Best games to watch on Thanksgiving eve debated

The NHL begins the long holiday weekend right, serving up 14 games Wednesday to start the festivities.

There are some appetizing matchups on the schedule with all but four teams playing during what should be six hours of non-stop action across North America.

But what to watch?

That's where the NHL.com staff comes in, evaluating all the offerings on the menu and picking the one can't-miss entrée they will be ready to enjoy as they prepare for Thanksgiving with family and friends.

Here are their selections:

Big battle in Atlantic

The last time the Boston Bruins met the Florida Panthers, the Bruins admitted that it wasn't just one game of 82, given that the Panthers had knocked the Bruins out of the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season in the Eastern Conference First Round, a loss that still stings. The two teams went out and had a terrific matchup, one that ended up a 3-2 overtime win for the Bruins on Oct. 30 and which inspired Boston coach Jim Montgomery to say Sunday, "Florida's the best team we've played this year so far in our estimation." The teams meet again Wednesday, this time at Amerant Bank Arena (7 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT, TVAS). The Bruins (13-1-3) are coming off a 5-4 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Panthers (12-5-1) are riding a run of seven wins in eight games, including a 5-3 victory against the Edmonton Oilers on Monday. It should be yet another battle of heavyweights in the division, perhaps all leading up to another playoff matchup come spring. -- Amalie Benjamin, staff writer

Two of the Hughes brothers come home to Detroit

Jack Hughes had a goal and an assist for the New Jersey Devils (8-7-1) in a 5-3 loss to the New York Rangers on Saturday after missing five games because of an upper-body injury. Now he and his brother, Luke Hughes, come back to their offseason home to play the Detroit Red Wings (8-6-3) at Little Caesars Arena (7 p.m. ET; MSGSN2, BSDET). Jack led the NHL with 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 10 games before his injury. Luke has 10 points (one goal, nine assists) in 16 games, tied for the NHL lead among rookie defensemen (with Pavel Mintyukov of the Anaheim Ducks). Neither has family bragging rights right now, though. Their brother Quinn Hughes, a defenseman for the Vancouver Canucks, leads the NHL with 30 points (eight goals, 22 assists). -- Nicholas J. Cotsonika, columnist

Top rookies renew acquaintances

What a treat it'll be watching two of the most highly skilled rookie forwards pitted against each other for the first time this season when center Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks (5-11-0) meets center Adam Fantilli of the Columbus Blue Jackets (4-11-4) at Nationwide Arena (7 p.m. ET; BSOH, NBCSCH). Bedard certainly has lived up to all expectations as the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, leading NHL rookies in goals (nine) and points (15). Fantilli, the No. 3 pick in the 2023 draft, has been just as effective in his role with the Blue Jackets as he's tied for sixth among first-year players in points (nine). Bedard and Fantilli know each other quite well too. They were teammates for gold-medal winning Canada at the 2023 IIHF World Junior Championship and have the utmost respect for each other. The friendship will be put on hold this night, however. It should be fun to watch. -- Mike G. Morreale, staff writer

Rangers, Penguins look to keep streaking

Yes, November has gone very well for the New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins. The Rangers (12-3-1) had an 11-game point streak, dating to Oct. 21, prior to their 6-3 loss to the Dallas Stars on Monday. The Penguins (9-8-0) have won six of eight this month. It's all setting up beautifully for a great matchup between the two at PPG Paints Arena (7 p.m. ET; SN-PIT, MSG). What better way to ring in the long Thanksgiving weekend than to watch Rangers forward Artemi Panarin, who had his point streak to open the season stopped at 15 games but remains eighth in the League in scoring with 26 points (10 goals, 16 assists). Or see how 36-year-old Penguins captain Sidney Crosby, who's leading Pittsburgh with 22 points (12 goals, 10 assists), is still showing the kids how it's done. Hey, we're all going to be in the tryptophan haze come Thursday, so let's go into it with what should be a very entertaining game. -- Tracey Myers, staff writer

Oilers desperate to turn season around

The Edmonton Oilers (5-11-1) have yet to gain any traction and are running out of time to turn their fortunes around. They face the Carolina Hurricanes (10-7-0) at PNC Arena on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; BSSO, SNP, SNO, SNE, SN1) desperate for a win. Projected to be a Stanley Cup contender based on the core of its roster remaining intact, which includes the two leading scorers in the NHL last season, Connor McDavid (153 points; 64 goals, 89 assists) and Leon Draisaitl (128 points; 52 goals, 76 assists), the Oilers got off to a slow start and have been unable to climb out of a deepening hole. Edmonton fired coach Jay Woodcroft and replaced him with Kris Knoblauch on Nov. 12, hoping to get back on track. The Oilers are 2-2-0 under Knoblauch, and despite two goals from McDavid, lost 5-3 at the Florida Panthers on Monday. The Oilers are seventh in the Pacific Division and are looking up the standings at every team in the League but the Chicago Blackhawks and San Jose Sharks. Edmonton will play the third of a four-game road trip at Carolina, which should present another difficult challenge. Carolina will be well-rested after defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins 4-2 on Saturday and has won seven of its past 10 games (7-3-0). -- Derek Van Diest, staff writer

