NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 4, 2025

by | Apr 4, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 4, 2025

A milestone game for Cale Makar as the Avalanche clinch a playoff berth, the Senators and Canadiens strengthen their wild-card positions, the Blues match a franchise record, the league plans to address LTIR issues with the NHLPA, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

RECAPS OF THURSDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar tallied his 30th goal of the season in a 7-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets, clinching a playoff berth in the Western Conference. Makar also collected two assists while Nathan MacKinnon, Charlie Coyle and Devon Toews also each had a goal and two assists for the Avalanche as they sit third in the Central Division with 98 points. Sean Monahan, Zach Aston-Reese and Boone Jenner replied for the Blue Jackets, who sit four points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth with 77 points.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Makar is the ninth defenseman in NHL history to record a 30-goal season, and the first to do so since Mike Green (31) in 2008-09. He also reached the 60-assist and 90-point plateaus, becoming the first defenseman to achieve consecutive 90-point campaigns since Paul Coffey and Al MacInnis in 1990-91. Makar joins Coffey, Raymond Bourque, Denis Potvin and Bobby Orr as the only blueliners in NHL history to have 30 goals and 60 assists in one season.

The Ottawa Senators nipped the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1, strengthening their grip on the first Eastern wild-card spot while snapping the latter’s four-game win streak. Linus Ullmark stopped 31 shots while Shane Pinto and Jake Sanderson scored for the Senators (86 points), giving them a five-point lead over the Montreal Canadiens. Brandon Hagel netted his 34th goal for the Lightning (93 points), who remain three points behind the Atlantic Division-leading Toronto Maple Leafs.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators also reached the 40-win plateau for the first time since 2016-17, when they last clinched a playoff berth. They got this win without team captain Brady Tkachuk. He remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

Speaking of the Canadiens (81 points), they got a 4-1 win over the Boston Bruins to open a two-point lead over the New York Rangers for the final Eastern wild card. Brendan Gallagher and Nick Suzuki each had a goal and an assist and Cole Caufield tallied his 35th goal of the season. Elias Lindholm replied for the Bruins, who’ve dropped 10 straight games and sit last in the Eastern Conference with 69 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With 81 points, Suzuki is the first Canadiens player to reach the 80-point plateau since Alex Kovalev in 2007-08. Caufield is the first Hab to score 35 goals in a season since Max Pacioretty in 2016-17. In other Canadiens news, they’ve reportedly signed prospect goaltender Jacob Fowler to an entry-level contract.

The last time the Bruins finished last in the Eastern Conference was in 1996-97. They also finished last overall, selecting Joe Thornton with the first overall pick in the 1997 NHL Draft.

The St. Louis Blues tied their franchise-record win streak of 11 games by squeaking past the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-4 on an overtime goal by Robert Thomas, who also collected an assist in regulation. Jake Neighbours tallied twice while Jordan Kyrou had a goal and an assist for the Blues, who surged past the Minnesota Wild (89 points) into the first Western wild-card berth with 91 points. Penguins rookie Rutger McGroarty collected his first NHL points with a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues forward Dylan Holloway left this game after the first period with an upper-body injury. There was no post-game update regarding his condition. Penguins center Evgeny Malkin missed his fourth straight game with an upper-body injury.

Calgary Flames forward Blake Coleman scored twice to down the Anaheim Ducks 4-1. Dustin Wolf made 26 saves and Yegor Sharangovich picked up two assists for the Flames (84 points), putting them five behind the Wild in the Western wild-card race. Olen Zellweger replied for the Ducks, who were officially eliminated from the postseason chase.

