NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 21, 2024

by | Oct 21, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 21, 2024

The Jets remain undefeated, the latest on Linus Ullmark and Anthony Duclair, former Oilers Philip Broberg and Dylan Holloway fitting in well with the Blues, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Winnipeg Jets overcame a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Pittsburgh Penguins 6-3 on three unanswered third-period goals by Adam Lowry, Mason Appleton and Nino Niederreiter. Eric Comrie stopped 39 shots and Nikolaj Ehlers had two assists for the Jets, extending their season-opening record to 5-0-0 for the first time in franchise history. Lars Eller tallied twice and Alex Nedeljkovic made his season debut with a 31-save effort for the Penguins.

Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Long-time Winnipeg forward Bryan Little signed a one-day contract with the club to retire as a Jet and was honored by the club in a pregame ceremony. Little suffered a perforated eardrum after being struck on the head by a puck on Nov. 5, 2019, ending his playing career. His 843 career games with the Jets are the second-longest in franchise history.

Pittsburgh’s sloppy defense proved costly in this contest. Meanwhile, struggling Penguins starter Tristan Jarry was a healthy scratch as Joel Blomqvist backed up Nedeljkovic.

Jets fans serenaded the Penguins with a chant of “Where is Rutger?” in the closing moments of this game, referring to forward Rutger McGroarty, who forced a trade to the Penguins this summer after telling the Jets he had no intention of signing an entry-level contract with them. The Penguins demoted McGroarty to their AHL affiliate last week.

Colorado Avalanche forward Ross Colton scored two goals in a 4-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks, handing the latter their sixth straight loss (0-4-2). Cale Makar had a goal and two assists while Nathan MacKinnon collected two assists. William Eklund scored for the Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Avalanche placed winger Jonathan Drouin (upper body) on injured reserve before this game.

Third-period goals by Adrian Kempe, Alex Laferriere, Kevin Fiala and Mikey Anderson lifted the Los Angeles Kings over the Anaheim Ducks 4-1. Ducks goalie Lukas Dostal made 34 saves in a losing cause.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Dostal kept the Ducks in this contest but their porous defense couldn’t contain the Kings, who outshot them 19-5 in the third period.

HEADLINES

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators sent goaltender Mads Soogaard back to their AHL affiliate in Belleville. It’s considered the clearest sign that sidelined starter Linus Ullmark is set to return to action when the Senators face the Utah Hockey Club on Tuesday.

NEW YORK POST: The Islanders’ decision to place forward Julian Gauthier on waivers Sunday implies Anthony Duclair’s leg injury might not be as serious as originally feared. Duclair suffered the injury during Saturday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens. There was no update on Duclair’s condition on Sunday.

STLTODAY.COM: Defenseman Philip Broberg and forward Dylan Holloway have paid early dividends for the St. Louis Blues. The duo were signed away from the Edmonton Oilers by offer sheets in August.

Broberg has six points in as many games with the Blues earning quality minutes alongside defense partner Justin Faulk. Holloway has two points skating on the third line with Brayden Schenn and Mathieu Joseph.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The departures of Broberg and Holloway contributed to the Oilers’ slow start to this season. Their loss is the Blues’ gain as both players appear to fit in well with their new teammates.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll revealed he’s been dealing with “a little bit of groin tightness” since the club’s final practice before the regular season. He’s been on injury reserve since last Wednesday.

YARDBARKER: Former NHL defenseman Anton Stralman officially announced his retirement to become coach of a women’s football club in Sweden.

Stralman, 38, spent 16 seasons in the NHL with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers, Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Arizona Coyotes and Boston Bruins from 2007-08 to 2022-23. He had 63 goals and 230 assists for 293 points in 938 regular-season games and 26 points in 113 playoff contests.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Former Bruins defenseman Jakub Zboril signed a five-year contract with HC Dynamo Pardubice in the Czech Extraliga.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chosen 13th overall by the Bruins in the 2015 NHL Draft, Zboril struggled to crack their roster full-time. He appeared in 76 games between 2018-19 and 2022-23, finishing with 16 points.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 10, 2024

by | Oct 10, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 10, 2024

Recapping Wednesday’s games, the Kraken sign Joey Daccord to a contract extension, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Montreal Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault turned in a 48-save shutout to blank the Toronto Maple Leafs 1-0. Cole Caufield tallied for the Canadiens. Leafs netminder Anthony Stolarz stopped 26 shots.

