NHL On Tap: Matthews aims for 30th goal when Maple Leafs host Hurricanes

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 the nine games Saturday.

Matthews aims for 30th goal before New Year

Auston Matthews has the chance to be the first player in the NHL to reach 30 goals this season -- and can hit the mark before the calendar even turns to 2024. Matthews, who scored his 29th goal Friday for the Toronto Maple Leafs in a 6-5 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets, has five goals more than the next-closest players -- Nikita Kucherov of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Brock Boeser of the Vancouver Canucks (24 each). The Toronto forward has been on a tear, with 15 goals (and six assists) in the month of December (11 games). His chance to become the first player since Jaromir Jagr in 1996-97 to reach 30 goals in his first 33 games of a season comes Saturday at Scotiabank Arena when the Maple Leafs (17-9-7) host the Carolina Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET; CBC, SNO, SNW, SNP, NHLN, BSSO). But he’s not the only hot scorer who will be playing in that game. Sebastian Aho of the Hurricanes (19-13-4) has four points in each of his past two games and can become the first player in Hurricanes/Whalers history to record three straight four-point games. He would be the first player in the NHL to do so since Steve Yzerman in 1992-93. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

Kings look for revenge against Oilers

Pacific Division rivals clash Saturday when the Los Angeles Kings host the Edmonton Oilers (10 p.m. ET; BSW, TVAS2, CITY, SN, CBC). They will meet for the first time since Edmonton eliminated Los Angeles in six games in the best-of-7 Western Conference First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season. The Oilers (16-15-1) have won three in a row and are 13-6-0 since coach Kris Knoblauch replaced Jay Woodcroft on Nov. 12. How far the Oilers have come since the coaching change can be illustrated by their 5-0 win at the San Jose Sharks on Thursday. A 3-2 loss at San Jose on Nov. 9 dropped the Oilers to 2-9-1 on the season, shortly before they replaced Woodcroft. Oilers forward Ryan McLeod has found his scoring touch with four goals in his past three games. McLeod did not score in his first 21 games and had two goals through his first 29. The Kings (20-8-4) had an opportunity to move within one point of first place in the Pacific Division but lost 3-2 at the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. Vegas moved five points ahead of Los Angeles for the top spot in the division. Anze Kopitar had a goal and an assist in the loss. The Los Angeles captain has 14 points (four goals, 10 assists) in his past 12 games. -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

Reinhart’s great season continues

Sam Reinhart is not slowing down for the Florida Panthers. The forward, who scored two goals in a 4-3 win against the New York Rangers on Friday, leads the Panthers and is tied for ninth in the NHL with 44 points (23 goals, 21 assists) in 35 games. He’s 10 goals away from tying his career high of 33, which he had two seasons ago with the Panthers. He has five goals in his past three games and is fourth in the League in goal scoring. Let’s see if he keeps the production going when the Panthers (21-12-2) host the Montreal Canadiens (15-14-5) at Amerant Bank Arena (7 p.m. ET; BSFL, SNE, CITY, TVAS). The Canadiens’ five-game point streak (3-0-2) ended when they lost to the Carolina Hurricanes 5-3 on Thursday. This is the fifth of a seven-game road trip for Montreal. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

Saturday games

Minnesota Wild at Winnipeg Jets (2 p.m. ET; TSN3, BSN, BSWI)

This is the first half of a home-and-home back-to-back set between these Central Division rivals. The Wild (16-13-4) have won four in a row and seven of their past eight (7-1-0). Ryan Hartman, who had missed two games with an upper-body injury, had a goal in 13:03 of ice time when he returned in a 6-3 win against the Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday. The Jets (20-9-4) are on a six-game point streak (4-0-2). Jets goalie Connor Hellebuyck is 16-6-3 with a 2.35 goals-against average, .918 save percentage and one shutout in 25 starts. He’s fourth in the League in wins and fifth in GAA.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Buffalo Sabres (5 p.m. ET; BSOH, MSG-B)

It’s the second half of a back-to-back set for the Blue Jackets (12-18-7), who defeated the Maple Leafs 6-5 in overtime Friday. Forward Adam Fantilli scored his 10th goal, joining Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks (15) and Marco Rossi of the Wild (11) as the only NHL rookies with at least 10. The Sabres (14-18-4) have lost four of their past five (1-3-1). Sabres forward Tage Thompson, scratched for personal reasons in a 4-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Wednesday, is expected to play. Zemgus Girgensons, who’s missed 16 games with a lower-body injury, could return for Buffalo. Sabres coach Don Granato is ill and will not be behind the bench Saturday.

