NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 3, 2024

by | Dec 3, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 3, 2024

Recaps of Monday’s games, the three stars of the week are revealed, and the latest on Alex Ovechkin, Jeff Skinner, Patrik Laine and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: New Jersey Devils winger Jesper Bratt had a goal and three assists in a 5-1 victory over the New York Rangers, handing the latter their sixth loss in their last seven games. Jack Hughes scored twice and picked up an assist while Jacob Markstrom kicked out 38 shots as the Devils (17-9-2) moved into sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference with 36 points. Rangers winger Chris Kreider tallied his 10th goal of the season.

New Jersey Devils winger Jesper Bratt (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin lost his fifth straight game for the first time in his career. Teammate Brett Berard missed this game with an upper-body injury.

The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1. Auston Matthews scored his first goal since returning from a nine-game absence with an undisclosed injury while teammate Mitch Marner collected two assists in his 600th NHL regular-season game. Lukas Reichel replied for the Blackhawks, who remain last in the overall standings with 18 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs have won nine of their last 11 games (15-7-2) and took over sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division with 32 points.

Dallas Stars goaltender Casey DeSmith stopped 34 shots for a 2-1 win over the Utah Hockey Club. Evgenii Dadonov and Jamie Benn scored for the Stars as they picked up their third straight win. Nick Schmaltz scored for Utah.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game began, the Stars announced forward Tyler Seguin (lower body) was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 1.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, Vancouver Canucks defenseman Quinn Hughes, and Washington Capitals defenseman Jakob Chychrun were the league’s three stars for the week ending Dec. 1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Celebrini was also the NHL’s Rookie of the Month for November 2024.

TSN: Washington Capitals left wing Alex Ovechkin skated by himself before his club’s practice on Monday as he works his way back from a broken left fibula suffered on Nov. 18. He’s expected to return to action by late December or early January.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers winger Jeff Skinner was fined $2,000.00 by the league’s department of player safety for embellishment during a recent game against the New York Rangers.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens sent winger Joshua Roy back to their AHL affiliate in Laval, which suggests Patrik Laine’s season debut could be imminent. The 26-year-old left winger has been sidelined since suffering a knee injury during preseason play.

TSN: The Florida Panthers recalled goaltender Chris Driedger as starter Sergei Bobrovsky will miss their two-game road trip to be with his wife, who is expecting a baby.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Carolina Hurricanes signed goaltender Dustin Tokarski to a one-year, two-way contract. He was immediately placed on waivers for assignment to the AHL.

ROTOWIRE: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Oliver Kylington is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury. They also placed forward Ross Colton (lower body) on long-term injury reserve but he could return to action at some point during the Avalanche’s upcoming five-game road trip.

SPORTSNET: The Calgary Flames placed forward Justin Kirkland (lower body) on injured reserve.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings called up goaltender Sebastian Cossa on an emergency basis with regular netminders Cam Talbot and Alex Lyon sidelined by lower-body injuries.

SPORTSNET: Canada released its camp roster for the upcoming 2025 World Junior Championship. Notable omissions include Ottawa Senators prospect Carter Yakemchuk, Utah Hockey Club’s Tij Iginla, and Calgary Flames prospect Zayne Parekh.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Anaheim Ducks winger Beckett Sennecke was also passed over. Four of the top nine picks in the 2024 NHL Draft were not selected for Canada’s roster.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 30, 2024

by | Nov 30, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 30, 2024

Recapping the action of Friday’s 14 games in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF FRIDAY’S NHL GAMES

NHL.COM: Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny scored two goals as his club upset the New York Rangers 3-1. Bobby Brink also scored and Ivan Fedotov stopped 22 shots for the Flyers as they moved into the final wild-card berth in the Eastern Conference with 25 points (11-10-3). Vincent Trocheck replied for the Rangers, who’ve lost five in a row and hold the first Eastern wild-card spot with 25 points (12-9-1).