Montreal Canadiens goaltender Sam Montembeault (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was the first shutout loss for the Leafs since Nov. 20, 2021. Before this game, the Leafs placed netminder Joseph Woll (lower body) on injured reserve, raising questions about his reliability as their starter this season.

Sidelined Canadiens winger Patrik Laine received a loud ovation from the Montreal crowd during the pregame introductions. The 26-year-old winger is out for two-to-three months with a sprained knee.

The New York Rangers got 29 saves from Igor Shesterkin in a 6-0 drubbing of the Pittsburgh Penguins. Chris Kreider scored two goals, Alexis Lafreniere had a goal and an assist and Jacob Trouba collected two assists for the Rangers. Tristan Jarry made 35 stops for the Penguins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a complete team victory by the Rangers, getting scoring from their top-six and bottom-six forwards to dominate the Penguins throughout this contest.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck had a 30-save shutout to down the Edmonton Oilers 6-0. Mason Appleton had a goal and two assists while Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry collected a goal and an assist each. Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner was lifted in favor of Calvin Pickard after giving up five goals on 13 shots.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: One could blame the flat-footed Oilers’ loss on the dreaded “Stanley Cup Final hangover.” However, The Athletic’s Daniel Nugent-Bowman cited inexperience on right defense, a slower lineup, and a penalty kill still working in new personnel for the loss.

Earlier in the day, the Oilers reclaimed forward Raphael Lavoie off waivers from the Vegas Golden Knights, who had claimed him off waivers earlier in the week.

An overtime goal by Connor Zary lifted the Calgary Flames to a 6-5 victory over the Vancouver Canucks. Flames winger Anthony Mantha and Canucks center J.T. Miller each had a “Gordie Howe hat trick” (goal, assist, fighting major) and Canucks winger Brock Boeser tallied twice.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a wild one as the Canucks jumped to a 4-1 lead in the first period only to see the Flames rally to take a 5-4 lead in the third. Miller, who was playing in his 800th career regular-season game, tied it with 1:37 remaining in regulation, sending the game to overtime and Zary’s game-winner.

Miller also laid a hard hit against Flames forward Kevin Rooney in the first period. A stretcher was called but Rooney left the game under his own power. That led to Mantha and Miller squaring off later in the period, resulting in their fighting majors.

Canucks forward Pius Suter missed this game with an upper-body injury.

The Vegas Golden Knights defeated the Colorado Avalanche 8-4. Ivan Barbashev scored two goals and picked up two assists and Jack Eichel collected four assists for the Golden Knights. Mikko Rantanen tallied a hat trick and Nathan MacKinnon had two helpers for the Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Alexandar Georgiev’s shaky goaltending and defensive breakdowns led to this ugly loss for the Avalanche. Georgiev gave up five goals on 16 shots before being replaced by Justus Annunen.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE SEATTLE TIMES: The Kraken signed goaltender Joey Daccord to a five-year contract extension with an average annual value of $5 million. He earned that deal with a breakout performance last season, sporting a record of 19-18-11 with a 2.46 goals-against average and a save percentage of .916.

SPECTORS’ NOTE: Daccord, 28, is in the final season of a two-year deal worth an AAV of $1.2 million. It’s a significant raise and could prompt questions about starter Philipp Grubauer’s future with the Kraken. He’s signed through 2026-27 with an AAV of $5.9 million and a 10-team no-trade list.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators goalie Juuse Saros was in practice yesterday despite being listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. He remains uncertain for their season-opener on Thursday against the Dallas Stars.

THE BUFFALO NEWS: Sabres forwards JJ Peterka (concussion) and Zach Benson (lower-body injury) hope to be in the lineup for their club’s home opener on Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings.

THE FOURTH PERIOD: Speaking of the Kings, they’re in line to host the 2025 NHL Draft.










NHL Rumor Mill – January 3, 2024

by | Jan 3, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – January 3, 2024

Are the Leafs and William Nylander close to a contract extension? Are the Leafs going to add a goaltender? What’s the latest on Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk? Find out in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LEAFS AND NYLANDER CLOSING IN ON AN EXTENSION?

