knights for the final Western Conference wildcard spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The third period got rough with 12 players (six from each team) receiving misconduct penalties.

Arvidsson returned to action for the Kings after being sidelined since Feb. 20. Meanwhile, Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin missed this game with a lower-body injury.

The Dallas Stars rolled to a 5-2 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Jason Robertson had a goal and an assist and Tyler Seguin scored in his return to the Stars lineup after missing 11 games with a lower-body injury. With a record of 42-19-9, the Stars sit third in the Central Division with 93 points. Clayton Keller tallied his 28th goal of the season for the 28-36-5 Coyotes.

HEADLINES

SPORTSNET: Hall-of-Famer Lanny McDonald revealed he was near death after suffering a heart attack at the Calgary airport six weeks ago. Doctors told the 71-year-old that he would’ve died if the episode had taken place minutes earlier on the plane or minutes later in the parking lot.

The quick response from two passing nurses and a policeman saved McDonald’s life. The policeman worked so hard administering CPR that he fractured McDonald’s sternum and several of his ribs.

McDonald underwent quadruple bypass surgery four days later and had a pacemaker installed eight days later.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to McDonald and his family in his recovery.

DAILY FACEOFF: NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly insists the science is still lacking regarding the link to CTE and repeated blows to the head.

The question was raised following the suicide of Chris Simon earlier this week. Simon’s family issued a statement expressing their strong belief that the former NHL enforcer suffered from CTE attributed to his playing career.

CTE can only be diagnosed posthumously. In a document submitted to an Ottawa court in 2017, Simon claimed he suffered from symptoms including depression, anxiety and PTSD.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Mayo Clinic, Columbia University, the US National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control, the NHS in the United Kingdom, Boston University and the Alzheimer’s Association are among those that would disagree with Daly.

THE SCORE: Speaking of Daly, he said the league probably wouldn’t have enough time to relocate the Arizona Coyotes if their owner fails to win June’s land auction. The Coyotes have been playing in Arizona State University’s 5,000-seat Mullett Arena while their ownership attempts to find a location to build a new arena.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been reported that relocation would be “on the table” if the Coyotes owner doesn’t win that land auction.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Canadiens forward Joshua Roy has been sidelined indefinitely with an injured right hand. He suffered the injury blocking a shot during Tuesday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers.

TSN: Boston University center Macklin Celebrini was named the NCAA’s Hockey East Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year. The 17-year-old Celebrini is projected as the top prospect in this year’s draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The San Jose Sharks could land Celebrini. They’re currently last in the overall standings and would have the best odds of winning the draft lottery.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 2, 2024

by | Mar 2, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 2, 2024

The Coyotes end a 14-game losing skid, the three stars and rookie of the month for February are revealed, the Avalanche and Devils make a trade, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Arizona Coyotes snapped a 14-game losing skid by downing the Ottawa Senators 5-3. Matias Maccelli had a goal and two assists as the Coyotes (24-31-5) snapped a 3-3 tie with two third-period goals for their first win since Jan. 22. Ottawa captain Brady Tkachuk left the game in the third period after being shaken up following a hit by Coyotes forward Liam O’Brien. The Senators’ record sank to 25-30-3 as they were booed off the ice by their fans at the end of the game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Senators placed center Josh Norris on long-term injury reserve with an upper-body injury. It’s not confirmed whether he’s reinjured his surgically repaired shoulder.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal (NHL Images).

Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal set a franchise record for most saves in a win by a goaltender with 52 as he backstopped his club to a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Dostal ensured the win by stopping Devils forward Jack Hughes on a penalty shot with three seconds remaining in the third period. Frank Vatrano tallied twice for the 22-35-3 Ducks. Hughes and Tyler Toffoli each had a goal and an assist for the Devils (30-26-4) as they remain six points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 64 points.

The Washington Capitals scored five straight goals to keep their playoff hopes alive with a 5-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Dylan Strome had a goal and two assists for the Capitals (28-22-9) as they’re five points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Owen Tippett had a goal and an assist for the 31-23-7 Flyers, who remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 69 points.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid, and New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin are the three stars for February 2024. Carolina Hurricanes goalie Pyotr Kochetkov was named Rookie of the Month.

THE DENVER POST/NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Colorado Avalanche traded defenseman Kurtis MacDermid to the New Jersey Devils on Friday in exchange for a seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft (originally acquired from the Nashville Predators) and forward Zakhar Bardakov.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a salary dump by the Avalanche to free up salary-cap space leading up to the March 8 trade deadline. MacDermid carried an annual cap hit of $987,500. Clearing that sum from their books gives them over $2.2 million in cap room with 21 players on the roster. Expect them to acquire a player with a trade between now and March 8.

