NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 29, 2024

by | Dec 29, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 29, 2024

Alex Ovechkin scores in his return from injury, a milestone game for Hurricanes coach Rod Brind’Amour, the Predators and Avalanche make a trade, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin continued to pursue Wayne Gretzky’s goal record by scoring an empty-netter for career goal 869 in a 5-2 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ovechkin returned to action after missing 16 games with a fractured left fibula. Jakob Chychrun and Andrew Mangiapane each had a goal and an assist and Logan Thompson stopped 35 shots for the win. John Tavares and Bobby McMann replied for the Leafs.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin extended his league record for empty-net goals to 60, four more than Gretzky. The Washington captain needs 26 goals to break The Great One’s record. Meanwhile, the Capitals (50 points) sit one point behind the Eastern Conference-leading New Jersey Devils.

Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour became the fastest NHL coach to reach 300 regular-season wins as his club defeated the Devils 5-2. Brind’Amour achieved the feat in 488 games (300-143-45) thanks to Jack Roslovic scoring twice and setting up another while Seth Jarvis collected three assists. Paul Cotter and Ondrej Palat were the Devils’ scorers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Timo Meier received a five-minute major and a game misconduct for kneeing Hurricanes forward Martin Necas, who hobbled off the ice but would return to finish the game. Hurricanes defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere missed this game with an upper-body injury and was replaced by call-up Ty Smith.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Jakub Dobes turned in a 34-save shutout in his first NHL game in a 4-0 upset of the Florida Panthers. Kirby Dach tallied twice, Jake Evans netted a shorthanded goal and Cole Caufield potted his 18th of the season for the Canadiens, who’ve gone 11-8-1 over their last 20 games. Spencer Knight stopped 21 shots for the Panthers as their four-game win streak ended.

Three unanswered third-period goals set the stage for Vince Dunn’s overtime winner as the Seattle Kraken overcame a 4-1 deficit to upset the Vancouver Canucks 5-4. Dunn finished the game with two goals and an assist and teammate Jaden Schwartz also tallied twice for the Kraken as they ended a five-game losing skid. Brock Boeser scored twice while fellow Canucks forwards Conor Garland and Jake DeBrusk also found the back of the net.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks captain Quinn Hughes and center Elias Pettersson missed this game due to injuries but they’re not expected to be out of action for long. Vancouver starter Thatcher Demko looked rusty as he continues to work his way back into game form after missing most of the season recovering from a knee injury.

Los Angeles Kings forward Quinton Byfield scored twice, including the winner in overtime, to lead his team over the Edmonton Oilers 4-3. Former Oiler Warren Foegele tallied his 10th of the season as he and Byfield each finished with three points to give the Kings their first win in three games. Kasperi Kapanen, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins and former King Viktor Arvidsson scored for the Oilers as their three-game win streak was snapped.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings placed forward Trevor Moore on injured reserve. They recalled forward Arthur Kaliyev from his AHL conditioning stint but he didn’t play in this game.

Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman turned aside 18 shots to shut out the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0. Morgan Geekie had a goal and an assist and David Pastrnak netted his 13th of the season as the Bruins improved to 5-1-1 in their last seven. Daniil Tarasov made 24 saves in his first game since Dec. 5 as his Blue Jackets saw their two-game win streak end.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Despite the loss the Blue Jackets (36 points) are just two points behind the Ottawa Senators for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. The Bruins called up forward Fabian Lysell, who was held scoreless in his NHL debut.

The Winnipeg Jets overcame a 2-0 deficit for a 4-2 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele each scored their 22nd goal of the season, Nikolaj Ehlers collected three points and Connor Hellebuyck kicked out 33 shots as the Jets sit first overall with 53 points. Tim Stutzle and Ridly Greig scored for the Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators had to rely on the goalie tandem of Mads Sogaard and Leevi Marilainen with their regular netminders Linus Ullmark and Anton Forsberg sidelined by injuries. Soggard was the starter in this game with Marilainen expected to start on Sunday against the Minnesota Wild.

Tampa Bay Lightning forwards Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point each had a goal and two assists in a 6-2 victory over the New York Rangers. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 42 shots as the Lightning have won eight of their last 10 games. Vincent Trocheck had a goal and an assist for the struggling Rangers as they pulled goalie Igor Shesterkin after he gave up five goals on 13 shots. The Blueshirts have just two wins in their last 10 contests.

