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 three games Wednesday.
NHL On Tap: Matthews resumes push to 70 goals when Maple Leafs host Sabres
Red Wings try to stay in playoff hunt without Larkin; Ducks, Senators face potential changes before Deadline
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Matthews continues to chase milestone
Auston Matthews will get an opportunity to add to his League-leading goal total when the Toronto Maple Leafs host the Buffalo Sabres at Scotiabank Arena (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN, TNT, MAX). Matthews has 53 goals, (26 assists, 79 points) in 60 games and is on pace to score 70. If so, he would be the first to score at least 70 goals in a season since Teemu Selanne of the Winnipeg Jets and Alexander Mogilny of the Sabres each had 76 in 1992-93. Matthews has not scored in his past two games but has 11 goals in his past 10, which includes back-to-back hat tricks on Feb. 15 against the Philadelphia Flyers and Feb. 17 against the Anaheim Ducks. Toronto (35-18-8) is 9-2-0 in its past 11 games. The Maple Leafs lost 4-1 to the Boston Bruins on Monday. The Sabres (29-29-4) are 5-2-0 in their past seven games. Forward Casey Mittelstadt , who was leading Buffalo in scoring with 47 points (14 goals, 33 assists) in 62 games, was traded to the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday for defenseman Bowen Byram. -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer
Red Wings try to right ship
The Detroit Red Wings have lost two in a row since a six-game winnings streak. That doesn't seem like much, but they need all the points they can get at this time of the season. The Red Wings (33-22-6) visit the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena (9:30 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT, ALT, SN360) holding the first wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference and without injured forward Dylan Larkin, their leading scorer with 54 points (26 goals, 28 points), for at least the next two weeks. If the Red Wings want to make the playoffs for the first time since 2015-16, they're going to have to win big games, including this one. The Avalanche (38-20-5) are third in the Central Division and 24-6-0 at home this season, and are deep. They acquired forward Casey Mittelstadt from the Buffalo Sabres and defenseman Sean Walker from the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer
Ducks, Senators could face more changes before Trade Deadline
Another season of transition continues for the Anaheim Ducks, who are ranked 30th in the NHL (22-36-3) and likely sellers ahead of the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline at 3 p.m. ET on Friday. That means Frank Vatrano, among others, could play his final game for the Ducks against the Ottawa Senators at Honda Center (10 p.m. ET; BSW, TSN5, TVAS). What makes the forward a valuable asset is he has another season left on a three-year contract and is Anaheim's most productive player with NHL career highs in goals (29) and points (48) this season, which has him on pace for 40 goals and 65 points. The Ducks traded Adam Henrique and Sam Carrick to the Edmonton Oilers in a three-team deal involving the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday, and may look a lot more different when they host the Dallas Stars on Friday, the fourth of a five-game homestand that ends Sunday. Same for the Senators (25-31-3), who traded Vladimir Tarasenko to the Florida Panthers on Wednesday. They've lost four in a row and are 19 points out of a playoff spot. They play the second of a back to back at the Los Angeles Kings on Thursday, a final evaluation before an anticipated busy afternoon. -- Jon Lane, staff writer
Wednesday games
Buffalo Sabres at Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN, TNT, MAX)
Buffalo is 10 points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning and Red Wings in the East. Toronto is third in the Atlantic Division, nine points behind the Boston Bruins and 12 back of the Florida Panthers. Matthews is pursuing his second 60-goal season, achieved by only eight different players in NHL history. He can become the 10th player to win the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy at least three times. Mitchell Marner has at least a point in 12 of his past 14 games and 29 points (seven goals, 22 assists) in is past 20.
Detroit Red Wings at Colorado Avalanche (9:30 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT, ALT, SN360)
Red Wings forward Patrick Kane has 31 points (13 goals, 18 assists) in 30 games. Detroit is averaging 3.51 goals per game (sixth in NHL). Before trading for Mittelstadt, the Avalanche acquired defenseman Sean Walker and a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft in a trade with the Philadelphia Flyers for forward Ryan Johansen and a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft. Colorado forward Nathan MacKinnon is on a season-opening, 30-game home point streak, the sixth-longest in NHL history and longest since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96 (31 games). He's one goal from becoming the fourth player in Avalanche/Quebec Nordiques history with at least three 40-goal seasons, joining Michel Goulet (seven), Joe Sakic (five) and Peter Stastny (five).
Ottawa Senators at Anaheim Ducks (10 p.m. ET; BSW, TSN5, TVAS)
The Senators are 8-17-1 on the road this season led by Tim Stutzle's 25 points (eight goals, 17 assists). Ducks forward Jakob Silfverberg is expected to play his 800th NHL game.