New Jersey Devils at Boston Bruins (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN, NESN)

The Devils (19-13-2) are coming off a 6-2 win against the Ottawa Senators on Friday. Forward Jack Hughes and defenseman Luke Hughes each had a goal and two assists, becoming the first siblings to each get three or more points in the same game since Henrick and Daniel Sedin (three assists each) did it for the Vancouver Canucks in a 4-3 win against the San Jose Sharks on Dec. 15, 2017. It’s the first half of a back-to-back set for the Bruins (20-7-6), who will play the Red Wings on Sunday. Bruins forward David Pastrnak is tied for fifth in the NHL with 20 goals and tied for sixth with 45 points.

Montreal Canadiens at Florida Panthers (7 p.m. ET; BSFL, SNE, CITY, TVAS)

Canadiens forward Sean Monahan got his 500th career NHL point, an assist, in a 5-3 loss to the Hurricanes on Thursday. Forward Nick Suzuki leads the Canadiens with 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists). The Panthers have won three in a row. Forward Aleksander Barkov had three assists in a 4-3 win against the Rangers on Friday to tie Jonathan Huberdeau for most in Panthers history (415).

St. Louis Blues at Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, BSMW)

It’s the second half of a back-to-back set for the Blues (18-16-1), who lost 2-1 to the Colorado Avalanche on Friday. The Blues will be without defenseman Justin Faulk, who sustained a lower-body injury in the final minute of the third period Friday and did not travel to Pittsburgh. Kris Letang became the first defenseman in NHL history to have five points in a period (five assists in second period) when the Penguins (16-13-4) defeated the New York Islanders 7-0 on Thursday. Pittsburgh is on a four-game point streak (3-0-1).

New York Rangers at Tampa Bay Lightning (7 p.m. ET; BSSUN, MSG 2)

The Rangers (24-9-1) are coming off a 4-3 loss to the Panthers on Friday. Mika Zibanejad is on an NHL career-high nine-game point streak (eight goals, eight assists). This is the second of a three-game homestand and first of a back-to-back set for the Lightning (17-14-5). Forward Nikita Kucherov has scored 300 goals in 679 games, the second fastest to reach that mark in Lightning history behind Steven Stamkos (550 games). Kucherov also leads the NHL with 58 points (24 goals, 34 assists).

Carolina Hurricanes at Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET; CBC, SNO, SNW, SNP, NHLN, BSSO)

The Hurricanes are 3-1-1 in their past five games. Aho is the first player to record two straight four-point games since Jeremy Roenick did it Nov. 25-26, 1999. During his five-game point streak, Matthews has nine points (six goals, three assists). William Nylander has a 13-game point streak, the second-longest of his NHL career after a 17-game point streak earlier this season for the Maple Leafs. Only Lorne Carr and Mitchell Marner have posted multiple point streaks of 13-plus games for the Maple Leafs, each has done it two times.

Nashville Predators at Washington Capitals (7 p.m. ET; MNMT, BSSO)

The Predators (19-16-1), who are coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to the Red Wings on Friday, have lost three in a row and four of their past five (1-3-1). Nashville forward Filip Forsberg had two goals and an assist Friday, his 38th multigoal game in the NHL, tying him with Zibanejad for most among active Sweden-born players. The Capitals (17-11-5) have lost three in a row, including 5-1 to the New York Islanders on Friday. Washington goalie Charlie Lindgren left at 6:46 of the first period with an upper-body injury.

Edmonton Oilers at Los Angeles Kings (10 p.m. ET; BSW, TVAS2, CITY, SN, CBC)

Connor McDavid had a 12-game point streak (28 points; seven goals, 21 assists) end Dec. 19 in a 3-1 loss at the Islanders. The Oilers captain has four points (one goal, three assists) in a three-game point streak since. Kings forward Adrian Kempe has four points (two goals, two assists) on a three-game point streak.