Flyers improved goaltending to be tested by Maple Leafs
One of the biggest reasons the Philadelphia Flyers have points in eight of their first 10 games (6-2-2) has been the play of goalies Carter Hart and Martin Jones, who have combined for a .945 save percentage at 5-on-5 after Flyers goalies had an NHL-low .895 last season. Hart will start against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, SN, TVAS, NBCSP, NHL LIVE) with a .926 save percentage in seven games, an increase from .877 in 27 games (25 starts) last season. It will be interesting to see how Hart and the Flyers handle the test they’ll get from the Maple Leafs, who have averaged 3.33 goals per game while going 5-1-0 in their past six. Center John Tavares, who leads Toronto with seven goals, is a game-time decision with an undisclosed injury. — Adam Kimelman, deputy managing editor
Coyotes seek second straight win
Can the Arizona Coyotes make it two wins in a row? They’ll try when they host the Minnesota Wild at Gila River Arena (10 p.m. ET; TNT, NHL LIVE). Arizona got its first win Saturday, 5-4 against the Seattle Kraken, after losing its first 11 games of the season (0-10-1). Minnesota (8-3-0) begins a three-game road trip and is seeking its fourth straight win. The Wild, who have scored five goals in each of their past three games, have gotten scoring up and down the lineup with 11 players with at least two goals this season. — David Satriano, staff writer
Stars continue search for regulation success
The Dallas Stars (4-5-2) will be looking for their first regulation win of the season when they host the Nashville Predators (8:30 p.m. ET; BSSW+, BSSO, ESPN+, NHL LIVE). The Stars have three overtime wins and one shootout win and their early-season struggles can be traced, in part, to scoring. Having played eight of its first 11 games away from home, Dallas is 29th in the NHL with 2.18 goals per game. The Stars are led in goals by Tyler Seguin with four, which is tied for the lowest team-leading goal total in the NHL with the Coyotes, Montreal Canadiens and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Predators (6-5-1) are 5-1-1 since a 1-4-0 start. — Tim Campbell, staff writer
Wednesday schedule
Toronto Maple Leafs at Philadelphia Flyers (7:30 p.m. ET; NHLN, TVAS, SN, NBCSP, NHL LIVE)
Maple Leafs forward Mitchell Marner brings a six-game point streak (three goals, nine assists) into the game against the Flyers, who are 3-1-1 at Wells Fargo Center while scoring 21 goals for an average of 4.20 per game, tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for fourth in the NHL on home ice.
Nashville Predators at Dallas Stars (8:30 p.m. ET; BSSW+, BSSO, ESPN+, NHL LIVE)
Defenseman Roman Josi leads Nashville with 12 points (four goals, eight assists) in 12 games. He is tied for second with Kevin Shattenkirk of the Anaheim Ducks in points among NHL defensemen behind Adam Fox of the New York Rangers (13).
Minnesota Wild at Arizona Coyotes (10 p.m. ET, TNT, NHL LIVE)
Minnesota forward Kirill Kaprizov, winner of the Calder Trophy voted as NHL rookie of the year last season, has scored nine points (two goals, seven assists) in 11 games and shares the Wild scoring lead with defenseman Matt Dumba (two goals, seven assists). Kaprizov has cooled off after starting with five assists in his first three games this season with four points (two goals, two assists) in his past eight.
Resurgent Kings latest test for struggling Canadiens
Four months after losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final, the Montreal Canadiens (3-10-0) are flirting with the NHL cellar. They’ve opened a season with 10 losses in their first 13 games for the first time in their history and are tied for 30th in the NHL with the Chicago Blackhawks, ahead of the Arizona Coyotes. The latest challenge for the Canadiens comes Tuesday when they host the resurgent Los Angeles Kings (7 p.m. ET; TSN2, RDS, BSW, ESPN+, NHL LIVE). The Kings have won five straight after a 5-1 road victory at the Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday. Los Angeles has overcome a 1-5-1 start and could be an example for Montreal, which has lost four of its past five games. Solid goaltending and improved team defense have helped the Kings, who’ve allowed nine goals in their past five games. — Dave Stubbs, columnist
Yzerman plan on course for Red Wings
The plan for the Detroit Red Wings when franchise icon Steve Yzerman became general manager April 19, 2019 was to take the slow and steady approach. The plan seems to be on course as the Red Wings head into their game at home against the Edmonton Oilers (7:30 p.m. ET; SNE, SNO, SNW, BSDET, ESPN+, NHL LIVE) 6-5-2 and contending to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 2015-16. Leading the way are forward Lucas Raymond (No. 4, 2020 NHL Draft) and defenseman Moritz Seider (No. 6, 2019 NHL Draft), each a top 10 pick under Yzerman and the two leading rookie scorers in the NHL with 14 and 10 points, respectively. The Oilers have won four straight and are 9-1-0. They appear to have reached full bloom with Leon Draisaitl (23 points; 10 goals, 13 assists) and captain Connor McDavid (22 points; eight goals, 14 assists) first and second in NHL scoring, and three other skaters (Ryan-Nugent Hopkins, 14; Jesse Puljujarvi, 12; Zach Hyman, 10) with at least 10 points. — Jon Lane, staff writer
Blackhawks look to build on King’s coaching debut
The Chicago Blackhawks look to build off their 2-1 overtime win against the Nashville Predators on Sunday in coach Derek King’s debut, when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins (8:30 p.m. ET; TVAS, NBCSCH, ATTTSN-PT, ESPN+, NHL Live). The Blackhawks were 1-9-2 before the coaching change Saturday. Patrick Kane has been hot for Chicago, scoring seven points (four goals, three assists) in his last five games and leading the Blackhawks with 12 points (five goals, seven assists) in nine games. For Pittsburgh, others have had to pick things up with center Sidney Crosby, defensemen Brian Dumoulin, Marcus Pettersson and Chad Ruhwedel and coach Mike Sullivan in NHL COVID-19 protocol. Penguins forward Kasperi Kapanen did so by scoring a hat trick in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. — William Douglas, staff writer
Tuesday schedule
Ottawa Senators at Boston Bruins (7 p.m. ET; NESN, TSN5, RDS2, ESPN+, NHL Live)
Ottawa seeks to snap a four-game skid (0-3-1) when they play Boston for the first time this season. The Senators will have to do it without forward Connor Brown and Dylan Gambrell, who entered NHL COVID-19 protocol Monday. They join forward Austin Watson, defenseman Nick Holden and associate coach Jack Capuano in protocol. Bruins forward Brad Marchand has seven assists in a three-game point streak.
