The Florida Panthers’ winger Sam Reinhart had a lot of reasons to celebrate his two goals in a 1-4 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday. The Panthers not only snapped a four-game losing streak, but Reinhart also became the second player in franchise history to score 50 goals.

Reinhart has been having an outstanding 2023-24 campaign, reaching the 50-goal mark in 71 games while also adding 33 assists for a career-high 84 points. He never scored more than 33 goals since making his NHL debut in 2014-15.

“Very cool,” Reinhart said after the game. “It’s obviously a number I’ve never really thought about.”

The only other Panthers player to score 50 goals was Pavel Bure, who did it twice. Bure had 58 goals in 1999-00 and 59 goals in 2000-01.

“Such a rare thing in a player’s career,” Panthers’ head coach Paul Maurice said of Reinhart’s achievement. “That puts you in elite class. There are very few people’s names who score 50 that you don’t know. They’re superstars. We’re just so fortunate to have him.”

Sam Reinhart spent the first seven years of his career with the Buffalo Sabres before being traded to the Panthers ahead of the 2021–22 season. Reinhart, who earned his first All-Star nod in 2023-24, is currently in the final year of his three-year, $19.5 million contract.

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Things didn’t look great for Minnesota Wild in their Monday clash against the Vancouver Canucks, as they found themselves on the losing side of a 5-3 result after two periods. However, a scoring rampage in the final third not only helped them get a 10-7 win but also made some franchise history.

By scoring 10 goals against the Canucks, the Wild set a new franchise record for most goals scored in a single game. They also managed to score six goals in the span of 5:45 minutes, which was the quickest six-goal scoring stretch by any NHL team since 1999.

Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek scored hat-tricks for the Wild, while Matt Boldy, Jonas Brodin, Marco Rossi, and Mats Zuccarello added one goal each.

“It was all the guys,” Minnesota coach John Hynes told reporters after the game when asked whether he did something special to motivate his players for the final third. “You could feel the way — in the game — that there was no letdown. When it was 4-1, 5-2, the mindset was still the same. … And then it was more of just staying with it.”

The win over Canucks was particularly important for the Wild, as it kept them in contention for a playoff spot. Minnesota is currently sixth in the Central Division with a 26-23-6 record and trails the eighth-placed St. Louis Blues by two points.

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The Los Angeles Kings goaltender underwent an ACL reconstruction surgery earlier this week, the team announced on Saturday. This procedure will see him sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Copley injured his knee during a practice session held on 15 December. He was subsequently placed on long-term injured reserve. Following the procedure, performed by Dr. Frank Petrigliano at Keck Hospital of USC, the severity of Copley’s injury came to light.

While the Kings are ranked third in the Pacific Division with 46 points, the team has recently slipped in form, going winless in their last four games. Although the Kings are without Copley, Cam Talbot has proven to be a strong performer for the team, being selected to the All-Star Game earlier in the week. he leads the league with a 2.10 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.

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The Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice revealed on Sunday that Aleksander Barkov’s knee injury is not a serious one. The player’s injury is listed as day-to-day, and while he will not be included in the Panthers’ next game against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night, he could return in time to face the Boston Bruins on Wednesday.

Barkov suffered a knee-to-knee collision with the Anaheim Ducks’ Jackson LaCombe during the Panthers’ 2-1 win on Friday night. After being helped off the ice, Barkov immediately made his way to the locker room for further evaluation.

“Anytime you’re missing Alex Barkov, it’s never going to be easy,” defenseman Aaron Ekblad said ahead of the Oilers’ clash. Appearing in 16 of the Panthers’ 17 games this season, Barkov has six goals and 11 assists.

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The Buffalo Sabres star forward Tage Thompson is set to be sidelined indefinitely after injuring his left wrist during Tuesday night’s 5-2 loss to the Boston Bruins. Thompson’s left wrist was impacted when he blocked a shot from Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy 11 minutes into the second period. He then headed to the bench in pain and sat out the remainder of the game.

“Tage is going to miss some time here, probably significant time, unfortunately,” Sabres coach Don Granato revealed. “He fought through the first injury but couldn’t fight through the second one. Credit to him to battle but it’s unfortunate.” The first injury Granato referred to was a cut Thomspon received from McAvoy’s skate during a collision.

After 16 games this season, Thompson is third in the Sabres’ roster with six goals and six assists. Last year, he was the Sabres’ leading scorer with 47 goals and 47 assists in 78 games.

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The Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power has agreed to a seven-year, $8.35 million contract extension. This contract will only become active at the start of the 2024-25 season.

