NHL On Tap: McDavid aims to extend point streak when Oilers battle Flames

Welcome to the 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 11 games Tuesday.

McDavid seeks to extend streak in Battle of Alberta

Connor McDavid will put his 15-game point streak (14 goals, 17 assists) on the line when the Edmonton Oilers face the Calgary Flames in their third and final meeting of the season at Scotiabank Saddledome (9 p.m. ET; SNE, SNW, ESPN+, SN NOW). The Oilers captain leads the NHL with 30 goals and 66 points in 35 games and is tied with Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the League lead in assists (36). McDavid has a four-goal lead on Tage Thompson of the Buffalo Sabres in his bid to win the first Rocket Richard Trophy of his career as the top goal scorer in the NHL. The rivals split the first two games in the Battle of Alberta this season, with Calgary winning 4-3 in Edmonton on Oct. 15 and Edmonton winning 3-2 in Calgary on Oct. 29. This is a pivotal game for each team; the Flames (16-12-7) lead the Oilers (18-15-2) by one point for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

Capitals, Rangers return for key division matchup

Alex Ovechkin caught and passed Gordie Howe for second all-time in NHL goals before the holiday break. That's one less thing for the New York Rangers to worry about when Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals roll into the Big Apple for a huge game at Madison Square Garden (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, MSG 2, NBCSWA+, ESPN+, SN NOW). The Metropolitan Division race figures to be a six-team scramble for the rest of the season, with a maximum of five spots in the postseason up for grabs, and the Rangers (19-11-5) and Capitals (19-13-4) will likely be in the middle of the action all the way through. That's what makes this game at the Garden so important. It's one of those four-point games that might not appear to have a significant impact on the division standings today but could be the difference when things are said and done with at least one of the Rangers, Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins, New Jersey Devils or New York Islanders left out of the tournament. The Rangers are fourth in the Metropolitan with 43 points in 35 games, and the Capitals are fifth with 42 points in 36 games. What's even better is both teams are red hot. The Rangers have won eight of nine, including a 5-3 victory against the Islanders on Thursday. The Capitals have won nine of 10, including 4-1 against the Winnipeg Jets on Friday, when Ovechkin scored his 801st and 802nd goals. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

Stephenson attempts to keep hot streak going

Chandler Stephenson will attempt to extend his point streak to eight games when the Vegas Golden Knights (24-11-1) visit the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena (10:30 p.m. ET; BSW, ATTSN-RM, TVAS, ESPN+, SN NOW). The 28-year-old forward is enjoying a breakout season with 36 points (nine goals, 27 assists) in 36 games and is on pace for an 82-point season, which would smash his previous NHL career high of 64 (21 goals, 43 assists) set last season. It's been intriguing to watch the ascension of Stephenson who, on a team with notable scorers like Mark Stone (15 goals, 15 assists) and Jack Eichel (13 goals, 16 assists), leads the Golden Knights in points. He's been especially hot of late, compiling 14 points (three goals, 11 assists) during his seven-game streak. Meanwhile, the Kings (19-12-6) have received a boost from goalie Pheonix Copley, who has won four consecutive games and is 6-1-0 with a 2.49 goals-against average and .910 save percentage this season. And, given that it's the holiday season, it should be noted that Copley's hometown is North Pole, Alaska. How fitting. -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

