Welcome to NHL On Tap, a daily look at the games on the NHL schedule. There are three games on the schedule for Friday.
Carolina Hurricanes at Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, BSSO, NHLN)
Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin will start working toward new milestones for the Penguins (3-2-0) after Crosby passed 1,600 points and Malkin scored his 500th goal in a 6-5 overtime win against the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday. Crosby has six points (one goal, five assists) in five games and needs 39 points to catch Joe Sakic for ninth in NHL history. Malkin has 11 points (two goals, nine assists) in five games, tied with New York Rangers forward Artemi Panarin for first in the NHL. The Penguins seek their third straight win. The Hurricanes (1-1-0) have played the fewest games in the League and are coming off a 4-2 win against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.
San Jose Sharks at Winnipeg Jets (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, NBCSCA)
The Jets (3-0-0) are one of three teams with a perfect record, along with the Calgary Flames (4-0-0) and the Tampa Bay Lightning (3-0-0). Connor Hellebuyck, who won the Vezina Trophy as the best goalie in the NHL for the second time last season, is 3-0-0 with a 0.66 goals-against average, .976 save percentage and one shutout. Macklin Celebrini will miss at least one more game because of a lower-body injury for the Sharks (0-2-2). The No. 1 pick in the 2024 NHL Draft had two points (one goal, one assist) in his NHL debut, a 5-4 overtime loss to the St. Louis Blues on Oct. 10.
Anaheim Ducks at Colorado Avalanche (9 p.m. ET; Victory+, KCOP-13, ALT)
The Avalanche (0-4-0) are one of two teams without a point, along with the Nashville Predators (0-4-0). They have allowed 6.25 goals per game, most in the NHL. Alexandar Georgiev, who led the League with 38 wins last season, is 0-3-0 with a 5.79 GAA and .802 save percentage. Lukas Dostal is 2-0-0 with a 1.99 GAA and .933 save percentage for the Ducks (2-1-0), who are coming off a 5-4 overtime win against the Utah Hockey Club on Wednesday. Leo Carlsson, the No. 2 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, scored the winner.
