NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 25, 2022

by | May 25, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 25, 2022

The Oilers push the Flames to the brink of elimination, the Rangers tie their series with the Hurricanes, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers held off the Calgary Flames 5-3 in Game 4 of their second-round series to go up three games to one. Evander Kane and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each scored two goals, Leon Draisaitl collected three assists and Connor McDavid had two helpers. The Oilers can wrap up the series in Game 5 on Thursday in Calgary.

Edmonton Oilers forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames overcame a shaky first period where they fell behind 3-0 to tie the game as Rasmus Andersson’s long shot from inside his own blueline eluded Oilers goaltender Mike Smith. However, the Oilers regained the lead on Nugent-Hopkins’ second goal late in the third and Kane put it away with an empty-netter.

It was a well-deserved win by the Oilers, taking advantage of the ongoing inconsistency of Calgary goaltender Jacob Markstrom and the defensive breakdowns by his teammates. Flames defenseman Chris Tanev returned to the lineup for the first time since suffering a shoulder injury on May 13 against the Dallas Stars. He did his best but was favoring the shoulder throughout the game.

 

The New York Rangers tied their series with the Carolina Hurricanes at two games apiece following a 4-1 win at home in Game 4. Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin made 30 saves while teammate Andrew Copp had a goal and two assists while Adam Fox and Frank Vatrano each had a goal and an assist. The series returns to Carolina for Game 5 on Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the Rangers’ best game of this series as they dominated the Hurricanes for most of this contest. The loss continues the Canes’ inability to win on the road in this postseason. They got away with it against the Boston Bruins in their first-round series but it could prove costly if the Rangers should win Game 5.

HEADLINES

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Ashley Cave, wife of Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri, shared a sample of the racially charged threats her husband received through the Jazzy Kadri Instagram account. The messages target Kadri’s Lebanese-Canadian heritage and his Muslim faith. Kadri received these threats following a collision with Jordan Binnington in Game 3 of their second-round series that sidelined the St. Louis Blues goaltender for the remainder of the series.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those messages were disgusting and unacceptable. Regardless of Kadri’s suspension history or whether you believe he intentionally tried to injure Binnington (which I don’t believe he did), he doesn’t deserve that hateful vitriol. No one does. Racism has no place in our society and we shouldn’t stand for it.

NHL.COM: Speaking of Kadri, Blues winger David Perron was fined $5,000.00 by the league’s department of player safety for crosschecking the Avalanche center in Game 3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Perron also narrowly missed nailing Kadri with an elbow to the head after the Avs forward scored his second of three goals in that game. He and his Blues teammates need to rein in their tempers or risk losing this series.

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: The Flyers have interviewed former Columbus Blue Jacket coach John Tortorella for their vacant head coach position.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flyers are also set to meet with former New York Islanders bench boss Barry Trotz later this week.  










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 13, 2022

by | May 13, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 13, 2022

The Blues eliminate the Wild, the Lightning, Bruins and Oilers force Game 7 in their respective series, the Hart Trophy finalists are announced, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The St. Louis Blues advanced to the second round of the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs with a 5-1 win over the Minnesota Wild in Game 6 of the opening-round series. Ryan O’Reilly and Vladimir Tarasenko were among the goal scorers while Jordan Binnington made 25 saves for the win. The Blues go on to face the Colorado Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blues’ offensive depth made the difference in this series, particularly on the power play. They scored two goals with the man advantage in three of the six games and were held scoreless on the PP just once.

Despite a franchise-best regular season with 53 wins and 113 points and Kirill Kaprizov setting single-season franchise scoring records, the Wild once again came up short in postseason play. They haven’t won a playoff round since 2015 and haven’t advanced past the second round since 2003.

Wild general manager Bill Guerin faces a challenging offseason. He’s got over $12 million in dead cap space from last summer’s buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter biting deeply into his salary-cap payroll for next season. Winger Kevin Fiala is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights in line for a substantial raise while trade deadline acquisition Marc-Andre Fleury is an unrestricted free agent.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point (NHL Images)

There will be a seventh and deciding game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Toronto Maple Leafs. Brayden Point’s overtime goal lifted the Lightning to a 4-3 victory in Game 6 to tie their first-round series at 3 games apiece. John Tavares tallied twice and Auston Matthews also scored for the Leafs, who overcame a 2-0 deficit for the second straight game. However, they couldn’t hold the lead this time as Nikita Kucherov’s third-period power-play goal tied the contest and forced the extra period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Well, Toronto fans, here you are again, with your club extending their inability to win in a series-clinching contest to nine straight games dating back to 2013. With the series returning to Toronto for Game 7 on Saturday, it’s gut-check time for the Maple Leafs.

