NHL On Tap: McDavid, Oilers seek win in rematch against Boeser, Canucks
Maple Leafs want to tighten things up vs. Wild; Predators visit Bruins in difficult road game
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McDavid, Oilers seek revenge against Canucks
The Edmonton Oilers are a popular pick among prognosticators to win the Stanley Cup this season. However, they didn’t resemble a contender in their season opener at Rogers Arena in Vancouver on Wednesday. The Oilers were thrashed 8-1 by the host Vancouver Canucks in a lopsided game and shocking result. The Canucks chased Oilers starting goalie Jack Campbell after beating him four times on 16 shots and cruised to victory from there. Three days later, the Oilers have a chance for payback when the two teams face off again, this time in Edmonton’s home opener at Rogers Place (10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, CITY). Oilers captain Connor McDavid had his teammates come to Edmonton a couple of weeks before training camp in early September so they could start practicing together, which is why their curtain-raiser was so head scratching. To fare better this time around, the Oilers must do a better job smothering Canucks forward Brock Boeser, who scored four goals Wednesday. A virus has been making its way through the Canucks, one that caused starting goalie Thatcher Demko to pull himself from the season opener in the third period. -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer
Maple Leafs look to settle down against Wild
There was a lot of good for the Toronto Maple Leafs in their season opener Thursday, a 6-5 shootout win against the Montreal Canadiens -- like that Auston Matthews hat trick -- but there was also a lot of ugly. Against the Minnesota Wild at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday (7 p.m. ET; CBC, SNO, SNP, BSN, BSWI), the Maple Leafs will attempt to shore up their defense and settle into a season in which they hope and believe they will contend for the Stanley Cup. While Matthews is off to a great start on another bid for 60 goals, a mark he reached in 2021-22 when he won the Hart Trophy as NHL most valuable player, he’ll have to lock horns with the Wild’s stout defense. And the Maple Leafs defense, which didn’t have a great night against the Canadiens, will have to contain Wild forward Kirill Kaprizov, who is coming off a 40-goal season. He kicked off 2023-24 with an assist in the Wild’s season-opening 2-0 win against the Florida Panthers on Thursday. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer
Predators continue tough stretch to start season
The Nashville Predators did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season after making it for eight straight seasons. They start 2023-24 by playing five straight against teams that made the playoffs last season, and it continues with a difficult road game against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden (7 p.m. ET; BSSO, NESN). Nashville lost at the Tampa Bay Lightning 5-3 in its opener on Tuesday but responded with a 3-0 shutout win against the Seattle Kraken on Thursday. They also play the Edmonton Oilers and New York Rangers next week during the stretch. I'm looking forward to seeing Juuse Saros, who made 23 saves in the shutout, against a Bruins team which ranked second in the NHL in goals per game last season (3.67). The Bruins are coming off a 3-1 win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Wednesday, after their record-breaking regular-season in 2022-23 when they won 65 games and had 135 points. Boston has won 90 of their past 117 regular season games (90-21-6). -- David Satriano, staff writer
Saturday games
Philadelphia Flyers at Ottawa Senators (1 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN5, NBCSP)
Following a 4-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, the Flyers (1-0-0) can begin a season with two straight wins for the fourth time in five seasons. Travis Konecny had two goals in the win after scoring 31 last season. The Senators (0-1-0), who begin a five-game homestand, were 0-for-4 on the power play in a season-opening 5-3 loss at the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday.
Florida Panthers at Winnipeg Jets (4 p.m. ET; TSN3, BSFL)
The Panthers (0-1-0) and Jets (0-1-0) each lost their season openers, so each will be motivated when they face off at Canada Life Centre as the Jets start a three-game homestand. Matthew Tkachuk had 10 shots on goal, but the Panthers were shut out by the Wild 2-0 on Thursday. The Jets lost 5-3 at the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.
Nashville Predators at Boston Bruins (7 p.m. ET; BSSO, NESN)
David Pastrnak of the Bruins (1-0-0) had a good start to his bid to reach 60 goals for the second straight season, scoring two in the season opener Wednesday after the forward scored 61 goals in 82 games last season. Saros earned his 21st career shutout for the Predators (1-1-0) on Thursday. He tied Tomas Vokoun for second in Predators history in shutouts, trailing Pekka Rinne (60).
New York Rangers at Columbus Blue Jackets (7 p.m. ET; BSOH, MSG)
New York (1-0-0) will look to build off a 5-1 win against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday in which Chris Kreider (one goal, two assists) and Mika Zibanejad (three assists) each had three points. The Rangers have won five of the past six games at the Blue Jackets. Columbus (0-1-0) will be without defenseman Zach Werenski, who was placed on injured reserve Friday and will be out 1-2 weeks with a quad contusion. Blue Jackets coach Pascal Vincent will again try for his first NHL win following a 4-2 loss to the Flyers in his first game as coach on Thursday.
