NHL On Tap: Marleau to pass Messier for second all-time in games played

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 seven games Monday.

Marleau's milestone

Patrick Marleau will play his 1,757th game and pass Mark Messier for sole possession of second in NHL history when the San Jose Sharks host the Minnesota Wild (10:30 p.m. ET; NBCSCA, FS-N, FS-WI+, NHL.TV). The forward trails only Gordie Howe, who played 1,767 games in the NHL, and could pass him as soon as April 19 against the Vegas Golden Knights. Marleau also has an ironman streak of 887 consecutive games played since April 9, 2009, fourth longest in NHL history, and is sixth in points (1,194) among active skaters. He is deserving of the attention he will receive Monday when he reaches his latest milestone. -- Rob Reese, fantasy editor

Sabres try to end skid

Unless you're a Philadelphia Flyers fan, how can you not be cheering for the Buffalo Sabres on Monday? At some point, the Sabres will win a game. They have lost 17 in a row entering their home game against the Flyers (7 p.m. ET; MSG-B, NBCSP, NHL.TV). The Sabres are 0-15-2 after a 3-2 loss to the Boston Bruins on Saturday. The good news? Buffalo ended a 0-for-28 power-play drought that spanned 15 of those 17 games. Better news? The NHL record for most games without a win is 30, set by the 1980-81 Winnipeg Jets, so that's a long way off. The Flyers, meanwhile, are 3-6-1 in their past 10, 1-3-1 in their past five. One of the two points the Sabres earned in this stretch came in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Flyers on March 9, eight games into the skid. If Philadelphia isn't exactly ripe for the picking, it might be the best chance for Buffalo to get a win. -- Dave Stubbs, columnist

Will the Maple Leafs defeat the Oilers again?

The Toronto Maple Leafs-Edmonton Oilers series has been lopsided with Toronto 6-1-1 in eight games against Edmonton. The Maple Leafs will look to finish with another win when they host the Oilers in the final game of the season series (7 p.m. ET; SN, TVAS, NHL.TV). Toronto is first in the Scotia North Division, three points ahead of third-place Edmonton. Auston Matthews scored 54 seconds into overtime for a 4-3 Maple Leafs win Saturday after they had been down 3-1 early in the second period. Matthews has scored four goals in five games against Edmonton this season, second behind forward William Nylander, who has scored six goals and 10 points in eight games. Forwards Leon Draisaitl (10 points; five goals, five assists) and Connor McDavid (nine points; three goals, six assists) lead the Oilers in the season series. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

Monday schedule

Philadelphia Flyers at Buffalo Sabres, 7 p.m. ET (MSG-B, NBCSP, NHL.TV)
Flyers defenseman Justin Braun is expected to play his 700th game in the NHL. Teammate Sean Couturier has scored five points (three goals, two assists) in a three-game point streak.
New York Islanders at Pittsburgh Penguins, 7 p.m. ET (NBCSN, ATTSN-PT, NHL.TV)
Sidney Crosby has scored 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in a five-game point streak for the Penguins, who look to win their fourth straight after a 6-3 victory against the Islanders on Saturday.
Edmonton Oilers at Toronto Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. ET (SN, TVAS, NHL.TV)
The Maple Leafs go for their fourth consecutive victory. They have three four-game winning streaks this season.
Anaheim Ducks at Colorado Avalanche, 9 p.m. ET (ALT, PRIME, FS-SD, NHL.TV)
The Ducks try for their first three-game winning streak of the season after defeating the St. Louis Blues 4-1 on Friday and 3-2 in overtime Sunday.
Los Angeles Kings at Vegas Golden Knights, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+, SNE, SNO, SNP, ATTSN-RM, FS-W, NHL.TV)
Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has 483 wins, one shy of tying Ed Belfour for fourth in NHL history. He is third in the NHL this season with 17 wins and his 2.06 goals-against average is third among goalies to play at least 20 games.
Winnipeg Jets at Calgary Flames, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN+, SNW, TSN3, NHL.TV)
This is the last of a three-game series. Winnipeg won 3-2 on Friday; Calgary won 4-2 on Saturday. Jets forward Kyle Connor has scored three points (one goal, two assists) in the two games and nine points (five goals, four assists) in seven games against the Flames this season.
Minnesota Wild at San Jose Sharks, 10:30 p.m. ET (NBCSCA, FS-N, FS-WI+, NHL.TV)
The Wild begin a four-game road trip having won three in a row and eight of their past 10 (8-2-0).