NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 28, 2024

by | Nov 28, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 28, 2024

Jordan Binnington sets a Blues record, a hat trick performance for the Blackhawks’ Taylor Hall, Hurricanes forward Martin Necas takes over the league scoring lead, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: St. Louis Blues goaltender Jordan Binnington set a franchise record with his 152nd win by making 31 saves to shut out the New Jersey Devils 3-0. Robert Thomas opened the scoring just nine seconds in to tie the second-fastest goal in franchise history. Dylan Holloway scored the other two goals. Jacob Markstrom stopped 17 shots for the Devils.

St. Louis Blue goaltender Jordan Binnington (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blues forward Pavel Buchnevich left the game early with an injury to his right leg after getting knocked to the ice by Devils forward Paul Cotter. He’ll be reevaluated on Thursday with an update expected on Friday.

Chicago Blackhawks winger Taylor Hall netted his first hat trick since Dec. 2013 in a 6-2 upset of the Dallas Stars. Connor Bedard snapped a 12-game goalless drought and Tyler Bertuzzi collected two assists. Colin Blackwell and Matt Duchene replied for the Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars center Roope Hintz missed this game with an undisclosed injury.

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas collected two assists to take over the NHL scoring lead with 37 points in a 4-3 victory over the New York Rangers, handing the latter their fourth straight loss. The Hurricanes got unanswered third-period goals from Jesperi Kotkaniemi and Jackson Blake for the win. Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin stopped 26 shots while teammate Brett Berard scored his first NHL goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Necas sits two points ahead of Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon atop the scoring race. Rangers forwards Filip Chytil and Chris Kreider missed this game due to injuries. Kreider and teammate Jacob Trouba are the subject of trade rumors after reports emerged they were among several Rangers veterans made available by management. He said he’s spoken with general manager Chris Drury and admitted there’s “frustration, angst, tension” in the dressing room. “Let’s go through this s**t now and figure out who we are,” he said.

The Minnesota Wild got a 39-save shutout from Filip Gustavsson to blank the Buffalo Sabres 1-0, ending the latter’s three-game win streak. Kirill Kaprizov scored his 14th goal of the season. Ukko-Pekka Luukonen turned aside 28 shots for the Sabres.

An overtime goal by Lucas Raymond lifted the Detroit Red Wings to a 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames. Cam Talbot stopped 24 shots and Alex DeBrincat scored for the Red Wings while Connor Zary replied for the Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Red Wings goalie Alex Lyon missed this game after suffering an undisclosed injury during the morning skate. Teammate Patrick Kane missed his second straight game with an upper-body injury.

The Washington Capitals overcame goalie Charlie Lindgren accidentally scoring into his own net to nip the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-4. Lindgren’s own goal in the third period gave the Lightning a 4-3 lead and was credited to Brayden Point, giving him a hat trick. However, Lindgren’s teammates John Carlson and Tom Wilson subsequently scored to give their team the win.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wilson, Aliaksei Protas and Dylan Strome each had a goal and an assist for the Capitals.

Florida Panthers winger Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and two assists as his club ended a four-game losing skid with a 5-1 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs, snapping the Leafs’ four-game winning streak. Panthers forward Sam Reinhart tallied his league-leading 17th goal while Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett each had a goal and an assist. Leafs winger Mitch Marner scored to extend his points streak to five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Reinhart wasn’t expected to score at the same pace that netted him a career-high 57 goals last season. He could exceed that mark at his current level of production. Meanwhile, Panthers center Anton Lundell missed this game after taking a puck to the face during Monday’s game against Washington.

The Boston Bruins got two goals from Pavel Zacha and Brad Marchand to defeat the New York Islanders 6-3. Elias Lindholm and David Pastrnak each collected three assists for the Bruins. Brock Nelson had two goals and an assist for the Islanders, who are 1-4-1 in their last six games.