The New York Islanders defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3. Casey Cizikas and Anders Lee each scored two goals for the Islanders while Rickard Rakell had a goal and an assist for the Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders head coach Patrick Roy demoted rookie forward Maxim Tsyplakov to the fourth line during this game, citing two penalties and several turnovers committed by the winger.

Calgary Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau tallied twice and Nazem Kadri collected two assists to defeat the San Jose Sharks 3-1. Mikael Backlund also scored for the Flames while Dustin Wolf got the win with a 21-save effort. Sharks netminder Yaroslav Askarov stopped 30 shots while fellow rookie Macklin Celebrini scored his 12th of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The win moves the Flames into a tie with the Dallas Stars but the latter holds the final Western Conference wild-card spot with a game in hand and 20 wins to the Flames 17. Sharks forward Carl Grundstrom left this game in the first period with an undisclosed injury. Meanwhile, it was revealed that Sharks goaltender Vitek Vanecek suffered a fractured cheekbone earlier this month and is week to week.

Philadelphia Flyers forward winger Noah Cates scored to extend his goal streak to five games in a 3-1 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee also scored for the Flyers as Samuel Ersson made 32 saves for the win. Troy Terry replied for the Ducks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE TENNESSEAN/COLORADO HOCKEY NOW: The Nashville Predators traded forward Juuso Parsinen and a 2027 seventh-round pick to the Colorado Avalanche for minor-league forward Ondrej Pavel and a 2026 third-rounder.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is the second trade between these two clubs. They recently swapped goaltenders with the Predators shipping Scott Wedgewood to the Avalanche for Justus Annunen.

Parsinen, 23, had a promising start to his NHL career in 2022-23 with 25 points in 45 games but struggled to earn a regular roster spot with the Predators. The Avalanche hope the 6’3”, 212-pounder can provide depth to their center position.

ROTOWIRE: Speaking of the Avalanche, defenseman Oliver Kylington is listed as month-to-month with an upper-body injury.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS/THE ATHLETIC: It’s been a difficult month for the Dallas Stars.

It was reported yesterday that sidelined center Tyler Seguin’s home was broken into earlier this season. They also learned yesterday that forward Mason Marchment is week-to-week after suffering a “gruesome” facial injury during their 3-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild on Friday.

The NHL is also investigating the Stars for a potential CBA violation for staging an “optional skate” on Dec. 26 during the league’s holiday break.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 19, 2024

by | Dec 19, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 19, 2024

Recaps of Wednesday’s games, the Rangers trade Kaapo Kakko to the Kraken, the Predators ship Alexandre Carrier to the Canadiens, Blake Wheeler calls it a career, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Dallas Stars 5-3. Joseph Woll kicked out 36 shots and William Nylander scored twice as the Leafs (20-10-2) have won four of their last five games to sit first in the Atlantic Division with 42 points. Stars goaltender Jake Oettinger got the hook after the second period, giving up four goals on 12 shots.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars captain Jamie Benn set a franchise record playing in his 1,143rd NHL regular-season game, surpassing Hall-of-Famer Mike Modano. The Stars placed defenseman Matt Dumba (upper body) on injured reserve and recalled Alexander Petrovic.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk tallied two goals and teammate Aaron Ekblad had a goal and two assists in a 6-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Sergei Bobrovsky got the win with a 26-save performance. Marco Rossi netted the Wild’s only goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers (20-11-2) are tied with the Leafs but the latter holds the division lead with a game in hand. Wild defenseman Brock Faber left the game in the final minute after being struck in the face by the puck. There was no postgame update regarding his condition.

The Detroit Red Wings beat the Philadelphia Flyers 6-4 on a game-winning goal by Patrick Kane, who finished the night with two points. Lucas Raymond and J.T. Compher also had a goal and an assist each for the Red Wings, who’ve won three of their last four. Flyers captain Sean Couturier picked up two assists as his club remains two points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 32 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings defenseman Simon Edvidsson left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury. There was no postgame update on his condition.

Anaheim Ducks winger Troy Terry scored with 26 seconds remaining in the third period to lift his club to a 3-2 upset of the Winnipeg Jets. Frank Vatrano tallied twice for the Ducks, including the tying goal midway through the third period. Gabriel Vilardi and Mark Scheifele scored for the Jets, who remain in first place in the Western Conference with 47 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Jets forward Nikolaj Ehlers picked up an assist in his return to action after missing nine games with a lower-body injury.

