NHL Rumor Mill – May 20, 2024

by | May 20, 2024

NHL Rumor Mill – May 20, 2024

Check out the latest on the Bruins and Senators in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

LATEST ON THE BRUINS

NHL.COM: Amalie Benjamin reports goaltender Linus Ullmark faces an uncertain future in Boston after being supplanted by Swayman as the Bruins’ starter during the playoffs.

Ullmark has a year left on his contract with an average annual value of $5 million. He’d like to spend it with the Bruins but they could go in a different direction, something they reportedly look into before the March trade deadline.

“I have my (no-trade) list and my list is there. We’ve worked very hard for it,” Ullmark said. He indicated there’s a reason why certain teams are on it, including what he called “personal things”.

THE ATHLETIC: Fluto Shinzawa reports Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark had reservations about being moved at the March trade deadline as it would’ve meant uprooting his family. Whether he feels the same now is another matter.

Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark (NHL Images).

If Ullmark is willing to work with Bruins management on an offseason trade it would help both parties. He’d be a better option for clubs seeking a starting goalie than those available in this summer’s free-agent market. It would allow the Bruins to clear the way for Jeremy Swayman to take over as their full-time starter with promising Brandon Bussi as his backup.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: Jimmy Murphy reported the Bruins had a deal in place for Ullmark by the deadline but the 30-year-old goalie rejected it. While speculation suggested it was the Los Angeles Kings, Murphy is standing by his report that it was the Colorado Avalanche. He believes it might take a lot for Ullmark to accept a trade to a club on his no-trade list.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom could be peddled this summer. Juuse Saros is another possibility but less of a certainty. Ullmark will draw lots of attention from clubs that lose out on Markstrom or Saros.

The Bruins have a projected $20.9 million of cap space for 2024-25 with 17 active roster players under contract. They’ll have the dollars to make a splash or two in this summer’s free-agent market. Moving Ullmark would give them even more wiggle room.

Ullmark has a 16-team no-trade list, which drops to 15 clubs on July 1. Some speculated that his list was made up entirely of Western Conference clubs. Regardless of which teams are on it, his NTC will hamper efforts to move him.

THE ATHLETIC: Winger Jake DeBrusk and defenseman Matt Grzelcyk top Shinzawa’s list of players who won’t return with the Boston Bruins next season. Both are slated to become unrestricted free agents on July 1.

DeBrusk wants to remain with the Bruins. However, general manager Don Sweeney has a number in mind and won’t exceed it. Unless the two sides compromise, the 27-year-old winger will hit the open market.

Shinzawa considers the chance of Grzelcyk returning to be very low. The same goes for defensemen Derek Forbort, Kevin Shattenkirk and forward James van Riemsdyk. However, he’s not ruling out Patrick Maroon and Danton Heinen returning with the Bruins.

UPDATE ON THE SENATORS

OTTAWA SUN: Bruce Garrioch recently updated us on everything on the offseason plate of Senators GM Steve Staios.

League sources told Garrioch that Staios attempted to deal Joonas Korpisalo before the March trade deadline. However, he doesn’t expect much of a market for the 30-year-old goaltender unless the Senators retain some of his $5 million AAV and include a sweetener. They could instead attempt to ship out backup Anton Forsberg and his more affordable $2.75 million cap hit.

Garrioch claimed the Senators “kicked tires” on Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark before the deadline. They could revisit that interest this summer.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Senators could be on Ullmark’s no-trade list, which might explain why they didn’t get past the “tire-kicking” phase.

Staios took calls on Jakob Chychrun before the trade deadline. Garrioch believes that the talk could become action this summer, likely before the NHL Draft on Jun 28-29.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Staios indicated after the trade deadline that he’d held discussions with some teams that could continue in the offseason. Chychrun has a year left on his contract with an AAV of $4.6 million and will be eligible for UFA status next summer. He could be moved for a right-shot defenseman or to clear cap space to add one via free agency.

Artem Zub could draw attention in this summer’s trade market. Moving the 28-year-old defenseman could be an option for Staios if he wants to shake up the blueline. The Senators could attempt to trade rearguard Erik Brannstrom or pass on tendering him a qualifying offer.