SPORTSNET: Nick Kypreos said he’s heard the Toronto Maple Leafs could be getting close to a contract extension with William Nylander. The 27-year-old winger is slated to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1.

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander (NHL Images).

Kypreos said the general feeling between the two sides is to get a deal done before the 2024 NHL All-Star weekend. The All-Star Game will be held on Saturday, Feb. 3.

The annual average value of Nylander’s new contract could be around $11.25 million for eight seasons on a front-loaded deal. It would be similar to that of Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak.

Luke Fox cited Elliotte Friedman saying that the paperwork on a Nylander extension could be completed by this week. He echoed Kypreos’ claim that the Leafs would prefer to have this taken care of before the All-Star weekend.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The original asking price from the Nylander camp last summer was reportedly an AAV of over $10 million. However, his strong performance this season had more than a few observers (including yours truly) suggesting it could go higher.

With projected cap space of $32.5 million for 2024-25, the Leafs can afford to sign Nylander to that contract. It would leave around $20 million to re-sign or replace other pending UFAs like Tyler Bertuzzi, Max Domi, TJ Brodie, Mark Giordano and Martin Jones. They’ll also have restricted free agents like Timothy Liljegren and Noah Gregor to re-sign but they would be affordable to retain.

On the horizon will be a contract extension for Mitch Marner before 2025. At his current AAV of $10.9 million, he’ll likely seek more than whatever Nylander gets.

Captain John Tavares’ contract also expires in 2025. He’ll have to accept a substantial pay cut from his current $11 million AAV to stay in Toronto. Matthew Knies and Joseph Woll will be their notable RFAs in 2025.

LEAFS GM NOT HOPEFUL OF FINDING A GOALIE IN THE TRADE MARKET

THE ATHLETIC: Jonas Siegel wrote that Treliving isn’t ruling out pursuing another goalie with Ilya Samsonov currently in the minors and Joseph Woll uncertain to return from injury before the All-Star break. “We always look at everything,” he said.

Given the limited options currently in the trade market, Treliving may have little choice but to bet on what they’ve got. It’s hoped that Samsonov will regain his form with help from the Leafs goalie coach. For now, they’re allowing Samsonov time for a physical and mental reset. He won’t be playing or practicing with the Marlies for at least this week.

TORONTO STAR: Kevin McGran reports Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving doesn’t sound optimistic about finding a trade for a suitable goaltender. “I checked outside, the goaltender tree was empty,” said Treliving. “I couldn’t pick one off there. We’ll see with a little bit of sun, maybe they’ll grow a few more.”

SPORTSNET: During Monday’s “32 Thoughts” podcast, Elliotte Friedman reported the Leafs were offering up a late-round pick (like a sixth-rounder) in the goalie market. However, the clubs they spoke with prefer a better return like a prospect.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Martin Jones can hold the fort until Woll’s return or Samsonov regains his confidence (whichever comes first), the Leafs might dodge a bullet and come out of this still holding a playoff berth in the Atlantic Division. If Jones should struggle or become sidelined by an injury, they could be in big trouble by the end of this month. It could force Treliving into overpaying for help in the trade market.

LATEST ON DEBRUSK

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Mick Colageo wondered if push will come to shove for Bruins winger Jake DeBrusk by the March 8 trade deadline or on July 1 when he’ll be eligible for UFA status. The 27-year-old’s inconsistent performance during his career in Boston suggests an uncertain future with the Bruins.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa last month pondered whether the Bruins would re-sign DeBrusk, trade him, or let him depart this summer as a free agent.

He considers trading the winger the least likely option unless they can make a hockey trade and land a player in return. Otherwise, they’d be trading him for futures that won’t help them this season. Shinzawa cited a league executive suggesting he’d fetch at best a second-round pick and a B-grade prospect.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see DeBrusk still on the Bruins’ roster following the March 8 trade deadline. Whether he sticks around beyond July 1 remains to be seen.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 10, 2023

by | Dec 10, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 10, 2023

The Islanders end the Kings’ record-breaking road win streak, Patrick Kane’s first Red Wings goal was overshadowed by an injury to Dylan Larkin, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Los Angeles Kings’ record-setting 11-game season-opening win streak is over. Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s overtime tally completed a three-goal comeback as the New York Islanders picked up a 3-2 victory. Anders Lee scored twice in the third period for the Islanders as they improved their record to 12-7-7. Adrian Kempe and Vladislav Gavrikov were the goal-scorers for the 16-4-4 Kings.

