The Leafs’ Auston Matthews tallies his 65th goal, Canucks forwards J.T. Miller and Brock Boeser reach personal scoring milestones, the three stars of the week are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews scored his league-leading 65th goal of the season in a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Jake McCabe scored in overtime with Matthews picking up the primary assist for the 45-23-9 Leafs as they hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 99 points. Rickard Rakell and Drew O’Connor replied for the Penguins (36-30-12) as they extended their points streak to nine games. With 84 points, they’re just outside the final Eastern Conference wildcard berth.
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews is tied with Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin for the most goals in a single season in the salary-cap era. Meanwhile, the Penguins have the same amount of points as the Detroit Red Wings but the latter holds that wildcard berth with a game in hand.
The Vancouver Canucks overcame 2-0 and 3-2 deficits to defeat the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3. Conor Garland scored twice, J.T. Miller reached the 100-point plateau and Brock Boeser netted his 40th goal of the season for the Canucks (48-22-8) as they sit fifth in the overall standings with 104 points. Jack Eichel scored twice and Tomas Hertl collected an assist in his first game with the Golden Knights (42-27-8) as they hold the final Western Conference wildcard spot.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Miller leads the Canucks in points. It’s the first time he’s reached 100 points. He fell one point short of the plateau in 2021-22. Boeser leads the Canucks in goals this season in what’s been a career-best performance for the 27-year-old winger.
HEADLINES
NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby and New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin are the NHL’s three stars for the week ending April 7, 2024.
ARIZONA SPORTS: The Mayor of Scottsdale, Arizona opposes the Coyotes’ plan to purchase a plot of land in North Phoenix for a new arena and entertainment complex. David Ortega believes the proposed arena would not be feasible on that 95-acre piece of land because of a lack of infrastructure. He also stated that Scottsdale water assets “are absolutely not available.”
The auction date for the land is scheduled for June 27 with a starting price of $68.5 million. Coyotes owner Alex Meruelo issued a statement last week emphasizing the team’s intent to win that auction.
TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev returned to practice yesterday in a non-contact jersey participating in offensive drills. He’s been sidelined since Feb. 7 after breaking the tibia and fibula in his left leg during a game against the New York Rangers.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: There’s no timetable for Sergachev’s return. He’s not expected to be ready for the opening round of the playoffs.
TSN: Florida Panthers winger Carter Verhaeghe is currently listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury. However, he is expected to be ready for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
SPORTSNET: Calgary Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Colorado Avalanche forward Brandon Duhaime pranked former teammate Marc-Andre Fleury last week by “TPing” his vehicle. Fleury got his revenge on Duhaime this week by placing flowers and dirt on the bonnet of his vehicle, removing all four tires, and placing a “for sale” sign on the window.
The Bruins shut out the Canucks in the battle of the league’s top teams, the Hurricanes’ Martin Necas nets a quick hat trick, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Two shorthanded first-period goals by Brad Marchand and Danton Heinen powered the Boston Bruins to a 4-0 victory over the Vancouver Canucks in the battle of the league’s top-two teams. Linus Ullmark made 17 saves for the shutout while David Pastrnak, Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle each had two points for the 32-10-9 Bruins, who sit first in the Eastern Conference and sit second in the overall standings with 73 points. The Canucks (73 points) maintain first overall with two more victories (34-12-5) than the Bruins.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet summed it up best following this game when he said the Bruins’ best players turned up to play while those on his club did not. Giving up two shorthanded goals in the first period put the Canucks on the back foot for the rest of the game.
Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas (NHL Images).
A natural hat trick by Martin Necas in the opening 16:51 carried the Carolina Hurricanes over the Colorado Avalanche 5-2. Teuvo Teravainen collected four assists for the Hurricanes (29-16-5) as they sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 63 points. Zach Parise scored his first goal of the season for the 32-16-4 Avalanche as they remain in second place in the Central Division with 68 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes goaltender Antti Raanta with a lower-body injury while defenseman Brett Pesce missed this game due to illness. Meanwhile, Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon was held scoreless and remains in second place in the NHL scoring race with 85 points.
Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny had a Gordie Howe hat trick (a goal, an assist and a fight) in a 4-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets, leaving the latter winless in five games (0-4-1). Samuel Ersson stopped 28 shots while Ryan Poehling had a goal and an assist for the 27-19-6 Flyers, who remain in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 60 points. Kyle Connor scored for the Jets (30-14-5) as they sit third in the Central Division with 65 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Less than a month ago, the Jets were jockeying for first place in the overall standings. There’s plenty of time for them to pull out of this current skid but this is reminiscent of last season when the Jets stumbled down the stretch following a strong first half of the season and barely made the playoffs.
The Florida Panthers doubled up the Washington Capitals 4-2 on third-period goals by Ryan Lomberg and Eetu Luostarinen. Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and two assists for the Panthers (32-15-4), who sit in second place in the Eastern Conference with 68 points. Alex Ovechkin netted his 11th goal of the season for the 22-20-7 Capitals, who are winless in their last six games (0-5-1).
New York Islanders forwards Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal each had a goal and an assist to thump the Tampa Bay Lightning 6-2. Ilya Sorokin turned aside 18 shots for the 22-17-12 Islanders (56 points) as they sit two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Nikita Kucherov scored for Tampa Bay (27-20-5) as he holds a two-point lead over Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon in the scoring race with 87 points. The Lightning hold the first Eastern wild-card spot with 59 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev could be out for the season after undergoing surgery on Thursday to repair a fractured tibia and fibula in his left leg suffered during Wednesday’s game against the New York Rangers.
A three-goal first period enabled the Vegas Golden Knights to hold off the Arizona Coyotes by a score of 3-2. Jonathan Marchessault and Nicolas Hague scored 58 seconds apart for the Golden Knights (31-15-6), who sit second in the Pacific Division with 68 points. Connor Ingram got the hook after giving up three goals on six shots for the 23-23-9 Coyotes.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Coyotes forward Barrett Hayton returned to action after missing nearly three months with an upper-body injury.
The Calgary Flames kept their playoff hopes alive with a 5-3 win over the New Jersey Devils. Jacob Markstrom kicked out 37 shots, Connor Zary and Andrew Mangiapane each had a goal and an assist and Andrei Kuzmenko tallied his second goal in as many games with the Flames (24-22-5) as they sit one point out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 53 points. Ondrej Palat tallied twice and Jesper Bratt had three assists for the 25-21-3 Devils (53 points) as they sit five points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.
HEADLINES
STLTODAY.COM: Blues defenseman Justin Faulk and Scott Perunovich are listed as week-to-week with lower-body injuries.
THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars forward Mason Marchment was fined $5,000 by the NHL department of player safety for interference against Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Jake McCabe on Wednesday.
OTTAWA SUN: Senators defenseman Jake Sanderson is expected to miss Saturday’s game against the Maple Leafs with a lower-body injury.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: San Jose Sharks winger Anthony Duclair recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for a new outdoor synthetic ice surface on the campus of Boyd H. Anderson High School in Lauderdale Lakes, Florida.
USA HOCKEY: Minnesota Wild general manager Bill Guerin has been named the GM of Team USA for the NHL’s 2025 4 Nations Face-off tournament and the 2026 Winter Olympics.
DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Former NHL defenseman Janne Niinimaa was recently found guilty by a Helsinki court of tax fraud for failing to report over 300,000 euros in earnings from the United States in 2020. It was determined that he still owes nearly 55,000 euros in income tax in his native Finland. Niinimaa, 48, received a four-month suspended sentence and must pay those back taxes as well as cover the court costs and pay a standard crime victim fee.
Recaps of Wednesday’s games, the latest on the Coyotes’ arena saga, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: The New York Rangers picked up their third straight win by downing the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-1. Jimmy Vesey scored twice and Jonathan Quick stopped 18 shots for the 32-16-3 Rangers as they sit atop the Metropolitan Division with 67 points. Brandon Hagel scored for Tampa Bay (27-19-5) while Nikita Kucherov collected an assist to regain the lead in the NHL scoring race with 86 points. With 59 points, the Lightning slipped to the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning also lost defenseman Mikhail Sergachev to what appeared to be a serious injury to his lower left leg in the second period following a collision with Rangers forward Alexis Lafreniere. Sergachev was stretchered from the ice and it’s expected he’ll be out of action for a while.
Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares (NHL Images).
Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander scored two goals and collected an assist in a 5-4 win over the Dallas Stars. John Tavares had a goal and two assists while Auston Matthews tallied his league-leading 41st goal of the season for the Maple Leafs (26-15-8) as they vaulted over the Lightning into third place in the Atlantic Division with 60 points. Evgenii Dadonov scored two goals for the 31-14-6 Stars as they sit in second place in the Central Division with 68 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of Tavares, The Canadian Press reports (via TSN) that the Leafs captain is taking the Canada Revenue Agency to court to have the reassessment of his 2018 tax return annulled.
According to the CRA reassessment, Tavares’ income was determined to be $17.8 million higher than reported and he was ordered to repay $6.8 million in taxes plus $1.2 million in interest. The report indicates the $17.8 million accounts for a $15.25 million US signing bonus in the first year of his contract which “was integral to Tavares’ decision” to accept the deal.
The Minnesota Wild nipped the Chicago Blackhawks 2-1. Marcus Foligno snapped a 1-1 tie in the third period for the 22-23-5 Wild. Nick Foligno scored for the 14-35-2 Blackhawks, who’ve lost five straight games.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Wild announced winger Pat Maroon underwent back surgery and will be sidelined for four-to-six weeks. Maroon has surfaced in the rumor mill as a trade candidate but this news could ensure he finishes the season in Minnesota. Meanwhile, Blackhawks forward Tyler Johnson (foot) was activated off injured reserve for this game.
HEADLINES
SPORTSNET: Elliotte Friedman said things don’t sound promising for the Arizona Coyotes’ efforts to purchase a piece of state land that is up for auction to build a new arena and entertainment complex.
Friedman doesn’t want to jump to conclusions because “deadlines are movable”. However, he said if there is going to be an announcement by this weekend or very soon regarding the purchase of that land, “it doesn’t seem to be good for the current ownership group.”
Speaking of the Coyotes’ ownership, Friedman thinks that “we’re coming to the end of the line”. If there isn’t a new arena plan in place soon, he speculates they could begin the process of selling the team or the NHL taking over and selling the club to somebody else.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predictions of the Coyotes’ relocation have been flying around for nearly two decades. This time, however, there seems to be a different vibe to the speculation. There’s a sense the NHL Board of Governors is running out of patience with this franchise.
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman has been the biggest champion for keeping the Coyotes in Arizona. Nevertheless, he could finally admit defeat if he lacked BoG support on this issue.
I also think it’s more than a coincidence that a prospective ownership group in Salt Lake City recently made a very public expression of interest in bringing an NHL franchise to their city. If the Coyotes go up for sale, they could be on their way to Utah.
The Coyotes saga seems destined to end in relocation but I won’t rejoice if it happens. My thoughts will be with the club’s fans. Contrary to popular belief, the Coyotes drew reasonably well during many difficult years. Unfortunately, their supporters have been let down by decades of mismanagement and ongoing uncertainty over the club’s future.
TSN: Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk laments what is shaping up to be another lost season for the franchise.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: This one probably hurts a lot more for Tkachuk given how much excitement there was entering this season following the sale of the club last summer to billionaire Michael Andlauer. The Sens captain has four more years left on his contract and he’s stated repeatedly he wants to turn this team into a winner. However, Tkachuk’s patience will be tested if new general manager Steve Staios struggles like his predecessor did.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: I’ll have more about Tarasenko in today’s Rumors update.
WINNIPEG SUN: Jets defenseman Brenden Dillon received a three-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for an illegal hit to the head of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Noel Acciari.
BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins rookie forward Matthew Poitras will be sidelined for five months after undergoing successful shoulder surgery on Wednesday.
CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: The Flames signed forward Martin Pospisil to a two-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $1 million.
Auston Matthews is the first player to score 30 goals this season, Max Pacioretty makes his season debut with the Capitals, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: Auston Matthews reached the 30-goal plateau with the game-winner in overtime as the Toronto Maple Leafs nipped the Anaheim Ducks 2-1. John Tavares scored the tying goal in the third period to set the stage for Matthews’ overtime heroics as the Leafs improved to 19-10-7 and sit third in the Atlantic Division with 45 points. Lukas Dostal kicked out 55 shots for the 13-23-1 Ducks.
Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews is the first player to reach 30 goals this season. He’s only the 10th player in NHL history to reach that plateau in each of his first eight seasons.
