NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2025

by | Mar 10, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 10, 2025

Alex Ovechkin reaches a points milestone on his path to breaking the all-time goals record, Zach Werenski breaks a Blue Jackets record, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored to become the 11th player in NHL history to reach the 1,600-point milestone in a 4-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. Ovechkin’s goal was his 886th, putting him nine away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. Connor McMichael had a goal and an assist for the Capitals, who have won four straight games to sit first in the overall standings with 92 points. Shane Wright and Jordan Eberle replied for the Kraken.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

Carolina Hurricanes newcomers Mark Jankowski (two goals) and Logan Stankoven (one goal) powered their club over the Winnipeg Jets 4-2. It was the pair’s first points since being acquired by Carolina at the trade deadline. The Hurricanes are second in the Metropolitan Division with 80 points. Alex Iafallo and Adam Lowry scored for the Jets as they dropped into second overall with 92 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals hold the lead over the Jets because they hold a game in hand.

The Columbus Blue Jackets thumped the New York Rangers 7-3. Adam Fantilli tallied a hat trick and Zach Werenski picked up two assists for the Blue Jackets, who hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 70 points. Vincent Trochek had two assists for the Rangers (68 points), who remain one point behind the Ottawa Senators for the final Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Werenski moved past Rick Nash to set the franchise record for the most assists with 260.

Anze Kopitar, Adrian Kempe, Warren Foegele and Brandt Clarke each had a goal and an assist as the Los Angeles Kings held on for a 6-5 win over the Vegas Golden Knights. Tomas Hertl tallied a hat trick for the Golden Knights, who hold first place in the Pacific Division with 82 points. The Kings sit third in the division with 75 points.

The Dallas Stars got three unanswered goals by Mikael Granlund, Jason Robertson and Mikko Rantanen to defeat the Vancouver Canucks 4-1. Matt Duchene and Cody Ceci each collected two assists for the Stars, who sit second in the Central Division with 86 points. Derek Forbort scored for the Canucks (69 points) as they remain one point behind the Calgary Flames for the final Western Conference wild-card berth.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars forward Roope Hintz missed this game as he’s still being evaluated after being struck in the face by a puck during Saturday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers. He’s listed as day-to-day.

New Jersey Devils forward Erik Haula had a goal and an assist and trade-deadline acquisition Cody Glass scored as their club beat the Philadelphia Flyers 3-1, handing the latter their fourth straight loss. Jamie Drysdale scored for the Flyers. The Devils sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 74 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Overshadowed by the recent trade deadline was the Devils signing defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic to a five-year contract extension worth an average annual value of $4 million.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby scored twice to lead his club to a 3-1 upset of the Minnesota Wild. Marc-Andre Fleury made 19 saves for the Wild in what was likely his final game against his former club. The Wild have lost two straight games but hold the final Western Conference wild-card spot with 76 points.

The Anaheim Ducks defeated the New York Islanders 4-1. Sam Colangelo tallied twice to extend his goal streak to four games. Tony DeAngelo replied for the Islanders (65 points), who sit four points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Islanders backup goaltender Semyon Varlamov is likely done for the season. He’s been sidelined since late November with a lower-body injury.

THE SALT LAKE TRIBUNE: Utah Hockey Club goaltender Connor Ingram entered the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program.

Ingram released a statement indicating he’d been struggling since returning to action following the death of his mother to breast cancer. He’d been away from the team from the end of November until mid-January for family reasons.

It’s the second time Ingram has entered the program dealing with mental health issues. He opened up about his obsessive compulsive disorder and its effect on his mental health. Ingram won the Bill Masterton Memorial Trophy last season.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 14, 2025

by | Feb 14, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 14, 2025

Team USA thumps Finland in the 4 Nations Face-Off, a potential replacement for sidelined Canadian defenseman Shea Theodore is revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines

NHL.COM: Brady and Matthew Tkachuk scored twice and Zach Werenski collected three assists to lead the United States to a 6-1 victory over Finland. Matthew also collected an assist to finish the night with three points.

Team USA forwards Matthew and Brady Tkachuk (NHL.com).

Finland opened the scoring with a first-period goal by Henri Jokiharju but Brady tied the game midway through the frame. Matt Boldy’s second-period goal proved to be the game-winner.