Philadelphia Flyers winger Travis Konecny (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers look nothing like the dominant club that won the Presidents’ Trophy last season. General manager Chris Drury miscalculated if he felt that publicly shopping some of his veterans in the trade market would light a fire under this team. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumor Mill update.

Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon scored twice as his club overcame a 2-0 deficit for a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 20 saves as he remains unbeaten in regulation (5-0-1) this season. Ryan Donato tallied both goals for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Blackhawks announced backup goaltender Laurent Brossoit will remain sidelined for another six weeks after undergoing a second procedure on his right knee.

The Vancouver Canucks blew a 3-1 lead but got a 4-3 overtime victory over the Buffalo Sabres. Connor Garland had two goals (including the winning goal) and an assist and Kevin Lankinen turned aside 31 shots for the Canucks. Sabres forward Dylan Cozens had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres forward Sam Lafferty left this game with a lower-body injury.

Power-play goals by Dougie Hamilton, Timo Meier and Jack Hughes carried the New Jersey Devils over the Detroit Red Wings 5-4. Hamilton, Meier and Hughes each finished with two points. Red Wings forward Vladimir Tarasenko also had a goal and an assist while teammate Lucas Raymond scored to extend his goal streak to five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Tomas Tatar left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury. His status is unclear for Saturday’s game against the Washington Capitals. The Devils sit atop the Metropolitan Division with 34 points.

The Washington Capitals overcame a 4-2 deficit to defeat the New York Islanders 5-4 on an overtime goal by Jakob Chychrun. Tom Wilson had two goals, Dylan Strome scored a goal and two assists and Connor McMichael had three helpers for the Capitals. Simon Holmstrom scored twice and Anders Lee had a goal and two assists for the Islanders, who have only two wins in their last 10 games (2-4-4).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders forward Jean-Gabriel Pageau was a last-minute scratch as he’s dealing with a lower-body issue.

Three unanswered third-period goals by A.J. Greer, Anton Lundell and Sam Bennett carried the Florida Panthers over the Carolina Hurricanes by a score of 6-3. This was Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad’s 700th career NHL regular-season game. Seth Jarvis, Sean Walker and Eric Robinson scored for the Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The win moves the Panthers into first place in the Atlantic Division with 29 points, one ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The Columbus Blue Jackets extended their points streak to five games (4-0-1) with a 5-2 upset of the Calgary Flames. Adam Fantilli scored two goals, and Kirill Marchenko had a goal and two assists for the Blue Jackets. Blake Coleman and Nazem Kadri replied for the Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski extended his points streak to seven games with a goal and an assist.

An overtime power-play goal by Brayden Point gave the Tampa Bay Lightning a 3-2 win over the Nashville Predators. Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel also scored for the Lightning while Roman Josi netted both goals for the Predators, who’ve dropped three straight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nashville winger Steven Stamkos wasn’t pleased with his club’s work ethic against his former team. It’s been a difficult season for Stamkos with seven goals and 12 points in 24 games since signing with the Predators this summer.

Los Angeles Kings goaltender Erik Portillo turned aside 28 shots in his NHL debut to defeat the Anaheim Ducks 2-1. Alex Turcotte and Alex Laferriere scored for the Kings while Ryan Strome replied for the Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings placed center Akil Thomas (undisclosed) on injured reserve ahead of this contest. He was injured during Monday’s 7-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks.

San Jose Sharks rookies Macklin Celebrini and Will Smith each had a goal and an assist in an 8-5 victory over the Seattle Kraken. Ethan Cardwell tallied his first NHL goal for the Sharks and Jake Walman tallied twice. Kraken center Chandler Stephenson had a goal and two assists and teammate Shane Wright potted two goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks are still rebuilding and aren’t expected to be a playoff club this season. Nevertheless, promising youngsters like Celebrini, Smith and William Eklund and veterans like Mikael Granlund, Tyler Toffoli, Mackenzie Blackwood and Alexander Wennberg have turned this group into an entertaining team. It’s a refreshing change from the moribund bunch that floundered at the bottom of the standings in 2023-24.