Power’s contractual agreement comes just two days after the Sabres signed fellow defenseman Rasmus Dahlin to an eight-year extension worth $11 million per year. This comes as the team looks to grab their first Stanley Cup playoff spot since the 2010-11 season.

Scoring four goals and 35 points in 79 games last season, Power is expected to provide a significant boost to the Sabres’ defensive lines alongside Dahlin. They will be hoping to improve on their strong performance last season. While unable to make the playoffs, the team was able to grab 40 wins and 90 points in the same campaign for the first time since 2010-11.

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The New Jersey Devils announced on Wednesday that their head coach, Lindy Ruff, inked a new contract extension with the franchise. The Devils didn’t reveal details of the agreement, describing it only as “multi-year.”

Ruff joined the Devils in 2020 and oversaw two rebuilding campaigns before the team made a big leap last season. The Devils finished the 2022-23 with a 52-22-8 record and reached the second round of Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2011–12.

“I’m thrilled to commit here to this situation and couldn’t be prouder of the great progress that our group made last season,” said Ruff in a statement released by the Devils. “We have a special group in Jersey, and there’s an opportunity to accomplish long-term success, make a lot of positive memories, and give our fans a lot to cheer about – because our Devils’ fan base is one of the best in the League and they deserve to see a winner.”

Lindy Ruff also coached the Buffalo Sabres and the Dallas Stars earlier in his career. He is currently the NHL’s most-winningest active coach with 834 career wins and is fifth all-time. Ruff’s biggest success came with the Sabres when he led the franchise to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1999.

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The Arizona Coyotes signed 2022 first-round draft pick Logan Cooley to a three-year, entry-level contract, bringing an end to speculation about the player’s future. The 19-year-old player was previously considering returning to Minnesota to play another year of college hockey.

Cooley hit the ground running after being selected third overall in last year’s draft, scoring 22 goals and making 38 assists in 39 games for Minnesota to take them to the NCAA championship game. Second in the country with 60 points, Cooley was able to grab at least one point in 32 games.

After initially deciding to return to the Gophers for another college season, Cooley took to Instagram to reveal that he had changed his mind. “I want to fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming an NHL player,” the rising star explained. “The hardest part of coming to this decision was feeling like I was letting people down, but I have to be true to myself and do what’s in my heart. I’m so grateful for my time as a Gopher.”

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Alexandre Texier is set to return to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the 2023-24 NHL season after spending a year playing closer to home for personal reasons. A native of Saint-Martin-d’Hères, France, Texier played for Zurich in the Swiss National League following a recommendation of the NHL/NHLPA substance abuse and behavioral health program to step away from Columbus.

Texier revealed that he decided to move to Europe as a means of being closer to his family as he experienced personal issues. He was previously granted a leave of absence by the Blue Jackets in March 2022 when he was sidelined with a fractured finger.

“Alexandre Texier is an outstanding, young player who is an important part of our team and we are excited that he will be rejoining the club as expected next season,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced. “His well-being has been our sole priority, and we couldn’t be happier that he is ready to resume what is a very promising NHL career at this time.”

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Coach Brad Larsen was dismissed from his position by the Columbus Blue Jackets in a move that general manager Jarmo Kekalainen called a necessary change. This comes after Larsen coached the Blue Jackets for the past two seasons, failing to make the playoffs on both occasions.

“We need a change. That became clear that we need a change,” Larsen stated before insisting, “I’m not going to dissect the strengths and weaknesses of the coaches that got let go today, out of respect to them. But it was a lot of things that factored in that made us come to this conclusion, and it was absolutely necessary to make these moves.”

During Larsen’s time in charge, the Blue Jackets lost 102 of their 164 NHL games. In addition to finishing last in the Eastern Conference last season, Columbus also finished 31st out of all 32 NHL teams overall.

Larsen is the third coach already to lose his job since the conclusion of the NHL’s regular season. Dallas Eakins was fired by the Anaheim Ducks after four seasons, while Peter Laviolette was dismissed from the Washington Capitals after three years.

The post Blue Jackets Fire Coach Brad Larsen Following Playoff Failure appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Florida Panthers’ winger Sam Reinhart had a lot of reasons to celebrate his two goals in a 1-4 win over the Philadelphia Flyers on Sunday. The Panthers not only snapped a four-game losing streak, but Reinhart also became the second player in franchise history to score 50 goals.

Reinhart has been having an outstanding 2023-24 campaign, reaching the 50-goal mark in 71 games while also adding 33 assists for a career-high 84 points. He never scored more than 33 goals since making his NHL debut in 2014-15.

