NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 30, 2025

by | Mar 30, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 30, 2025

The Stars clinch a playoff berth, the Rangers regain the final Eastern wild-card spot, Oilers star Leon Draisaitl reaches the 50-goal plateau, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Dallas Stars joined the Washington Capitals and Winnipeg Jets among the teams that have clinched playoff berths with a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Kraken, officially eliminating the latter from postseason contention. Mikko Rantanen had a goal and two assists for the Stars, who have won five straight games and sit second in the Central Division with 100 points, four behind the league-leading Jets. Eeli Tolvanen tallied his 22nd goal of the season for the Kraken.

New York Rangers winger Artemi Panarin and defenseman Adam Fox each scored twice in a 6-1 rout of the San Jose Sharks. The win moved the Rangers into the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot for the first time since March 17 with 77 points, two ahead of the Montreal Canadiens and Columbus Blue Jackets. Sharks center Cam Lund scored his first NHL goal.

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl (NHL Images).

Edmonton Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl returned from a four-game absence in dramatic fashion, scoring the tying and winning goals to nip the Calgary Flames 3-2 in overtime. Draisaitl also collected an assist and became the first player this season to reach the 50-goal plateau. Nazem Kadri had two assists for the Flames (80 points) as they sit seven points out of the final Western Conference wild-card spot. The Oilers are third in the Pacific Division with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: With a league-leading 51 goals, Draisaitl has reached the 50-goal single-season milestone four times. He joins Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin as the only active players with at least four 50-goal seasons.

The first period of this game was paused for nearly 10 minutes for an emergency medical situation in the stands. A person collapsed on the steps behind the Oilers bench and was taken to a hospital. No update was provided.

Before this game, the Flames announced that center Connor Zary was week-to-week with a lower-body injury believed to be his left knee. It’s not as serious as the injury to the same knee that sidelined him for two months earlier this season.

The red-hot St. Louis Blues picked up their ninth straight victory by beating the Colorado Avalanche 2-1. Pavel Buchnevich broke a 1-1 tie in the third period and Robert Thomas collected two assists as the Blues hold the second Western wild-card spot with 87 points, six ahead of the Vancouver Canucks. Nathan MacKinnon scored his 30th goal of the season for the Avalanche, who are third in the Central Division with 93 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon extended his home points streak to 24 games. He has 109 points this season with eight games remaining in the Avalanche’s regular-season schedule.

A hat trick by team captain Nico Hischier powered the New Jersey Devils to a 5-2 win over the Minnesota Wild. Jesper Bratt set up two goals for the Devils, who sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 85 points. Marcus Foligno had a goal and an assist for the Wild, who hold the first Western wild card with 87 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Wild and Blues are tied in points but the former holds that wild-card berth with a game in hand. They also have 41 wins to the Blues’ 40.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists for the second straight game as his club beat the New York Islanders 5-3. Brayden Point tallied twice for the Lightning (91), tying them with the second-place Florida Panthers in the Atlantic Division. Ryan Pulock, Marc Gatcomb and Tony DeAngelo replied for the Islanders (74 points), who are three points behind the Rangers for the final Eastern wild-card spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kucherov has the same point total as MacKinnon (109) but holds the lead in the race for the Art Ross Trophy with a game in hand. Draisaitl is third with 104 points but has a nine-goal lead in the race for the Maurice Richard Trophy.

The Toronto Maple Leafs got two third-period goals from John Tavares in a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles Kings, snapping the latter’s 15-game home points streak. Leafs captain Auston Matthews scored a shorthanded goal and picked up an assist as the Leafs hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 92 points. Alex Laferriere scored for the Kings, who sit second in the Pacific Division with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kings and Oilers are tied in points but the former holds their place in the Pacific standings with a game in hand.

Third-period goals by Reilly Smith and Brett Howden lifted the Vegas Golden Knights over the Nashville Predators 3-1. Jack Eichel extended his points streak to six games with a goal and an assist as the Golden Knights have won six straight, sitting first in the Pacific Division with 98 points. Ryan O’Reilly scored for the Predators, who lost forward Colton Sissons in the first period after injuring his left leg. There was no immediate update on his condition following the game.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark kicked out 29 shots in a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. Ridly Greig had a goal and an assist for the Senators, who hold the first Eastern wild-card berth with 83 points. Boone Jenner and Kirill Marchenko scored for the Blue Jackets, who sit two points out of the final Eastern wild card.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators hold a six-point cushion over the Rangers and are eight points up on the Blue Jackets and Canadiens. With 10 games remaining, they are tantalizingly close to clinching their first playoff berth in eight years.