As for the Devils, they add some grit and size to their blueline in MacDermid. He’s unlikely to be much help as they continue to struggle in the Eastern playoff race.

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reports the Dallas Stars won’t place Tyler Seguin on long-term injury reserve. He’s week-to-week with a lower-body injury and carries an average annual value of $9.85 million. He is expected to return to the lineup before the playoffs.

NHL.COM: Speaking of the Stars, they loaned Logan Stankoven back to their AHL affiliate.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: He might not be on the farm for long. The 21-year-old forward is one of their top prospects and had three goals and an assist in his four games with the Stars.

TSN: Minnesota Wild winger Mats Zuccarello and Nashville Predators forward Michael McCarron were each fined $2,000.00 by the department of player safety for unsportsmanlike conduct during Thursday’s game between the two clubs.

SPORTSNET: The day before the Calgary Flames honor Miikka Kiprusoff by raising his jersey to the rafters, he was reintroduced to “Mini-Kipper”, the young kid who used to dress up as the netminder for every Flames home game from 2005-06 to 2008-09.

Brendan Peters, now 27, paints goalie masks for a living. On Friday, he presented Kiprusoff with a custom mask he designed for his hero.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Has it been nearly twenty years since Kiprusoff was in his prime with the Flames and his biggest fan used to emulate his warmup movements in the stands before every home game? Time is passing way too fast!










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 27, 2024

by | Feb 27, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 27, 2024

Oilers captain Connor McDavid reaches two milestones, the three stars of the week are unveiled, Valeri Nichushkin returns to the Avalanche, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid collected two assists in a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings to reach the 90-point plateau for the eighth consecutive season. Evan Bouchard, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had a goal and an assist for the 34-20-2 Oilers, who sit third in the Pacific Division with 70 points. Trevor Moore and Alex Laferriere replied for the Kings (29-18-10) as they hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 68 points.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid is the sixth player to reach 90 points in eight straight seasons, sitting in a tie for the third-most all-time with Jari Kurri, Dale Hawerchuk and Marcel Dionne. Wayne Gretzky is the all-time leader with 13 followed by Mike Bossy with nine.

The Oilers’ superstar also netted 70 assists for the fourth straight season to become the sixth player to reach that milestone. Gretzky is the all-time leader in that category with 13, followed by Bobby Orr (six), Adam Oates (five) Peter Stastny and Guy Lafleur (four each).

By the way, McDavid also stretched his home points streak to 23. With 91 points, he’s third among this season’s leading scorers.

The Seattle Kraken upset the Boston Bruins 4-3 on a shootout goal by Kailer Yamamoto. Philipp Grubauer made 29 saves for the Kraken as they improved to 25-22-11 (61 points) and sit five points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot. David Pastrnak scored twice and collected an assist for the Bruins (34-12-14) as they collected a point to move into second place in the overall standings with 81 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the sixth straight game that has gone to overtime or a shootout for the Bruins, winning just two of those. Speaking of the Bruins, defenseman Derek Forbort was a healthy scratch after missing a team meeting.

An overtime goal by Bo Horvat gave the New York Islanders a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars. Ilya Sorokin kicked out 30 shots for the 24-20-14 Islanders. Rookie Logan Stankoven scored his first NHL goal and collected his first assist for the Stars (35-16-9), who hold first place in the Central Division with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Stars announced that forward Tyler Seguin is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

The Washington Capitals defeated the Ottawa Senators 6-3. Hendrix Lapierre tallied twice while Aliaksei Protas had a goal and two assists for the 27-21-9 Capitals. Brady Tkachuk and Shane Pinto each had a goal and two assists for the 25-28-3 Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals’ John Carlson reached a franchise milestone by moving past Calle Johansson into first place for most games played by a defenseman with 984. He’s also third all-time on their games-played list behind Alex Ovechkin (1,401) and Nicklas Backstrom (1,105).

Earlier in the day, the Capitals announced winger T.J. Oshie is week-to-week with an upper-body injury while Nic Dowd (upper body) is day-to-day.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov, Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner, and New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin as the league’s three stars for the week ending Feb. 25, 2024.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Valeri Nichushkin has been cleared to return to practice with the Avalanche. The 28-year-old winger entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program on Jan. 15 and is now in the follow-up care phase.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: No word yet as to when Nichushkin will be cleared to resume playing but it’s good news for the Avalanche that he’s a step closer to doing so.