The Americans blew it open in the third period with Matthew Tkachuk scoring 15 seconds into the period and Jake Guentzel picking up his first of the tournament 11 seconds later. Guentzel and Boldy finished with a goal and an assist as the Americans outshot the Finns 32-21.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the first time the Tkachuks played together in a meaningful game. They became the first brothers to score multiple goals in an NHL international tournament game.

The Tkachuk’s performance overshadowed Werenski’s, as he led the Americans in ice time (21:45). This game also marked Guentzel’s debut in international play.

Finland will face Sweden on Saturday at 1 PM ET while Team USA faces Canada at 8 PM ET. Both games will be held at the Bell Centre in Montreal. The Americans lead the tournament with three points based on their regulation win. Canada is second with two points following their overtime win over Sweden on Wednesday. Sweden has one point for their overtime loss.

RG.ORG: Brady Tkachuk is looking forward to Saturday’s game against Canada. “Well, I think it’s gonna be the biggest game I’ve ever played in my career,” he said. “So I’m really looking forward to that.

SPORTSNET: Large sections of the crowd at the Bell Centre booed the American national anthem ahead of Thursday’s game between the United States and Finland. “I didn’t like it, and that’s all I got,” said Matthew Tkachuk in his post-game press conference.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fans in several Canadian cities booed the American anthem in several recent NHL games since US President Donald Trump recently announced tariffs on Canadian goods while talking about annexing the country and turning it into the 51st American state.

Booing the American anthem understandably provides the opportunity for Canadian hockey fans to express their anger and frustration at Trump publicly. The American players aren’t to blame for their president’s actions but they’re bearing the brunt of the vitriol.

The booing made some American players uncomfortable but it hasn’t adversely affected their performance. Some may be using it as inspiration to elevate their play.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Golden Knights defenseman Shea Theodore is week-to-week with an upper-body injury suffered Wednesday in Canada’s 4-3 overtime win over Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS: Stars defenseman Thomas Harley is reportedly heading to Boston to serve as a standby defenseman for Canada. He will not be allowed to participate in team meetings or formal skates unless another Canadian defenseman becomes sidelined before the tournament’s conclusion.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The tournament shifts to Boston after Saturday’s games in Montreal for its final two days next Monday (Feb. 17) and Thursday (Feb. 20).

RG.ORG: Team Canada forwards Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon expressed their views on the 3-on-3, 10-minute overtime format during their game against Sweden. NHL overtime periods are typically five minutes for regular-season games but the 4 Nations overtime format is seen as a test run by the league for tweaking its regular-season format.

McDavid was an enthusiastic supporter of the format. “I think it’s a great kind of trial run,” he said. “Something I think the players liked, the fans like it. It felt a little more like it was in our hands.”

MacKinnon said he’d prefer a seven-minute format, citing how exhausted he was in the OT against Sweden. “I can’t believe I look off Connor (McDavid) on that two-on-one, honestly, but I could barely see, I was so tired coming off that rush,” said MacKinnon. “I was happy when Marner scored, because I didn’t have much left to give. So five-to-seven would be good.”










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 9, 2025

by | Feb 9, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 9, 2025

Multi-point performances from Brandon Hagel, Ryan O’Reilly, Matthew Tkachuk, Matt Duchene, Sebastian Aho, and more highlight Saturday’s games in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: A four-goal first period carried the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 6-3 victory over the Detroit Red Wings, snapping the latter’s seven-game win streak. Brandon Hagel scored two goals and collected two assists while Nikita Kucherov picked up three assists as the Lightning moved into third place in the Atlantic Division with 64 points. Red Wings forward Alex DeBrincat had a goal and two assists while Vladimir Tarasenko tallied his 300th NHL regular-season goal.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings remain in the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 61 points.

Nashville Predators forwards Ryan O’Reilly and Jonathan Marchessault each had four points in a 6-4 win over the Buffalo Sabres. O’Reilly collected four assists and Marchessault a goal and three assists. Filip Forsberg and Brady Skjei each scored twice for the Predators. Sabres winger Alex Tuch had a goal and two assists.

Florida Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk had a goal and assisted on two others as his club defeated the Ottawa Senators 5-1. Aleksander Barkov had a goal and an assist as the Panthers erupted for four goals in the second period. Matthew’s brother Brady Tkachuk scored for the Senators, who got a 43-save performance from Linus Ullmark.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Panthers hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 71 points while the Senators have lost three straight games, dropping into the first Eastern wild-card berth with 62 points.

