NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 18, 2024

by | May 18, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 18, 2024

The Panthers and Stars advance to the Conference Finals, the Maple Leafs hire Craig Berube as head coach, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers are heading to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year after defeating the Boston Bruins 2-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series, taking the series four games to two. Gustav Forsling broke a 1-1 tie with 1:33 remaining in the third period. Anton Lundell also scored for the Panthers and assisted on Forsling’s goal while Sergei Bobrovsky made 22 saves for the win. Pavel Zacha scored and Jeremy Swayman stopped 26 shots for the Bruins. It’s the second consecutive year they’ve been eliminated by the Panthers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Florida did a superb job smothering Boston’s offense in this series. After a series-opening 5-1 victory, the Bruins scored two goals or less in each of the next five games. The Panthers’ penalty-killers limited their opponent to one power-play goal in the series.

Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov briefly left the game in the third period after blocking a David Pastrnak shot with his left hand. He returned and completed the game, telling reporters afterward that he “felt great”.

Brad Marchand’s return to the lineup for Game 6 couldn’t prevent the Bruins’ elimination. If not for Swayman’s outstanding goaltending, this series wouldn’t have gone as long as it did. Bruins fans chanted his name in gratitude, moving the 25-year-old to tears. He wasn’t helped by his penalty killers, who gave up six goals in this series.

The Panthers will face the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals with Game 1 in New York on Wednesday, May 22, at 8 pm EDT.

Dallas Stars forward Matt Duchene (NHL Images).

Dallas Stars forward Matt Duchene scored in double overtime to lift his club to a 2-1 win over the Colorado Avalanche in Game 6 of their second-round series, eliminating the Avs in six games. Stars captain Jamie Benn tied the game in the third period after the Avalanche took a 1-0 lead on Mikko Rantanen’s second-period goal. Jake Oettinger finished with 29 saves for the Stars while Avs goaltender Alexandar Georgiev turned aside 36. The Stars advance to the Western Conference Finals for the second consecutive year and await the winner of the Edmonton Oilers-Vancouver Canucks series.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dallas appeared to score in the first overtime but Mason Marchment’s goal was overturned following a league-initiated review after it was initially waved off. The claim was Duchene interfered with Avalance goalie Alexandar Georgiev but the Stars forward was outside the crease and was bumped by Avs defenseman Cale Makar. Despite winning the game and series, the Stars remained puzzled by the call.

The Stars got the win without center Roope Hintz. He missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury.

Roster depth made the difference in this series. Colorado Hockey Now’s Evan Rawal indicated four Avalanche forwards had more ice time in Game 6 than the Stars’ forward leader in ice time. The Avs couldn’t match the Stars’ overall depth in this series.

HEADLINES

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs announced Friday that Craig Berube is their new head coach. Berube spent five seasons with the St. Louis Blues, coaching them to the Stanley Cup in 2019. Fired by the Blues in December, Berube becomes the 40th head coach in Leafs history.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Berube has a reputation as a straightforward, no-nonsense bench boss with little patience for players who don’t adhere to his game plan or put in a full effort. It will be interesting to see how well the Leafs players react under his guidance.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers need more production from captain Connor McDavid and winger Zach Hyman to stave off elimination tonight in Game 6 of their second-round series with the Vancouver Canucks. McDavid has one assist in his last three games while Hyman has been held off the score sheet over the same period.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Give credit where it’s due, the Canucks have done a good job shutting down McDavid and Hyman. It’s not because of a lack of effort by those two.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver head coach Rick Tocchet said it would be a stretch to expect Thatcher Demko to return to action in Game 6. Demko’s been sidelined by a lower-body injury following Game 1 of their first-round series with the Nashville Predators. Arturs Silovs is expected to get his ninth straight start for the Canucks.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers hope their layoff until Wednesday’s start of the Eastern Conference Finals will benefit sidelined forwards Filip Chytil and Blake Wheeler. Chytil played in Game 3 but missed the remainder of their series with the Carolina Hurricanes. Wheeler was taken off long-term injury reserve after participating in full practices with his teammates this week.