Patrick Kane’s first goal with the Detroit Red Wings was overshadowed by an injury to captain Dylan Larkin as they dropped a 5-1 decision to the Ottawa Senators. During the first period, Larkin was knocked to the ice after being punched in the back of the head by Senators forward Mathieu Joseph during a scramble in front of the Senators net, laying face down for several minutes. He was helped from the game and didn’t return. The win improved the Senators’ record to 11-11-0 while the Red Wings slipped to 14-8-4 as they hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card spot with 32 points.

Detroit Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There was no update on Larkin’s condition following the game. He’s had a neck injury before so here’s hoping this isn’t anything serious. Joseph and teammate Parker Kelly were assessed roughing minors while Wings forward David Perron received a match penalty in the ensuing scrum for attempting to injure Senators defenseman Artem Zub with a cross-check.

The Vegas Golden Knights cruised to a 6-1 drubbing of the Dallas Stars. Mark Stone, Zach Whitecloud, Paul Cotter and Nicolas Roy each had a goal and an assist as the Golden Knights (18-5-5) hold sole possession of first place in the overall standings with 41 points. Evgenii Dadonov scored the only goal for the 15-8-3 Stars.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars center Roope Hintz missed this game due to illness.

Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak scored two goals and set up another in a 5-3 win over the Arizona Coyotes. Linus Ullmark stopped 31 shots as the Bruins (18-5-3) regained first overall in the Eastern Conference with 39 points. Michael Carcone netted his team-leading 13th goal of the season for the Coyotes (13-11-2) as they remain in the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 28 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins center Pavel Zacha left this game with an upper-body injury suffered during the first period and didn’t return.

The New Jersey Devils doubled up the Calgary Flames by a score of 4-2. Nico Hischier tallied twice while Jesper Bratt had a goal and an assist as the Devils improved to 14-10-1 after three straight wins. Yegor Sherangovich and Nazem Kadri replied for the Flames as they fell to 11-13-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, the Flames recalled forward Matt Coronato and placed goaltender Jacob Markstrom on injured reserve.

A shootout goal by Juraj Slafkovsky lifted the Montreal Canadiens to a 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres. Cayden Primeau kicked out a career-high 46 shots while Jayden Struble scored his first-ever NHL goal for the 12-12-3 Canadiens. Jeff Skinner and Kyle Okposo scored for the 11-14-3 Sabres as they overcame a 2-0 deficit to force the extra frame.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canadiens winger Tanner Pearson left this game after taking a shot off his left hand. It’s the same hand that underwent three surgeries during last season to repair. No update yet as to his status.

Toronto Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews scored two goals and Ilya Samsonov turned in an 18-save shutout to beat the Nashville Predators 4-0. William Nylander collected two assists for the 14-6-4 Maple Leafs. Kevin Lankinen turned aside 31 shots for the Predators (14-13-0) as they cling to the final Western Conference playoff berth with 28 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before the game, the Leafs announced that starting goalie Joseph Woll is considered week-to-week with a high-ankle sprain.

The Washington Capitals blanked the New York Rangers 4-0 with Charlie Lindgren getting the shutout by stopping 31 shots. Sonny Milano, Anthony Mantha, Tom Wilson and Nicolas Aube-Kubel were the goal scorers for the 13-8-3 Capitals. Igor Shesterkin made 25 saves for the Rangers (18-6-1), who hold first place in the Metropolitan Division with 37 points.

Chicago Blackhawks goalie Petr Mrazek turned aside 38 shots in a 3-1 upset of the St. Louis Blues. Nikita Zaitsev had two assists for the Blackhawks (9-16-1) as they won consecutive games for the first time this season. Oskar Sundqvist scored for the Blues (13-13-7) as they sit just outside the Western wild-card picture with 27 points.