The Dallas Stars overcame a 2-0 deficit to thump the San Jose Sharks 8-3. Matt Duchene scored twice and collected an assist for the second straight game while Jamie Benn, Wyatt Johnston and Thomas Harley each had a goal and an assist. William Eklund, Fabian Zetterlund and Walker Duehr scored for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars sit second in the Central Division with 72 points. Sharks forward Klim Kostin returned to action after missing 12 games with a lower-body injury.

Carolina Hurricanes forwards Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis each scored twice in a 7-3 win over the Utah Hockey Club. Aho finished with three points and Jarvis with four while Pyotr Kochetkov stopped 36 shots as the Hurricanes remain in second place in the Metropolitan Division with 70 points. Clayton Keller scored twice for Utah.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a milestone game for Aho, joining Washington’s Alex Ovechkin, Detroit’s Patrick Kane, and Toronto’s John Tavares and Auston Matthews as the only active NHL players to score 20 goals in each of their first nine seasons. Ovechkin leads that group with 20 seasons. Meanwhile, Hurricanes winger Mikko Rantanen missed this contest with a lower-body injury.

The Philadelphia Flyers held off the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 to end a five-game losing skid. Travis Konecny had a goal and an assist while Samuel Ersson made 31 saves for the Flyers while the Penguins got goals from Erik Karlsson and Anthony Beauvillier. Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen missed this game with an injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury. His status for Team Canada in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off remains uncertain.

Meanwhile, the Penguins placed winger Bryan Rust on injured reserve, recalled goaltender Tristan Jarry from the AHL affiliate, and placed winger Jesse Puljujarvi on unconditional waivers as they are granting his request to terminate his contract. Puljujarvi intends to explore other options in Europe.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender Lukas Dostal kicked out 43 shots in regulation and overtime to nip the Los Angeles Kings 2-1. Trevor Zegras and Leo Carlsson scored in the shootout rounds to give the Ducks their third straight win. Kings forward Adrian Kempe tallied his 25th of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Speaking of the 4 Nations Face-Off, Kings defenseman Drew Doughty was named to Canada’s roster as Alex Pietrangelo’s replacement. The Kings recalled goalie Pheonix Copley on an emergency basis and placed defenseman Mikey Anderson on injured reserve.

Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy scored twice and picked up an assist as his club overcame a 3-1 deficit for a 6-3 win over the New York Islanders. Filip Gustavsson turned aside 31 shots for the Wild as they sit third in the Central Division with 70 points. Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri each had a goal and an assist as the Islanders (57 points)dropped their second straight game and sit four points out of the final Eastern wild card.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Islanders also announced that forward Mathew Barzal underwent a procedure on his injured left kneecap on Thursday. He could be sidelined for six weeks.

The New York Rangers got two unanswered third-period goals from Urho Vaakanainen and Will Cuylle for a 4-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Jonathan Quick stopped 22 shots as the Rangers (58 points) sit three points out of the final Eastern wild card. Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski collected an assist to extend his home points streak to 21 games as his club remains out of that wild-card spot with 60 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers starting goalie Igor Shesterkin will be sidelined for one-to-two weeks with an upper-body injury. He could be ready to return to action by the end of the upcoming two-week 4 Nations Face-Off.

The New Jersey Devils got a 34-save shutout from Jake Allen to blank the Montreal Canadiens 4-0, handing the latter their seventh loss in their last eight contests. Devils forwards Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt each had a goal and an assist as their club sits two points back of the Hurricanes in third place in the Metro Division. With 55 points, the Canadiens join the Flyers and Penguins sitting six points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was talk a week ago of the Canadiens hanging onto pending UFAs like David Savard, Joel Armia, Jake Evans and Christian Dvorak as “own rentals” for a playoff run. Their recent skid makes it more likely that those four will be peddled by the March 7 trade deadline.

St. Louis Blues forward Radek Faksa scored in the 10th round of the shootout to give his club a 6-5 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Robert Thomas, Philip Broberg and Mathieu Joseph each had a goal and an assist for the Blues while Ilya Mikheyev had a goal and two assists for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues defenseman Ryan Suter became the third American player in league history to play 1,500 regular-season games.

A third-period goal by Tomas Hertl with 1:10 remaining lifted the Vegas Golden Knights over the Boston Bruins 4-3. Jack Eichel, Mark Stone and Shea Theodore each collected two points for the Golden Knights as they sit second in the Pacific Division with 72 points. Brad Marchand scored his 20th goal while Nikita Zadorov had a goal and an assist as the Bruins remain one point behind the Red Wings for the final Eastern wild card.

Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser scored in the third period in a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Filip Hronek also scored while Kevin Lankinen stopped 21 shots for the win following Thatcher Demko’s departure in the first period with an undisclosed injury. Morgan Rielly scored for the Leafs (68 points), who sit three points behind the Panthers in second place in the Atlantic Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vancouver head coach Rick Tocchet said Demko’s injury isn’t considered serious and confirmed he didn’t reinjure his knee. The Canucks sit in the final Western wild-card berth with 63 points.

An overtime goal by Matty Beniers completed a three-goal comeback for the Seattle Kraken to defeat the Calgary Flames 3-2. Shane Wright and Andre Burakovsky also scored for the Kraken while Morgan Frost and Nazem Kadri tallied for the Flames, who sit three points behind the Canucks for that final Western wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken defenseman Brandon Montour left this game following the first period with an undisclosed injury. There was no postgame update on his status.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 5, 2025

by | Feb 5, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 5, 2025

Alex Ovechkin moves closer to Wayne Gretzky’s goal record, the Jets remain in sole possession of first overall, William Nylander’s hat trick lifts the Leafs to victory, and more from a busy Tuesday evening in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin moved closer to Wayne Gretzky’s goal record with an empty-net goal in the final second of the third period in a 6-3 win over the Florida Panthers. Logan Thompson made 30 saves and Nick Dowd had a goal and two assists for the Capitals, who lead the Eastern Conference with 77 points. Sam Bennett had a goal and an assist for the Panthers, who sit atop the Atlantic Division with 67 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin has 878 regular-season goals, moving within 17 of breaking Gretzky’s record of 894. The Capitals extended their home points streak to 14 games. Meanwhile, Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk looks forward to a potential playoff matchup against the Ottawa Senators and his younger brother Brady.

The Winnipeg Jets picked up their seventh straight win by blanking the Carolina Hurricanes 3-0. Eric Comrie turned in a 29-save shutout while Nino Niederreiter had a goal and an assist for the Jets, who lead the overall standings with 79 points. The Hurricanes have dropped their second straight game and sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 68 points.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander’s hat trick carried his club to a 6-3 victory over the Calgary Flames. Leafs captain Auston Matthews collected three assists as the Leafs moved within one point of the Panthers in the Atlantic Division. Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri and MacKenzie Weegar each collected two assists for the Flames, who lost four of their last six contests and cling to the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 59 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Leafs winger Mitch Marner missed this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid had a goal and two assists in a 3-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Leon Draisaitl scored his league-leading 37th goal and Connor Brown tallied the winner in overtime for the Oilers, who sit atop the Pacific Division with 70 points. Jordan Kyrou and Colton Parayko replied for the Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Draisaitl has 79 points, one back of league leader Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche. Blues defenseman Nick Leddy returned to action after missing 49 games with a lower-body injury.

A shootout goal by Patrick Kane lifted the Detroit Red Wings over the Seattle Kraken 5-4 to extend their win streak to seven games. Lucas Raymond scored his 21st goal of the season as the Wings hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 61 points. Shane Wright tallied twice for the Kraken.

Vancouver Canucks goaltender Thatcher Demko stopped 25 shots to shut out the Colorado Avalanche 3-0. Jake DeBrusk, Brock Boeser and Drew O’Connor scored for the Canucks, who sit just behind the Flames for that final Western wild card with 59 points. Avalanche netminder Mackenzie Blackwood turned aside 28 shots as his club holds the first Western wild-card berth with 64 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks got the win without captain Quinn Hughes. He missed his second straight game with an undisclosed injury suspected to be in his abdominal area.

The Tampa Bay Lightning held off the Ottawa Senators 4-3, snapping the latter’s five-game win streak. Third-period goals by Brandon Hagel and Ryan McDonagh secured the win for the Lightning as they’re clinging to the final Eastern wild card with 60 points. Linus Ullmark made 34 saves in his return to action as the Senators hold third place in the Atlantic Division with 62 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was Ullmark’s first game since being sidelined by a back injury on Dec. 22. His teammate Shane Pinto left the game in the first period with an upper-body injury while Lightning forward Nick Paul departed in the same period with an undisclosed injury.

