NHL On Tap: Jets, with new-look top line, look to keep soaring against Canadiens

Welcome to NHL On Tap. Three NHL.com writers will share what they are most looking forward to on the schedule each day. Today, their choices from the five games Monday.

Jets flying high, look to soar past Canadiens

The Winnipeg Jets (18-9-2) are playing without star forward Kyle Connor, but you wouldn't know it. Sure, they lost 2-1 to the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 12 in the first game Connor missed because of a lower-body injury, sustained two days earlier, that is expected to keep him out for 6-8 weeks. But they've been dominant in the two games since, winning 5-2 at the Los Angeles Kings on Dec. 13 and 6-2 at home against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. These are the Jets that the Montreal Canadiens will have to contend with when they enter Canada Life Center on Monday (7:30 p.m. ET; RDS, SN). The Canadiens (13-13-4), coming off a 5-3 win against the New York Islanders on Saturday, will have to contend with a new red-hot top line that features Gabriel Vilardi, Nikolaj Ehlers and Mark Scheifele. Vilardi (three goals, three assists) and Ehlers (three goals, three assists) picked up their scoring in the absence of Connor, each with six points in the past two games. Scheifele had five points (two goals, three assists) in the wins against the Kings and Avalanche. Not to be outdone, Connor Hellebuyck is playing like he wants to win the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the NHL this season. He's 8-2-0 with a 1.70 goals-against average and .943 save percentage in 10 games since Nov. 17. There's a lot to like in Winnipeg right now and the Jets need to ride it. The Canadiens are about to face a buzzsaw. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

Fleury back for possible final game in Pittsburgh

Marc-Andre Fleury will not start Monday when he makes what is likely to be his final trip to Pittsburgh, where his NHL career began. Filip Gustavsson will start for the Minnesota Wild when they visit the Penguins (7 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, BSWI, BSN). Fleury played the first 13 seasons of his 20-season NHL career with the Penguins and won the Stanley Cup with them three times (2009, 2016, 2017). The 39-year-old is in the final season of the two-year, $7 million contract ($3.5 million average annual value) he signed with Minnesota on July 7, 2022, and is unsure if he'll continue playing next season. Fleury has 548 wins, three behind Patrick Roy (551) for second in NHL history, behind Martin Brodeur (691). Minnesota (12-12-4) will seek its fourth straight win and is 7-2-0 since John Hynes replaced Dean Evason as coach on Nov. 27. The Penguins (13-13-3) will look to rebound from a 7-0 loss at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday. -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

Flames ready to welcome back Markstrom

Jacob Markstrom could make his first start since Dec. 2, when the Calgary Flames (12-14-5) host the Florida Panthers (18-10-2) at Scotiabank Saddledome (9:30 p.m. ET; SN1, BSFL). The goalie was activated from injured reserve Sunday after fracturing a finger on his right hand in practice Dec. 4. The injury prevented Markstrom from holding his goal stick. He is 6-8-2 with a 2.94 goals-against average and .896 save percentage in 16 games this season. Calgary was 2-3-2 in the seven games Markstrom missed but won 4-2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday to end a four-game skid (0-2-2). The Panthers won 5-1 at the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday after being shut out in their two previous games, 4-0 losses at the Seattle Kraken on Tuesday and at the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. Carter Verhaeghe had two goals and an assist in the win against Edmonton and has five points (three goals, two assists) in his past five games. The game against Calgary is the last of a five-game road trip for Florida. -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

Monday games

Anaheim Ducks at Detroit Red Wings (7 p.m. ET; BSDETX, BSW)

The Ducks (11-19-0) close a four-game road trip after ending a five-game losing streak with a 5-1 win against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. Anaheim's Pavel Mintyukov leads NHL rookies with 15 assists, one ahead of Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks, and his 16 points are tied with New Jersey's Luke Hughes for the most among rookie defensemen. The Red Wings (15-11-4) are 1-4-1 in their past six games. Detroit forward Alex DeBrincat has no points in his past three games and remains one away from 400 points and 200 assists in the NHL.

Minnesota Wild at Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, BSWI, BSN)

Pittsburgh forward Sidney Crosby, who has 1,533 points (567 goals, 966 assists) in 1,219 games, needs one point to pass Mark Recchi (1,533 points in 1,652 games) for 13th in NHL history. Minnesota's Brock Faber is third in the NHL among rookie defensemen with 12 points (one goal, 11 assists) in 28 games and leads all rookies in averaging 23:59 in ice time, including playing more than 30 minutes in each of his past two games.

Montreal Canadiens at Winnipeg Jets (7:30 p.m. ET; RDS, SN)

The Canadiens have points in three of their past four games (2-1-1). Forward Josh Anderson scored two goals in a 5-3 win against the New York Islanders on Saturday, doubling his goal total from his first 29 games. The Jets are 6-1-0 in their past seven games.

Seattle Kraken at Dallas Stars (8 p.m. ET; BSSWX, ROOT-NW, NHLN)

Seattle (10-14-8) has points in three straight games (2-0-1) following an eight-game skid (0-6-2). Defenseman Vince Dunn has assists in three straight games and is one away from reaching 100 with the Kraken. Dallas (17-8-4) also is 2-0-1 in its past three games. Forward Jamie Benn, who has 867 points (367 goals, 500 assists) in 1,059 games, needs one point to pass Neal Broten (867 points in 992 games) for second place in Stars/Minnesota North Stars history, behind Mike Modano (1,359 points).

Florida Panthers at Calgary Flames (9:30 p.m. ET; SN1, BSFL)

Sergei Bobrovsky will look to build on an impressive outing against the Edmonton Oilers, when he made 38 saves in the Panthers' win Saturday. He had been pulled after giving up four goals on 17 shots in the first two periods of a 4-0 loss at the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday. Calgary forward Jonathan Huberdeau will look to end an eight-game point drought against the Panthers, the team he spent the first 10 seasons of his 12-season NHL career with.