NHL On Tap: McDavid, Eichel square off for Oilers, Golden Knights

Welcome to NHL On Tap, a daily look at the games on the NHL schedule. There are 10 games on the schedule Tuesday, two of which will be nationally televised in the United States and Canada.

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Games of the day

Edmonton Oilers at Vegas Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SN1)

Centers Connor McDavid and Jack Eichel, the two top picks in the 2015 NHL Draft, respectively, go head-to-head for the 16th time in the regular season when the Oilers and Golden Knights meet at T-Mobile Arena the night before final rosters are announced for the 4 Nations Face-Off for Canada and the United States. McDavid, who will represent Canada at 4 Nations, has 18 points (five goals, 13 assists) in 15 games (8-3-4) against Eichel and 10 points (five goals, five assists) during a five-game point streak for the Oilers (13-9-2), who have won three straight. Eichel, who will play for the United States, has 19 points (seven goals, 12 assists) in 15 games (7-5-3) against McDavid, and eight points (three goals, five assists) in his past six games for the Golden Knights (15-7-3).

Detroit Red Wings at Boston Bruins (7 p.m. ET; HULU, ESPN+, SNO, SNE, SN1)

The Bruins (12-11-3) seek their second straight win and fifth in seven games when they host the Red Wings at TD Garden. Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman (86-42-17 in 150 games), who hopes to earn a spot on the U.S. roster for the 4 Nations Face-Off, is 2-2-0 with a 1.78 goals-against average and .929 save percentage in his past four games (all starts). The 26-year-old goalie has performed very well of late after going through some early-season struggles and is 7-9-2 with a 3.09 GAA and .892 save percentage in 18 games (all starts). Detroit (10-11-3) lost goalie Cam Talbot to a lower-body injury in the second period of a 5-4 overtime loss to the Vancouver Canucks on Sunday and is now without two goalies, including Alex Lyon (lower body). Ville Husso is expected to start for the Red Wings to begin their two-game road trip.

Other Tuesday games

Colorado Avalanche at Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m. ET; KTVD, MSG-B, ALT)

Casey Mittelstadt will play for the Avalanche against the Sabres, and Bowen Byram for Buffalo against Colorado, for the first time since they were traded for one another March 6. The Sabres (11-11-2) have lost three straight games (0-2-1) and have been shut out twice over that span, including 3-0 to the New York Islanders on Saturday. Colorado (13-12-0), which acquired goalie Scott Wedgewood in a trade with the Nashville Predators on Saturday for goalie Justus Annunen and a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, has lost three of its past four games.

New York Islanders at Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m. ET; RDS, TSN2, MSGSN)

Patrik Laine will make his regular-season debut for the Canadiens (8-13-3). The forward sprained his left knee during a preseason game Sept. 28 and was expected to be out for 2-3 months. Montreal forward Cole Caufield has a three-game goal streak and four-game point streak (four goals, two assists). The Islanders (9-10-6) ended a three-game losing streak by defeating the Sabres on Saturday and seek their first win at Bell Centre since April 15, 2022.

Florida Panthers at Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, SCRIPPS)

The Panthers (15-9-1) have won three in a row, including a home-and-home sweep of the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday (6-3 in Raleigh, North Carolina) and Saturday (6-0 in Sunrise, Florida). Defenseman Kris Letang needs one more multiassist game to tie Ron Francis for the fifth most (109) in Penguins history. Pittsburgh (10-12-4) has won three straight and will play three of its next four games at home.

San Jose Sharks at Washington Capitals (7 p.m. ET; MNMT, NBCSCA)

Defenseman John Carlson looks to extend his point streak to four games (one goal, four assists) for the Capitals (17-6-1), winners of four straight. Rookie forward Will Smith has a goal in three straight games and seven points (three goals, four assists) in his past four for the Sharks (9-13-5), winners of two straight and three of four.

Seattle Kraken at Carolina Hurricanes (7 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, KHN, KONG)

Defenseman Vince Dunn returned to the lineup for Seattle (11-13-1) on Saturday, a 4-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks, after missing 19 games with a mid-body injury. Goalie Pyotr Kochetkov is expected to start for the Hurricanes after missing four games because of a concussion. Carolina (16-7-1) is 2-3-1 in its past six.

Vancouver Canucks at Minnesota Wild (8 p.m. ET; FDSNWIX, FDSNNO, SNP)

Forward Kirill Kaprizov has four points (two goals, two assists) in a three-game point streak for the Wild (16-4-4), who have won three straight games. Defenseman Quinn Hughes had three assists in a 5-4 overtime win at the Red Wings on Sunday to become the Canucks' all-time leader among defensemen (313). Vancouver (13-7-3), which concludes a six-game road trip, has won four of its past five games.

St. Louis Blues at Winnipeg Jets (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, FDSNMW)

The Blues lost 3-2 to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday, their first loss under coach Jim Montgomery (2-0-1) after he was hired Nov. 24 to replace Drew Bannister. The Jets (18-7-0) have lost three in a row for the first time this season and placed forward Nikolaj Ehlers (lower body) on injured reserve retroactive to Nov. 29. Forward Brad Lambert was recalled from Manitoba of the American Hockey League.

Columbus Blue Jackets at Calgary Flames (9 p.m. ET; SNW, FDSNOH)

Defenseman Zach Werenski looks to extend his point streak to nine games (five goals, 11 assists) for the Blue Jackets (11-9-3), who are 5-0-1 in their past six. Columbus' point streak is its longest since Jan. 18-29, 2021 (seven games). Forward Justin Kirkland has a lower-body injury and is questionable for the Flames (12-9-4), who have lost four in a row (0-3-1).