Tampa Bay Lightning at Detroit Red Wings (7 p.m. ET; BSSUN, BSDET)
Forward Nicholas Paul is a new addition to the Tampa Bay power play this season and paid instant dividends with two goals with the man advantage in the season-opening 5-3 win for the Lightning (1-0-0) against the Predators. Derek Lalonde is entering his second season as Red Wings coach after being an assistant under Jon Cooper with Tampa Bay. Michigan native Alex DeBrincat, who was acquired by Detroit in a trade with the Senators during the offseason, will play his first regular-season home game in a Red Wings jersey. The Red Wings (0-1-0) lost their opener 4-3 at the New Jersey Devils on Thursday.
Chicago Blackhawks at Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN360, CITY, SNE, NBCSCH, NHLN)
Connor Bedard looks to extend his season-opening point streak to three games after the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft scored his first goal in the Blackhawks' 3-1 loss at the Bruins on Wednesday. Chicago (1-1-0) continues its five-game road trip at Montreal (0-0-1), where it had won seven straight prior to a 4-0 loss at Bell Centre last season. Forwards Alex Newhook (two goals) and Kirby Dach (two assists) led the Canadiens in a 6-5 shootout loss to the Maple Leafs in their opener Wednesday.
Calgary Flames at Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, SNW, SN1)
The Flames begin a five-game road trip following their 5-3 win against the Jets in their opener on Wednesday, when Elias Lindholm (one goal, two assists) and Andrew Mangiapane (two goals, one assist) each had three points and Jacob Markstrom made 31 saves. The Penguins (1-1-0) shut out the Washington Capitals 4-0 on Friday behind two power-play goals from Sidney Crosby, four points from Evgeni Malkin (one goal, three assists) and 19 saves by Tristan Jarry.
Minnesota Wild at Toronto Maple Leafs (7 p.m. ET; CBC, SNO, SNP, BSN, BSWI)
Goalie Filip Gustavsson began the season in impressive fashion, earning a 41-save shutout for the Wild (1-0-0) against the Panthers. Forward Marcus Johansson left the game after taking an elbow high, but participated in the Wild’s practice Friday and could play. The Maple Leafs seek to start 2-0-0 for the first time since 2019-20.
Buffalo Sabres at New York Islanders (7:30 p.m. ET; MSGSN, MSG-B)
The Sabres are coming off a 5-1 loss to the Rangers in their season opener Thursday and seek to avoid an 0-2-0 start for the first time since 2020-21. This is their only road game of their first six games this season. The Islanders will be playing their season opener. Goalie Ilya Sorokin had 31 wins, ranked third in save percentage (.924), sixth in goals-against average (2.34) and led the position in shutouts (six) last season.
Seattle Kraken at St. Louis Blues (8 p.m. ET; ROOT-NW, BSMW)
The Blues (0-0-1) lost their opener at the Dallas Stars, 2-1 in a shootout, on Thursday and play the first of three straight games at home prior to a Western Canada road trip. They have not lost two straight to start a season since 2018-19 (0-1-1). The Kraken (0-2-0) seek their first win and have been outscored 7-1 in their first two games.
Vancouver Canucks at Edmonton Oilers (10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, CITY)
The Canucks (1-0-0) seek to start the season with consecutive wins for the first time since beginning the 2016-17 season with four straight wins. Boeser, who had four goals in the opener, needed 19 games before scoring his fourth goal last season. The Oilers (0-1-0) have not lost their first two games to start the season since 2018-19 and are expected to welcome defenseman Matthias Ekholm back to the lineup after he missed training camp and their first game with a hip injury.
Colorado Avalanche at San Jose Sharks (10 p.m. ET; NBCSCA, ALT)
The Avalanche (1-0-0) continue a three-game road trip to start the season following a 5-2 win at the Los Angeles Kings on Wednesday. Mikko Rantanen had two goals and two assists in the game and Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists. The Sharks (0-1-0) are coming off a 4-1 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday and continue a season-opening four-game homestand. Colorado has won six straight games against San Jose and 14 of the past 16 between the teams.
Anaheim Ducks at Vegas Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, BSSD, BSSC)
The Ducks, who will be playing their season opener, have won their past two openers and seek to make it three straight under new coach Greg Cronin. The defending Stanley Cup champion Golden Knights (2-0-0) have won each of their first two games by a 4-1 score. They could be without defenseman Alex Pietrangelo, who was injured in the third period against the Sharks after being struck by a puck.
Carolina Hurricanes at Los Angeles Kings (10:30 p.m. ET; BSSO, BSW)
The Kings (0-1-0) will be without forward Viktor Arvidsson, who was placed on long-term injured reserve Thursday with a lower-body injury. Arvidsson was injured in practice Monday. The Hurricanes (1-0-0) begin a six-game road trip after winning their season opener 5-3 against the Senators on Wednesday.