Pittsburgh Penguins winger Bryan Rust tallied twice, including the winning goal, as his club held off the Vancouver Canucks 5-4. Rust finished with three points and teammate Erik Karlsson had three assists. Quinn Hughes had a goal and two assists and Elias Pettersson a goal and an assist for the Canucks. The Penguins snapped a three-game winless skid.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Penguins demoted winger Valtteri Puustinen and activated Blake Lizotte off injured reserve.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki’s overtime goal gave his club a 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Canadiens winger Juraj Slafkovsky ended a 14-game goalless drought and collected an assist while teammate Cole Caufield scored his 13th goal. Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski extended his points streak to six games with a Gordie Howe hat trick after fighting Canadiens winger Brendan Gallagher.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blue Jackets head coach Dean Evason was furious over the Suzuki goal, believing the Canadiens captain should’ve received a holding penalty on Kent Johnson seconds before.

Philadelphia Flyers captain Sean Couturier scored in overtime as his club overcame a 2-1 deficit for a 3-2 victory over the Nashville Predators. Morgan Frost scored the tying goal with 12 seconds remaining in regulation to set the stage for Couturier’s game-winner. Roman Josi and Ryan O’Reilly scored for the Predators, who’ve won only three games in their last 12 contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Predators announced defenseman Jeremy Lauzon is sidelined week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

Colorado Avalanche winger Valeri Nichushkin scored the tying goal in the second period and the winner in a shootout to beat the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1. Pavel Dorofeyev scored for the Golden Knights.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo returned to action after missing three games with an upper-body injury. Teammate William Karlsson also returned after missing the previous game to attend the birth of his second child. Before the game, the Avalanche announced that winger Jonathan Drouin was out week-to-week with an upper-body injury.

The Los Angeles Kings downed the Winnipeg Jets 4-1. Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe each had a goal and an assist while goaltender David Rittich made 13 saves for his 100th NHL win. Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 29 shots and Gabriel Vilardi scored his club’s only goal.

Anaheim Ducks netminder John Gibson kicked out 42 shots in a 5-2 win over the Seattle Kraken. Trevor Zegras, Alex Killorn and Cutter Gauthier each had a goal and an assist for the Ducks. Eeli Tolvanen and Oliver Bjorkstrand replied for the Kraken.

Ottawa Senators forward Adam Gaudette tallied twice and Tim Stutzle collected three assists in a 4-3 win over the San Jose Sharks despite being limited to 11 shots. Sharks rookie Will Smith had a goal and an assist while teammate Macklin Celebrini scored his sixth point in the last four games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks forward Barclay Goodrow left this game with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 26, 2024

by | Nov 26, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 26, 2024

A record night for Lightning winger Brandon Hagel, Hurricanes winger Martin Necas sits on top of the scoring race, the three stars of the week are revealed, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF MONDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Tampa Bay Lightning winger Brandon Hagel collected a career-high five assists in an 8-2 drubbing of the Colorado Avalanche. Hagel tied an NHL record with four assists in the first period. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and two assists and Jake Guentzel tallied twice for the Lightning. Ivan Ivan scored two goals for the Avalanche as their three-game win streak ended.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brandon Hagel (NHL Images).

Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas had a goal and an assist to take over first place in the NHL scoring race (35 points) as his club downed the Dallas Stars 6-4. The Hurricanes got a goal and three assists from Sebastian Aho plus a goal and two assists from Seth Jarvis. Tyler Seguin, Mason Marchment and Miro Heiskanen each had a goal and an assist for the Stars as they blew a 3-1 lead.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes goaltender Pyotr Kochetkov missed this game with a concussion. There is no timetable for his return. They’re also missing starter Frederik Andersen as he’s sidelined until January recovering from knee surgery. The Canes are making do with call-ups Spencer Martin and Yaniv Perets but there’s speculation they could turn to the trade market.

The Winnipeg Jets got a 43-save performance from goaltender Connor Hellebuyck for a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild. Alex Iafallo scored twice and Neal Pionk picked up two assists as the Jets (18-4-0) sat atop the overall standings with 36 points. Jake Middleton scored for the Wild, who sit second in the Central Division with 30 points, six behind the Jets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov was held scoreless in this game as he returned to action after missing a game with a lower-body injury. Teammate Jakub Lauko left the game with a lower-body injury.