The Philadelphia Flyers got two goals from Travis Konecny to upset the Colorado Avalanche 5-2. Bobby Brink collected two assists while Travis Sanheim and Owen Tippett each had a goal and an assist as the Flyers (15-10-2) picked up their fourth straight win. Nathan MacKinnon and Josh Manson scored for the Avalanche (16-9-2) as they remain in first place in the Central Division with a one-point lead over the Stars.

An overtime goal by Nikita Kucherov lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning to a 4-3 win over the Seattle Kraken, handing the latter their seventh straight loss. Kucherov finished the night with two goals and an assist for the 13-11-5 Lightning as they hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 31 points. Jordan Eberle picked up two assists for the Kraken as they dropped to 8-13-7.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kraken goaltender Philipp Grubauer left this game with a lower-body injury while teammate Justin Schultz suffered an upper-body injury. Meanwhile, Lightning captain Steven Stamkos missed this game due to an illness.

Vancouver Canucks center Elias Pettersson scored the winning goal and picked up two assists to defeat the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3. Sam Lafferty and Ilya Mikheyev each had a goal and an assist as the Canucks improved to 18-9-1. The Hurricanes fell to 14-12-1, dropping all four games on their Western Canada road trip, prompting a players-only meeting in the dressing room following this contest.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets captain Boone Jenner has been sidelined for six weeks with a broken jaw after being struck in the face by a puck during Friday’s game against the St. Louis Blues.

THE SCORE: Minnesota Wild defenseman Jonas Brodin is expected to miss significant time after being hit from behind by the Edmonton Oilers’ Evander Kane during Friday’s game between the two clubs. He’s listed as week-to-week. After reviewing the incident, the NHL department of player safety issued a warning to Kane.

CBS SPORTS: San Jose Sharks defenseman Matt Benning is deemed week-to-week with a lower-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 8, 2023

by | Dec 8, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 8, 2023

The Kings set a new road wins record, Patrick Kane debuts with the Red Wings, Alex Ovechkin reaches a scoring milestone, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Los Angeles Kings set a league season-opening road wins record (11-0-0) by blanking the Montreal Canadiens 4-0. Quinton Byfield scored two goals and set up another, Anze Kopitar collected three assists and Cam Talbot turned in a 24-save shutout for the Kings (16-4-3), who sit second overall in the Western Conference with 35 points. Sam Montembeault stopped 38 shots for the Canadiens, who slipped to 11-12-3.

Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane (NHL Images).

Patrick Kane made his season debut with the Detroit Red Wings as they fell 6-5 in overtime to the San Jose Sharks. Kane was held scoreless while Michael Rasmussen scored twice for the 14-7-4 Red Wings. Mikael Granlund scored the game-winner and collected three points while Tomas Hertl and Nico Sturm each scored two goals for the 8-17-2 Sharks as they overcame deficits of 4-0 and 5-4 for the win.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This was a wild game that saw the Red Wings leap to a 4-0 lead in the second period only to have the Sharks roar back to tie it before the end of the frame. Kane saw 16:33 of ice time and had three shots on goal, including ringing one off the goalpost in the third period. It’ll take him a few games to shake off the rust and get into full game shape.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin collected an assist to reach his 1,500th career NHL point but his club fell 5-4 to the Dallas Stars in a shootout. Roope Hintz tallied twice in regulation while Jason Robertson scored the winning goal as the Stars improved to 15-7-3. Dylan Strome scored two goals for the Capitals as they dropped to 12-8-3.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars center Matt Duchene also achieved a career milestone as he skated in his 1,000th career NHL game.

The Buffalo Sabres snapped a four-game losing skid by dropping the Boston Bruins 3-1. Devon Levi made 29 saves for his first win since Nov. 10 while JJ Peterka, Tage Thompson and Victor Olofsson scored for the 11-14-2 Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy left this game in the third period with an upper-body injury following a collision with Peterka. An update on his status could come later today. Before the game, former Bruins goalie Tuukka Rask served as an emergency backup in practice with Jeremy Swayman sidelined by illness until call-up Brandon Bussi joined the club for the Sabres game. They also placed defensemen Derek Forbort (undisclosed) on injured reserve and recalled rookie blueliner Mason Lohrei from their AHL affiliate in Providence.