The Pittsburgh Penguins got a game-winning goal from recently acquired winger Philip Tomasino to nip the Boston Bruins 2-1. Penguins winger Rickard Rakell also scored and Tristan Jarry got the win with a 31-save performance. Charlie Coyle scored for the Bruins as Jeremy Swayman stopped 33 shots.

Vegas Golden Knights forward Brett Howden scored twice, including the game-winner, in a 4-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets. It’s the first time Howden has reached 10 goals in a season. Ivan Barbashev also tallied two goals for the Golden Knights, who sit atop the Pacific Division with 33 points. Cole Perfetti scored twice for the Jets, who’ve dropped three of their last four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Winnipeg remains atop the overall standings with 36 points but they’ve cooled from their red-hot start of 17 wins in their first 20 games. The Jets activated defenseman Logan Stanley off injured reserve for this game.

Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment scored two goals and collected an assist as his club defeated the Colorado Avalanche 5-3. Jamie Benn and Tyler Seguin each had a goal and an assist for the Stars while Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar each had two points for the Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars center Roope Hintz returned to action after missing the club’s previous game with an undisclosed ailment. However, teammate Logan Stankoven missed this game with a minor injury and is listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by Ryan Nugent-Hopkins lifted the Edmonton Oilers over the Utah Hockey Club 4-3. His teammates Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each had a goal and an assist, Evan Bouchard had two assists and Calvin Pickard kicked out 28 shots for the win. Alexander Kerfoot, Logan Cooley and Lawson Crouse scored for Utah.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah defenseman Maveric Lamoureux missed this game as he’s sidelined for four-to-six weeks with an upper-body injury suffered during Tuesday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens.

IN OTHER NEWS…

TORONTO SUN: Maple Leafs forwards Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies will return from injuries in Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

STLTODAY.COM: The St. Louis Blues activated defenseman Philip Broberg off injured reserve. He could return to action on Saturday against the Philadelphia Flyers.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 24, 2024

by | Nov 24, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 24, 2024

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby nets his 600th career goal, Avalanche stars Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar each reach the 30-point mark, the Sharks retire Joe Thornton’s number, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

**UPDATE**

The St. Louis Blues fired head coach Drew Bannister and replaced him with former Boston Bruins coach Jim Montgomery, signing him to a five-year contract.

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored his 600th career goal during a 6-1 loss to the Utah Hockey Club. Dylan Guenther scored twice and collected an assist while Clayton Keller had three assists for Utah, snapping their three-game losing streak. The Penguins have dropped eight of their last 10 contests (2-5-3).

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby became the 21st player in league history to reach the 600-goal plateau. That goal was the only highlight in an otherwise lopsided loss for the struggling Penguins as they hover near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

Colorado Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen had a goal and four assists in a 7-4 victory over the Florida Panthers. Cale Makar had two assists, Jonathan Drouin scored twice, and Valeri Nichushkin had a goal and two assists for the Avalanche, who’ve won seven of their last nine games. Florida forward Sam Reinhart scored his 16th goal of the season, tying the Edmonton Oilers’ Leon Draisaitl for the league lead. The Panthers have lost five of their last six games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rantanen has 32 points and Makar 30, joining teammate Nathan MacKinnon (35 points) to make the Avalanche the first team with three players reaching 30 points at this stage of the season since the 2005-06 Ottawa Senators.

Speaking of the Oilers and Draisaitl, they thumped the New York Rangers 6-2. Draisaitl tallied his 16th of the season and collected an assist while Connor McDavid scored twice and added an assist. Rangers winger Artemi Panarin scored both of his club’s goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse scored a goal as he returned to action after missing three games following a violent hit to his head from Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves.

The Buffalo Sabres doubled up the San Jose Sharks 4-2 as Alex Tuch broke a 2-2 tie with a shorthanded goal in the third period. Sabres defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Bowen Byram each collected two points as their club picked up their third straight victory. Fabian Zetterlund and Luke Kunin replied for the Sharks, who are winless in six of their last seven (1-3-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Sharks retired future Hall-of-Famer Joe Thornton’s No. 19 in a pregame ceremony, joining Patrick Marleau as the only players to be so honored. He’s the franchise leader with 804 assists, second in points with 1,055, and third in games with 1,104.