New Jersey Devils captain Nico Hischier snapped a 10-game goalless drought with his first NHL hat trick, leading his club over the Nashville Predators 5-2. Filip Forsberg and Zachary L’Heureux replied for the Predators. The Devils have won five of their last six games and hold first place in the Metropolitan Division with 32 points. Predators goaltender Juuse Saros was pulled in the second period after giving up four goals on 30 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils forward Timo Meier received a five-minute major penalty and a game misconduct in the third period for cross-checking L’Heureux in the face. L’Heureux immediately left the game for treatment.

The Washington Capitals snapped a two-game losing skid with a 4-1 victory over the Florida Panthers, handing the latter their sixth loss in their last seven games. Jakob Chychrun scored the go-ahead goal and picked up two assists while Lars Eller tallied twice. Niko Mikkola had the only goal for the Panthers.

St. Louis Blue head coach Jim Montgomery got his first win with his new club as they defeated the New York Rangers 5-2. Zack Bolduc scored two goals, Brayden Schenn had a goal and an assist and Dylan Holloway collected two assists for the Blues. Igor Shesterkin stopped 38 shots for the struggling Rangers as they dropped their third straight game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers winger Chris Kreider missed this game with an upper-body injury, resulting in the recall of Matt Rempe from their AHL affiliate in Hartford.

The Rangers’ slump has sparked plenty of trade rumors amid reports general manager Chris Drury has informed his 31 NHL counterparts that he’s open for business. I’ll have more in today’s Rumor Mill.

A shootout goal by Jack Eichel lifted the Vegas Golden Knights over the Philadelphia Flyers by a score of 5-4. Eichel also had a goal and an assist in regulation as did teammate Ivan Barbashev as their club sits in first place in the Pacific Division with 30 points. Morgan Frost had a goal and an assist for the Flyers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Golden Knights played without Zach Whitecloud (upper-body injury) and William Karlsson (personal reasons).

San Jose Sharks rookie Macklin Celebrini had his first three-point game (two goals, one assist) in a 7-2 upset of the Los Angeles Kings. Fellow Sharks rookie Will Smith picked up two assists and rookie netminder Yaroslav Askarov stopped 22 shots for his first win with the Sharks. Anze Kopitar and Adrian Kempe each had two points for the Kings, who’ve dropped five of their last eight contests.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks forward Nico Sturm scored in his return to action after missing five games with an upper-body injury.

The Ottawa Senators nipped the Calgary Flames 4-3. Senators forwards Drake Batherson and Brady Tkachuk each had a goal and an assist to snap a five-game winless skid (0-4-1). Jonathan Huberdeau, Yegor Sherangovich and Nazem Kadri scored for the Flames as their four-game winning streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators Defenseman Artem Zub was sidelined by a broken foot suffered during Saturday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks and could be out for a while. Teammate David Perron missed this game with an upper-body injury.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Dylan Larkin, Lucas Raymond and Simon Edvinsson lifted the Detroit Red Wings to a 4-2 victory over the New York Islanders. Anders Lee and Kyle Palmieri were the goalscorers for the Islanders, who’ve dropped six of their last eight games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Isles defenseman Alexander Romanov missed this game due to an illness and is listed as day-to-day.

The Seattle Kraken got a goal and an assist from Shane Wright to beat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2. Joey Daccord picked up the win with a 21-save performance. Trevor Zegras and Frank Vatrano replied for the Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Ducks center Mason McTavish was held scoreless as he returned to the roster after missing six games with an upper-body injury. Ducks center Leo Carlsson left the game with an upper-body injury in the second period following a hit from Kraken forward Tye Kartye. Before the game, the Ducks placed Brock McGinn (lower body) on injured reserve.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski, Colorado Avalanche winger Mikko Rantanen, and Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll were the NHL’s three stars for the week ending Nov. 24, 2024.

SPORTSNET: Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser could return to action on Tuesday against the Boston Bruins. He’s missed the last seven games with a concussion.

Montreal Canadiens winger Patrik Laine participated fully in his club’s practice on Monday. It’s an encouraging sign that Laine is making strides in his recovery from a sprained knee but he’s not expected to return before the end of this week.

THE TENNESSEAN: The Nashville Predators traded forward Philip Tomasino yesterday to the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for a fourth-round pick in the 2027 NHL Draft.