The Edmonton Oilers’ 3-2 win over the San Jose Sharks was overshadowed by Leon Draisaitl’s departure in the second period with an undisclosed injury. Draisaitl picked up an assist before he left the game while teammate Jeff Skinner had a goal and an assist for the Oilers, who sit third in the Pacific Division with 93 points. Tyler Toffoli picked up his 28th goal for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl recently returned from an injury. There was no postgame update regarding his current status. The absence of their leading scorer is cause for concern for the Oilers, who are also without team captain Connor McDavid, defenseman Mattias Ekholm, and starting goalie Stuart Skinner. Meanwhile, Sharks defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin missed this game with an upper-body injury and is still being re-evaluated.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Eric Comrie kicked out 26 shots to shut out the Vegas Golden Knights 4-0. Mark Scheifele netted his 37th goal of the season as the Jets tied their franchise record with their 52nd win, sitting three points ahead of the Washington Capitals atop the overall standings with 108 points. The Golden Knights hold first place in the Pacific Division with 98 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers left this game in the third period with an injured left leg. In his post-game interview, head coach Scott Arniel indicated that he felt Ehlers’ injury wasn’t too serious.

The Dallas Stars picked up their seventh straight win by defeating the Nashville Predators 5-1. Wyatt Johnston extended his goal streak to six games while Mikko Rantanen, Matt Duchene, Jason Robertson and Mason Marchment each had two points as the Wild sit second in the Central Division with 104 points. Steven Stamkos replied for the Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rantanen became the third-fastest Finnish-born NHL player to reach the 700-point plateau, achieving the milestone in 645 games. Jiri Kurri was the fastest (483 games) followed by Teemu Selanne (541). Stars captain Jamie Benn missed this game with a “maintenance issue”, ending his streak of 371 consecutive games played.

Los Angeles Kings forwards Kevin Fiala and Trevor Moore scored 44 seconds apart for a 4-2 victory over the Utah Hockey Club. Darcy Kuemper turned aside 28 shots and Drew Doughty had a goal and an assist for the Kings (95 points), moving within three points of the first-place Golden Knights in the Pacific Division. Lawson Crouse and Jack McBain scored for Utah.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah forward Dylan Guenther suffered a broken nose, two black eyes and nine stitches during Tuesday’s game against Calgary, but suited up for this contest wearing a protective bubble cage attached to his helmet. “I mean, your nose is a long way from your legs. It doesn’t really affect you,” he said.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TSN: Pierre LeBrun reported negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement between the NHL and the NHL Players’ Association began this week. The league intends to bring up the ongoing issue of long-term injury reserve where players on LTIR return in time to skate in the playoffs. That’s been a contentious issue because several teams soar over the salary cap during the playoffs because there is no cap in the postseason.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Whether the two sides can find an adequate solution remains to be seen.

One suggestion is the salary cap should be extended to the playoffs, but that issue can be seen as penalizing teams for having injured players. Another suggestion was having sidelined players scheduled to return by the opening round of the playoffs prevented from playing in that round, but that would unfairly punish them for getting injured, which could violate Canadian and American labor laws.

NEW YORK POST: Islanders winger Anthony Duclair has been granted a leave of absence from the team after head coach Patrick Roy publicly criticized his play following a recent loss. Roy told reporters that he and Duclair had a good discussion following the incident, and the winger is taking time off to reflect.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: That raises questions over whether Duclair is done for the season and about his future with the Islanders.

DAILY FACEOFF: Michigan State forward Isaac Howard, University of Denver defenseman Zeev Buium, and Boston College forward Ryan Leonard are the 2025 Hobey Baker Memorial Award finalists. Howard is a Tampa Bay Lightning prospect, Buium is a prospect of the Minnesota Wild, and Leonard recently joined the Washington Capitals on an entry-level contract.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 3, 2025

by | Apr 3, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 3, 2025

Alex Ovechkin is within a hat trick of becoming the all-time goals leader while the Maple Leafs and Hurricanes clinch postseason berths. Details and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF WEDNESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin netted his 892nd regular-season goal but his club fell 5-1 to the Carolina Hurricanes. Ovechkin is only three goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894 goals. Meanwhile, the Hurricanes clinched a playoff berth for the seventh straight season as Jackson Blake scored twice and Seth Jarvis tallied his 30th goal of the season.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Washington sits first in the Eastern Conference with 105 points but only one win in their last five games (1-3-1). They remain a point back of the Winnipeg Jets, who sit atop the overall standings. Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson left this game with an upper-body injury. There was no postgame update on his condition.