The most touching moment of the ceremony was when former Sharks defenseman Douglas Murray told the story of how Thornton asked him one day to help him move a homeless mother and her two children into a local apartment, swearing Murray to secrecy. “That’s who the Thorntons are,” said Murray.

The Carolina Hurricanes lost to the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-4 and lost goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov early in overtime to an upper-body injury following a collision with teammate Sean Walker. Sean Monahan got the game-winner in the shootout after Kirill Marchenko tied the game 4-4 late in the third period, giving the Blue Jackets their third straight victory. Sebastian Aho and Martin Necas each had two points for the Hurricanes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Carolina head coach Rod Brind’Amour addressed Kochetkov’s injury during his postgame interview, saying it didn’t look good but would learn more later about the goalie’s condition. The Hurricanes are already short a netminder with Frederik Andersen sidelined until January following knee surgery.

Philadelphia Flyers winger Matvei Michkov’s overtime goal lifted his club to a 3-2 victory over the Chicago Blackhawks. Sean Couturier and Noah Cates scored as the Flyers overcame a 2-0 deficit, snapping a two-game losing skid. Lukas Reichel and Pat Maroon were the goalscorers for the Blackhawks, who’ve dropped six of their last eight (2-5-1).

The Calgary Flames nipped the Minnesota Wild 4-3 on a shootout goal by Rasmus Andersson. Calgary had taken a 3-1 lead but the Wild rallied late in the third on goals by Brock Faber and Marco Rossi. The Flames have won four straight and five of their last six.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild forwards Kirill Kaprizov and Marat Khusnutdinov missed this game with lower-body injuries. Kaprizov will be reevaluated when the Wild return to Minnesota on Sunday.

Los Angeles Kings captain Anze Kopitar picked up two assists as his club held off the Seattle Kraken 2-1, handing the latter their fifth straight road loss. Adrian Kempe and Quinton Byfield scored for the Kings while Brandon Montour replied for the Kraken.

A five-goal second period carried the Vegas Golden Knights to a 6-2 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev each had a goal and two assists for the Golden Knights to hold first place in the Pacific Division with 28 points. Brendan Gallagher had two assists for the Canadiens, who pulled goalie Sam Montembeault after he gave up five goals on 25 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights activated defenseman Nicolas Hague off injured reserve for this game. He’d been sidelined for three weeks with an undisclosed injury.

Vancouver Canucks winger Jake DeBrusk scored twice and added an assist as his club beat the Ottawa Senators 4-3, handing the latter their fifth straight loss (0-4-1). Kevin Lankinen turned aside 26 shots for the Canucks as they collected their third win in their last seven games. Claude Giroux and Drake Batherson each had two points for the struggling Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks captain Quinn Hughes was ejected from the game in the first period after receiving a match penalty for cross-checking Senators forward Josh Norris face-first into the boards. Norris briefly left the game to receive treatment for a cut to his face. It was Hughes’ first career major penalty.

The Boston Bruins collected their second straight win under new head coach Joe Sacco with a 2-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Brad Marchand snapped a 1-1 tie midway through the third period and Jeremy Swayman stopped 19 shots for the win. Lucas Raymond replied for the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin picked up his 300th career assist on Raymond’s goal.

Third-period goals by Matt Duchene and Roope Hintz lifted the Dallas Stars over the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-2, giving the Stars franchise its 2,000th win. Duchene finished with two points and Jake Oettinger made 27 saves as the Stars have won five of their last six games. Lightning center Anthony Cirelli scored both of his club’s goals.