Garrioch suggested the Senators could use a veteran forward like Tyler Toffoli to help take some pressure off Claude Giroux. He also indicated Staios had been in contract talks with Shane Pinto’s representatives. The 23-year-old center seeks a five or six-year contract with an annual cap hit of around $5 million.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 17, 2024

by | Feb 17, 2024

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – February 17, 2024

The Hurricanes defeated the Coyotes, Blake Wheeler is sidelined for the season, Zach Parise confirms this season will be his last, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Carolina Hurricanes beat the Arizona Coyotes 5-1 in the only game on Friday night. Pyotr Kochetkov made 30 saves while Martin Necas and Seth Jarvis each collected two assists for the Hurricanes (31-17-5), who sit second in the Metropolitan Division with 67 points. Dylan Guenther replied for the 23-26-4 Coyotes, who are winless in their last eight games (0-7-1).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Coyotes were without goaltender Connor Ingram as he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury.

NEW YORK POST: Rangers winger Blake Wheeler is out for the remainder of the regular season after being placed on long-term injury reserve with a lower-body injury. A return in the playoffs isn’t ruled out depending on his recovery and how far the Rangers advance in the 2024 postseason. Wheeler injured his right leg during Thursday’s 7-4 win over the Montreal Canadiens.

New York Rangers winger Blake Wheeler (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Based on the severity of Wheeler’s injury, I guess he might be able to return by the Eastern Conference Final.

NHL.COM: Zach Parise confirms that this season will be his last as an NHL player. The 39-year-old winger recently signed a one-year, prorated contract with the Colorado Avalanche.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This is Parise’s last chance to win that elusive Stanley Cup. During his playing prime, he reached the Cup Final once, in 2012 with the New Jersey Devils. After 19 seasons, his career is drawing to a close, but he hopes to end it with a championship.

BOSTON HOCKEY NOW: The domestic abuse case against Bruins winger Milan Lucic was dismissed in Boston Municipal Court on Friday after his wife Brittany invoked her marital privilege and declined to testify. However, the Bruins announced that Lucic would remain on his indefinite leave of absence for the remainder of the 2023-24 season.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other words, Lucic’s season is over and probably his NHL playing career as well.

TORONTO SUN: Paul Giordano, father of Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano, passed away suddenly on Thursday night.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: My condolences to Giordano and his family.

NHL.COM: Vancouver Canucks forward Nils Hoglander was fined $2, 864.58 by the department of player safety for high-sticking Detroit Red Wings defenseman Jake Walman.

NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: cited The Fourth Period revealing the New Jersey Devils will face off against the Buffalo Sabres in Prague, Czechia, to kick off the 2024-25 season in the NHL Global Series.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators defensemen Jake Sanderson and Artem Zub are expected to return from injury for Saturday’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks.

CBS SPORTS: Columbus Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov will return to action in Saturday’s game against the San Jose Sharks. He missed Tuesday’s game against Ottawa with an upper-body injury.

TSN: The Nashville Predators signed forward Michael McCarron to a two-year, $1.8 million contract extension.

STARTRIBUNE.COM: Mason Shaw signed a two-way contract for the remainder of this season with the Minnesota Wild after returning from his fourth knee injury with the Wild’s minor-league team.

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: The Penguins claimed forward Matthew Phillips off waivers from the Washington Capitals.

DAILY FACEOFF: The inaugural “Battle of Bay Street” between PWHL clubs Toronto and Montreal at Scotiabank Arena set a new record for the largest attendance for a professional women’s hockey game with 19, 285 fans turning out for the game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: This isn’t NHL news but I felt it was worth noting. The first season of the PWHL continues to set new attendance records for women’s pro hockey and bodes well for its future.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 4, 2023

by | Nov 4, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – November 4, 2023

The Devils fall to the Blues and lose Jack Hughes, the Flyers defeat the Sabres, Sidney Crosby approaches another milestone, and the Rangers get bad news on Adam Fox and Filip Chytil. Details on these and other stories in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: St. Louis Blues center Kevin Hayes scored his first two goals of the season in a 4-1 victory over the New Jersey Devils. Hayes finished the night with three points while Jordan Binnington made 33 saves for the Blues, who improved their record to 4-4-1. Curtis Lazar replied for the Devils (6-3-1), who lost scoring leader Jack Hughes to an upper-body injury in the first period when he lost his balance and crashed into the boards behind the Blues net.