The Hurricanes are on a roll, winning 12 of their last 14 games. They sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 96 points.

The Toronto Maple Leafs got goals from John Tavares, Mitch Marner and Matthew Knies as they held off the Florida Panthers 3-2 to clinch a playoff spot. Anthony Stolarz made 29 saves as the Leafs sit first in the Atlantic Division with 96 points. Gustav Forsling and Sam Reinhart replied for the Panthers, who are four points behind the Leafs in third place in the division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Toronto has the longest active postseason streak (nine seasons) but has only one playoff series win thus far. Leafs forward David Kampf left this game with an upper-body injury.

Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov (upper-body injury) and center Nico Sturm (undisclosed) missed this game and are listed as day-to-day. The Panthers are 0-2-1 in their last three contests.

An overtime goal by Vincent Trocheck lifted the New York Rangers over the Minnesota Wild 5-4. Artemi Panarin had a goal and two assists for the Rangers, who are tied with the Montreal Canadiens with 79 points. Marcus Johansson had a goal and two assists for the Wild to regain the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with a game in hand over the Rangers. The Wild are tied in points with the St. Louis Blues but have 33 regulation wins to the Blues’ 30, putting the latter into the final Western wild card.

Shootout goals by Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen gave the Colorado Avalanche a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Martin Necas tied the game for Colorado with 11 seconds remaining in the third period. The Avalanche hold third place in the Central Division with 96 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche forward Jonathan Drouin left this game after the first period with a lower-body injury. There was no postgame update about his condition.

Seattle Kraken goaltender Joey Daccord made 24 saves to shut out the Vancouver Canucks 5-0. Jared McCann collected three assists and Andre Burakovsky had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was another blow for the Canucks’ fading playoff hopes, leaving them eight points out of the final Western wild card.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars head coach Pete DeBoer said there’s a chance sidelined forward Tyler Seguin and defenseman Miro Heiskanen could return to the lineup for the start of the postseason, which begins on April 19.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: With Dougie Hamilton and Jonas Siegenthaler sidelined, Luke Hughes has stepped up as the Devils’ No. 1 defenseman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was only a matter of time until Hughes moved into that role. The injuries to Hamilton and Siegenthaler opened that pathway earlier than expected. The 21-year-old blueliner has seized the opportunity with 41 points in 66 games, putting him six shy of last season’s career-best of 47.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Edmonton sportswriter Bruce McCurdy passed away on Wednesday. He wrote for the now-defunct blog “Copper and Blue” and was co-writer of the Journal’s “The Cult of Hockey” and co-host of the eponymous podcast.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My sincere condolences to Bruce’s family, friends, and staff of the Journal, especially David Staples, his co-host on “The Cult of Hockey” podcast. I started following Bruce’s work during his “Copper and Blue” days, occasionally interacted with him, and cited his work on this site from time to time. He was a passionate follower of the Oilers and I will miss his insight.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 1, 2025

by | Apr 1, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 1, 2025

Recaps of Monday’s games, the three stars of the week are revealed, and the latest on Matthew Tkachuk, Tomas Hertl and more (no foolin’) in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Calgary Flames kept their playoff hopes alive by nipping the Colorado Avalanche 3-2 on a shootout goal by Yegor Sharangovich. Cale Makar and Logan O’Connor gave Colorado a 2-0 lead but Calgary got third-period goals from Ryan Lomberg and Adam Klapka to tie the game. With 82 points, the Flames are five points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. The Avalanche sit third in the Central Division with 94 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon collected an assist for his 80th of the season and 110th point, regaining the lead in the race for the Art Ross Trophy. He also extended his home points streak to 25 games.

New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes had a goal and an assist in a 3-2 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Jacob Markstrom stopped 27 shots for New Jersey and Jesper Bratt tallied the winning goal in the shootout. The Devils hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 87 points. Vinnie Hinostroza and Matt Boldy replied for the Wild, who hold the first Western wild-card spot with 88 points.

Dallas Stars forward Wyatt Johnston (NHL Images).