The New Jersey Devils picked up their fourth win in their last five games by downing the Washington Capitals 3-2. Tomas Tatar had a goal and an assist and Jake Allen turned aside 24 shots for the Devils. Matt Roy and Connor McMichael replied for the Capitals, who dropped back-to-back games for the first time this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those losses coincide with the absence of team captain Alex Ovechkin, who leads the club with 15 goals but is sidelined up to six weeks with a fractured left fibula.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Roman Josi lifted the Nashville Predators past the Winnipeg Jets 4-1. Josi scored twice and Marchessault collected two points as the Predators picked up their third win in their last 10 games (3-5-2). Adam Lowry scored for the Jets, who lost defenseman Dylan Samberg with a broken foot after blocking a Stamkos slapshot in the second period.

The New York Islanders snapped a three-game losing skid with a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Brock Nelson had a goal and two assists, Kyle Palmieri tallied twice and Ilya Sorokin made 24 saves for the win. Jake Neighbours replied for the Blues.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 21, 2024

by | Nov 21, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 21, 2024

Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho sets a franchise record, shutout victories for the Leafs, Sabres and Kraken, injury updates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho set a franchise record for game-winning goals in a 4-1 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Aho netted his 58th career game-winner, surpassing Ron Francis for the most in team history. He and teammate Jalen Chatfield each finished with two points as the Hurricanes (14-4-0) took over first place in the Eastern Conference with 28 points. Ryan Poehling replied for the Flyers.

Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho (NHL Images).

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll turned in a 31-save performance to shut out the Vegas Golden Knights 3-0. Rookie forward Fraser Minten opened the scoring with his first career NHL goal. William Nylander and Pontus Holmberg also scored for the Leafs and Mitch Marner collected two assists. Adin Hill stopped 23 shots for the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Leafs as forward Matthew Knies left the game in the second period following a high hit from Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud. There was no postgame update regarding Knies’ condition. Whitecloud was initially assessed a five-minute major but that was rescinded upon review. Instead, he got a two-minute penalty for roughing Leafs defenseman Samuel Benoit in the ensuing scrum.

Speaking of injuries, the Leafs placed forward Max Domi (lower body) on injured reserve.

The Buffalo Sabres blanked the Los Angeles Kings 1-0 as Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen turned in a 24-save shutout. Jason Zucker scored the only goal. Kings netminder David Rittich turned aside 18 shots.

Seattle Kraken goalie Joey Daccord kicked out 24 shots in a 3-0 shutout of the Nashville Predators. Daniel Sprong, Brandon Montour and Yanni Gourde were the goalscorers and Chandler Stephenson collected three assists. Juuse Saros stopped 33 shots for the Predators, who received a bench minor penalty 43 seconds into the game for submitting an incorrect starting lineup to officials.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is just another symptom of a season that’s going horribly wrong for the Predators. Meanwhile, the Kraken completed their six-game homestand with a record of 5-1-0. Speaking of the Kraken, rookie forward Shane Wright was a healthy scratch for the second straight game after netting two points in 18 games.

The Dallas Stars defeated the San Jose Sharks 5-2. Jason Robertson had a goal and two assists while Roope Hintz and Wyatt Johnston each had a goal and an assist for the Stars, who’ve won four of their last five games. Mikael Granlund had a goal and an assist for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars defensemen Ilya Lyubushkin, Thomas Harley and Nils Lundkvist left the game with injuries. Lyubushkin and Harley returned to action but Lundkvist did not.

HEADLINES

BLEACHER NATION: Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Seth Jones will be sidelined with an injured foot for four weeks.

TSN: Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine skated with his teammate in practice for the first time since being sidelined by a sprained left knee during a preseason game in September. Laine wore a non-contact jersey and left the ice after 15 minutes. He’s expected to make his season debut with the Canadiens sometime in December.

RG.ORG: Speaking of the Canadiens, don’t expect to see promising prospect Ivan Demidov make his NHL debut later this season. His KHL team, SKA St. Petersburg, has no intention of terminating the 18-year-old winger’s contract if their season ends before the Canadiens’. 

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Demidov’s KHL contract won’t expire until May 31. Canadiens fans will have to wait for next season to potentially get their first look at the Russian winger in a Habs jersey.

DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Hockey Club goaltender Connor Ingram is listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury. They’ve recalled netminder Jaxson Stauber from the AHL’s Tucson Roadrunners on an emergency basis.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets prospect Cayden Lindstrom underwent minor back surgery to address a herniated lumbar disc. He and the club remain hopeful he’ll return to action with the WHL’s Medicine Hat Tigers. The Blue Jackets chose Lindstrom fourth overall in the 2024 NHL Draft.

DAILY FACEOFF: Speaking of the Blue Jackets, they sent defenseman David Jiricek to their AHL affiliate in Cleveland to make room for center Kent Johnson to be activated from injured reserve.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jiricek’s demotion has made him the subject of trade speculation. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumors update.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 17, 2024

by | Nov 17, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 17, 2024

Check out the recaps of Saturday’s games in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers got a 27-save shutout from Sergei Bobrovsky to blank the Winnipeg Jets 5-0, handing the latter consecutive losses for the first time this season. Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov had a goal and two assists while Sam Reinhart collected three assists. Jets goalie Connor Hellebucyk stopped 26 of 31 shots.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets remain atop the overall standings (15-3-0, 30 points) but must take their game to another level against the defending Stanley Cup champions, who were well-prepared for this contest.

Tampa Bay Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 29 shots in a 4-0 shutout of the New Jersey Devils. Victor Hedman and Anthony Cirelli each had a goal and an assist while Nikita Kucherov collected two assists to extend his points streak to seven games. Devils goalie Jacob Markstrom made 23 stops.

An overtime goal by Mitch Marner lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 4-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Marner’s goal was the 200th of his career and he also collected an assist on one of Bobby McMann’s two goals. Oilers stars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl each had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Maple Leafs forward Ryan Reaves was ejected in the second period for a blindside hit to the head of Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse, who left the game and didn’t return. There was no postgame update regarding Nurse’s condition but it was reported he was aware and joking with the trainers.

Reaves apologized to Nurse in the Oilers dressing room during the third period but could face supplemental discipline from the league. During his NHL career, Reaves has received three suspensions totaling six games.

The Pittsburgh Penguins blew a 3-0 lead but defeated the San Jose Sharks 4-3 on Evgeni Malkin’s shootout goal. Penguins captain Sidney Crosby tallied his 599th career regular-season NHL goal. Tyler Toffoli sniped two of the Sharks’ three goals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins had three rookies in the lineup, including Owen Pickering, who made his NHL debut, collecting an assist for his first point in the big league. Meanwhile, Sharks goaltender Vitek Vanecek left this game in the first period with an undisclosed injury. There was no postgame update regarding his status. Defenseman Jake Walman returned to the Sharks lineup after missing the past five games, four due to injury.

Dallas Stars forward Mason Marchment tallied twice to nip the Minnesota Wild 2-1. Ilya Lyubushkin had two assists and Jake Oettinger made 22 saves as the Stars picked up their third straight victory. Kirill Kaprizov replied for the Wild while Filip Gustavsson kicked out 38 shots.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Spencer Martin made 24 saves for his first-ever NHL shutout in a 4-0 win over the Ottawa Senators. Jordan Martinook had a goal and an assist while Martin Necas picked up an assist to extend his points streak to 12 games. Senators netminder Anton Forsberg stopped 24 of 27 shots in a losing cause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes won without one of their top forwards. Winger Seth Jarvis was placed on injured reserve with an upper-body injury retroactive to Nov. 10.

The St. Louis Blues downed the Boston Bruins 3-2 on an overtime goal by captain Brayden Schenn. Radek Faksa collected a goal and an assist for the Blues as they snapped a four-game winless skid (0-3-1). Trent Frederic tallied both goals for the Bruins as they were outshot 31-17 in this contest.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins center Mark Kastelic left this game with a lower-body injury. Teammate Tyler Johnson missed this game due to a family matter. The Bruins are 1-1-2 in their last four games.