Toronto Maple Leafs winger William Nylander scored what proved to be the game-winner as his club held on for a 4-3 victory over the Ottawa Senators. Leafs goalie Joseph Woll stopped 29 shots but left the game midway through the third period after injuring his left leg making a save. He was replaced by call-up Martin Jones who stopped nine of the 10 shots he faced for the 13-6-4 Maple Leafs. Josh Norris, Jacob Bernard-Docker and Claude Giroux replied for the Senators as they fell to 10-11-0 on the season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After the game, Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said he expected Woll to “miss time, for sure.” Earlier in the day, the Senators announced that defenseman Thomas Chabot will be sidelined for at least four weeks with an injured leg.

New York Islanders forward Mathew Barzal scored twice and set up two others while Bo Horvat tallied two goals within 20 seconds to dump the Columbus Blue Jackets 7-3. Semyon Varlamov turned aside 32 shots for the 11-7-7 Islanders. Rookie Adam Fantilli scored twice and collected an assist for the 8-15-5 Blue Jackets.

The Nashville Predators picked up their third straight win in a 5-1 trouncing of the Tampa Bay Lightning. Roman Josi and Ryan McDonagh each had a goal and an assist while Juuse Saros kicked out 32 shots as the Predators (14-12-0) moved into the final Western Conference wild-card berth with 28 points. Alex Barre-Boulet replied for the 12-11-5 Lightning as Nikita Kucherov’s 11-game points streak came to an end.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Lightning forward Austin Watson set off a brouhaha at the end of the game by firing a slapshot at Predators defenseman Jeremy Lauzon. Watson received a 10-minute misconduct and a game misconduct. Earlier in the day, the Predators placed forward Liam Foudy on waivers.

Chicago Blackhawks goalie Petr Mrazek stopped 37 shots to shut out the Anaheim Ducks 1-0. Philipp Kurashev netted the only goal with rookie teammate Connor Bedard collecting an assist for the 8-16-1 Blackhawks. Lukas Dostal made 24 saves for the Ducks as they fell to 10-16-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: After a promising opening month to this season the Ducks have come unglued, winning just once in their last 10 games.

The Philadelphia Flyers downed the Arizona Coyotes 4-1 to snap the latter’s five-game win streak. Travis Konecny tallied twice while Carter Hart made 25 saves for the Flyers (14-10-2) as they’ve won three straight. Lawson Crouse netted his 11th goal of the season for the Coyotes (13-10-2) as they cling to the first wild-card spot in the Western Conference.

A three-goal third period lifted the Calgary Flames over the Carolina Hurricanes 3-2. Rasmus Andersson, Connor Zary and Blake Coleman were the goalscorers while Dustin Wolf made 28 saves for the 11-12-3 Flames. Stefan Noesen and Michael Bunting tallied for the Hurricanes as they slipped to 14-11-1.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes played without Andrei Svechnikov as he was sidelined by an upper-body injury.

Winnipeg Jets winger Kyle Connor scored two goals in a 4-2 victory over the Colorado Avalanche. Connor Hellebuyck turned aside 32 shots while Josh Morrissey had a goal and an assist for the 15-8-2 Jets. Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist for the Avalanche (16-8-2) as they cling to first place in the Central Division with 34 points, one up on the Dallas Stars and two ahead of the Jets.

Vancouver Canucks backup Casey DeSmith made 26 saves to blank the Minnesota Wild 2-0. Nils Hoglander and Teddy Blueger were the goalscorers for the 17-9-1 Canucks. It was the first loss for the Wild (9-11-4) under new head coach John Hynes, snapping a four-game win streak.

The New Jersey Devils nipped the Seattle Kraken 2-1. Akira Schmid stopped 37 shots while Simon Nemec’s first career NHL goal snapped a 1-1 tie as the Devils improved their record to 13-10-1. Tye Kartye replied for the 8-13-6 Kraken.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 12, 2023

by | May 12, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – May 12, 2023

The Hurricanes advance to the Eastern Conference Finals, the Stars push the Kraken to the brink of elimination, the Vezina Trophy finalists are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals with a 3-2 overtime victory over the New Jersey Devils to win their best-of-seven second-round series in five games. Jesper Fast tallied the game-winner, Jaccob Slavin and Brent Burns scored in regulation and Frederik Andersen stopped 27 shots for the Hurricanes. Dawson Mercer and Timo Meier tallied for the Devils, who got a 36-save performance from Akira Schmid.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Hurricanes await the winner of the Florida Panthers-Toronto Maple Leafs series. The Panthers hold a 3-1 lead in that best-of-seven series and could wrap things up with a win tonight in Toronto.

