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 12 games Saturday.
Oilers knocking on playoff door
The Edmonton Oilers have won six straight entering their game against the Ottawa Senators at Rogers Place (10 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, CITY). They are 16-6-0 since Kris Knoblauch replaced Jay Woodcroft as coach Nov. 12; only the Winnipeg Jets (.792) have a better points percentage than the Oilers (.727) do in that span. Connor McDavid leads the NHL in points per game (1.95) since the change with 43 points (12 goals, 31 assists) in 22 games. Edmonton (19-15-1) has gone from second-to-last in the Western Conference to two points out of a playoff spot. Can the Oilers get two more points against the Senators (14-20-0), who are last in the East? -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist
Hurricanes finding momentum
Don't look now, but the Carolina Hurricanes have gotten on a roll and, as a result, are second in the Metropolitan Division. Carolina (22-13-4) has won five in a row, including a 6-2 comeback win against the Washington Capitals on Friday. The Hurricanes were down 2-0 after the first period before scoring six unanswered goals. Now they will go for six in a row when they play the St. Louis Blues (19-17-1) at PNC Arena on Saturday (8 p.m. ET; BSSO, BSMW). Forward Andrei Svechnikov, who had two assists against the Capitals, has six consecutive multipoint games (seven goals, seven assists), the most of any player in the NHL this season. The Blues defeated the Canucks 2-1 on Thursday to avoid a three-game losing streak. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer
Hughes Bowl II, minus Jack
Quinn and Luke Hughes will play in the same game for the second time this season when Quinn's Vancouver Canucks take on Luke's New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN, SNP, SN1). Jack, 22, the middle brother and Devils center, will not play after sustaining an injury in a 4-2 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Friday. The younger Hughes' brothers got the best of their older sibling in Vancouver on Dec. 5. The Devils (21-14-2) won 6-5 on Jesper Bratt's goal with 34 seconds left in the third period after Vancouver rallied in the third period from down 5-2 with Quinn assisting on the goals that made it 5-4 and 5-5. But Jack had a goal and two assists, and Luke, 20, also scored for New Jersey. Jack and Quinn, who is 24, were each selected to represent their teams in the All-Star Game on Feb. 3 in Toronto, marking the first time the brothers will be a part of the same NHL All-Star Weekend. But maybe it'll be Luke playing the starring role Saturday; the youngest Hughes brother had a four-game point streak end against Chicago. Quinn leads all NHL defenseman with 46 points (10 goals, 36 assists in 38 games. The Canucks (24-11-3) are coming off a 2-1 loss at the St. Louis Blues on Thursday. The Devils have won two in a row and five of six. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer
Saturday games
Calgary Flames at Philadelphia Flyers, 1 p.m. ET (NHLN, NBCSP, SN)
The Flames (17-16-5) have won three games in a row and six of their past eight to move above .500 for the first time since they were 2-1-1 on Oct. 19. The Flyers (19-13-6) have one win in their past seven games (1-3-3).
Florida Panthers at Colorado Avalanche, 4 p.m. ET (BSFL, ALT, SN)
The Avalanche (25-11-3) have won four games in a row, the past two in overtime on goals from Nathan MacKinnon, who is tied for the NHL lead with 64 points (22 goals, 42 assists). Colorado is 6-0-1 in its past seven games. The Panthers (24-12-2) have won six games in a row, the past two on the road, including 4-1 at the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday. Forwards Aleksander Barkov (upper body) and Evan Rodrigues (lower body), were injured in the win against Vegas but will play.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Boston Bruins, 7 p.m. ET (BSSUN, NESN)
The Bruins (23-8-6) had a four-game winning streak end in a 6-5 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday. Nikita Kucherov, who is tied with MacKinnon for the NHL lead with 64 points (27 goals, 37 assists), had an assist in a 4-1 win against the Minnesota Wild on Thursday, giving the forward points in five straight games (four goals, three assists). Tampa Bay (19-16-5) has won two of its past three.