CAP FRIENDLY: The 2024 second-round pick the Carolina Hurricanes sent to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Jake Guentzel trade does not become a first-rounder because Carolina failed to reach this year’s Stanley Cup Final. The Hurricanes also retain their 2025 fifth-round pick.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: The Devils signed enforcer Kurtis MacDermid to a three-year contract extension with an average annual value of $1.15 million.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is in response to the Rangers, a close division rival, having Matthew Rempe on their roster. He’s also well-liked by his teammates.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 16, 2024

by | May 16, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 16, 2024

The Avalanche force Game 6 with the Stars, updates on the other second-round series, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Dallas Stars 5-3 in Game 5 of their best-of-seven second-round series. Cale Makar scored twice (including the game-winning goal) and Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche. Joe Pavelski scored his first of this postseason and added an assist for the Stars, who hold a 3-2 lead in the series. Game 6 is in Denver on Friday, May 17 at 10 pm EDT.

Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A strong bounce-back effort by the Avalanche following their disastrous performance in Game 4. Makar and MacKinnon rose to the occasion, providing the leadership and clutch play expected of them. The Avs got a boost on the blueline with defenseman Devon Toews returning to action after an illness sidelined him in Game 4.

The Stars have the best road record (4-1) in this postseason but they’ve struggled at home, winning three of seven contests in Dallas. They also missed center Roope Hintz, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury suffered in Game 4.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson seems to have few answers to address his lack of production in this postseason. Head coach Rick Tocchet admits his wingers haven’t helped but felt Pettersson can drive the play more. Pettersson insists it’s not for lack of effort but acknowledges only he can control what he does on the ice.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pettersson can play harder but he’s not being helped with low-scoring forwards like Ilya Mikheyev and Sam Lafferty as his wingers.

SPORTSNET: Tocchet had some good news about Thatcher Demko. The Canucks starting goalie has been sidelined by a lower-body injury since suiting up in Game 1 of their first-round series with the Nashville Predators. Tocchet said Demko has “improved immensely the last 72 hours”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks have relied on third-stringer Arturs Silovs, who backstopped the Canucks over the Predators in the first round and has been solid in their current series with the Edmonton Oilers. No word if Demko will return to action in this series but there’s speculation he might get the nod for Game 6.

Speaking of goaltenders, Edmonton Oilers head coach Kris Knoblauch is keeping mum as to whether Stuart Skinner or Calvin Pickard gets the start for Game 5 tonight. Pickard replaced the struggling Skinner in Game 3 and got the start (and the win) in Game 4.

NHL.COM: Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brett Pesce has returned to practice with his teammates. He’s been sidelined with a lower-body injury since Game 2 of their first-round series with the New York Islanders. Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour didn’t rule out Pesce’s return if the blueliner felt he was good to go. The Hurricanes are down 3-2 in their series with the New York Rangers with the two clubs facing off tonight in Game 6.

NEW YORK POST: After losing their last two games to the Hurricanes, the Rangers could shake up their defense corps for Game 6. During practice on Wednesday, K’Andre Miller was reunited with Jacob Trouba while Braden Schneider was back with Erik Gustafsson.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Utah goaltender Connor Ingram is this season’s winner of the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy. He nearly retired due to obsessive-compulsive disorder and lingering depression before seeking help through the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program in 2021. Ingram had a career-best performance this season, sporting a 23-21-6 record with a 2.91 goals-against average, a .907 save percentage and six shutouts.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Three Penguins recently underwent surgery. Kris Letang had an operation on May 10 to repair a fractured left finger and will require eight weeks of recovery. Blueliner John Ludvig is sidelined for four to six months following surgery in April on a damaged extensor tendon in his left wrist. Winger Matt Nieto will be out for six-to-seven months following surgery on the MCL in his left knee.