Tomasino was a first-round pick of the Predators (24th overall) in the 2019 NHL Draft. General manager Barry Trotz explained that he shipped out the 23-year-old center because of a lack of production over the past two seasons. He believed it was time for a change.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Tomasino could have a better shot of becoming an NHL regular with the retooling Penguins as they transition younger players into their lineup.

NEW YORK POST: Former NHL player turned analyst Paul Bissonnette was assaulted by six individuals at a restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona on Sunday evening. He said he was trying to intervene after seeing a group of drunken golfers being abusive to the restaurant staff.

Five of the six men face misdemeanors while a sixth faces a felony. Bissonnette said he took a few shots but gave more. He went to the hospital to get checked out following the melee but said he was “all good”, thanking the restaurant staff and the responding police offers.










NHL Rumor Mill – November 23, 2024

by | Nov 23, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – November 23, 2024

The latest on Marco Rossi, Taylor Hall, and John Gibson plus updates on the Bruins and speculation involving the Canadiens and Penguins in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

COULD THE WILD TRADE MARCO ROSSI?

THE ATHLETIC (subscription required): Chris Johnston recently published his updated NHL 2024-25 trade board.

Minnesota Wild forward Marco Rossi (NHL Images)

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Follow the link provided to see the full list if you have a subscription. Many of the names like Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson, Anaheim Ducks winger Trevor Zegras, and Philadelphia Flyers blueliner Rasmus Ristolainen have frequently surfaced in the rumor mill in recent weeks and have been duly noted on this site.

Minnesota Wild forward Marco Rossi was on that list. Johnston indicated the Wild aren’t facing pressure to trade the 23-year-old forward, he’s slated to become a restricted free agent next summer. He believes management must decide if they’ll commit long-term “to a diminutive winger with elite offensive instincts and playmaking abilities.” Johnston believes Rossi is a candidate “to be included in a player-for-player swap.”

PHILLY HOCKEY NOW: Jonathan Bailey cited Johnston’s colleague Michael Russo telling the “Worst Seats In The House” podcast that he still believes the Wild will trade Rossi. “I don’t know when. I don’t know if it’s imminent, by the deadline, or next summer,” said Russo. “I just think that they do not feel he’s the player to commit to long-term”.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rossi had 21 goals and 40 points in 82 games as a rookie last season. He has five goals and 15 points in 19 games thus far in his sophomore campaign, putting him on pace to reach 60 points. The Austrian forward has yet to hit his playing prime and should continue to improve.

Rossi will be coming off his entry-level contract and lacks arbitration rights. The only leverage he’ll have is the threat of an offer sheet from a rival club. Missing training camp or the start of next season won’t do his performance any good through 2025-26.

The Wild will have $19.5 million in cap space for 2025-26 if the cap rises as projected to $92.4 million with 15 active roster players under contract. They’ll have plenty of room to re-sign Rossi to a bridge deal or to match an offer from a rival team. However, they must maintain sufficient long-term cap room to re-sign superstar Kirill Kaprizov, who is eligible for unrestricted free-agent status in July 2026 and could cost $14 million annually to re-sign.

Rossi would be a valuable trade chip if he doesn’t fit into the Wild’s long-term plans. It’s a move that likely occurs next summer but a trade for another good young player is possible before the March 7 deadline.

COULD TAYLOR HALL BECOME A TRADE CANDIDATE?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Rob Couch pointed out Taylor Hall was a healthy scratch from a recent Chicago Blackhawks game. He thinks the struggling 33-year-old winger could become a trade candidate. He’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July.

Adam Proteau suggested four possible trade destinations for Hall. One is his former club, the Boston Bruins. Others include the New York Islanders, Seattle Kraken, and St. Louis Blues. All four are low-scoring clubs in need of an offensive boost.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Proteau noted that Hall carries a $6 million cap hit, suggesting the Blackhawks must retain salary for some of these teams to acquire him. Those clubs listed by Proteau might not be buyers if their fortunes haven’t reversed by then.