An overtime goal by Mikhail Sergachev gave the Utah Hockey Club a 3-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Utah HC overcame a 2-0 deficit on goals by Clayton Keller and Dylan Guenther. Danton Heinen and Dakota Joshua scored for the Canucks as Thatcher Demko stopped 28 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Utah (35 points) has won five of their last six games, including their last three contest. They’re one point out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

HEADLINES

NEW YORK POST/SEATTLE TIMES: The New York Rangers traded Kaapo Kakko to the Seattle Kraken in exchange for defenseman Will Borgen, a third-round pick and a sixth-rounder in the 2025 NHL Draft.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kakko was the second-overall pick in the 2019 draft. He was projected to become a top-six scoring winger but struggled to meet expectations with the Rangers. That made the 23-year-old winger the frequent subject of trade speculation since last season.

The Kraken made this move to boost their offense. They hope a fresh start away from New York’s harsh spotlight will help Kakko become a reliable scorer.

Borgen, 28, was an original member of the Kraken. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Rangers fans aren’t pleased with the return. However, it reflects how much Kakko’s value declined since his career-best 40-point performance in 2022-23.

MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW/THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators traded defenseman Alexandre Carrier to the Montreal Canadiens for blueliner Justin Barron.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens had sought an experienced top-four defenseman with a right-hand shot since October. Carrier reached a career-high 30 points in 2021-22 and 20 points last season but his specialty is killing penalties. The 28-year-old is in the first season of a three-year contract with an affordable average annual value of $3.75 million.

Carrier was the subject of trade speculation last season before re-signing with the Predators. However, their struggles this season have forced general manager Barry Trotz to shake things up. This trade is his fourth since Nov. 25, which included shipping Philip Tomasino to Pittsburgh and swapping Scott Wedgewood for Justus Annunen with Colorado.

Barron struggled to crack the Canadiens lineup full-time. The 23-year-old is younger than Carrier and more of a puck-moving defenseman. Barron is also more affordable for the Predators with an AAV of $1.15 million.

TRIBLIVE.COM/STLTODAY.COM: The Pittsburgh Penguins reacquired defenseman Pierre-Olivier Joseph from the St. Louis Blues for future considerations.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Joseph began his NHL career with the Penguins, spending four seasons with them before signing a one-year contract with the Blues as an unrestricted free agent. He became the odd man out with the Blues following their acquisition of Cam Fowler from the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday. Meanwhile, the Penguins needed some short-term blueline depth with Marcus Pettersson sidelined week-to-week and reserve blueliners Sebastian Aho and Jack St. Ivany hobbled by injuries.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks goaltender Vitek Vanecek is sidelined for at least two weeks with an upper-body injury after being struck by an errant puck while sitting on the bench during Tuesday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets. They’ve recalled netminder Yaroslav Askarov from their AHL affiliate.

THE ATHLETIC: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Dante Fabbro’s lower-body injury isn’t as serious as feared. He’s expected to miss a few games with what GM Don Waddell called a charley horse.

WINNIPEG SUN: Former Jets captain Blake Wheeler is hanging up his skates. During an appearance this week on the Beyond High Performance podcast, the 38-year-old left winger said he could no longer face the grind of an 82-game NHL season.

“It’s just the emotional, get up 82 times – I don’t want to do that. There’s only so much gas in the tank for that,” said Wheeler. He’s been an unrestricted free agent since July.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wheeler played 16 NHL seasons with the Boston Bruins, Atlanta Thrashers, Winnipeg Jets and New York Rangers, with 13 of those seasons with the Thrashers/Jets. He was captain of the Jets from 2016-17 to 2021-22.

Wheeler tallied 321 goals and 622 assists for 943 points in 1,172 regular-season games, including back-to-back 91-point performances in 2017-18 and 2018-19. He also had 45 points in 66 playoff games.










NHL Rumor Mill – October 21, 2024

by | Oct 21, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – October 21, 2024

More suggested goalie options for the Avalanche and more proposed trade destinations for Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

THE DENVER POST: Corey Masisak recently examined the Colorado Avalanche’s goalie woes.