TUESDAY'S GAMES

Boston Bruins at Ottawa Senators (7 p.m. ET; NESN, TSN5, RDS, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Bruins (27-4-2) look to extend their winning streak to five games and will be buoyed by outstanding special teams that include a power play (29.3 percent) and penalty kill (84.7 percent) that each rank No. 3 in the NHL. The Senators (14-16-3), who had their game Friday against the Detroit Red Wings postponed due to severe weather, will try to end a three-game skid (0-2-1).
Chicago Blackhawks at Carolina Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET; BSSO, NBCSCH, ESPN+, SN NOW)
Captain Jonathan Toews is in his best groove of the season for the Blackhawks (8-20-4) with six points (three goals, three assists) in his past six games. The Hurricanes (22-6-6) are one of the hottest teams in the NHL, having accrued points in 14 consecutive games (12-0-2) and looking to extend their winning streak to nine straight.
Washington Capitals at New York Rangers (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, MSG 2, NBCSWA+, ESPN+, SN NOW)
This is the first of four meetings between the Metropolitan Division rivals. Both teams have been rolling since Dec. 5, with the Capitals going 9-1-0 and ranked second in the NHL in points percentage (.900) and the Rangers are 8-1-0 and ranked third (.889). The Capitals have outscored their opponents 40-19 in their past 10 games; the Rangers have outscored their opponents 39-20 in their past nine games.
Pittsburgh Penguins at New York Islanders (7:30 p.m. ET; MSGSN, ATTSN-PT, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The surging Penguins (19-9-5) are 8-1-1 in their past 10 games and rank second in the League in fewest goals-against per game (2.20) during that span. The Islanders (19-14-2) are coming off an impressive 5-1 victory against the Florida Panthers at UBS Arena on Friday and are 10-6-0 on home ice this season.
Dallas Stars at Nashville Predators (8 p.m. ET; BSSO, BSSWX, ESPN+, SN NOW)
Dallas (20-9-6) has outscored Nashville 9-2 in their two previous meetings this season, defeating the Predators 4-1 on Oct. 13 and 5-1 on Oct. 15. Stars forward Jason Robertson, tied for third in the NHL in goals with 24, has turned into more of a playmaker of late with six assists in his past four games. Forward Matt Duchene has scored in four straight games during a five-game point streak (four goals, one assist) for the Predators (14-13-5).
Minnesota Wild at Winnipeg Jets (8 p.m. ET; BSN, BSWI, TSN3, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Wild (19-12-2) have been buoyed by a pair of forwards who have been sizzling recently. Mats Zuccarello has 17 points (eight goals, nine assists) in his past 12 games, while Kirill Kaprizov has nine points (two goals, seven assists) in his past six. Forward Pierre-Luc Dubois has seven points (one goal, six assists) in his past five games for the Jets (21-12-1).
Toronto Maple Leafs at St. Louis Blues (8 p.m. ET; BSMW, SNO, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Maple Leafs (21-7-6) are looking for their third win in a row and seventh in the past nine and will rely on a defensive game plan that has produced the second-best goals-against average in the NHL (2.41). They'll have to find a way to contain forward Jordan Kyrou of the Blues (16-16-2), who has 10 points (six goals, four assists) in his past four games.
Colorado Avalanche at Arizona Coyotes (9 p.m. ET; BSAZX, ALT2, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Avalanche (19-11-2) have won four in a row and have allowed just four goals during the streak. Forward Mikko Rantanen is coming off consecutive two-point games and has helped Colorado go 6-3-1 in the past 10. Forward Nick Schmaltz is on a five-game points streak (two goals, five assists) for the Coyotes (11-16-5).
Edmonton Oilers at Calgary Flames (9 p.m. ET; SNE, SNW, ESPN+, SN NOW)
Calgary (16-12-7) and Edmonton (18-15-2) each have struggled to find consistency in their game this season after they finished first and second, respectively, in the Pacific Division last season. The Flames are 3-0-1 in their past four games following an 0-2-3 slide. The Oilers are 1-2-2 in their past five games. Calgary forwards Tyler Toffoli (four goals, three assists) and Jonathan Huberdeau (one goal, five assists) each have a four-game point streak.
San Jose Sharks at Vancouver Canucks (10 p.m. ET; NBCSCA, SNP, ESPN+, SN NOW)
Erik Karlsson is on a nine-game point streak (two goals, 12 assists) for the Sharks (11-18-6) and leads all NHL defensemen with 46 points (13 goals, 33 assists). The Canucks (15-15-3) have won two straight thanks in part to forward Elias Pettersson, who has seven points (two goals, five assists) in that span.
Vegas Golden Knights at Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. ET; BSW, ATTSN-RM, TVAS, ESPN+, SN NOW)
This matchup is a showdown between the top two teams in the Pacific Division. The second-place Kings (19-12-6) have 44 points and have moved to within five of the division-leading Golden Knights (24-11-1) thanks to a 6-2-2 run in their past 10 games. Vegas won the previous meeting between the teams this season, a 4-3 season-opening victory in Los Angeles on Oct. 11.
Buffalo Sabres at Columbus Blue Jackets, postponed