This was the most closely-contested game of the series following four lopsided contests between these two clubs. The Devils dominated the play for long stretches and had several opportunities to break the game open but failed to cash in on their scoring chances.

Steady goaltending from Andersen, a solid defense corps and experience made the difference in this series for Carolina. Depth forwards such as Fast and Jordan Martinook also stepped up offensively for the Hurricanes in this series.

The Devils may be disappointed over the outcome of this series but it doesn’t overshadow their significant improvement this season. They reached the playoffs for the first time since 2018, finishing third overall with a franchise-record 112 points. They also won their first playoff series since 2012 by eliminating the arch-rival New York Rangers in the first round. Led by young stars like Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier, the Devils have a bright future ahead.

Dallas Stars forward Joe Pavelski (NHL Images).

Dallas Stars center Roope Hintz scored twice and collected an assist in a 5-2 victory over the Seattle Kraken to take a 3-2 lead in their second-round series. Jason Robertson collected three assists while Joe Pavelski tied Chris Drury for the most career game-winning playoff goals (17) by a US-born player. Adam Larsson and Jared McCann replied for the Kraken. Game 6 goes Saturday evening in Seattle.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The 38-year-old Pavelski also became the oldest player to score at least seven times in a playoff series. Stars winger Mason Marchment missed this game after taking an elbow to the head in Game 4.

This game was much close than the score suggests as the Kraken narrowed Dallas’ 3-0 lead to 3-2 before Hintz put the game out of reach in the third period. The Stars should anticipate a tough battle from the Kraken in Seattle.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets, Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders and Linus Ullmark of the Boston Bruins are this season’s finalists for the Vezina Trophy, which is awarded to the NHL’s best goaltender.

The department of player safety handed down one-game suspensions to Vegas Golden Knights defenseman Alex Pietrangelo and Edmonton Oilers blueliner Darnell Nurse.

Pietrangelo’s punishment was for slashing Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl in Game 4 of their second-round series on Wednesday. Nurse’s is for instigating a fight with Vegas defenseman Nicolas Hague with less than five minutes remaining in Game 4.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Nurse was suspended because he instigated a fight within the final five minutes of Game 4. However, Hague reportedly asked the Oilers’ defenseman for the fight. I guess the thinking here is that Nurse could’ve refused but didn’t.

Pietrangelo made a deliberate attempt to injure with his lumberjack slash on Draisaitl. It was uncharacteristic of him and was apparently provoked by his anger over uncalled infractions during the game. Nevertheless, that doesn’t excuse what he did. While Draisaitl wasn’t injured on the play, Pietrangelo’s action should’ve merited more than a one-game suspension.

TSN: Joseph Woll will get the start again for the Toronto Maple Leafs when they face off tonight against the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of their second-round series. Ilya Samsonov remains sidelined by an upper-body injury. Matt Murray will serve as Woll’s backup.

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: As expected, the Flyers formally announced Keith Jones as their new president of hockey operations. They also confirmed that Daniel Briere is now their full-time general manager after serving in the role on an interim basis since March.

OTTAWA SUN: Actor Ryan Reynolds and the Remington Group won’t be submitting their $1 billion bid for the Senators. They reportedly sought exclusive negotiating rights with the National Capital Commission and the City of Ottawa to get a deal to build a new arena.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: There are seven other groups that are anticipated to make bids for the Senators by the anticipated May 15 deadline.

MONTREAL GAZETTE: Karl Subban, the father of former NHL defenseman P.K. Subban, has joined the group Ban Ads for Gambling to get ads for sports betting removed from hockey broadcasts. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario has also called for a ban on the use of celebrities to sell sports betting.

A former school principal, Subban is concerned about children being exposed to gambling ads involving celebrities and NHL players.

CALGARY HOCKEY NOW: The Flames have reportedly blocked former general manager Brad Treliving from interviewing with other teams before his contract expires at the end of June.