Los Angeles Kings at Montreal Canadiens (7 p.m. ET; TSN2, RDS, BSW, ESPN+, NHL LIVE)
Phillip Danault returns to Montreal to play for the first time since signing a six-year contract with the Kings on July 28, after six seasons with the Canadiens. This is the last of the two-game season series between the teams. The Kings won 5-2 at home Oct. 30.
Carolina Hurricanes at Tampa Bay Lightning (8 p.m. ET; BSSUN, BSSO, ESPN+ NHL LIVE)
The Hurricanes look to rebound after their losing their first game of the season, 5-2 to the Florida Panthers on Saturday. It will be the first meeting between the teams since the Lightning defeated the Hurricanes in five games in the best-of-7 Stanley Cup Second Round.
Florida Panthers at New Jersey Devils (7 p.m. ET; ESPN+, HULU, NHL LIVE)
The Panthers play the second of a back-to-back set after a 4-3 loss at the New York Rangers on Monday ended an 11-game point streak to start the season (10-0-1), one shy from the longest in the NHL since the Chicago Blackhawks opened the 2012-13 season 21-0-3. The Devils begin a three-game homestand after going 1-1-1 on a road trip to California. New Jersey forward Miles Wood is out indefinitely after having hip surgery Monday.
Edmonton Oilers at Detroit Red Wings (7:30 p.m. ET; SNE, SNO, SNW, BSDET, ESPN+, NHL LIVE)
Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl leads the NHL with six games of at least three points. Two others in NHL history had more after 10 games: Mario Lemieux (seven in 1995-96 and 1988-89) and Wayne Gretzky (seven in 1984-85). The Red Wings go for their third straight win. Detroit forward Sam Gagner is expected to play his 900th NHL game.
St. Louis Blues at Winnipeg Jets (8 p.m. ET; TSN3, BSMW, ESPN+, NHL LIVE)
Forward Vladimir Tarasenko has scored 11 points (four goals, seven assists) in 10 games and equaled his goal total from 24 games last season for the Blues, who are 2-2-1 in the past five games after a 5-0-0 start to the season. Jets forwards Mark Scheifele and Paul Stastny each have an undisclosed injury but haven’t been ruled out and forward Nikolaj Ehlers is expected to be available after leaving practice early Monday.
Pittsburg Penguins at Chicago Blackhawks (8:30 p.m. ET; TVAS, NBCSCH, ATTSN-PT, ESPN+, NHL LIVE)
The Penguins visit the Blackhawks having lost four of five (1-3-1). They’re coming off an eight-game homestand (3-3-2) and play six of their next eight games on the road. Chicago forward Alex DeBrincat has scored three goals in his past three games and is tied for ninth in the NHL with seven goals.
San Jose Sharks at Calgary Flames (9 p.m. ET; SN1, NBCSCA, ESPN+, NHL Live)
The Sharks begin a five-game road trip and face their Pacific Division rival for the first time this season. They are expected to be without coach Bob Boughner, defensemen Erik Karlsson, Jake Middleton, Radim Simek and Marc-Edouard Vlasic and forwards Matt Neito, Timo Meier and Kevin Leblanc, who are in NHL COVID-19 protocol. Calgary goalie Jacob Markstrom shut out the Rangers 6-0 on Saturday, giving him an NHL-leading four. Flames defenseman Oliver Kylington has a six-game point streak (one goal, six assists).
Anaheim Ducks at Vancouver Canucks (10 p.m. ET, SNP, BSW, ESPN+, NHL LIVE)
The Ducks bring a four-game winning streak into Vancouver led by Troy Terry, who has scored 14 points (eight goals, six assists) in an 11-game point streak. The Canucks close a seven-game homestand seeking their third win (2-4-0).
Seattle Kraken at Vegas Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET; ESPN+, HULU, NHL LIVE)
Seattle has lost three of four after a 5-4 loss to the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday. Vegas is 5-2-0 in its past seven games and forward Jonathan Marchessault has scored four goals in a three-game point streak.
