In today’s NHL On Tap, four games feature key matchups. The Detroit Red Wings visit the Ottawa Senators, where Brady Tkachuk aims for a six-game goal streak, essential for playoff positioning. The Senators lead with 69 points, while the Red Wings trail by three. The Edmonton Oilers, powered by Leon Draisaitl’s impressive scoring, face the Buffalo Sabres, who are struggling with a five-game losing streak. Lastly, the Chicago Blackhawks take on the Colorado Avalanche, where Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar look to extend their point streaks. Both teams are fighting for momentum with playoff implications on the line.
You’ve tuned into the NHL On Tap, your daily preview of the games featured on the NHL schedule. On Monday, there are four matchups on the agenda, including one that will be nationally broadcast in the United States and another in Canada.
Featured Games
Detroit Red Wings at Ottawa Senators (7:30 p.m. ET; TVAS, Prime, FDSNDET)
Brady Tkachuk and Tim Stutzle will look to continue their impressive runs as the Senators (32-25-5) host the Red Wings (30-27-6) at Canadian Tire Centre in a game crucial to the Stanley Cup Playoffs race. The Senators currently hold the second wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with 69 points, just ahead of the New York Rangers after an emotional 4-3 overtime win against them on Saturday, where they came back from a 3-1 deficit to secure the victory with Tkachuk scoring twice. Tkachuk could become the seventh player in franchise history to score in six straight games, joining the ranks of Connor Brown, Jason Spezza, Drake Batherson, Dany Heatley, Daniel Alfredsson, and Bob Kudelski. Stutzle, who assisted on Tkachuk’s game-winning goal, aims to be only the second player in Senators history to achieve a 15-game point streak, following Heatley. He has amassed 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) during this stretch and leads Ottawa with 65 points (20 goals, 45 assists) in 62 games. The Red Wings have struggled recently, being outscored 21-10 over their last five games and finding themselves three points behind the Senators in the battle for the second wild card in the East.
Edmonton Oilers at Buffalo Sabres (7 p.m. ET; Disney+, HULU, ESPN+, SNW)
Leon Draisaitl is on the hunt for both the Hart Trophy (NHL MVP) and the Rocket Richard Trophy (most goals) as the Oilers (37-22-4) travel to face the Sabres (24-32-6). The Edmonton forward has the chance to extend his career-high point streak to 15 games, having accumulated 27 points (12 goals, 15 assists) over his last 14 games. He currently leads the league with 46 goals, which is 11 more than the closest challengers, Mark Scheifele of the Winnipeg Jets and William Nylander of the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he sits second in the NHL with 95 points, just five behind Colorado Avalanche’s Nathan MacKinnon. The Oilers have bounced back from a five-game losing streak, winning three of their last four, including a 5-4 victory against the Dallas Stars on Saturday. Meanwhile, Buffalo’s winless streak has reached five games (0-4-1) following a 4-0 loss to the Florida Panthers on Saturday. Josh Norris made his debut with the Sabres, logging 20:27 of ice time with one shot, following the trade that sent Dylan Cozens to the Senators on Friday.
Chicago Blackhawks at Colorado Avalanche (9 p.m. ET; Disney+, HULU, ESPN+, SNW)
MacKinnon and defenseman Cale Makar will be looking to propel the Avalanche (38-24-2) to a perfect end to their six-game homestand as they take on the Blackhawks (20-35-9). MacKinnon is on a five-game point streak, gathering 13 points (six goals, seven assists); Makar is aiming for his own seven-game streak, having tallied 12 points (two goals, 10 assists) in his last six. New acquisitions Brock Nelson (New York Islanders) and Charlie Coyle (Boston Bruins) each registered an assist in their Colorado debuts during the 7-4 win against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, where Valeri Nichushkin shone with four points (three goals, one assist). Artyom Levshunov is set to make his NHL debut after being called up from Rockford of the American Hockey League on Sunday; the 19-year-old defenseman was selected by Chicago with the second overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. The Blackhawks have gone 3-0-2 in their last five games, and goalie Spencer Knight is 2-0-0 since his trade that sent defenseman Seth Jones to the Panthers.