A two-goal performance by Adrian Kempe powered the Los Angeles Kings over the Detroit Red Wings 4-1. It’s the second straight game Kempe has tallied two goals. Dylan Larkin scored for the Wings, who got a 37-save effort from goalie Cam Talbot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings are 5-1-1 in their last seven home games. They activated forward Alex Turcotte off injured reserve for this game. Detroit defenseman Simon Edvinsson missed this game with a lower-body injury. The Wings have dropped four of their last five contests and sit uncomfortably close to the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Arturs Silovs turned aside 28 shots in his first game since Oct. 30 to defeat the Chicago Blackhawks 4-1. J.T. Canucks center J.T. Miller led the way with a goal and an assist. Arvid Soderblom stopped 29 of 31 shots for the Blackhawks as they’ve dropped four of their last five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blackhawks played without defenseman Seth Jones as he was placed on IR due to an injured right foot suffered during Thursday’s game against the Seattle Kraken. Blackhawks head coach Luke Richardson scratched struggling winger Taylor Hall from the lineup, citing his need for more practice after coming off a lengthy absence due to injury last season.

The Seattle Kraken picked up their fourth straight win as they defeated the New York Islanders 3-2 on a late goal by Jamie Oleksiak. Brandon Tanev and Yanni Gourde each collected two points for the Kraken while Pierre Engvall and Brock Nelson replied for the Islanders, who are 1-1-2 in their last four games.

Philadelphia Flyers forward Travis Konecny scored twice and added an assist in a 5-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Rookie winger Matvei Michkov collected two assists as the Flyers have won three straight. Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers rookie defenseman Emil Andrae left this game in the third period with an undisclosed injury. There was no postgame update about his status.

The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 5-1 on three unanswered third-period goals by Lucas Condotta, Jake Evans and Josh Anderson. Team captain Nick Suzuki scored what proved to be the game-winner while Cole Caufield picked up two assists. Dante Fabbro netted his first for the Blue Jackets after being claimed off waivers last week. The Jackets have only one win in their last eight games (1-6-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens honored former captain Shea Weber in a pregame ceremony inducting him into the club’s Ring of Honour alongside their other Hall of Famers. They also played without defenseman David Savard due to an upper-body injury. His absence could be short-term as he participated in the morning skate and spoke with reporters afterward.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 15, 2024

by | Nov 15, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 15, 2024

Oilers captain Connor McDavid reaches 1,000 points and Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy gets his 300th career win. Get the details on these stories and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid became the fourth-fastest and the fourth-youngest player to reach the 1,000-point plateau as his club during a 4-3 victory over the Nashville Predators. McDavid reached the milestone with a second-period goal and picked up an assist on Darnell Nurse’s overtime tally. Nurse finished the night with two goals and an assist. Michael McCarron and Cole Smith replied for the Predators, who’ve won twice in their last nine games (2-4-3).

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid joins Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Mike Bossy among the fastest to 1,000 points, doing so in 659 regular-season games. Gretzky did it in 424 games, Lemieux in 513 games, and Bossy in 656.

Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy became the fastest netminder to reach 300 regular-season wins by defeating the league-leading Winnipeg Jets 4-1, snapping the latter’s seven-game win streak. Vasilevskiy turned aside 23 shots and Jake Guentzel scored two goals for the Lightning. Adam Lowry had the Jets’ only goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vasilevsky got the win in his 490th NHL regular-season game, breaking the previous record (521) held by Hall-of-Famer Jacques Plante.

The Dallas Stars scored seven goals for the second straight game to crush the Boston Bruins 7-2. Evgenii Dadonov tallied twice while teammates Mason Marchment, Matt Duchene and rookie Oskar Back each had a goal and an assist. Charlie Coyle and David Pastrnak scored for the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Back’s goal was his first in the NHL. The Stars’ previous seven-goal game was their 7-1 trouncing of the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday.

New Jersey Devils winger Jesper Bratt tallied a hat trick in a 6-2 victory over the Florida Panthers to sweep their back-to-back series. Jack Hughes collected three assists and Stefan Noesen scored twice for the Devils, who’ve won seven of their last nine games. Panthers forward Sam Reinhart netted his league-leading 13th goal.