The Dallas Stars picked up their sixth straight win by defeating the Seattle Kraken 3-1. Wyatt Johnston scored for the fifth straight game and Casey DeSmith kicked out 35 shots for the Stars, who sit second in the Western Conference with 102 points. Kaapo Kakko scored for the Kraken.

Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Jamie Drysdale snapped a 1-1 tie in the second period to give his club a 2-1 win over the Nashville Predators. Rookie Matvei Michkov collected two assists as the Flyers got their third straight win under interim coach Brad Shaw. Zachary L’Heureux scored for the Predators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Michkov has been on fire since Shaw took over behind the bench, tallying four goals and three assists for seven points. Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway returned to action after missing 15 games with an upper-body injury.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz, and Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck are the league’s three stars for the week ending March 30, 2025.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk had his first on-ice workout on Monday since being sidelined playing for Team USA in February’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament. He’ll travel with the club on its final regular-season road trip as he continues working out with the team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tkachuk could be ready to return for the start of the Stanley Cup playoffs on April 19.

NHL.COM: Speaking of the Panthers, defenseman Niko Mikkola was fined $5,000.00 by the department of player safety for unsportsmanlike conduct during Sunday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights center Tomas Hertl will be unavailable for his club’s next four games with an upper-body injury. He’s been sidelined since March 23. Meanwhile, backup goaltender Ilya Samsonov is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Washington Capitals signed top prospect Ryan Leonard to an entry-level contract. He could make his NHL debut on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leonard is among several prospects signing entry-level deals with their NHL teams as the NCAA hockey season winds down. Others include Gabe Perreault signing with the New York Rangers, Matthew Wood joining the Nashville Predators, Jimmy Snuggerud moving on to the St. Louis Blues, and Oliver Moore and Sam Rinzel signing with the Chicago Blackhawks.

TRIBLIVE.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins placed forward Emil Bemstrom on waivers.

NHL.COM: On Tuesday, the Los Angeles Kings will honor long-time play-by-play announcer Nick Nickson with a pregame ceremony. Nickson is retiring after this season following 44 years of calling Kings games on radio and television. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2015.

SPORTRAC: The NHL has agreed with Rogers Communication on a 12-year, USD $7.7 billion contract extension ($11 billion Cdn) beginning in 2026-27. The current 12-year, $5.2 billion deal expires at the end of next season. The league board of governors is expected to vote on the deal this week.

The league and Rogers declined to comment.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 30, 2025

by | Mar 30, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 30, 2025

The Stars clinch a playoff berth, the Rangers regain the final Eastern wild-card spot, Oilers star Leon Draisaitl reaches the 50-goal plateau, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Dallas Stars joined the Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets among the teams that have clinched playoff berths with a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken, officially eliminating the latter from postseason contention. Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists for the Stars, who have won five straight games and sit second in the Central Division with 100 points, four behind the league-leading Jets. Eeli Tolvanen tallied his 22nd goal of the season for the Kraken.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin and defenseman Adam Fox each scored twice in a 6-1 rout of the San Jose Sharks. The win moved the Rangers into the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot for the first time since March 17 with 77 points, two ahead of the Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets. Sharks center Cam Lund scored his first NHL goal.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl returned from a four-game absence in dramatic fashion, scoring the tying and winning goals to nip the Calgary Flames 3-2 in overtime. Draisaitl also collected an assist and became the first player this season to reach the 50-goal plateau. Nazem Kadri had two assists for the Flames (80 points) as they sit seven points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot. The Oilers are third in the Pacific Division with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With a league-leading 51 goals, Draisaitl has reached the 50-goal single-season milestone four times. He joins Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin as the only active players with at least four 50-goal seasons.

The first period of this game was paused for nearly 10 minutes for an emergency medical situation in the stands. A person collapsed on the steps behind the Oilers bench and was taken to a hospital. No update was provided.

Before this game, the Flames announced that center Connor Zary was week-to-week with a lower-body injury believed to be his left knee. It’s not as serious as the injury to the same knee that sidelined him for two months earlier this season.