We already know what the defending Stanley Cup champion Lightning are made of because they’ve proven it over the past two years and in this series. They rise to the occasion under playoff pressure. The Leafs must finally get this monkey off their backs or endure a miserable postseason that could lead to changes on the roster, behind the bench and in the front office.

Speaking of rising to the occasion, the Boston Bruins did that with a convincing 5-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes to force Game 7 in their series on Saturday. Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle and Tomas Nosek each had a goal and an assist while Jeremy Swayman kicked out 23 shots for the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Boston coach Bruce Cassidy made a key adjustment for this game by shifting David Pastrnak down to the second line and moving Jake DeBrusk onto the first line. The adjustment worked as the Bruins jumped to an early 2-0 lead and controlled the game after that. The Hurricanes made it interesting when Andrei Svechnikov cut the lead to 2-1 in the third period but the Bruins replied with three straight goals to put this one out of reach.

Each team has won their games in this series on home ice. That’s a trend the Hurricanes will hope to continue on Saturday.

The Edmonton Oilers got three-point performances from Connor McDavid and Evander Kane to double up the Los Angeles Kings 4-2. Mike Smith turned aside 30 shots for the win to send this series back to Edmonton for Game 7 on Saturday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of clubs needing to shake off a recent reputation for postseason failure, the Oilers have an opportunity to win their first series since 2017. Momentum seems to be on their side following Game 6 but the Kings have proven quite resilient, pushing this series further than most observers expected. I’d say the pressure remains on the Oilers.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid and New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin are this year’s finalists for the Hart Memorial Trophy, awarded to the player deemed most valuable to his team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid is a two-time Hart winner who led the league in points with 123. Matthews, however, could be the favorite after becoming the first player to reach the 60-goal plateau since Steven Stamkos in 2012. However, I think a solid case can be made for Shesterkin, whose outstanding goaltending this season was crucial to the Rangers’ reaching the playoffs. My guess is Matthews ends up winning it.

THE ATHLETIC: A source claims Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is being evaluated for a concussion suffered during Game 5 against the New York Rangers. He left that contest in the second period after being elbowed in the head by Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins are saying Crosby suffered an “upper-body injury” but everyone is well aware of his concussion history. It’s questionable if he’ll be available for Game 6 tonight in Pittsburgh. The Pens have recalled forward Radim Zohorna from their AHL affiliate to fill in for Crosby if he’s unavailable.

CBS SPORTS: Florida Panthers forward Mason Marchment remains sidelined by a lower-body injury and won’t play in tonight’s Game 7 against the Washington Capitals. Marchment’s been out of action for the past two games.

THE DENVER POST: Colorado Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper has been declared “good to go” for Game 1 of his club’s upcoming second-round series against the St. Louis Blues. Kuemper suffered an eye injury in Game 3 of the first-round series against the Nashville Predators.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 5, 2021

by | Dec 5, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 5, 2021

Alex Ovechkin reaches more scoring milestones, the Wild and Rangers extend their points streaks, plus updates on Igor Shesterkin, Mitch Marner, Charlie McAvoy and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NHL.COM: Alex Ovechkin scored his 750th career goal and his 118th game-winner as the Washington Capitals downed the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-1. He’s now 16 goals behind Jaromir Jagr for third place on the all-time goal-scoring list, tied for third with Phil Esposito for the most game-winning goals, and tied with Jagr, Marcel Dionne, Brett Hull and Mats Sundin for the third-most consecutive 20-goal seasons. The Capitals played without Trevor van Riemsdyk, joining teammate Nic Dowd in COVID protocol.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

Kirill Kaprizov’s shootout goal lifted the Minnesota Wild over the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3, extending their winning streak to six games while snapping the Leafs’ five-game streak. The Wild (35 points) hold a seven-point lead over the St. Louis Blues for first place in the Central Division. Jason Spezza scored twice and added an assist as the Leafs overcame a 3-0 deficit. Leafs winger Mitch Marner missed this game following a collision in practice with teammate Jake Muzzin. He’s also expected to miss Sunday’s contest with the Winnipeg Jets.

