Welcome to NHL On Tap, a daily look at the games on the NHL schedule. There are four games on the schedule for Wednesday, three of which will be nationally televised in the United States and Canada.
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Games of the day
Los Angeles Kings at Toronto Maple Leafs (7:30 p.m. ET; TVAS, SN, BSW)
Toronto center Auston Matthews has been held scoreless in his first three games of a season for just the second time in his career (three games, 2021-22). The Maple Leafs captain has 368 NHL goals and will look to get back on track when Toronto (2-1-0) hosts Los Angeles (1-0-2) at Scotiabank Arena. Matthews can inch closer to second place on the team's all-time goal list (Darryl Sittler, 389 goals). Quinton Byfield needs two goals to reach 30 in his NHL career (28 goals in 182 games). Byfield (22 years, 58 days) can become the youngest Kings player to reach the 30-goal mark with the team since defenseman Drew Doughty on Feb. 16, 2011 (21 years, 70 days).
Buffalo Sabres at Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m. ET; MAX, truTV, TNT)
The first TNT doubleheader of the regular season opens at PPG Paints Arena and features two teams looking to compete for a playoff berth after not qualifying last season. For the Penguins (2-2-0), forward Evgeni Malkin needs one goal to become the 48th player in NHL history to score 500. He enters with a three-game multipoint streak (one goal, six assists). Pittsburgh captain Sidney Crosby (1,599 points; 592 goals, 1,007 assists) is one point away from becoming the 10th player in NHL history to reach 1,600. The Sabres (1-3-0) look to build on a 5-2 victory against the Florida Panthers on Saturday, their first win of the season after three straight losses.
Boston Bruins at Colorado Avalanche (9:30 p.m. ET; MAX truTV, TNT, SN360, TVAS)
The second TNT game of the evening has the Avalanche (0-3-0) looking to right the ship at Ball Arena after losing three straight games to begin the season for the first time since 2008-09. Colorado center Nathan MacKinnon (one goal, four assists) and defenseman Cale Makar (five assists) are tied for the team lead in scoring with five points. The Avalanche have allowed 20 goals in three games and the Bruins (2-2-0) have given up 15 in their first four. Forward David Pastrnak leads Boston with three goals and 15 shots on goal.
Also Wednesday
Utah Hockey Club at Anaheim Ducks (10 p.m. ET; Utah16, Victory+, KCOP-13)
Utah (3-1-0) concludes its four-game road trip at Honda Center after its first loss of the season Monday, 3-0 at the New Jersey Devils. Lukas Dostal is expected to start in goal for Anaheim (1-1-0) after a 30-save shutout in a 2-0 win at the San Jose Sharks on Saturday in the Ducks season opener.