Boston Bruins goalies Jeremy Swayman kicked out 35 shots in a 3-0 shutout of the Minnesota Wild. Charlie McAvoy, Trent Frederic and Morgan Geekie tallied for the Bruins, who sit just behind the Lightning with 60 points. Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury made 32 saves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild activated defenseman Jonas Brodin from long-term injury reserve and forward Marcus Johansson from injured reserve for this game.

The New Jersey Devils got two goals from Jack Hughes to nip the Pittsburgh Penguins 3-2 in a shootout. Timo Meier scored the game-winner and Jesper Bratt collected two assists as the Devils (66 points) sit two points behind the Hurricanes in third place in the Metropolitan Division. Rickard Rakell and Kevin Hayes scored for the Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler left this game with an injured right leg in the first period. Following the game, head coach Sheldon Keefe said Siegenthaler is expected to miss some time.

New York Islanders center Brock Nelson broke a 1-1 tie in the third period as his club defeated the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1, handing the latter their fourth straight loss. Bo Horvat also scored and Ilya Sorokin made 34 saves for the Islanders, who sit three points behind the Lightning with 57 points. Brandon Saad scored his first goal for the Golden Knights since joining them as a free agent last week. They sit second in the Pacific Division with 68 points.

Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson stopped 26 shots in a 2-1 win over the Dallas Stars. Cutter Gauthier and Trevor Zegras scored for the Ducks, who’ve won five of their last six contests. Colin Blackwell replied for the Stars, who sit second in the Central Division with 69 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Gibson became the first goaltender to play 500 regular-season games for the Ducks. Before this game, the Stars announced that defenseman Miro Heiskanen underwent knee surgery on Tuesday and is listed as month-to-month. They also played without forward Mavrik Bourque as he’s day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

The Buffalo Sabres picked up their fourth straight win by beating the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-2. Alex Tuch netted two goals and an assist and Jason Zucker had two assists for the Sabres. Kent Johnson and Ivan Provorov scored for the Blue Jackets as they slipped out of a wild-card spot in the East with 59 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The injury-wracked Blue Jackets played without defenseman and scoring leader Zach Werenski, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, the Sabres were without center Tage Thompson, defenseman Mattias Samuelsson and goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen.

A shorthanded goal by Joel Armia with 4:04 remaining in the third period gave the Montreal Canadiens a 4-3 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Sam Montembeault made 27 saves while Kirby Dach and Alex Newhook each had two points for the Canadiens (55 points) as they’re five points out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Sharks forwards Macklin Celebrini and Tyler Toffoli had a goal and an assist.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens prospect Ivan Demidov set the KHL single-season scoring record for an under-20 player with 43 points. Minnesota Wild star Kirill Kaprizov held the former record of 42 points.

The Utah Hockey Club defeated the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2. Dylan Guenther scored with one second remaining in overtime to finish with two goals and an assist. Mikhail Sergachev had a goal and two assists for Utah to end their five-game losing skid. Samuel Ersson made 39 saves for the Flyers, who’ve lost four straight.

IN OTHER NEWS…

DAILY FACEOFF: Los Angeles Kings defenseman Mikey Anderson is day-to-day with an injured finger.

The Nashville Predators placed forward Vinnie Hinostroza on waivers.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers forward Adam Edstrom will miss the next six to 10 weeks with a lower-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 17, 2025

by | Jan 17, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 17, 2025

Alex Ovechkin, Connor McDavid, Mitch Marner and Victor Hedman reach notable offensive milestones. Read on for the details and much more from a busy Thursday in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin scored the only goal in a 1-0 overtime victory over the Ottawa Senators. Goaltender Logan Thompson made 25 saves for his second straight shutout victory as the Capitals picked up their third straight win to take over first place in the overall standings with 65 points. Leevi Merilainen stopped 26 shots for the Senators (48 points) as their three-game win streak ended, leaving them one point behind the Boston Bruins for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ovechkin has 874 NHL regular-season goals, leaving him 21 away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s record of 894. Merilainen became the 179th NHL goalie that Ovechkin has scored against, breaking Jaromir Jagr’s record of 178. Meanwhile, Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot missed this game as he’s day-to-day after taking a puck to the face during Tuesday’s 2-0 win over the New York Islanders.