Given his UFA status next summer, Hall will be a trade chip this season for the rebuilding Blackhawks. He’s struggled to regain his form following the knee surgery that ended his 2023-24 campaign. It could hurt Hall’s trade value if he doesn’t improve by the deadline.

WOULD JOHN GIBSON ACCEPT A TRADE TO THE OILERS?

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Caleb Kerney cited The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun recently suggesting the Edmonton Oilers as a dark horse candidate to acquire Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson before the trade deadline.

LeBrun pointed out that Gibson has a modified no-trade clause. However, it’s his understanding that the veteran netminder could consider the Oilers, who came up one win short of winning the Stanley Cup last season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The erratic play of goalies Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard could have the Oilers seeking help between the pipes before the trade deadline. However, the cap-strapped club would have to shed some salary and get the Ducks to agree to part of Gibson’s $6.4 million cap hit to make it work.

WHAT NEXT FOR THE BRUINS?

RG.ORG: James Murphy reports some NHL executives and scouts were surprised the Bruins made an internal hire replacing fired head coach Jim Montgomery with Joe Sacco. They noted that former NHL coaches Joel Quenneville and Darryl Sutter have better resumes than Sacco.

Murphy also cited one source speculating general manager Don Sweeney could be next on the chopping block if the Bruins fail to improve under Sacco.

THE ATHLETIC: Fluto Shinzawa speculated which Bruins players could follow their former coach out the door if the club doesn’t turn things around. Possibilities include Brandon Carlo, Charlie Coyle, and pending UFA Brad Marchand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Marchand is the Bruins captain and has been a heart-and-soul player for them throughout his 16 NHL seasons. Nevertheless, they could part ways if the ownership decides to go in a different direction. I still believe they want to keep Marchand but the club’s performance thus far and the decline in his play could make his future in Boston murkier.

IS A TRADE COMING SOON BETWEEN THE CANADIENS AND PENGUINS?

TSN: Darren Dreger reports the Pittsburgh Penguins have been heavily scouting the Montreal Canadiens recently. He noted the Penguins have “some interesting pieces” at forward. Meanwhile, the Canadiens have certain needs and there have to be long-term benefits.

“If you don’t see the long-term benefits of a player and Pittsburgh has an interest in that player, maybe you take back an expiring contract,” said Dreger. “The Pittsburgh Penguins have some expiring contracts that aren’t going to hurt you for the rest of the year. Maybe you get a sweetener where it makes some sense.”

Dreger said there’s nothing imminent but noted the Canadiens face a roster crunch when Patrik Laine and Rafael Harvey-Pinard return from injuries.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Penguins forwards on expiring contracts include Anthony Beauvillier, Drew O’Connor, Jesse Puljujarvi and Matt Nieto. The Habs could take one of them if they got a nice draft pick or prospect in return but they could have other options in mind with other clubs.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 22, 2024

by | Nov 22, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 22, 2024

A 13-goal game between the Blue Jackets and Lightning, Marc-Andre Fleury reaches another career milestone, updates on Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin and Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF THURSDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: The Columbus Blue Jackets and Tampa Bay Lightning combined for 13 goals with the Blue Jackets winning in overtime 7-6.

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski (NHL Images).

Defenseman Zach Werenski had a five-point night with two goals (including the game-winner) and three assists, Sean Monahan had a goal and three assists and Kent Johnson tallied twice for the Jackets. Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov collected three assists to surpass the 900-point plateau.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Blue Jackets have won three of their last four games, snapping Tampa Bay’s three-game win streak. Lightning forward Nick Paul missed this game with an undisclosed injury.

Minnesota Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury made 28 saves in his 1,000th NHL start in a 5-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers. Frederic Gaudreau tallied twice and collected an assist for the Wild (13-3-3), holding second overall in the Western Conference with 29 points. Corey Perry had a goal and an assist for the Oilers, who’ve dropped three of their last four (1-2-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Fleury also passed Patrick Roy for the third-most games played by a goaltender (1,030) in NHL history. He also shrugged off an embarrassing start when he whiffed on a clearing attempt that became the opening goal just 27 seconds into the game.