The New York Rangers picked up their sixth straight victory by holding off the Chicago Blackhawks 3-2. Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome each had a goal and two assists while Alexandar Georgiev picked up the win with a 25-save performance. Earlier in the day, the Rangers placed goaltender Igor Shesterkin (lower body) on injured reserve. Blackhawks’ Patrick Kane and Seth Jones each had two points.

Florida Panthers forward Sam Reinhart’s shootout goal gave his club a 4-3 win over the St. Louis Blues, marking the third straight game the Panthers overcame a deficit to claim victory. Maxim Mamin tallied twice for the Panthers while Blues goalie Ville Husso made 48 saves. With 37 points, the Panthers return to first place in the overall standings.

Jake Guentzel extended his points streak to 12 games with a hat trick and an assist as the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-1. Sidney Crosby had a goal and two assists and Kris Letang chipped in three helpers. The Canucks sit at the bottom of the Pacific Division with 18 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks fans expressed their displeasure late in the game by calling for general manager Jim Benning to be fired. Whether the club’s ownership takes them up on their suggestion remains to be seen.

The Tampa Bay Lightning nipped the Boston Bruins 3-2 on an overtime goal by Steven Stamkos. Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy kicked out 37 shots for the win. The Bruins forced the extra frame on goals by Charlie Coyle and Curtis Lazar. Boston defenseman Charlie McAvoy missed the game with a non-COVID-related illness.

An overtime goal by Moritz Seider lifted the Detroit Red Wings over the New York Islanders 4-3, leaving the latter winless in 10 straight games. Oliver Wahlstrom tallied twice for the Isles while the Wings have won five straight.

The Ottawa Senators blew a 5-2 lead but an overtime goal by Brady Tkachuk gave them a 6-5 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle each scored twice and added an assist.

Carolina Hurricanes winger Teuvo Teravainen scored twice and Vincent Trocheck had a goal and two assists in a 6-2 drubbing of the Buffalo Sabres. Sebastian Aho collected three assists for the Hurricanes as they snapped a three-game losing skid. Carolina winger Andrei Svechnikov was a late scratch with an injured finger.

Filip Forsberg’s overtime goal gave the Nashville Predators a 4-3 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Predator forward Luke Kunin had a goal and an assist. Canadiens goalie Jake Allen stopped 40 shots while teammate Cole Caufield had two assists. Earlier in the day, the Canadiens claimed defenseman Kale Clague off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings. They’re also rumored to have player agent Kent Hughes on their radar as a potential general manager candidate though they haven’t yet contacted him about the job.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes is a bilingual Montreal native whose clients include Bruins captain Patrice Bergeron and Penguins defenseman Kris Letang.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 4, 2021

by | Dec 4, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 4, 2021

​A hat-trick performance for Mark Scheifele, Igor Shesterkin injury clouds Rangers win, Canadiens’ hockey ops VP Jeff Gorton meets the Montreal media and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Mark Scheifele tallied a hat track to lead the Winnipeg Jets over the New Jersey Devils 8-4. The Devils overcame a 3-0 deficit to take a 4-3 lead before the Jets put them away with five unanswered goals. Nikolaj Ehlers also scored twice for the Jets to hand the Devils their third straight loss.

Winnipeg Jets center Mark Scheifele (NHL Images).

The New York Rangers’ 1-0 win over the San Jose Sharks was overshadowed by Igor Shesterkin’s lower-body injury that forced the Blueshirts goaltender from the game in the third period. Ryan Strome netted the only goal. Alexandar Georgiev made nine saves to preserve the shutout.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Shesterkin has been stellar this season for the Rangers, ranking among the early favorites for the Vezina Trophy. Rangers head coach Gerard Gallant said the training staff indicated his injury wasn’t as serious as it looked when he had to be helped from the ice. He’s listed as day-to-day but there’s concern among some observers that this could be a prolonged absence.