Matthews’ teammate Bobby McMann was ejected from this game in the second period for boarding Ducks defenseman Pavel Mintyukov, who was uninjured on the play. The Ducks also played without Ryan Strome (upper-body injury, day-to-day) and Troy Terry (injured reserve).
New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier had a goal and two assists in a 6-3 victory over the Washington Capitals. Dawson Mercer and Michael McLeod each tallied twice for the Devils (20-14-2), holding the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Alex Ovechkin and Evgeni Kuznetsov each had two points while Max Pacioretty was held pointless in his season debut with the Capitals (18-12-6), who sit just behind the Devils with 42 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s been nearly a year since Pacioretty suffered a season-ending Achilles injury. He was critical of his performance following this game, saying it couldn’t get any worse than it did for him on this night. Pacioretty remains hopeful that he’ll get up to speed as time goes on.
Before this game, the Capitals placed goaltender Charlie Lindgren on injured reserve. Meanwhile, Devils winger Ondrej Palat missed this game with a lower-body injury.
HEADLINES
ARIZONA SPORTS: Coyotes winger Jason Zucker was given a three-game suspension by the NHL’s department of player safety for boarding Florida Panthers forward Nick Cousins during Tuesday’s game. Zucker’s hit was in retaliation for Cousins’ hitting Coyotes defenseman Juuse Valimaki from behind while the latter was on his knees near the boards.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zucker deserved his suspension but Cousins hit was also dangerous. Speaking of the Panthers forward, he was placed in concussion protocol.
TSN/DAILY FACEOFF: The Minnesota Wild placed winger Kirill Kaprizov (upper body) and Jared Spurgeon (undisclosed) on injured reserve.
CBS SPORTS: Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (lower body) is on injured reserve.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Chicago Blackhawks winger Anthony Beauvillier is on IR with an injured left wrist. The club also claimed defenseman Jaycob Megna off waivers yesterday from the Seattle Kraken.
NYI HOCKEY NOW: Islanders defenseman Robert Bortuzzo is on IR with an injured right leg.
PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins placed defenseman John Ludvig on IR with an undisclosed injury.
NEW YORK POST: The Rangers recalled winger Brennan Othmann and he’ll make his NHL debut on Thursday against the Blackhawks. He replaced Tyler Pitlick, who is sidelined with a lower-body injury.
Speaking of the Rangers, former Blueshirts winger Artem Anisimov signed a professional tryout contract with their AHL affiliate in Hartford.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: A 13-year NHL veteran from 2008-09 to 2020-21, the 35-year-old Anisimov skated in the KHL in 2021-22 and spent last season with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
A milestone game for the Avs’ Nathan MacKinnon, the Sabres rebound from a nine-goal loss with a nine-goal victory, the Canucks move into first place in the overall standings, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon scored four goals )including his 300th career tally) and collected an assist in a 6-4 win over the Ottawa Senators. MacKinnon extended his points streak to 17 games while Mikko Rantanen scored twice for the 20-11-2 Avalanche, who sit second in the Central Division with 42 points. Drake Batherson had a goal and an assist for the Senators (11-17-0) as they dropped their sixth straight game and their second under interim coach Jacques Martin.
Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon (NHL Images)
SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 53 points, MacKinnon sits four behind Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov for the league scoring lead. Meanwhile, the constant losing by the Senators is frustrating team captain Brady Tkachuk. “It’s a pretty s****y feeling, and I don’t think I’ve felt worse in my life. This is not fun right now,” said Tkachuk.
After losing 9-4 to the Columbus Blue Jackets in their previous game, the Buffalo Sabres bounced back by thumping the Toronto Maple Leafs 9-3. Jeff Skinner scored two goals and set up another in his return from injury, Kyle Okposo tallied twice, Tage Thompson had a goal and two assists while Alex Tuch collected four helpers for the 14-17-3 Sabres. Auston Matthews netted his league-leading 26th goal of the season for the Leafs (16-8-6) as they sit second in the Atlantic Division with 38 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews called this loss “the worst game since I’ve been here”, calling his club’s performance “embarrassing.” It was a rough night for the Leafs goaltenders. Ilya Samsonov got the hook in the second period after giving up five goals on 19 shots. Martin Jones fared little better, allowing four goals and 15 shots.