The Edmonton Oilers overcame a 3-0 deficit with four unanswered goals to nip the Colorado Avalanche 4-3. Oilers captain Connor McDavid tied the game with his 20th goal of the season and Evan Bouchard tallied the game-winner as the Oilers moved into a tie with the first-place Vegas Golden Knights (61 points) in the Pacific Division. Nathan MacKinnon scored two goals for the Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid became the sixth player in Oilers history to reach the 20-goal plateau nine times, joining Glenn Anderson, Jari Kurri, Mark Messier (10 times), Leon Draisaitl and Wayne Gretzky (nine times). The Oilers sit second in the Pacific because the Golden Knights hold a game in hand.

Avalanche defenseman Samuel Girard returned to the lineup after missing three games with an upper-body injury.

An overtime goal by William Nylander lifted the Toronto Maple Leafs to a 4-3 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Auston Matthews tallied twice and Mitch Marner had two assists for the Leafs, who sit first in the Atlantic Division with 58 points. Nico Hischier scored two goals and Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist for the Devils to extend their points streak to four games (1-0-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marner became the fastest player to reach 700 points in Leafs history, reaching that milestone in 622 games, breaking Darryl Sittler’s record of 666. Leafs center John Tavares missed this game as he’s week-to-week with a lower-body injury. Defenseman Jake McCabe had two assists in his return from a four-game absence with an upper-body injury.

The Tampa Bay Lightning got a shootout goal from Jake Guentzel to down the Anaheim Ducks 4-3. Guentzel also scored in regulation while netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy turned aside 34 shots for the Lightning. Troy Terry scored the tying goal in the third period and Lukas Dostal made 32 saves as the Ducks have one win in their last six contests (1-3-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman collected an assist to become the first player in franchise history to reach the 600-assist milestone. Lighting blueliner Erik Cernak left this game in the first period with an undisclosed injury.

Winnipeg Jets blueliner Dylan DeMelo scored with 27 seconds remaining in the third period to beat the Seattle Kraken 2-1. Mark Scheifele tied the game with his 27th goal of the season as the Jets are tied with the league-leading Capitals with 65 points. Matty Beniers scored for the Kraken, who’ve won twice in their last eight games (2-5-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: DeMelo was playing in his 600th NHL regular-season game. The Capitals hold first over the Jets with a game in hand.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski collected an assist to extend his home points streak to 18 games in a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. James van Riemsdyk scored twice as the Blue Jackets (50 points) have won six straight and vaulted over the Boston Bruins in the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot. Tyler Toffoli replied for the Sharks, who’ve dropped four of their last five contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Considering everything the Blue Jackets have endured since last year (management and coaching changes, trading Patrik Laine, the sudden death of Johnny Gaudreau, and injuries to Boone Jenner, Erik Gudbranson and Sean Monahan), their surge into a playoff berth has been impressive. Even general manager Don Waddell is surprised by their performance in recent weeks.

The Montreal Canadiens defeated the Dallas Stars 3-1 to extend their points streak to six games (5-0-1). Jakub Dobes made 32 stops to pick up their fourth straight win in as many starts while Juraj Slafkovsky, Alex Newhook and Joel Armia scored for the Canadiens (48 points) as they also sit one point out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Jason Robertson scored for Dallas, who sit third in the Central Division with 57 points. The Stars played without Roope Hintz, who is day-to-day with an upper-body injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars also unveiled their Quarter-Century Team on Thursday.

The First Team comprises forwards Mike Modano, Jamie Benn and Jere Lehtinen, defensemen Miro Heiskanen and Sergei Zubov, and goaltender Marty Turco. The Second Team comprised forwards Joe Pavelski, Tyler Seguin and Brenden Morrow, defensemen John Klingberg and Esa Lindell, and goaltender Ed Belfour.

Detroit Red Wings goalie Cam Talbot kicked out 41 shots (including 23 in the third period) in a 5-2 upset of the Florida Panthers. Dylan Larkin tallied twice and collected an assist while Lucas Raymond had two helpers as the Red Wings sit three points out of the final Eastern wild-card berth with 46 points. Anton Lundell and Evan Rodrigues scored for the Panthers, who pulled goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky in the second period after he gave up four goals on 15 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov received a notable honor from his home country of Finland. It was announced that the Finnish Association of Sports Journalists named Barkov its Sportsman of the Year for 2024, making him the first hockey player to receive that award.

