NHL Morning Coffee Headlines – April 29, 2026
The Bruins and Oilers avoid elimination in their first-round series, the Wild push the Stars to the brink of elimination, the finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award are announced, and more in today’s NHL Morning Coffee Headlines.
RECAPS OF TUESDAY’S PLAYOFF GAMES
NHL.COM: An overtime goal by David Pastrnak gave the Boston Bruins a 2-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 5 of their best-of-seven first-round series. Elias Lindholm scored the tying goal, and Jeremy Swayman made 24 saves for the Bruins, who avoided elimination to force Game 6 in Boston on Friday. Rasmus Dahlin scored while Alex Lyon stopped 27 shots for the Sabres, who hold a 3-2 lead in the series.
Boston Bruins winger David Pastrnak (NHL Images)
SPECTOR’S NOTE: The Bruins rebounded well from their lifeless effort in Game 4 on Sunday, with Pastrnak coming up clutch in overtime with a beautiful breakaway goal. Both goaltenders were outstanding for their respective clubs in this contest.
Bruins winger Viktor Arvidsson missed this game with an upper-body injury suffered during Game 4. Meanwhile, Sabres center Noah Ostlund left this game in the first period with a lower-body injury. The Sabres also played without center Josh Norris, who missed his third straight game with an undisclosed injury.
Edmonton Oilers superstar Leon Draisaitl tallied twice as the Oilers staved off elimination by defeating the Anaheim Ducks 4-1. Evan Bouchard had three assists, Connor McDavid and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins each had two helpers, Zach Hyman scored, and Connor Ingram kicked out 29 shots in his return between the pipes for the Oilers. Alex Killorn replied for the Ducks, who pulled starting goalie Lukas Dostal after he gave up three goals on nine shots in the first period. The series returns to Anaheim for Game 6 on Thursday with the Ducks holding a 3-2 lead.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: With their backs to the wall, the Oilers played their best game of this series, with all of their best players stepping up. There was some concern among Oilers followers before the game when McDavid (ankle injury)was considered questionable for Game 5, but he seemed none the worse for wear in this contest.
The Minnesota Wild are one game away from advancing to the second round after doubling up the Dallas Stars 4-2 to take a 3-2 lead in their first-round series. Kirill Kaprizov had a goal and two assists, Matt Boldy had a goal and an assist, and Jesper Wallstedt made 20 saves for the Wild. Jason Robertson had a goal and an assist for the Stars. The series returns to Minnesota for Game 6 on Thursday.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Mats Zuccarello also scored for the Wild in his first game since being injured in Game 1 of this series. Stars forward Arttu Hyry left this game with a lower-body injury and is considered unlikely for Game 6.
The Stars’ struggles to score at even strength in this series continued in this game, with Robertson’s goal the only one they tallied at five-on-five. They also haven’t been getting much production from their depth players.
HEADLINES
NHL.COM: San Jose Sharks center Macklin Celebrini, Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, and Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid are the finalists for the Ted Lindsay Award, which honors the most outstanding player as voted by fellow members of the NHL Players Association.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: McDavid or Kucherov will likely win this one, but Celebrini should get this honor. He went from being a promising rookie last season to a full-fledged superstar in his sophomore campaign, whose efforts kept the rebuilding Sharks in the playoff chase until the final week of the regular season.
Tampa Bay Lightning captain Victor Hedman skated with his teammates in practice on Wednesday. However, there remains no timetable for his return to action. He’s been out of the lineup for personal reasons since March 25.
MONTREAL HOCKEY NOW: The Canadiens need their first line of Nick Suzuki, Cole Caufield, and Juraj Slafkovsky to break through on five-on-five if they hope to win their first-round series with the Lightning.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Suzuki and Caufield are tied with Lane Hutson for the team lead in points with four each, while Slafkovsky has three points. However, all of that production came on the power play.
