NHL On Tap: Surging Stars home from road trip, face League-best Panthers
Red Wings must regroup to stay in playoff race; Guentzel could debut for Hurricanes
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Stars and Panthers each looking to continue winning ways
The Dallas Stars are climbing the NHL standings thanks to a five-game winning streak and host the NHL-leading Florida Panthers at American Airlines Center (8 p.m. ET; BSFL, BSSW). The Stars (40-17-9) play the first of a five-game homestand after sweeping a three-game road trip through the Western Conference against the San Jose Sharks (7-6 in overtime), Anaheim Ducks (6-2) and Los Angeles Kings (4-1). Dallas forward Jason Robertson has eight points (three goals, five assists) in a six-game point streak. The Panthers (44-17-4) have won seven of eight, have led the NHL for 12 straight days and are one point ahead of the Vancouver Canucks and Boston Bruins. The only other teams to have longer such runs this season are the Canucks (35 days from Jan. 18-Feb. 21) and Vegas Golden Knights (28 days from Oct. 12-Nov. 8, and 15 days from Dec. 6-20). -- Mike G. Morreale, senior draft writer
DAL@LAK: Robertson buries Pavelski's rebound in 2nd period
Red Wings need to regroup fast
The Detroit Red Wings were doing well near the end of February, riding a six-game winning streak and holding a wild card spot into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. Oh, how things have changed. The Red Wings (33-25-6) have lost five in a row and are tied with the New York Islanders for the second wild card entering their game against the Buffalo Sabres at KeyBank Center (7 p.m. ET; BSDET, MSG-B, SNP, SNO, SNE). Detroit has been outscored 25-8 during the skid, which includes shutout losses to Florida and the Arizona Coyotes (both 4-0). The Red Wings were encouraged by their effort in a 5-3 loss to the Golden Knights on Saturday, but need real points more than moral victories if they want to get back to the postseason for the first time since 2015-16. The Sabres (30-30-5) are 6-3-1 in their past 10 games and seven points behind the Red Wings. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer
Top teams in Metro roll into Raleigh; maybe Guentzel, too
The New York Rangers are four points ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes for first in the Metropolitan Division. That gap will either shrink or widen when the Rangers (42-18-4) and Hurricanes (39-19-6) play at PNC Arena (7 p.m. ET; BSSO, MSG) in what could be Jake Guentzel's Hurricanes debut after he was acquired in a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 7. Coach Rod Brind'Amour said there's a real good possibility the forward will play after he's been out since Feb. 14 with a lower-body injury. "He'll take warmup and we'll see where it goes," Brind'Amour said, "but all indications are I think he will." If he does, that will add another level of intrigue to this game. The Rangers are coming off a 3-1 win against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden on Monday, when Mika Zibanejad ended his 30-game streak without a 5-on-5 goal since Dec. 30. Goalie Igor Shesterkin will start for New York. He is 8-1-1 with a 1.80 goals-against average, .948 save percentage and two shutouts since Feb. 9. Though Rangers are 13-2-1 since Jan. 27, the Hurricanes are 22-6-2 since Dec. 27, including a 6-1 win against the Rangers in New York on Jan. 2. That started the Rangers on a downward spiral in January, but they have recovered to fend off the Hurricanes. Each team has 18 games left. A four-pointer Tuesday will be huge, and bigger if Guentzel plays. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer
NJD@NYR: Zibanejad makes a move and roofs a backhander to strike first
Tuesday games
Detroit Red Wings at Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m. ET; BSDET, MSG-B, SNP, SNO, SNE)
Detroit forward Patrick Kane has 72 game-winning goals, one shy of Joe Mullen for sixth most by a United States-born player in NHL history. This is the end of a four-game road trip for the Red Wings, who are 15-15-1 on the road this season. Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen is 20-16-3 with a 2.42 GAA, .915 save percentage and four shutouts in 40 games (37 starts) this season. Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin leads Buffalo with 47 points (15 goals, 32 assists) in 64 games.
New York Rangers at Carolina Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET; BSSO, MSG)
The Hurricanes have won three in a row and five of six, scoring 15 goals in their three-game winning streak. The Rangers have won two straight, allowing one goal. Zibanejad is the fifth player in team history with seven consecutive 20-goal seasons, joining Jean Ratelle (eight), Rod Gilbert (seven), Vic Hadfield (seven) and Andy Bathgate (seven). Rangers forward Matt Rempe was suspended four games by the NHL Department of Player Safety for elbowing Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler.