THE TENNESSEAN: Former Nashville Predators goaltender Pekka Rinne will be inducted into the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame on July 20. He spent the entirety of his 15-season NHL career with the Predators, winning 30-plus games eight times. Rinne was a four-time finalist for the Vezina Trophy, winning it in 2018.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: The Sharks are reportedly considering Jeff Blashill as their next head coach. He coached the Detroit Red Wings from 2015 to 2022 and spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Los Angeles Kings signed backup goaltender David Rittich to a one-year, $1 million contract.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings are expected to go shopping for a starting goaltender in this summer’s trade market. They reportedly attempted to acquire Boston Bruins netminder Linus Ullmark before the March trade deadline but it’s believed he used his no-trade clause to spike the deal.

CBS NEWS: A Native American woman who worked for the Chicago Blackhawks is suing the club and its charity for breach of oral contract, fraud and sexual harassment. Nina Sanders said she was brought in to build relationships between the team and the Native American community but was later pushed out.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 10, 2024

by | May 10, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 10, 2024

The Rangers push the Hurricanes to the brink of elimination while the Stars tie their series with the Avalanche. Check out the details in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The New York Rangers are on the verge of sweeping the Carolina Hurricanes following their 3-2 victory in Game 3 of their best-of-seven second-round series. Artemi Panarin scored in overtime while Igor Shesterkin kicked out 45 shots as the Rangers took a commanding 3-0 series lead, leaving them with a 7-0 record in this postseason thus far. Andrei Svechnikov had a goal and an assist for the Hurricanes, who will try to stave off elimination in Game 4 on Saturday, May 11 at 7 pm EDT.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes are getting scoring chances but Shesterkin has been outstanding in goal for the Rangers. His 7-0 record in this postseason matches the Rangers’ postseason record set by Mike Richter in 1994.

Meanwhile, Blueshirts scorers Panarin, Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere have risen to the occasion in this series.

Filip Chytil’s return to the lineup gave the Rangers an emotional lift. He’d been sidelined since Nov. 2 with a suspected concussion.

This game was a must-win for the Hurricanes. They find themselves in a deep hole that only four teams have climbed out of in Stanley Cup playoff history. They replaced Frederik Andersen in goal for this contest with Pyotr Kochetkov, who made 25 saves and couldn’t be faulted for this loss.

A powerless power play is a big reason the Hurricanes find themselves in this situation. They’ve gone 0-for-15 with the man advantage in this series. If they don’t rectify this problem, Saturday’s game will be their last of this season.

The Dallas Stars held off the Colorado Avalanche 5-3 in Game 2 of their second-round series. Roope Hintz had a goal and three assists and Miro Heiskanen tallied twice as the Stars evened the series at a game apiece. The Avalanche made it interesting, rallying with three goals to cut the Stars’ lead to 4-3 before Esa Lindell put the game out of reach with an empty netter. The series moves to Denver for the next two contests with Game 3 on Saturday at 10 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hintz was due for a big game after managing just one point in eight postseason games. He certainly delivered in Game 2.

The Stars’ special teams went two-for-five on the power play and successfully killed off three penalties. They also got a lift with the return of Mason Marchment, who had an assist in his first game since being sidelined with an undisclosed injury suffered in Game 2 of their first-round series with the Vegas Golden Knights.

Given the Avs credit for not giving up after falling behind 4-0. However, their top offensive players (Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen and Cale Makar) were held scoreless in this contest.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Edmonton Oilers could face Game 2 against the Vancouver Canucks without Leon Draisaitl and Adam Henrique. Draisaitl is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed ailment while Henrique is day-to-day with a lower-body injury. An update on their statuses is expected before tonight’s game.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 6, 2024

by | May 6, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 6, 2024

The Stars eliminate the Golden Knights, the Rangers defeat the Hurricanes in Game 1 of their second-round series, the Selke Trophy finalists are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: There will be a new Stanley Cup champion this year as the Dallas Stars eliminated the defending champion Vegas Golden Knights with a 2-1 victory in Game 7 of their first-round series. Radek Faksa snapped a 1-1 tie early in the third period, Jake Oettinger made 22 saves and Wyatt Johnston also scored for the Stars. Brett Howden tallied the only goal for the Golden Knights. The Stars will face the Colorado Avalanche in the second round with Game 1 starting on Tuesday, May 7 at 9:30 pm EDT.