Oilers forwards Zach Hyman and Viktor Arvidsson missed this game due to undisclosed injuries. Hyman will miss four to seven days while Arvidsson was placed on injured reserve. Defenseman Darnell Nurse also missed this game due to a concussion.

Colorado Avalanche forward Miles Wood broke a 1-1 tie early in the third period as his club held on for a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals. Washington forward Pierre-Luc Dubois opened the scoring but Mikko Rantanen tied it for Colorado in the second period. Avalanche goaltender Alexandar Georgiev stopped 28 shots for the win in his first game since Nov. 13 after being sidelined by an injury.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals announced before this game that captain Alex Ovechkin suffered a fractured fibula and would be out for four to six weeks. That could jeopardize his attempt to break Wayne Gretzky’s goalscoring record (894) this season. Ovechkin needs 27 goals to reach 895.

The New Jersey Devils doubled up the Carolina Hurricanes 4-2. Jesper Bratt scored two goals and picked up an assist while Jack Hughes had three helpers for the Devils. Jack Roslovic and Andrei Svechnikov replied for the Hurricanes. The Devils and Hurricanes each have 28 points but the Hurricanes hold first overall in the Eastern Conference with three games in hand.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Hurricanes announced goaltender Frederik Andersen will undergo knee surgery sidelining him for eight to 12 weeks. Andersen’s last game was an Oct. 26 win over the Seattle Kraken.

St. Louis Blues netminder Jordan Binnington made 22 saves in a 3-2 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Jake Neighbours netted the winning goal in a shootout. Alexander Wennberg scored both goals for the Sharks while rookie Yaroslav Askarov made 29 saves in his debut with the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was a milestone victory for Binnington, tying him with Mike Liut for the Blues’ record of 151 wins.

The Boston Bruins got their first win under new head coach Joe Sacco as they nipped the Utah Hockey Club 1-0. Elias Lindholm scored the only goal while Joonas Korpisalo turned in a 21-save shutout. Utah netminder Karel Vejmelka stopped 30 shots.

A third-period goal by Connor Zary lifted the Calgary Flames to a 3-2 victory over the New York Rangers. MacKenzie Weegar had three assists while Yegor Sherangovich and Matt Coronato each had a goal and an assist for the Flames. Rangers netminder Igor Shesterkin kicked out 46 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau reached a personal milestone with his 500th career NHL assist.

The Chicago Blackhawks upset the Florida Panthers 3-1. Blackhawks goaltender Petr Mrazek turned aside 32 shots while Nick Foligno had a goal and an assist. Panthers forward Sam Reinhart netted his 15th goal of the season, tying Ovechkin and Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl for the league lead.

Vegas Golden Knights netminder Ilya Samsonov made 38 saves backstopping his club to a 3-2 win over the Ottawa Senators, handing the latter their fourth straight defeat (0-3-1). Ivan Barbashev had two assists for the Golden Knights while Linus Ullmark stopped 29 shots for the Senators.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo missed this game with an upper-body injury. He’s listed as day-to-day.

The Senators are once again on the brink of falling into a hole in the standings too deep to climb out of. With 17 points, they’re second-last in the Eastern Conference. The good news is they’re only four points out of a wild-card berth but they must string some wins together soon or risk another lost season.

Third-period goals by Jonatan Berggren and Lucas Raymond lifted the Detroit Red Wings over the New York Islanders 2-1. Alex Lyon made 22 stops for the Red Wings while Islanders netminder Ilya Sorokin made 29 saves.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Red Wings announced that Hall-of-Famer Pavel Datsyuk had signed a one-day contract to retire officially as a Wing. He spent his entire 14-season NHL career with Detroit.

IN OTHER NEWS…

SPORTSNET: The NHL department of player safety released a video clarifying its rule regarding illegal hits to the head after three controversial checks resulted in two suspensions.

Those hits included Los Angeles’ Tanner Jeannot’s hit on Vancouver’s Brock Boeser (three-game suspension), Toronto’s Ryan Reaves on Edmonton’s Darnell Nurse (five-game suspension) and Vegas’s Zach Whitecloud’s hit on Toronto’s Matthew Knies (no suspension).

TORONTO SUN: The Maple Leafs are cautiously optimistic that Knies won’t miss much time after leaving Wednesday’s game against the Golden Knights following that big hit by Whitecloud.