The Detroit Red Wings kept their playoff hopes alive by downing the Boston Bruins 2-1. Cam Talbot stopped 20 shots while Marco Kasper and Lucas Raymond tallied for the Red Wings (74 points), who sit three points behind the Rangers in the wild-card race. Morgan Geekie replied for the Bruins as their losing skid reached eight games.

Rookie winger Matvei Michkov scored two goals as the Philadelphia Flyers rolled to a 7-4 victory over the Buffalo Sabres, picking up their second straight win since Brad Shaw became interim head coach on Thursday. Ryan Poehling had two goals and an assist for the Flyers. Jack Quinn scored two goals and an assist for the Sabres.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sabres captain Rasmus Dahlin was a late scratch due to an illness, leaving him one game shy of reaching the 500-game plateau.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2025

by | Mar 28, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 28, 2025

Penguins captain Sidney Crosby sets a notable offensive record, Nikita Kucherov leads the Lightning with a four-point game, the Blues strengthen their hold on the final Western wild card, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPPING THURSDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby broke Wayne Gretzky’s record of consecutive seasons averaging a point-per-game in a 7-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. Jiri Kulich scored twice for the Sabres while Tage Thompson, Alex Tuch, Rasmus Dahlin, Bowen Byram and Peyton Kreb had two points each.

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby has 20 consecutive seasons averaging a point-per-game. That’s an impressive display of offensive consistency, especially at this stage of his career on a team rebuilding its roster.

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov had a goal and three assists and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 25 saves to shut out the Utah Hockey Club 8-0. Victor Hedman had a goal and two assists while Jake Guentzel and Oliver Bjorkstrand each scored twice for the Lightning (89 points), who moved within one point of the first-place Toronto Maple Leafs in the Atlantic Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning are tied with the Florida Panthers in points but the latter holds a game in hand.

Speaking of the Maple Leafs, they overcame a 5-3 deficit in regulation to the San Jose Sharks but fell 6-5 on shootout goals by Will Smith and Macklin Celebrini. Tyler Toffoli scored twice and picked up an assist for the Sharks. William Nylander tallied twice and Mitch Marner collected three assists for the Leafs, who sit atop the Atlantic Division with 90 points.

The St. Louis Blues strengthened their hold on the final Western Conference wild-card berth by nipping the Nashville Predators 3-2, picking up their eighth straight win. Dylan Holloway scored two goals, including the game-winner in the third period. Robert Thomas had two assists for the Blues (85 points), opening a five-point lead over the Vancouver Canucks. Fedor Svechkov and Brady Skjei scored for the Predators, who’ve been officially eliminated from the playoff race.

Minnesota Wild forward Frederick Gaudreau scored twice and Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist in a 4-2 win over the Washington Capitals. Filip Gustavsson stopped 28 shots for the Wild, who remain two points ahead of the Blues for the first Western wild card. Matt Roy and Brandon Duhaime replied for the Capitals, who remain in first place in the overall standings with 103 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin was held off the score sheet and remains six goals from breaking Gretzky’s all-time goals record of 894. Following the game, Ovechkin led his teammates in a handshake lineup for Wild goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, who is expected to retire following this season.

The Dallas Stars got a 46-save performance by backup goalie Casey DeSmith to beat the Calgary Flames 5-2. Jason Robertson, Roope Hintz, Mikko Rantanen, Matt Duchene, Mikael Granlund and Mason Marchment each collected two points for the Stars, who picked up their fourth straight win to sit second in the Central Division with 98 points. Nazem Kadri scored both goals for the Flames (79 points), who sit six points back of the surging Blues in the Western wild-card race.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Flames had two goals disallowed, leaving them feeling like the referees robbed them. They also lost forward Connor Zary as he left the game early in the third period favoring his left knee after colliding with Rantanen.

Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark turned aside 31 shots as his club held off the Detroit Red Wings for a 4-3 victory. Michael Amadio scored what proved to be the game-winner as the Senators (81 points) opened a six-point cushion over the Montreal Canadiens in the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth. Lucas Raymond had a goal and an assist for the Red Wings, who remain three points behind the Canadiens with 72 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This game featured two teams going in different directions. The Senators have won eight of their last 11 games while the Red Wings have only three wins in their last 14 contests.

Meanwhile, the Canadiens (75 points) blew a golden opportunity to expand their lead in the final Eastern wild-card spot by dropping a 6-4 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers, who had fired head coach John Tortorella earlier in the day. Sean Couturier and Matvei Michkov each had two goals and an assist for the Flyers, who got their first win under interim coach Brad Shaw. Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson picked up two assists, becoming the first rookie defenseman since 1985-86 to have 50 assists.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Before this game, Flyers general manager Daniel Briere spoke to the media about the decision to fire Tortorella. He claimed a number of reasons led to the decision, not just Tortorella’s comments on Tuesday expressing frustration over the club’s losing skid in recent weeks. He declined to get into the specifics, saying it wouldn’t be fair to his former coach.

Flyers defenseman Cam York was benched for the entire game against the Canadiens. Shaw claimed it was for disciplinary reasons but didn’t go into detail.

The last rookie defenseman to reach the 50-assist plateau was Gary Suter with the Calgary Flames. He went on to win the Calder Memorial Trophy that season.

Colorado Avalanche goalie Mackenzie Blackwood had 22 saves to blank the Los Angeles Kings 4-0. Martin Necas scored twice and picked up an assist while Nathan MacKinnon had an assist to extend his home points streak to 23 games. The Avalanche sit third in the Central Division with 93 points, while the Kings are second in the Pacific Division with 89 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: MacKinnon (108 points) holds a three-point lead over Tampa Bay’s Nikita Kucherov atop the points race. Kings forwards Alex Turcotte and Tanner Jeannot missed this game as they’re day-to-day with undisclosed injuries.

A five-goal second period carried the Seattle Kraken to a 6-1 upset of the Edmonton Oilers. Jaden Schwartz scored twice and Joey Daccord kicked out 36 shots for the Kraken. Zach Hyman scored for the Oilers, who remain third in the Pacific Division with 87 points.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: Boston Bruins defenseman Michael Callahan was fined over $2,000.00 by the department of player safety for cross-checking Anaheim Ducks forward Jansen Harkins on Wednesday.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers forward Matt Rempe is listed as week-to-week with an upper-body injury.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 14, 2025

by | Mar 14, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – March 14, 2025

A milestone for Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, Golden Knights center Jack Eichel sets a franchise record, the latest on next season’s schedule, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky picked up his 424th NHL regular-season win as he and his teammates nipped the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-2. Bobrovsky stopped 23 shots and Sam Bennett scored twice for the Panthers, who’ve won seven of their last eight games and hold first place in the Atlantic Division with 84 points. John Tavares and Max Domi replied for the Leafs, who sit four points behind the Panthers in second place in the division.

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Bobrovsky holds sole possession of 10th overall among goalies for career wins. He’s 13 wins behind Jacques Plante, who holds ninth place. Martin Brodeur is the all-time leader with 691 victories. Leafs defenseman Chris Tanev returned to action after missing six games with an upper-body injury.

The Vegas Golden Knights blanked the Columbus Blues Jackets 4-0, extending their points streak to seven games. Adin Hill turned in a 27-save shutout performance while Brandon Saad, Tomas Hertl and Nicolas Roy each collected two points for the Golden Knights, who sit first in the Pacific Division with 85 points. The Blue Jackets hold the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 70 points, but they’ve lost four of their last five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Golden Knights center Jack Eichel collected an assist to set the single-season franchise points record with 79.

A four-goal first period carried the Ottawa Senators to a 6-3 win over the Boston Bruins. Drake Batherson scored twice and collected an assist while goaltender Linus Ullmark made a highlight-reel glove save as the Senators hold the first Eastern wild-card spot with 75 points. David Pastrnak tallied his 34th goal for the Bruins, who sit two points behind the Blue Jackets.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Senators captain Brady Tkachuk sat out the final minutes of the game with a hip injury. Head coach Travis Green said Tkachuk tweaked his hip but expects he’ll be all right.