St. Louis Blues center Kevin Hayes (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hughes played one more shift and left the game before the end of the first period. Following the game, Devils coach Lindy Ruff said the 22-year-old center would be reevaluated on Saturday.

Three first-period goals carried the Philadelphia Flyers over the Buffalo Sabres by a score of 5-1. Travis Konecny scored his ninth of the season to move into a tie for the NHL goal-scoring lead with Detroit’s Alex DeBrincat and Anaheim’s Frank Vatrano. Bobby Brink and Joel Farabee each collected two points for the 5-5-1 Flyers. Henri Jokiharju scored for the Sabres as they dropped to 5-6-0.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flyers goaltender Carter Hart (mid-body) and center Sean Couturier (lower body) missed this game and are listed as day-to-day. Meanwhile, Sabres defenseman Mattias Samuelsson left this game with a lower-body injury.

Both clubs are off to surprising starts this season. The Flyers were expected to be near the bottom of the standings while the Sabres were considered a playoff contender. There’s still a long way to go in this season for both clubs but it’s safe to say that the Flyers have exceeded expectations thus far while the Sabres have not met theirs.

HEADLINES

PITTSBURGH HOCKEY NOW: Penguins captain Sidney Crosby will be appearing in his 1,200th career NHL game when his club faces off on Saturday against the San Jose Sharks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Crosby is already the Penguins’ all-time leader in games played. He will tie Owen Nolan for 127th overall on the league’s all-time list.

NEW YORK POST: The Rangers placed defenseman Adam Fox on long-term injury reserve with a lower-body injury. Fox was sidelined by a leg-on-leg hit from Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho on Thursday. They also placed center Filip Chytil on injured reserve with an upper-body injury that occurred during the same game.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Those are significant losses for the Rangers. Fox is their top defenseman while Chytil centered their third line. The absence of former Norris Trophy winner Fox hurts the most given his workload as their blueline linchpin.

CBS SPORTS: Florida Panthers center Sam Bennett is listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury. He’s already missed the first seven games of this season due to an injury.

DAILY FACEOFF: Anaheim Ducks head coach Greg Cronin was fined $25,000.00 by the NHL “for unprofessional conduct directed at the officials” during Monday’s game against the Pittsburgh Penguins.

TSN 1200: Ottawa Senators defenseman Artem Zub will remain sidelined for at least the next two games as he continues to recover from a concussion.

EDMONTON JOURNAL: The Oilers sent defenseman Philip Broberg to their AHL affiliate in Bakersfield on Friday.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Broberg struggled to play up to expectations this season and lost his spot on the Oilers’ blueline to Vincent Desharnais.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 21, 2023

by | Oct 21, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – October 21, 2023

The Devils down the Islanders, the Blue Jackets douse the Flames, injury updates and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: An overtime goal by Jack Hughes capped a two-goal, two-assist performance by the New Jersey Devils star in a 5-4 win over the New York Islanders. Jesper Bratt had three assists, Timo Meier collected two helpers and Jack’s brother Luke netted his first goal of the season as the Devils improved to 2-1-1. Bo Horvat and Brock Nelson each scored two goals for the Islanders, who are 2-0-1 in their first three games of the season.

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes (NHL Images).

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Devils captain Nico Hischier left this game in the third period with an upper-body injury. He’ll be re-evaluated on Saturday. His teammates Erik Haula (upper body), Tomas Nosek and Colin Miller (lower body) missed this game due to their injuries.

The Columbus Blue Jackets improved to 2-2-0 by defeating the Calgary Flames 3-1. Jackets defenseman Zach Werenski had a goal and an assist in his return from injury while Spencer Martin made 36 saves for the win. Elias Lindholm replied for the Flames, who sit 2-2-1 after their first five games.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson was ejected following a hit to the head of Blue Jackets forward Patrik Laine in the dying seconds of this game.

Speaking of the Blue Jackets, they placed forward Liam Foudy on waivers earlier in the day and announced a long-term, multi-year affiliation extension with the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters.

HEADLINES

NEW YORK POST: Unrestricted free agent Zach Parise has resumed skating after taking time to consider his future. If the 39-year-old winger does return to the NHL this season it’s expected he’ll sign a one-year contract with the New York Islanders at the league minimum. Parise joined the Islanders in 2021 after being bought out by the Minnesota Wild.