Masisak thinks starter Alexandar Georgiev still has enough of a track record to sort out his inconsistent play. Their internal options aren’t great if Georgiev doesn’t improve. Backup Justus Annunen is a wild card and it would be risky to make him the starter for more than a short period. Kaapo Kahkonen has never proven to be a No. 1 goalie for a significant period.

Colorado Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev (NHL Images).

Options in this season’s trade market could include pending unrestricted free agents like Washington’s Logan Thompson or Charlie Lindgren, Detroit’s Alex Lyon, Calgary’s Dan Vladar, San Jose’s Mackenzie Blackwood or Vitek Vanecek, and Utah’s Karel Vejmelka. The latter four would require salary retention to fit them within the Avs’ limited cap space.

Masisak also looked ahead toward this summer’s free-agent market where the pickings are slim assuming the New York Rangers re-sign netminder Igor Shesterkin.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s also been suggested the Avs attempt to acquire John Gibson from the Anaheim Ducks assuming the Ducks retain half of his $6.4 million cap hit through 2026-27 and also accept Georgiev in return.

The Avs are in a bind with no immediate solutions given their cap constraints and the lack of suitable options in the trade market this early in the season.

SPORTSNET: David Morassutti proposed several trade destinations for Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren following his season debut against the Los Angeles Kings last week.

Liljegren’s future has been a topic of speculation after sliding down the Leafs’ blueline depth chart. His $3 million annual average value through 2025-26 could also create a salary-cap headache for management.

Morassutti suggested the Utah Hockey Club, Dallas Stars, Chicago Blackhawks, Anaheim Ducks, Pittsburgh Penguins and Columbus Blue Jackets as potential destinations for Lilejegren.

Utah’s blueline got thin with Sean Durzi and John Marino sidelined by injuries. The Stars’ defense could use more depth on the right side. The Blackhawks and Ducks are rebuilding teams that could benefit from a veteran rearguard in his mid-twenties. The Penguins need to bolster their defense and the struggling Blue Jackets have the cap space to add to their blueline.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs reportedly aren’t rushing to move Liljegren partly because of the uncertain health of their own defense corps. That could change as the season advances but it’s difficult to find suitable trade partners for a defenseman carrying a $3 million cap hit if he’s spending most of his time in the press box.










Notable NHL Trades – March 8, 2024

by | Mar 8, 2024

Notable NHL Trades – March 8, 2024

The San Jose Sharks traded center Tomas Hertl and two third-round picks (2025 and 2027) to the Vegas Golden Knights for Vegas’ 2025 first-rounder and prospect center David Edstrom.

New Jersey Devils trade winger Tyler Toffoli to the Winnipeg Jets (NHL Images).

TSN’s Darren Dreger reports the Winnipeg Jets have acquired winger Tyler Toffoli from the New Jersey Devils. TSN reports the return is a 2024 third-round pick and a 2025 second-rounder. 

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports the Washington Capitals traded center Evgeny Kuznetsov to the Carolina Hurricanes for a 2025 third-round pick. The Capitals also retain 50 percent of Kuznetsov’s $7.8 million annual cap hit through 2024-25. 

Montreal Canadiens traded goaltender Jake Allen to the New Jersey Devils in return for a conditional third-rounder in 2024. The Canadiens also retain half of Allen’s contract.

ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports the New Jersey Devils traded goaltender Vitek Vanecek to the San Jose Sharks for goalie Kaapo Kahkonen. 

Buffalo Sabres traded winger Kyle Okposo to the Florida Panthers in exchange for minor-league defenseman Calle Sjalin and a conditional 2024 seventh-round pick. 

Minnesota Wild traded forward Pat Maroon to the Boston Bruins for a conditional 2026 sixth-round pick and minor league winger Luke Toporowski.

New York Rangers acquire Jack Roslovic from the Columbus Blue Jackets for a conditional fourth-round pick. 

Arizona Coyotes traded defenseman Matt Dumba and a 2025 seven-rounder to the Tampa Bay Lightning for a 2027 fifth-round pick. 

Arizona Coyotes trade winger Jason Zucker to the Nashville Predators for a 2024 sixth-round pick.

Buffalo Sabres traded defenseman Erik Johnson to the Philadelphia Flyers for a 2024 fourth-rounder.

Boston Bruins trade defenseman Jakub Zboril to the Columbus Blue Jackets for defenseman Andrew Peeke. 