An overtime goal by Braden Schneider lifted the New York Rangers over the Minnesota Wild 3-2. Igor Shesterkin turned aside 26 shots as the Rangers sit behind the Blue Jackets with 70 points. Wild captain Jared Spurgeon collected two assists as his club holds the first Western Conference wild-card berth with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Rangers forward Arthur Kaliyev left the Rangers during this road trip to undergo further evaluation and testing for an upper-body injury.

New Jersey Devils winger Jesper Bratt had a goal and two assists in a 3-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. Brett Pesce had a goal and an assist as the Devils sit third in the Metropolitan Division with 78 points. Edmonton forward Leon Draisaitl scored his league-leading 47th goal to extend his points streak to 16 games. The Oilers cling to third in the Pacific Division with 78 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Oilers have been in a funk of late with just three wins in their last 11 contests.

Meanwhile, Oilers general manager Stan Bowman filed a motion to quash a subpoena for him to be deposed in the case of John Doe vs the Chicago Blackhawks. Bowman and other former Blackhawks employees have been issued subpoenas to sit for depositions from John Doe’s attorneys.

Bowman claims he was not properly served the subpoena because his home is in Edmonton, not Chicago, and the court doesn’t have any personal jurisdiction over him for several reasons, including that he is a resident and citizen of Canada.

The former Blackhawks player is suing the franchise for failing to act when informed of sexual assault allegations against former team video coach Brad Aldrich during the 2010 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Bowman was general manager at the time.

Los Angeles Kings netminder Darcy Kuemper had a 21-save shutout to defeat the Washington Capitals 3-0. Quinton Byfield scored to extend his goal streak to five games and Kevin Fiala had a goal and an assist for the Kings, who’ve won four straight and vaulted over the Oilers into second place in the Pacific Division with 79 points. The Capitals slipped into second place in the overall standings with 94 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Capitals are tied with the Winnipeg Jets but the latter holds first overall with 45 wins.

The Philadelphia Flyers snapped a five-game losing skid with a 4-3 shootout victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Bobby Brink had two goals and an assist in regulation and Owen Tippett netted the winning goal for the Flyers. Jonas Johansson stopped 26 shots for the Lightning, who sit third in the Atlantic Division with 79 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Lightning recalled Cam Atkinson from their AHL affiliate in Syracuse to replace ailing winger Nikita Kucherov. Flyers defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen missed this game with an undisclosed injury.

Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry kicked out 33 shots in a 5-3 win over the St. Louis Blues. Rickard Rakell and Bryan Rust each had a goal and an assist as the Penguins collected their third straight win. Blues netminder Jordan Binnington was pulled after giving up four goals on 19 shots. With 69 points, the Blues sit two points behind the Calgary Flames for the final Western wild card.

The San Jose Sharks ended a three-game skid by doubling up the Chicago Blackhawks 4-2. Collin Graf tallied twice and Will Smith had a goal and an assist. Frank Nazar and Ilya Mikheyev replied for the Blackhawks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Blackhawks center Connor Bedard received a 10-minute misconduct for abuse of officials. No explanation was given by the referee and Bedard looked confused when the call was made. After the game, the Blackhawks star said it was for something he said to the official regarding an uncalled trip by Sharks defenseman Mario Ferraro.

IN OTHER NEWS…

THE ATHLETIC: Pierre LeBrun reports the 2025-26 NHL schedule is tentatively slated to open on Oct. 7 with the 2026 Stanley Cup Final end around June 21-22 at the latest. The schedule is to accommodate the Winter Olympic break plus the All-Star Game.

Meanwhile, the 2026-27 season could see an 84-game regular season with a shortened preseason, with the regular season beginning in late September with the playoffs ending in late June. It would better accommodate breaks for the Olympics and World Cup of Hockey while reducing the number of back-to-back games that teams currently face.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Changes to the regular season and playoff formats are expected to be part of the negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement. The current CBA expires in September 2026 but a new agreement is expected to be in place well before then, avoiding the possibility of another work stoppage.