DETROIT HOCKEY NOW: Red Wings forward Robby Fabbri is expected to be sidelined for a month with a lower-body injury.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: The San Jose Sharks denied a report early Thursday claiming Kevin Labanc would be placed on waivers. The winger and head coach David Quinn each said that waivers had not been discussed, with Quinn adding he had no idea where it came from.

DAILY FACEOFF: Buffalo Sabres rookies Devon Levi and Zach Benson are day-to-day with lower-body injuries.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Levi started the Sabres’ first three games in net. This means Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen or Eric Comrie will get the start tonight against the Islanders.

OTTAWA SUN: Senators defenseman Artem Zub will miss this afternoon’s tilt with the Detroit Red Wings after being struck by a puck during their 6-1 win over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday. He’s listed as day-to-day.

THE TENNESSEAN: Nashville Predators center Cody Glass will miss the next seven to 10 days with a lower-body injury.

THE HOCKEY NEWS: Arizona Coyotes president Xavier Gutierrez said the club hopes to make an announcement regarding its search for a new arena within the next 60 days.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: And no, that announcement will not be about relocation to another city. The franchise remains committed to staying in its current area and is looking at multiple sites to build a new venue.

SPORTSNET: Calgary Flames prospect Topi Ronni is taking a leave of absence from Finnish club Tappara Tampere after receiving a court summons regarding a rape allegation. The alleged incident took place when the 19-year-old center was still a minor. Ronni was chosen by the Flames in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 15, 2023

by | Jan 15, 2023

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – January 15, 2023

The Kraken set a league record for consecutive road wins, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin ties another scoring record, the Blue Jackets’ Patrik Laine nets a notable hat trick, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

NHL.COM: The Seattle Kraken became the first team in NHL history to sweep a seven-game road trip by downing the Chicago Blackhawks 8-5. Jared McCann scored three times while Matty Beniers had a goal and an assist as the Kraken (26-12-4) moved into second place in the Pacific Division with 56 points. Seth Jones had three assists and Taylor Raddysh had a goal and two assists for the 11-26-4 Blackhawks as they sink to the bottom of the overall standings.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Kraken are riding an eight-game win streak. Seattle winger Jordan Eberle collected an assist in what was his 900th career NHL game. Teammate Jaden Schwartz missed this game and is listed as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin (NHL Images).

Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin tied an NHL record for the most 30-goal seasons but his club dropped a 3-1 decision to the Philadelphia Flyers. Ovechkin and Mike Gartner each have 17 30-goal seasons. Carter Hart made 39 saves and Scott Laughton had a goal and an assist for the Flyers as they improved to 18-18-7. The Capitals (23-16-6) hold the first Eastern Conference wild-card berth with 52 points.

The Columbus Blue Jackets snapped a 10-game road losing skid by holding off the Detroit Red Wings by a score of 4-3. Patrik Laine netted the 10th hat trick of his career while Johnny Gaudreau collected two assists for the 13-27-3 Blue Jackets. Olli Maatta, Jake Walman and Lucas Raymond scored third-period goals for the Red Wings as they slipped to 18-16-7.

A late goal by Matt Grzelcyk lifted the Boston Bruins to a 4-3 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. David Pastrnak scored his 33rd goal of the season as the league-league Bruins (33-5-4) maintained a nine-point lead over the Carolina Hurricanes with 70 points. Mitch Marner and Michael Bunting each had two points for the 26-11-7 Maple Leafs, who sit in second place in the Atlantic Division with 59 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Following the game, the Bruins announced they reached an agreement with winger Pavel Zacha on a four-year contract worth an average annual value of $4.75 million. Zacha, 25, was acquired from the New Jersey Devils last summer and has five goals and 25 points in 42 games this season as the Bruins’ third-line left winger. He’s completing a one-year, $3.5 million deal.