PITTSBURGH POST-GAZETTE: Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs has played a major role in keeping his club alive in their first-round series with the Philadelphia Flyers. Down 3-0 in the series, the Pens turned to Silovs, who posted up wins in Games 4 and 5.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Silovs proved himself as a postseason performer two years ago with the Vancouver Canucks. He was also playoff MVP for the Canucks’ AHL affiliate, backstopping the Abbotsford Canucks to the 2025 Calder Cup.
THE ATHLETIC: Speaking of the Flyers, there’s speculation over whether Oliver Bonk will make his NHL postseason debut, and if struggling sophomore winger Matvei Michkov will return to the lineup.
TSN: Carolina Hurricanes head coach Rod Brind’Amour is hopeful that sidelined winger Nikolaj Ehlers (lower-body injury) and defenseman Alexander Nikishin (concussion) will be healthy for the second round.
DAILY FACEOFF: Utah Mammoth head coach Andre Tourigny confirmed he benched winger JJ Peterka midway through the third period and overtime in Game 4 against the Vegas Golden Knights. Peterka has struggled to make an impact in this series.
SPORTSNET: Former NHL goaltender and Sportsnet hockey analyst John Garrett passed away on Monday at the age of 74.
Garrett began his professional career in the WHA in 1973-74. His NHL career began with the Hartford Whalers in 1979-80, spending six seasons with the Whalers, Quebec Nordiques, and Vancouver Canucks.
After retiring in 1986, Garrett moved into the broadcasting booth, working as a color commentator with Hockey Night in Canada until 1998, when he moved to Sportsnet. From 2002-03 to 2022-23, he exclusively covered the Vancouver Canucks. At the time of his death, Garrett was working for Sportsnet on a part-time basis, covering the Utah Mammoth-Vegas Golden Knights.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: My sincere condolences to Garrett’s family, friends, former teammates, and everyone who had the good fortune to work with him in the broadcast booth.
There was a veteran presence in the wins of Boston,Edmonton,and Minnesota.Pasta,Lindholm,Zuccarelo and Draistail had large impacts. In a recent article someone mentioned that the game is being taken over by younger players. Last nights performance warns everyone that the graybeards are alive and well!
Really impressed with Minny’s game in shutting down the Stars’ even strength game! Now if they can curb their penalties as the Stars have that awesome PP! Oh, and Wallstedt has been stellar! Cossa is no doubt jealous.
I know as a Bruins fan I am bias but Pasta should get hart consideration he doesn’t have anyone to play with and still put up a 100 and dragged Boston into playoffs. Everyone had Boston not being close to a playoff team myself included but here we are game 6 Friday. I thought Boston was the better team game one and two but somehow lost focus and they were giving the puck away like crazy. Last night wasn’t the perfect game but Swayman was Swayman and they played solid.
Pasta is a beauty, no doubt. He’s quintessential clutch+skill+grit. What a way to end a game…a thing of beauty.
Have to agree, One. Grudging admiration for Pasta.
Your pasta is served?
Ewwww just ewwww.
Here’s to hoping this just gets muted in the future. So cringe!
Hope that guy wasn’t looking for an iconic Al Michaels moment.
A kind thought for John Garrett. Always a cheerful soul.
RIP John Garrett. Funny story I recall from 1983 shortly after he was traded to Vancouver. It was not long before the All Star game. The rules mandated that each team had to be represented. The Canucks representative was their star goalie Richard Brodeur.
A few days before the game Brodeur was injured and unable to play. The league then chose Garrett, a backup goalie, to replace him. That didn’t go over well. The Canucks advised that they were willing to not be represented. The league said no. An idea I thought of at the time was to replace Brodeur with a deserving goalie, pick a skater like Stan Smyl to represent the Canucks and allow the other conference to add a skater as well. That didn’t happen either.
So it was that a backup goalie played in the All Star game. And the league wonders why the game has become somewhat of a joke. Stupidity in the NHL certainly didn’t start with Bettman.