Minnesota Wild at Columbus Blue Jackets (7 p.m. ET; BSWIX, BSN, BSOH)
If he starts, Wild goalie Marc-Andre Fleury will have another chance to tie Patrick Roy for second all-time in wins. He has 550, but the Wild (16-17-4) have lost four games in a row, the past three with Fleury in net. Mats Zuccarello will return for the Wild after missing nine games with an upper-body injury. Zuccarello is second on the Wild with 28 points (six goals, 22 assists) in 28 games. Columbus (13-19-8) has points in four of its past five games (2-1-2).
New York Rangers at Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, CITY, SNE, MSG2, NHLN)
Rangers center Vincent Trocheck has seven points (one goal, six assists) in the past three games, including three assists in a 4-1 win against the Blackhawks on Thursday. The Rangers (26-10-1) lead the NHL in wins. The Canadiens (16-17-5) allowed four goals in the third period of a 6-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, their fourth defeat in five games.
Vancouver Canucks at New Jersey Devils (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN, SNP, SN1)
The Canucks (24-11-3) have lost two of three since a nine-game point streak from Dec. 7-23 (7-0-2). Vancouver goalie Thatcher Demko's next win will be the 100th of his NHL career. The Devils (21-14-2) are 13-5-1 since Nov. 25.
Buffalo Sabres at Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, MSG-B)
The Penguins (19-14-4) are 8-2-1 since Dec. 12, including a 6-5 win against the Bruins on Thursday, when Sidney Crosby had three points (one goal, two assists). The Sabres (16-19-4) are closing a three-game road trip, which has included a 5-1 loss to the Ottawa Senators on Sunday and a 6-1 win against the Canadiens on Thursday.
Toronto Maple Leafs at San Jose Sharks (7 p.m. ET; NBCSCA, SNW, SNO, CBC)
The Maple Leafs (19-10-7) will try to sweep California after a 3-0 win at the Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday and a 2-1 overtime win at the Anaheim Ducks on Wednesday. The Sharks (9-27-3) have lost 10 games in a row, all in regulation.
St. Louis Blues at Carolina Hurricanes (8 p.m. ET; BSSO, BSMW)
Blues forward Robert Thomas, who is 24, had a goal and an assist against the Canucks, his 70th multipoint game of the season. Only three Blues players had more multipoint games before the age of 25: Bernie Federko (103), Doug Gilmour (99) and Wayne Babych (75). This is the start of a six-game homestand for the Hurricanes, who are 13-5-0 at PNC Arena this season. Defenseman Brent Burns had two goals against the Capitals on Friday, his first multigoal game since he had two against the Florida Panthers in a 6-4 win on April 13, 2023.
Nashville Predators at Dallas Stars (8 p.m. ET; BSSO, BSSW)
The Stars (22-10-5) will be without defenseman Miro Heiskanen, who sustained a lower-body injury in their 5-4 overtime loss to the Avalanche on Thursday and is week to week. The Predators (21-17-1) lost 6-3 to the Flames on Thursday. Filip Forsberg's next goal will be his 20th, which would give him eight 20-goal seasons in the NHL.
Ottawa Senators at Edmonton Oilers (10 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, CITY)
The Senators have lost two straight after a 4-1 loss at the Seattle Kraken on Thursday. They are 3-5-0 since Jacques Martin replaced D.J. Smith as coach Dec. 18 and 3-9-0 in their past 12 games. Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl has 27 points (13 goals, 14 assists) in 22 games, forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins has 26 points (eight goals, 18 assists) in 22 games, forward Zach Hyman has 24 points (15 goals, nine assists) in 21 games and defenseman Evan Bouchard has 24 points (six goals, 18 assists) in 22 games since the coaching change.
New York Islanders at Vegas Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, MSGSN)
The Golden Knights (22-12-5) have lost two in a row, including 4-1 at home against the Panthers on Thursday, and six of seven in regulation since Dec. 19. They are 11-12-4 since starting the season 11-0-1. The Islanders (18-10-10) have scored four or more goals in four of their past six games, including a 5-1 win at the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday. New York defenseman Adam Pelech (upper body) is day to day but will not play. He has been sidelined since Nov. 24.