Dallas Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars prevailed with solid goaltending from Oettinger, who gave up two goals or less in six of the seven games. He had help from his teammates as their improved defensive play smothered Vegas’ offense.

The Golden Knights opened this series with 4-3 and 3-1 victories but managed only nine goals over the following five games. Jack Eichel was held scoreless in three games. 2023 playoff MVP Jonathan Marchessault was held to two goals and never scored again after Game 2. Mark Stone only scored twice and those came on the power play. Trade deadline acquisition Tomas Hertl was held to one goal.

New York Rangers center Mika Zibanejad scored twice and collected an assist as his club held off the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in Game 1 of their best-of-seven second-round series. Vincent Trocheck and Chris Kreider each collected two points for the Rangers while Sebastian Aho had two assists for the Hurricanes. Game 2 is Tuesday, May 7 at 7 pm EDT.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was an entertaining contest as the Rangers and Hurricanes set the stage for what should be another thrilling series comparable to their 2022 second-round matchup. The Rangers struck first and opened a two-goal lead in the first period, forcing the Hurricanes to play catchup for the rest of this game.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: The full schedule for the second round was released following the completion of the Stars-Golden Knights series.

Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews, and Carolina Hurricanes center Jordan Staal are the finalists for the Frank J. Selke Trophy, honoring this season’s top defensive forward.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the finalists. It’s the third time in four years Barkov has been up for this award, winning in 2020-21. It’s the second time for Staal since 2009-10 when he was with the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s the first time for Matthews.

TSN: Florida Panthers forward Sam Bennett will be unavailable for Game 1 of his club’s second-round series with the Boston Bruins. He’s been out with an upper-body injury since Game 2 of the Panthers first-round series with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch reports the Senators have narrowed their search for their new head coach to four candidates. They are former St. Louis Blues coach Craig Berube, former Los Angeles Kings coach Todd McLellan, former Minnesota Wild bench boss Dean Evason and New Jersey Devils interim coach Travis Green.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Garrioch reported his sources cannot confirm if the Senators have had formal discussions with Berube yet. He added Berube’s had serious discussions with New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 3, 2024

by | May 3, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 3, 2024

The Maple Leafs force Game 7 with the Bruins in their opening-round series. Get the details plus the latest playoff news and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAP

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Boston Bruins 2-1 in Game 6 of their best-of-seven opening-round series. William Nylander scored both goals and Joseph Woll made 22 saves for the Leafs, who overcame a 3-1 series deficit to force a seventh and deciding game in Boston on Saturday. Morgan Geekie scored for the Bruins with one second remaining in the third period and teammate Jeremy Swayman stopped 24 shots. The start time for Game 7 is 8 pm EDT.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Given up for dead after their listless loss in Game 4, the Leafs have flipped the script in this series. The pressure is now on the Bruins, who return home facing the prospect of blowing a 3-1 series lead and being eliminated from the opening round for the second straight year.

Like their win in Game 5, the Leafs played a solid defensive game to contain the Bruins’ offense. Woll has been solid between the pipes. His teammates are drawing strength and confidence from his steady performance.

Leafs star Auston Matthews remained sidelined by an illness for the second straight game but has returned to skating with his teammate in practice. Nylander, meanwhile, stepped up in this game to fill the void.

After the game, Bruins coach Jim Montgomery called out his club’s leading scorer David Pastrnak. “’Pasta’ needs to step up”, he said. “He needs to be a dominant player like he used to. He’s doing it in flurries, but not consistently.” Pastrnak has two goals and two assists in this series but was held scoreless in the last two games.

Don’t expect a goaltending change for the Bruins in Game 7. Swayman wasn’t to blame for his club’s two losses, giving up only two goals in Game 5 with a .939 save percentage and two in Game 6 (.923). That’s especially true in the first period of both games with the Leafs outshooting the Bruins 11-2 in the fifth game and 12-1 in the sixth.

PLAYOFF NOTEBOOK

NHL.COM: The second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs starts Sunday with Game 1 between the Carolina Hurricanes and New York Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: We could learn the start times for other second-round series depending on the outcome of Friday night’s games. The Vancouver Canucks hold a 3-2 series lead as they face the Predators in Nashville while the Dallas Stars are up 3-2 over the Golden Knights as the two clubs face off in Las Vegas.