Max Pacioretty scored two goals as the Vegas Golden Knights trounced the Arizona Coyotes 7-1. Shea Theodore and Reilly Smith each collected two points and Laurent Brossoit kicked out 29 shots.

The Seattle Kraken picked up their third straight home victory by holding off the Edmonton Oilers 4-3. Alex Wennberg’s second-period goal proved to be the game-winner while teammate Adam Larsson scored against his former club. Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each had a goal and an assist for the Oilers. The Kraken played without Jaden Schwartz, Jordan Eberle and Calle Jarnkrok as all three are listed as day-to-day.

Shootout goals by Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk gave the Calgary Flames a 4-3 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Sean Monahan had a goal and an assist while Dan Vladar made 31 saves in regulation and overtime. Earlier in the day, the Ducks learned captain Ryan Getzlaf is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Getzlaf was having a strong start to this season. With 20 points in 23 games, he already exceeded the 17 points he had in 48 contests last season.

HEADLINES

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Jeff Gorton, the Canadiens’ new executive VP of hockey operations, had his first press conference with the Montreal media yesterday. He said he’s looking at all options for the club’s next general manager and acknowledged former Canadiens star Patrick Roy’s interest in the job. However, Stu Cowan believes two other former Habs – Mathieu Darche and Daniel Briere – are the leading candidates for the job.

Gorton indicated head coach Dominique Ducharme will remain in his job for the rest of the season. He also said he intends to improve the club’s player development and analytics departments.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gorton made it very clear he and whoever becomes the next GM will be looking at everything with regards to improving the team and its direction. That also includes examining where several players on long-term contracts might fit into their plans. His intention to improve player development is long overdue given how poorly the Canadiens have drafted and developed talent in recent years. 

Speaking of the Canadiens, defenseman Jeff Petry is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

CHICAGO TRIBUNE: Blackhawks forward Tyler Johnson will be sidelined for three months following neck surgery. He underwent artificial disc-replacement surgery, the same procedure Vegas Golden Knights center Jack Eichel had last month. The Blackhawks also placed defenseman Connor Murphy on concussion protocol. There is no timetable for his return.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 10, 2021

by | Aug 10, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 10, 2021

New deals for Igor Shesterkin and Carter Hart top yesterday’s notable contract signings and the contract standoff between Kirill Kaprizov and the Wild intensifies. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers signed goaltender Igor Shesterkin to a four-year contract worth just over $5.66 million annually. It’s the largest second NHL contract signed by a goaltender.

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a reasonable deal for both sides. The Rangers kept Shesterkin’s annual cap hit under $6 million and the 25-year-old goaltender qualifies for UFA status in four years times. He’s shown considerable promise as an elite netminder in his brief NHL career. This contract will look quite affordable if he reaches his full potential.

NBC SPORTS PHILADELPHIA: The Flyers signed goalie Carter Hart to a three-year contract worth an annual average value of $3.95 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hart might’ve earned himself a deal comparable to Shesterkin’s had it not been for his struggles last season. That worked in favor of the Flyers, inking the 23-year-old to a cost-effective bridge contract. He’ll be in line for a considerable raise in three years’ time if he regains his promising form from 2019-20.

WASHINGTON HOCKEY NOW: The Capitals re-signed netminder Ilya Samsonov to a one-year, $2 million contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Like Hart, Samsonov’s inconsistent performance last season hurt his efforts for a more lucrative deal. The 24-year-old also displayed some immaturity by testing positive twice for COVID-19 and getting scratched for disciplinary reasons late in the season for missing a team function.

DAILY FACEOFF: Frank Seravalli reports Kirill Kaprizov has a tentative agreement with KHL club CSKA Moscow for a one-year deal worth 8 figures in US dollars if a new deal with the Minnesota Wild doesn’t materialize.

The Wild initially sought a seven- or eight-year deal for the Calder Trophy winner. They’re willing to discuss a medium-range deal but the Kaprizov camp claims no offer has been made since April.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: An interesting development in the contract standoff between Kaprizov and the Wild. I’ll have more in today’s Rumor Mill update.

