NHL On Tap: Ovechkin continues chase against League-best Jets

Welcome to the NHL On Tap, a daily look at the games on the NHL schedule. There are nine games on the schedule for Saturday, including three nationally televised in the United States and four in Canada.

Games of the day

Winnipeg Jets at Washington Capitals (7 p.m. ET; MNMT, NHLN, SNW, CITY)

It's a battle of the top two teams in the NHL when the Capitals host the Jets at Capital One Arena. Winnipeg (36-14-3) has won five straight and leads Washington (34-11-6) by one point in the overall standings. Alex Ovechkin will also resume his chase for the all-time goals record. The forward had a goal and two assists in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators on Thursday to move within 19 goals of Wayne Gretzky's record of 894. Ovechkin has scored more goals against the Jets/Atlanta Thrashers than any other team in his career with 55 in 73 games. Jets forward Kyle Connor has four goals in his past three games and 30 on the season, the fourth straight time and seventh time in eight seasons he has reached the mark.

Detroit Red Wings at Calgary Flames (10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, CITY, FDSNDET)

The Red Wings (25-21-5) continue their Western Canada swing looking for their fifth straight win. They've outscored opponents 13-6 in four consecutive victories, which followed a three-game skid (0-2-1). Center Dylan Larkin has at least a point in 14 of his past 17 games with 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists) in that span. The Flames (25-18-7) are coming off of a 4-1 win against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday and could see the debuts of forwards Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee, who were acquired in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday for forwards Andrei Kuzmenko and Jakob Pelletier, a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft and a seventh-round pick in the 2028 NHL Draft.

Chicago Blackhawks at Florida Panthers (1 p.m. ET, ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS)

The defending Stanley Cup champion Panthers (30-19-3) have been a .500 team since right before the Christmas break, going 8-8-1 since Dec. 23, including a 3-0 win against the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. Still, they are 4-2-0 in their past six and enter Saturday in first place in the Atlantic Division. They have five more games before they send eight players to the 4 Nations Face-Off, which starts Feb. 12. Center Connor Bedard of the Blackhawks (16-30-5) comes in on a four-game points streak (two goals, two assists) and had 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in 13 games in January.

Other games Saturday

New York Rangers at Boston Bruins (3:30 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS)

The Rangers (24-22-4) have lost two straight, including a 4-0 home loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday, after a 7-0-3 run. Goalie Igor Shesterkin has allowed nine goals in his past two games after allowing one goal in his previous three. The Bruins (25-22-6) have also lost two in a row, outscored 13-4, following a stretch of 5-1-1. Defenseman Charlie McAvoy, an alternate captain for Team USA in the 4 Nations Face-Off, will play his second straight game after missing seven with an upper-body injury.

Minnesota Wild at Ottawa Senators (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN1, FDSNNO, FDSNWI)

The Wild (31-17-4) and Senators (27-20-4) each will look to win a fourth straight game. Minnesota is 3-0-0 so far on a five-game road trip, with wins at the Chicago Blackhawks, Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. The Wild are 20-5-3 on the road -- the most road wins away from home in the NHL this season. They were 19-18-4 on the road all of last season. The Senators enter Saturday in third place in the Atlantic Division. The last time Ottawa sat third or higher in the Atlantic was April 9, 2017.

New York Islanders at Tampa Bay Lightning (7 p.m. ET; FDSNSUN, MSGSN)

The Islanders (23-20-7) look to make it seven straight wins and five straight on the road when they play the first of a back-to-back set in Florida. It’s New York’s longest winning streak since winning six straight from April 1-11 last season. Goalie Ilya Sorokin is 5-0-0 with a 0.99 goals-against average, .964 save percentage and one shutout in his past five games (four starts). The Lightning (27-20-3) were 1-4-0 in their previous five games before a 3-0 home win against the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday.

Nashville Predators at Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m. ET; FSSNSO, SN-PIT)

The Predators (18-25-7) have lost three in a row, including 4-3 at the Buffalo Sabres on Friday, after a five-game winning streak. The Penguins (21-24-8) will look to string together consecutive wins behind Sidney Crosby, who was named Team Canada’s captain for the 4 Nations Face-Off on Thursday. The Pittsburgh captain scored the winning goal in a 3-2 victory at the Utah Hockey Club on Wednesday; it was his 95th NHL game-winning goal, moving him past Steve Yzerman for 13th most in League history.

Los Angeles Kings at Carolina Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, KCAL)

The Kings (26-17-6) will try to end a season-long four-game losing streak, which includes two straight shutouts, 3-0 at the Florida Panthers on Wednesday and 3-0 at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday. The Hurricanes (32-16-4) have won two straight and will try to extend a seven-game point streak (6-0-1). Forward Mikko Rantanen has a goal and an assist in three games since being acquired from the Colorado Avalanche in a three-team trade also involving the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 24.

Toronto Maple Leafs at Edmonton Oilers (7 p.m. ET; CBC, SNE, SNO, SNP)

This will be the 19th meeting between captains Connor McDavid of the Oilers (32-15-4) and Auston Matthews of the Maple Leafs (30-19-2). McDavid has 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) in those games and Matthews has 20 points (13 goals, seven assists). Matthews enters with the better head-to-head record, going 12-4-2 in those games; McDavid is 6-10-2. Toronto has lost three straight; Edmonton enters on a four-game point streak (3-1-0).