TSN’s Darren Dreger took to social media on Thursday reporting the Carolina Hurricanes aren’t interested in allowing head coach Rod Brind’Amour to test the open market this summer. He indicated the two sides have recently come together and it “looks encouraging an extension will get done.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Brind’Amour’s contract situation drew considerable buzz earlier this week following reports claiming he was uncertain about his future in Carolina after the club pulled their offer from the table.

Brind’Amour responded saying he wanted to stay in Carolina. Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon and general manager Don Waddell maintained their confidence that an agreement would be reached soon.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: The Stars are using the Golden Knights’ physical play against them by making them pay on the power play. Two undisciplined penalties by the Golden Knights in the last two games led to the Stars cashing in with the man advantage.

VEGAS HOCKEY NOW: The Golden Knights need a more disciplined game from top defenseman Alex Pietrangelo if they hope to stave off elimination in Friday’s game against the Stars. He was called out by head coach Bruce Cassidy after his penalty against Dallas winger Tyler Seguin in Game 5 led to the Stars’ game-winning goal.

THE PROVINCE: Vancouver Canucks forward J.T. Miller brought some levity to his teammates by wearing teammate Arturs Silovs’ flashy pink and paisley dress shirt during practice on Thursday. Silovs took Miller’s prank in strike. “It looks good on him,” he laughed.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators defenseman Luke Schenn hopes to return to the lineup for Game 6 after an illness sidelined him in Game 5.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers defenseman Adam Fox missed practice on Thursday for the second straight day for a maintenance day. That’s raised concern about the condition of his right knee following a collision with the Washington Capitals’ Nick Jensen on Sunday.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Goaltender Spencer Knight is back with the Panthers after spending the regular season with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. Knight left the Panthers in February 2023 after being admitted into the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program seeking treatment for OCD.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Frederik Andersen, Arizona Coyotes goaltender Connor Ingram, and Calgary Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington are this year’s finalists for the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the three finalists for being recognized for their perseverance, sportsmanship and dedication to hockey this season.

TSN: Seattle Kraken general manager Ron Francis denied a report by ESPN’s Emily Kaplan claiming he received an ultimatum from several players demanding the replacement of Dave Hakstol as head coach. Hakstol was fired on Tuesday after three seasons behind the Kraken bench.

“Zero players issued any ultimatums of any kind regarding the coach – that I can assure you,” said Francis. Kraken winger Jordan Eberle also denied the report.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Hurricanes signed a three-year affiliate agreement with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves.

THE ATHLETIC: Former NHL player Cody Hodgson has retired for the second time. His original retirement was in 2017 after a condition known as malignant hypothermia ended his six-year NHL career.

The 34-year-old center staged a comeback this season, earning an AHL contract with the Milwaukee Admirals. In 13 games, he had six goals and eight points but soon found the symptoms of his condition had returned.

Hodgson said he was at peace with his decision to retire again. His comeback effort brought him a sense of closure that he could still perform at a professional level. “I answered the question that I could play again. Maybe someone else would look at it objectively and conclude something different, but I thought I could keep up with the kids,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Best wishes to Hodgson in his future endeavours.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 2, 2024

by | May 2, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 2, 2024

The Oilers advance to the second round, the Stars push the Golden Knights to the brink of elimination, the latest on Rod Brind’Amour’s contract talks with the Hurricanes, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Edmonton Oilers advanced to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs with a 4-3 victory over the Los Angeles Kings in Game 5 of their best-of-seven first-round series. Leon Draisaitl scored twice and Evan Bouchard collected three assists for the Oilers, who will face the winner of the Vancouver Canucks – Nashville Predators series.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers’ special teams made the difference in this series. They were a playoff-leading 45.0 percent on the power play while their penalty kill was a perfect 100 percent. This series ends with Connor McDavid leading all postseason scorers with 12 points, Draisaitl second (10 points) and Bouchard third with nine points.