The Los Angeles Kings thumped the Vancouver Canucks 5-1. Alex Turcotte scored twice and set up another as the Kings took over third place in the Pacific Division with 55 points, ending a two-game losing skid. Filip Hronek scored for the Canucks, who have two wins in their last 10 games (2-5-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet wasn’t pleased with the performance of center J.T. Miller. “He’s struggling. He’s caught in between,” he said in his postgame interview. “You know, it seems like every time he’s on the ice, something bad happens.” Miller’s been the subject of trade rumors amid reports of a rift with center Elias Pettersson.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Reilly Smith, Chris Kreider and Artemin Panarin gave the New York Rangers a 5-3 victory over the Utah Hockey Club. Panarin finished with two goals as the Rangers extended their points streak to six games (4-0-2) to sit four points behind the Bruins for the final Eastern wild-card spot. Matias Maccelli tallied twice for Utah, extending their losing skid to three games.

St. Louis Blues center Brayden Schenn scored twice and Dylan Holloway picked up two assists to douse the Calgary Flames 4-1. The Blues swept the two-game series and are 7-3-0 in their last 10. Yegor Sherangovich replied for the Flames, who hold a one-point lead over the Blues and Canucks for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

The Philadelphia Flyers held off the New York Islanders 5-3. Sean Couturier had a goal and an assist while Travis Konecny had three assists for the Flyers, extending their points streak to four games (3-0-1) and sitting within three points of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Islanders captain Anders Lee scored his 20th of the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers center Ryan Poehling left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury following a hard hit from Islanders winger Maxim Tsyplakov.

Nashville Predators winger Filip Forsberg scored his 300th NHL regular-season goal in a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Forsberg also extended his goal streak to four games while teammate Steven Stamkos scored the winner in the shootout. Connor Bedard scored and Tyler Bertuzzi had two assists for the Blackhawks.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 15, 2025

by | Jan 15, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 15, 2025

The Blue Jackets’ Zach Werenski’s home points streak puts him in elite company, Canadiens rookie Lane Hutson extends his lead in the rookie points race, the Bruins reveal their Quarter-Century Team, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski scored twice to extend his home points streak to 17 games in a 3-2 win over the Philadelphia Flyers. Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko scored in a shootout as the Blue Jackets won their fifth straight game. Bobby Brinks and Owen Tippett replied for the Flyers as their two-game win streak ended.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Werenski’s streak puts him in elite company among NHL defensemen. He joins Bobby Orr, Paul Coffey, Phil Housley, Brian Leetch, Ray Bourque and John Van Boxmeer with the longest home points streaks (17-plus games). Orr remains the all-time leader with 25 games. Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets (48 points) hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson collected three assists to widen his lead in the rookie scoring race as his club downed the Utah Hockey Club 5-3. Kirby Dach scored twice and Cole Caufield tallied the winning goal for the Canadiens, who’ve won 10 of their last 13 games (10-2-1) and sit two points behind the Blue Jackets. Clayton Keller and Nick Schmaltz each collected two assists for Utah as they’ve dropped four of their last five games (1-3-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hutson leads all rookies with 35 points, four points ahead of Matvei Michkov of the Philadelphia Flyers and Macklin Celebrini of the San Jose Sharks.

Canadiens winger Emil Heineman was struck by a car while walking in Salt Lake City and will be sidelined for three to four weeks recovering from his injuries. Meanwhile, Utah HC activated John Marino off injured reserve for this game. The 27-year-old defenseman was making his season debut with Utah after recovering from back surgery. He was acquired from the New Jersey Devils last June.

The Nashville Predators won their 1,000th game with a 5-3 upset of the Vegas Golden Knights. Steven Stamkos scored twice and collected an assist and Jonathan Marchessault got an assist in his first game against his former team since signing with the Predators last summer. Golden Knights forward Pavel Dorofeyev collected his first NHL hat trick as his club has dropped three of its last four games.

Washington Capitals goaltender Logan Thompson made 19 saves to shut out the Anaheim Ducks 3-0, extending their points streak to eight games (5-0-3). Brandon Duhaime, John Carlson, and Ethen Frank were the goalscorers for the Capitals as they hold first place in the overall standings with 63 points. The Ducks have dropped four of their last five contests (1-3-1).

A natural hat trick by Kyle Connor within a 6:38 span in the first period carried the Winnipeg Jet to a 6-1 romp over the Vancouver Canucks. Connor also collected an assist while Gabriel Vilardi collected three helpers. Nils Hoglander scored for the struggling Canucks as they’ve lost five of their last six contests (1-3-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets also have 63 points but the Capitals hold a game in hand. Meanwhile, the Canucks (48 points) remain one point behind the Calgary Flames, who hold the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

Speaking of the Flames, they dropped a 2-1 decision to the St. Louis Blues. Radek Faksa broke a 1-1 tie midway through the third period and Jordan Binnington stopped 26 shots as the Blues sit three points behind the Flames and two behind the Canucks. Kevin Bahl scored for the Flames.

Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon collected two assists to reach his league-leading 70th point as his team rallied from a 2-1 deficit to nip the New York Rangers 3-2. Artturi Lehkonen scored with 1:13 remaining in regulation and Devon Toews tallied the winning goal in overtime for the Avalanche. Sam Carrick and Adam Edstrom scored for the Rangers, extending their points streak to five games (3-0-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Rangers activated Chris Kreider (upper body) off injured reserve for this game. Blueshirts center Filip Chytil returned to action after missing the last two games with an upper-body injury.

The Boston Bruins built an early 4-0 lead on their way to a 6-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightnings. David Pastrnak scored his 20th goal of the season and collected two assists and Jeremy Swayman kicked out 43 shots as the Bruins won their second straight game. Connor Geekie and Victor Hedman scored for the Lightning.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning center Brayden Point was scratched from this game for missing a team meeting earlier in the day. Meanwhile, the Bruins placed defenseman Charlie McAvoy and center Mark Kastelic on injured reserve, blueliner Hampus Lindholm on long-term injury reserve, and recalled center Matthew Poitras and defenseman Michael Callahan from their AHL affiliate in Providence.

Dallas Stars forwards Matt Duchene and Logan Stankoven each had three points to beat the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-1, handing the latter their fourth straight loss. Jake Oettinger turned aside 27 shots for the Stars, who’ve won eight of their last nine contests. Auston Matthews scored for the Leafs, who were booed off the ice by their fans following this game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars center Roope Hintz left this game in the first period with an upper-body injury. There was no postgame update about his condition.

Shootout goals by Aleksander Barkov and Anton Lundell gave the Florida Panthers a 2-1 win over the New Jersey Devils. Jesper Boqvist scored in regulation for the Panthers while Nico Hischier tallied his 20th of the season for the Devils.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Leevi Marilainen made 24 saves for his second shutout in three games in a 2-0 win over the New York Islanders. Adam Gaudette and Artem Zub scored for the Senators, who’ve won three straight and sit one point out of the final Eastern wild-card spot. Marcus Hogberg stopped 25 shots for the Islanders as their three-game win streak is over.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators defenseman Thomas Chabot left this game in the first period after being struck in the face by a shot from Islanders blueliner Adam Pelech. He was ruled out of the rest of this game for precautionary reasons.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Jamie Oleksiak, Eeli Tovanen and Kaapo Kakko lifted the Seattle Kraken over the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2. Philip Tomasino and Bryan Rust scored for the Penguins, who have one win in their last eight (1-4-3).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins activated Evgeni Malkin from injured reserve after missing four games with an upper-body injury and sent winger Jesse Puljujarvi to their AHL affiliate in Wilke-Barre/Scranton. The Penguins also released a statement indicating Malkin’s home was burglarized on Saturday and his three Stanley Cup rings were stolen.

The San Jose Sharks clipped the Detroit Red Wings 6-3, snapping the latter’s seven-game win streak. William Eklund and Tyler Toffoli each had a goal and two assists for the Sharks while Vladimir Tarasenko tallied twice for the Red Wings, who also lost forward Tyler Motte in the second period to an upper-body injury.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: The Boston Bruins revealed their Quarter-Century Team on Tuesday.

Forward Patrice Bergeron, David Krejci, and Brad Marchand, defensemen Zdeno Chara and Charlie McAvoy, and goaltender Tim Thomas comprised the First Team.

Forwards Joe Thornton, David Pastrnak and Milan Lucic, defensemen Torey Krug and Dennis Seidenberg, and goaltender Tuukka Rask made up the Second Team.

The schedule for the 4 Nations Face-Off and the full team rosters were released on Tuesday. The series will be held from Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston with teams of NHL players from Canada, Finland, Sweden and the United States.

Los Angeles Kings forward Adrian Kempe was fined $5,000.00 by the department of player safety for slew-footing Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid during Monday’s game between the two teams.

SPORTSNET: Former NHL defenseman Tony DeAngelo’s contract with KHL club SKA Saint Petersburg was terminated for family reasons.