STLTODAY.COM: The Blues activated defenseman Justin Faulk (lower body) off long-term injured reserve. He could be in the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets.

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale is reportedly week-to-week with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 14, 2023

by | Mar 14, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 14, 2023

The Sabres, Avalanche and Stars are the winners in Monday’s action, the three stars of the week are announced plus injury updates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Buffalo Sabres snapped a four-game losing skid with two third-period goals by Alex Tuch to hold off the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3. Dylan Cozens, Owen Power and JJ Peterka each had two points for the Sabres, who improved to 33-28-5 (71 points) to sit five points behind the New York Islanders for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Auston Matthews had a goal and two assists for the Leafs (40-18-8) as they sit second in the Atlantic Division with 88 points.

Buffalo Sabres winger Alex Tuch (NHL Images).

Colorado Avalanche forward Artturi Lehkonen scored twice and collected an assist in an 8-4 drubbing of the Montreal Canadiens. Cale Makar collected three assists and Valeri Nichushkin had a goal and two assists for the 37-22-6 Avalanche, who sit in third place in the Central Division with 80 points. Josh Anderson scored his 20th of the season for the 26-35-6 Canadiens, who’ve dropped seven in a row.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lehkonen left the game in the second period with a broken finger after being struck by a shot. He’s returning to Colorado for surgery. Canadiens forward Rem Pitlick left the game in the first period after going head-first into the boards. No update was provided on his status.

The Dallas Stars downed the Seattle Kraken 5-2. Jamie Benn had a goal and two assists while Miro Heiskanen had three assists for the Stars (37-17-3) as they hold first place in the Central Division with 87 points. Vince Dunn had collected two assists for the 37-23-7 Kraken as they hold third place in the Pacific Division with 81 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars forward Tyler Seguin remains sidelined recovering from a superficial cut to his leg. He could return to action within the next couple of weeks.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Arizona Coyotes winger Clayton Keller, Pittsburgh Penguins center Sidney Crosby and Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner are the three stars for the week ending March 12.

THE NEWS & OBSERVER: Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov is sidelined indefinitely with a knee injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Svechnikov’s absence is a big blow to the Hurricanes’ offense. He’s third among their scorers with 23 goals and 55 points in 64 games.

GOPHNX.COM’s Craig Morgan tweeted that Coyotes forward Christian Fischer is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. There is no timeline yet for Nick Schmaltz’s return from a lower-body injury.

CBS SPORTS: Minnesota Wild winger Marcus Foligno suffered a lower-body injury during Sunday’s game against the Arizona Coyotes.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks have shut down rookie forward Cole Guttman for the rest of the season due to a shoulder injury.

TSN: The Nashville Predators signed forward Mark Jankowski to a one-year, $775K contract.

SPORTSNET: Eric Engels reports a potential expansion of video review for high-sticking and over-the-glass calls was discussed during yesterday’s meeting of NHL general managers. There was also discussion about meeting with the NHL Players Association to potentially grandfather in cut-resistant equipment as mandatory.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oh, goody! More things to slow down the game.

NORTH STAR BETS: Chris Johnston reports NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly takes a dim view of three-team trades where a club acts as a broker to allow trades among cap-strapped teams. He said the league has never favored such trades but relented to them years ago because general managers lobbied to have retained-salary transactions in the collective bargaining agreement.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: I believe that was implemented in the updates to the CBA following the 2012-13 lockout. Former Leafs general manager Brian Burke was reportedly among those GMs at the time leading the charge for retained salary transactions to facilitate more movement in the trade market. I doubt we’ll see the league clamp down on that in the next round of collective bargaining.

Johnston also reported Daly didn’t sound as though there is any need to implement a rule that would prevent teams from sitting out players for “trade-related reasons” as we saw in the weeks leading up to the March 3 trade deadline. However, he didn’t rule out the possibility if it were to become a trend.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Daly may have said the same thing to the general managers. Probably something along the lines of, “Don’t make it a habit, gentlemen, or else.”










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2023

by | Mar 10, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2023

The Stars enjoy a 10-goal performance against the Sabres, the Oilers down the league-leading Bruins, Erik Karlsson sets a career-high for points, Kirill Kaprizov sidelined, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Dallas Stars crushed the Buffalo Sabres 10-4, marking their first 10-goal performance during a road game since October 1985. Jamie Benn and Mason Marchment each had a goal and two assists, Jason Robertson had three assists and Radek Faksa tallied twice for the Stars as they improved to 35-17-13 to sit atop the Central Division with 83 points. Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist for the Sabres (32-28-4) as they sit six points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 68 points.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Stars as Tyler Seguin left the game in the first period after being cut by a skate blade above his left knee. There was no postgame word regarding his condition but he was spotted on crutches following the game.