This is the third straight year that the Oilers have eliminated the Kings from the opening round of the playoffs. That could set the stage for some changes in Los Angeles during the offseason. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumors update.

The Dallas Stars pushed the defending Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights to the brink of elimination with a 3-2 victory in Game 5 of their first-round series. Jason Robertson snapped a 2-2 tie with a third-period power-play goal and Jake Oettinger made 25 saves as the Stars took a 3-2 series lead. Mark Stone and William Carrier scored for the Golden Knights. Game 6 is Friday, May 3 at 10 PM EDT in Las Vegas.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars overcame a 2-0 deficit in this series to reach the verge of advancing to the second round. Their power-play made the difference in Game 5, going two-for-four with the man advantage.

The Golden Knights were their worst enemies with their undisciplined play in Game 5. Head coach Bruce Cassidy criticized defenseman Alex Pietrangelo for taking a costly roughing penalty for the second straight game. His swat to the head of Stars forward Tyler Seguin led to Robertson’s game-winning goal. “Veteran guy should know better,” he told reporters following the game.

HEADLINES

THE ATHLETIC: Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell remains confident he’ll soon reach an agreement on a contract extension with head coach Rod Brind’Amour. His comments came as reports emerged claiming the Hurricanes had pulled a contract offer from the table, leaving Brind’Amour uncertain about his future in Carolina.

“We’re going to get it done,” said Waddell. “I’m not worried about it. He wants to be a Hurricane for life.”

Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon also believes the two sides are close to an agreement. “I think it’s all but done. Don and him are working on it. I don’t think there’s anything there,” Dundon said. “They’re just getting through the last little stuff.”

SPORTSNET: During an appearance Wednesday on ESPN’s “The Point”, Brind’Amour said he wants to stay with the Hurricanes. “Everybody knows this is where I want to be,” he said. “I think everyone knows me to be reasonable and fair. When two parties – listen, on any kind of deal – if they want to work it out, it’s going to work out.”

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Everyone seems to be singing from the same hymn book amid rumors about Brind’Amour’s future in Carolina. This has become an unnecessary distraction for the Hurricanes as they prepare for their upcoming second-round series with the New York Rangers.

The possibility of Brind’Amour becoming a free agent this summer set the rumor mill ablaze yesterday. He would become the most popular candidate among the six teams (Los Angeles, New Jersey, Ottawa, San Jose, Seattle, and St. Louis) with head-coaching positions to fill.

TAMPA BAY TIMES: Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois said he’s spoken to the agents for Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman regarding new contracts. Stamkos is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 while Hedman can become a UFA next July.

BriseBois said he remains “very hopeful” of getting Stamkos signed before July 1. “Obviously, it’s our priority to see if we can get this done,” he said.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stamkos wants to stay and it’s obvious that the Lightning want to keep him. The question is how much he’ll seek on his next contract and for how long. The Lightning have limited salary-cap space for next season which will complicate efforts to sign their captain.

NHL.COM: The Vancouver Canucks’ Quinn Hughes, the Nashville Predators’ Roman Josi, and the Colorado Avalanche’s Cale Makar are finalists for the James Norris Memorial Trophy, awarded annually to the NHL’s top defenseman.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Congratulations to the three finalists. Josi and Makar are former Norris winners but Hughes is the favorite this year.

THE PROVINCE: Questions are being raised about Elias Pettersson’s performance. The Canucks center hasn’t scored a goal through the first five games of his team’s first-round playoff series with the Predators. Some observers believe he’s struggling with a lack of confidence or playoff pressure while others think he’s nursing a wrist injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Pettersson has two assists in this series. Whatever the reason, it’s affected his production since early February. His goal-scoring woes stretch back to the regular season with one goal in his final 13 regular-season games. He also had an 11-game stretch from Feb. 11 to March 3 with just one goal.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Panthers forward Sam Bennett could rejoin his teammates in the second round as they await the winner of the Boston Bruins – Toronto Maple Leafs series. Bennett suffered an injured hand during Game 2 of their first-round series against the Lightning.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins intend to cut personnel from their business operations. It is not expected to involve anyone from their hockey operations department.