Removing the requirement of playing at least one game in every NHL arena doesn’t appear very popular. Some teams don’t want to go two years without seeing a superstar like Connor McDavid or a popular draw like the New York Rangers, Toronto Maple Leafs or Montreal Canadiens.

Canceling the All-Star Game has also been discussed. It won’t happen next year as the New York Islanders have already been announced as the host team for the 2026 game. However, the success of the 4 Nations Face-Off has prompted talks about changing course. LeBrun wonders if they’ll consider scrapping the ASG during Olympic years.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The NHL All-Star Game has been a pathetic joke for four decades. Only the team hosting the event sees any benefit. It’s a ratings dud, and those fans who tune in seem to be “hate-watching” so they can dump on the event in real time on social media.

I’d like to see an Olympics-4 Nations-World Cup-4 Nations format.

CALGARY SUN: Flames center Connor Zary received a two-game suspension by the NHL department of player safety for a late, retaliatory hit on Vancouver Canucks defenseman Elias Pettersson on Wednesday.

ROTOWIRE: Carolina Hurricanes winger Andrei Svechnikov will miss Friday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings with an undisclosed ailment.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 11, 2025

by | Jan 11, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 11, 2025

Recaps of Friday’s games, the Jets’ Quarter-Century Team is revealed, Bruins stars Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak push back against a rumor of tension between them, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki’s overtime goal lifted his club to a 3-2 victory over the Washington Capitals. Cole Caufield and Josh Anderson also scored for the Canadiens, who outshot the Capitals 30-17 to pick up their ninth win in their last 11 games. Jakob Chychrun and Lars Eller replied for the Capitals, who picked up a point and sit in first place in the Eastern Conference with 59 points.

Montreal Canadiens captain Nick Suzuki (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canadiens (43 points) moved within one point of the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth and two points of the Boston Bruins for the first wild-card spot. Capitals goaltender Charlie Lindgren suffered an upper-body injury midway through this game following a collision with Suzuki, who was pushed into Lindgren by Capitals winger Brandon Duhaime.

Detroit Red Wings forward Patrick Kane collected three assists to lead his club over the Chicago Blackhawks 5-3. Lucas Raymond, Alex DeBrincat and Marco Kasper each had a goal and an assist as the Wings picked up their sixth straight victory. Blackhawks winger Teuvo Teravainen tallied twice and Connor Bedard picked up an assist to extend his points streak to nine games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Red Wings are one point behind the Canadiens in the Eastern Conference wild-card chase, with the Ottawa Senators (41 points) and New York Rangers (40) close behind.

The Los Angeles Kings collected their fifth straight victory with a 2-1 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Adrian Kempe extended his goal streak to four games by snapping a 1-1 tie in overtime. Alex Turcotte also scored for the Kings while Mark Scheifele replied for the Jets, who’ve won once in their last five games (1-2-2).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Jets are tied with the Vegas Golden Knights with 59 points but the latter holds first place in the overall standings with a game in hand and one more win. Jets defensemen Josh Morrissey and Dylan Samberg were in the lineup for this game. Morrissey had left Tuesday’s game against the Nashville Predators while Samberg was sidelined for over a month with a broken foot.

Carolina Hurricanes goaltender Dustin Tokarski made 14 saves to shut out the Vancouver Canucks 2-0. Jordan Staal and Andrei Svechnikov scored for the Hurricanes. The Canucks are winless in their last four (0-2-2) and cling to the final Western Conference wild-card spot (46 points) one point ahead of the Calgary Flames.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canucks center Elias Pettersson returned to the lineup after missing six games with an undisclosed ailment.

Utah Hockey Club center Barrett Hayton scored with 1:32 remaining in the third period in a 2-1 victory over the San Jose Sharks. Nick Schmaltz also scored and Fabian Zetterlund replied for the Sharks.

HEADLINES

NHL.COM: Connor Hellebuyck, Mark Scheifele and Josh Morrissey highlight the Winnipeg Jets’ Quarter Century Team.