“Very cool,” Reinhart said after the game. “It’s obviously a number I’ve never really thought about.”

The only other Panthers player to score 50 goals was Pavel Bure, who did it twice. Bure had 58 goals in 1999-00 and 59 goals in 2000-01.

“Such a rare thing in a player’s career,” Panthers’ head coach Paul Maurice said of Reinhart’s achievement. “That puts you in elite class. There are very few people’s names who score 50 that you don’t know. They’re superstars. We’re just so fortunate to have him.”

Sam Reinhart spent the first seven years of his career with the Buffalo Sabres before being traded to the Panthers ahead of the 2021–22 season. Reinhart, who earned his first All-Star nod in 2023-24, is currently in the final year of his three-year, $19.5 million contract.

The post Sam Reinhart Becomes the Second Player in Panthers’ History to Reach 50 Goals appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Things didn’t look great for Minnesota Wild in their Monday clash against the Vancouver Canucks, as they found themselves on the losing side of a 5-3 result after two periods. However, a scoring rampage in the final third not only helped them get a 10-7 win but also made some franchise history.

By scoring 10 goals against the Canucks, the Wild set a new franchise record for most goals scored in a single game. They also managed to score six goals in the span of 5:45 minutes, which was the quickest six-goal scoring stretch by any NHL team since 1999.

Kirill Kaprizov and Joel Eriksson Ek scored hat-tricks for the Wild, while Matt Boldy, Jonas Brodin, Marco Rossi, and Mats Zuccarello added one goal each.

“It was all the guys,” Minnesota coach John Hynes told reporters after the game when asked whether he did something special to motivate his players for the final third. “You could feel the way — in the game — that there was no letdown. When it was 4-1, 5-2, the mindset was still the same. … And then it was more of just staying with it.”

The win over Canucks was particularly important for the Wild, as it kept them in contention for a playoff spot. Minnesota is currently sixth in the Central Division with a 26-23-6 record and trails the eighth-placed St. Louis Blues by two points.

The post Minnesota Wild Set the Franchise Record for Most Goals in 10-7 Win Over the Canucks appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Los Angeles Kings goaltender underwent an ACL reconstruction surgery earlier this week, the team announced on Saturday. This procedure will see him sidelined for the remainder of the season.

Copley injured his knee during a practice session held on 15 December. He was subsequently placed on long-term injured reserve. Following the procedure, performed by Dr. Frank Petrigliano at Keck Hospital of USC, the severity of Copley’s injury came to light.

While the Kings are ranked third in the Pacific Division with 46 points, the team has recently slipped in form, going winless in their last four games. Although the Kings are without Copley, Cam Talbot has proven to be a strong performer for the team, being selected to the All-Star Game earlier in the week. he leads the league with a 2.10 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage.

The post Los Angeles Kings’ Pheonix Copley Undergoes Season-Ending Surgery appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Florida Panthers coach Paul Maurice revealed on Sunday that Aleksander Barkov’s knee injury is not a serious one. The player’s injury is listed as day-to-day, and while he will not be included in the Panthers’ next game against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday night, he could return in time to face the Boston Bruins on Wednesday.

Barkov suffered a knee-to-knee collision with the Anaheim Ducks’ Jackson LaCombe during the Panthers’ 2-1 win on Friday night. After being helped off the ice, Barkov immediately made his way to the locker room for further evaluation.

“Anytime you’re missing Alex Barkov, it’s never going to be easy,” defenseman Aaron Ekblad said ahead of the Oilers’ clash. Appearing in 16 of the Panthers’ 17 games this season, Barkov has six goals and 11 assists.

The post Barkov’s Injury Not Serious, Panthers Confirm appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Buffalo Sabres star forward Tage Thompson is set to be sidelined indefinitely after injuring his left wrist during Tuesday night’s 5-2 loss to the Boston Bruins. Thompson’s left wrist was impacted when he blocked a shot from Bruins defenseman Charlie McAvoy 11 minutes into the second period. He then headed to the bench in pain and sat out the remainder of the game.

“Tage is going to miss some time here, probably significant time, unfortunately,” Sabres coach Don Granato revealed. “He fought through the first injury but couldn’t fight through the second one. Credit to him to battle but it’s unfortunate.” The first injury Granato referred to was a cut Thomspon received from McAvoy’s skate during a collision.

After 16 games this season, Thompson is third in the Sabres’ roster with six goals and six assists. Last year, he was the Sabres’ leading scorer with 47 goals and 47 assists in 78 games.

The post Sabres’ Tage Thompson Out Indefinitely appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Buffalo Sabres defenseman Owen Power has agreed to a seven-year, $8.35 million contract extension. This contract will only become active at the start of the 2024-25 season.