Columbus Blue Jackets at Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN2, BSOH)
The Blue Jackets (22-32-10) are 5-5-0 in their past 10 games. Goalie Daniil Tarasov tied an NHL career high with 47 saves in a 2-1 loss to the Nashville Predators on Saturday. The Canadiens (24-30-10) have lost two in a row and four of five (1-2-2). Juraj Slafkovsky, 19, has 43 points (17 goals, 26 assists) in 103 games, the fourth-most points by a teenager in Canadiens history behind Mario Tremblay (66), Alex Galchenyuk (50) and Petr Svoboda (45).
Pittsburgh Penguins at Ottawa Senators (7 p.m. ET; RDS2, TSN5, SN-PIT)
The Penguins (28-27-8) have lost three in a row, scoring one goal, and six of seven. The Senators (25-33-4) have lost seven straight (0-6-1). Forward Josh Norris is out for the season after having surgery on his left shoulder for a third time, the Ottawa Sun reported Monday. Forward Zack Ostapchuk was recalled from Belleville of the American Hockey League.
San Jose Sharks at Philadelphia Flyers (7 p.m. ET; NBCSP, NBCSCA)
Flyers associate coach Brad Shaw is expected to coach the Flyers (33-24-8) with John Tortorella suspended two games for unprofessional conduct directed at the officials by refusing to leave the bench area in the first period of a 7-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. Philadelphia defenseman Egor Zamula is questionable after he was a late scratch at Tampa Bay because of an illness, so defenseman Adam Ginning was recalled from Lehigh Valley of the American Hockey League on Monday. San Jose (16-40-7) ended a nine-game skid (0-7-2) with a 2-1 win against the Senators on Saturday. Forward Thomas Bordeleau has three goals in two games since being recalled from San Jose of the American Hockey League last Wednesday; he had not played in the NHL since Oct. 26.
Florida Panthers at Dallas Stars (8 p.m. ET; BSFL, BSSW)
Though the Panthers will be without defensman Aaron Ekblad (lower body) and forward Evan Rodrigues (lower body), Kyle Okposo will debut after the forward was acquired in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres on Friday. Vladimir Tarasenko, acquired from the Ottawa Senators on March 6, got his first three points (two goals, one assist) with the Panthers in a 5-1 win against the Calgary Flames on Saturday. Stars goalie Jake Oettinger is 3-0-0 in March but has a 3.21 GAA and .857 save percentage.
Arizona Coyotes at Minnesota Wild (8 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, BSWIX, BSN)
Minnesota (31-27-7) is on a four-game point streak (3-0-1) to move within six points behind the Golden Knights for the second wild card from the West, with Kirill Kaprizov scoring seven points (five goals, two assists) in that span. The Coyotes (26-34-5) are 3-15-2 since Jan. 24.
Anaheim Ducks at Chicago Blackhawks (8:30 p.m. ET; BSSD, BSSC, NBCSCH)
Rookie Connor Bedard had two goals and an assist in a 7-4 win against the Coyotes on Sunday to become the first 18-year-old in Blackhawks history with three three-point games. Chicago (17-43-5) has won two of three; each against Arizona. The Ducks (23-38-3) begin a four-game road trip after a 2-3-0 homestand that ended with a 6-1 loss to the Islanders on Sunday.
Colorado Avalanche at Calgary Flames (9 p.m. ET; TVAS, SNW, ALT)
The Avalanche (40-20-5) are 7-1-2 in their past 10 games against the Flames (31-28-5). Nathan MacKinnon has 26 points (eight goals, 18 assists) in a 12-game point streak and Mikko Rantanen has 14 points (two goals, 12 assists) in a nine-game run. Calgary forward Yegor Sharangovich has nine points (seven goals, two assists) in his past six games. His six goals in March are second in the NHL to Devils forward Timo Meier (seven).
Vegas Golden Knights at Seattle Kraken (10 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, ROOT-NW, SNP, SNO, SNE)
The Golden Knights (34-23-7) are 8-2-0 against the Kraken (28-24-11) since the latter joined the NHL for the 2021-22 season, with Jonathan Marchessault and Chandler Stephenson sharing the team lead of 10 points. Seattle forward Jordan Eberle will play his 1,000th game in the NHL. Forward Jaden Schwartz is questionable with an upper-body injury.