The trio comprised part of the First Team with Blake Wheeler, Dustin Byfuglien and Ilya Kovalchuk. Forwards Kyle Connor, Nikolaj Ehlers and Bryan Little, defensemen Jacob Trouba and Toby Enstrom and goaltender Ondrej Pavelec made up the Second Team.

SPECTOR’S NOTE Kovalchuk was the franchise’s biggest star when they were the Atlanta Thrashers, scoring 328 goals and 287 assists for 615 points in 594 games from 2001-02 to 2009-10. That included two 52-goal seasons and two 90-plus point campaigns.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Bruins captain Brad Marchand and teammate David Pastrnak blasted WEEI radio host Rich Keefe for claiming Pastrnak was refusing to play on Marchand’s line.

“I know reporters have a job to do, and that job is to report on the team, and usually you try to be fact-based,” said Marchand. “But when there’s just blatant lies told in the media, that’s where there’s a problem.”

Marchand explained he and Pastrnak haven’t played together much this season because the team is trying their scoring depth through the lineup. He rejected Keefe’s claim that Pastrnak was a problem in the dressing room, calling him one of the most-loved guys in the room.

Pastrnak said he initially thought Keefe was making fun of him. “I know how I feel about Marchy. We love each other. I have a huge amount of respect for him.” He called the report “100 percent false”, saying he and Marchand had a good laugh over it.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: Oilers winger Evander Kane underwent knee surgery requiring four to eight weeks of recovery. This surgery puts his rehab from last fall’s abdominal surgery on hold.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: If Kane is sidelined for the rest of the regular season, this could also affect the Oilers’ plans for the March 7 trade deadline. I’ll have more about that in today’s Rumors update.

THE ATHLETIC’s Aaron Portzline reports Columbus Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan has a sprained right wrist but no fractures. He’s been placed on injured reserve and will be reevaluated once the swelling subsides. Monahan suffered the injury against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Jan. 7.

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL: Ivan Barbashev is expected to return to the Golden Knights lineup against the New York Rangers on Saturday. He missed the last 10 games with an upper-body injury.

CALGARY SUN: Flames center Conor Zary won’t require surgery following a knee-on-knee hit from Anaheim Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson. However, he will be sidelined indefinitely but is expected to return later this season.

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators signed sophomore center Ridly Greig to a three-year contract extension with an average annual value of $3.25 million. Greig, 22, is in the final season of his entry-level contract.

TORONTO SUN: Former Maple Leafs Patrick Marleau and Jake Muzzin joined Leafs star John Tavares in separate appeals of the Canada Revenue Agency’s ruling on their signing bonuses. The trio are contesting the CRA’s 2023 reassessments that claimed their signing bonuses should’ve been taxed at the highest bracket of 50 percent, rather than the 15 percent they’ve paid.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Province’s Patrick Johnston cited a former NHL executive who believes the players will lose their appeals. He thinks it’s obvious what the bonuses are: merely an effort to say a certain portion of their wage should be taxed in a particular way compared to the rest.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 8, 2025

by | Jan 8, 2025

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 8, 2025

Milestone games for Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck and Leafs captain Auston Matthews, the Wild unveils their Quarter-Century Team and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S GAMES

NHL.COM: Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck made 26 saves for his 300th NHL regular-season win by downing the Nashville Predators 5-2. Kyle Connor’s 23rd goal of the season was the game-winner while Mark Scheifele and Adam Lowry collected two assists each as the Jets snapped a three-game losing skid while the Predators’ two-game win streak ended.

Winnipeg Jets goaltender Connor Hellebuyck. (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hellebuyck is the third-fastest goaltender to reach the 300-win plateau, accomplishing the feat in 538 games. He trails Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy (490 games) and Hall-of-Famer Jacques Plante (521).

It was a costly game for both clubs. Jets defenseman Josh Morrissey left the game early in the second period with a lower-body injury. They were already missing a blueliner in this contest as Colin Miller is sidelined with a fractured larynx for at least two weeks. Meanwhile, Predators forwards Steven Stamkos (undisclosed) and Luke Evangelista left this game with injuries.

Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews scored a goal and collected an assist for his 200th career multipoint game in a 3-2 victory over the Philadelphia Flyers. Matthew Knies snapped a 2-2 tie in the third period, Mitch Marner and John Tavares each had two points and Joseph Woll stopped 30 shots for their fifth consecutive win. The Flyers got both goals from winger Travis Konecny as they’ve dropped three straight.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Matthews is the fastest US-born player to reach 200 multipoint games, having done so in 589 games. The Leafs are tied with the idle Washington Capitals with 56 points but the latter holds first overall in the Eastern Conference with two games in hand.

The Dallas Stars extended their points streak to seven games (6-0-1) by nipping the New York Rangers 5-4 on an overtime power-play goal by Jamie Benn. Thomas Harley finished the night with three points, including the game-tying goal late in the third period as the Stars overcame 3-0 and 4-3 deficits. Alexis Lafreniere and Vincent Trocheck each tallied twice and Artemi Panarin had three assists for the Rangers.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Stars defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury following a hard hit from Rangers forward Sam Carrick. Meanwhile, Stars winger Mason Marchment remains sidelined after undergoing surgery for a facial injury suffered on Dec. 27 and remains week-to-week.

Rangers center Filip Chytil left this game in the second period with an upper-body injury. Winger Chris Kreider (upper body) missed this contest as he was placed on injured reserve.

An overtime goal by Patrick Kane lifted the Detroit Red Wings over the Ottawa Senators 3-2, giving the Wings their fifth straight win. Red Wings captain Dylan Larkin scored to extend his goal streak to four games. Thomas Chabot and Brady Tkachuk replied for the Senators, who’ve dropped five of their last six contests (1-4-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The win gives the Senators 41 points, putting them one point out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card berth. The Red Wings are right behind them with 40 points. Wings goaltender Alex Lyon left this contest following the first period with an upper-body injury. Senators defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker missed this game with a high-ankle sprain and is expected to miss some time.

The Edmonton Oilers blanked the Boston Bruins 4-0. Adam Henrique tallied two goals, Connor McDavid scored to end a two-game point drought, and Stuart Skinner made 26 saves as the Oilers picked up their fourth straight win. Jeremy Swayman turned aside 35 shots for the Bruins as their losing skid reached five games (0-4-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Skinner was not awarded the shutout as he briefly left in the first period for concussion protocol following a collision with Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov. He returned to finish the game.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point scored with 52 seconds remaining in the third period to lift his club to a 3-2 win over the Carolina Hurricanes, snapping a four-game losing skid. Andrei Vasilevskiy kicked out 30 shots as the Lightning hold the first Eastern wild-card berth with 44 points.

The Columbus Blue Jackets (42 points) hold the final Eastern wild-card spot as they nipped the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-3. Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko scored in the shootout and Dmitry Voronkov tallied twice in regulation for the Blue Jackets, who’ve won three of their last four games. Rickard Rakell scored twice and Sidney Crosby picked up two assists as the Penguins sit just behind the Blue Jackets in the standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Both clubs have 42 points but the Jackets hold a game in hand and have 18 wins while the Penguins have 17. Penguins center Evgeni Malkin missed this game with an upper-body injury. Blue Jackets center Sean Monahan left in the third period with an upper-body injury.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone had a goal and an assist as his club doubled up the San Jose Sharks 4-2 for their ninth win in their last 10 games. Tomas Hertl scored against his former club and Shea Theodore had two assists as the Golden Knights lead the league with 59 points. William Eklund and Timothy Liljegren replied for the Sharks as their two-game win streak ended.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Sharks forward Nico Sturm missed this game with a lower-body injury and is listed as day-to-day.

The Minnesota Wild overcame a 4-2 deficit for a 6-4 victory over the St. Louis Blues, extending their win streak to four games. Jake Middleton had a goal and an assist in his first game back from an upper-body injury while Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 15 shots for the win after Filip Gustavsson gave up four goals on 18 shots. Dylan Holloway and Justin Faulk each had two assists for the Blues.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Wild defenseman Brock Faber left this game with an upper-body injury in the first period. There was no postgame update on his condition.

Calgary Flames winger Jonathan Huberdeau’s overtime goal gave his club a 3-2 win over the Anaheim Ducks. Dustin Wolf made 26 saves for the Flames (45 points), who sit right behind the Vancouver Canucks for the final Western wild-card berth. Alex Killorn and Mason McTavish scored for the Ducks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Canucks also have 45 points but hold that wild card with a game in hand. Flames center Conor Zary left the game in the second period following a knee-on-knee hit from Ducks defenseman Drew Helleson, who received a major penalty and a game misconduct.