Nothing to do with hockey – unless a bunch of them like oysters and beer as much as I do – but what the heck is going on with the oyster crop there in P.E.I., Lyle? Some of the best in the world come from there?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-oyster-growers-diseases-mortality-msx-dermo-9.7176920
Devastating for that element of the local economy. I also saw something about finding a tropical fish species in Atlantic waters around the Maritimes. Cripes!
On a hockey note, what do you and others think of the news that, starting next season, we’ll sadly no longer get to see a local zamboni driver don the hockey tools of ignorance – and possibly defeat the home team in the process.
Apparently, in order to eliminate reliance on such “random amateurs,” each team will sign an EBUG (Emergency Back-Up Goalie) who cannot have more than 80 games of pro experience and none in the previous 3 seasons. or even have previously played in the NHL.
So, if you’re a goalie in a local beer or fat & lean league, here’s your chance to mingle withe the elite.
My thought is, if the league wants to stop Zamboni drivers from playing an emergency game due to the farce that would be, why have so many caveats about who the EBUG is that it effectively means that the goalie would be just a cut above a mannequin?
Either the NHL wants a base talent level to showcase a quality product or it doesn’t. Don’t Mickey Duck a solution.
Exactly. The NHL hierarchy has to consist of some of the densest types on the planet.
Dan Dunleavy called it on Sabres broadcast. The Sabres needed a line change and didn’t get it and Pastrnak scored. Lyons and Swayman both had great games. Sabres had there chances but were either stymied or missed the net. They are getting no production from Zucker, McLeod,and Benson..Ostlund looks like he is out and Norris will be back in.
Gary, In-And-Out Norris continues with his frequent absences. Since being dealt to Buffalo, and immediately following the March 2025 transaction, he played just 3 games before being shut down for the remainder of that season due to an oblique/mid-body injury. This past season, in the October-December stretch, he was absent for 24 games (upper body), and in February was gone for another 12 (ribs – so it’s not all related to his chronic shoulder woes). He’s also missed – so far – games 3 and 4 in this current series. That more or less adds up to 50 games lost over his first full calendar year in Buffalo.
Cozens, meanwhile, has not missed a game since being acquired by Ottawa where, in 103gp, he has 33g 42a 75 pts, adding 3g 1a 4pts in 10 playoff games. Over the same span, Norris has appeared in 47 games with Buffalo, scoring 14g 22a 36 pts, with 0 points in 2 playoff games.
So far, anyway, Ottawa seems to have won that transaction.
By the way, the Cozens-Norris deal also involved LD Dennis Gilbert coming to Ottawa (he played very well as an injury call-up until suffering one of his own this past couple of months), along with a 2nd round pick in this year’s draft. Going to Buffalo with Norris was D Jacob Bernard-Docker, who was ultimately released when Buffalo chose not to extend a qualifying offer.
I’d say Ottawa did VERY well on that deal, all things considered.
Wow terrific win in buff. I thought that game was it. If they can put that kind of effort in Boston it’s all evened up and I would say buff. would definitely have their backs against the wall. Swayman’s been the difference.
Heh, John. That’s why they make it a best of 7 I guess. You Bruins fans need to relax. LOL.
Heck, they didn’t finish with 100 points – just 9 back of Buffalo over 82 games played and virtually equal in goals scored and allowed by accident.
As I said a few days ago, this could go 7 and in a 7th and deciding game all the pressure is on the home team.
I did not like the Sabres trade for Norris. When on the ice he has given the Sabres more then what Cozens brought to the team. The obvious problem is Norris’ availability.
For those who did not see or hear of it,kudos to the Sabre fans. Right after starting to sing the Canadian national anthem the mike cut out on Cami Clune. She continued to sing and the fans really got into the act and gave a loud rendition. Check it out on the internet. Proud of the Sabre fans in attendance.
With you on the anthem kudos Gary.