Jets face Lightning in sizzling matchup

What better appetizer to start the Thanksgiving festivities for our hockey-loving U.S. friends than a clash between two of the hottest teams in the League? That's exactly what the NHL is serving up when the Winnipeg Jets travel to Tampa to play the Lightning at Amalie Arena on Wednesday (7 p.m. ET; BSSUN, SNW). The Jets (10-5-2) and Lightning (9-6-4) each are seeking a fourth consecutive victory, so something has to give. In the case of Winnipeg, reinforcements are on the way in the form of forward Gabriel Vilardi, who practiced for the first time Monday since sustaining an MCL sprain in a 5-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 17. While associate coach Scott Arniel offered no timetable for Vilardi's return, the 24-year-old did accompany the team on its three-game road trip, which starts in Tampa Bay. The Lightning are coming off a dramatic 5-4 overtime victory against the Boston Bruins on Monday, thanks to a Steven Stamkos goal with five seconds remaining in regulation to tie the game. Brandon Hagel then scored for the Lightning, who had lost their past eight games in the regular season that ended in overtime. -- Mike Zeisberger, staff writer

Rivalry renewed?

I'll be watching the New York Islanders host Philadelphia Flyers (7:30 p.m. ET; NBCSP, MSGSN), looking for a rivalry renewed. These teams had epic Patrick Division and playoff battles in the late 1970s and through the 1980s, including the Islanders' 5-4 overtime victory against the Flyers in Game 6 of the 1980 Stanley Cup Final to capture the first of four consecutive championships. Sure, they're in the Metropolitan Division together, but each has had down seasons at separate times and the rivalry hasn't felt as intense. The Islanders (6-6-5) made the playoffs last season, losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in six games in the Eastern Conference First Round. Philadelphia (10-7-1) hasn't reached the postseason since 2020, when it lost lost to New York 4-3 in the Eastern Conference Second Round. But the Flyers appear to be on the upswing lately, winning five straight and outscoring opponents 22-11. Could this first Flyers-Islanders matchup of the season be the start of a rivalry reborn? Boy, I hope so. -- William Douglas, staff writer

Blues, Coyotes meet for third time

The St. Louis Blues and Arizona Coyotes already have split two head-to-head games at Enterprise Center in St. Louis. The Coyotes won 6-2 on Oct. 19 and St. Louis got the better of them 2-1 on Nov. 9. They're back at it again, this time at Mullett Arena on Wednesday (9 p.m. ET; SCRIPPS, BSMW). The Blues and Coyotes each are trying to solidify themselves as Stanley Cup Playoff contenders despite neither being a favorite to get that far this season. The Coyotes (8-8-2) have lost two in a row. The Blues (9-7-1) ended a two-game losing streak with a 3-1 win at the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday. The Coyotes have turned Mullett Arena into a distinct home-ice advantage. They're 4-3-0 at home this season after going 21-15-5 there last season. The Blues have struggled on the road, going 3-5-1. It's an interesting and unexpected early-season rivalry that is developing between the Coyotes and Blues, who could wind up battling for the same playoff spot later in the season. And they play again in Tempe on Dec. 2. These games matter. -- Dan Rosen, senior writer

Hughes, Makar face off in Canucks-Avalanche showdown

Two of the best defensemen in the NHL will square off when Quinn Hughes and the Vancouver Canucks visit Cale Makar and the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena (10 p.m. ET; ALT, SNP). Hughes never has finished higher than ninth in voting for the Norris Trophy, awarded annually to the top defenseman in the NHL, but leads the League with 30 points (eight goals, 22 assists) in 19 games this season. Makar, who won the Norris in 2021-22 and has been a finalist three times, has 16 points (one goal, 15 assists) during a seven-game point streak, including three assists in each of his past three games, to climb within three of Hughes with 27 points (four goals, 23 assists) in 17 games. The game also will be a bit of a measuring stick for the Canucks (13-5-1). The Avalanche (11-6-0) remain a power in the Western Conference after winning the Stanley Cup in 2022. After missing the Stanley Cup Playoffs the past three seasons, Vancouver has been one of the League's surprise teams this season and could solidify its standing with a win against Colorado. -- Tom Gulitti, staff writer

Grudge match in Dallas

Not only are the Vegas Golden Knights (13-4-2) and the Dallas Stars (12-4-1) among the League's best teams, but they don't like each other. They met in the Western Conference Final last season, a bruising, bitter affair. Vegas advanced and won its first Stanley Cup championship. Dallas went home to lick its wounds and think about could-have-beens. In 2020 the roles were reversed, the Stars defeating the Golden Knights in the conference final. Dallas coach Peter DeBoer used to coach Vegas (2020-22). Bonds and blood feuds run through this rivalry, making it a little like a dysfunctional family gathering at American Airlines Center (9:30 p.m. ET; MAX, TNT, SCRIPPS) on the night before the actual holiday. Entertainment at its finest. -- Shawn P. Roarke, senior director of editorial