THE PROVINCE: The Vancouver Canucks returned forward Jonathan Lekkerimaki to their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford. It suggests Brock Boeser may be close to returning to action. Boeser’s been sidelined since that hit by Jeannot on Nov. 7.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 15, 2024

by | Nov 15, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 15, 2024

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

GAME RECAPS

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

Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid (NHL Images).

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

IN OTHER NEWS…

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

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

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

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

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

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










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 9, 2024

by | Nov 9, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 9, 2024

A multipoint milestone for the Wild’s Kirill Kaprizov, Leafs captain Auston Matthews remains sidelined, the Canucks trade Daniel Sprong, Kings forward Tanner Jeannot suspended, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Minnesota Wild winger Kirill Kaprizov scored two goals and collected an assist for his 100th multipoint NHL game as his club downed the Anaheim Ducks 5-2. Marco Rossi and Brock Faber each had two points for the Wild, who’ve won five of their last six games and sit second overall in the Western Conference with 22 points (10-2-2). Ducks forward Robby Fabbri tallied his 100th NHL goal.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaprizov leads all NHL scorers with 27 points. Earlier in the day, the Ducks activated goaltender John Gibson (appendectomy) off injured reserve.

Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares (NHL Images).

The Toronto Maple Leafs got two goals from John Tavares in a 3-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Mitch Marner had a goal and an assist for the Leafs. Dylan Larkin replied for the Red Wings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Leafs announced before the game that captain Auston Matthews (upper body) was placed on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 3. The earliest he can return to action is Tuesday, Nov. 12. The Red Wings played without goaltender Alex Lyon, who is out day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

Pittsburgh Penguins forward Evgeni Malkin scored the go-ahead goal and collected an assist to lead his club over the Washington Capitals 4-2. Penguins defenseman Erik Karlsson also had a goal and an assist while goalie Joel Blomqvist got the win with a 32-save performance. Rasmus Sandin and Andrew Mangiapane replied for the Capitals.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin saw his five-game points streak end. Meanwhile, Pittsburgh winger Bryan Rust returned to action after missing five games with an undisclosed ailment. The Penguins also placed forward Cody Glass (undisclosed injury) on IR earlier in the day.

An overtime goal by Jared McCann lifted the Seattle Kraken to a 4-3 upset of the Vegas Golden Knights. Brandon Tanev scored twice for the Kraken as they rallied from an early 2-0 deficit. Golden Knights center Jack Eichel had three assists while teammate Alex Pietrangelo scored the tying goal in the dying minutes of the third period to force the extra frame.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Vegas captain Mark Stone was a late scratch with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day. The Golden Knights also played without Nic Hague as he was placed on IR before this game with an undisclosed injury.

HEADLINES

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken reacquired Daniel Sprong from the Vancouver Canucks on Friday for future considerations. The 27-year-old winger had a goal and two assists in nine games with the Canucks playing on their fourth line. He spent two seasons with the Kraken from 2021 to 2023, including his career-best 2022-23 performance of 21 goals and 46 points in 66 games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sprong signed a one-year, $975K contract with the Canucks during the offseason. The Kraken are bringing him back because of their need for scoring and his familiarity with their organization.

It’s unusual for a club to trade a player to a division rival, even more so when they get nothing in return. The Canucks may have done this to promote promising Jonathan Lekkerimaki into their lineup. The 20-year-old forward was the Canucks first-round pick (15th overall) in the 2022 NHL Draft. He’s been tearing it up with their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford with seven points in as many games.

LOS ANGELES TIMES: The NHL department of player safety handed down a three-game suspension to Kings forward Tanner Jeannot for an illegal hit to the head of Canucks winger Brock Boeser on Thursday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was no update on Boeser’s condition as of Friday evening.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The Islanders will induct Brent Sutter into their Hall of Fame. He was a two-time champion with the club in 1982 and 1983 and served as captain from 1987 to 1991.

NHL.COM: Mike Gartner said he is honored to be named the next chairman of the Hockey Hall of Fame. He will take over from Lanny McDonald in June 2025.