The red-hot St. Louis Blues picked up their ninth straight victory by beating the Colorado Avalanche 2-1. Pavel Buchnevich broke a 1-1 tie in the third period and Robert Thomas collected two assists as the Blues hold the second Western wild-card spot with 87 points, six ahead of the Vancouver Canucks. Nathan MacKinnon scored his 30th goal of the season for the Avalanche, who are third in the Central Division with 93 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon extended his home points streak to 24 games. He has 109 points this season with eight games remaining in the Avalanche’s regular-season schedule.

A hat trick by team captain Nico Hischier powered the New Jersey Devils to a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild. Jesper Bratt set up two goals for the Devils, who sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 85 points. Marcus Foligno had a goal and an assist for the Wild, who hold the first Western wild card with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild and Blues are tied in points but the former holds that wild-card berth with a game in hand. They also have 41 wins to the Blues’ 40.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists for the second straight game as his club beat the New York Islanders 5-3. Brayden Point tallied twice for the Lightning (91), tying them with the second-place Florida Panthers in the Atlantic Division. Ryan Pulock, Marc Gatcomb and Tony DeAngelo replied for the Islanders (74 points), who are three points behind the Rangers for the final Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov has the same point total as MacKinnon (109) but holds the lead in the race for the Art Ross Trophy with a game in hand. Draisaitl is third with 104 points but has a nine-goal lead in the race for the Maurice Richard Trophy.

The Toronto Maple Leafs got two third-period goals from John Tavares in a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings, snapping the latter’s 15-game home points streak. Leafs captain Auston Matthews scored a shorthanded goal and picked up an assist as the Leafs hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 92 points. Alex Laferriere scored for the Kings, who sit second in the Pacific Division with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings and Oilers are tied in points but the former holds their place in the Pacific standings with a game in hand.

Third-period goals by Reilly Smith and Brett Howden lifted the Vegas Golden Knights over the Nashville Predators 3-1. Jack Eichel extended his points streak to six games with a goal and an assist as the Golden Knights have won six straight, sitting first in the Pacific Division with 98 points. Ryan O’Reilly scored for the Predators, who lost forward Colton Sissons in the first period after injuring his left leg. There was no immediate update on his condition following the game.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark kicked out 29 shots in a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ridly Greig had a goal and an assist for the Senators, who hold the first Eastern wild-card berth with 83 points. Boone Jenner and Kirill Marchenko scored for the Blue Jackets, who sit two points out of the final Eastern wild card.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators hold a six-point cushion over the Rangers and are eight points up on the Blue Jackets and Canadiens. With 10 games remaining, they are tantalizingly close to clinching their first playoff berth in eight years.

The Detroit Red Wings kept their playoff hopes alive by downing the Boston Bruins 2-1. Cam Talbot stopped 20 shots while Marco Kasper and Lucas Raymond tallied for the Red Wings (74 points), who sit three points behind the Rangers in the wild-card race. Morgan Geekie replied for the Bruins as their losing skid reached eight games.

Rookie winger Matvei Michkov scored two goals as the Philadelphia Flyers rolled to a 7-4 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, picking up their second straight win since Brad Shaw became interim head coach on Thursday. Ryan Poehling had two goals and an assist for the Flyers. Jack Quinn scored two goals and an assist for the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin was a late scratch due to an illness, leaving him one game shy of reaching the 500-game plateau.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2025

by | Mar 28, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2025

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby sets a notable offensive record, Nikita Kucherov leads the Lightning with a four-point game, the Blues strengthen their hold on the final Western wild card, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING THURSDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby broke Wayne Gretzky’s record of consecutive seasons averaging a point-per-game in a 7-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Jiri Kulich scored twice for the Sabres while Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Rasmus Dahlin, Bowen Byram and Peyton Kreb had two points each.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby has 20 consecutive seasons averaging a point-per-game. That’s an impressive display of offensive consistency, especially at this stage of his career on a team rebuilding its roster.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 saves to shut out the Utah Hockey Club 8-0. Victor Hedman had a goal and two assists while Jake Guentzel and Oliver Bjorkstrand each scored twice for the Lightning (89 points), who moved within one point of the first-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning are tied with the Florida Panthers in points but the latter holds a game in hand.