Meanwhile, Sabres defenseman Rasmus Dahlin was still fuming over Sabres fans chanting for head coach Don Granato to be fired during their last game. He considered that criticism of Granato unfair, blaming that lopsided loss on himself and his teammates. “We really wanted to back Donnie, that was the main focus today and he got way too much heat the other game, he didn’t deserve it,” said Dahlin.
An overtime goal by Matt Duchene lifted the Dallas Stars over the Vancouver Canucks 4-3. Duchene and Thomas Harley each finished with a goal and an assist for the Stars (19-8-4) as they vaulted over the Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets to regain first place in the Central. Conor Garland and Dakota Joshua each had a goal and an assist for the Canucks (22-9-3), who moved past the Vegas Golden Knights into first place in the overall standings with 47 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks have the same amount of points as the Golden Knights but hold first place as they have one more regulation win. Meanwhile, Dallas and Colorado also have the same amount of points (42) but the Stars hold two games in hand.
Canucks winger Andrei Kuzmenko was a healthy scratch for the second straight game. While his agent recently said his client loves playing in Vancouver and there’s a plan with the club to improve his game, his ongoing absence from the lineup will ensure the trade rumors keep swirling.
Speaking of the Golden Knights, they dropped a 5-4 decision to the Tampa Bay Lightning as Nick Paul potted the game-winner late in the third period. Paul and Nikita Kucherov each had a goal and two assists, Brayden Point scored two goals and set up another while Victor Hedman had three assists for the 16-13-5 Lightning (37 points), who sit one point behind the Carolina Hurricanes for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev missed this game as he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.
Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby’s shootout goal lifted his team past the Carolina Hurricanes 2-1. Crosby also scored in regulation while Alex Nedeljkovic stopped 23 shots for the win as the Penguins improved to 15-13-4. Teuvo Teravainen replied for the 17-12-4 Hurricanes.
An overtime goal by Alex Ovechkin gave the Washington Capitals a 3-2 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Anthony Mantha scored twice for the Capitals (17-9-4) as they hold the first wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference with 38 points. Cole Sillinger and Yegor Chinakhov scored for the 11-17-6 Blue Jackets.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: That was Ovechkin’s first goal in 15 games. Emotions boiled over during the overtime period as Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merzlikins and Capitals winger Tom Wilson traded blows during a tangle-up in the Jackets net. The Capitals and Hurricanes have the same amount of points but the Capitals hold three games in hand.
The Edmonton Oilers tallied four unanswered goals led by Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl in a 6-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils. McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had a goal and an assist while Ryan McLeod tallied twice for the 14-15-1 Oilers. Dawson Mercer had a goal and an assist for the 16-13-2 Devils.
St. Louis Blues winger Pavel Buchnevich scored two goals and set up another as his club downed the Florida Panthers 4-1. Robert Thomas collected three assists while Joel Hofer made 37 saves for the 16-15-1 Blues. Eetu Luostarinen scored for the Panthers (18-12-2), who’ve dropped four of their last five games but remain in third place in the Atlantic Division with 38 points.
The Nashville Predators doubled up the Philadelphia Flyers 4-2 on two goals by Philip Tomasino, snapping the Flyers’ nine-game points streak. Juuse Saros turned aside 29 shots for the Predators (19-14-0) as they hold the first Western Conference wild-card spot with 38 points. Morgan Frost and Sean Couturier replied for the 18-11-3 Flyers as they sit in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 39 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Predators forward Yakov Trenin was ejected from this game for boarding Frost during the second period. Frost spent several minutes in the Flyers dressing room but returned to finish the game.
An overtime goal by Kirill Kaprizov gave the Minnesota Wild a 4-3 victory over the Montreal Canadiens. Kaprizov and Marco Rossi each finished with a goal and two assists for the 14-13-4 Wild while Nick Suzuki and Juraj Slafkovsky each had a goal and an assist for the 14-13-5 Canadiens.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild played without forward Ryan Hartman as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom kicked out 25 shots to shut out the Anaheim Ducks 3-0. Elias Lindholm had a goal and two assists for the Flames (14-14-5) as they’ve won three straight games. The Ducks dropped to 12-20-0 on the season.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Ducks welcomed back Mason McTavish and Jamie Drysdale following their lengthy absences due to injuries. However, they also lost rookie Leo Carlsson to what could be a serious injury to his right leg after he and Flames defenseman MacKenzie Weegar became entangled during the third period.