MLIVE.COM: The Detroit Red Wings and Jakub Vrana are reportedly far apart in contract negotiations as his Wednesday arbitration hearing approaches. Acquired from the Capitals at last season’s trade deadline, the 25-year-old winger seeks $5.7 million annually while the Red Wings are offering $3.65 million. He’s completing a two-year contract valued at $3.35 million per season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The two sides could agree to something around $4.4 million before tomorrow’s arbitration hearing.

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER: The Anaheim Ducks signed Max Comtois, Max Jones and Joshua Mahura to new contracts. Comtois got a two-year, $4.075 million deal, Jones agreed to a three-year, $3.885 million contract, and Mahura a two-year, $1.5 million deal.

SPORTSNET: The New Jersey Devils re-signed winger Janne Kuokkanen to a two-year, $3.65 million contract.

TSN: The Tampa Bay Lightning inked forward Ross Colton to a two-year deal worth $1.125 million annually.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks signed defenseman Olli Juolevi to a one-year, $750K extension.

CALGARY SUN: The Flames signed blueliner Oliver Kylington to a one-year, two-way deal worth $750K at the NHL level.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Tampa Bay Lightning bench boss Jon Cooper was named head coach of Canada’s Men’s Olympic hockey team for the 2022 Beijing Games in February. His assistant coaches will be the New York Islanders’ Barry Trotz, the Vegas Golden Knights’ Peter DeBoer and the Boston Bruins’ Bruce Cassidy.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: Former Blackhawks center and current radio analyst Troy Murray has been diagnosed with cancer. He intends to continue calling games while battling this disease.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Murray for a speedy and full recovery.

TRIBLIVE.COM: After 46 seasons in the broadcast booth, Mike Lange has called his last game for the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 73-year-old is stepping down from play-by-play duties, though he’ll continue to provide commentary and voiceover work for the club’s radio network.

Famous for his colorful style and signature catchphrases, Lange has been scaling back his broadcasting duties since 2017. In 2001, he received the Foster Hewitt Award for broadcasting from the Hockey Hall of Fame.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Listening to Penguins’ games will never be the same. Best wishes to Lange in his retirement.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 3, 2021

by | Aug 3, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – August 3, 2021

Kevin Fiala and Travis Sanheim headed to club-selected arbitration, an update on Igor Shesterkin’s contract talks, the Avalanche sign Ryan Murray, and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

THE SCORE: Minnesota Wild winger Kevin Fiala and Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim are being taken to salary arbitration by their respective teams. Arbitration hearings will be scheduled between August 11-26.

Minnesota Wild winger Kevin Fiala (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: As when a player files for arbitration, the players and teams in these cases can continue to work toward new contracts before their scheduled arbitration hearings. In most instances, the arbitration date is used as a deadline to working out a new deal, avoiding negotiations dragging on for weeks.

NEW YORK POST: Mollie Walker reports Igor Shesterkin’s decision not to file for salary arbitration suggests he and the New York Rangers are making progress toward a new contract. The 25-year-old goaltender is two years away from qualifying for unrestricted free agent status.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Walker indicated Rangers general manager Chris Drury could attempt to sign Shesterkin to a cost-effective four-to-six year deal. Shesterkin is projected to cost between $5 million and $6 million annually. She speculates a new deal for the netminder could come in closer to $5.75 million.

THE DENVER POST: The Colorado Avalanche signed defenseman Ryan Murray to a one-year, $2 million contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Murray’s signing shrinks an already shallow pool of decent free-agent talent.

ESPN.COM: Greg Wyshynski reports the NHL and the International Olympic Committee failed to secure an expanded media rights agreement for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics. Nevertheless, the league still intends to send players to those Games. Talks are reportedly ongoing between the league, IOC, NHL Players Association and the International Ice Hockey Federation.

The NHL apparently lost leverage for a bigger media rights deal when it left NBC, which hosts the Winter Olympics, to sign new broadcasting agreements with ESPN and Turner Sports.

THE MERCURY NEWS: NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the league’s probe into gambling allegations leveled at Evander Kane will be done before the start of training camp next month. Kane’s estranged wife took to social media accusing the 30-year-old San Jose Sharks winger of betting on NHL games, including throwing games to win money.

NBC SPORTS CHICAGO: The Blackhawks intend to publicly release the findings of its investigation into sexual assault allegations against the team’s former video coach. The investigation has been ongoing since June.