Speaking of the Maple Leafs, they overcame a 5-3 deficit in regulation to the San Jose Sharks but fell 6-5 on shootout goals by Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini. Tyler Toffoli scored twice and picked up an assist for the Sharks. William Nylander tallied twice and Mitch Marner collected three assists for the Leafs, who sit atop the Atlantic Division with 90 points.

The St. Louis Blues strengthened their hold on the final Western Conference wild-card berth by nipping the Nashville Predators 3-2, picking up their eighth straight win. Dylan Holloway scored two goals, including the game-winner in the third period. Robert Thomas had two assists for the Blues (85 points), opening a five-point lead over the Vancouver Canucks. Fedor Svechkov and Brady Skjei scored for the Predators, who’ve been officially eliminated from the playoff race.

Minnesota Wild forward Frederick Gaudreau scored twice and Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals. Filip Gustavsson stopped 28 shots for the Wild, who remain two points ahead of the Blues for the first Western wild card. Matt Roy and Brandon Duhaime replied for the Capitals, who remain in first place in the overall standings with 103 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was held off the score sheet and remains six goals from breaking Gretzky’s all-time goals record of 894. Following the game, Ovechkin led his teammates in a handshake lineup for Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who is expected to retire following this season.

The Dallas Stars got a 46-save performance by backup goalie Casey DeSmith to beat the Calgary Flames 5-2. Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Mikko Rantanen, Matt Duchene, Mikael Granlund and Mason Marchment each collected two points for the Stars, who picked up their fourth straight win to sit second in the Central Division with 98 points. Nazem Kadri scored both goals for the Flames (79 points), who sit six points back of the surging Blues in the Western wild-card race.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames had two goals disallowed, leaving them feeling like the referees robbed them. They also lost forward Connor Zary as he left the game early in the third period favoring his left knee after colliding with Rantanen.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark turned aside 31 shots as his club held off the Detroit Red Wings for a 4-3 victory. Michael Amadio scored what proved to be the game-winner as the Senators (81 points) opened a six-point cushion over the Montreal Canadiens in the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Lucas Raymond had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings, who remain three points behind the Canadiens with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game featured two teams going in different directions. The Senators have won eight of their last 11 games while the Red Wings have only three wins in their last 14 contests.

Meanwhile, the Canadiens (75 points) blew a golden opportunity to expand their lead in the final Eastern wild-card spot by dropping a 6-4 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers, who had fired head coach John Tortorella earlier in the day. Sean Couturier and Matvei Michkov each had two goals and an assist for the Flyers, who got their first win under interim coach Brad Shaw. Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson picked up two assists, becoming the first rookie defenseman since 1985-86 to have 50 assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, Flyers general manager Daniel Briere spoke to the media about the decision to fire Tortorella. He claimed a number of reasons led to the decision, not just Tortorella’s comments on Tuesday expressing frustration over the club’s losing skid in recent weeks. He declined to get into the specifics, saying it wouldn’t be fair to his former coach.

Flyers defenseman Cam York was benched for the entire game against the Canadiens. Shaw claimed it was for disciplinary reasons but didn’t go into detail.

The last rookie defenseman to reach the 50-assist plateau was Gary Suter with the Calgary Flames. He went on to win the Calder Memorial Trophy that season.

Colorado Avalanche goalie Mackenzie Blackwood had 22 saves to blank the Los Angeles Kings 4-0. Martin Necas scored twice and picked up an assist while Nathan MacKinnon had an assist to extend his home points streak to 23 games. The Avalanche sit third in the Central Division with 93 points, while the Kings are second in the Pacific Division with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon (108 points) holds a three-point lead over Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov atop the points race. Kings forwards Alex Turcotte and Tanner Jeannot missed this game as they’re day-to-day with undisclosed injuries.

