NHL On Tap: Red Wings look for fast start against Canadiens

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 four games Friday.

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Red Wings look for fast start

The Detroit Red Wings will open the season with more excitement than they have had in years when they host the Montreal Canadiens at Little Caesars Arena (7 p.m. ET; BSDET, TSN2, RDS, ESPN+, SN NOW). Defenseman Moritz Seider and forward Lucas Raymond are coming off excellent rookie seasons, in fact Seider won the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. A new rookie has made the team: forward Elmer Soderblom. And, in addition to new coach Derek Lalonde, there are several new additions: forwards Andrew Copp, Dominik Kubalik and David Perron, defensemen Ben Chiarot and Olli Maatta and goalie Ville Husso. The Red Wings should be far more competitive, and it will be fun to watch them play a Montreal team that defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs 4-3 on Wednesday.-- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

Rolling Rangers take on Jets

The New York Rangers were a trendy pick for the Stanley Cup Final after they made it to the Eastern Conference Final last season, losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in six games. And they've already started out hot, defeating the Lightning 3-1 in their season opener Tuesday and rolling over the Minnesota Wild 7-3 on Thursday. Forward Artemi Panarin had a goal and three assists for his 16th career four-point game, helping New York score seven goals during their first road game of the season for the third time in their history and first time since 1973. Though playing against the Winnipeg Jets (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, MSGSN, ESPN+, SN NOW) on a back-to-back won't be easy, I'm eager to see what the Rangers - and Panarin - can do next. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

Burns returns to San Jose

It will be an emotional night for defenseman Brent Burns when he faces his former San Jose Sharks team for the first time in a Carolina Hurricanes jersey (10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCA, BSSO, NBC+, SN NOW). After 11 seasons with the Sharks, the 37-year-old agreed to be traded to Carolina on July 13. He made his Carolina debut in a 4-1 victory against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday and did not have a point in 22:33 of ice time. "It will be fun to see The Tank because The Tank will be rocking," he said of his return to San Jose, where he won the Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman in 2016-17. The Sharks enter their home opener looking for their first win after losing two games to the Nashville Predators in the 2022 NHL Global Series in Prague on Oct. 7 and 8. It will be the home debut as coach for David Quinn, who replaced Bob Boughner during the off-season. --Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

Friday games

Tampa Bay Lightning at Columbus Blue Jackets (7 p.m. ET; NHLN, BSOH, BSSUN, ESPN+, SN NOW)
Though forward Johnny Gaudreau will play his first game in Columbus as a member of the Blue Jackets after signing there as a free agent this offseason, the team will be without forward Patrik Laine, who will be out 3-4 weeks with an elbow sprain sustained in their season-opening 4-1 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Wednesday. They'll try to bounce back against the reigning Eastern Conference champion Lightning, who are trying to avoid starting the season with two straight losses for the first time since 2009-10.
Montreal Canadiens at Detroit Red Wings (7 p.m. ET; BSDET, RDS, TSN2, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Canadiens, who won their opener against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday, play the first game of a back-to-back, with a game at the Washington Capitals on Saturday. Forward Cole Caufield scored twice in that game as he looks to improve on his 23-goal output last season. The Red Wings start the season with many new faces, from coach Derek Lalonde to the rest of a new crew that signals a potential new era.
New York Rangers at Winnipeg Jets (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, MSGSN, ESPN+, SN NOW)
The Jets will open their season against the Rangers on Friday, and they'll get to test themselves against one of the NHL's best. The game marks the Jets debut for coach Rick Bowness, who was hired July 3, and the start of what could be a Calder Trophy campaign for rookie forward Cole Perfetti, who scored seven points (two goals, five assists) last season in his first 18 games in the NHL.
Carolina Hurricanes at San Jose Sharks (10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCA, BSSO, ESPN+, SN NOW)
Though Brent Burns' return to San Jose might be getting all the attention, Martin Necas is looking to build on his three-point (one goal, two assists) performance against the Blue Jackets in Carolina's season opener. Necas scored 40 points (14 goals, 26 assists) last season. The Sharks are hoping to get their first win of the season after losing two games to the Nashville Predators at the 2022 NHL Global Series in Prague. The Sharks are coming off five days off since their last game.