As for the Hurricanes, they got a 34-save performance from Frederik Andersen to nip the Pittsburgh Penguins 2-1. Brady Skjei and Jalen Chatfield scored for the Hurricanes as they improved to 27-9-7 and sit atop the Metropolitan Division with 61 points. Rickard Rakell replied for the Penguins (21-15-6) as they’ve dropped eight of their last 10 contests. With 48 points, they’ve fallen one point of the final Eastern Conference playoff spot.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hurricanes winger Max Pacioretty missed this game with a lower-body injury and will likely miss Sunday’s game against the Vancouver Canucks. He could return for Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Wild. Meanwhile, Penguins defenseman Marcus Pettersson remains sidelined by illness.

Speaking of road records, the New Jersey Devils became the first team in league history to win 17 of their first 20 road games in a season with a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings. Jack Hughes, Ryan Graves and Yegor Sherangovich each had two points while MacKenzie Blackwood stopped 35 shots as the Devils (28-12-3) sit two points back of the Hurricanes in the Metro Division. Kevin Fiala and Anze Kopitar replied for the Kings (25-15-6) as they slipped to third place in the Pacific Division with 56 points.

The New York Islanders, meanwhile, vaulted one point ahead of the Penguins into that wild-card spot by holding off the Montreal Canadiens by a 2-1 score. Casey Cizikas and Anthony Beauvillier scored first-period goals for the 23-18-3 Islanders. Sam Montembeault turned aside 36 shots while Nick Suzuki scored for the 17-23-3 Canadiens, who also lost forward Jake Evans in the first period to an apparent knee injury.

Colorado Avalanche goalie Pavel Francouz turned in a 29-save shutout in a 7-0 drubbing of the Ottawa Senators. Mikko Rantanen, Artturi Lehkonen and Alex Newhook each had two goals as the Avalanche improved to 21-17-3. With 45 points, they’re six back of the Edmonton Oilers for the final Western Conference wild-card spot. The Senators slide to 19-20-3 and also lost defenseman Artum Zub in the second period to a lower-body injury.

The Edmonton Oilers picked up their third straight win by dropping the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3. Leon Draisaitl scored twice while Zach Hyman collected two assists and Mattias Janmark had a goal and an assist. The Oilers (24-18-3) are tied in points with the Calgary Flames but the latter has a game in hand. Logan Thompson made 33 saves for the Golden Knights (28-14-2), who lead the Western Conference with 58 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: In other Golden Knights news, Robin Lehner filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy due to his ownership of an exotic snake farm in Missouri. The 31-year-old goaltender underwent hip surgery in August and is sidelined for the season.

Speaking of the Flames, they took a 6-1 lead over the Dallas Stars and held on for a 6-5 victory. Jonathan Huberdeau, Nazem Kadri, and MacKenzie Weegar were among five Flames to collect two points in this contest. The Flames maintained their hold on the first Western Conference wild-card spot with a record of 21-14-9. Joe Pavelski scored two third-period goals for the Stars (25-12-7) as they slipped to second place in the Central Division with 57 points.

Tampa Bay Lightning forward Brayden Point scored twice and collected an assist in a 4-2 win over the St. Louis Blues. Lightning defenseman Nick Perbix left the game in the second period with an undisclosed injury. The Bolts (27-13-1) sit third in the Atlantic Division with 55 points while the Blues (21-20-3) slipped to 45 points and six points out of a Western wild-card spot.

The Minnesota Wild got a 27-save effort from Marc-Andre Fleury to defeat the Arizona Coyotes 2-1. Mats Zuccarello and Frederick Gaudreau scored for the Wild (24-14-4) as they sit in third place in the Central Division with 52 points. Lawson Crouse replied for the Coyotes as they dropped their eighth straight and fell to 13-24-5 on the season.

Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky made 35 saves (including 14 in the third period) in a 4-3 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Aleksander Barkov scored what proved to be the game-winner while Aaron Ekblad had a goal and an assist for the 20-20-4 Panthers. Bo Horvat tallied his 30th goal of the season as his Canucks fell to 17-22-3.

Third-period goals by Kyle Okposo and Jack Quinn lifted the Buffalo Sabres over the Nashville Predators by a score of 5-3. Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen kicked out 38 shots as the Sabres improved to 21-18-2. Ryan Johansen had a goal and an assist as the Predators slipped to 19-17-6.










NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2022

by | Dec 22, 2022

NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – December 22, 2022

Roman Josi becomes the Predators’ all-time leading scorer, Golden Knights captain Mark Stone makes franchise history, Oilers captain Connor McDavid extends his points streak, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.