San Jose Sharks defenseman Erik Karlsson scored his 20th goal of the season in a 4-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues. Robert Thomas and Pavel Buchnevich each had two points for the 28-31-5 Blues while the Sharks fell to 19-35-12 on the season. Karlsson set a career single-season high with 83 points and reached the 20-goal plateau for the first time since 2014-15.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Karlsson, 32, leads all NHL defensemen this season in goals and points. He’s considered the front-runner for the Norris Trophy as the league’s top blueliner.

The Edmonton Oilers nipped the Boston Bruins 3-2 to snap the latter’s 10-game winning streak. Darnell Nurse tallied the winning goal late in the third period as the Oilers (36-22-8) hold the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 80 points. David Pastrnak had a goal and an assist as the league-leading Bruins (103 points) are at 49-9-5.

An overtime goal by Brock Nelson completed a three-goal rally by the New York Islanders as they dumped the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3. Anders Lee tallied twice and Ilya Sorokin stopped 33 shots as the Islanders (34-25-8) hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 76 points, two ahead of the 32-22-10 Penguins as they remain in the final Eastern wild-card spot. Jeff Petry had two assists for the Penguins.

Patrick Kane scored his first goal for the New York Rangers as they downed the Montreal Canadiens 4-3 on a shootout goal by Mika Zibanejad. Kane finished with two points while Artemi Panarin collected three assists for the 36-19-9 as the Rangers sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 81 points. The 26-33-6 Canadiens have dropped five straight all by one goal.

Los Angeles Kings forwards Phillip Danault and Adrian Kempe each scored twice to defeat the Colorado Avalanche 5-2. Anze Kopitar had three assists, Joonas Korpisalo had 28 saves and Trevor Moore collected an assist in his return to the lineup for the 38-20-8 Kings as they sit in second place in the Pacific Division with 84 points. Nathan MacKinnon scored for the Avalanche (35-22-6) as they cling to third place in the Central Division with 76 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of the Avalanche, there’s concern over whether captain Gabriel Landeskog will return in time for the 2023 playoffs. He’s still recovering from the knee injury that has sidelined him for the entire season thus far.

An overtime goal by Alec Martinez lifted the Vegas Golden Knights to a 4-3 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Jonathan Quick made 32 saves for the win as the Golden Knights (39-20-6) hold first place in the Pacific (84 points) with a game in hand over the Kings. Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov each had three points for the slumping Lightning (38-21-6) as they sit third in the Atlantic Division with 82 points.

The New Jersey Devils defeated the Washington Capitals 3-2 on a shootout goal by Timo Meier. Dawson Mercer extended his points streak to 11 games with a goal and an assist as the Devils (42-16-6) as they sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 90 points. The Capitals sank to 31-28-7 (69 points) and sit five points behind the Penguins for the final Eastern wild-card berth.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov made 19 saves to shut out the Philadelphia Flyers 1-0. Andrei Svechnikov’s first-period goal held up as the winner as the Hurricanes improved to 43-12-8 and sit second in the overall standings with 94 points. Felix Sandstrom made 28 saves for the 24-30-11 Flyers.

The Ottawa Senators kept their playoff hopes alive with a 5-4 victory over the Seattle Kraken thanks to third-period goals by Claude Giroux and Alex DeBrincat. With 70 points, the 33-27-4 Senators are four points behind the Penguins. Jared McCann tallied twice for the Kraken (37-22-6) as their five-game win streak came to an end. They sit third in the Pacific Division with 80 points.

Arizona Coyotes goalie Ivan Prosvetov kicked out 39 shots for his first NHL win to beat the Nashville Predators 4-1. Clayton Keller collected two assists for the 23-32-10 Coyotes while the Predators (31-24-7) are six points out of the final Western Conference playoff berth with 69 points.

IN OTHER NEWS…

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov will be sidelined for three to four weeks with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaprizov is the Wild’s leading scorer with 39 goals and 74 points. He’s their main offensive engine so losing him is a significant setback as they jockey for a playoff berth in the Western Conference. How they adapt to his absence will be a big test that could decide their postseason hopes in the very close Western standings.

SPORTSNET: cited a report by Sportico indicating nine different groups have submitted bids to purchase the Ottawa Senators. Some of those bids value the franchise at over $900 million USD.