The Arizona Coyotes picked up their fourth straight win by downing the San Jose Sharks 5-2. Clayton Keller and Alex Kerfoot each had a goal and two assists for the 17-13-2 Coyotes, who hold the final Western wild-card spot with 36 points. Mackenzie Blackwood made 25 saves for the Sharks (9-21-3) as they made forward Alexander Barabanov a late scratch due to illness.
Recaps of Wednesday’s games, the league reached an agreement with Diamond Sports Group to continue local broadcasts for this season, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
GAME RECAPS
NHL.COM: The Seattle Kraken upset the Los Angeles Kings 2-1 as Joey Daccord matched a franchise record with 42 saves for the win. Brandon Tanev and Jordan Eberle scored for the 11-14-9 Kraken (31 points), who move within three points of a wild card berth in the Western Conference. Blake Lizotte replied for the Kings (18-7-4), who remain in third place in the Pacific Division.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the Kraken announced that center Pierre-Edouard Bellemare will be sidelined for four to six weeks with a fractured leg bone suffered during their game against the Dallas Stars earlier this week.
Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi (NHL Images)
Winnipeg Jets forward Gabriel Vilardi scored for the fourth straight game and added two assists in a 5-2 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. The win vaulted the Jets (19-9-3) one point over the Dallas Stars into first place in the Central Division with 41 points. Patrick Kane had a goal and an assist for the 15-13-4 Red Wings (34 points), but they’ve dropped four straight games and slipped two points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Despite missing 18 games with a knee injury, Vilardi has six goals and seven assists for 13 points in as many games. Meanwhile, Pierre-Luc Dubois (the player Vilardi was traded for this summer) has 12 points in 29 games in the first season of his eight-year, $68 million contract with the Kings.
As for the slumping Red Wings, they placed goaltender Ville Husso on injured reserve and signed netminder Michael Hutchinson to a one-year, two-way contract before the start of the holiday roster freeze on Dec. 20.
An overtime goal by Dylan Strome lifted the Washington Capitals over the New York Islanders 3-2. Darcy Kuemper stopped 30 shots while Hendrix Lapierre had a goal and an assist for the Capitals (16-9-4) as they moved into the final Eastern wild-card spot with 36 points. Hudson Fasching and Anders Lee scored for the Islanders (15-8-9) as they sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division with 39 points.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of the Capitals, they’re expected to sign defenseman Ethan Bear once the holiday roster freeze is lifted on Dec. 28. Bear participated in their optional morning skate yesterday.
HEADLINES
THE ATHLETIC: The NHL reached an agreement with Diamond Sports Group to continue local broadcasts to the end of 2023-24. This affects 11 franchises: the Anaheim Ducks, Carolina Hurricanes, Columbus Blue Jackets, Dallas Stars, Detroit Red Wings, Florida Panthers, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and Tampa Bay Lightning.
It also ends those clubs’ agreements with Diamond, which filed for bankruptcy in March. The deal is similar to the one reached between Diamond and the NBA
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: cited a report in the Wall Street Journal indicating Amazon is discussing possible investment with Diamond Sports Group. If an agreement is reached, Amazon Prime Video would become the streaming home for regional broadcasts, including those of the Blue Jackets.
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Dish Network has dropped the Golden Knights’regular-season games on channel Vegas 34 because of a carriage dispute. Those games are still available on other means, including the team’s streaming service KnightTime+.
Speaking of the Golden Knights, goaltender Logan Thompson is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury.
TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lighting defenseman Mikhail Sergachev missed practice yesterday nursing an injured left foot. It’s uncertain if he’ll be able to participate in Thursday’s game against the Golden Knights.
DAILY FACEOFF: Edmonton Oilers winger Connor Brown is expected to be a healthy scratch for Thursday’s game against the New Jersey Devils.
PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Ex-Flyers forward Nolan Patrick has not retired from hockey. He was listed as a “Retired pro with significant NHL experience” in his profile with The Power Play, a hockey coaching and mentorship program. The site has since edited his profile to read that he’s a “4X NHL Pro with significant experience.”
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