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 21, 2024

by | Feb 21, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 21, 2024

The Panthers and Rangers extend their win streaks as they jockey for first place in the Eastern Conference, the league-leading Canucks drop their third straight game, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Florida Panthers regained sole possession of first place in the Eastern Conference with a 3-2 overtime win over the Ottawa Senators. Anton Lundell netted the winning goal while Brandon Montour had a goal and an assist for the 37-15-5 Panthers (78 points), who’ve won six straight games and sit two points back of the league-leading Vancouver Canucks. Thomas Chabot and Tim Stutzle replied for the 23-27-3 Senators as they overcame a 2-0 deficit.

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (NHL Images).

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin kicked out 41 shots to backstop his club over the Dallas Stars 3-1, extending their win streak to eight games. Kaapo Kakko scored what proved to be the game-winner for the Rangers (37-16-3) as they sit atop the Metropolitan Division with 77 points, one behind the Panthers. Miro Heiskanen tallied for the 34-15-8 Stars, who sit in first place in the Central Division with 76 points.

The Vancouver Canucks lost their third straight game by falling 3-1 to the Colorado Avalanche. Nathan MacKinnon collected an assist to extend his season-opening home points streak to 27 games while Ryan Johansen tallied twice for the 35-18-4 Avalanche (74 points) as they sit second in the Central and two points back of the Stars. J.T. Miller scored for the slumping Canucks (37-15-6).

Winnipeg Jets forwards Kyle Connor and Gabriel Vilardi each had three points in a 6-3 victory over the Minnesota Wild. Laurent Brossoit stopped 36 shots as the Jets (34-15-5) sit third in the Central with 73 points. Marco Rossi netted two goals for the 26-24-6 Wild (58 points), as they remain two points out of the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

The Nashville Predators defeated the Vegas Golden Knight 5-3. Kevin Lankinen got the win with 23 saves in his first start since Jan. 27 while Roman Josi collected two assists for the 29-25-2 Predators as they moved into a tie with the St. Louis Blues with 60 points. Adin Hill made 35 saves for the Golden Knights (32-18-6) as they sit second in the Pacific Division with 70 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights captain Mark Stone left this game with an upper-body injury. There was no postgame update on his condition. Meanwhile, the Blues still hold the final Western Conference wild-card berth with a game in hand.

New York Islanders defenseman Adam Pelech scored in overtime to lift his club to a 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, who overcame a 4-2 deficit to force the extra period. Pelech, Mathew Barzal and Brock Nelson each had a goal and an assist for the Islanders (23-18-14) as they sit four points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot with 60 points. Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson picked up an assist for his 800th career NHL point for the 24-21-8 Penguins.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin tallied two goals and added an assist to beat the New Jersey Devils 6-2. Connor McMichael also scored twice while Dylan Strome had a goal and two assists for the Capitals (25-21-8) as they sit six points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth with 58 points. Alexander Holtz and Erik Haula replied for the 28-23-4 Devils (60 points), who are four points out of that Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals center Nic Dowd left in the first period with an upper-body injury and didn’t return. Before the game, the Devils placed goaltender Vitek Vanecek (lower body) on injured reserve retroactive to Jan. 10 while activating defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler.

The Los Angeles Kings got two goals from Pierre-Luc Dubois as they cruised to a 5-1 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Quinton Byfield and Drew Doughty each had two points for the Kings (28-16-10) as they’ve won six of their last seven and hold the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 66 points. Adam Boqvist replied for the 17-27-10 Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kings winger Viktor Arvidsson left in the third period with a lower-body injury.

HEADLINES

TORONTO SUN: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman upheld the five-game suspension for Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly for high-sticking Ottawa Senators forward Ridly Greig on Feb. 10.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rielly’s absence hasn’t hurt the Leafs as they’ve won four straight since his suspension.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: The Red Wings signed forward Michael Rasmussen to a four-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $3.2 million.

DAILY FACEOFF: The St. Louis Blues placed defensemen Justin Faulk and Scott Perunovich on injured reserve.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer but there’s no talk of the 26-year-old getting traded. After missing 21 months dealing with mental health issues, his comeback has sparked mutual interest in a contract extension.

DAILY FACEOFF: Chicago Blackhawks winger Zach Sanford and San Jose Sharks defenseman Jacob MacDonald were placed on waivers yesterday. Teams have until noon ET to claim them.

