New York Rangers at Washington Capitals (Saturday, 1 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Rangers (33-16-9) were on a roll before losing three straight (0-2-1), including a 4-1 loss at the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday. They have a lot of firepower up front with forward Artemi Panarin (65 points; 18 goals, 47 assists), center Mika Zibanejad (60 points; 30 goals, 30 assists), forward Chris Kreider (39 points; 24 goals, 15 assists) and forward Vladimir Tarasenko, who has four points (two goals, two assists) in seven games since being acquired in a trade with the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 9. The defense has been solid with Adam Fox (53 points; 10 goals, 43 assists) again in the Norris race. For the most part, you know what you're getting from goalie Igor Shesterkin (25-9-7, 2.59 GAA, .912 save percentage, one shutout) game to game, and I think the reacquisition of forward Tyler Motte, in a trade with the Ottawa Senators on Sunday, is going to be huge for their bottom six; he was a big part of their playoff run last season.
The Capitals (28-26-6) have been struggling and fighting for traction in the wild card race but they're on a season-long six-game losing streak, all in regulation, with 10 goals in that span. Forward Alex Ovechkin (54 points; 32 goals, 22 assists) is back and should provide a boost after missing four games because of the death of his father. They did trade defenseman Dmitry Orlov and forward Garnet Hathaway to the Boston Bruins on Thursday and it will be an uphill battle to qualify for the postseason but they have plenty of veterans who can help turn things around, including center Evgeny Kuznetsov (45 points; nine goals, 36 assists) as well as center Nicklas Backstrom and forward Tom Wilson, who each has missed significant time with injuries this season.
Dallas Stars at Vegas Golden Knights (Saturday, 10 p.m. ET; ATTSN-RM, BSSW, ESPN+, SN NOW)
This will be a matchup of two of the top teams in the Western Conference. Defenseman Miro Heiskanen (42 points; seven goals, 35 assists) is quietly having a big year on the back end for the Stars (30-16-12). Of course, their top line of Jason Robertson (72 points; 35 goals, 37 assists), Roope Hintz (50 points; 23 goals, 27 assists) and Joe Pavelski (50 points; 14 goals, 36 assists) continues to pave the way. The resurgence of forward Jamie Benn (49 points; 23 goals, 26 assists) has been big for them, but you'd like to see more from center Tyler Seguin, who has one goal in his past 11 games. Coach Peter DeBoer has done an excellent job behind the bench but Dallas has lost five straight (0-3-2) and is in need of points.
The Golden Knights (35-18-5) had a great start to the season before a rash of injuries. They are without captain Mark Stone (back) and goalie Logan Thompson (lower body), but are 6-0-2 in their past eight games. Vegas has been very good on the road (17-5-5) but underwhelming at home (18-13-0). This is a tough seven-day stretch for them with games against the Stars, Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils. They also will have flexibility heading into the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline on March 3 after trading defenseman Shea Weber and his contract to the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday.