Minnesota Wild goalie Filip Gustavsson turned in a 19-save shutout to blank the Montreal Canadiens 3-0. Matt Boldy, Marco Rossi and Kirill Kaprizov were the goalscorers for the Wild, who’ve won six of their last eight contests. Canadiens netminder Sam Montembealt made 25 saves as the Canadiens dropped the seventh of their last eight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaprizov has 30 points in 16 games, breaking his previous franchise record of 30 points in 22 games. Minnesota forwards Mats Zuccarello and Joel Eriksson Ek left this game with lower-body injuries. Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin missed this game with an upper-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

The New York Islanders extended their point streak to five games (3-0-2) with a 5-2 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Islanders center Bo Horvat had two assists against his former club, Anders Lee had a goal and an assist and Semyon Varlamov turned aside 24 shots for the win. Canucks rookie Jonathan Lekkerimaki opened the scoring with his first NHL goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks forward Dakota Joshua made his season debut after missing the opening 14 games of the season recovering from treatment for testicular cancer.

New York Rangers forward Mika Zibanejad snapped a nine-game goalless drought as his club nipped the San Jose Sharks 3-2. Vincent Trocheck’s second-period goal was the game-winner and Artemi Panarin picked up an assist to extend his points streak to six games. Timothy Liljegren and Fabian Zetterlund replied for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a costly win for the Rangers as center Filip Chytil left the game following a collision with teammate K’Andre Miller in the second period. He’s listed as day-to-day with an upper-body injury but there is concern given his concussion history. Meanwhile, the Sharks could loan rookie center Will Smith to Team USA for the 2025 World Junior Championship that begins next month.

An overtime goal by Rasmus Dahlin lifted the Buffalo Sabres to a 4-3 victory over the St. Louis Blues. Alex Tuch and Ryan McLeod each had a goal and an assist as the Sabres picked up their fourth win in their last five games. Brandon Saad scored twice for the Blues, who are winless in their last four games (0-3-1).

The Philadelphia Flyers overcame a 4-2 deficit to beat the Ottawa Senators 5-4 on an overtime goal by rookie Matvei Michkov. Flyers defenseman Travis Sanheim had three points while Bobby Brink, Travis Konecny and Anthony Richard each had a goal and an assist. Josh Norris, Thomas Chabot and Ridly Greig each had two points for the Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers captain Sean Couturier and goaltender Samuel Ersson missed this game with lower-body injuries and are considered day-to-day.

Seattle Kraken Brandon Tanev extended his goal streak to three games in a 3-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Matty Beniers and Jaden Schwartz also scored for the Kraken. Ryan Donato replied for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Schwartz’s goal was the 200th of his NHL career. Kraken captain Jordan Eberle left the game early in the second period with a lower-body injury. There was no postgame update regarding his status. Meanwhile, Blackhawks defenseman Alec Martinez returned to action for the first time since being sidelined on Oct. 15 with a groin injury.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE DENVER POST: Colorado Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin is expected to make his season debut on Friday against the Washington Capitals. He served a six-month suspension as part of Phase 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: Speaking of the Avalanche, they activated forwards Jonathan Drouin and Miles Wood off injured reserve.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avs also placed forward Chris Wagner on waivers.

DAILY FACEOFF: The NHL reports only 55 players are wearing neck guards despite no shortage of close calls. It’s been barely a year since former NHL player Adam Johnston died from a skate cut to his neck while playing in England last year.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Players tend to be reluctant to adopt new equipment when it’s done voluntarily. It took decades for NHL players to fully adopt goalie masks, helmets and visors.

TSN: Defenseman Matt Irwin announced his retirement after 11 NHL seasons with the San Jose Sharks, Boston Bruins, Nashville Predators, Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals. He played in 461 regular-season games between 2012-13 and 2022-23, tallying 25 goals and 68 assists for 93 points. Irwin also had four points in 47 playoff games.