TSN: The AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack released former NHL forward Artem Anisimov from his professional tryout agreement in January. He had one goal and three assists in 18 games with the Wolf Pack.

THE MERCURY NEWS: Former San Jose Sharks captain Patrick Marleau is part of the Bay Sports Area Hall of Fame’s class of 2024. He will be inducted on May 6, becoming the second Sharks player to be honored, joining Owen Nolan.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 13, 2024

by | Feb 13, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 13, 2024

Recaps of Monday’s games include a milestone game for the Golden Knights’ Alex Pietrangelo, the three stars of the week are revealed, Sharks stars Logan Couture and Tomas Hertl are sidelined, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Minnesota Wild upset the Vegas Golden Knights 5-3. Matt Boldy had a goal and two assists while Joel Eriksson Ek scored twice for the 24-23-5 Wild (53 points) as they moved to within five points of the final Western Conference wild-card berth. Alex Pietrangelo collected two assists for the Golden Knights (31-16-6) as they remain in second place in the Pacific Division with 68 points.

Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Golden Knights honored Pietrangelo for playing in his 1,000th career NHL regular-season game. He also became the sixth defenseman in league history to collect multiple assists in his 1,000th game, joining Ryan Suter, Sergei Zubov, Kevin Hatcher, Brad Park and Tim Horton.

Speaking of the Golden Knights, goaltender Logan Thompson missed this game due to an illness.

New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin turned in a 30-save shutout performance in a 2-0 win over the Calgary Flames. Will Cuylle and Jimmy Vesey scored for the Rangers (34-16-3) as they hold first place in the Metropolitan Division with 71 points and moved into second place in the Eastern Conference standings. Jacob Markstrom stopped 29 shots for the 25-23-5 Flames (55 points) as they remain three points out of the final Western wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers have won five games in a row. Meanwhile, Flames forward Jakob Pelletier left this game favoring his left shoulder in the first period following a hit from Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba. Pelletier missed October, November and December recovering from surgery on that shoulder. There was no postgame update on his status.

The Philadelphia Flyers picked up their fourth straight victory by downing the Arizona Coyotes 5-3, handing the latter their sixth straight loss. Travis Konecny had a goal and two assists while Scott Laughton had a goal and an assist for the 29-19-6 Flyers, who hold third place in the Metropolitan Division with 64 points. J.J. Moser had two assists for the 23-24-4 Coyotes.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers winger Tyson Foerster and defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen missed this game due to injuries.

New Jersey Devils center Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over the Seattle Kraken. Nico Daws turned aside 27 shots for the Devils (26-21-4) as they moved to within four points of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 56 points. Joey Daccord made 34 saves for the 21-21-10 Kraken.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils goalie Vitek Vanecek missed this game due to an illness and a lower-body injury. Kraken defenseman Brian Dumoulin left the game in the first period with a lower-body injury.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom, Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky and Montreal Canadiens center Nick Suzuki are the league’s three stars for the week ending Feb. 12, 2024.

SAN JOSE HOCKEY NOW: Sharks captain Logan Couture is listed as week-to-week as he continues to battle Osteitis pubis, which is a significant groin, abdomen and hip issue. Couture, 34, returned to action three weeks ago after being sidelined since the summer by this condition.

The Sharks also announced center Tomas Hertl will be sidelined for several weeks following surgery to clean out loose cartilage in his left knee.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is a significant setback for the Sharks as they will be without their top two centers at a time when they are showing some improvement. They’re near the bottom of the Western Conference standings but had won four of their last six games (4-1-1).

CHICAGO HOCKEY NOW: Sidelined Blackhawks rookie Connor Bedard (fractured jaw) could return to action sometime next week. The 18-year-old center has been sidelined since Jan. 5 and the Blackhawks’ offense has suffered without their leading scorer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bedard remains the Blackhawks leading scorer with 33 points in 39 games. Minnesota Wild defenseman Brock Faber’s two assists last night moved him into a tie with Bedard for the rookie scoring lead.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Detroit Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri will miss the start of his club’s four-game road trip as he is away briefly on personal leave.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins winger Jansen Harkins has been diagnosed with a concussion and has been placed on injured reserve.

DAILY FACEOFF: The Ottawa Senators placed forward Zack MacEwen on waivers to free up salary cap space to activate goaltender Anton Forsberg off long-term injury reserve. If MacEwen clears, he’ll be sent to their AHL affiliate in Belleville.