NHL On Tap: Kopitar leads 1st-place Kings into Calgary to face Flames
Penguins look to continue upward trend against Stars; Hurricanes aim to start new streak at Vegas
© Gerry Thomas/NHLI via Getty Images
Welcome to the NHL On Tap, a daily look at the games on the NHL schedule. There are six games on the schedule for Monday, including one televised nationally in Canada and the United States.
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Games of the day
Los Angeles Kings at Calgary Flames (8:30 p.m. ET; Prime, FDSNW)
Anze Kopitar continues to defy Father Time and is putting together another excellent offensive season. In the process, the 37-year-old center has helped Los Angeles (9-4-3) rise to the top of the Pacific Division. Kopitar has at least a point in five of his past six games and will look to add to it when the Kings visit the Flames (7-5-3) at Scotiabank Saddledome. Kopitar had two assists in a 5-2 win against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday. He leads Los Angeles with 17 points (five goals, 12 assists) in 16 games. Kopitar is the longest-serving player in Kings history, currently in his 19th season, and will be playing his 1,390th game since being selected by Los Angeles in the first round (No. 11) of the 2005 NHL Draft. Calgary returns home after collecting points in each of a three-game road trip (1-0-2) at the Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins and Buffalo Sabres. Forward Matt Coronato has a chance to extend his three-game point streak (three goals, one assist); the 21-year-old scored in a 3-2 shootout loss at Buffalo on Saturday. He has six points (five goals, one assist) in 10 games in his second NHL season.
Dallas Stars at Pittsburgh Penguins (7 p.m. ET; Victory+, SN-PIT, TVAS)
They’ve been do it for the better part of the past two decades, so it is not surprising Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin continue to lead the way for the Penguins. The two forwards have been instrumental getting Pittsburgh back on track; Pittsburgh (6-8-2) has earned points in four of its past five games (3-1-1) and looks to continue that trend against Dallas (8-5-0), which is looking to bounce back after a 4-1 loss at the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday. Stars goalie Jake Oettinger has a chance to respond after being pulled in Winnipeg, where he allowed four goals on 15 shots. Oettinger is 6-3-0 in nine games, all starts, with a 2.60 goals-against average and .910 save percentage.
Carolina Hurricanes at Vegas Golden Knights (10 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, SCRIPPS, TVAS)
Martin Necas will be looking to extend his point streak to 10 games and help the Hurricanes (10-3-0) start a new winning streak when they visit the Golden Knights (9-3-2). Necas had a goal and assist in a 6-4 loss at the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday, which ended an eight-game winning streak for Carolina. Necas is in his sixth full season with the Hurricanes and is on pace for his most productive season; he has 20 points (seven goals, 13 assists) during his nine-game run and 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 13 games this season. Vegas forward Jack Eichel has had three points in each of the past two games; he had three assists in a 4-3 overtime loss at the Seattle Kraken on Friday after having a goal and two assists in a 4-2 win at the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday. Eichel leads the Golden Knights with 22 points (four goals, 18 assists) in 14 games and will need to continue help fill the void left by the absence of forward Mark Stone, who is expected to miss his second game because of a lower-body injury. He did not practice Sunday and is day to day.
Other Monday games
Montreal Canadiens at Buffalo Sabres (12:30 p.m. ET; MSG-B, TSN2, RDS)
Brendan Gallagher will look to score in his fourth consecutive game for the Canadiens (4-9-2), who have lost six in a row (0-5-1). Gallagher has eight points (seven goals, one assist) in 15 games this season. Buffalo (7-7-1) can extend its winning streak to four games. Sabres forward Tage Thompson has at least a point in 11 of his past 12 games (16 points; nine goals, seven assists).
San Jose Sharks at Philadelphia Flyers (7 p.m. ET; NBCSP, NBCSCA)
San Jose (5-9-2) will be looking for its sixth win in eight games in the second of a four-game road trip. Mackenzie Blackwood made 44 saves in a 1-0 win at the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. Philadelphia (5-8-2) is seeking points in three consecutive games for the first time this season. Flyers rookie forward Matvei Michkov, who has 10 points (four goals, six assists) in 13 games, has been a healthy scratch the past two.
Nashville Predators at Colorado Avalanche (9 p.m. ET; FDSNSO, ALT, TVAS-D)
Nathan MacKinnon has a chance to extend his lead in the NHL scoring race (29 points; seven goals, 22 assists) when the Avalanche (7-8-0) host the Predators (5-9-1). MacKinnon had a goal and three assists against the Hurricanes on Saturday. Juuse Saros made 26 saves for his second shutout of the season in Nashville’s 4-0 win against the Utah Hockey Club on Saturday to end its three-game losing streak.