GAME RECAPS

NHL.COM: Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi became his club’s all-time leading scorer in a 4-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks. Josi scored the game-winning goal and collected an assist to reach 567 career points, surpassing David Legwand’s 566 points. Juuse Saros made 37 saves for the win as the Predators improved to 14-13-4. Connor Murphy had a goal and an assist for the Blackhawks (7-20-4), who remain last overall in the standings.

Nashville Predators captain Roman Josi.

Vegas Golden Knights captain Mark Stone made franchise history in his club’s 5-2 victory over the Arizona Coyotes. Stone became the first Golden Knights player to score a power-play goal and a shorthanded goal in the same game as he finished the night with three points. Vegas (23-11-1) sits in first place in the Western Conference and second in the overall standings with 47 points.

The New Jersey Devils snapped a five-game losing skid with three unanswered third-period goals to double up the Florida Panthers 4-2. Jesper Bratt scored twice and Mackenzie Blackwood made 34 saves in his first start since Nov. 3. The Devils (22-9-2) sit in third place in the Eastern Conference with 46 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, Panthers head coach Paul Maurice said winger Patric Hornqvist could remain sidelined long-term as he continues to recover from a concussion suffered on Dec. 3 against the Seattle Kraken.

Three unanswered third-period goals by Warren Foegele, Connor McDavid and Mattias Janmark lifted the Edmonton Oilers over the Dallas Stars 6-3. Janmark scored twice, McDavid extended his points streak to 14 games and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins had a three-point performance for the Oilers (18-14-2). Mason Marchment had two assists for the 19-9-6 Stars, who hold a one-point lead with points over the Winnipeg Jets for first place in the Central Division.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Stars were without winger Denis Gurianov, who’s on an indefinite leave of absence for family reasons.

The Detroit Red Wings scored four goals in the third period in a 7-4 romp over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Michael Rasmussen scored twice and added two assists while Dylan Larkin tallied twice as the Red Wings (14-11-7) snapped a six-game winless skid. Nikita Kucherov had a goal and an assist for the Lightning (20-11-1) as they sit in third place in the Atlantic Division with 41 points.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Earlier in the day, the NHL department of player safety fined Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev $5,000.00 for slashing Toronto Maple Leafs winger Michael Bunting during Tuesday’s game between the two clubs.

An overtime goal by Mikko Rantanen lifted the Colorado Avalanche to a 2-1 win over the Montreal Canadiens. Artturi Lehkonen scored the tying goal for the Avs (18-11-2) as they hold the first wild-card berth in the Western Conference with 38 points. Jake Allen made 34 saves for the 15-15-3 Canadiens.

Minnesota Wild forward Matt Boldy had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks. The Wild (19-11-2) sit in third place in the Central Division with 40 points, three behind the second-place Winnipeg Jets. Lukas Dostal stopped 38 shots for the 9-22-3 Ducks.

IN OTHER NEWS…

OTTAWA SUN: The Senators signed Artum Zub to a four-year contract extension. The 27-year-old defenseman will earn an average annual value of $4.6 million starting in 2023-24.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Zub is completing a two-year deal with a $2.5 million AAV. He’s become an invaluable part of the Senators’ defense corps. Injuries have limited him to 14 games so far this season but he netted 22 points in 81 games in 2021-22.

The Senators’ blueline is better with a healthy Zub in the lineup. One could quibble over the AAV on his new contract but it’s not extravagant and the term of the contract is reasonable.

THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH: Blue Jackets forward Yegor Chinakhov is sidelined by a high ankle sprain. The club announced he will miss approximately six weeks.

SPECTOR’S NOTE: Chinakhov is the 11th Blue Jackets regular currently sidelined by injuries. Among the notables are Zach Werenski, Jakub Voracek, Boone Jenner and Elvis Merzlikins.

NYI HOCKEY NOW: The Islanders placed forward Cal Clutterbuck on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 16.

NHL.COM: The Tampa Bay Lightning-Buffalo Sabres game scheduled for Dec. 23 has been postponed due to inclement weather expected for Buffalo on that day. It has been rescheduled to March 4, 2023.

THE PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER: The Flyers game with the Sabres scheduled for March 4 has been rescheduled to Jan. 9, 2023.