Power’s contractual agreement comes just two days after the Sabres signed fellow defenseman Rasmus Dahlin to an eight-year extension worth $11 million per year. This comes as the team looks to grab their first Stanley Cup playoff spot since the 2010-11 season.

Scoring four goals and 35 points in 79 games last season, Power is expected to provide a significant boost to the Sabres’ defensive lines alongside Dahlin. They will be hoping to improve on their strong performance last season. While unable to make the playoffs, the team was able to grab 40 wins and 90 points in the same campaign for the first time since 2010-11.

The post Sabres’ Owen Power Signs Seven-Year Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The New Jersey Devils announced on Wednesday that their head coach, Lindy Ruff, inked a new contract extension with the franchise. The Devils didn’t reveal details of the agreement, describing it only as “multi-year.”

Ruff joined the Devils in 2020 and oversaw two rebuilding campaigns before the team made a big leap last season. The Devils finished the 2022-23 with a 52-22-8 record and reached the second round of Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since 2011–12.

“I’m thrilled to commit here to this situation and couldn’t be prouder of the great progress that our group made last season,” said Ruff in a statement released by the Devils. “We have a special group in Jersey, and there’s an opportunity to accomplish long-term success, make a lot of positive memories, and give our fans a lot to cheer about – because our Devils’ fan base is one of the best in the League and they deserve to see a winner.”

Lindy Ruff also coached the Buffalo Sabres and the Dallas Stars earlier in his career. He is currently the NHL’s most-winningest active coach with 834 career wins and is fifth all-time. Ruff’s biggest success came with the Sabres when he led the franchise to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1999.

The post NJ Devils Ink Head Coach Lindy Ruff to a Multi-Year Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Arizona Coyotes signed 2022 first-round draft pick Logan Cooley to a three-year, entry-level contract, bringing an end to speculation about the player’s future. The 19-year-old player was previously considering returning to Minnesota to play another year of college hockey.

Cooley hit the ground running after being selected third overall in last year’s draft, scoring 22 goals and making 38 assists in 39 games for Minnesota to take them to the NCAA championship game. Second in the country with 60 points, Cooley was able to grab at least one point in 32 games.

After initially deciding to return to the Gophers for another college season, Cooley took to Instagram to reveal that he had changed his mind. “I want to fulfill my lifelong dream of becoming an NHL player,” the rising star explained. “The hardest part of coming to this decision was feeling like I was letting people down, but I have to be true to myself and do what’s in my heart. I’m so grateful for my time as a Gopher.”

The post Coyotes Sign 2022 First-Round Pick Logan Cooley appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Alexandre Texier is set to return to the Columbus Blue Jackets for the 2023-24 NHL season after spending a year playing closer to home for personal reasons. A native of Saint-Martin-d’Hères, France, Texier played for Zurich in the Swiss National League following a recommendation of the NHL/NHLPA substance abuse and behavioral health program to step away from Columbus.

Texier revealed that he decided to move to Europe as a means of being closer to his family as he experienced personal issues. He was previously granted a leave of absence by the Blue Jackets in March 2022 when he was sidelined with a fractured finger.

“Alexandre Texier is an outstanding, young player who is an important part of our team and we are excited that he will be rejoining the club as expected next season,” Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen announced. “His well-being has been our sole priority, and we couldn’t be happier that he is ready to resume what is a very promising NHL career at this time.”

The post Alexandre Texier to Rejoin Blue Jackets Ahead of New Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Coach Brad Larsen was dismissed from his position by the Columbus Blue Jackets in a move that general manager Jarmo Kekalainen called a necessary change. This comes after Larsen coached the Blue Jackets for the past two seasons, failing to make the playoffs on both occasions.

“We need a change. That became clear that we need a change,” Larsen stated before insisting, “I’m not going to dissect the strengths and weaknesses of the coaches that got let go today, out of respect to them. But it was a lot of things that factored in that made us come to this conclusion, and it was absolutely necessary to make these moves.”

During Larsen’s time in charge, the Blue Jackets lost 102 of their 164 NHL games. In addition to finishing last in the Eastern Conference last season, Columbus also finished 31st out of all 32 NHL teams overall.

Larsen is the third coach already to lose his job since the conclusion of the NHL’s regular season. Dallas Eakins was fired by the Anaheim Ducks after four seasons, while Peter Laviolette was dismissed from the Washington Capitals after three years.

The post Blue Jackets Fire Coach Brad Larsen Following Playoff Failure appeared first on SportzBonanza.