The list of potential buyers is expected to be narrowed down within the next several days. The Remington Group (a Toronto-based real estate developer) and billionaire Michael Andlauer (minority owner of the Montreal Canadiens) are among the most prominent bidders.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It appears the league hasn’t had any difficulty finding suitors willing to pay big bucks to purchase the Senators. Eugene Melnick, the club’s late owner, paid $92 million USD to purchase the team in 2003. Accounting for inflation, that would be worth nearly $150 million in 2023.

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins are planning upgrades to PPG Arena for 2023-24 starting at the conclusion of this season. They include a new video board, LED ribbon boards, sound system, control room, and content management system.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 24, 2022

by | Oct 24, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 24, 2022

Recaps of Sunday’s games plus the latest on Gabriel Landeskog, Tyler Seguin, Phil Kessel and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Detroit Red Wings extended their season-opening points streak to five games (3-0-2) by downing the Anaheim Ducks 5-1. Dominik Kubalik had a goal and two assists while Ville Husso made 32 saves for the win. Trevor Zegras scored the Ducks’ only goal as they finished their road trip 0-4-1.

Detroit Red Wings forward Dominik Kubalik (NHL Images).

Third-period goals by Tyler Johnson and Jason Dickinson lifted the Chicago Blackhawks to a 5-4 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Johnson scored twice while Patrick Kane and Seth Jones each had two assists for the Blackhawks (3-2-0) as they staged their third straight comeback win. Jared McCann had a goal and an assist for the Kraken (2-3-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek missed this game with a groin strain and was placed on injured reserve.

A third-period goal by Ryan Lomberg enabled the Florida Panthers to hold off the New York Islanders 3-2. Anton Lundell and Eetu Luostarinen also scored for the Panthers (4-1-1) while Anders Lee tallied twice for the Islanders, who drop to 2-4-0.

Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Daniil Tarasov made 30 saves for his first NHL win as he backstopped his club to a 5-1 victory over the New York Rangers. Jakub Voracek, Jack Roslovic and Liam Foudy each collected two assists for the Jackets (3-4-0). Artemi Panarin scored to extend his season-opening points streak to six games as the Rangers are 3-2-1 over the stretch.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers center Filip Chytil left the game in the first period about being elbowed in the head by Blue Jackets forward Cole Sillinger. He’s listed as day-to-day.

San Jose Sharks goalie James Reimer turned in a 30-save shutout to blank the Philadelphia Flyers 3-0. Erik Karlsson scored what proved to be the game-winner for the Sharks (2-6-0) while Flyers winger James van Riemsdyk left the game in the first period with an injured hand after blocking a shot. The Flyers are 4-2-0 under head coach John Tortorella.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tortorella wasn’t pleased with the performance of his leading scorers Kevin Hayes and Travis Konecny in this contest. He sent a message by benching them for the entire third period.

HEADLINES

THE DENVER POST: The Colorado Avalanche will be without team captain Gabriel Landeskog for the next three months as he recovers from knee surgery. They’re turning to leadership by committee to fill the void left by Landeskog’s absence.

NHL.COM: Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin admitted he thought about retirement in January 2021 as he was recovering from hip surgery. “I looked over at my friend and said, ‘I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to play anymore,’” he told Mike Zeisberger. He added that he didn’t see any light at the end of the tunnel at the time.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Seguin would return to play three games late in the 2020-21 season and skated in 81 last season. The 30-year-old current has five points in as many games this season and shows no lingering ill effects from his surgery.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights winger Phil Kessel is set to tie the NHL’s Ironman record for consecutive games played (989) held by Keith Yandle when he skates against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday night. The 35-year-old Kessel can break the record on Tuesday against the San Jose Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s fitting that Kessel will tie the record against the Leafs in Toronto, where he played six seasons from 2009-10 to 2014-15.

CBS SPORTS: The Los Angeles Kings placed forward Alex Iafallo (lower-body injury) on long-term injury reserve.

TRIBLIVE.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins forward Teddy Blueger (undisclosed injury) was placed on LTIR retroactive to Oct. 11.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators defenseman Mark Borowiecki is resting at home and suffered no major injuries after crashing awkwardly into the boards during Saturday’s game against the Flyers. Borowiecki was stretchered from the ice and sent to a hospital for observation.

WGR 550: With defensemen Mattias Samuelsson and Henri Jokiharju sidelined, the Buffalo Sabres have called up Kale Clague.

Former NHL defenseman Michal Kempny has signed with Czechia club HC Sparta for the next two seasons. His contract with the Seattle Kraken was terminated by mutual agreement after he cleared unconditional waivers last week.