A five-goal second period carried the Seattle Kraken to a 6-1 upset of the Edmonton Oilers. Jaden Schwartz scored twice and Joey Daccord kicked out 36 shots for the Kraken. Zach Hyman scored for the Oilers, who remain third in the Pacific Division with 87 points.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins defenseman Michael Callahan was fined over $2,000.00 by the department of player safety for cross-checking Anaheim Ducks forward Jansen Harkins on Wednesday.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers forward Matt Rempe is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2025

by | Mar 27, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 27, 2025

Recaps of Wednesday’s games, the Flyers fire head coach John Tortorella, an update on Brad Marchand, Dylan Cozens is thriving since being traded to the Senators, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Dallas Stars got a natural hat trick from Jason Robertson as they held off the Edmonton Oilers 4-3. Roope Hintz collected three assists and Jake Oettinger stopped 41 shots for the Stars, who’ve won their third straight game and sit second in the Central Division with 96 points. Corey Perry and Adam Henrique each had a goal and an assist for the Oilers, who lost goaltender Stuart Skinner following a third-period collision with Stars winger Mikko Rantanen. The loss leaves the Oilers in third place in the Pacific Division with 87 points.

Dallas Stars winger Jason Robertson (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Skinner will not be traveling with the Oilers to Seattle after being struck in the head by Rantanen’s knee. His teammates’ tepid response to the incident sparked criticism of the club’s toughness.

Vancouver Canucks forward Kiefer Sherwood scored twice and picked up an assist in a 5-2 victory over the New York Islanders. Thatcher Demko made 26 saves while Pius Suter and Drew O’Connor had two assists each for the Canucks (80 points), who sit three points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Casey Cizikas had a goal and an assist for the Islanders (74 points), who remain one point back of the Montreal Canadiens for the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot.

The Boston Bruins’ fading playoff hopes took another hit with a 6-2 loss to the Anaheim Ducks. Leo Carlsson tallied twice and Jackson LaCombe had a goal and an assist for the Ducks. David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie replied for the Bruins (69 points), who’ve lost seven straight games and remain six points behind the Canadiens.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov missed this game to return to Boston to deal with a family matter.

New Jersey Devils forward Dawson Mercer scored two goals to lead his club over the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3. Luke Hughes collected three assists as the Devils ended a three-game losing skid. They’re third in the Metropolitan Division with 83 points. Tyler Bertuzzi and Ilya Mikheyev replied for the Blackhawks, who’ve dropped eight of their last nine games.

HEADLINES

**UPDATE** The Philadelphia Flyers relieved John Tortorella of his coaching duties. 

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Brad Marchand is inching closer to his debut with the Panthers. Head coach Paul Maurice said the plan is for the 36-year-old winger to participate in a full team practice on Thursday and be in the lineup for Friday’s game against Utah.

The Panthers acquired Marchand from the Bruins at the March 7 trade deadline. He’s been sidelined with an upper-body injury since March 1.

SPORTSNET: Dylan Cozens has been thriving with the Ottawa Senators. Acquired from the Buffalo Sabres on March 7, he has three goals and five assists for eight points in nine games. The Senators have gone 6-3-0 during that stretch.

THE ATHLETIC: Matthew Fairburn believes the Sabres’ long playoff drought is testing the limits of their fans’ patience. The club is seeing thousands of empty seats in their arena this season, with some season-ticket holders opting not to renew for 2025-26.

Fairburn points out the Sabres are 30th in attendance by average capacity with 84 percent. They’re 27th in average raw attendance with 16, 070. He believes the constant losing hurts the club’s bottom line.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sabres have been floundering for nearly 15 years under team owner Terry Pegula. Sabres fans are long-suffering but their patience could be nearing the breaking point. Buffalo is a hockey town with a rich history, However, if fan support keeps dwindling, whispers of franchise relocation won’t be far behind.

SPORTSNET: Eric Francis reported on some details for the Calgary Flames’ new arena. Construction began on the 18,400-seat venue eight months ago and is expected to open midway through 2027.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators CEO Cyril Leeder said the club is expected to remain in its current arena for at least five years. Talks are ongoing between the Senators and Ottawa’s National Capital Commission (NCC) to construct a new arena at LeBreton Flats.