IN OTHER NEWS…

NHL.COM: The Minnesota Wild’s Quarter-Century Team was unveiled on Tuesday.

Forwards Kirill Kaprizov, Marian Gaborik and Mikko Koivu, defensemen Jonas Brodin and Jared Spurgeon, and goaltender Nicklas Backstrom comprised the First Team. Forwards Joel Eriksson Ek, Zach Parise, and Andrew Brunette, blueliners Nick Schultz and Ryan Suter, and goalie Devan Dubnyk formed the Second Team.

DAILY FACEOFF: The New York Islanders placed forward Simon Holmstrom on injured reserve.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The Seattle Kraken activated goaltender Joey Daccord off injured reserve.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 25, 2021

by | Sep 25, 2021

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – September 25, 2021

The league will enforce stricter rules for cross-checking, the Olympic schedule is set, plus the latest on Ryan Johansen, Erik Johnson, Joe Thornton and more in today’s NHL morning coffee headlines.

THE SCORE: The NHL intends to crack down on cross-checking this season. The focus will be on three specific areas of the rink: along the boards, in front of the net, and in open ice.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The rule changes are drawing a mixed reaction from players. As always, I’m skeptical as to how tightly enforced these changes will be. I fear we’ll see the usual pattern develop whenever such changes regarding on-ice infractions are implemented: closely called early in the season before drifting back to the previous standard over the course of the schedule.

NHL.COM: The men’s hockey schedule for the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics has been released. It begins on Feb. 9 with Russia (also known as the “Russian Olympic Committee”) versus Switzerland, the Czech Republic facing off against Denmark and Sweden taking on Latvia.

Feb. 10 sees Canada squaring off against Germany, the United States against China, Finland going up against Slovakia, and Denmark taking on the “Russian Olympic Committee”.

The tournament ends on Feb. 19 with the medal games. The gold medal game begins at 11:10 pm ET.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Canada vs Germany features Edmonton Oilers teammates Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl facing off against each other for the first time in Olympic hockey. That’s an early must-watch for me in this tournament.

The “Russian Olympic Committee” will hereafter be referred to as the “ROC” by me throughout the Olympics. The gold medal game starts after midnight my time, meaning my Keurig will be getting a workout that night.

FLORIDA HOCKEY NOW: Joe Thornton and Anton Lundell were absent from Florida Panthers training camp yesterday. Thornton was dealing with a minor sprain while Lundell missed his second straight day with an undisclosed ailment.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators center Ryan Johansen is hoping for a big bounce-back year following two sub-par seasons.

THE DENVER POST: Colorado Avalanche defenseman Erik Johnson and goaltender Pavel Francouz are trying to put their lost seasons’ behind them. Injuries limited Johnson to just four games in 2020-21 while Francouz was sidelined the entire season.

MLIVE.COM: Detroit Red Wings defenseman Moritz Seider hopes to make his NHL debut this season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: A highly-touted prospect, Seider could be a Calder Memorial Trophy candidate if he cracks the lineup and plays well in 2021-22.

TSN: Winnipeg Jets defenseman Dylan Samberg is expected to miss six to eight weeks with a high-ankle sprain.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: An unfortunate setback for Samberg, who was expected to become a regular on the Jets blueline this season.

Calgary Flames prospect forward Connor Zary is listed as week-to-week with a fractured ankle after blocking a shot in a rookie game earlier this week.

TVA SPORTS: The Montreal Canadiens signed defenseman Sami Niku to a one-year, two-way contract. Earlier this week, the 24-year-old Niku agreed to a mutual termination of his contract with the Winnipeg Jets.

THE ATHLETIC: The New Jersey Devils hope to convince their one unvaccinated player to change his mind and join their other 49 players in camp who are vaccinated against COVID-19.

THE SCORE: The Washington Capitals will be the first NHL club to feature ads on their jerseys starting in 2022-23 after agreeing to a multi-year deal with Caesars Sportsbook.