NHL On Tap: Ovechkin one goal from passing Jagr for third in NHL history

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 two games Wednesday.

Ovechkin can pass Jagr, take over third on goals list

Alex Ovechkin can pass Jaromir Jagr with his 767th goal and take sole possession of third place in NHL history when the Washington Capitals visit the Edmonton Oilers (8 p.m. ET; TNT, SN, SN1, TVAS, NHL LIVE). The Capitals captain scored Nos. 765 and 766 to tie Jagr in a 5-4 win at the Calgary Flames on Tuesday, and he trails Gordie Howe (801) and Wayne Gretzky (894). The 36-year-old refuses to slow down. He has scored four goals in his past three games and 36 goals in 56 games this season, fourth in the NHL.-- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

Canadiens aim to keep playing spoiler

The Montreal Canadiens (15-34-7) will try to finish their five-game road trip with four wins, including three in a row, when they play the Vancouver Canucks at Rogers Arena (10:30 p.m. ET; TNT, SNP, TSN2, RDS, NHL LIVE). Montreal has defeated the Ottawa Senators (2-1 on Feb. 26), Flames (5-4 in overtime March 3) and Oilers (5-2 on March 5) during the trip, the lone blemish an 8-4 loss to the Winnipeg Jets on March 1. Finishing with another win would do two things for the Canadiens. First, it would provide further evidence they're headed in the right direction and playing with confidence. And second, it would hurt the Canucks' chances of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Vancouver (28-23-6) is five points out of the second wild card from the Western Conference despite winning two in a row and seven of nine (7-2-0) since March 12. The Canucks start a seven-game homestand that will end March 20, one day before the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline. These next seven games could determine the direction they take in advance of the deadline. If they still have playoff aspirations this season, they can't lose to the Canadiens, who have won seven of eight games. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

Expect a lot of offense from Capitals, Oilers

There should be no lack of scoring from the Capitals (31-18-9) and Oilers (30-23-4) at Rogers Place. On one side is Ovechkin and his highly talented teammates, among them forwards Nicklas Backstrom, Tom Wilson and T.J. Oshie, and defenseman John Carlson. The Oilers have the top two scorers in the NHL, forwards Connor McDavid (29 goals, 50 assists) and Leon Draisaitl (38 goals, 41 assists), each of whom has scored 79 points and have combined to win the Art Ross Trophy as the leading scorer in the NHL four of the past five seasons. When the teams played Feb. 2, Draisaitl (one goal, one assist) and McDavid (one goal) combined for three points in a 5-3 Oilers win, a game Ovechkin missed while in NHL COVID-19 protocol. With Ovechkin playing Wednesday, another eight-goal game is possible. He and McDavid have combined to score 20 points (eight goals, 12 assists) in their past eight games going head-to-head, with the Oilers captain getting at least one point in seven of them. -- Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor

Wednesday schedule

Washington Capitals at Edmonton Oilers (8 p.m. ET; TNT, SN, SN1, TVAS, NHL LIVE)
The Oilers have lost three in a row (0-2-1) and they're 2-5-1 since Feb. 20, scoring 2.50 goals per game with a 66.7 percent penalty kill percentage that's 29th in the NHL during the eight-game stretch. The Capitals have won three straight.
Montreal Canadiens at Vancouver Canucks (10:30 p.m. ET; TNT, SNP, TSN2, RDS, NHL LIVE)
Montreal is 7-1-0 since losing its first three after Martin St. Louis took over as coach Feb. 9. Canadiens forward Nick Suzuki is coming off back-to-back three-point games, scoring a goal and getting two assists in wins against the Flames and Oilers. Vancouver forward J.T. Miller has scored 17 points (six goals, 11 assists) during a nine-game point streak. He will attempt to become the first Canucks player with a run of at least 10 games since Henrik Sedin scored in 12 straight from Oct. 12-Nov. 5, 2013.